the like by vs And therfore they who professe themselues Protestants should methinkes take heede that they doe not so much as thinke that kinde of iustice to haue beene to seuere and espetiallie that they disswade not from the execution of such lawes nor giue reasons against them least they be thereby found to helpe the Beast yea to charge God of iniustice and euen to dispute against the holy Ghost who by the Angell saith they are worthy Which that no man might once doubt S. Iohn saith there I heard another out of the Altar say Euen so Lord God Almightie true and righteous are thy iudgements Thus then at least the Romish Clergie are worthy And the rest haue the name and marke of the Beast Many of them fight his battailes and haue sought our destructiō yea haue slaine many of our Brethren and led many into captiuitie as was foreshewed Reuel 13.10 therefore that should be heard and remembred which God there saith concerning euerie one of them He that leadeth into captiuitie shall goe into captiuitie Reu. 13.10 he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword And indeede the greater part of them haue wished our destruction or subiection by the sword if not contributed to the effecting thereof and thereby haue both made themselues guiltie and also giuen vs assured testimonie that this Scripture must shortlie be fulfilled in requitall of those slaughters and other disasters wrought by them And all of them are members of that greate Whore which sitteth on many waters and therefore are such as those of whome it is saide Thou shalt not seeke theire peace Deut. 23.6 nor theire good all thy dayes for euer God hath saide of the Whore sitting on many wate s Reward her as she hath rewarded you Reu. 18.6 and double vnto her double according to her workes in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double c. and though he hath hereby principally designed the Citie of Rome yet the Citie or Woman is also to be considered as she sitteth on many waters which are peoples and multitudes and Nations For whereas it is saide The tenth part of the Citie fell he doth not meane of Rome as she sitteth on seauen mountaines but on manie waters From those dayes or rather from the time when the Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ the Whore and Antichrist with her haue beene as a rotten or ruinous howse ready to fall But the Iesuits Preists haue obteined greate props to vphold her which indeede are greate Kings and Princes espetially the Kinge of Spaine and howse of Austria Now that Protestant Prince which seeketh to weaken theese props and pillars by an honourable warre as of late that noble Queene Elizabeth did he without doubt doth a worke verrie acceptable to God as tending to the Ruin of Rome and of Antichrist who otherwise can not be ouerthrowen but if he spare the props or strengthen them although he vainely hope thereby to strengthen himselfe as they did Isai 30.2 amonge whome will Christ our Captaine and Iudge finde him seeing he saith Mat. 12.30 He that is not with me is against me and he that gathereth not with me scattereth August de peccator meritis 18. and as Augustine saith Nec est vlli vllus medius locus vt posset esse nisi cum Diabolo qui non est cum Christo. Neither is there any midle place for any man that he can be with any other then the Diuell who is not with Christ Wee must not therefore doe such a thinge vnder the wilfull hope of doeing God the better seruice as to his exceeding losse Saul did 1. Sam. 15. and likewise Ahab 1. King 20.28.42 so dangerous a thinge it is for a man to make himselfe wiser then God It is not therefore so small a matter to neglect the commandement of God and all the good that may come of this obedience vnder euerie pretence But peraduenture they who are otherwise affected will say if to neglect this cause may be imputed to some for a fault neuerthelesse there is no such danger in it if wee remember that Christ died for Sinners Saint Paul will answer them That he died for all 2. Cor. 5.15 that they which liue should not hence forth liue vnto themselues but vnto him which died for them and rose againe and that must needes be that as they should therefore liue vnto him in other things so in this also especially in such times as theese when the iniuries donne vnto the Church and euen to the Truth himselfe seeme to require it of all that any way can giue helpe Wee must not thinke that the members of Christ who professe and follow the Truth must alwaies suffer vnder Antichrist and his adherents much lesse Christ himselfe who is the Truth For as wee may see Christ did many yeares agoe begin to conquer chap. 11.13 when the tenth part of the citie fell and the euerlasting Gospell was alreadie begunne to be preached For of those times it is saide feare God and giue glory to him for the howre of his iudgement is come Reu. 14.6 If it were come then in the time of Luther and Caluin how much more in theese our dayes who liue so many yeares after them Let noe man now put off the time of iudgmēt seeing also of those times it is saide for Gods honour our comfort and theire terrour Thou hast taken vnto thee thy greate power chap. 11.17.18 and hast raigned And the nations were angry and thy wrath is come and the time of the dead that they should be iudged or reuenged and that thou shouldest giue reward vnto thy Seruants the Prophets and to the Saints and to them that feare thy name small and greate and shouldst destroy them which destroy or corrupt the earth vers 19. Then the Temple of God was opened and the seauen Angels come out with theire vials full of the wrath of God as is shewed chap. 15. where * see chap. 15.5.6 you may see that he commeth againe to this verrie time of the Temples opening mencioned chap. 11. to shew what should presently follow and that the iudging and destroying mencioned chap. 11.18 is meant of theese seauen vials full of the wrath of God and which are the last plauges inflicted on Antichrist and his followers and other wicked men and consequently that from that time forward Christ doth maintaine warre against the whore and Antichrist and that not spiritually only by the word but euen vvith the verrie svvords of Princes as may appeare from chap. 16. in diuers of those seauen plauges also chap. 17. vers 16. vvhere the Kings destroie Rome vvhich must needes be one of the 7 plauges because theese seauen are the last plauges it hath therefore seemeth to many to be the sift because that is poured on the throne or seate of the Beast vvhich is Rome
Finall ruin but the time could not well begin from the time of Constantine or when the Ethnick gouernment was ouerthrowen or taken out of the way For by either of theese computations the time should haue beene out many yeares agoe when indeede diuers Kingdoms were fallen from the Pope and he had noe power to doe in them as in England Denmarke and others and soe indeede as his power began in som Kingdoms before in others soe accordingly God would that he should begin to loose it in some before in others But yet he hath had and still hath much power elswhere to doe great things Which hath made some thinke that the time he hath had since and shall yet haue is giuen him for the time of the wound when say they he had noe power to doe But questionlesse they are mistaken herein as the sequell of this worke will manifest And indeede they seeme to me to beginne the time to soone I meane not soe much before he was a Beast as before he had power to doe For the words are power was giuen him to doe fourtie and two monethes Soe Beza Aretius Piseator 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pareus and others reade them potestas agendi And I can not finde that either he did much or had much power to doe before the time of Damasus a Spaniard who was chosen Pope aboute the yeare 366. others say 369. and sate till after the yeare 380. then indeede he had some power to doe as wee shall see by by or at the furthest in the time of Syricius neere the yeare 386. or thereabouts to which time of Damasus in the yeare 380. if you adde 1260. yeares which seemes to be the time giuen him in the 42. monethes they may ende before or aboute the yeare 1640. or at least within a few yeares after that is if he had not this time of doeing till the dayes of Syricius or Innocent But it may be a litle sooner because Damasus might haue power to doe some yeares before the yeare 380. And howsoeuer Rome may ende much sooner then the Beast because her destruction seemeth to many to be by the fifth viall Reu. 16. his by sixth or seauenth hers is first declared chap. 18. then his chap. 19. But while wee seeme to cast vp the time set foorth in the Reuelation this is to be vnderstood to fall out thereabouts First if the time of the Beasts doeing began in the time of Damasus or Syricius and not before or after which now wee will examin as needefull to be knowne in theese lamētable times wherein the beast rageth and preuaileth as if he were to raigne for euer when indeede it is because the Deuil in him hath but a short time And secondly if Baronius and others that I haue followed reckon the yeares right as for ought that I can perceiue they doe at least they goe neere the marke and soe therefore may wee As touching the first our Lord himselfe giueth vs light in two places of the Reuelation For while he saith of the Beast Reu. 13. power was giuen him to doe fourtie and two monethes he sheweth that there is a certaine time when they should beginne which time may now at the last be neerely pointed at by any that will take the paines to search the Histories to see whē he first had power to doe The second which is more plaine and doth indeede seeme to shew when theese monethes were begunne is set downe Reu. 17. Reu. 17.12 Where it is saide of thē who are hornes of the Beast theese haue receiued noe Kingdom as yet but receiue power as Kings one howre with the Beast which at the soonest they did not before the time of Damasus Ammian Marcel lib. 28. c. 12. lib. 30. c. 4. lib. 29. c. 10.11.12.13 lib. 31. c. 10. when indeede as Ammianus Marcelinus sheweth the Almanes had theire King Marcrianus of greate puissance the Burgundians theires the Africans theires Nubel and then Firmus the Franckes theire Kinge Melobaudes and other Nations likewise had theires Valens the Emperour of the East was slaine by the Gothes who also had theire Prince Or perhaps not so soone may some man say because after that Theodosius brought them againe into some subiection to the Roman Empire which yet rather hindred then ouerthrew theire growing if not erected Kingdoms and indeede because he was an Emperour of greate puissance and both greately feared and loued therefore it may perhaps be thought by some that theese Kingdoms were not yet erected till after the death of Theodosius in the time of Pope Innocent Spanish Hist French Hist who gouerned in the dayes of the Emperour Honorius In whose time at the farthest as all the best Historians shew Kingdomes were plainely erected in Spaine and Afrike by the Gothes Speede How Chron. Vandales Sueuians Alanes one in France vnder Pharamond who yet is saide to succeede Marcomir Sumo and Melobaudes In whose time also the Picts Scots and others preuailed in Britaine so that after the Britaine 's had elected diuers other Gouernours they were faine at last to choose Vortiger theire Kinge and to call in the Saxons who chased the Picts and Scots but succeeded them in power and crueltie Other Barbarous Nations of those times preuailed in Thracia Hungarie Austria Sclauonia Panonia Dalmatia and other countries Thus though the Beast might perhaps haue some litle power to doe a litle before the rising of theese Kings yet they who had noe Kingdom before while the Empire floorished doe now receiue power as Kinge one howre with the Beast that is to say whether he beganne to haue that more Kingly power to doe in the time of Pope Damasus or soone after in the time of Siricius or Innocent which truly is somwhat hard to determin yet it seemes to me to be in the time of Damas And the Reader may also giue a good guesse thereat when he shall see how power was first giuen to theese Popes more then to any other Patriarch or as a Kinde of head ouer all Which power yet was not giuen him by any plaine and lawfull act of a councell as both the sixth councell of Carthage aboute the yeare 420. and the councell of Chalcedon aboute the yeare 450. proued against him neither indeede did he get it of many yeares after nor by consequence iustly therefore the thinge is not to finde when he had it giuen him lawfully for that the Antichrist could not haue but when some things fell out which gaue it him as it were accidentally when first he tooke hold of such occasion and thenceforth openly vsed and maintained it Which at the soonest for ought I can finde was not before the time of Damasus but he indeede stroue to attaine it and to that ende laide hold of euery litle occasion and made vse of it For haueing damned the heresie of Apollinaris in a Councell held ad Rome Theod. lib. 5. cap. 9. aboute the yeare
Antichrist they both make them thinke it is feare of theire strength and also so puffe them vp with conceite thereof that as time serues they will be the more desirous of warre and all occasions thereof Yea it causeth that while such a peace lasteth they will not cease to encroach demaund and obtaine either by flatteries or threats till they may by peace get more to themselues and theire religion then they could haue donne by warre Nor is it likely that such will longer hold it then theire aduantage increaseth therein Neither is it alwaies sufficient before God to say wee desire peace espetiallie where it is quarrell enough against thē that they haue the marke of the Beast are the Souldiers of Antichrist and members of the greate whore whose destruction is commanded For as a famous Diuine saith B. Hall Contemp on the Gibeonites He that calls himselfe the God of peace proclaims himselfe the God of hosts and not to fight where he hath commanded is to breake the peace with God whiles wee nourish it with men And who euer got by angring him to please others or by loosing his fauour to get the momentarie and vncertaine freindship of others vncertaine I call it because God that hath iniurie thereby may therefore suffer it to be turned into deceite hatred and greater damage That which men doe vniustly to preuent an euill though it seeme greate polecie is by Gods iust iudgement often turned into a cause that bringes the same euill vpon them as appeareth Gen. 11.4 Isa 30.1.2.3 Ioh. 11.48 I know that in many places causes times that place may verrie well be alleadged If it be possible as much as in you lieth Rom. 12.8 liue peaceably with all men But when God would that the whore should be burned and that the seauen Angels haue begunne to powre out theire vials full of the wrath of God yea when theese things are alreadie in theire progresse who is there who if he be a true Protestant and Seruant of Christ will say that this or the like place is congruently alleadged betweene free Princes of so contrarie Religions to hearken is at that time better then sacrifice and Christ to be heard Mat. 16.24.25.26 Ioh. 12. If any man serue me Ioh. 12.25.26 let him follow me and where I am there shall also my Seruant be If in warre then with him if in peace then with him When diuers Kingdomes forsooke the Beast and whore to follow the Word it was saide The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. Reu. 11. Since that time Christ and they that follow him haue continually skirmished against Antichrist and his followers and should continue so doeing till Rome and Antichrist should be destroyed as is shewed Reuel 14. chap. 15. chap. 16. c. And will Princes and States then that are his Leiftenants suffer the Beast and his to recouer or spoile any of theese Kingdoms either by force or fraude surely if they doe those Princes will condemne them who with all theire might defend and extend the dominion of Antichrist and so will they also who at the Popes becke led greate Armies to recouer Palestina and that though God in Scripture require no such thinge but rather shewes that it shall lie vnder the curse till the restauration of the Iewes Reu. 11.15 whereas he saith the contrarie of theese Kingdoms And yet the Iesuits Preists and other Papists goe aboute with the firebrands of errour and sedition that like Sampsons foxes they may at least spoile theese vines garnaries which are Gods and not as his foxes did the enemies Now they that are in authority may know if they will that Christ our d Can. 8.11 Salomon had a vineard he let it out vnto keepers and that therefore they should thinke of that e chap. 2.15 Take vs the foxes the litle foxes that spoile the vines Espetially seeing theire cunning Preists are such as the wonderworking dreamer and false Prophet of whome God saith f Deut. 13.8.9 and chap. 17.7 Thou shalt not consent vnto him nor hearken vnto him neither shall thine eye pitie him neither shalt thou conceale him But thou shalt surely kill him g Num. 25.16 Vexe the Madianites and smite them for they trouble you with theire wiles h Gal. 5.12 I would they were cut off that trouble you For theese indeede are the riuers and fountaines through which the waters of errour which come from the Romish Sea are conueied into euery corner of the Land to the destruction of Soules Theese fountaines and riuers are also as it were the dougs by which that Sea is nourished as they by it And indeede theese are they that venture to conuey floods of those waters of errour and treason into those Lands where Poperie is thrust out hopeing thereby to bringe people backe from the obedience of theire Princes and indeede of Christ himselfe vnto the obedience of the Pope theire Maister For which they haue beene iustly punished with death as is signified Reu. 16. The third Angel powred out his viall vpon the riuers and fountaines of waters and they became blood Which viall was indeede powred out aboute the yeare 1581. when in England it was ordained by publick authoritie that all they that should indeauour by any meanes to draw the mindes of the subiects from theire obedience toward theire lawfull and naturall Prince to the Pope or for that purpose should draw them to theire religion should be put to death as traitors the good example of which Edict was in some measure followed against the Iesuits in other Kingdoms And questionlesse this is that which is signified by that viall For indeede herein the Lord gaue them blood to drinke because they that brought theese waters of Rome brought them with the danger of theire liues and therefore they were not only turned to blood to those that sent them nor only to blood in themselues beeing apprehended but also if they escaped a while to conuey them they were also turned into blood to those that receiued them as Dauid saide of the water of Bethlehem which the three mightie men fetched him through the host of the Philistines 2. Sam. 23.17 is not this the blood of the men that went in Ieopardie of theire liues Thus the righteous God gaue the Preists and Iesuits blood to drinke who as wee know haue caused many good Christians to be killed by the Inquisition and by animating Popish Princes to make warre against Protestants This is that therefore vvhich the Angell of the waters saith there Thou art righteous ô LORD which art and wast and shall be because thou hast iudged thus for they haue shed the blood of Saints and Prophets and thou hast giuen them blood to drinke for they are worthy If Gods Word say they be worthy vvhat Christian vvill pleade for them that such lavves should not be executed on them Will they doe