as leave the Reformed Communion to joyn themselves to the Church of Rome For how can they excuse themselves from treachery against the Kingdome of Christ by thus listing themselves amongst the slaves of Antichrist But it is no pleasure to me to insist on so Tragical a subject Seventhly and lastly There is this use also of our demonstration that the late Blessed Reformation is the fulfilling of the Prophecy of the Rising of the Witnesses in that it may free men from falsly conceived fears and hopes of the Witnesses being to be slain and their bodies to lye three years and an half dead and then presently to rise again and then that there will insue such glorious times as none can easily pre-conceive Which is founded upon as little ground or reason as that conceit of 6 was of being the year of the ruine of Rome a thing which I always declared against as having no ground on any Prophecy in Scripture But that London was burnt that year all know And whether this conceit was not furthered by some in order thereto to put a dodge upon the Protestants to weaken their Faith and to make the pretending to understand Prophecies in prejudice to the Popedome ridiculous let those that understand the Intrigues of the burning of the City better than I declare their opinion In the mean time since all may rest satisfied that the Rising of the Witnesses is past and consequently their being slain and lying dead three days and an half in the street of the great City that is called Sodom and Aegypt let every one discharge himself of that Panick fear as if it were a thing yet to come and of that Romantick hope if it were to be done that they would rise again within three years and an half that so they forsooth may wisely step aside under some convenient shelter till the fatal storm be blown over but let all that have any faith in or kindness for the Reformmed Religion with joynt Effort resist five rushing in of Popery by sincere repentance and hearty prayer to God that it may never re-enter this Nation again nor any Nation else that has been gained out of the hands of Antichrist and let us bewaile our unworthiness and unthankfulness to God that we have not sufficiently esteemed nor valued this wonderfull work of his that he has brought things to that pass he has in the late Blessed Reformation and be morigerous to the Magistrate as well Spiritual as Civil in all things indifferent and heartily love one another of whatever different persuasion we may be that has no Impiety nor Immorality in it and then God will love us all and be our mighty Deliverer and Protectour But if ye bite one another saith the Apostle take heed ye be not consumed one of another But of this I may have further occasion to speak in the giving my reasons why I added the third part of my appendage viz. My twenty Arguments for the proving the Vision of the seven Churches to be a Prophecy of the State of the Church from the beginning thereof to the end of the world For I think it of very good use and moment that we be assured of this truth for these two main reasons especially First that it appearing so plainly That the Church of Sardis stands for the Reformed Churches as they are called we may look our selves in that glass and see our spots and blemishes therein to amend them For that we are signified by that Church even they do acknowledg who otherwise differ something from me in the determining the Seven Intervals of these Churches but have declared as I find long before me that this Vision of the Seven Churches is a Prophecy of the State of the Church to the end of the World while they expresly deliver that the Sardian Period as they call it is the Period of the Reformed Churches commencing from Luther and Melancthon's time c. Thus Balthasar Willius a sober and learned German Doctor in his Commentary on the Prophet Zachary and indeed he is so well assured of the truth of the Vision of the Seven Churches being a Prophecy of the Church from the beginning thereof to the end of the world that he makes it the Basis of a special part of his Commentary borrowing his first light from his Master Ludovicus Crocius whom he calls clarissimum suo seculo Theologiae Astrum gives his suffrage touching the fifth Period of the Church in these words Quinta Periodus saith he est Sardensis à Reformatione coeptâ per Lutherum Melancthonem Zwinglium aliósque veritatis Doctores in hunc usque diem durans in qua puritas doctrinae Apostolicae morte operum proh dolor dedecoratur ii quibus lux Evangelii fulget limpidissima contentionibus odiis ac discordiâ colliduntur somno vitiorum ac luxuriae sepulti jacent Which is a free perstriction of the disorders observable in the Reformed Churches how they hold the truth of God in unrighteousness and I wish it were not as true as free But there be a few names God be thanked even in this Sardis which have not defiled their garments of whom Christ foretells that they shall walk with him in white for they are worthy But the rest may read their defects or corruptions in the Epistle itself Where Christ tells the Sardian Church that is the Reformed Churches that they have a name that they live because they have zeal and heat which seems to be a symptome of life but it is not for the true indispensable Christian life but for or against this opinion or that ceremony whenas they are cold at the heart to what is the onely life of a Christian Humility Purity and Charity To which they are either dead or in a profound sopor Whence Christ says to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as St. Paul in the behalf of Christ in another place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Awake out of this deep sleep or lethargy and keep they self awake and strengthen the things that are ready to dye that is Faith in God and Christ and of a life to come For it is horrid to consider how far Atheism Vnbelief and Epicurisme has spread itself even amongst the Reformed Churches themselves these monsters having grown upon us as our zeal has relaxated against the Church of Rome For to such all Religions are alike if the worst be not the most eligible with them especially of the Clergy it serving best for the pride power and profit of a corrupt Priesthood But Christ bids them remember how they have received and heard from the ancient Prophets and Apostles and from the late Witnesses to the truth as by whom they were expresly informed that the Pope of Rome was the great Antichrist and his Church a Synagogue of Idolaters That the Popedome is Antichrists Kingdome and consequently for one to forsake the Reformed Religion and betake himself to the Church of Rome is
to see a person of so considerable Parts and Learning to fall into such a delirancy But what we here adventure on is sober enough viz. the supposing that the Babylonian Empire even from its beginning is here represented by the First Beast there being the like liberty taken in the Apocalypse And this being supposed the Exposition will run smoothly and unexceptionably 1. In the first year of Belshazzar the Son of Evil-Merodac who was the Son of Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon namely the last King of Babylon who was slain by the Medes and Persians the City Babylon being taken by Cyrus in the Eighteenth year of Belshazzar's Reign according to Thomas Lydiat Daniel had a Dream and Uision of his head upon his bed He had a Divine Vision communicated to him in his sleep For Prophetical Visions are communicated to the Prophets either way either sleeping or waking and they are either way truly Divine Then he wrote the Dream and told the sum of the matters that is to say He declared the sum of the matters in writing 2. Daniel Spake and said viz. he declared thus touching himself I saw says he in my Vision by night and behold the four â—…inds of the heaven strove upon the great Sea By the great-Sea in the Prophetick language is understood vast multitudes of People that overspread the face of the Earth as the Waters of the Sea doe By the Winds is understood that invisible Principle of motion from whence comes that â—…icissitude of mutations amongst the Nations of the Earth who are driven this way and that way according as the active part whatever it is that answers here to the Winds doth move them Whether they be Angelical Powers which superintend the affairs of Nations or what-ever else And it is said in the Psalms Who maketh his Angels Spirits his Ministers a flaming Fire On which Grotius learnedly and ingeniously glosses thus Psal. 104. 4. Sunt Angelorum alii Aerei alii Ignei and a little after Esse Angelis corpora sed subtilissima non Pythagorae tantùm Platonis Schola sensit sed Iudaei veteres veteres Christiani The activity therefore of the Aerial Genii or Angels may be understood by these Winds or the Commotions they bring in by Divine Providence in the Production of new Empires and demolition of the old From the subtility of their bodies but it may be chiefly from their activity in the Innovations and Commutations of the affairs of mankind in pulling down and building up Kingdoms and Empires these Angelical orders are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 venti And there is a quadripartition of them Zach. 6. a distribution of them into Four Chariots with various coloured Horses Where to the Prophet asking what are these my Lord it is answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isti sunt quatuor venti Coeli where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the very same word that is in Psal. 104. 4. These are the Four Winds of Heaven The Quaternio of the Angelical Ministers of Divine Providence Something like that Apoc. 7. where there is mention of the Four Angels at the Four Corners of the Earth holding the Four Winds of the Earth that they should not blow on the Earth nor on the Sea And that the great things in the vicissitude of Kingdoms and Empires are done by the Angels is an Hypothesis that both Daniel and the Apocalypse plainly supposes the latter indeed inculcates to awaken this dull Sadducean Age. This I don't doubt but is one sense of this passage in Daniel but if any one think it too sublime and remote from the vulgar capacity he may substitute for these Angelical Powers here denoted by the Winds the ambitious and unquiet minds of great Princes and Politicians and their Officers and those blusters they make in the World by their impetuous activity to begin or increase their Dominion and to inlarge it into a more absolute Empire But the more sober may take in both Senses according to the Genius of the Prophetick style that by the same Symbol exhibits frequently more things than one at once But that these Winds are said to be Four it may be partly in allusion to the Four Quarters of the World partly to the mystical meaning of the number Four in setting out the Angelical Kingdom or Ministry and partly to the Four Beasts that were to arise in succession one after another out of the Sea by the striving thereon not all together but one after another For expressing the thing so as if they all coâ—â—â—cted one with another at the same time is but for the embellishing the Cortex of the Vision of which no more is to be taken in than is agreeable to History and Reason But this in the mean time is very remarkable that being the very Priâ—…ordia here of them all is premised is necessarily follows that the Visâ—…ion reaches the very beginning of each Empire the Babylonian as well as the rest or because it reaches the very beginning of the first of these Empires that that Empire must be the Babylonian as we shall see in the procedure 3. And four great Beasts came up from the Sea Which as I said shews that the Vision reaches the very rise or first beginning of each of them But here we are again to Note that though all Four are here mentioned together yet the rising out of the Sea was one after another But their coming thus out of the Sea together strikes the phancy more strong which is the peculiar scope of the Cortex of the Prophecies both here and in the Apocalypse Diversone from another viz. in shape and condition But in the mean time they are all Beasts The Septuagint render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wild Beasts And Grotius upon the place Ideo Bestiae saith he quia Idololatrica erant Imperia ut not at hic Jacchiades Their Idolatry indeed shews their brutishness being accustomed to no higher a dispensation of Religion than adoration of visible Objects as the Elephant is said to worship the Moon But cruelty is another ingredient to make them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wild Beasts such salvage Cruelty and gross and stupid Idolatry being exquisitely opposite to the Kingdom of the Son of Man who came to erect the Empire of Love and Charity and of pure Religion the worshipping the Father in Spirit and in truth 4. The First was like a Lion a Beast of a fulvid or Golden colour as the Poets describe him and the head of all Beasts which is the Babylonian Empire signified also by the Golden head of the Image or Statue The Prophet Ieremy likewise describes Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon by this Animal Ch. 4. 7. The Lion is come up from his thicket and the Destroyer of the Nations is on his way And had 〈…〉 which betoken the quickness of his dispatch in his expeditions and conquests And accordingly the same Prophet speaking of Nebuchadnezzar his coming against the Iews Ch. 4. 13. Behold
or above him by decreeing things contrary to the Laws of God as if he were supremum Numen in terris as his Flatterers call him for who can null or abrogate the Law of God but that God that made it or some God if there be any higher than he What Antiochus did to the Iews in commanding them point-blank to transgress the Laws of the God of Israel and in making them conform to the Idolatrous Laws of the Gentiles the Samaritans those false Brethren writing in the mean time to Antiochus in this style 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the glorious God King Antiochus the same does Antichrist in his forcing the true Servants of the living God and faithfull Members of Christ against the express Word of God to worship Idols of his own setting up and so to pollute the Church with Gentilism his Flatterers in the mean time crying out Dominus Deus noster Papa and that all is right that he commands and no man must disobey him as I have noted above These are great examples of boldness in the Antitype as well as the Type who yet was never so bold as to avow that a piece of Bread such certainly examined by the indubitable Test of Sense Scripture and Reason was either a Man or God and miserably to kill men if they would not yield to this bold obtrusion Now for the understanding dark Sentences as this passage in some sense respects Antiochus Epiphanes so it does Antichrist and is it may be more eminently fulfilled in the later than in the former The Hebrew word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chidah which most usually signifies a Parable or Riddle but it signifies also at large any hard question Such as the Queen of Sheba is said to propound to King Solomon the word Chidah is there used 2 Chron. 9. where she is said to commune with him of all that was in her heart and that Solomon told her all her questions c. Which two great persons surely spent not their time in Riddle me Riddle me what 's this as Children sometimes do but the Queen of Sheba put hard and weighty questions to him in points of State Religion and Philosophy And in the two former Antiochus might be pretty well versed and would not stick when the question was put whether the pure worship of the God of Israel such as himself had appointed was to be kept or the Rites of the Gentiles and their Idolatry to be brought in amongst the Iews to make all his people of one Religion and so the more to strengthen his Kingdom he would not stick I say to pronounce having an equal share of boldness as of wit that the pure worship of the God of Israel must stoop to the Reason of State And whether Antichrist has not horribly defiled the Ancient pure Christian Religion with gross Gentilism and Idolatry to support the wealth and greatness of his Antichristian Kingdom let all indifferent men judge These things are so plain and open that they are unknown to none but those that wilfully shut their eyes But besides this the Papal Hierarchy is a most notorious understander of hard questions in matters of Religion especially and of State so far forth as Religion or Holy Church is therein concerned as assuming to themselves the privilege of Infallibility So that the Pope with his Hierarchy at least is the infallible oracle of Christendom to solve hard questions Which makes me conceive that this passage and understanding dark Sentences and hard Questions was put in by the Spirit of Prophecy with a more peculiar respect to Antichrist himself than to Antiochus his Type And indeed that Church would make every Sentence in Scripture a Riddle or dark Sentence that the Pope may have the pretence of interpreting it who will be sure never to interpret it inconsistently to his own corrupt Interest 24. And his power shall be mighty but not by his own power The Power of Antiochus over the Iews was caused by some mistaken or ill-minded Iews themselves And as for Antichrist or the Head of the healed Beast or of the Beast that was and is not and yet is it is plain Apoc. 17. 13. that the Ten Kings give their power to him Thus plainly is his power mighty but not by his own power And he shall destroy wonderfully But whether Antiochus destroyed more Iews or Antichrist more Christians let any one that reads History compute and tell which of them is the more wonderfull destroyer For not only the bloud of Saints and Prophets but the bloud of all the slain upon Earth is laid to the charge of the Papal Hierarchy Apoc. 18. 24. And shall prosper and practise Antiochus against the Iews and Antichrist against the true Christians Apoc. 13. 7. And shall destroy the mighty and the holy people The mighty the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Azumim the Septuagint render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vatablus and the vulgar Latin Robustos It signifies those that were strong in Faith and stout and couragious in professing the truth whether in the times of Antiochus or Antichrist These may be those which the Apocalypse calls the Prophets and the holy people are those that are instructed by them which are called Saints Apoc. 18. 24. What a destroyer Antiochus was and how much greater a destroyer of these Antichrist has been all History rings of it What Antiochus was to the sincere Iews the same was Antichrist and much more to the sincere Apostolick Christians 25. And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand and he shall magnifie himself in his heart that is Applaud himself as all Politicians do when things succeed for his own great Policy that he has brought things to pass as they are This History testifies to be true as in Antiochus so much more in Antichrist or the Papal Hierarchy there never having been a more cunning Polity in the world as all Historians and Politicians are agreed Which perspicacity of theirs in Politicks is set out by the little Horn with eyes Chap. 7. amongst the Ten Horns as I have noted above on that Chapter And by peace shall he destroy many The Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in peace out of time of war he shall destroy many Multos pacificos innoxios occidet says à Lapide and Grotius understands it of the Iews persecuted for their Religion by Antiochus But what is this to the bloudy Massacres that Antichrist has made upon the peaceable and innocent Protestants and to the burning God knows how many beside with Fire and Fagot The examples are more fresh than that they need to be named He shall also stand up against the Prince of Princes The Hebrew has it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where Grotius says that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is attributed to the Chiefs of all the Families of the Priesthood Ezr. 8. 24. and Ch. 10. v. 5. Wherefore the chief Priests being called Princes