so in theire warre against vs. The Pope bestoweth his false blessings on them and they shew theire greate thankfulnes for theese false benefits in fighting manfully to aduāce his Kingdom and giueing moneyes and other helpes to further the same Christ hath bestowed more yea greater and truer benefits on vs euen all wee haue in heauen and earth by them to binde vs to be as true vnto him and who then can escape his wrath that is not faithfull and thankfull 2 King 19. chap. 20.1 Hezekia was in danger of enemies and after sicke vnto the death And the Lord saued Hezekia * 2. Chro. 32.25 But Hezekia rendred not againe according to the benefit donne vnto him for his heart was lifted vp therefore there was wrath vpon him and vpon Iudah and Ierusalem He hearkened to the flatteries of the Assirians the enemies of God was to conuersant with them and did not refuse them and trust in God who saued him which was vnthankfulnes chap. 16.7 c. A fault that was also in Asa who at first relied on the Lord and was mightely deliuered afterwards he relyed on the Kinge of Syria and not on the Lord and was therefore punished with warres Who then would not be more thankfull and cleaue more fast vnto Christ then Papists doe to the Pope and that because they that follow Christ shall assuredly be Victors Reu. 17.14 chap. 19.18.20 * vers 9. For the eyes of the Lord runne to and fro throughout the whole earth to shew himselfe stronge in the behalfe of them Tortus pag. 51. whose heart is perfit toward him Tortus saith In our supernaturall birth in baptisme wee are to conceiue of a secret and implied oath which wee take at our new birth to yeelde obedience to the spirituall Prince which is Christs Vicar As if he saide that in theire Baptisme they receiued the marke of the Beast for * See the Character of a Christian pag. 282. 296. that is to receiue and obey his law as on the contrarie to receiue obey and professe Gods Word is to haue Gods marke but wee are baptized in the name of the Trinitie not of the Pope And if they thinke that they owe so much to the Pope what owe wee to God and his Christ What owe wee to our Sauiour and our Brethren which are members of his mysticall body When wee were baptized wee receiued the promise and consequently the marke of God promising to fight manfully vnder his Banner against all his enemies and to be Christs faithfull Seruants and Souldiers vnto our liues ende such as trust in him that he shall ouercome all enemies Psal 2. Let not Princes therefore be like them that goe downe to Egypt for helpe and stay on horses and trust in Charets Isa 31.1.2.3.4 but looke not to the holy one of Israel neither seeke the Lord yet he is also wise and will bringe euill and not call back his words Let therefore noe Protestant Prince seeke leauge with Papists as Asa did with Syrians who thereby displeased the Lord as also by relying on them For the Papists as the Egyptians are men and not God and theire horses flesh and not spirit When the Lord shall stretch out his hand both he that helpeth shall fall and he that is holpen for the Lord of hosts shall come downe to fight for Mount Sion Let vs therefore looke into the Word of God and see what God would haue to be donne against them not to ioyne first against the Turke with them who haue the marke of the Beast Doth Christ seeke the helpe of his enemies that is the helpe of Antichrist or of them who haue the marke of the Beast there can be noe more safety nor good in mingling and ioyning with them then was vnto the Israelites in mingling with the heathen Psal 106.28.85 and in ioyning vnto Baal Peor or with the Egyptians Isa 30.2 And if Papists ioyne with Protestants they will worke and haue hope to bringe them to theire religion they are verrie subtill in perswading working a thousand wayes and will not sticke to compell if it lie in theire power They vvould cast to haue the Generall of theire religion and if they could be persvvaded to fight vnder a Protestant Generall yet the Scriptures shevv that in Christs armie there shall be none that haue the marke of the Beast Reu. 17.14 chap. 19.14 chap. 14.1 for they that are with him are called and chosen and faithfull They follow him clothed in fine linnen white cleane and haue his Fathers name written in theire forheads and consequently are not Papists defiled with the marke name of the Beast Neither shall there be any Papists in Christs warre against the Turke when he is ouerthrowen For as I shewed the Saints doe first fight against the Beast and the Kings with him the Beast and the Kings and people that are with him are ouerthrowen some of them are slaine in battaile chap. 19.23 the Beast and false Prophet are taken but the remnant were slaine with the sword of him that sate vpon the horse which sword proceedeth out of his mouth that is conuerted to Christ by his Word And then and not before they come to be of Christs armie against the Turke chap. 20. therefore Christ vvill not haue Protestants to ioyne vvith Papists against the Turke but rather to ioyne themselues first against Antichrist his aftervvards against the Turke neither can mortall man be vviser then God that they should finde a better vvay then God hath determined reuealed vvho out of doubt vvill neuer prosper any other contrarie designe how religiously soeuer it may seeme to be vndertaken Wee see they indeauour wholly to roote out all Protestants to come into Christs inheritance where he raigneth and that where the Lord was lately serued there the Pope is now worshipped idollatrie erected and our Brethren afflicted with miserie and death neither are they moued to helpe rightly and speedily whose duty it is which pleaseth the Papists that so when such haue suffered theire Brethren to perish they may also roote out them Which I write not to stirre vp any priuate man to lift vp his hand against any perticular Papist whatsoeuer nor yet to animate the Subiects of theese Popish Tirants to rise and fight for theire religion after the exemple of the Iewes vnder Antiochus Epiphanes of whome it is saide z Dan. 11.32 the people that doe know theire God shall be stronge and doe exploits I rather wish them to suffer and waite his leisure who saith a Rom. 12.19 Vengeance is mine and I will repay as he hath denounced against theese Tirants the Champions of Antichrist saying b Reu. 13.10 He that leadeth into captiuitie shall goe into captiuitie he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword Here is the patience and the faith of the Saints Patience in waiting for this and faith in beleeuing
and yet the vvarre is still continued chap. 19. vvhere vvee see that the armies called against Antichrist are saide to follow Christ chap. 19. vvho is theire Leader or Generall Is he then in the feild and are vvee affraide to follovv him or doe vvee thinke that all the vvarre is for a Kingdom not vvorth the labour or vvhere the Generall beeing victour doth diuide no spoile amonge his follovvers If it vvere so yet methinkes vvhen Christ Iesus is the Generall there should vvant no follovvers The Popes Kingdom is of this vvorld and therefore his follovvers fight for him because he giues them temporall revvards and promises spirituall though indeede he can not performe promise Christs Kingdom is not of this vvorld therefore men fight not for him Ioh. 18.36 as he saith My Kingdom is not of this world if my Kingdom were of this world then would my Seruants fight This he spake vvhen he vvas to suffer and did not desire that any should fight to rescue him But novv as you haue seene he is to subdue enemies by the sword and therefore lookes for followers to fight though his Kingdom be not of this World Yet besides spirituall honours and blessings our Sauiour and Generall offers greate temporalites to his followers vvhen he saith Reu. 17.16 they shall eate her flesh that is indeede her riches and reuenues and againe Come and gather youre selues together vnto the supper of the greate God viz. vnto a feast that he should make them as Isa 25.9 Chap. 19.17 18. That ye may eate the flesh of Kings and the flesh of Captaines and the flesh of mightie men c. that is indeede to take theire riches pofessions and reuenues Howsoeuer the time beeing come it will not suffice to say vvee are like to haue no pay Reu. 18.1 or vvee haue not yet had any such speciall commandement to goe foorth For vvithout doubt those places of an a Vers 4. Angel descending from heauen of a b Chap. 19. voice from heauen of an c Chap. 14. Angell standing in the Sunne are not to be taken literallie but in those places is signified the voice of God in some Princes Ministers or others standing in the light and confidence of the truth to theese other Seruants of Christ hearken and are hereby saide d Chap. 17.14 to follow the Lambe withersoeuer he goeth and to be truly e Ioh. de Rada par 2. Theol. controu inter Scotum Tho. cont 20 act 2. conclus 6. Parcl de potest Pap. cap. 41. p. 341. called and chosen and faithfull The Papists boldly teach that f Lice praeceptum Praelati sit irrationale pro tale meritò quandâ—que haberi potest tenetur tamen subditus illud obseruare though the commandement of the superiour be vnreasonable and may well enough be thought to be so yet the inferiour is bound to obey it that men are bound Papae sententiam exequi to put the Popes sentence in execution And so wee perceiue the Iesuits and Preâ—sts to go foorth perswading Princes people by diuers meanes to roote out the Protestants and wee see them labouring what they can to do soe so truly do they worship the beast and his Image and shall they then that are Christs and pretend to loue him be more afraide to doe the commandements of God in rooting out them espetially seeing that harlot is the common destruction of soules There is no feare in loue 1. Ioh. 4.18 but perfect loue casteth out feare he that feareth is not made perfect in loue Why then should they feare Doe they thinke that Christ will without theire labour reuenge them he can indeede but his purpose is not so to doe seeing he saith to them of the whore which sitteth on many waters Reward her as she hath rewarded you fill her double c. Reu. 18. Num. 25.17 As of old he saide Vexe the Midianites and smite them for they vexe you with theire wiles Ioh. 13.17 And as he saith If ye know theese things happy are ye if ye do them O daughter of Babylon who art to be destroyed happy shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast serued vs. Psa 137. Ioh. 14.24 But as he saith He that loueth me not kepeth not my sayings If therefore theese things be not donne let vs not laie the fault on God but rather say vnto him Psal 60.4.5 as psa 60. Thou hast giuen a banner to them that feare thee that it may be displaied because of the truth That thy beloued may be deliuered * psa 68.1 Let God arise let his enemies be scattered The comfort is here as Psa 110. The people shal be willing in the day of thy power Psa 110.3 Faithfull is he that hath promised who will also doe it And though wee haue not beleeued 2. Tsm 2.13 yet he abideth faithfull he can not denie himselfe Theese things are indeede to be more espetiallie considered in theese last times of Antichrist wherein wee see or heare that our brethren haue beene in many places led captiue and slaine Reu. 13.10 as was prophesied Reu. 13.10 and that therefore wee are to expect with confidence that recompence which for our comfort is there assured to the aduersaries Here is the patience and the faith of the Saints FINIS
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
ROMES RVIN OR A TREATISE Of the certaine Destruction of Rome and of Antichrist before the ende of the World WHEREIN IS CLEERELY Manifested out of the Holy Scriptures Conferred with the Historie of the Papacie that he hath but a short time A worke published to strengthen the faith of such as suffer vnder him By J. P. PSAL. 137.8 O Daughter of Babylon who art to be destroyed Happie shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast serued vs. Printed M.DC.XXIX To the Christian Reader IT hath neuer beene any part of my intent Christian Reader in the writing or publishing of this litle Treatise to take on me after the manner of some precisely to finde out and peremptorily to set downe the verrie yeare wherein Rome or Antichrist shall be destroyed or to name the verrie Prince or Kingdom whose Kinge shall be Generall at the Seidge and ruin of that Babylon the worke it selfe will both quit me of such fond presumptions and witnesse that my aime herein is not to get a vaine glorious name of knowledge in such mysteries nor to fill the world with stronge delusions opinions and expectations of improbable alterations but rather for the honour of Almightie God now in theese wauering and fainting times wherein mens hearts faile them for feare that the preuailing aduersaries will subdue all to Romish obedience to winne men to an assured confidence in his promised meraies of deliuerance and what they can to serue and waite on his almightie power and prouidence with such iust meanes as he hath appointed therevnto espetially now when they shall see it manifested by those vndeniable testimonies the prophesies of holy Scripture and Histories of the Papacie answering them that Romes Ruin must needes be approching and can not choose but fall out within a few yeares of this present which is sufficient for me to haue manifested As for those who professe themselues Protestants and yet in theese dangerous times are so far from affecting or approuing such knowledge that on the contrarie they doubt whether it be lawfull and proffitable to looke into theese Prophesies for the time and meanes of deliuerance and ouerthrow of the aduersaries whether such looking be not rather curiosity folly presumption whether courses of iustice and warres vndertaken for the defence of the Gospell and ouerthrow of Poperie and the Supporters thereof be lawfull or necessary whether a peace with them all is not much rather to be wished and whether it be not much better that Protestants Papists should first ioyne together against theire coÌ„mon enemie the Turke In theese and the like scruples such as are not partiall and obstinate may by a thorow reading of this small booke receiue compotent satisfaction In the meane time I answer noe more heere to theire suggestions then this 1. That noe man can more detest then I doe all warres vndertaken for desire of spoile territories Empire all not worth the life blood of one ChristiaÌ„ knowing that the miseries that euer follow theÌ„ are great lamentable that peace mercie can neuer be sufficiently admired extended but not toward Amalek or Romish Babel and her Champions because theire destructions are coÌ„maunded in holy Scriptures and he is counted happie that shall serue her as she hath serued others 2. That it was lawfull proffitable and comfortable for the children of Israel in the time of the captiuity Dan. 9.2 to looke as Daniel did after the time and meanes of deliuerance espetially when the seauentie yeares were almost out to looke also into the Prophesie of Daniel for the last period of those seuerall Beasts hornes mentioned Dan. 7. chap. 8. espetially for deliuerance from Antiochus Epiphanes that litle horne chap. 8.9 for the time and ende of the desolation he causeth expresly noted vers 13.14 and for the comming and saluation of Christ and other occurreÌ„ts signified in those propheticall weekes of Daniel chap. 9. Euen as old Simeon waited for the consolatioÌ„ of Israel Luk. 2. Mark 15.43 and Ioseph of Arimathea is saide to haue waited for the Kingdom of God and that therefore it is as lawfull now for all true Christians beholding the desolations that Antichrist and his Adherents make to looke into the prophesies of holy Scripture for the time and meanes of the deliuerance there promised espetially seeing that when Rome the cause of theese miseries is destroied Reu. 19. it is saide Alleluia for the Lord God omnipotent raigneth whereas before that she raigned in matters of faith and saluation Reu. 17.18 and ouer the Kings of the earth But then Gods Kingdom commeth this wee are taught to pray for and commaunded to * Mat. 6.33 seeke And therefore when after the writing of this small booke I had kept it a longe time without imparting the sight of it to any man I thought I could now doe noe lesse then publish it with some few additions and that indeede that such as see the miseries of the Church and seeke to redresse them may striue to doe it by that right meanes which God hath prescribed and not by any contrarie to that which God that changeth not hath in his Holy Word reuealed to be the only sure remedie and that by which he hath determined to redeeme his Church from Antichristian persecution bondage and subâ—ection ROMES RVIN OR A Treatise of the certaine destruction of Rome and of Antichrist before the ende of the VVorld TO say nothing of theire opinions in this point who are either Popish or newters or lukewarm or temporisers or worldlings or which are afraid of the Popish armies because euery wise man will easely conceiue that theire verdict in this matter must needes be partiall as proceeding from sinister respects or theire owne perticular interests I readily acknowledge that there are many godly and learned men greately seene in the Scriptures who yet are soe daily excercised in the finding of the meaning of those other places of Scripture which teach other points necessary to saluatioÌ„ that they finde litle leisure to looke on such as declare things concerning Antichrist or his ouerthrow I may not say that it is because they care litle to vnderstand the truth of God in theese points for I must leaue that to God who knowes the secrets of all hearts Neuerthelesse if any of them who haue a good vnderstanding be soe careles herein they may know that it is a fault seeing the holy Ghost saith concerning the Reuelation wherein theese things are declared Blessed is he that readeth Renel 1.3 and they that heare the words of this prophesie keepe those things which are written therein for the time is at hand And againe Chap. 22.10 Seale not the sayings of the prophesie of this booke for the time is at hand viz. when theese things should be fulfilled Whereby God warneth all men to looke narrowly into this booke that they may thereby know the Dragon Beast and whore and such euils as accompany them
that soe they may the better auoide them and not pertake of theire sinnes lest they receiue of theire plauges and that espetially when theire deliuerance and her ruin are at hand And as this care was necessarie in those ages when the * Reu. 12. Dragon reigned and the first trumpets sounded so more espetially in theese times of the beast whore wherein the euill they doe is a greate deale worse more dangerous to the Soules of men for as much as notwithstanding the light of the Gospell all the world would still wonder after him for that holines power and munificence which they would imagine to reside in him and euen many of Gods people would be so loth to flee out of Babylon that they should be in danger of pertaking of her sinnes and receiuing of her plauges and should haue neede to be daily called on to make them come out from her A duty which as it was euer needefull to be put in practise for the drawing of Soules from her bewitching delicacies and deceites so more espetially now when her greate abhominations are by the refulgent light of Gods Word manifested and her last and greatest plauges must needes be approching For if when Saint Iohn wrote it might be saide the time is at hand how much more in theese our times vpon whome the ends of the World are come and who may see if wee either will see or thinke it any such blessed thinge to see that the most of those things which concerne Antichrist and the verrie declining of his Kingdom are already fulfilled and thereby euery man warned to waite with a stedfast faith to see the rest accomplished and not to put farre away as his fauourers doe those euill dayes which shall befall him and his friends and as they doe who would faine make the World beleeue that he shall not be destroyed till the ende of the World and are so loth to see any thinge proued to the contrary that they doubt not to affirme that the time can not be so much as neerely guessed at To whome it may be answered that the Lord would neither haue saide of the beast Aeuel 13. He shall haue power to doe fourtie and two monethes and neither more nor lesse nor of the Kings his hornes They haue receiued noe Kingdom as yet Chap. 12.19 but receiue power as Kings one howre with the Beast but that he meant to shew vs some certaine time which when his ruin should approach might either be perfectly or at least verrie neerely found as in Daniels propheticall weekes wherein euery day stands for a yeare and so questionlesse in theese monethes which are also propheticall monethes which can not be literally vnderstood of three yeares and a halfe For it followes from the Angels exposition that Antichrist is the seauenth and eighth head of the seauen hilled citie that is a head of gouernment in a succession Reu. 17. as the Emperours were of whome he saide one is Fiue are fallen one is and the other is not yet come Fiue of the Roman heads or formes of gouernment were fallen before as Kings Consuls Dictatours Decemuiri Tribuni Militum The sixt was in the time of Saint Iohn which was the gouernment of the Emperours haueing theire seate in Rome This head so longe as it should abide there would let the comming of Antichrist who was to be the seauenth head of the same citie 2. Thes 2. Reu. 17.9 as Saint Paul compared with Saint Iohn sheweth saying only he who now letteth will let till he be taken out of the way he saith not till he be vtterly fallen or destroied but taken out of the way viz. remoued which came to passe when the seate of the Empire was remoued from Rome to Constantinople and not before for till then another domineering head could not rise to rule in Rome Therefore saint John saith of the seauenth He is not yet come and when he commeth he must continue a short space And the Beast that was and is not euen he is the eighth and is of the seaven This seauenth head which is the Roman gouernment by Bishops is saide to endure but for a short space because of the wound which it should soone receiue by the Gothes and Vandals which when it should be healed was not longe to endure as a seauenth head only but should also by reason of a new title and authority become an eighth head and more absolute that soe he might rule and raigne the rest of his longe time and doe all the greatest things ascribed to Antichrist This eighth head did accordingly beginne in Boniface III. when he obtained to be called vniuersall Bishop he then was the eighth and yet of the seauen viz. the seauenth because he seemed but to succeede the former Bishops in that gouernment which they had after the seate of the Empire was remoued from Rome and which they got by abusing the Canons of Nice and Sardica as wee shall see by and by Howsoeuer seeing Antichrist ye see is a head of gouernment in a succession as the Kings and after them the other heads were that had liued and ruled in Rome theese 42. monethes giuen to him can not possibly be vnderstood literally For indeede it is impossible that this seauenth head should rise be seated wounded healed then become an eighth head who should first be admired and worshipped by all nations and then make warre by himselfe and by his hornes ouercome the Saints yea the two witnesses cause an Image to be made and worshipped and a marke to be taken by all small and greate yea doe many other greate things mencioned in the Reuelation and after send to gather the Kings of the earth to Battaile and be taken and all this in three yeares and a halfe Therefore out of all doubt in theese monethes as in Daniels weekes euery day stands for a yeare as the Lord saide to the Israelites Num. 14.34 After the number of the dayes in which ye searched the land euen forty dayes each day for a yeare shall ye beare youre iniquities Ezech. 4.6 euen fourtie yeares also in Ezechiel Thou shalt beare the iniquitie of the howse of Iudah fourtie dayes I haue appointed thee each day for a yeare Soe it must needes be in theese monethes and soe they signifie 1260. yeares as some haue iudiciously collected from Reu. 12.6.14 further also that theese yeares must needes beginne whē first the Pope had power to doe as a head which some thinke beganne in the time of Constantine the greate when he left Rome when say they he that hindred was taken out of the way Some say sooner euen from the time that Constantine came to the Empire and the Ethnick gouernment was ouerthrowen or taken out of the way Indeede it is verry necessarie that the time should be searched out when theese 42. monethes began because that is the surest way to finde out the time of his ende and
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
Trent which was performed by Chemnitius Examen Concil Tridē Or at least by him and others that also writ against that Councell But the Sea out of which the Beast arose was not so corrupt in it selfe but only became soe in some part thereof into which the burning mountaine was cast which corrupted it Now if one should aske me whether the Sea out of which the Beast arose were the Councill of Nice or that of Sardica I thinke that if not out of both confounded and put together by thē then rather out of that of Nice I. Because that was a generall Councell and therefore more apt for his purpose and authority as the other was not which only restrained to the person of Iulius a priueleidge soone after reuoked 2. Because that of Nice gaue him prioritie of place and this priueleidge that a law should not be imposed on the Church without his aduise out of which as he tooke it he as ye saw made greate aduantage and indeede rose out of it this beeing the originall and ground of all the power he after got 3. Because he alwaies alleadged it for his authority which it seemes he the rather did because it was generall and the more auncient more reuerenced and indeede because that Canon of Sardica was soone reuoked yea he so much desired to rise out of the Nicene Councell that in alleadging as he pretended a Canon of Nice he vseth the very words of this Canon of Sardica See Mysterie of Iniquitie written by M. du Plesses only leaueing out the name Iulius and was therefore conuicted of forgerie by the sixt Councell of Carthage 4. Because the burning mountaine signified vnder the second trumpet must needes be cast into the Sea before the fall of Constantius vpon the riuers signified vnder the third and therefore in all likelihood before the Councell of Sardica which yet gaue him power or increased it as he tooke it But by reason that Liberius who presently succeeded was an Arrian and therefore could neither chalenge power by it nor by the Nicene Councell this power as I shewed was not excercised till the time of Damasus But indeede ye haue seene that from the time of Damasus or Siricius the Pope as he vsed the matter had power to doe in things that belonged to other mens iurisdictiōs yea as an ouerseer and confirmer of Councells as he tooke the matter and what more as a kinde of head and lawgiuer as ye saw in the Epistle of Siricius to Himerius Bishop of Aragon and the Beast must needes be then risen and in action because soone after he began to receiue wounds and at last his deadly wound by the incursions of the Gothes and Vandals Thus power was giuen him to doe and thus he had it but not so soone as some haue thought So that they who reckon his time of doeing from the time that Constantine came to the Empire or when the heathen Emperour was cast out or from the time of the Nicene Councell or from the time that Constantine left Rome or from the time of Pope Iulius may beginne to soone And if not then it must needes be vnderstood as others haue obserued power was giuen him to doe fourtie and two monethes but in the time of the wound by the Gothes and Vandals or at least while it was sore and deadly he had noe power to doe therefore those yeares of the vvound vvherein he could doe nothing must not be reckoned vnlesse you allovv others for them Which yet may be fevver by many than some haue thought because the Gothes and Vandals did not raigne so longe in Rome as they say and so the time of the vvound beeing lesse then they giue vvill bringe it to the same reckoning vvee make or very neere it But indeede there is noe cause to expound it so because it is cleare enough that the Beast vvas not risen or at least had not power to doe so soone as they thinke and withall that frō the time that the Gothes first tooke Rome to theire expulsion the Pope had for the most part power enough to doe which is verrie behoofull to manifest because men may thereby see that there is noe allowance to be giuen him for the time of the wound or if any yet but litle For Rome was more than once saued and rescued and though it were taken againe yet the Popes of those times had as much power to doe as euer theire predecessors had if not more Besides the Gothes became Christians many of them were indeede but Arrians yet Baronius sheweth that they gaue the Pope much power to doe and questionles theire Kingdom did rather further the mysterie of iniquitie then hinder it as wee shall see by and by Therefore out of doubt they are much mistaken who giue 140. yeares for the time of the Gothes Kingdom begining is when Alaricus first tooke Rome which they say was aboute the yeare 415. and ending it when Narses vanquished Totilas Whereas others better skilled in historie shew that theire Kingdom lasted but 72. yeares begining the time after the first comming of Theodoricus into Italie and ending it as the former when Totilas was vanquished And yet before that extirpation of Totilas Belisares the Emperours Leiftenant had entred Rome taken Vitiges Kinge of the Gothes and carried him captiue to Constantinople and after that when the Gothes haueing chosen Totilas for theire Kinge tooke Rome againe Belisares recouered it the second time But in his absence they got strength wonne it againe then Narses wholly expelled them out of Italie Now see theire errour who begin theire Kingdom so soone and reckon the time of the wound to be 140. yeares Begining them in that time of Honorius wherein Rome was first taken For themselues confesse that during the raigne of Honorius Rome was twise taken Alaricus and Ataulphus beeing the captaines and yet the Beast had not the deadly wound in the head seeing it was rather a shamefull then a harmefull ouerthrow as Pomponius Laetus sheweth in the life of Honorius that when Honorius began to rouse vp himselfe Sabell En. 8. lib. 1. the Gothes were expelled out of Italie and Attalus theire Kinge led in triumph to Rome and after his right hand was cut off he was carried captiue to Lipara that so longe as Honorius and Valentinian liued the Maiestie of the Empire was defended by theire Leiftenants Constantius and Aëtius though theire Maisters were slacke and lasie Yet Valentinian raigned many yeares after Honorius The truth is that before that Alaricus had taken Rome but he gaue life to such as fled to Christian Churches and then led his armie from Rome with purpose to saile into Afrike and setle his abode there but eare longe he died After his desease Ataulphus his Kinsman returned to Rome with the Gothes resoluing to ouerthrow all there to build another citie to change the name of it call it Gothia but his wife Placidia the sister of Honorius
as much to other Bishops and might haue donne it to Preists also without any giueing of supremacie yet as the Popes were pleased to take the matter it gaue them power to doe After Hormisda came Iohn 1. Theodoric the Kinge sent him Ambassodor to Iustine to craue that the Arriā Bishops whome he had bainshed might be restored to theire places againe else the Catholike Bishops in Italie should expect the like at his hands Liber Fontif in Iohan. 1. which made Pope Iohn with teares to perswade the Emperour to condescend Here the Emperour still willing for a further ende to please the Pope did him some honour which yet as they take the matter gaue him power But it soe displeased Theodoric that at his retourne he clapt him in prison where he ended his life Platina Foelix the 4. succeeded and ruled 4. yeares He excomunicated Athanasius Patriarch of Constantinople for heresie he ordained that Christians before theire departure out of this life should be anointed with oyle This is theire Sacrament of extreme vnction instituted as ye see by him Whome Boniface the second succeeded though not without schisme for Dioscorus was competitor while he liued In his time Eulalius Bishop of Carthage submitted himselfe vnto the chaire of Rome whereupon Boniface tooke occasion of insolent insulting and that so far that he is not ashamed to write of Aurelius Bishop of Carthage Saint Augustine Bishop of Hippo and of the rest of the Fathers which were present at the sixt Councell of Carthage that they through the instigation of the deuill in the time of our Predecessours Boniface and Celestine began to exalt themselues against the Church of Rome But Eulalius saith he now Bishop of Carthage seeing himselfe through the sinne of Aurelius to stand seperated from the communion of the Roman Church hath repented him thereof intreating to be receiued c. This indeede gaue them greate power to doe as they insolently tooke it Iohn the second succeeded whenas the Emperour Iustinian beeing newly come to the crowne that he might please the Pope and get freinds in Italie sent to him to assure him of his true faith Baronius here obserueth that in his Epistle he saith in this manner Wee are all carefull to aduertise youre holinesse of all such things as concerne the estate of the Church wee indeauour to submit and to vnite vnto youre holinesse all the Bishops of the East Which words Pope Iohn laide hold on with both his hands in his answer to this letter where he telleth him that amonge other his vertues this was most eminent that he subiected all things to the See of Rome whereas the Emperour meant only to indeauour that the Hereticks of the East should submit to the faith and soe be vinted to Iohn and other Bishops that professed it Besides he and other Emperours had saide as much to the Patriarch of Constantinople and other Bishops Plesses myst Iniquit prog 17. as Mounseire du Plesses hath proued Yet thus the Gothes Kingdom rather furthered the Popes power then hindred it while in those times the Emperour to regaine Italie gaue him fairer words then otherwise he would haue donne Agapetus succeeded Iohn and was presently sent by Theodatus the Kinge to Iustinian to pacifie him for the slaughter of Amalasuntha his wife a fit commission for a Pope When he came a Councell was called at Constantinople wherein Anthimius the Patriarch thereof beeing an Eutichean Heretick was deposed And the truth is that Agapete beeing then at Constantinople presided in the Councell wherein Anthimius was deposed and Menas placed in his roome which as Popes would take it gaue them much power he died there And then Siluerius the Sonne of Hormisda somtime Bishop of Rome succeeded He gouerned when Iustinian sent Belisares to fight against Vitiges Theodora the Empresse sent to Siluerius desiring him to yeeld to the restoring of Anthimius and deposing of Menas Siluerius refused wherefore Theodora sent to Belisares to Banish Siluerius Baron vol. 7. an 538. art 20. and to appoint Vigilius Bishop of Rome who had promised to fulfill her desires which was donne accordingly Wherefore Baronius speaking of the entrie of Vigilius calleth him a theife a wolfe a false Bishop an Antichrist Yet soone after he calleth him the Vicar of Christ because he did not keepe promise in restoring Anthimius the Heretike But therefore as also for diuers greate crimes laide to his charge by the Romans Anastas in Vigilio he was apprehended led violently away the people persuing him with cursings and Stones He wast cast into prison at Constantinople and then deliuered againe While he was in the Citie the fift generall Councell was held there but he would not be present at it lest the dignity of the Roman chaire should be impaired if he sate there For first Menas Patriarch of Constantinople Bellar. lib. de concil c. 19. and after him Euticheus Bishop of the same See presided there Neither doth Bellarmine deme it So Nicephorus saith when Eutichius was by the Emperour put in the roome of Menas lately deceased Vigilius though agreeing with him in points of doctrine yet refused to sit by him Baron an 553. But yet Baronius obserueth that this Eutichius when he was chosen in the roome of Menas tendred the profession of his faith vnto Vigilius which though it were a thinge vsually practised amonge Bishops and Pelagius the next Pope did as much to the Bishops of Italie yet as Popes and Papists take the matter it gaue him power Thus wee see that in almost all the yeares of the Gothes Kingdom the Pope had power to doe and was seldom hindred but oft times furthered by it Pelagius the first who succeeded Vigilius had the worst time of it for a while because the Tirant Totilas then raged and triumphed in Rome which he vnpeopled for 40. dayes but he was soone vanquished and therefore the time of the Beasts doeing was litle hindred by them and consequently he must needes be verrie neere his ende may expire within 10. or 12. yeares at least within lesse then 16. or 20. yeares from this present or soone after yea though his time of doeing began not till the dayes of Syricius or Innocent because the yeares may be Egyptian yeares as some haue thought probable Howsoeuer though he may endure to doe a litle longer as some thinke yet it doth not follow that Rome shall stand soe longe seeing it is in a manner cleare by the holy Scriptures that he shall suruiue her destruction Reu. 16. For after the fifth Angell hah powred his viall on the throne or seate of the Beast and thereupon his Kingdom waxeth darke by which deede as some thinke may be meant the destruction of Rome seeing that is the throne or seate and by her ruin his Kingdom must of necessity waxe darke because it doth most of all consist off and rest on the supposed chaire of Peter to remaine therefor euer and a
fond presumption that the gates of hell shall neuer preuaile against that Church or Citie to roote it out after theese things wee see the Beast suruiuing and after the pouring out of the sixth viall the Beast sendeth to gather the Kings Reu. 18.9 and they are gathered but when the Citie should be burned they stand afarre off for feare of her torment lamenting her ruin therefore they are not then gathered when the Citie is beseiged but afterwards Chap. 19. when they are gathered together with the Beast to make warre with him that sate on the horse and against his armie Then they doe not stand afarre off but are gathered together and slaine and the fowles are filled with theire flesh This battaile therefore it seemes is after the racing of Babylon and therefore I thinke that no man can giue any probable reason why Rome should not expire within lesse then 10. yeares from this present yeare 1629. saue this only that as yet he seeth not those Kings in armes and sincerely endeauoring to doe it that should burne her Here also hath beene some mistaking aboute the hornes that shall destroy her which some thinke to be tenne succeeding Emperours and they take Charles the 5. to be the first of theese But besides other good reasons that might be alleadged to the contrarie the present Emperours zeale to maintaine the Popish cause sheweth this to be absurd Much better therefore doe they expound who take theese hornes to be all Christians Kings free Princes and States and that a certaine number is put for an vncertaine For indeede this Beast hath vpon his tenne hornes tenne feuerall Crownes not one Crowne but tenne to shew that they are so many or at least a number of heads of seuerall Kingdoms and States whereas the other Beast Reu. 12. which is the Ethnick Romane Empire though it hath seauen Crownes on the seauen heads to shew that those were seauen seuerall succeeding formes of gouernment of which the Emperours were one yet that beast hath not tenne crownes one his hornes because those tenne hornes were the tenne persecutors all Emperours or Kings of one Kingdom haueing but one Crowne as the hornes of the Beast in Daniel also were Dan. 7.22 of which Antiochus Epiphanes was the litle horne Which things if they be well marked proue that the hornes of the Popish beast were not at first 10. succeeding Emperours who raised Romes Pope to his glorie that the hornes that shall hate and burne her are not 10. succeeding Emperours but diuers Kings free Princes and States that shall at one and the same time doe it Neither let any man thinke that Rome can not be shortly destroyed because many Kings free Princes and States are yet obedient to the Pope and Church of Rome For noe man can proue that all the hornes of the Beast shall hate the whore or that all Christian Kings shall fight against her yea it is in a manner certaine that some of them shall continue with the Beast whore till the ende of the warre For whē she should be burned wee see some Kings standing afarre off and weeping ouer her although they doe not help her for seare of her tormēt as also that after this the Beast gathereth hath diuers Kings on his side when he is taken destroied theese without doubt are his freinds and helpers and by consequence may be some of the hornes therefore though noe other King or Kingdō should be conuerted yet Rome may be destroied by those vvho already hate her Neither should the Saints feare the rest seeing the Scriptures shevv that they shall stand afarre of for feare and not helpe her Which doe not thinke to be vvritten as if I said that no other Kinge State or Kingdom shall be conuerted and soe brought to fight against her but only those vvho are already Protestants For though God doe commonly for his greater glorie performe greate vvorkes by small meanes and ouerthrovv the greatest enemies by a smaller povver then they themselues are and that to some such ende he hath seemed to take away from the Protestant power as he did from Gedeons armie to shew what he cā doe by a few whē our strength seemes to be brought to a low ebbe and that it is therefore likely that he will also doe so in this destruction of Rome and Antichrist yea though now for theese many yeares noe King State or whole Nation haue yealded to be conuerted by the Word and that therfore there is small hope of any vnles peraduenture of Venice seeing they haue so longe withstood the Word yet it may please God to make any yea that one of the Kings that shall doe this may be the Emperour then liueing and that one of them may be the Angell of the throne yet to say for certaine that he or other Kings and States shall be conuerted and shall ioyne therein or that this or that Prince shall doe this thinge sauours to much of presumption seeing the Scriptures doe not name the perticular Kingdoms nor any perticular man as of old Iosias in a like case 1. King 13. therfore till theire owne inclinatiō or the euent shew this thinge noe mā can say this Prince is that fift Angell that other he that standeth in the Sunne viz. in the light and confidence of the Truth There haue beene some other mistakings which some haue caused by applying those things of Daniel chap. 2.43.44 chap. 7.8.9 c. and espetially chap. 11.36 to the ende and chap. 12. to the times of Antichrist or of the Turkish Empire those that should suffer vnder them which indeede as * M. Broughton and Doc. Willet on Daniel others proue doe note out the times of Antiochus Epiphanes those that followed soone after him whose acts and times as in a manner all confesse are described chap. 11. ver 21. to 36. and indeede the Prophesie of the things that he should doe is certainly continued there as may thus be proued I. The Angell had there told Daniel of the miseries which the Iewes should suffer vnder Antiochus Epiphanes Dan. 10.14 chap. 11.31 chap. 12.6 who should take away the daily Sacrifice and set vp the abhomination c. And question is made saying How longe shall it be to the ende of theese wonders thē the time when all theese things should be fulfilled is expressed chap. 12.11 ver 11. From the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away and the abhomination set vp the dayes are summed to 1290. that is three yeares 7. monethes aboute 13. dayes therefore theese things could belonge to noe other time much lesse to a time soe farre off as that of the Pope or Turke II. The word Hamelech chap. 11.36 this Kinge hath reference to the former Historie and the article ha is a note of demonstration pointing out the Kinge before spoken of Neither is there any likelihood that the Angel chap. 10.14 who
came now to make him vnderstand what should befall the Iewes chap. 11.2 and to tell him the truth of the visions would so sodainly and at once make such a large step as is from the time of Antiochus Epiphanes to Antichrist or the Turke and that without telling Daniel that now he would shew him another Kinge and Kingdom which seeing he did not here as he had donne concerning all the former * See vers 2.3.4.5.6.7.10 Kings and Kingdoms both here and also chap. 8.20 it is plaine that he speakes of the same Kinge and Kingdom and so indeede whereas he had spoken before of the Kings of the North and South vers 6.7 c. viz. Syria and Egypt in theire seuerall successions and came at last to Antiochus Epiphanes Kinge of the North and his acts both against the Kinge of the South and also against the Iewes he there without intermission or variation continueth speaking of them vnder the same titles vers 40. which is an infallible argument that he continueth speaking of the same Kinge Kingdoms and times III. The sequell of the Storie answereth to the Prophesie for Antiochus did all this as * See D. Willet on Daniel many haue proued out of the Maccabes and other Histories Neither let any man thinke that Antichrist can not be destroied till Christ come to iudgement and that therefore it will be in vaine to beare armes against him and his Supporters in theese times For if it could be so that he should stand till then yet noe man can be sure that the day is farre off or at hand But it is manifest by the Scriptures that those words of Saint Paul 2. Thes 2. Whome the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightnes of his comming Reu. 19.14.15.17 c. vers 20.21 chap. 2.16 must needes be meant of that comming when the armies follow him Reuel 19. For then Antichrist is destroyed and then also Christ fighteth with the Spirit or sword of his mouth So he saide of Pergamos and the false Teachers in her Repent or else I will come vnto thee quickly and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth Isa 59.19.20 Rom. 11.26 And so the deliuerer shall come to Sion as Isaiah shewes It is most manifest therefore I say that Saint Paul meaneth such a bright comming against Antichrist both with the Word and with the swords of Princes and that he shall be wholly destroyed as also that after his destruction the Nations Gog and Magog shall fight with the Saints Reu. 20.9 and that before the day of iudgement For the day of iudgement shall come as a theife in the night and noe man can know before when it shall be Reu. 19.17 but when the Angell standing in the Sunne hath called many to the certaine destruction of Antichrist and his Supporters euen to eate the flesh of Kings and the flesh of Captaines c. and at the same time Antichrist hath also called many to fight in his defence Antichrist is taken and destroyed but if the World should then haue an ende then all who are called to this Battaile at least all that come against him might know the day of iudgement for they are called to the certaine destruction of him and his to cate the flesh of Kings c. but the whole World can not haue so sure and vissible a signe of the ending of the World seeing the Scriptures are contrarie herevnto and shew that after this another battaile is fought with Gog and Magog and therefore the World can not then ende The like might also be saide when afterwards the Nations Gog Magog are gathered together in battaile against the Saints Reu. 20.7 if the world were to ende with that battaile the Saints that meete there might know it before But this they doe not know therefore the world is not to ende at that time Yet how soone after that it shall ende God only knoweth It seemes that as the Isralites soone forgate his wonders in Egypt so will those that suruiue theese two battailes and then they beeing in security the day will take them or theire posteritie as a theife in the night Soe that theese obiections doe not hinder but that all theese things may shortly be fulfilled espetially Romes Ruin Gen. 6.3 Wee must not thinke that Gods Spirit will alwaies striue with that Church noe more then he did with the old world to whome he gaue 120. yeares time of repentance when once the longe suffering of God waited while the Arke was preparing in the dayes of Noah 1. Pet. 3. a preacher of righteousnes and so indeede God hath now giuē Rome well neere the like time since the preaching of Luther an 1517. wherein God by him and others would haue cured Babel but she would not Therefore when his longe suffering hath a like time waited and they repent not to giue him glorie her Ruin must needes approach and follow And indeede the warres and other troubles that are already begun amonge many nations shew that theese things are at hand and namely that ere longe Rome the greatest cause of them shall be destroied The blood of the Saints shed in theese warres cries to heauen for speedie vengeance on Pope Turke but espetially and first of all on Rome as the cause of all For she deuided the Empire into East west and so made way for the Turke to enter by that diuision and was therein the cause of all the slaughters which since haue beene made by Turkes vpon Christians It would aske to much time to reckō vp all the warres that she hath caused and the blood that she hath otherwise shed in former times To say nothing of the execrable practises of the bloodie inquisition if wee only looke on the warres of Christendom in theese times wee may finde that she hath beene the increaser if not the prouoker and so beginner of them all Call to minde vvhat her instruments the Iesuits and Preists made the Emperour doe against the Bohemians to make them reuolt and soe to breede all those vvarres there in the Palatinate to the cruell martyrdom of many thousands of Protestants all still by the animation encouragemēt of the Pope and Romish Clergie See what troubles and slaughters they haue raised in Garmanie France and the Low countries and how easie will it be to finde her guiltie of all the blood that hath of late beene shed in all theese places and that therefore she is like to be as dangerous to all that suruiue if to preuent it she be not the sooner destroyed as it is written Reu. 17.6 The Woman was drunken with the blood of the Saints and of the Martyrs of Iesus * chap. 18.24 In her was found the blood of the Saints and of all that were slaine vpon earth And indeede they are still so fierce in persuite of
together vnder one head viz. vnder Christ and that to fight against Antichrist vvho now raigneth Is any member then in danger and vvill not all the rest helpe he that can helpe and will not is he a member Ioshua doth greately praise the Reubenites and the Gadites and the halfe tribe of Manasseh when he saith to them d Iosh 22.1.3 Ye haue not left youre Brethren theese many dayes vnto this day but haue kept the charge of the commandement of the Lord youre God There are many who call themselues Protestants and yet how few that truly desire this praise by protesting sincerely against the Beast and his members who beare his marke and fight stoutely for him and for one another Psal 2. The Kings of the earth band themselues and the rulers take counsell together against the Lord and against his Anointed Doe those who professe themselues Seruants of Christ doe as much for Christ and for one another as yet they haue not Christ saith luk 16.8 The children of this world are in theire generation wiser then the children of light I would to God they were not also more zealous and bold for theire Maister Doe wee not see what mischeife the freinds of Antichrist daily put in practise against the Seruants of Christ and how the Pope approues of theese deedes And how longe they who haue the marke of the Beast are gouerned by the Pope and led by the Iesuits are to be trusted in any thinge that they preteÌ„d I hartely wish that they would iudge whome it most of all concerneth In the meane time wee must pray as Psal 74. Haue respect vnto the couenant Psal 74.20 for the darke places of the earth are full of the habitations of crueltie And as Isa 63. 15. to chap. 65. Our aduersary the Deuill who allwayes goes aboute like a roaring Lion seeking whome he may deuoure without all doubt labours so much the more when he knowes that he hath but a litle time for the Beast and Whore and Dragon He will labour to haue his Agents in all Courts and Kingdoms that they may by all the pretexts proiects and deuises that may be inuented make some fight openly and others worke secretly for the Beast and Whore but espetially that they may vnder colour of wisdom keepe such as are best able from aiding theire brethren or fighting against the Whore and her props that so noe man of power may seeke to fulfill Gods will in aiding the Church or ruinating the Kingdom of the Beast but rather forsake the Spouse of Christ and leaue her members in danger of the aduersaries that so Papists may by degrees recouer or destroy all To this ende he will labour vvhat he can to get aduantage out of all dispositions and affections as of old out of the disposition and affection of Ahasuerus a Kinge benigne munificent credulous voide of suspition greately loueing trusting his Seruants The deuill therefore labours that Haman might be in grace because he knew that no man would contradict him that should be most in fauour with the Kinge but rather that euerie one would be readie to flatter him in all things whatsoeuer he goes aboute and that therefore he might make the Kinge beleeue that his best subiects the Iewes were the Kings greatest enemies and that to this ende that whereas at that time God was aboute to do some good for his people the Iewes then in captiuity he might by this Haman wholly destroy the Iewes and so not only frustrate Gods benignitie and the restauration of true religion but also by this meanes wholly destroy the Kinge by causeing that for his iniustice and crueltie God might be his enemie Neuerthelesse Haman vsed a pretext saying Esther 8.3 It is not for the Kings proffit or honour to suffer them as if he should say they are against the Kings prerogatiue for he saith theire lawes are diuers from all people neither keepe they the Kings lawes so others pretend Ezra 4.12 Dan. 3. chap. 6.13 yea Haman pretends that the slaughter would be verrie proffitable to the Kinge whereas on the contrarie chap. 7.4 if they had beene sold for bondmeÌ„ bond-women the enemie could not counteruaile the Kings damage so good Subiects were they and proffitable to the Kinge neuerthelesse by this meanes he had preuailed with the Kinge if God had not turned it so powerfull was the man whome the Kinge did to much loue and that the Deuill knew well enough and that therfore he vvas an instrument the fitter for such a worke although indeede his life was most dangerous his death most proffitable to the Kinge according to that Pro. 25.5 Take away the wicked from before the Kinge and his throne shall be established as if he should say otherwise it stands in danger As Rehoboam found 1. King â—â— vvho vvas led by the counsell of the vvicked younge men to speake roughly to the people The Deuill knew vvel enough that the strength of the King did vnder God most of all coÌ„sist in the loue of the people vvho vvhen they loue and are loued vvill giue theire substance and liues for him the Deuill therefore sought to alienate the heart of the Kinge from the people and thereby the heart of the people from the Kinge that so the Kingdom diuided in it selfe might not stand but might lie open to diuision and thereby to the Gentiles and so that by that meanes the true Religion might also be quite put out And wee may be sure that he hath now so laboured still will to doe the like against religion in Protestant Kingdoms States So also when God was aboute to reedifie the Citie Temple Ezra 4. Nehem. 2. chap. 4. and chap. 6. the Diuell raised vp scorners and slanderers against the builders that they might hinder the worke And when Ioshua was aboute a good worke l Zach. 3.1 Satan stood at his right hand to hinder him So when God vvas m Iud. 13.5 aboute to deliuer Israel by Sampson the Deuill and the Philistins raised vp a Delilah to hinder him And his industrie is indeede alwayes so greate that vvho can looke for better froÌ„ him in theese times Howsoeuer wee see what Antichrist doth daily practise against Christ theÌ„ that are his how also he keepes the people in blindnesse and hinders the true preaching obedieÌ„ce of Gods Word therein Christs raigne yea how the cause of the Gospel doth euery where seeme to go backwards the cause of Rome to waxe lustie yet few are moued to seeke a right remedie They who are outwardly ProtestaÌ„ts inwardly Papists they desire to rectifie all things vnder pretext of greate zeale wisdom they still seeke such an excelent remedy as shall in shew promise greate redresse yet shall indeede come to no ende but spend in vaine time treasure and labour giue the Papists opportuintie of enlarging theire bounds make protestants be glad of peace