other Nations Christian Burial was prohibited to those persons be they never so great that should deny the Popes Supremacy the Liturgy of the Church augmented and put into tune to be sung the Paxe injoyned to be kissed the usurped Title of the Vicar of Christ given to Popes and the Roman Emperors Authority contemned by them they making their leige Masters to kiss their feet Images were brought into the Church and Emperors not permitted to pull them down Rebellion against Emperors was taught upon this account so that the Emperors for withstanding Images lost the Roman Throne Sacrifices and Prayers were enjoined to be made for the dead Kings of forrain Kingdomes were by the Popes Usurpation dethroned Bishopricks as it were by a Conquest subjected daily to the Sea of Rome Bastards Bribers Rebels beastly Fellows Atheists and Magicians for the most part possessed the Episcopal Chair of Rome which makes Bellarmine call these times Saeculum insoelix The Sun and the Air were miserably darkned by these hellish locusts these times were full of ignorance and prophaneness whereby the Church was miserably eclipsed and deformed through the prevailing Factions of the scandalous Roman Clergy usurping the Roman Throne as well as the Pontifick Seat yet was not the Roman Church utterly defaced or unchurched hereby for notwithstanding the prevailing Faction in Rome gave themselves to such abominable wickednesse and persisted in it so that one in his Learned History of the Roman Bishops saith They proceeded from usurping Nimrods to luxurious Sodomites and from luxurious Sodomites to Egyptian Magicians and from Egyptian Magicians to devouring Abaddons and from devouring Abaddons to incurable Babylonians yet it is most probable that in Rome it self there were to be found Godly Ministers and people that were none of the time servers as it is manifest there were in other Churches where the Popes and their Faction usurped a Power This is most certain that in Rome it self until the Pope and his Faction became incurable Babylonians men might with freeness profess and practise the principles of true religion The Apostles Creed the ten Commandments and the Lords Prayer the sum of a Christians Faith Worship and Obedience were alwaies in profession maintained in the Roman Church though violently opposed by the wicked practices of the Pontifick Professors So that there was no absolute necessity for other Churches to renounce the Church of Rome but only the Vices and Corruptions and Heresies of a prevailing Faction in the Church of Rome which both the Kings and the Clergy of England since William the Norman Successor to the Saxons have in every Age manifestly done and not only England but other Churches also for when they as we said came to be incurable Babylonians the Churches in Germany and France and England cryed out aloud of them Guicciardine Mâ—…ntuan Sanavarola and Machiavel all of them laid out to publick view the villany of the Papacy Machiavel was a discoverer of the hellish policie used by the Pope and his creatures not an allower or practitioner of that black Art he discovered And in Leo the Tenths time Budeus Mirandula Erasmus Stapulensis and others both learned and grave publickly derided and reproved the Roman Apostasie and corruption So far did Erasmus leave the Roman Church and cleave to the reformation beginning in Germany that a witty Popeling thus plays upon his name Si sit eras verbum mus nomen quid sit Erasmus Participium Signifying that he took part with the Chuch of Rome and part with the Protestants so called a little afterwards as a Participle doth part of a Verb and part of a Nown The German Churches gave no lesse then Centum gravamina to the Legate of Adrian 6. desiring a speedy redresse of them and the secular Estates both of the higher and lower sort of the Empire did beseech his Holynesse to remove those grievances or else they themselves would This Pope ingenuously confesseth that the Chair of Rome was very filthy in hac sede sancta saith he aliquot jam annis multa abominanda fuisse This stirring of the German States revived Luther who stomacking the Dominican pardon-seller Tercelius had wâ—…it against that sinfull trade in Leos time and now in Adrians time finding more friends then he expected he designes the abolishing of the Masse and the framing of a new Liturgie The Pope and his faction fearing to what this of Luthers might come writ to the Emperour and the German Princes to suppresse Luthers doctrines Thereupon a general councel was desired as the means of reconciliation which was at last granted and called to sit at Trent They had three severall meetings at Trent In the third Session of the first meeting they i. e. the Popes packt party decreed that the old Latine translation should only be used and authentick in Schools and Churches In the fourth Session they decreed that original sin was so taken away in Baptism that the concupiscence which remains after Baptism is not to be accounted a sin untill we consent thereto and farther they decreed as truth that the Mother of Christ was not conceived in original sin In the fifth Session they decreed that since the fall there remains a freedom in mans will to good which being excited concurrs with Gods grace In the seventh Session seven Sacraments were decreed after this the Pope removes the Councel to Bononia which discontents the Emperour which puts an end to the Councell for that time At the second meeting of the Bishops in the councell of Trent the King of France declared as the Queen of England before had done that neither he nor his Subjects were bound to obey a Convention of Bishops whose design was meerly thereby to advantage the private interest of the Pope to the generall disprofit of the Church At the second Session the doctrine of Transubstantiation was established At the third Session that pennance and extreme unction were new Testament Sacraments At this Session the Protestants would but were not permitted to bring in their confession of faith the Popes Legat withstanding them The warrs then breaking out in Germany the councel was dismissed Nine years after they met again the third time At the fifth Session whereof they decreed that it was in the power of the Pope to dispose of the Sacramentary elements as he saw expedient for the good of the people provided that the substance were kept Thus denying the cup in the Communion to the people At the sixth Session 't was concluded that the whole Mass was a propitiatory sacrifice for quick and dead and whoever should say otherwise should be accursed At the eight Session they pronounce him accursed who shall deny that the Church hath power to dispense with Gods Law Lev. 18. in giving liberty to incestuous matches against the word and forbidding lawful matches according to the word At their last Session they confirmed the doctrine of Purgatory Invocation of Saints bowing to images giving of indulgences and preserving
enemies superstition and profanenesse have in all ages been to a powerfull and orthodox Ministry Which Ministry was hereby not onely exposed to the scorn and hatred of the people but also made liable to the Prelates persecution for did they but withstand their popish Innovations or but a little swerve from their rigorous injunctions immediately followed bitter persecutions thereby many eminently learned and godly Ministers as you may read in Mr. Clarks Lives an impartial Writer were silenced suspended vexed discouraged sequestred imprisoned and some inforced to leave the Kingdome Mean while superstitious scandalous popish and profane persons were admitted into Orders countenanced encouraged and preferred Thus did the prevailing Faction of popish Prelates for all were not so prove like those Angels Revel 7. 1. holding the winde of the Gospel from blowing on the Church of England Nor was this all but needs must these Popish Reformers go to Scotland an ancient Reformed Church that was no enemy to the ancient primitive Government of Bishops and kept the Doctrine of Christ pure though God for her security and profaneness had many things against her of which this rod was a special warning The Church of Scotland rejecting the usurpation of the English Prelates who did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in going about to exercise an unknown Iurisdiction over them these revengefull Prelates putting off all humanity and Christianity to satisfie their hellish lusts thought it more fit that their Soveraign the Lords Annointed should hazzard his own life and the lives of his Nobles together with the losse of the bloud of innocent Protestants the Kings faithfull Subjects on both sides in an unnatural War to the reproach of Religion the endangering of both Kingdoms and the infinite expence of treasure then they be crossed in carrying on their designes against the innocent Church of Scotland This War begun by them was the beginning of the Brittish Wars which Wars have ruined the Brittish Royall Family the Brittish Nobles with many of their Families the ancient Brittish Laws and the Brittish reformed Church and all begun by a brutish Clergie in that Church Cursed be their wrath for it is cruell These fire-brands of State made the Bishops odious to the Gentry and Commonalty of both the Nations insomuch that when a Parliament was called which they were accidentally the cause of a certain party of the Commons of the Parliament animated by the preposterous Petitions of the over-zealous people and 't is more then probable incouraged by some of the covetous Nobility who thereby intended to make purchase of their Lands resolved to be satisfied with nothing but the utter extirpation of Episcopacy Here a fallacy was put upon the honest hearted Protestants in the Kingdome for the subtil Lawyers of the House of Commons whose Speeches were alwayes most prevalent in that House envying the wealth and dignity of the Clergie vehemently pressed that in stead of questioning the guilty they would accuse all the Bishops and in stead of questioning their persons they would pul down their Order purposely to take away the Iurisdiction This was carried on by a private faction of Polititians in the House who drew in many honester then themselves into the Designe which although not then yet since hath been discovered The Prelates it mainly concerning them at that time clearly discovered the Designe and thereupon were most firmly united Whereas had it been for a personall reformation amongst them which the grave and moderate Members desired or removing Innovations brought in by the Popish Faction amongst them they would many of them have hung more loose if not altogether sided with the Parliament against the upholders of any Doctrines or Discipline against the true Reformed Religion especially since the King declared himself at this time for a reformation of abuses crept into the Church and having respect unto tender consciences But here lieth such a mystery of iniquity that the wisest and most scrutiâ—…ous in States mysteries cannot discover On whom to charge the overthrow of Episcopacy and the Church Government of a long time continued in their hands in the general wee know but on whom to charge the designes against the Protestant Religion in their overthrow we know not or at least wise nunc non est narrandi locus It is true the Primate of England with the insolent faction at Court became odious to the Nobility and Gentry about the Court and those of his faction elsewhere stepping up into civill Offices in the State made them odious to the Lawyers of the Kingdome whose Offices they usurped The schismaticall Separatists made it one of the chief principles of their Religion to oppose them concluding that man to have true illumination to salvation that had his eyes opened to see Episcopacy to be Antichristian The generality of the sincere Professors of the Gospel were much grieved at the barbarous rigour of their Discipline in suspending silencing and molesting learned godly orthodox Ministers because they would not wear a Surplice signe with the Crosse stand at the Creed kneel at the Sacrament observe a superstitious holi-day but most of all they were grieved that such persecution should befall them for refusing to read the book of Sports to their people a most abominable book giving liberty to people to profane the Lords day The people also generally disliked their rigour in citing them to their Courts for working on Holi-dayes or marrying without a Licence or upon a groundlesse suspicion of inchastitie Many such poor pretences meerly to drain the peoples purses did their Officers make Thus had the Prelatick party drawn the odium of the Nobility Gentry and Commonalty upon them and now a Parliament being called and in that Parliament severall Members of both Houses professed enemies to their Degree and not onely to their degree in the Church as Bishops but to their Office as since they professe as Ministers upon what designe may easily be conjectured These members also being popular took the opportunity of lifting these Protestant Churches off their hinges whiles the eyes of all men were on them for a Reformation Here I say was the fallacy that whiles they pretended to root out Popish pollution they struck at the very root of Primitive purity whiles they pretended to reform Episcopacy they struck at the very Office of the Ministry as now that wound being searched to the bottom discovers to us The King and his party saw to the bottom of this wound many yeers since Those Remonstrances now seem full of Prophecies which we have seen fulfilled But lest we should seem to throw dirt upon the Parliament and the Purliaments cause we must distinguish of a threefold party which sate in the house in plain truth the Parliaments covenant distinguisheth them There was a Popish party a Protestant party and a Schismaticall party the Protestant party made this covenant against the other two parties This Protestant party maintained the Protestant cause against all other parties No Protestant can be
the title of Lord Bishop Dean Arch-Deacon Chancellor Vicar Generall Commissary Officiall Surrogate Register Promoter c. Of which our English Hierarchical politie was compacted were meerly humane titles and offices as appears upon record In 16 of Rich. 2. Chap. 1. we find the English Bishops first putting on the title of Spiritual Lords though as Barons long before in William of Normandy's time who conferred that temporall honor on them they claimed a place in the house of Peeres These acts of grace conferred by the Kings of England on their Clergy argued their piety and true affection to religion Nor did those honours they conferred on the Clergie make those persons much lesse their office as some foolishly affirm Antichristian only thus much it argues them mutable that civil power that changeth them so farre changeth not a divine institution So farre therefore as the alteration that the Parliament of England made in the Hierarchy of England was not against the primitive institution so farre for the matter of it it was lawfull but as for their manner of proceeding in it without and against the Kings consent let him that hath skill vindicate them I am sure none that know the duties of the second Table and are sincerely pious will dare to applaud it or once open their mouth to plead for it My aym is onely to vindicate the Parliaments Cause from that fowl aspersion of Antichristianisme cast upon it as for many of their particular acts they are inexcusable 4. Another great Scandall taken and given is that the Parliament not only took away the dignities of the Clergy but the estates of the Clergie What shall we make for an answer to this monstrous Crime Before we say any thing to this we wil make a step back to former times We shall find the house of Commons almâ—…st as full of envie as of age against the Clergies wealth In the ninth of Hen. 4th We shall find the lower House exhibited a bill against the riches of the Clergie wherein they signifie to the King that he may possesse so much of thâ—… temporall possessions of the Clergie as will maintain One hundred and fifty Earles One thousand five hundred Knights six thousand two hundred Esquires and One hundred Hospitals had the King been as covetous as the Commons were base the Clergy had not been lefâ—… a prey to his successors In Henry the Eighth his raign the Lords and Commons fell upon the Clergy for their fleece took from them as saith Cambden in England and Wales Six hundred forty five Monasteries they dissolved ninety Colledges and of Chanteries and fire Chappels two thousand three hundred seventy four of Hospitals One hundred and ten The yearly value being 161100l. Besides the stocks of Cattel which the poor men and their families possessed which they took and sold. Also the timber lead bells the plate and other rich Ornaments of the Church which they robbed and spoiled the Church of And in the Reign of King Charles the last Parliament that that King called which was the gladding of the hearts of all the people of the Kingdom whose eyes were fixed upon them in hopes of enjoying some eminent good from them these alone without and against the consent of the King fell upon the Clergies Estates and swept all that away which King Henry left What shall we say here That we may not condemn the righteous with the wicked we answer 1. They never pretended at the first to any such thing Ab initio non â—…uit sic they convenanted no such thing and the most of those that were secluded and imprisoned were professed enemies to the alienating of the Church Lands from the Church and alwayes so declared themselves Lands given to the Church are sacred things and he that alâ—…enates them steals from God Indeed it is the part of the Civil Magistrate to restore to the widow the fatherlesse and the oppressed those Lands that the Clergie fraudulently got from them though they have long possessed them And also to restore that Land they have gotâ—…en from the Crown But to take away by force the lawfull rights and possessions of the Church under pretâ—…nce of Reformation is both grosse Hypocrisie and abominable Sacriledg For my owne part I really beleeve That God is this day punishing the Royall Family for that sin of their Fore-fathers Henry the Eighth's sins are not yet forgot chiefly that of Sacriledg God will punish to the third and fourth generation except we repent of those sins by endeavouring a reformation And as for the Church-robbers of this age wait but a while and without their repentance you shall see misery and shame upon them God will find them out It hath been â—…bserved that scarce any prospered an age with the alienated Lands of the Church In Henry the Eighth's time many who before they griped it lived well after they got it decayed and were brought to beggery and great want That sacred flesh stollen from the Altar had a cole in it which burnt up their nests where their other store lay God grant the guilty of this age repentance for this crying sin otherwise let David's deprecation be fulfilled upon them Psalm 83. 11 12. Make them like Oreb and Zeeb as Zeba and Zalmunna who said Let us take to our selves the houses of God in possession c. As to that scandall That when the Parliament had an opportunity to declare to the world that all their Remonstrances Declarations Vows Protestations and Covenants proceeded from a sincere heart by establishing the King when they had drove evill Counsel from about him that then directly Contrary to those declarations and vows they began upon new termes with him they must have the sword put into their hands else they could not trust him and necessity and self preservation put them upon it The self same arguments that were used as a just judgement upon them in their overthrow which soon followed To this there is a double answer by divers persons a witty one and a pious one Some say that the King desired for the Satisfaction of all parties a treaty with his Parliament before he came to be reestablished and that upon the surest grounds of reason and policie it was on both sides thought most fit for to have it yet it had been most Religious in the Parliament and more for the honour of their cause if not for the safety of it to have kept to their former Declarations and performed their word and publick promises made therein Others more piously say and those formerly of the House God in justice hath overthrown our policie with others sinful policie God shews us our own sins in their lively pictuâ—…e acted by others against us God Punisheth our foregoing sins with these present sins as they dealt with others so others dealt with them they would not trust their superior and their inferiors would not trust them Thus have we wafted over a rough Sea wherein we have discovâ—…red
Doctrine to the Romans therein discovering the Jewes error in point of Righteousness from Moses's words in which they believed And hither doth Christ send the Pharisees to learn when the Kingdom of God should come Luke 17. 20 21. The Kingdom of God cometh not with outward shew neither shall they say Lo here or lo there for behold the Kingdom of God is within you i. e. as Moses saith in thy mouth and in thy heart Christ is a Spiritual King and the soul of man is his Kingdom now that soul that subjects it self to Christ by believing becomes a little Kingdom wherein Christ raigns then is Christs Kingdome come when the soul believes so that Christ seems to tell the Pharisees that when the Jewes believed the Kingdom should be restored From all which for I am too tedious it appears manifestly that Moses's command for to obey which God will circumcise their heart and upon obedience will restore them to their own fathers possessions and bring their curse which now lies upon them upon their enemies is a Gospel command and was delivered in a Prophetick precept for the Jewes to listen unto and obey when God intends to restore them and ruine the Roman Monarchy for since the Doctrine of the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ hath been preached to the would the Roman Monarchy hath been the grand enemy of the Jewes That we may make it more evident that this Prophecie of Moses's extends to the state of the Jewes and Gentiles under the Gospel we will look into Moses his Song which cap. 31. 29. tells us is a Song concerning the evill that wil befal the Jewes in the later dayes which song v. 21. is to be a Prophetick testimony against the Jewes when all the foretold evils shall come upon them In Deut. 32. Moses reckons up in his Song the great blessings that God bestowed upon Israel and the ignoble and injurious returns they made to God they kicked the heel against God cast him off followed their own lusts and obstinately persisted in their hardnesse and unbelief so that God was provoked to jealousie by their high contempt and paid them in their own coyne As the great King of Babylon dealt with his proud Queen Vasti so God dealt with those insolent Jewes he kicked them out of the Royal Bed the Church and took in poor bondslaves captived Gentiles This of the Jewes rejection and the Gentiles taking in to be a Church is clearely held out in ver 21 which Paul expounds Rom. 10. 19 20. Saith Paul Did not Israel know that is had they no knowledge of Christ when they heard the sound of him went into all the earth Paul answers in Moses his words I will provoke you to jealousie by them that are no people and by a foolish Nation will I anger you and then he answers it in Isaiahs words Isai. 65. 1 2. I was found of them that sought me not I was made manifest to them that asked not after me this Isaiah saith of the Gentile Church But to Israel he saith All the day long have I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and gainsaying people so that for their obstinacy hardness and unbelief God cast them out and took in the Gentiles I am confident none can deny but that by these Texts as Paul expounds them the rejection of the Jewes from being a Church is signified and the taking in of the Gentiles to be a Church which could be in no age of the world but under the Gospel so that Moses his Prophecie extends to the rejection of the Jewes under the Gospel and now follows the sad effects of their rejecting of the Gospel Deut. 32. ver 22. to ver 26. Famine and pestilence and bitter destruction the teeth of beasts poison of Serpents the sword without and terrors within and scattering of them into corners The same which Christ prophesied Mat. 24. and Luke 21. Indeed this song of Moses is as it were another Mount Tabor wherein we find Christ and Moses and Paul and Iohn communing together of the same thing I mean of the Jewes rejection and the Gentiles reception of the Jewes restauration after their affliction under the Roman Monarchy and of the Roman Monarchies ruine in their restauration I confess I could heartily wish my self well out of this sacred thicker wherein I find not so much as the track of any late Authors to lead me this way through it and confident I am I shall be scratched with the briars of Censure for my labour yet this I can say to my own encouragement that I have Christ and his beloved Disciple Iohn and his Apostle Paul to lead me through this old but unbeaten way I will therefore do no more or very little more then shew the method and give the parallel Texts 1. In Deut. 23. from ver 22. to ver 31. there is the Jewes captivity after they were provoked to anger by a foolish Nation that is saith Hierom by the Gentiles who until then did follow their vain and foolish minds in worshipping of Idols Such in the esteem of the Jewes were as bruits and dogs these foolish Gentiles should provoke them to anget by beleeving in the Gospel and Gods judgments shall follow on the Jewes So that these must be their afflictions under the Gospel and per consequentem the very afflictions that to this day they lie under Parallel with this of Moses is that of Matth. 24. from ver 15. to ver 21. and that of Luke 21. 23 24. Saith Luke These are the daies of vengeance that all things which are written may be fulfilled And what are those things written but even those of Moses which even word for word as it were answer to Luke's expressions of â—…engeance distresse wrath falling by the edg of the sword leading away captive into all Nations and the treading down of Ierusalem untill the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled i. e. until the time of the Gentiles tyranny be fulfilled 2. In Deut. 32. 29 30 31 32 33 34. you have the mysterie of the Jews conversion and the Gentile Roman Apostasie described in ver 34. it is said to be hidden and sealed amongst Gods treasures noting the greatnesse of this Mysterie Now in that Moses saith Is not this laid up in secret it hath relation either to the restoration of Iudah which is implyed in ver 29. Oh that they were wise and understood this i. e. the cause of their punishment that they would consider their latter end the mercies laid up for penitent beleeving Jewes in the later dayes for ver 30 for the Jewes sins God forsook them and the Romans made a prey of them but if they would return in their later end to their Rock which they had set lightly by and forsook Deut. 29. 15 18. then God ver 31. would be a stronger Rock to them in the sight of all the world then to the boasting Romans who are Apostates now and
i. e. all the families of you wheresoever scattered upon the earth shall wail with a godly penitential heart as your Prophet Zachary 12. 10 11. hath fore-told because you have dealt so unkindly with your Lord and gracious King even so Amen But that we may give you good ground for your hope that your redemption which I hunger after and more earnestly desire of God then my life draweth nigh we shall proceed to set forth the great fore-going signe of Christs comming to this glorious work and that is the appearing and conâ—…ounding of Antichrist Now he doth appear but men doubt now whether it be the very Antichrist or not though every mark is writteÌ„ in his forehead that is written in the Word but when Christ comes to destroy him then 2 Thes. 2. 8. the world shall know by Christs dreadful taking vengeance on him that that is he Then shall that wicked one be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the breath of his mouth then the world shall be enforced to know by Gods dreadful hand on him and his followers that that is the very Antichrist whom the World adored for a Saint and wondred after him for his great Successes he is to be known above all others in the world by his prodigious acts of sin And that man of sin be revealed to a word it is And that man of the sin be revealed to note the notorious sinfulnesse of his sin as a singular character of the Antichrist A sin peculiar to the Antichrist by which sin he shall be known when he comes into the world that sin is set down in Revel 11. 7. and when they have finished their testimony the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomlesse pit note the time when the Antichrist for this is he is to appeare in the Church it 's at the end of the Apostasie when the Witnesses have finished their testimony in sackcloth then doth Antichrist arise make war with overcome and kill the Witnesses this is his sin which Daniel explains as I may say in Dan. 7. 24 25. 1 He is saith Daniel one that ariseth after the ten Kings belonging to the fourth Kingdome the Roman Monarchie which must necessarily be about the end of the Apostasie Secondly Daniel tells us He shall be divers from the ten Kings that is the grand enemy of Kingly Majesty and authority he shall be divers from these first before him in his rising and in his ruling or else it may be read He shall be greater then the first that is in his Successes in his tyranny and absolute lawlesse power then any of the other Therefore he is said in Dan. 11. 36. to prosper in his blasphemy and illegality until the indignation be accomplished And Paul calls him the lawlesse one from hence Thirdly Daniel tels us he shall subdue three Kings this is dubiously interpreted if it mean three Kings in person that he shall pull to the ground my soul trembles to think of the State of the third only to be humbled for I like not that translation subdued because it implies a subjection of the three Kings Therefore I rather choose to read it with Montanus he shall humble or with Tremelius he shall depresse Alas dear son â—… he is now that sacred mark that this Antichrist prepares his arrows against â—… How is he on the Stage me thinks already falling as a prey into the monstrous jaws of this cruel beast who cunningly hath set nâ—…s to catch his royal feet in nets which are not yet discerned but will shortly manifestly appear 't is to be feared to hisâ—… overthrow But I trust God hath chain'd Antichrist in a shorter chain By three Kings may be meant three Kingdomes and then ô ye Witnesses of the Lord that beare the royal Ensigne of the Lion of the Tribe of Iudah the Lord Jesus the mighty Monarch of the World against Antichrist in the midst of this your bloudy combate look up with boldnesse and courage and lift up your eyes for your redemption draweth nigh stand fast quit your selves like men receive not the mark of the beast noâ—… his name nor the number of his name behold the Lord is at hand whose glorious comming shall be to the sudden and final ruine of Antichrist Fourthly this Antichrist saith Daniel shall speak great words against the most High and weare out the Saints of the most High by which 't is evident that Antichrist tyrannizeth in those 3 Kingdomes where the Saints of the most High have possession and which those are I leave the Reader to judge From these observations of Daniel I draw this conclusion That the sin of the Antichrist which is one individual person is the humbling of three Kings and usurping a lawless arbitrary tyrannical power over the Saints of God in going about to ruine them as Montanus reads it in destroying the fundamentals of Government in Church and State and blaspheming against the Statutes of God and his Ordinances and promoting and upholding desperate blasphemers against the Lord therefore Revel 17. 3. he is full of names of blasphemie And thus you have the man and the sin that Paul mentions described in Daniel which I verily believe upon good grounds is a true exposition of Pauls words Bruno Carthusâ—…anus conceives that he is called the man of Sin in opposition to Christ because as Christ is that man of all righteousness so is Antichrist here the man of all unrighteousness in this he brooks his name Aretius on this place seems to me to write his History he tells us that he is called the man of sin because he is the protector and patron of gross sins he tolerates idolatry and rebellion he invades Kingdomes and under pretence of setting up piety and promoting Saintship he takes possession of the throne none so great a Saint as he if you will believe his words or the flattering titles of his followers who adorn him with goodly titles but when he shall begin to appear publickly i. e. be revealed as the Apostle saith he shall have no other ornaments to put on but what the Apostles allow him viz. the man of sin the son of perdition He is saith Gorran therefore called the man of sin because he is the whole servant of sin he doth as it were homage to sin He lays his ground-work in sin and all his superstructures are by sin his tongue and his hands and his heart are eminently sinful he leads into sin all that follow him and punisheth the Saints for not sinning Divers of the Fathers conceive that he is called the man of sin Quia ipse plurimùm peccabit alios ad peccandum coget Because he is a notorious sinner himself and constrains others to sin in the same abominable villanies with him Thus you have the multivarious expressions rather then opinions of the sin wherefore Antichrist is called the man of sin But before we proceed we must say something of
the man because there lies the great difference betwixt the Protestants and the Papists and betwixt Protestants and Protestants It is the opinion of all that this man of sin is the Antichrist but what this Antichrist is is that which is much controverted Very many of the Protestants do hold that Antichrist is not one single person but a certain Politie or Kingdom wherein there is a succession of persons governing Brightman saith the Antichrist must be understood of a wicked Kingdom Calvin saith that the Antichrist is the head of the Apostasie Ergo no one single man but we deny his Antecedent for it will never be proved from History or Scripture that ever any one Government City or Polity was the Head of all the Churches that apostatized Neither doth the Scripture say any such thing of the Antichrist but the contrary as we shall shew hereafter We only give this as a true and full answer to his argument that there is not a word of Scripture in all the Bible to prove that the Antichrist is the head of the grand and general apostasie but for brevity sake wee 'll only give you Brightman's strange opinions of the Antichrist for him do the most Protestants follow I have briefly collected them thus 1 Antichrist saith he immediately after the ruine of the Roman Empire appeared in the Roman Throne and made that his seat 2 That Antichrist is a wicked Kingdome and no single person 3 That the time of his comming is past and not to come 4 That the Antichrist is to reign no where but in the City of Rome 5 That the Antichrist is the seventh head of the beast which reigns after the Emperours in Rome A man needs go no farther then his own arguments to fetch fire enough to turn into vapour and smoke each of these gross mistakes which have no Scripture for their bottom for the present this shall be all the confutation which is enough to that ingenuous Reader who peruseth him seriously that we shall give because we have work of more consequence to follow which will reach him fully The Protestants both Lutherans and Calvinists affirm that Paul speaks of the Antichrist in 2 Thes. 2. 4. which exalts himself above all that is called God and that he as god sits in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is god This say they is the Pope By the Temple of God they acknowledge as all men must that it is the Church of God Observe now how Bellarmine 〈◊〉 this with an argument ad hominem thus Arg. If the Pope of Româ—… sitting in the Church of Christ be Antichrist then the Calvinists the Lutherans as many as have forsaken the Church under the Pope are out of the true Church of Christ for the Church of Christ can be but only one as Christ is one But the Calvinists and the Lutherans do affirm the Pope to be Antichrist Ergo they have left the true Church If this text be meant of the Pope of Rome then do I not see how Bellarmines Argument can be answered This Argument of his is to this day not cleerly answered notwithstanding several answers I have read of Brightmans and B. Downams two learned Protestants This is an undeniable truth that the Antichrist shall arise in the midst of the purest Church in the world even when it remains pure therefore Dan. 7. 't is said He shall wear out the Saints and change their customes and lawes by which it appears it is the true Church in which he appears and that Church by their customes and lawes is a Nationall Church where should the two Witnesses be but in the true Church and where then should he arise that slayes them but in the true Church look not for Antichrist any where but in the midst of the true Church and at that time and not before when the Witnesses have finished their testimony in that place at that time look for the Antichrist But that time is not immediately after the overthrow of the Roman Pagan Emperours nâ—…r â—… the City of Rome as is evident from Revel 12. let not the Reader think I plead any thing for the Pope or the Church of Rome because I do confidently â—…ffirm that the Popedome is not the Antichrist nor Rome the seat of Antichrist as learned B. Downam would make it lib. 10. de Antichristo cap. 3 4. I do fully agree with him that Rome is mystical Babylon and the Popedome the whore of Babylon but all this makes not the Popedome the Antichrist nor mysticall Babylon the seat of the Antichrist which slayes the Witnesses as he would have it lib. 1. cap. 6. it makes the Popedome the beast with seven heads and ten horns Revel 13. 1. but not the beast of the earth Vers 12. nor the beast of the bottomless pit Revel 11. 7. which is the Antichrist Paul here describes We will not do the Church of Rome that honour to make it the Church where Antichrist usurps and tyrannizeth for that Church where Antichrist is revealed is the purest Church 't is the true Church that hath good lawes and customes else Antichrist would not think to change them we say and can prove it that the Church of Rome is an apostate degenerate Church full of all manner of abominations and filthinesse the mother of Harlots all this the Scripture saith of it and much more And we do affirm this of the Pope and Popedome that the Pope is that Star of the Roman Church fallen from heaven to earth i. e. as eminent an Apostate Church-man as ever can be in the World and by his hellish bottomlesse pitpolicie is got to be the beast of the Sea with seven heads and ten horns full of Blasphemie We will grant him the greatnesse of being that monstrous head of the Western Apostasie and this the Scripture saith of him but to affirm that the Pope or Popedome is the Antichrist that shall arise when the Witnesses have finished their testimony and shall slay the Witnesses or the little horn in Daniel rising after the ten horns or the man of sin sitting in the Temple of God then to be revealed when that which did let is removed all the learned men in the world shall never make me believe and therefore let not the Papists think their Champion hath wonne the day of the Protestants because he grounds an argument upon their mistakes no for we deny that the Pope is the Antichrist that slayes the Witnesses and yet we do affirm that the Popedome of Rome and those that have possessed that usurped charge make the beast with seven heads and ten horns which drove the Witnesses into sack-cloth and into the wildernesse they drove the woman the true Church into the wilderness into her place and what place is that but where the Witnesses finish their testimony and are slain by the Antichrist who reigns onely so long as the Witnesses lie dead which is but three
be on a fire and colder comfort for the twelve Tribes who are like to lie in the dungeon of darknesse impenitencie and unbelief untill the day of Judgement come upon them and damn them they by this opinion shall never see Christ till he come to damn them their consciences shall be fast asleep untill hell-fire awake them their faith in Christ shall be no other then that of the devils to believe and be damned Thus making void both the gracious purposes and promises of God towards them both in the Old and New Testament It is really so for it is a generall received truth amongst the learned Expositors that the Jews generall conversion to the Gospel shall not be untill Antichrist be destroyed and it is a clear truth in Scripture But if Antichrist be not destroyed untill the day of Judgement farewell the Jewes conversion and salvation for ever Some of the learned who hold this opinion and fearing as justly they may this undeniable argument grounded on so many known prophetick promises have allowed the Jews or rather the prophetick promises about seven weeks time to accomplish their great work they say betwixt the destruction of Antichrist and the day of Judgment there shall be the space of five and fourty dayes which is the time alotted for the Jews to repent in and believe and imbrace the Gospel Here 's a little charity but blessed Jews that Gods charity is not measured to you by the Papists scant yard Miserable comforters are they which bring you here the best news from this groundlesse opinion which we shall answer two wayes The first by way of supposition Secondly Plainly and positively both to the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I Suppose it should be granted that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did alwayes signifie Christs personall presence yet is their Argument never the lesse questionable as falsly grounded for we say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here belongs not to Christ but to Antichrist for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in probabiltie relates to the Antichrist for it is usuall say the learned in that language to have the relative refer not to the proximate but to the remote antecedent after the manner of the Hebrews which we finde frequent in Scriptures so that the meaning of the text possibly is this God will destroy Antichrist when he shall appear in his outward splendor and pompe to the World when he is at the full God shall by a sudden change bring him into the wane untill he have utterly consumed in a day when he thinks not of Christ and an hour when he is not aware of him he will come upon him and cast him alive into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone The next words seem to confirme this opinion especially as the Syriack Interpreter reads them Adventus enim illius est c. where enim seems to be put causally So that the sense seems to be this the Lord shall destroy him in the brightnesse of his comming because his comming is according to the working of Satan if this be a true Exposition as for ought I know it is then are their arguments which are grounded on this Text quite overthrown But we will not adhere to this opinion therefore answer positively to the word that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies not alwayes the personall appearing of Christ it is not denied but that the word properly signifies presence essential presence oft-times signifies the coming of Christ to Judgment but not always See what our noble English Greek Critick saith he allowes it a saepè but not a semper it is oftentimes put for the personall appearance of Christ but not alwayes so saith Grotius upon this Text and so say some other learned Protestants Calvin bends this way putting an incertum est upon the generall received opinion of Christs comming to Judgement here Besides all this we have many clear Texts which prove that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not always signifie Christs personal appearance as 2 Pet. 1. 16. we made known unto you the power coming of our Lord Jesus that is his powerful coming by his Spirit in the ministery of the Gospel to convert souls to God Such a phrase Christ himselfe useth of himself in this sense Matth. 16. 28. There be some here which shall not taste of death untill they see the Son of man come in his Kingdome that is sending the Holy Ghost to propagate the Gospel by signes and miracles so say the last Annotations on the Bible or else say those Notes Christs comming in power by execution of Judgments upon the Jewes to the utter overthrow of that Nation Matth. 24. 3 30. this Text is rightly quoted but I conceive not rightly expounded had the Exposition been quite contrary it had been more consonant to the Disciples question and Christs answer to it for Christs comming Matth 24 is to save the Jews to restore them both to be a Church and State again The question that here the Disciples ask is the same that they ask of Christ after his passion Acts 1. 6. Wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdome to Israel to which question as to the matter of it Christ gives no negative but rather an affirmative answer as much as to say that time is to be but 't is in the fathers hands this is laid up in store with God and sealed amongst his treasures Deut. 32. 34. 't is the great mystery which was not for them to know This appearing of God to build up Sion Psal. 10â—… 16 17 18. that is to restore the twelve Tribes it is written for the Generations to come 't is a mystery to be unlocked to the latter ages of the World About this Kingdome the Pharisees discourse with Christ Luke 17. 20. demanding of him when it should be it seems they had faith enough to believe that there would be some glorious restauration of the Kingdome to Israel and this Christ doth not deny but shews to the end of that Chapter the signes fore-going the comming of this Kingdome the restoring of which in the next Chapter Luke 18. 8. Christ calls the comming of the Son of man and in Matth. 24. 30. the coming of Christ in the clouds and Revel 1. 7. which must necessarily be meant of the Jews wailing with penitentiall convictions and fiducial imbracings of Christ for were it meant of the damned Jews howles at the day of Judgment Iohn would never conclude it with an Even so Amen With this Text compare diligently Matth. 24. 30. and Luke 21. 27 28. and it will manifestly appear that the comming of Christ in clouds is his powerfull and glorious comming by the power of the Holy Ghost in the efficacious working of the Gospel to convert the Jews working in them godly sorrow and faith which present time is that which Luke saith is the time of the Jews redemption drawing nigh not of their finall damnation In this sense Matth. 23.
their word of prophecie Therefore when Christ was cried up of the people for a Prophet the Pharisees come and require a signe from beaven Matth. 16. 1. that was to confirm his extraordinary mission and the new doctrines that he taught As Christ by signes and miracles confirmed his Anointing as only Head Priest and Prophet as man and so anointed above his fellows above all that ever were he was Davids Lord the King of Kings Priest of Priests and Prophet of Prophets as he I say confirms his unction and his new government by signes and miracles So the Antichrist when he comes he shall come in the spirit or energy of the Devil and with lying signes and wonders endeavour to confirm his usurpation by pretending to an extraordinary mission he goes to prove his title to what he usurps by the false signe of providence of Saintship of immediate revelations and such like wayes This observe as a general truth that that man or Church or State since the establishing of the Gospel-Church upon the Bible that have no better title then the present signes and miracles they bring with them to uphold it do build upon an Antichristian foundation For you may be sure their title is not good by the law of Christ in his sacred records who flie from that to feigned signes and miracles of their own I cannot say particularly what these signes are but sure I am from the text they are deceitful signes and prodigious signes What prodigies and signes Europe yea the World hath had these four yeers past I leave the judicious of the World to judge I pass on to the Scriptures that are cogent with the text I Revel 13. 13. there the Antichrist doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make great signes and upon what designes but to cheat the men of the earth to a subjection to his new government as you may see in the afterwords of that Chapter Another parallel text we have in Matth. 24 24. where the Antichrist is set forth by his followers those that comply with him and promote him by dividing and corrupting and over-toping the true Church by those factions of Apostates which they draw out of the Church against it They are caâ—…led false Christs and false Prophets who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though this be not spoken of the person of Antichrist yet 't is spoken of the followers of Antichrist who appear in the Church with the Antichrist and are the instruments of broaching those false signes which in the other texts are attributed to the Antichrist he being the head and patronizer of them for it is not to be imagined that â—…e alone doth these signes but he hath fit instruments designed by him for the work The Frogs out of the Dragons mouth the three unclean spirits help him I am loath to enter upon Revel 16. it being a Chapter so full of unrevealed revelations there being much more difficulty in it then commonly Expositors conceive yet if I did affirm that Revel 16. 16. ran parallel with Pauls prophecie in the description of Antichrists ruine verse 8. whereby the breath of Gods mouth as in Revel 19. 15. and the brightness of his coming as verse 12 16. manifesteth he is destroyed with his fellows verse 20. that is brought to Armageddon Revel 16. 16. I think I could easily prove it and upon better grounds then as yet I see by former Authours of other opinions refuted but I must return to a harder task and that is to prove that Matth. 24. 24. is a prophecie of the Antichrist and his followers For proof hereof we must borrow the method of him who wrote the last Annotations upon this Chapter Here are saith he three questions propounded 1 Of the ruine of the Temple and of Ierusalem 2 Of Christs comming to restore the Jews 3 Of his comming to judge the World As for that end spoken of v. 14. it is not meant the end of the World but the end of the Jewish Church and State-government the Temple and the Throne should be ruined Now to these three questions Christ distinctly answers denying none as false nor reproving them as needlesse To the first question you have an answer which extends to v. 22. To the second question viz. when Christ shall come to convert the Jews and restore the Kingdome to Iudah that is unite the twelve Tribes again in one Religion under one King as it was under David and Solomon The Disciples were questionlesse right in the question for otherwise Christ would have shewed them their errour and mistake but that Christ doth not neither in this Chapter nor in Act. 1. 6. where they ask this question Wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdome to Israel i. e. unite Iudah and Ephraim the two sticks in Gods hand They had this opinion not onely by tradition from their fathers but they had it from their prophecies the written received Word from Moses and all the Prophets See what answer Christ makes to them It is not for you to know the times and the seasons that the Father hath put into his hands but ye shall receive power the Spirit of Revelation after his ascension should reveal this to them as it was to the beloved Disciple Iohn and to all them who by the Spirit afterwards understood Christs prophecies in Matth. 24. and Luke 21. So that Christ positively affirmes that such a restauration of the Kingdome to Israel there should be and they should have in due time a more full discovery of that truth in the mean time 't was reserved in the Fathers hands He that wrencheth the scope of Christs words to a contrary sense in my judgement offers exceeding much violence to the Text. Likewise in Luke 17. 20. when the Pharisees that grounded this question of the comming of the Kingdome of God upon the Old Testament-prophecies which are clear in the thing Christ denies not the question but answers to it in Moses words from whence they raised the question So that it is manifest the Disciples were found in the question about Christs comming to call home the twelve Tribes to which he answers from v. 23. to v. 35. where he gives the Symptomes immediately going before his comming and that is â—… Antichrist and his followers should be busie where in the Church about what about dividing Christ making factions in the Church saying Here is Christ and there is Christ behold he is in the desert behold he is in the secret chamber thus Antichrists followers by factions raised in the Church and by their false signes and false wonders in successes providences pretences of sanctity and such like falsities shall prevail so exceedingly that generally all loose professours shall be drawn to a defection or a cursed neutrality or to a malicious apostasie from the Church yea they shall stagger many of the elect and were it possible make them also finally to fall into the same delusions impenitencie and irrecoverable apostasie Now v. 27. comes
witnesses on their feet and makes their lively merry enemies tremble with feare The great voice ver 1â—… which calls the witnesses to the Throne cast the enemies from the Throne for the same houre that the witnesses ascend to Heaven in the Throne the same houre there was a great State-Commotion for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be translated which caused this double effect first it restored the tenth part of the City to the witnesses for by the fall of the tenth part is meant the falling away of that Kingdome or the domimon of the Beast of the bottomlesse pit to the witnesses who were ver 7. by the Warres and Conquests of that Beast cast out of that Throne and seate of Athority Secondly this great Earth-quake or Commotion slew 7000. heads of men so Beza renders it it is probably meant the ring-leaders of those that slew the witnesses these by a great Commotion shall be slaine by some grand division or intestine Warre amongst themselves Such a schism Ezekiel Prophesies Cap. 38. 11 12. which is to be about the same time of the seventh trumpet Let not then the hearts of those that keep their garments clean walk with the Lamb be afraid but let them when they see these things begin to come to passe Luk. 21. 28. look up and lift up their heads for their redemption draweth nigh T is not in the power of Armes or Navies to raise the witnesses neither must they doe it but t is the spirit of life from God Zach. 4. 6 7. a cogent text to our purpose Not by Might or Army nor by Power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts There is a time when the witnesses strength is to sit still God will make that Mountain that stands in the way of his Zerubbabel to become a plain and he shall bring forth the head-stone with shoutings Grace Grace unto it The hands of that Zerubbabel that laid the foundation of a Church and State reformation his hands shall also finish it T is a Prophetick promise extending it selfe to these last times But to our purpose whether we call it a great battle or a great Earth-quake we affirme and prove it that it is distinct from that great battle or Earth-quake Revel 16. and Revel 19. and Revel 14. 16. for this in Revel 11. is under the second woe-trumpet those in Revel 14. 16. and 16. 16. and 19. 19. are under the third woe-trumpet as appears by Revel 11. 1â—… compared with Rev. 14. 15. and Chap. 16. 18. all which prove that the Earth-quake voices and thunders are not untill the temple be opened in Heaven and the Angell came out from thence crying with a loud voice the loud voices of the seventh trumpet are made by the Angells coming out of the Temple but the Temple is not open untill the seventh Trumpet sound Revel 11. 15. 19. therefore these voices thunders and the great Earth-quake are under the seventh Trumpet Againe that Earth-quake Revelations 11. under the second woe only throws downe the tenth part of the City and slayes 7000. heads of men but that Revelations 16. and 19. 19. slayes the three grand enemies of the Devill the Beast and the false Prophet and that great Earth-quake rends the City in three parts what in particular it meanes I know not but in generall it signifies the utter ruine of it Observe this from Revel 〈◊〉 that when the witnesses rise and the tenth part of the City falls and the 7000. names of men are slaine we reade not a word of the slaying of the Beast of the bottomlesse pit No though his followers be destroyed yet he escapes he is not destroyed untill the great battle under the seventh trumpet which Revel 〈◊〉 â—…4 comes quickly and sodainly after the second is past This Beast of the bottomlesse pâ—…t is the Antichrist who is so called Revel 17. 8. and he goes into perdition therefore Paul calls him the Son of perdition in Dan. 7. 8. 24 25. he is called a little horne divers from any of the Princes or Monarchs under the Roman Empire the signes whereby to know him are he plucks up three Hornes or Kingdomes by the roote that 's expounded in ver 24. he subdues three Kings and ver 25. tells us what Kings they are Kings that defend the sacred attributes of God for in their ruine comes up a tolleration of Blasphemy it is in the text laid to his personall charge because he is the great supporter of Blasphemers Secondly they are three Kings that protected the Saints of God for in their subversion the Saints are worn out when Blasphemy is tollerated the Saints must not thinke to thrive Thirdly they are three Kingdomes which had good Lawes and Customes else Antichrist would not change them This little horne saith Hierome Theodoretus Aquinas and severall others both of the Greek and Latine Fathers is the Antichrist and considering the forecited Symptomes in the text with what immediately followes I cannot see how we can conjecture him to be any body else especially when these texts agree so fully with Rev. 11. 7. but that which cleares it most of all is ver 26 27. which compared with Revel 11. 15. evidence it clearly that this little horne is the Antichrist and that this Antichrist is to be slaine at the sounding of the seventh Trumpet And upon this very ground I conceive you have a fuller description of this little horne Dan. 11. 36 37 38. 45. whom the Fathers call the Antichrist for when he shall proceed so far against the Church as to pitch his Tents in the Mountaine of holinesse and for all that shall surely come to his end at that time Dan. 12. 1. Michael i. e. Christ shall stand up and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a Nation t is the same with Revel 18. 16. Daniel calls it a time of trouble Iohn calls it a great Commotion the Evangelists allude to this of Daniel when they speake of Christs comming in the clouds with glory and great power which is at the seventh Trumpet The Holy Ghost that we might know Antichrist when he comes hath both in Daniel and the Revelations given full and ample descriptions of him Revel 11. 7. is parallell with Dan. 7. 24. and Revel 13. 11 12 13 14 15. is parallell with Dan. 11 36 37 38. in the former you have the description of that sinne that makes him formally the Antichrist which is the slaying of the witnesses in the latter you have the plat-forme or Modell of his government which he sets up after he hath slaine the witnesses from both you have him a third time twice againe mentioned whereby you may assuredly know him in Revel 17. 8. respecting Revel 11. 7. and in Revel 19. 20. where he is called the false Prophet in relation to his cheating signes and false wonders Rev. 13. 14. and also to his government wherein he pretends to imitate Moses the
the end of the Chapter Rev. 14. 14. to the end of the Chapter Rev. 15 16 17. all for the most part a preparatory vision of the seventh Trumpet The 15. Chapter tells us who shall execute the wrath of the seventh Trumpet and whence they come The 16. Chapter sheweth the manner and matter of the seventh Trumpet The 17. Chapter sheweth the two grand Enemies of the Church on whom the wrath and woe of the seventh Trumpet falls These are the great Whore ver 1. and the Beast of the bottomless pit ver 8. that carries her ver 7. From hence t is clear that the Beast of the bottomless pit and the Pope are distinct persons for if by Whore of Babilon be meant the Pope as the most learned Protestants truly affirm then the Beast of the bottomless pit which beareth the Pope cannot be Pope himself My inference hence is this Ergo The Pope is not the Antichrist for he that slayes the Witnesses is the Antichrist but the Beast of the bottomless pit slayes the Witnesses Ergo the Pope is not the Antichrist being distinct from the Beast of the bottomless pit I do not disprove that the Pope is not an Antichrist but not the Antichrist whose reign over the slain Witnesses is to continue but three dayes and the half of three dayes at the utmost as there are many Witnesses and have been in all ages yet they are quite distinct from the two Witnesses so there have been and are many Antichrists which notwithstanding are distinct from that Antichrist the Fathers and the after Churches have from Iohn to Paul desciphered In the end of the Chapter we have a vision of the Instruments of inflicting the wrath of the seventh Trumpet which are called ten horns who v. 17. gave 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Kingdome t is not Kingdomes but Kingdome by which it appears that it is that Poliarchy or supream authority in those dominions under one supream head where Antichrist slew the Witnesses that shall destroy Rome that government or that policy which through their oversight put all their power into the Antichrists hands these when the Witnesses rise shall also arise indeed their rising from under the Antichrists Tyranny is a great part of the Witnesses rising though these are profound Texts I touch upon yet my doubts are not greater then my hopes of great things and glorious for the Church of England Ireland and Scotland's good from them and that speedily In Revelations 18. is the Vision of the effect of the seventh Trumpet upon the great Babilon that is Rome say many Papists and all the Protestants And ver 9. The great lamentation of the Kings of the Earth for her ruin these Kings which committed Fornication with her i. e. were of the same Popish Idolatrous Religion with Rome the Romish Catholique Princes Observe here not the Popish Kings of Europe eat the Whores flesh and burn her with fire for they weep and wail for her I am very prone to believe that the ten horns which destroy Antichrist are those Peers or Princes who in those dominions where the Witnesses are slain arise from under the Tyranny of Antichrist after the great Commotion Revelations 11. 12 13. and Revelations 17. 16. shall destroy Rome for I beseech thee Reader observe the ten horns that Antichrist gets on his head Revelations 17. 12. they are not ten Kingdomes nor no where so called but ten Kings i. e. a certain company assuming Kingly power would that were all but have no Kingdome but receive power as Kings one hour with the Beast who set them up in the slaying of the Witnesses These usurpers are overcome in a battell with the Lamb ver 14. and after that ver 16. that lawfull power which Antichrist threw down yet pretended to set up purify and establish therefore called the ten hones on the Beast shall arise and destroy the Whore 'T is clear that both the ten horns here mentioned are those that are within the power and dominon of the Antichrist he getting power from the ten horns ver 17. to invest those other ten horns ver 12. of his faction with power to make war with the Lamb sure I am this is a clearer exposition of these Texts then that which makes the ten horns ten Kings of Europe who being Papists shall turn they say from the Pope and destroy him I wish it may be so but I can find no ground for it in Scripture In the next Chapter the quite contrary is most true In chap. 19. and chap. 20. we have the white side of this Trumpet the rejoicing of the Church for Gods glorious deliverance of it and after the finall overthrow of the three grand enemies which is parallel with Rev. 14 4. 20. the Church hath a large respite of rest from all its both secret and open enemies from Gog and Magog and the Witnesses are firmly seated in the Throne and the 12. Tribes restored to their own land Thus have I as I could endeavoured to remove all Objections to clear those Doubts and Obscurities which I find obnoxious to the mind in finding out truth or embracing that which from the written Word is laid before it There are two other Questions arise from this Discourse the one is 1. Whether the Antichrist in person shall be at the great battell at Armagedon and whether Turks and Papists shall joyn together to resist the Jews Restoration and the true Christian Reformation the Antichrist being a chief leader in this battell against them 2. Whether Rev. 21. and 22. be meant of the state of the reformed Church under the seventh Trumpet or it be a resemblance of that state of bliss which the Saints are made partakers of in the life to come To this last much may be said against what is confidently by some asserted but I wave it lest I be accounted both bold and tedious both which I disaffect in others and hate in my self Whether this Reverend Person whose Paper hath drawn all this from me will take it well or ill I know not but with humble thanks I do acknowledge his favour as the first that ever I received of this kind in shewing and correcting of my Errours for which I shall ever subscribe my self his Disciple humbly submitting whatsoever I have writ to his and such like learned prophetick Text-mens Censures FINIS 2 Pet. 1. 12. 2 Sam. 4. 7 8. As the bead of the gâ—…and Apostasie arose out of the purest Church Rome so the Antichrist ariseth out of the purest Churches at that time when they goe about to shake off the Apostasie for it is at that time when the Witnesses have finished their testimonie 1. Tim. 4. 12 Greg. Mor. 4. cap. 40. Hormisd Excommunic of Anastasius the Emperor Aâ—…n 510. Herein the Antichrist the son resembles the Pope his Father 1 Tim. 4. 1 2 3 In fascicul rerum expetendarum Fruâ—…tur sanè i stâ Dei singulari beneficentiâ quae utiuam illi