he fallen down dead or the ground had opened and swallowed him up alive or had Moses called down fire from heaven and consumed him or the like then indeed it had been an extraordinary case an act above nature yea an act above the power of ordinary grace but t was neither so nor so therefore certainly the case was but ordinary and was recorded and transmitted to after-times for instruction Will you please to consider the case of Phineas He finds Zimri and Cozbi committing uncleanness and with a javeling kills them both at once Now what could as to men and Law be said for this mans act surely nothing that I can bethink my self of but much against him He was Phineas the Son of Eleazer the Priest what had he to do with the civil sword of Justice but suppose he had was he to do Justice in a private way when Justice might have been obtained easily in a publike way Had it not been Charity to have caused them to have been apprehended their sin laid home to their consciences peradventure they might have repented though their bodies had fallen yet their souls might have been saved Had it not been both wisdom and Piety to have brought them to publike Triall and publique condemnation and thereupon all the People to have stoned them that so others might have seen and feared and done no more so wickedly But Phineas steps out of his place makes himself Judge Jury Witness Executioner all in a heat stabs them both through the guts to Hell How the Law and men of those times looked upon him in this act I know not but this I know he had a Commission for what he did that no man in the World knew of or could read beside himself Numb 25.10 And the Lord sayd unto Moses for doutless Moses was at a stand and knew not what to think or judge of this Act of his thus Circumstanced but God instructed him concerning it that Phineas in the sparklings of his zeal had done well and excellently well and he would reward him and his for it as you may see ver 11.12 13. Behold I give unto him my Convenant of peace He shall have it and his seed after him even the Covenant of an everlasting priest-hood because he was zealous for his God If you shall say this was extraordinary I deny it what extraordinariness can there be for one man with a Javelin to kill two that lye along before him Whether God gave these men that are now in place and power with us this kinde of Commission for that eminent and exemplary peice of justice as I will not affirm it so I will not deny it but this is granted of all they were the Instruments in the hand of Divine providence whose dispensations are alwayes just and righteous But what might be the reason that Christ hath such an eminent and incensed quarrel at Kings a Viall of wrath is reserved peculiarly for them My answer in general is that which a wise man of this Land once sayd Kings of all men have been most beholding to God and God hath been of all men least beholding to Kings Why do you think did God call the four great Kingdoms of the World Dan. 7. four great beasts but because the Kings and Rulers of each of them were as so many wild raging untamed beasts preying upon the poor Peoples estates and persons at their pleasure setting up their own wills for a Law and none of them so cruel this way as the Roman Monarchy Dan. 7.7 Behold the fourth Beast was dreadfull and terrible and strong exceedingly and it had great iron teeth and it devoured and brake in peices and stamped the residue with its feet and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it and it had ten horns These ten horns are ten Europaean Kings and who ever reckons them up I finde brings in the Kings of Brittain for one of the horns of this terrible and fearfull Monster See yet more of these Europaean Kings Rev. 17.12 13 14. The ten horns which thou sawest are ten Kings These have one mind and shall give their power and strength to the Beast These shall make War with the Lamb and the Lamb shall over-come them for he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings To have gone on in wayes of violence oppression towards any sort of people had been enough to have set Christ against them but when these ten Kings of Europe successively have one minde for the Beast give their power and strength to the Beast to make war with the Saints and with the Lamb do you marvel at that which follows the Lamb falls particularly and after a special manner upon them i. e. upon the European Kings as being resolved to have this known in the World that he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords History tells us that in the years four and five hundred after Christ the Barbarous Nations of Goths and Vandals broke the western Empire all to peices at which time the Saxons were setled in England Franches in Gall the west Goths in Spain the East Goths and Longobards in Italy the Almains in Germany these growing into civil States together with their manners change their religion close with the Pope settle their Governments so as was most sutable yea serviceable to his Interest And the Pope got in upon their Consciences and brought them into Oaths and Obligations to defend the Rights and Priviledges of holy Church that is indeed of Rome Antichristian against the Kingdom of Jesus Christ And now when the time of Christs taking the Kingdoms of this World into his own hands draws dear the most of these European Kings are yet professedly for the Pope in opposition to Jesus Christ to keep him out Do you all know this and do you ask a reason why Christ pours out wrath upon the Political fun of every Nation of Europe why he makes the thrones of Kings to totter Bvt you 'l say the Kings of England cast off the Pope long since I answer Henry the eight it cannot be denyed did cast off his Supremacy but Jehu like as Calvin hath observed of him so far as served his own turn in Temporals only but was still zealous upon the six Articles of the Church of Rome that whoever denyed any of those Articles of Popery they were burnt for it Then came that blessed child and doubtless now glorified Saint of God Edward the sixt into the Throne who repealed the six Articles threw Images out of Churches and furnished the Land with an English Service-boook or Liturgie He had Wars with Scotland Insurrections at home a plain War in Norfolk his time very short his age very green We cannot blame him for reforming no more but must wonder at him and bless God for his reforming so much Queen Mary you know brought us again full sail into the Popes arms or bosom but let her Reign pass in a red Parenthesis Next came Queen
and creeks of it The like you shall see in the sequels of this business they are four all set down ver 13. The first of them this The same hour the witnesses rose there was a great earthquake A violent shaking of Church and State even of the whole Kingdom in the breaking out of these late Wars between King and Parliament there have been such Commotions amongst us as may well be called a great earthquake and it began presently upon the quickening or return of these men The second this The tenth part of the city fell Conceive as I touched before the great Mystical City made up of the ten Kingdoms that gave their power to the Beast and when one of these Kingdoms fell off utterly and irrecoverably from Rome by means of the earthquake then the tenth part of the city fell If you would know which peradventure the Greek may give some hint of it the Holy Ghost seems to lay a great Emphasis upon the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that tenth part where the last of the Witnesses were killed in so different and signal a way that tenth part that is so easily discernable from all the rest Et penitùs toto divisi ab orbe Britanni in plain terms England You 'le say was England but shaken off from Rome by this late Earthquake I answer it was in part but not wholly in Doctrine but not in Worship and Discipline for as I told you Rome and we were fast tyed together by the tails of Episcopacy Ceremonies and Formes of Worship though their bodies were loose and heads looked several ways Yet truly let me tell you this that in our times the heads were turning and looking one upon another with marvellous benigne aspects and were working their bodies together again as fast as such great and unweldy bodies could be moved There were such Popish Doctrines Popish Practises and Popish ordering of Church-affairs to say nothing of the State in most points and places that the Pope had good cause to assure himself of Englands return into the Bosom of the Romane Church But when the Parliament arose for Parliaments themselves rose from the dead you know how long we had been kept without them and at last a Proclamation set forth that men should not think of a Parliament and quickened the dead Witnesses Voted down Episcopal Government with all the Appurtenances of it and being forced to 't took up Arms resolving to live and die in the defence of those Votes then and not till then I dare boldly say it did England a tenth part of those Kingdoms that had given their power to the Beast utterly totally fall off from Rome that in reason they can have no hope of ever fetching it back again to serve the Popish Interest The third is this In the earthquake were slain of men 7000. This being a round and perfect number you need not understand it of just so many and no more for indeed 7000. is not a proportionable number for such an earthquake but it may be a certain number for an uncertain and in the earthquake were slain 7000. i. e. thousands upon thousands But searching the Original I finde That runs thus In the earthquake were slain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 names of men that is men of name men of renown the like Hebraisme you have Gen. 6.4 So in this Fall of the tenth part of the City were slain men of name note quality besides the common sort of People 7000. meaning of the Witnesses enemies some lost their blood and lives others their places powers livings livelyhoods and thus there were slain of noted Statesmen and noted Churchmen 7000. which in reason may be conceived a competent number in this late earthquake The fourth sequel is this And the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of Heaven Observe 't is not said the remnant repented but were terrified and indeed nothing is more evident then that an awe and terrour is fallen upon the spirits of those that remain and as Joshua exhorted Achan to confess and give glory to God so they are constrained it bursts out of their mouths fore against their wills that since the restoring of those men every Providence of God hath fought against them And though they speak evil of dignities and instruments as Jannes and Jambres did against Moses yet they will confess that this is digitus Dei the just handy-work of God upon them they have nothing to accuse God of for such his Dispensations to them Whatever they think or say concerning men and present Powers yet being terrified they confess and give glory to the God of Heaven Tell me now in the singleness of your Spirits have not Providences suted marvellous patly to the Text Hath not something fallen out in our days that may with more perspicuity of Reason be called the signal killing of the Witnesses then hath in any Kingdom you can name all Circumstances complying fully with the standard of the Word Confident I am that since the quickening and Resurrection of these men there can no Kingdom in the World be named where the Beast hath prevailed against the Zealous Protestant party so as it may be said he is yet killing Witnesses he hath enough to do to hold his own and in many places is apparently on the loosing sinking hand Wherefore if I may draw the conclusion it shall be this That which we all so much fear is past and let Antichrist and those of his Faction take what follows I remember what our Saviour said to his Disciples Mat. 24.32 33. When the Fig-tree putteth forth her leaves you uknow that Summer is nigh Likewise ye when ye shall see all these things know that it is near even at the door So say I to you When something hath passed before our eyes which we cannot in reason but call the killing of the witnesses and resurrection of the witnesses from that time from that sign know that Antichrists utter ruin is near even at the dore Vse The first use shall inform you of the ground and cause of God's thus severe proceeding with them A Vial of wrath is poured upon every thing that belongs to Antichrist and the latter still more hot and scalding then the former till he 's utterly burnt up and ruind by them Why it lies in this The justice of God God hath a nature that constrains him to give to every one according to their works but such have been Antichrists works and carriage that it is the equallest thing in the world that God should execute and pour out upon him all those fearfull things which Daniel Paul and the Apostle Iohn have foretold and threatned him withal He who hath made himself the Man of Sin God can do no less then make him The Son of Perdition as t is in the Text Rev. 18.2 An Angel cryed with a strong voyce saying Babylon the great is fallen is fallen the reason is laid down in the 5. ver Her
the seed of Gods people they have lain a great while under the clods as if they had been lost or quite dead but God hath a day wherein his seed shall spring up into a harvest of joy and all that see them shall acknowledge they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed as it is Isa 61.9 Thirdly after these the residue of the Nations shall be the Lords Zach. 8.22 23. Many and strong Nations shall come to seek the Lord of Hoasts in Jerusalem and to pray before the Lord. And in those dayes it shall come to pass that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the Nations even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew saying we will go with you for we have heard that God is with you That which was done Act. 2. will not agree to this Text for we do not read of many and strong Nations coming in then You will say how can many and strong Nations come in to Jerusalem at any time Doubtless it will be by Agents or Messengers according to Zach. 7.2 3. when the Jews shall send forth their Emissaries into all Lands to Preach Christ to them there shall go a great blessing a mighty power of the Spirit along that the hearts of the Nations generally shall be mightily taken with them and there shall be certain men out of every Nation and Language authorized to take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew and say we will go up to Jerusalem with you for God and Christ are with you to have the most exact and perfect Directory that we and our whole Nation may worship God aright Once Christ in his Rule and Government was kept within the narrow bounds of Jury then he stretched forth the arms of his power over the Gentiles first the Eastern then the Western Churches but the day is coming wherein he will lift up a Scepter over all the Nations of the world Dan. 7.14 There was given him Dominion Glory and a Kingdom that all People Nations and Languages should serve him He reigns a glorious King indeed that is King of all Kings of all Kingdoms Nations in the Earth Sixthly Christ will then given his People more purity and power of Ordinances then ever the Churches did enjoy Take me I pray you in my own sense Ordinances as they came from the Apostles themselves were pure perfect because they were the immediate inspirations or breathings of the Holy Ghost but consider them in the hands of divers others and in the hands of succeeding Officers and Churches and what Errors yea damnable Doctrines were there presently found amongst them Which increased daily grew worse and worse till at last there came out of the womb of them the great Antichrist But when Christ shall set up this Kingdom whereof we speak there shall be no danger by any gross Errors or seduction by false Teachers Isa 30.25 26. There shall be upon every high mountain and upon every high hill rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter when the Towers fall Moreover the light of the Moon shall be as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun shall be sevenfold as the light of seven dayes in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his People and healeth the stroke of their wound These rivers and streams of Ordinances shall break forth in all the Churches in the day of the great slaughter and when the Towers fall i. e. when the Pope and towring Kings shall be brought down Rev. 19 17. to 21. There shall be this wonderfull increase of Gospel-light when God shall heal that spiritual wound the poor Jew lies so sick of to this day when he shall bind up the breach that is between the ten and the two Tribes making them one in faith and love Rev. 22.1 He shewed a pure river of water of life clear as Chrystal proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb. Romish Ordinances were the blood of a dead man but the Ordinances of Christs Kingdom shall be a river of life most clear and pure ver 2. In the midst of the street of it and of either side the River was there the tree of life which bare twelve manner of fruits and yielded her fruit every moneth and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the Nations Christ in his Ordinances will be a wonderfull tree of life bearing both all plenty and all variety of fruits free and open for every one to pluck and feed upon a healing vertue there is in the very leaves thereof the most outward parts of Ordinances will have saving efficacie upon mens hearts God will then send forth men of eminent parts and graces Obad. ver 22. Saviours shall come up on Mount Sion to judge the Mount of Esau and the Kingdom shall be the Lords In the day when the Lord shall take the Kingdom to himself there shall be Saviours raised up upon Mount Sion in the Margent of your Bibles you have a parallel place put 1 Tim. 4.16 Save the self and those that hear thee q.d. be a Saviour to thy self others Obadiah cals the then-Ministers of the Gospel Saviours because their Gospel-dispensations shall be in the holiness power of the great Saviour of men the Lord Jesus Christ And there will be the most zealous and impartial exercise of Church-discipline that ever was to keep out to purge out both the prophane and the erroneous for which take two or three Scriptures Rev. 21.27 There shall in no wise enter into it i. e. into the holy City which comes down from God out of Heaven any thing that desileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lye but they which are written in the Lambs book of life Not but that doubtless there will be hypocrites in the Church but they shall be so close they shall so artificially paint and varnish themselves over with seeming holiness that they may very well be taken in the judgement of charity for such whose names are written in the Lambs book of life but if once they appear to be defilers of themselves or others any kinde of way nay if they be but catched in lying if such offer themselves they shall not enter shall not be received if they be got in they shall quickly be sent packing again Zach. 13 1. In that day when there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem because of him whom they had pierced Chap. 12.10 11. There shall be a fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness i. e. abundant streams not only of Doctrine and Worship but also of Discipline for it follows That Idols and false Prophets shall be cut off ver 2. And if any one continue to Prophesie or Preach lyes even his Father and Mother that begat him shall cause him to be thrust thorow with the sword of the Spirit or Church-censure such zeal and impartiality will there be
of Popish wordly powers they vanished and new ones came up in their place According to this Text must divers others be understood Isa 66. from the 18. verse to the end of the Chapter the Prophet Treats wholly of this Kingdom In the last verse he bids you look on the carcases of the men that had transgressed against Christ how remarkably and everlastingly they are destroyed In the 18 19 20. verses you have the Calling of the Jews and Nations of the Gentiles In the 21. and 23. verses you have the Ministers and Ordinances of the Gospel set forth and verse 22. all this called new heavens and new earth In the Margent of this Scipture there are divers quotations I would commend two of them to your notice One is Isa 65.17 For behold I create new heavens and new earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into my minde That which God will do is so strange so mighty a Work that in comparison of Gods former Works of Providence t is called a Creation of new Heavens and new Earth which cannot be understood concerning the material Heavens and Earth for 't is a Prophesie of something to come that then was not but there was as much yea the very same Heavens and Earth properly taken then as there is now or ever will be there will be no change in the now Visible or Material Heavens Earth but the same Earth Sea Sun Moon Stars to Christs last coming Therefore the Prophet means and calls them new in respect of former ones as t is in the Text the former shall not be remembred Honoris gratiâ The Political Heavens and Earth as I said before of the Pope and Popish worldly Kingdoms these shall pass away and Christ shall set up new Heavens viz. a Heavenly King and Government over all the World Heavenly Officers to rule under him Thy exactors shall be righteousness heavenly Ordinances heavenly gifts and graces shall shine forth heavenly Pastors and Discipline and a new earth of external peace and external plenty the following verses of that 65. of Isaiah will force your thus to understand it The other Scripture the Margent quotes is 2 Pet. 3.12 13. Looking for and hastening to the coming of the day of God c. Nevertheless we according to promise look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness q.d. though I bid you look for and hasten to the great day of God wherein all shall be set on fire yet nevertheless take special notice how that word nevertheless v. 13. comes in do not fear that you shall lose that glorious Kingdom upon earth that your hearts are generally so much set upon Act. 1.6 7. Lord wilt thous now restore the kingdom to Israel That the Messias would do it 't was commonly known and believed of all the Jews and by these taken for granted our Saviour denyes not the matter of their Quaere suffering them to go on in their Faith of the thing it self only gives check to their curiosity It is not for you to know the times and seasons the Father hath put in his own hands Fear not say Peter before the great and last burning we groundedly from a promise expect that God will make and give us in our Posterity new heavens and new earth in which shall dwell none of that base ungodliness the present heavens and earth of the Kingdoms of this World are full of but in which shall dwell Righteousness as t is Rev 9 8. He names the chief thing in Christs Kingdom which will bring with it all the rest I have spoken of to you If we that live now who have taken notice of the present state of things might be raised out of our graves and have a full view of the Kingdom Christ will set up everywhere certainly there would be no more spirit in us we should cry out here is noting of that World that was when we were upon earth we see none of the old Kings and Queens old Rulers old Governments old Sins and Sinners old wayes that formerly were all the old things are gone and behold all is become new Here 's a new King and new Officers new kinde of Preachers new Ordinances new Discipline new Saints new Church new State all 's become new Why this is not the World that was when we were alive behold here 's a new World that the Lord Christ Omnipotent hath Created Lastly This Kingdom shall be of no small continuance Surely Christ will not be at all this care cost pain to pull down to set up to make a new World of it and all this but for a day or a year Antichrist had a thousand two hundred and threescore years to play Rex in now indeed 't is pitty Christ should not have as long a Reign in the World at least It is not for us to know the times and seasons the Father hath reserved in his own hands But I le tell you what Scripturer saith to it Isa 65.17 he had promised as I told you to create new Heavens and new Earth and lest you should mis-understand this new Heavens and new Earth what they are he tels you ver 18. I create Jerusalem a rejoycing and her people a joy that I mean but when shall this be Why ver 19. When the voice of weeping and crying shall be no more heard in her which must needs point at a time after the destruction of the Temple for then there was weeping and crying enough amongst them viz. upon the now so much expected Calling of the Jews and setling of them again in their own Land at which time ver 22. They shall not build and another inhabit as it had been often formerly with them they shall not plant and another eat but they shall dwell in their own houses and eat their own labours But for what space shall this joy and settlement of theirs be It follows Mine elects shall long enjoy the work of their hands they shall enjoy their new heavens and new earth a long time Rev. 20 2 3 4. The angel laid hold on Satan and bound him at thousand years and the Saints lived and reigned with Christ successively generation after generation a thousand years T is very likely this is a certain number for an uncertain but whether it be more or it be less questionless this expression of a thousand years assures us of a very long time Isa 60.15 I will make thee the joy of many generations not a few but many generations I leave it to your judgement what number of years in this case are to be accounted many the Saints shall enjoy this blessed this glorious reign of Christ for many generations But that which goes immediatly before is this I will make thee an eternal excellency speaking of the Church The word eternal here being to be understood comparatively to other great Kingdoms that have been set up and in time fallen must import a duration as great
as to the end of the World an eternal excellency i. e. an excellency while the World stands according to Dans. 2.44 In the dayes of these Kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed and the kingdom shall not be left to other people but shall stand for ever Dan 7.14 His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed But you le say how can this be reconciled with that Rev. 20.7 8 9. When the thousand shall be expired Satan shall be loosed out of prison and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth Gog and Magog to gather them together to battell the number of whom is as the sand of the Sea And they went up on the breadth of the earth and compassed the camp of the Saints about and the beloved City hoping to make an end of them at once that the world might be troubled with them no more Where is the glorious Kingdom of Christ at this time shall it not be even broken and lost I answer 1. 'T is nowhere said Christs Reign in the height of its excellencie and utmost amplitude or extent of it should be everlasting we do not anywhere read that 2. A people Christ will have all the Saints will be his and be they never so few he may truly be said to rule in and over the kingdome of the Saints Earthly and worldly kingdoms may but none of the Spiritual kingdome made up of Saints ever was or ever will be taken from him 3. Thought the Devil turned loose deceive the nations in the four quarters of the earth yet I do believe Christ will hold his own in the nation of the Jewes Isa 60.20 21 Thy sun shall no more go down neither shall thy moon withdraw herself for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light and the dayes of thy mourning shall be ended Thy people shall be all righteous generally righteous they shall inherit the land for ever Isa 59.20 21. The Redeemer shall come to Sion and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob saith the Lord as for me this is my covenant with them my Spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of them mouth of thy seeds seed saith the Lord from henceforth even for ever To convince you that this place is properly alleaged for this purpose see Rom. 11. where all confesse the Apostle purposely sets himselfe to treat concerning the calling of the Jews v. 25. sayes he Blindnesse in part is happened to Israel untill the fulnesse of the Gentiles be come in and so all Israel shall be saved as it is written Isa 59.20 There shall come out of Sion the Diliverer and shall turn away ungodlinesse from Jacob. And sayes God when I shall make this good unto them I will bind my self to them by covenant that my Spirit which I shall put upon them my word which I shall put into their hearts and mouth shall not depart from them nor from their seed nor from their seeds seed while the world stands I say surely the people of the Jewes when once they are brought in to Christ again they 'l not forsake him any more for ever which will be enough to make Christ a visible kingdome upon earth And when all the powers and policies of the world are united in this designed of compassing and so destroying the holy City Christ will not suffer his Scepter to be wrested out of his hand nor the visibility of his kingdome and dominion to faile and therefore fire comes down from God out of heaven and destroys them Rev. 20.9 whereupon the glory of this Church and Kingdome will revive and flourish again and thus his dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not passe away and his Kingdome that which shall not be destroyed When we speak of the great and glorious Rule and Kingdome of Christ over the generality of nations peoples and languages as here we do of this we say only it shall last a long time it shall continue a thousand years it shall be the joy of many generations You see the Point I doubt not to say it is a sure and impregnable truth viz. Vpon the breaking to peeces of the Church to Rome the Lord Christ will reign and King it so so gloriously as he never did in the world before Vse 1. For application thus But little cause have all Gods people to let their hearts be sadded when they see the famous Governments and Grandeour of this World broken to peeces and laid in the dust Did they rightly understand their true interest it would no more trouble them then the pulling down of an old rotten smoaky cottage doth any man that a strong stately house may be set up for him in its room It God throw down the powers the greatnesse of the kingdoms of men it is that he may bring in the place thereof the power and greatnesse of the kingdom of his Son T is storied when the War began in Germany ann 1619. that a great Brasse-image of S. Peter that had Tu es Petrus super te adificabo ecclesiam meam engraven upon it standing in S. Peters Church at Rome a great and massie sone fell down upon it and so shattered it to peeces that not any word or syllable of that sentences was legible but only these Aedificabo Ecclesiam meam I will build may Church Certainly out of these Wars that are now on foot as I touched in the close of the last point out of the ruines and ashes that shall be made he will bring forth the most glorious Kingdom and frame of Government that ever the World saw Carnal Reason may say 't is pitty that such persons such families such constitutions should be shaken to pieces but I speak to those who profess to live by a principle above Carnal Reason above flesh and blood to you that profess your selves born of God Members of Christ Subjects of his Kingdom that profess 't is your everlasting joy to see the Crown set upon the head of Jesus Christ T is a hard Riddle to me that it should at all go to your hearts to see great but barren Mountains cast into the Sea that so the way may be made plain for our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and for his Kingdom Vse 2. The second thus It were to be wished that every one would set themselves upon the stretch to hasten to bring on this Kingdom Set up that Kingdom in thy self which comes not with observation as our Saviour speaks that Kingdom which consists in righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 Let Christ his Truth and Worship rule in thee and over thee Lay down thy self thy name thy estate thy All at the
decree concerning the order of transactions For that day shall not come except there come a falling away first and that man of sin be revealed the Son of perdition The text branches it self thus 1. The delay of Christs last coming that day shall not come 2. A preceding general defection from the faith Except there come a falling away first 3. The unmasking the detection of the great Antichrist or ringleader of that Apostacy The man of sin revealed 4. His doom The Son of Perdition For that day shall not come except c. My purpose is not to speak any things concerning Christs putting off his last coming to judgement nor yet to give you the Common-place of Apostacy but that which I aim at is to discover Antichrist to you in his own colours for all writers both Popish and Protestant say that by Man of sin here is meant the great Antichrist by Son of Perdition his most remarkabe destruction Well then without any more ado the point I hold forth and undertake by Gods assistance to make good to you is this The Popes of Rome are the revealed man of sin the now well known Antichrist of Whom Daniel Paul and the Apostle John have spoken such vile and fearfull things I say in all they have said of the great Antichrist they have pointed the singer at the Popes of Rome To make this good first thus Daniel in Chap. 7. ver 2. saw the four windes of heaven strive upon the great Sea i. e. great commotions in the States of the World out of which there came four great beasts the first like a Lion shadowing forth the Babylonish Monarchy with its Pride and Violence the second like a Bear of a churlish and ravenous disposition such a one was the Persian Monarchy the third like a Leopard having upon his back four wings very subtle and very swift upon the prey such was the Grecian Monarchy set up by Alexander the great but he saw a fourth exceeding terrible and dreadful having Iron teeth and it devoured and brake in pieces and stamped the residue with his feet and 't was diverse from all the rest and had ten hons upon his head Who these beasts were you have the Angels interpretation Dan. 7 17. These great beasts Which are four are four Kings Which shall arise out of the Earth but so monstrous was the fourth that Daniel would needs know the truth of him the Angel speaks to that ver 22. and 24. The fourth beast shall be a fourth Kingdom upon Earth which shall be diverse from all Kingdoms and shall devour the whole Earth and shall tread it down and break it in peices and the ten horns out of this Kingdom are ten Kings that shall arise and another shall arise c. 'T is well known that the Roman Monarchy hath been the fourth great Kingdom of the World then in its greatness and glory of domination when Saint John writ his Revelation who will tell you yet more of this beast and business Rev. 17.3 I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet-coloured beast having seven heads and ten horns ver 9 the seven heads are seven Mountains the Palatine Capitoline Aventine Esquiline Quirinal Viminal and Janicular Mountains upon which Rome in its greatness stood And the seven heads are expounded also to be seven Kings ver 10. There are seven Kings five are fallen and one is and the other is not yet come and when he cometh he must continue a short space Seven Kings i. e. seven Supream Kings or forms of governments in Rome which made good the saying of Daniel that the last beast was diverse from all the rest Now saies St. John five are already fallen Kings Consuls Tribunes Decemvirs Dictators these five were all fallen and gone in Saint Johns dayes one is viz government by Emperors which made up the sixt head of the beast The other is not yet come he doth not say the seventh but the other as one hath very well observed pointing doubtless at the Christian Emperors who did not differ from the Heathen Emperors as a distinct form of Government but onely in the quality of their persons the one persecuting destroying Christianity the other protecting advancing Christianity and when he comes he must continue a short space for the Christian Emperors did not reign in their full strength and greatness above seventy or eighty years as Historians make it evident It follows ver 11. And the beast that was and is not even he is the eighth and is of the seven The beast that was The Papacy was in respect of the body of the Empire but is not in respect of any present being for it was not in Saint Johns time Even he is the eighth if you reckon the Christian Emperors for one but in that you ought not so to reckon He is indeed of the seven or one of the seven for there have not been eight but seven forms of Governmnt at Rome the last whereof is called the beast by way of eminency the great whore the false Prophet Antichrist himself So then find out the last head to the Roman Empire and you may say of him this is the man of sin the great Antichrist Now who is he why le ts reckon again the Kings had their time of Governing that 's one the Consulls theirs that 's two Tribunes theirs that 's three Decemvirs theirs that 's four Dictators theirs that 's five Emperors theirs that 's six All these are fallen and gone and if I should put the question in this Congregation who is the seventh head of that beast or who since Emperors have Governed Rome I am perswaded the most ignorant man or woman could tell me they are Popes therefore ye Popes of Rome are the man of sin and the great Antichrist And with this agrees that of the Apostle Paul a little after my text 2 Thes 2.6.7.8 Ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time For the mystery of iniquity doth already work only he who now letteth will let till he be taken out of the way And then shall that wicked be revealed That the Papacy was working in St. Johns time is evident if you search Scriptures what errors were then taught and what Doctrines the Church of Rome doth now teach Antichrists Limbs and Joynts were then a framing a knitting the Pope was then a young Embrio and was still growing in the womb but could not break forth till the Emperors had made way for him by removing from Rome and seating themselves at Bizantium or Constantinople Tertullian Hierom Chrysostom and the more judicious of the ancient Fathers have still thus expounded this place When Constantine had endowed Churchmen with indeed too much temporal greatness especially the Bishops of Rome they then began every day to look more and more like Popes i. e. like the great Antichrist and play Rex which you know they could not do while the Emperors seat was at Rome the Imperial presence
and greatness withheld them but when the hand of Providence took them out of the way then they became Popes and manifested themselves to be the seventh distinct Roman Government the last head of that beast Thus you see how both Saint John and Saint Paul were guided by one Spirit when they describe Antichrist to point the finger at the Popes of Rome Take it thus He that succeeds the Emperors in the Government of the Roman State or he that is seventh head of Daniels fourth beast he is the great Antichrist but the Popes of Rome succeed the Emperors in the Government of the Roman state or they are the seventh head of the fourth great beast therefore the Popes of Rome are the great Antichrist Secondly Antichrist is the man that sets himself above all Rule and all authority 2. Thes 2.8 then shall the wicked be revealed that 's our translation but the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lawless man v. 4. Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God How must men forfeit their Intellectuals to fasten all this anywhere but upon the popes For first they are Church-men their seat is in the Temple or reputed Church of God The great Turk let his pride and domination be what it will yet he sits not in the Temple he 's no Church-man but the Pope is Secondly he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lawless man PopeGratian in his decrees reckons up several Laws publike private Laws the Laws of Nature and Nations written and unwritten Laws civil and canonical the Laws both of God and man but the conclusion of all he makes is this that they are all subject to the Popes interpretation and dispensation and that he is the spiritual man who judgeth all things and himself is judged of none He allows such marriages as God hath forbidden You all know he allowed Henry the eighth of England to have his brother Arthurs wife which God expresly forbids Levit. 18.16 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brothers wife And when the sinfullness of it was discovered he would not untye the knot or allow a divorce though it got him nothing and so justified the sin of uncleanness and the trangression of Gods Law He absolves people from the Laws of obedience to the Powers that God hath set over them contrary to that Let every soul be subject to the High powers so the Greeks or the Powers that are set up on high Rom. 13 To kill a Protestant is no murther to blow up a Parliament is meritorious nay though he carry plures animarum currus ad tartara none may say unto him cur ita facis Thus he puts all Rule and Law under his feet Thirdly He apposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or is Worshipped meaning all civil Powers and Rulers of this World the beast hath lift up his paw at them all yea and fetched them under too Rev. 17.12.13 The ten horns are ten Kings those have one mind and give their power and strength to the beast i. e. he had conquered them and they yeilded themselves his slaves their power their strength their all should be at his service vigorously to promote his designs Bellarm in his fifth Book de Rom. Pontif. hath these words Omnes Imperatores Pontifici Romano debent suum imperium all Kings and Emperors owe their Crowns and Scepters to the Bishop of Rome And hereupon the Pope stiles himself Rex Regum Dominus Dominantium King of Kings Lord of Lords and 't is not bare words but he acts accordingly in deposing Kings and giving away their Kingdoms Pope Innocent the third deposed King John of England and gave this Land to Philip Augustus King of France but at last he absolved him upon condition he would hold his Kingdom in Fee of the Church of Rome and that he should pay yearly a thousand Marks of silver in token of his subjection Pope Alexander the sixth gave the West Indies to the Spaniard the East Indies to the Portugal and set them their Limits Pope Pius the fifth pronounced the sentence of degradation and deposition against Queen Elizabeth The Monks whipt Henry the second of England upon the death of Becket and when he spoke some angry words to them Domine say they noli mirarii nos enim nullas minas timemus qui de tali curia sumus quae consuevit imperare Regibus Imperatoribus never threaten us we fear no threats we are of such a Court as ruleth our kings and Emperors I think I could have furnished you with a hundred stories of like nature Fourthly he sits in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God Non ait dicens sed ostendens says one hoc est operibus signis miraculis nitens ostendere quod sit Deus He doth not say it in words at length that he 's God but his carriage and the prerogatives Royal he claims are such as if he were God himself This they stick not to speak out idem est dominium Dei Papae the Rule of God and the Pope are the same Jus ecclesiasticum est jus divinum their ecclesiastical Law is Divine and must bind the conscience as well as any Laws of God Hereupon one expounds it meethinks very well in templo conscientiarum he sits in the Temple of mens consciences He forgives sin as God doth he makes Articles of faith as God doth he takes to himself the Names and Titles that God doth the Councel of Lateran stiles him tu es alter Deus in terris another God upon Earth Dominus Deus noster para our Lord God the Pope he takes Divine worship to himself as God doth they bow before him and kiss his feet which an Angel of heaven would not receive of John Rev. 22. see you do it not Worship God Nay he takes upon him to do that which God will not do to dispense with Laws moral and natural as I said before to give Indulgences to sin for time to come there have been Leases granted for years Schoolemen affirm Deum non magis homini indulgere posse ut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sese gerat quam justitiae suae ordinem overtere seipsum negare God can as soon destroy his order and course of Justice yea deny himself as give men Indulgences to transgress his Laws to walk disorderly but the Pope hath not so bound his own hands he can be Dominus Deus and yet upon good consideration and advantages indulge men to violate any or all the laws of God and Nature He takes upon him to deliver souls out of Purgatory to Canonize Saints at his pleasure so that what is said of God is said of the Pope and more also Take the summ of all thus He who is the great Churchman above all Law and above all Earthly
his Church Take it thus He that since the Apostles and first primitive-Christian times will confirm his Doctrine and set up his Kingdom by Miracles is the great Antichrist But the Pope and none in the World else since those times confirms his Doctrines and sets up his Kingdom by Miracles therefore the Pope is the great Antichrist Sitxhly Antichrist shall challenge to himself a Power over all Nations and Churches upon the face of the Earth in reference to Christ as being his Vicegerent Rev. 13.7 Power was given him over all Kinreds Tongues and Nations ver 16.17 He causeth all both great and small rich and poor bond and free to receive his mark and that no man might buy or sell save he that had the mark c. This Power the Pope assumes to himself and hath had it for no man in the World layes claim to it but he though the great Turk lays claim to all yet not in reference to Christ as his Deputy but the Pope doth It is Antichristian to challenge Power over the faith and conscience of one man or Church t is more Antichristian to challenge Power over many Churches as Bishops do t is a further degree of Antichristianism to claim a Power over whole Provinces as Arch-Bishops do t is yet more to Lord it over the faith of many Provinces and Kingdoms as Patriarks do but to challenge such Soveraignty over all the Churches in the world as the Pope doth thats the great Antichrist of Antichristianism And as one wittily saith lest he should wrong himself by too modest a claim for you must know he 's a modest soul he doth not onely challenge a Power over all this world but in Heaven Hell also where ever Christ hath power yea and even in Purgatory too where Christ hath no Power Mr. Fox in his book of Martyrs records Pope Leo the tenth his Bull against Luther where he charges all Patriarks Metropolitans Primates Arch-Bishops Bishops and all other Ecclesiastical Orders downwards even to the begging Friers and then all Kings Electors of the Empire Princes Dukes and so on and at last all men throughout the universal World upon pain of the great excommunication that they do not embrace Luthers Doctrine adhere to or favor his person Judge you now if this Language be not the very same with that of the great Antichrist Rev. 13. And let me tell you the Popes of Rome have exercised this supremacie for many hundred years Before I close this in hand let me in a word answer a quaere or two the Church of Rome are still putting to us Where was your Doctrine and where was your Church before Luther Why as for our Doctrine my Answer 's thus It was where their 's never was in the Scriptures And as for our Church where that was my Answer runs thus I. Our Protestant-Divines have abundantly cleared it to them that in all Ages there were some they have named the men and the junctures of time in which they lived that opposed Pope and Popery Secondly if we had none before Luther how came they to have so much work for their Inquisitions before Luther for their Armies against the Albigenses and Waldenses five hundred years ago and how came Thomas Arundel Arch Bishop of Canterbury and his fellow Bishops in the reign of Henry the fourth and Henry the fifth of England to condemn and execute so many of the followers of Wickliff and amongst the rest that gallant and famous Saint Sir Iohn Old-Castle 'T is strange there were none of our Church before Luther when there were its well enough known so many in every Kingdom apprehended and executed for opposing the Pope for denying and rejecting popish Doctrine and worship Surely all they may very well be reckoned of our Religion for they would die before-they would be of theirs Thirdly If by this they mean where was your Church visible t is a Nonsence quaere for Rev. 11.2 the holy City meaning the visible Church of Christ shall they tread under foot forty two Moneths i. e. all the time of Antichrist and Rev. 13. He had Power given him over all People Nations and Languages and all the World wondred after the beast T was an impossibility and inconsistent with Gods eternal counsel and decree that we should have a visible Church during the height of Antichrists reign It is enough for us that there have been two witnesses in every age Prophesying in sackloth against him some few haters opposers of him very closely and secretly you might hear of two or three Heretiques in a Kingdom or in a County but perhaps you should not know many times where to find one of them the Beast had so got all the World under his paws Take it in this Syllogisme He that usurps Authority over the faith and conscience of all the Kingdoms and Churches in the World he is the great Antichrist but this the Pope hath done and doth do at this day at least presumptively and intentionally he 'l tell you 't is his right therefore the Pope is the great Antichrist Seventhly The Holy Ghost hath upon the matter named him to us Rev. 13. and last verse Here is wisdom let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast for it is the number of a man and his number is six hundred threescore and six As if the spirit of God had sayd 't is not over difficult to find out his name seing t is the number of a man a number that a man may find out or reckon Then he commends the finding of it out for a special piece of wisdom and understanding that so every one might be encouraged to set himself to work it being natural unto men to desire to be accounted wise In the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Romagnosh Romanus a Roman the numeral letters make up six hundred sixty six In the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the man that useth the Latine tongue so much the numeral letters make up six hundred sixty six You know no expression pleaseth but this ecclesia catholica Romana and the Latine Tongue Latine Bible Latine Service all must be in Latine out of this number says Saint John in effect find out his name that is so much for the Latine In the Latine tongue this Generalis dei Vicarus in terris makes up six hundred sixty six And to give him not onely the name he desires but the name he deserves In our English The Pope by superioritie is the divels Leiftenant the numeral letters hereof make up six hundred sixty six This number may be found in such names and terms as do rightly set him out in diverse Langaages But the Jesuites object that this number may be found in many other names We shall easily grant it may without weakning what hath been delivered for they can bring no other name to whom all the other properties of Antichrist do agree The Holy Ghost doth not send us here barely to
graffed in Well because of unbelief they were broken off and thou standest by faith be not high-minded but fear for if God spared not the natural Branches take heed lest he also spare not thee Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God on them that fell severity but towards thee goodness if thou continue in his goodness otherwise thou also shalt be cut off Are these Bugbears windie Bladders Can these words possibly import less then that God and Grace were not so made over to them but time might produce a change both in Pastors and Church from good to bad from bad to worse and that if they did not walk humbly and watch to the keeping of the Faith they should certainly be cut off Thirdly Together with Constantines large Endowments and Immunities there arose abundance of Idleness Errors Images Superstitions Pride Affectation of outward greatness especially in the Church of Rome and thus she forsook her first Love and the spirit daily quenching yea dying in them they knew no way to keep up but by supporting themselves with a carnal and outward strength Socrates in his seventh book and 11. Chapter saith Now began an ill name to stick on the Bishops of Rome who beyond their priestly bounds have stept into principality This was in the daies of Theodosius the yonger scarce fourscore years since their low poor condition which Constantine raised them from The next remarkable thing we read of was this Philippicus Leo with some other Emperors after them not without the advice of Pratriarks and a whole Eastern Councel threw Images out of Churches as being decreed Idolatrous Whereupon the Bishop of Rome seizes the City and Territories about into his own hands makes himself Lord thereof which till then was Governed by a Greek Magistrate absolves all Italy of their Tribute and obedience due to the Emperor upon this goodly occasion Then to bear himself out in these pranks he takes upon him by Papâ—â—â— sentence to unthrone Chilpericus gives the Kingdom to Pepin and so made him his fast friend and Champion for by him he presently got all Ravenna and annexed it to the Sea of Rome as lawful prize to Saint Peter I must not now stand to tell you how throughout the fift and sixt hundred years after Christ diverse of the Bishops of Rome did openly contend for supremacy but were supprest in several Councels of Carthage and Chalcedon T was not long after when Phocas murthered his Master the Emperor Mauritius and then says the Historian Bonifacius obtinuit a Phoca ut Rom. Ecclesia esset caput omnium Ecclesiarum Pope Boniface obtained of Phocas that the Church of Rome should be head of all Churches From that time forward that Antichristian Jurisdiction and Supremacie grew still more and more till it became an overgrown Monster even to give Laws to all the Kingdoms and Churches in the World Fourthly It is said Rev. 13.2 The Dragon gave him his Power and Seat and great Authority The Pope hath the Keys of the bottomless pit Rev 9 in his hands the devil freely bestowed them on him and made him the great steward of his house his heart rests securely in him Fithly God made them Antichrist in that sense which he 's said to harden Pharoahs heart They not receiving the truth in the Love of it but holding the truth of God in unrighteousness for this cause God gave them up to what you have heard to receive in and upon themselves that recompence of their Errors and sinfulness which was meet Thus you have the cause of his Rise and Growth But haply some man will say to me Is not the Pope Saint Peters successor My Answer 's this That he is the great Antichrist hath been I think sufficiently cleared then whether he is Saint Peters Successor or no I leave thee to judge But for your clearer light in this point what if Saint Peter were never Bishop of Rome as for my part I verily beleeve he was not And because here is the very foundation of their Papacie give me leave to speak to it not doubting but I shall say enough to convince thee there is no just Warrant to make it a point of thy Faith that Peter was Bishop of Rome Whatsoever Bellarmine saith concerning Peters Journals for he speaks as punctually as if he had travelled with him from first to last hath no solid ground to rest the sole of its foot upon at all He says in the fifth year of Christs passion Peter was made Bishop of Antioch and continued in that Bishoprick seven years Then he went to Rome the second year of Claudius ibique sedem fixit ann 25. there he pitched and Bishop'd it five and twenty years Et ibidem vitam finivit there he ended his daies But that ever Peter was seven years Resident at Antioch for that 's required in a fixed Bishop and twenty five at Rome or most part of those years in those places he brings not one text of Scripture to prove either you have his bare word for it but who 'l take that for good proof in his own cause I wonder For the former of these we read concerning the Church of Antioch who gathered and constituted it Act. 11.19.20 21 22. ver 25.26 We find also who were the chif Prophets and Doctors of it Act. 13.1 We do not find in all the Scripture that Peter was at Antioch but in one place Gal. 2. and that in transcursu he took it only in his way Is here sufficient ground to conclude him Bishop of Antioch for seven years together I have stood the more upon this to shew you that if upon such slender grounds they have concluded him Bishop of Antioch for such a space of time certainly they will catch at small things to constitute him Bishop of Rome whereby their own turn is so much served Search all the New-Testament from one end of it to another and where ever you find Rome named if you find mention of Peters being there twenty five years or ten years or one year or one day then let me pass for a lyar Yea says Bellarmine 't is evident he was at Rome Ex eo quod fuit in Babylone in that he was at Babylon 1 Pet. 5.13 the Church which is at Babylon salutes you Roma autem in Apocalypsi passim vocatur Babylon Rome in the Revelation is still called Babylon his very words 1. Let God have the glory of his own truth out of his Enemies mouths Rev. 17.4 5. The woman was arrayed in Purple and Scarlet colour and decked with Gold and Precious Stones and Pearls having a golden Cup in her hand c. And upon her forehead was written Mystery Babylon the great the mother of Harlots and the abominations of the whole Earth All this then by Bellarmines own confession must be understood of Rome and the great whore or Antichrist is not to sit at Jerusalem as he says in another place lyars had need of good
that But further Suppose we grant a necessity of a Successour in that Dignity and Office did it not of right fall to S. John who was an Apostle and lived many years after S. Peters death The Apostle whom Jesus so loved Certainly if any one could have been found fit and worthy to have been left Vniversal head of the Church 't was he but Peter did not at his death confer it upon him willing the Church of Rome to signifie so mcuh to him and bring him to that See for surely Peter was acquinted with no such office much less necessity of such a Succession Whereunto add but this one word They themselves confess an Apostle to have been above any Bishop t is a truth more clear then could ever yet be denyed now how could Linus if he succeeded Peter in the place of universal Supremacyship but be above the Apostle Iohn and yet with the same breath they say an Apostle is above a Bishop But you know it is a Mystery of Lying Iniquity abovo admalum from the root to the very fag end of it But well In the last place the Pope will needs be Successor to an Apostle I confess I think he is but 't is to Iudas and my reasons are these following 1. The Pope continued a great while in the Church undiscerned a close Hypocrite but a real hater of that he did professe to love as Iudas did 2. He 's a Theif as Iudas was and bears the bag too I told you how he first came to possess himself of Rome and all Italy and presently after of all Ravenna just as a thief gets a purse on the high way Do I need to tell you what vast Treasures of wealth their Sorceries and Legerdemain of Pardons Indulgencies Purgatory Canonization and the like have brought them in yearly they make Merchandize of mens souls Vendit Alexander claves Altaria Christum and what is this but mear cheating and thievery Iudas you know was such a thief and lover of the bag that he grudged his Master the Oyntment the good woman poured on him the Pope t is the grief and vexation of his heart that a drop of mercy or comfort falls upon Christ in any of his Members 3. He is as perfect at Hail Master and kissing Christ and then betraying him in his Truths Worship Saints Discipline Kingdom to be spit on reviled crucified as ever Iudas was 4. Our Saviour calls Iudas the son of perdition Joh. 17.12 which very expression the Holy Ghost here takes up and calls him also the Son of perdition It is said Iudas went to his own place Act. 1. The same is said of the Pope Rev. 17.11 He goeth into perdition And Rev. 19.20 The false Prophet was taken and cast alive into the Lake The Pope in the pride and baseness of his heart makes himself S. Peters Successor but God in Wisedome an Justice declares him to be Iudas Successor and this indeed is the true foundation upon which the present Rome or stately Babel of Papacie is built Ve I shall now make some improvement of the point by Application and first be informed That as the Iews have framed a Messias to themselves so the Popish Clergy have framed an Anti-Christ that God never made mention of for the Descriptions they give of him when applyed to the True One are all of them most false and frivilous 1. One of them is this That the Great Antichrist must be a single individual person as the Article o e denotes therefore the Pope cannot be he for there have been many Popes Reader it thou thinkest there is any thing in this be pleased to take better information The Article o e doth not enforce any such thing Mark 2.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not Man for the Sabbath Luke 4.4 It is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Man doth not live by bread alone 2 Tim. 3.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the Man of God may be perfect Will any one who is Master of Common Reason say that the Aricle o e in these places denotes an individual single Person Therefore the prefixed Article cannot enforce it upon us that Antichrist is one single man 2. All the Rulers of the four great Monarchies are set out by Daniel as if every Kingdom had had but one Dan 7.17 These great beasts which are four are four Kings whereas we know there were more in every one of them The last Beast or Kingdom had seven heads or Rulers seven Kings make up the first and they are all called one head and so one The Emperours S. Iohn moulds them all into one Five are fallen and One is speaking of government by Emperours The seventh head of this fourth Beast is the Great Antichrist and why should he be thought a single person rather then any of the other six As each of the former must be taken Collectively so doubtless must this be unless better reasons be given against it then Bellarmine or any other of his way have yet held forth 3. Jesuits themselves call the whole bulk and succession of Popes One visible head of Christs Church therefore give us leave to learn of them and call the whole bulk and succession of them that one Antichrist or one head of the Antichristian Church which was arising in S. Paul and S. Iohns time and is not yet fallen and tell me what single person can be head of a body of such continuance The second thing they fancy of Anti-Christ is That his Seat must be at Ierusalem T is needless to speak much to this can any man read the 17. chap. of Rev. where the Angel tells Iohn That his Seat is the City built upon seven Mountains and that hath seven distinct forms of Government and the great City which in S. Iohns time Ruled over the Kings of the earth Of courtesie tell me can any man understand this of Ierusalem was Ierusalem built upon seven Mountains had ever Ierusalem seven heads or distinct forms of Government did Ierusalem in S. Iohns time raign over the Kings of the earth or was it not rather it self in Vassalage 2. Whereas it is said 'T is the City where our Lord was crucified Revel 11. this will not carry it in their sense For first Let them reconcile this to the former description which I am confident they can never do 2. Antichrists seat is called Ierusalem Spiritually or Mystically as 't is also called Sodom and Egypt Erroneous Prophane Murtherous Ierusalem take it in that state or posture and Ierusalem was a Type or Shadow of Rome Antichristian Antichrists seat is at Ierusalem not Literally but Mystically 3. When Christ was crucified Ierusalem was one of the streets of Rome for there you should hear the fear of Caesar swaying all If you let this man go you are not Caesars friend You should see a Roman Judge Roman Souldiers a Roman Death and all Canaan within Romes boundary and so upon the matter Christ was Crucified at
so strongly support him The Second Viall Rev. 16.3 is poured out upon the Antichristian Sea In this God came nearer to him then in the former for the sea is above the land as t is the proper place of the fire to be above the air the place of the air to be above the water so t is proper to the water to be above the earth t is kept from overflowing all by the power of that word hitherto shall thy proud waves goe and no further Upon the pouring out of the first viall finding themselves in a decaying state they lay their heads together how to plaister their soars and heal themselves of the noysom botches and boyls that had lately broken out upon them and were so visible in every ones eye for which end the Councel of Trent was calld where all the streams of Popish doctrine Popish worship and discpiline were brought together the confluence whereof the Holy Ghost there calls Sea Upon this there did appear in the Reformed Churches men of most eminent Godliness and Learning who did abundantly discover this Sea of theirs both by writing and preaching to be a sea of blood the blood of a dead man and no better In the true Gospel Ordinances there is to be had the living purging saving blood of Jesus Christ but Popish Trental Ordinances were not such blood they were a sea of blood of a dead man clotted congealed blood polluting choaking killing blood this is the Best word God affords them and no marvell when the death of souls was all their operation and effect Every living soul dyed in the sea All those who contented themselves to abide and swim in that Popish Sea that had no other life but what was begot and nourished in the Romish religion dyed and perishd eternally This Vial turned their religion inside out and showed it to all the World in its native colours and baseness till this time Every one took it that it was the bad Lives of the Common sort of people and worse Lives of the Parish-Priests that were in all the fault their Religion in itself good enough but now t is made apparent to all that will nor shurt their eyes that even the Religion itself is naught and base and Antichristian all over And this was yet a hotter Vial of wrath and torment upon them The Third Angel Rev. 16.4 5 6 7. pourd his Viall upon the rivers and fountains of waters that is upon Seminary Priests and Jesuites who compass the earth to and fro conveying the salt of Popish Trental doctrines and worship to people nations and languages and they became blood the meaning is they had blood given them to drink Now to give a man blood to drink is to kill him They were executed by vertue of Queen Elizabeths Law enacted with consent of Parliament in the year 1581. as Traitors hangd drawn and quartered A Book entituled Justitia Britanniae was publised in several Languages to clear the Christian equity and justice that was in such her proceedings with them The United Provinces of the Low Countries come from under the Altar of Persecution for Christ and Truth 1. being freed from the fearfull Tyrannies of Pope and Spaniard took at her in the year 1586. and made a Law to the same effect against them That if any Priest or Iesuite whether Forreigner or Home-born should come into any of the Provinces it should be death to them being apprehended and so they said Amen to the Law and Justice of Queen Elizabeth Let it be even so Lord God true and righteous are thy judgements For the Pope to have capital punishment executed upon his Emissaries the supporters and advancers of his Kingdom and Glory could not but be a tormenting vial of wrath upon him as clearly speaking what measure he himself might look for if he should fall into their hands even he that had drunk the blood of others so freely to have his own heart-blood given him to drink with a Satia te sanguine take your fill of blood and murther The fourth Vial is poured out upon the Sun Rev. 16.8 9. Papacy is resembled by an Antichristian world where there is earth sea rivers fountains and a Sun shining gloriously If we take this Mystical and most Illustrious light according to their conceits and fancie then t is the Popes Supremacie in Temporals Papists will tell you The Pope is as far above the greatest Monarch in this world as the Sun is above the Moon and the several glories of the Kings of the earth are but lights derived from him Temporal glory being in the Pope as light is in the Sun But how is the glory of the Popes Supremacy in Temporals everywhere darkened and in many Kingdomes quite put out You do not not now hear in any of the Popish Nations of his Excommunicating Kings Deposing Kings and giving away their Kingdoms since Henry the 8. God hath exceedingly darkened almost quite destroyed that Sun of the Popes Supreme power in Temporals which hath been a scorching Vial of wrath to him and his Clergy and drawn from them sufficient blasphemies But if you understand the Holy Ghost speaking of things as indeed they be then doubtless t is the house of Austria or the German Emperour It is well known that the Emperours before the Pope set up his Kingdom of Temporal greatness were the Sun and glory of the Political world they being the sixt head of the fourth or Roman Beast were wounded deadly by the incursions of Goths and Vandals Rev. 13.3 But the Pope growing up to his height vouchsafed to be their Surgeon his skill failed him not for he quickly healed that deadly wound by setting up an Emperor in France and after that translating the Empire into Germany Taking things as they really are of a certainty this is the earthly Sun that shines most illustriously in the Popes Antichristian world It matters not whether the Pope will own the Emperour as above himself or no we know he set him up instead of the old Emperours or sixt head who were by all mens confession the Sun of the Political world and the Bishops of Rome but Stars Revel 9. God and Scripture have still made the supreme Magistrate in Temporals the greatest lustre and splendor of any State and therefore with very good reason may the Emperour be here pitched upon who hath been the greatest Light and Glory of the Popish world for hundreds of years The King of Sweden was the Angel out of the Temple who poured this Vial upon the Popish Imperial State as if scorching flames of fire had light upon them And here give me leave to insert a discourse concerning Kings I am not ignorant that he who follows truth too near the heels may chance to have his brains dashd out at least may derive a great deal of spight and odium upon himself which a politick wise man would not do but that of Solomon prevails with me The uprightness of the upright
shall deliver him I find upon search That when Christ is going in good earnest to set up his Kingdom in the name and glory of it there is a great hazard I may say downfall of Kings I shall make this good to you from four scriptures The first of them is Psal 2. ver 2. The Kings of the Earth set themselves and the Rulers take councel together against the Lord and against his Christ This Peter saith was fulfilled at Christs apprehension tryal and death Act. 4.25 26 27. Herod Pontius Pilate the Chief Priests and others consulted and set themselves against him when he had but given out some hints of his Kingship This was that which stirred them up so against him Tell us art thou the King of the Iews And when Pilate was minded to let him go they cryed out He that makes himself a King speaks against Caesar whereupon Pilate went and passed Sentence upon him When there was but some talk that Christ would set up a Kingdom they presently band themselves against him and he dyes for 't and so they think they have broke the Cordes of his Government asunder as t is vers 3. In the 4. verse God laughs at them being wroth verse 5. Speaks that which vexes them Yet or notwithstanding all their combined powers and policies against him have I set him up King of Sion verse 6. And says God I will declare the decree thou art my son this day have I begotten thee verse 7. This was fulfil'd in his raising him up from death to life Act. 13.33 God hath passed an Eternal Decree concerning his Son That when they should kill and bury him he would the third day bring him forth out of the womb of the grave and own him for his Son and set him at his own right hand there to intercede and his intercession should not be in vain Ask of me says the Father to him and I will give the Heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession ver 8. As if he had said I will set thee in possession of thy inheritance which shall have the uttermost parts of the earth for its boundary according to that Psal 72.8 He shall have dominion from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth For God to declare the Decree is to act it for Dei discere est facere When the time is at hand he must be thus set in actual possession of all the Dominion and Greatness and Glory that God hath promised him if the Kings of the earth did set themselves and the Rulers took councel together against him when he did but speak somewhat of his Kingly Office how much more will they do it then when they see his throne a building and his Kingdom a going up to the no small prejudice of their Interest Revel 11.15 17 18. When he begins to put forth and act his Great Power and do something towards taking the Kingdoms of this world into his own hands and reign then the Nations are angry at him that is they act against him in their anger wherein Kings are chief as you may see Rev. 16.14 16. But do they carry it no and thy wrath is come Rev. 11.18 Christ in his wrath fights the battel with them in Armageddon that is where he gives them a most remarkable overthrow and destruction which this 2. Psal expresses plainly Thou shalt break them with a rod of Iron and dash them in pieces like a Potters vessel v. 9. Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be instructed ye Judges of the earth v. 10. as if he said look You well to your selves be his servants without Complement and rejoyce with trembling when he comes about this work v. II. Kiss the Son with kisses of Reverence kisses of Obedience lest he be angry and then a little thing will provoke him and so ye perish in the mid-way in the mid-way of your plots enmities oppositions of him for if his wrath be kindled but a little blessed are all those those Kings and Rulers especially that have Wisdom and Faith to get interest in him and be of his side those that have not the fire of his wrath will certainly consume them ver 12. The second Scripture is Isaiah 24. ver 18.19 20. Marlorat who professes to have taken the marrow and substance of his Comment out of Vatablus Luther Musculus Calvin Oecolampadius Pagnin c. hath these very words upon the latter end of the eighteenth ver pertinet autem proprie hic contextus ad Papistus nostros Christ in this Prophesie says he chiefly intends the Popish State Upon a following verse he hath these words ' hoc vaticinium proprie ad Christi regnum pertinet this other part of the Prophesie doth chiefly respect the kingdom of Christ he means his glorious kingdom expressed in the last words of the Chapter The Popish and Gospel-opposing World is here set out by the Earth as it is also in diverse places of the Revelations Rev. 14.19 Chap. 16.1 Here is mention of heavy transgression according to Rev. 18.5 Her sins are reach'd up to heaven The transgression is sayd to be so heavy upon it that the foundations of the Earth shake reel to and fro yea are utterly broken down fall and rise no more the same you may read Rev. 16 18 19. and Rev. 18.21 And it shall come to pass in that day that is in the day of the Earthquake that the Lord shall punish the Host of the high ones that are on high Who are they I take the next words to be Exegetical why the Kings of the Earth upon the Earth ver 21. The most of the Kings and high Ones of the Earth will be Engaged aganst him enough to make an Host whom Christ will fall upon and punish upon the Earth with temporal judgement according as you have heard when he is abought to Raign before his Ancients gloriously as 't is ver 23. If this Prophesie have been at all fulfilled it will doubtless be much more fulfilled in that day for Prophesies many times have a gradual fulfilling The third Scripture is Psalm 110. Sit on my right hand till I make thy Enemies thy footstool ver 1. Concerning those Enemies you may get some light out of Luke 19. ver 14. the Citizens hated him and sent this message after him We will not have this man to Raign over us and ver 27. Those mine Enemies which would not that I should Reign over them c. The Father speaks of those who were Enemies to Christ as a King Enemies to his Raigning When Christ had cast down heathenish Idols and Government Rev. 12. in all reason he might have expected in Constantine and following Emperors and ages to have set up his Kingdom but then upstarts the Pope that Beast with his ten horns or Kings who by their smiting and pushing keep Christ out of all Whereat to speak after the manner of men Christ
Pope Innocent with their Acts desiring him That he would add his Authority his Answer was to this effect That they had due regard of the Sea Apostolick and of him who had the care and charge of all the Churches the very language of the Beastly Antichrist Rev. 13.7 So that at this time we may safely conclude him actually set down in his Chair of Pestilence and thence may as safely conclude that his Throne to wit the City of Rome and the glorious visibility of his raign and Kingdom will be laid in the dust twenty years hence In a business of this Nature you ought in reason make some grains of allowance to our guess possibly it may fall out three or four years either under or over and what will you say if it fall out that Rome will be begirt and burnt too about 16. years hence I 'le tell you what my opinion is built upon that of Revel 13. verse the last Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast His number is six hundred threescore and six Observe t is indefinitely called the number of the beast the Holy Ghost may perhaps speak much in a little two things at once thus that 666. is the number of the Beast his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. and the number also of his raign expired that his Seat and Throne shall be pulled down and burnt his formall visible reign shall be at an end about the year 666. But in this I confess I have no man to stand by me t is onely my opinion which started up in me upon my poring upon that Text yet I have this to countenance me the Holy Ghost tells us The Earth-quake that must shake his Throne and Kingdome all to pieces when once it begins and for my part I am satisfied t is begun will be a great earthquake such as was not since men were upon the earth so mighty and so great Rev. 16. And this may be some Answer to those who think there 's more work then can be done in so short a time When God sets upon it he will make quick work with him The Earth-quake being so mighty and so violent may possibly reach the Walls of Rome by that time after which Popery will have a being for some years Rome is burnt in the 18. Chapter of the Revel But the Beast and false Prophet with their Armies their destruction is described in the 19. Chapter as being I suppose to be done some space of years after I doubt not but there are divers of you who hear me this day that shall out-live Romes ruin and that your childrens children will most certainly out-live the great battel of God Almighty wherein both Pope and Popery shall be utterly destroyed But what shall the sign of these things be Why let me tell you Scripture hath given a sign of his approaching ruine and that 's the killing of the witnesses Concerning which I shall briefly premise a few things as First that they are not to be restrained to any sort of men for t is sayd of them Rev. 11.4 These are the two Olive-trees and the two Candlesticks standing before the God of the Earth In calling them the Olive-trees the Holy Ghost doubtless alludes to Zach. 4. Where Zerubbabel and Joshua the Magistrate and the Priest are in the vision the two Olive-trees in the interpretation the two annointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole Eaarth the witnesses Comprehended all those Magistrates and Ministers that have in any juncture of time out of a principle of Religion and Conscience for God any way set themselves against the Pope By Candlesticks we are taught from Christs own mouth to understand Churches Rev. 1.20 The seven Candlesticks which thou sawest are seven Churches The rest of Saints and Churches added to Godly Magistrates and Ministers make up the witnesses And we must needs take them thus for the Holy Ghost divides all throughout the reign of Antichrist into but two witnesses or Prophets and the Gentiles Rev. 11. So that all beside those of Antichrists Party or Faction are witnesses or are of the witnesses Secondly They are sayd to be two First In relation to Moses and Aaron who brought Israel out of Egypt to Zerubbabel and Joshua who brought the People of God from their Babylonish captivity So these bring the Church of Christ out of the more then Egyptian Babylonian bondage of Popery Secondly They are sayd to be two in reference to the legality of their testimony two being a sufficient number in Law to bear witness against him and so God to be justified in their condemnation as being clear and righteous Thirdly For their paucity those who witnessed against him were but a very few in every Nation in respect to those droves and innumerable Multitudes that followed him all the World wondered after the Beast though toward the end of their Prophesie they grow apace Rev. 14.6 7 8. I saw another Angel flie in the midst of heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach to every Nation Kindred Tongue People saying fear God give glory to him for the hour of his judgement is come And there followed another Angel saying Babylon is fallen that is hath begun to fall since Luther and others have so publikely and openly preached the Gospel Bellarmine confesses that since we have called the Pope Antichrist his Kingdom hath wasted and been incomparably less then before the witnesses have increased the Gentiles have decreased but throughout the most of his reign they were but two very weak and inconsiderable was the number that set against him Thirdly Antichrist hath been killing witnesses all along Rev. 11.2 The holy City shall they tread under foot forty and two moneths throughout his whole domination hath he been been stamping Saints to dust in every age in every Kingdom but that slaughter of the witnesses the spirit of God so largely describes and points the finger to as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the indubitable sign or fore-runner of his sudden downfall I take to be done at one time and in one place It is notoriously known what our Prelates did in England how for a long time they set themselves against the zealous Protestant and by means of their Courts Canons Ceremonies book of sports new c. Oath they silenced made to hide in Corners drove into strange Countries Wildernesses thousands upon thousands At last there rose up two or there somewhat more bold then their fellows whom they took and made them high Examples off their Popish justice and cruelty cut off their ears and sent them to prisons far distant one from another How much they glorified and pleased themselves in this their Conquest you all know and doubtless this fact of Protestant Bishops for so they were called was an universal token to the Popish World that the day was theirs If Protestant Bishops say they have done so valiantly for Romes Interest surely the day is ours and
sinns have reached unto heaven We commonly call it the See but it may well be called the Sea of Rome for the streams of all the wickedness of all the world have run thither and have there been swallowed up 1. The Apostle says of the Cretians They are all-wayes lyars Tit. 1. but of these he saith They speak lyes in Hypocrisie 1. Tim. 4.2 The very first rise of Popery was from a lye Hypocritically and against their Conscience they challenged Appeals in difficult matters to themselves and forged a Canon of the Councel of Nice for it which the sixt Councel of Carthage did with much diligence search out and found to be a very forgery a very lye but for all that they had the face to go on adding one lye to another till they had made up their Religion which indeed is nothing else but a great knot and bundle of lyes Their Doctrine of Merits their Doctrines of Purgatory Transubsantiation very lyes as our Reformed Divines have made appear sufficiently show me one point that is truly and peculiarly theirs and I will pawn my life upon 't I demonstrate it to be a lye a taste whereof you had in the first Sermon showing you his contradictions of Christ 2. There is the greatest pride found in them that ever was found in men Suppose thou hadst been at Rome this year being the year of Iubile but you must know that he is not such a proud and pamperd Beast now adays as he was in formen ages hadst thou been at Rome this year of Iubile but especially any of those Iubiles that were some hundreds of years before Luther and there seen the Pope arrayed as the Holy Ghost describes him Rev. 17.4 In purple and scarlet colour decked with gold precious stones and pearls with a Triple Crown upon his head set in a golden chair carried on mens shoulders his Princely Cardinals about him his Breaden God Crucifixes Reliques carried before him opening the gates of Paradise as they call them with the touch of his golden hammer great Ambassadors sometimes Kings themselves bowing before him and worshiping of him the common people begging pardon of sin and eternal life of him scarce suffered to kiss his feet I say hadst thou been at Rome and seen all this couldst thou have thought or said less of him then hic est ipse primogenitus diaboli this is doubtless the first born Son of Lucifer the eldest Son of the devil Pope Innocent the 4. Ann. 1253. in the 37. year of Henry the 3. of England being set in his Conclave in the midst of his Cardinals after much advisement upon a small occasion brake out into this language Annon Rex Anglorum noster est vassallus ut plus dicam mancipium qui possumus eum nutu nostro incarcerare ignominiae mancipare Is not the King of England our Vassal nay to say more our slave whom we can imprison at pleasure and condemn to everlasting ignominy Pope Alexander the 3. set this foot upon the Neck of the Emperor Frederick the first blasphemously using those words of the Psalmist Super Aspidem Basiliscum Vpon the Adder and the Basilisk shalt thou tread The Pope hath made Kings to wait at his Gate and hold him his stirrop I could have furnished you with many stories of like nature speaking aloud the pride of their Spirits says Basil long since Odi fastum istius Ecclesiae I hate the pride of that Church of Rome And lest you should think we speak out of Spleen and Envy against him hear what the Holy Ghost saith 2 Thes 2.4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped for that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God 3. The greatest truely and blood guiltiness lies upon them that ever was upon any T is impossible for me to convince you of the ten thousand part of their murthers Historians do generally with one mouth tell us in that one Kingdom of France 400. years ago they slaughtered ten hundred thousand of those godly Waldenses and Albigenses The Duke D'Alva boasted He had destroyed above 18000. Hereticks in the Netherlands in the space of six years In the first 30 years after the Order of Jesuites was set up t is found that above fourscore thousand were slain The Spanish Inquisition in the space of 30 years made away no less then one hundred and fifty thousand In the year 1572. was the Massacre at Paris in a few days space there were above 30000. treacherously and basely murtherd In our Queen Marys days in less then 4 years were consumed with fire and faggot 277 persons every one whereof it might be strongly presumed were true Members of Jesus Christ his Saints indeed In the late rebellion in Ireland to speak with the least one hundred thousand were murthred before we could get so much as one Breast-work against them And now by these hints I have given you can you make any guess at the number of those that have been slain in all those ten Kingdoms who submitted to him throughout the space of above 1000 years Certainly they do exceed all humane Arithmatick Rev. 17.12 13 14. The ten horns which thou sawest are ten Kings these shall give their power and strength to the Beast these shall make war with the Lamb. The ten Kings of Europe with all their power and strengths were nothing but the Popes instruments of blood and cruely I may be bold to say it the Popes little finger hath been heavier upon the people of God then were the Loyns of the ten Heathenish Persecutions To shed the innocent blood of any man is a sin that cryes to God and will certainly prevail with him for vengeance how much more then to shed the blood of an Innocent Saint I am confident if one had shed the blood of a hundred thousand men that were indeed Reprobates and the blood of but one true Saint of God he should find a harder task and pull of it to come off with Divine Justice for the blood of that one Saint then for all the other hundred thousand there 's reason enough for it they being but Chaff Bryars and Thorns Dung Scorpions and worse then naught but t is said the death of a Saint is precious with God A Saint is a Member of Christ helps to make up that body which is the fulness of him that fills all in all is the pupilla oculi the very apple of Gods eye yea so dear to God that the very hairs of his head are numbred and therefore no marvel if he have a harder pull of it But the Popes of Rome have shed the blood of more then one Saint indeed no other blood rellishes with them Rev. 18. and last verse In her was found the blood of Prophets and of Saints and of all that were slain upon the earth A vein of cruelty bloodshed went down from Cains days even to the
and carriage and see what we contribute to this great design Christ is gone forth upon Do ye so dispence Justice and Judgement so administer Gospel-Ordinances Word and Sacraments so act your Faith so Pray so Fight as may help to shake out the remaining Vials of wrath faster and faster upon them There is never a man or woman in this Congregation but may carry the matter so as when Christ hath got the day and conquest may without lying or vanity of spirit say Through the goodness of God upon me I was a weapon a poor instrument in the hand of Jesus Chirst for the effecting of it when Rome is all on a flaming fire may say I was one that helped to set it on fire when Babylon is fallen I was one that helped to pull it down which if thou hast done not Jehu-like out of pride and for thy own ends but as service due to Jesus Christ and for the bringing in of his Kingdom doubtless thy seed shall be blessed upon Earth and great shall be thy reward in Heaven Vse 4. The last Use is to you who in reason may live to this great day of Romes ruin when you shal see the great Earthquake shaking their Politicall Heavens and Earth all to pieces and the greatest temporall glories now in Christendom brought down laid low and trodden under foot let it not trouble you at all for let me tell you those in Rev. 18. That shall tament her burning are none of Christ friends but carnal wretches and indeed his enemies Your duty upon it is of a clean contrary nature Rev. 18. you read of Babylon fallen as when a milstone is cast into the bottom of the Sea of the smoak of her burning and that in one hour she is made desolate saith the Holy Ghost Rejoyce over her thou Heaven and ye holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath avenged you on her Rev. 19.1 After these things that is after Rome burnt and laid in ashes I heard a great voyce of much People in Heaven in the true Church of Christ saying Allelujah salvation and honour and glory and power unto the Lord our God ver 2. For true and righteous are thy Judgements for he hath judged the great whore which did corrupt the Earth with her Fornication and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand ver 3. And again they said Allelujah and her smoak rose up for ever and ever ver 5. A voyce came out of the Throne saying praise our God all ye his servants ye that fear him both small and great It was one of S. Austins three wishes that he could have rejoyced greatly in to have seen Rome in her glory though but heathenish but I am confident were he upon earth now one of his greatest wishes wherein he would most please and solace himself would be to see Rome all on a flaming fire and burnt to ashes O quam pulchrum spectaculum And truly there is cause why you should rejoyce in it with exceeding great joy 1. When the Witnesses were dead in the streets you know what was their carriage Rev. 11. They rejoyced over them made merry sent gifts and God will have you to tread forth the law of retaliation as they rejoyced over your misery so Gods tels you t is an equal thing and he requires it as a duty of you to rejoyce greatly over their miseries 2. You know what postures they stand in in reference to Christ and his Church they provoke God daily with the highest hand that ever any did as I have shewed you they wrong Christ strangely keeping him out of his just rights they are the proudest enemy the cruellest enemy and enemy of the longest continuance the most hopeless of ever being brought in by repentance that ever the Church had any and therefore if ever the people of God might rejoyce in the downfall of an enemy you may certainly in this 3. Consider the sequel of their ruin which will be this A Kingdom that cannot be shaken as the Apostle speaks Heb. 12.27 28. and if the Text be rightly understood it speaks to this very time and business Out of the ruins and ashes these wars shall make Christ will bring the most glorious frame of Government that ever the world saw and let men and States do what they can it will not be brought forth till then but then it shall and can any Saint but rejoyce in that which ushers in those good and blessed times Scripture is so abundant in promising which shall be the subject of the ensuing discourse THE REIGN OF CHRIST By Ed. Hawghton LONDON Printed for Francis Tyton 1652. TO THE READER I Would not have any one think that I am able no nor any man now alive to set forth the so-much-expected Kingdome of CHRIST in the true worth and glories of it let it suffice if I give you some rude draughts of it The Prophets of old did speak very clear and excellent things concerning the Messiah his Birth Life Miracles Doctrine Death Resurrection and what was to follow thereupon insomuch that Isaias is usually called by Divines the Evangelical Prophet But when John was come our Saviour saith of him Mat. 11. He was the greatest of those that had been born of women meaning in respect of his knowledge of the Messias nay that he was was more then a Prophet i. e. he had more abilities to speak of Christs nature offices and excellencies of his kingdome then any or all the Prophets that had been before him But yet sayes he The least in the kingome of God is greater then John the Baptist After the ascension of Christ and descension of the Holy Ghost the meanest Minister of the Gospel was able to hold him forth in all points more excellently then John the Baptist was To bring this home to the present businesse We that now speak concerning this great this blessed Kingdome of Jesus Christ onely as Prophets yet not by any private spirit but groundedly from the Word may speak very clear undoubted and in their eares especially to whom this subject is somwhat strange and new very wonderful things almost incredible but when Rome shall come to be buried in its own ashes and after that the great Battel of God Almighty fought and finished and Christ hath his Kingdome actually upon the Anvil hammering and working it out those whose lot it shall be to stand forth Ministers of the Gospel then and be eye witnesses of Christ so at work of them it may be said They are the greatest of those that have been born of women in respect of their distinct knowledge of the Kingdome of our Lord nay more then Prophets men far more accomplish'd to speak of the parts government glory of his Kingdome then any or all the most holy learned men that have been before them who saw it only at a distance through the Prospective of the more dark and general Promises and spake of it by way of
Kinreds of the Earth shall wail because of him even so Amen That this cannot be meant of the day of Judgement is evident because the mourning here spoken of is a penitential mourning and is taken out of Zach. 12.10 at the last day all the Saints shall rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory all the wicked shall be hardned in impenitency and though they may howl over their own misery yet not mourn after Christ there will be no penitential mourning in that day and therefore Christ will appear in the clouds before that day and every eye shall see him especially the people of the Jews I could give you other Scriptures that speak to the same effect But yet these as express as they are with the rest which look that way are not fully convicing as I conceive for 1. I find often in Scripture what 's carried on by Instruments ascribed to God as if the had done it personally without the use of any such Instruments Rev. 16.456 The third Angle poured out his Vial upon the Rivers and Fountains of Waters and they became blood and they say unto God Thou art righteous O Lord who hast judged thus and thou hast given them blood to drink All grant that this Vial was poured out as were also all the rest by men holy and spiritual men yet they speak to God and say thou hast judged thus thou hast given them blood to drink 1 Chron 16.13 Let the heavens be glad and let the Earth rejoyce and let men say among the Nations the Lord reigneth ver 33. The Trees of the Wood shall sing out at the presence of the Lord because he cometh to judge the Earth Ps 22.28 The Kingdom is the Lords and he is governour among the Nations Isai 33.22 The Lord is our judge the Lord in our Law-giver the Lord is our King but none of all this immediately by himself or personally but in the use of Instruments So that thought it be sayd he shall destroy Antichrist with the brightness of his coming at which time also he 'l set up his Kingdom and raign yet may it well enough be understood of a coming in those ten Kings or Supreme powers that Scripture saith shall hate the whore and burn her flesh with fire and he may as well set up his kingdome and reign also in and by them and such like 2. How can a circumscribed body as Christ hath be personally visibly in all and every of his kingdoms at once When he shall reign visibly personally on mount Sion or at Jerusalem he cannot at the same time reign personally and visibly here in this Nation but must rule it and all others by his Deputies therefore t is safer to let him keep his place at Gods right hand in heaven then bring him down to sway an earthly scepter seeing he may do it in his Spirit by some special Instruments and comparatively in respect of those he hath formerly ruled in it may be said that Christ himself reigns not personally upon earth but after so eminent and wonderfull a manner in certain select servants as he never reigned in the world before 3. Christ will usher in his kingdome with the most glorious conquests over earthly powers that ever were known I have spoken much to this already it was the subject of the last point yet for method sake give me leave to speak a word to it here Rev. 6.12 to the end I beheld when he opened the sixth seale and lo there was a great earthquake and the sun became black as sackcloth of haire and the moon became as blood and the stars of heaven fell unto the earth even as figtree casteth her untimely figs when she is shaken of a mighty wind And the heaven departed as a scroll when t is rolled together and every mountain and Island were moved out of their places And the Kings of the earth and the great men and rich men and the chief Captains and the mighty men and every bondman and every freeman hid themselvs in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains and said to the mountains and rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sits upon the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb for the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand The most and best reformed Expositors do with one mouth tell us that upon the opening of the sixth Seale Christ in Constantine did pull down Heathenisme set up Christianisme and the victories were so great so terrible that by their description you would think them to be the end of the world The terrors of Jesus Christ were so upon the spirits of Kings Captains mighty men as that had the earth shaken under them the mountains and Islands moved out of their places had the sun turned to darknesse the moon to blood stars fallen from heaven had heaven and earth come together and the world been at an end there could not have been greater feares greater outcries to the rocks and mountains to be hid from the wrath of the Lamb some poysoning some hanging some drowning themselves some flying and fell by the sword all at their wits end Thus Christ set up Christianity by Constantine But as I shewed you at large it soon degenerated into Antichristianism or Papacie the most Politique and strongest consitution against Christ that ever any was the very foundation-stones whereof the must and will pluck up that so he may build up himself a sure throne and kingdome But you will say 'T is impossible Christ should bring in his worship and kingdome with greater and more terrible conquests over the Kings of the earth then those he got over the Heathenish powers Let me tell you Nothing is impossible to the Lord God omnipotent He tels us he 'll bring in his Reign with far greater Rev. 16 17.18 When the seventh Angel poured out his Vial into the aire there were voices and thunderings and lightenings and there was a great earthquake such as was not since men were upon earth so mighty an earthquake and so great To the same purpose understand that of Dan 12.1 At that time shall Michael stand up the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a Nation even to that same time and at that time thy people shall be delivered These matchlesse troubles should be at that time when Daniels people the Jewes all the twelve Tribes that are now lost in the dust should be sound out and delivered which Scripture tels us in places enough shall be upon the breaking of Antichrist Dan. 2.44 And in the dayes of these Kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdome which shall break in peeces all these kingdomes i. e. all these kingdoms of the world putting all rule and authority that is carnal and stands in opposition to this designes under his
in the exercise of Discipline The effect or success thereof follows ver 4. They sall be ashamed of their false Prophesies or Lyes and shall cast off their formal garbs and varnishes whereby they have passed for Prophets and deceived the People And shall confess ver 5. and say I am no Prophet I am a Husbandman a Weaver a Mercer c. for man taught me to keep Cattle from my youth Yea they shall come to own to love and thank those that thus put the penal Laws of Christ in force against them ver 6. One shall say unto him what are these wounds in thine hands then he shall answer those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends Those who discovered me that witnessed against me that smote and censured me they were my friends See both in one place t is Mal. 3. ver 2 3 4 5. Who may abide the day of his coming and who shal stand when he appears for he is like a Refiners fire and like Fullers soap And he shall sit as a Refiner and purifier of Silver and he shall purifie the sons of Levi and purge them as Gold and Silver that they may offer unto the Lord and offering in righteousness Then shall the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord as in the dayes of old And I will come near to you in judgement and I will be a swift witness against the Sorcerers and against the Adulterers and against false Swearers and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages the widdow and the fatherless and that turn aside the stranger from his right and fear not me saith the Lord. If this Scripture have been at all fulfilled it shall at this time be much more fulfilled it shall at this time be much more fullfilled there will be Soap and Niter in his Ordinances fire in his Discipline and if men be Sorcerers or Adaulterers or Oppressors or any way discover it that the fear of God is not in them God will bring in swift witness against them and sharp sentence upon them Christ will be very glorious in that day in the dispensation of all kinds of Ordinances Seventhly such as the Ordinances are such will their effects be upon the hearts and consciences of men whom they shall bring in as presents to Jesus Christ the King excellent Ordinances and excellent Converts In the verse after my Text the marriage of the Lamb is come his Wife hath made her self ready what her cloathing was see v. 8 she was arraied in fine linnen clean and white the fine linnen is the righreousnesse of the Saints They 'll be fine Saints gallant Saints Herods gorgeous appare did not reflect more gloriously to the peoples eyes then the righteousnesse holinesse good words shall do which Christ in that day shall cloath and dresse his Church withall Isa 60. This whole Chapter can properly be understood of no other time then that of Christs kingdom and says God to Isaiah v. 21. Thy people also shall be all righteous the branch of my planting the work of my hands that I may be glorified I understand the verse thus All that are righteous and many will be so will be eminently righteous they 'll be such fruitfull branches that every one must say they are none of mans pianting no ordinary plants but the special planting of God himself they 'll be such excellent Saints that all must acknowledge them the work of Gods own hands after a more especial manner then former Saints were they 'll be every way such that God will be glorified in them exceedingly Isa 62.12 They shall be called the Holy people the Context there speaks to this very time and businesse there shall be such a glory of holinesse upon them that they shall take a name from it and be thereby known and distinguished from Saints and men of other times Zach. 14.20 21. In that day there shall be upon the Bels of the horses Holinesse to the Lord yea and every Pot in Ierusalem and in Iudah shall be Holinesse to the Lord. I take the meaning to be this They shall discover much holinesse not only when they are in religious duties but also in the civil use of every creature they meddle with they 'll use all as in the very sight of God himself And there may be causes assigned of such their excellencie 1. Much of the wickednesse that hath been in the world hitherto hath come from Satan Unexpressible unconceivable was the sinfulnesse of that sin our first parents committed but you know who tempted them into 't the Serpent beguiled me sayes Eve David numbred the people but the Text saith that Satan stir'd him to it or else he would never have done so vain so proud an action You remember the counsel Peter gave our Saviour Mat. 16. and what answer Christ gave Peter Get thee behind me Satan not that Peter was turned to Satan but that Satan was crept into Peter Iudas betrayed Christ but 't is said Satan entred into him Act. 5. Ananias had the face to lye not to men only but unto God but he acted from him who is the Father of lyes Peter said to Ananias Why hath Satan filled thy heart Mat. 5. Let your yea be yea and your nay nay for what is more then this is of the evil one so the Greek i. e. is of the devil Ever since Adam was in Paradise God hath suffered the Devil to range up and down the world or as the expression is Job 1. to compass the earth to and fro from whence have sprung most if not all those villanies and horrid wickednesses that have been perpetrated in every Age. But then Christ will tye him up fast enough in his place Rev 16. The Kings of the earth and of the whole world instigated acted by the Spirits of Divels engage in battell against God Almighty Well chap. 19. Christ feasteth all the fowls of the aire with their flesh takes the Beast and false Prophet and throws them alive into the Lake that burns with fire and brimston He had no sooner carried his Father news to speak after the manner of men what a total rout and conquest he had got over his Enemies but while the heat of his rage is yet upon him he comes down from heaven having the key of the bottomless pit a great chain in his hand and laid hold on the dragon that old Serpent which is the devil and Satan and bound him a thousand years cast him into the bottomless pit shut him up set a seal upon him that he should deceive Nations no more till the thousand years should be fulfilled Rev. 20.1.2.3 I cannot assent to those who say this binding of him is done and past I am sure he was loose enough in the Apostles times 1 Cor. 7.5.2 Cor. 2.11 chap. 11.14.1 Thes 2.18.1 Tim. 5.15 Rev. 2.9.13 After the Apostles dayes he did so bestir himself as to improve the errours of Christians
feet Many and mighty victories you know make a Kings reign glorious why Christ himselfe never got such victories over men in this world as then he 'll doe Fourthly Scripture sets it forth as the day of his marriage solemnity The Lord God omnipotent reigneth so my Text the next verse expresseth it thus The marriage of the Lamb is come and v 9. They who are called to have a share in this kingdome are blest of God being called to the marriage supper of the Lamb to a continual and the most sumptuous Feast that ever was You may be sure that Christ on that day will appeare in no mean royalty and glories which may be gathered from the description of the Bride for 't is said v. 7. She hath made her self ready araied finely v. 8. In Solomons time she was brought in raiment of needle-work nay her cloathing of wrought gold so the King did greatly desire and delight in her beauty Ps 45. But the Bride is described upon the fall of Antichrist at a higher rate Rev. 21.2 I saw the holy city New-Ierusalem coming down from God out of heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her husband Not dressed with needle-work or cloth of gold things here below of the earth earthly but she 's prepared and dressed as if she had dropt out of heaven cloathed with the glories of heaven and this onely to fit her in some measure for the Bridegroom If the Church shall be so glorious in that day shal not the King upon the throne in the height of his state and government be more exceeding glorious in all eyes Fifthly His reign will be wonderfull and unparallel'd in respect of the extent of his domination Rev. 10.1 2. And I saw a mighty Angel come down from heaven and he set his right foot upon the sea and his left foot upon the earth Earth and Sea make up the whole Globe thereby signifying that he would when time served take possession of all the world the power and majesty of his throne and scepter should be extended over sea and land Psal 2.8 Ask of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession Psal 72.8 He shall have dominion from sea to sea and from the river unto the ends of the earth Rev. 15.3 4. Thou King of Saints who shall not feare thee All nations shall come and worship before thee for thy judgments are made manifest viz. upon the Pope and his kingdome Isa 2.2 And it shall come to passe in the last dayes that the mountain of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hils aod all nations shall flow unto it The generality of the Nations shall come flocking in as Doves to the windows First those Ten Kingdoms that had given their power to the Beast all ties all bands of peace and amity between them shall be strangely broken and dissolved nay such a spirit shall come upon them that they shall hate the whore and even burn her flesh with fire Rev. 17. This you must confess is a great eminent coming in and giving up themselves to and for Jesus Christ Secondly He will find out and bring home to himself his old dear people Rom. 11.25 26 I would not brethren that you should be ignorant of this mysterie that blindnesse in part is happened to Israel untill the fulnesse of the Gentiles be come in and so all Israel shall be saved as it is written There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer and shall turn away ungodlinesse from Iacob I like their interpretation best who by fulnesse of the Gentiles coming in understand the fulnesse or most part of those Nations that had given themselves to Popery when then eyes shall be opened to see what they have done and then giving themselves to Christ in an holy indignation shall set Rome on fire yea quite destroy Pope and Popery this will mightily work upon the hearts of the two Tribes in time on the ten Tribes The fulnesse of the Gentiles being thus come in then all Israel shall come in and be saved as 't is written There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer and shall turn away ungodlinesse from Jacob Now Iacob you know comprehends all the twelve Tribes for the twelve Patriarks from whom all the twelve Tribes descended came out of Iacob's loines Isa 11 11 12. And it shall come to passe in that day that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people which shall be left from Assyria and from Egypt and from Pathros and from Cush and from Elam and from Shinar and from Hamath and from the Islands of the sea He shall gather together the dispersed of Iudah and assemble the outcasts of Israel from the four corners of the earth God had gathered them from all the nations from all the places whither he had caused them to be carried away captive once before as you may see Ier. 29.14 He had fetch'd them out of Babylon and out of all the Provinces round but this is a second time and he 'll gather together the outcasts of Israel and the dispersed to Iudah which since their great division 2 Chron. 10. he never yet did and make them one as you have it Ezek. 37.19.21 22. Thus saith the Lord behold I will take the stick of Ioseph which is in the hand of Ephraim and the Tribes of Israel his fellowes and will put them with him even with the stick of Iudah and make them one stick and they shall be one in my hand And thus saith the Lord behold I will take the children of Israel from among the Heathen whither they be gone and will gather them on every side and bring them into their own land And I will make them one nation and one King viz. Christ shall be King to them all and they shall be no more two nations neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all This hath not been yet fulfilled but will be in the day of Christs kingdome Take one place more Hos 1.10 11. And it shall come to passe that in the place where it was said unto them Ye are not my people as at this day we know it is there it shall be said unto them Ye are the sons of the living God Then shall the children of Iudah and the children of Israel be gathered together and appoint themselves one head and they shall come up out of the land i. e. out of every land where they haven been lost for great shall be the day of Iezerel Iezerel signifies both scattered and the seed of God Great shall be the day of Iezerel i. e. great shall be the day of bringing in the scattered the scattered people Or thus Great shal be the day of Iezerel i. e. great shall be the day of the seed of God of springing up of