〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Augusta as Caesar himself was called Augustus nam Augustos Graeci 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocant for the Graecians call Augustus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Maresius but the Apostle understandeth as I said the ecclesiastical Governors of Gods Church whom we reverence and worship for their callings sake even as the same Apostle injoyneth the same Thessalonians to hold them worthy of double honor for their works sake that is for the administration of the sacred Mysteries the preaching of the Gospel and the deliverie of the blessed Sacraments with the powring forth of their prâ—yers to God for a blessing unto the people and other the like religious acts and office they do in the service of God and above whom notwithstanding their sacred function and all the holy offices they do to God in the behalf of the people the Antichrist will exalt himself and throw those reverend Bishops whom all other good Christians honour unto the ground And therefore That the Pope cannot be here understood to exalt himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supra numen as this cannot be applyed to the Popes exalting of himself above the Emperors and the Kings of the earth because he had shewed this before how the man of sin would exalt himself above them and it had been but a frivolous repetition and tautalogie which S. Paul never used so suddainly to express the same thing twice and the later expression that should be plainer to be obscurer than the former contrary to all rules of Rhetorick so can it neither be any wayes applyed to the Popes exalting of himself above the rest of the Bishops and ecclesiastical Governors of the Church because he is one of those persons and a special one too whom the people worship and reverence for his calling and Religion sake and therefore it were a Solicisme and a very improper speech to say it was such a transcendent sin for a man that is worshiped for his Religions sake to exalt himself above him that is worshipped for his Religion sake which seems to be none other than to say he will exalt himself above himself or above those that are no wayes his superiors but his equalls at the most and at the best as many other men do besides the Antichrist But the meaning of the Apostle is that this man of sin being but a subject will notwithstanding lift up himself above his King that is in the place of God over him and being but a secular lay-person he will for all that exalt himself above his spiritual Pastors whom he ought to worship and to honour as all good Christians do for their offices and calling and Religion sake this is the true meaning of the Apostles words And whether the long Parliament and their adherents have not been Adversaries Let the Reader judg whether this he not fulfilled in the long Paliament opposed and exalted themselves above the most reverend of all the Clergy whom the people honoured and reverenced for their Calling and Religion sake and not only above the dispensers of the holy things and sacred Orders and the chiefest of all that have or ought to have any Government in the Church but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above all the formes of Religion and religious worship in the Church of Christ let the indifferent and judicious Reader judg of it 3. 3. That the Antichrist will be an Usurper and an intruder into the office of the Church Governors as well as of the civil Magistrate The Apostle still goeth on to explain his former meaning and to shew further the impieties of the Antichrist and saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that he sits in the temple of God as God which words immediately following 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that thing or that person whom we worship for religion sake doth likewise confirm the former exposition of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie the Bishops and the dispensers of the holy things of the sacred Orders and of all the rest of the divine Mysteries because he exalteth himself above them to this end and for this very purpose that he as God may sit in the temple of God that is that he may be as well a Pope in the Church as a King in the Common-wealth the supream Governor and disposer of all things as well the Religious Worship of God as the civil Government of the people for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here which as Pasor truly saith cometh from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 habito to dwell must not be raken for the Jews Temple at Hierusalem as the Greek Scholiast testifieth which is the error of some Papists What 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifieth and of Grotius also because Caligula intended to set up his Statue in that Temple under the name of Jupiter optimus maximus which notwithstanding was not done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but it must be understood of the Church of God where God dwelleth and in the same sence as our Saviour useth the same word in John 2.19 John 2.19 where he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 destroy this temple that is where the Godhead dwelleth and I will rear it up in three dayes for so the Church of Christ where God dwelleth is every where in the new Testament called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Temple of God as Ephes 2.21 Apoc. 11.19 1 Cor. 3.16 2 Cor. 6.16 and so Theophilact saith he shall sit non in templo specialiter quod est Hierosolymis sed in Ecclesiis simpliciter in omni divino templo not in the temple specially understood which is at Hierusalem but in the Churches simply and in every divine temple and S. Hierome saith in templo dei sedebit vel Hierosolimis Hieron q. 11. ad Algas ut quidam putant vel in Ecclesiis ut verius arbitramur he shall sit in the temple of God either at Hierusalem as some think or else in the Churches as we more truly suppose And this clearly sheweth that the seat of the Antichrist can be neither at Rome nor at Constantinople as I have shewed to you before unless you will yield That neither Rome nor Constantinople but the true Church is the seat of the Antichrist either Rome or Constantinople to be the truest and purest Church that Christ hath on earth because the Antichrist will arise and settle himself in that Church saith the Apostle which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the dwelling place of God and not where he hath dwelt that so he may do the most dishonour unto God and the most mischief unto his servants and God dwelleth in the purest Church no man can deny it and therefore the Antichrist must arise and inthrone himself in the purest Church as I have fully proved before and there in that Church saith the Apostle he sheweth himself as God or as Erasmus doth best translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 demonstro ostentans
to forget the Afflictions of his Church And therefore I cannot sufficiently wonder that Mr. Mede Maresius Tilenus the Gappe Synod and others of the Divines aforenamed should imagine that God would be so regardless so unmindful and so severe though in Justice we confess he might be much more severe unto the Christian Church Note this well as to suffer the Great Antichrist the greatest and the cruellest enemy unto his Church that ever the world bred to reign and rage against his Saints and Servants for so many hundred of years as the Pope and Turk have now ruled since they conceive them to be the Antichrist and the Great Antichrist that should be so signally revealed 3. 3. That the Antichrist was to arise not out of a true planted Church but out of a truly reformed Church I say that it is manifest the Antichrist should arise not out of a true converted Church from Paganisme and the serving of their Idols to Christianity as both Constantinople and all the rest of the Eastern Churches were when Mahomet corrupted them and also Rome and the Western Churches when the Pope replenished them with his Superstitions but the Antichrist was to spring and to appear out of the true and purely Reformed Church after it should be purged and cleansed from all Heresies Errours and Superstitions For it was prophesied and fore-shewed by the Apostle St. That it was foretold us seducers false prophets should come into the Church Acts 20.29 30. 1 Pet. 2.1 Paul that after his departure Seducers Corrupters of Gods Word and false Prophets should creep into the Church and introduce many damnable Doctrines amongst Gods people to poyson the Souls of the Flock of Christ And St. Peter likewise foretels us that there should come False Teachers into the Church who should privily bring in damnable Heresies And so we find that not only Ebion and Cerinthus two Heretical Jews and after them Arius Pelagius Manichaeus Nestorius Entyches and the like brought in most wicked Errours and Heresies that did most palpably and grossely infest and trouble the Church of God and therefore were the sooner perceived and the easier prevented and confuted by the Grave and Godly Fathers but also the Church of Rome the Popes and their Parasites have privily that is insensibly and unperceived by the very Doctors of the Church brought in many strange Doctrines and thereby corrupted in many things the true Faith of Christ and defiled the Church of God with many most Pernicious Errours as specially in forbidding the Priests to marry commanding us to abstain from Meats besides many other Superstitions and Points of less moment and most of all in that strange Metaphysical and incredible Doctrine of Transubstantiation and the consequents of that Doctrine in the Idolatrous adoration of the consecrated Host and other very frivolous Superstitions which have brought much Misery and have been most Pernicious unto the Church of Christ That a reformation of the abuses in Gods service was foreshewed And after that the Field of Gods Church should be thus overgrown with Tares and with Thornes and Thistles the same Apostle sheweth that God would look upon his Church and there should come a Reformation and he would raise Reformers to root out those erroneous weeds and Bastard Plants and to prescribe a form of Godliness or a set form of Gods Worship whereby the Church of Christ and Servants of God should be guided and directed how to serve God aright in the true Faith of Jesus Christ And these Reformers of the foresaid Errours and Prescribers of that set form of Gods Service and Teachers of the People to worship God according to that form of wholesom Doctrine are stiled by St. Paul as they were indeed good men and the good Ministers of Jesus Christ 1 Tim. 4.6 1 Tim. 4.6 Hypocritical proud Saints the worst of all sinners And because the Devil can never rest quiet but when we strive to be best then will he labour and strive to make us worst of all and to become proud Saints that are more odious in the sight of God than the greatest sinners when they be humbled for their sins as our Saviour testifieth the same quick-sighted Argos being illuminated by the Divine light of Gods Holy Spirit saith there should spring up a company of Hypocritical Professors that would be proud and boasting of their knowledge though it were never so erroneous and proud of their Godliness though they were never so great worldlings and Hypocritical Dissemblers And these E. H. rightly termeth the black guard of the Antichrist and he counteth eighteen Troops or as I think he might have rather said eighteen Legions of them 1. Self-Lovers which is the Root of all Mischief That abundance of hypocritical professors no lesse then 18 troops or legions should under the pretence of Religion corrupt Gods service and destroy his servants 2 Tim. 3.2 3 4 E. H. de Antichristo p. 145. 2. Covetous men that long for the Lands and Livings both of King and Priest 3. Boasters of what great things they would do 4. Proud men of their strength of their Knowledge and of their Goodness and Holiness 5. Blasphemers of God of the King and of the Saints of God 6. Disobedient to Parents especially to their Spiritual Parents the Bishops and the Church 7. Unthankful men to those that have best deserved and done them most good 8. Unholy men without any spark of true Holiness or Religion in them 9. Without natural Affection to their Kins-folk and those of their own flesh and blood 10. Truce Breakers without any regard of their Oaths Promises or Articles of Agreement 11. False Accusers and Make-bates by charging men with those things that they never knew 12. Incontinent and given over to all uncleanness and all fleshly lusts 13. Fierce and cruel men thirsting after the Lives and blood of those whom they hate and nothing satisfying them but their death 14. Despisers and so haters of those that are good 15. Traytors that is Betrayers of their King of their Governours and of their Friends 16. Heady that is obstinate and wilful men that will have nothing done nor said but what they themselves think good 17. High-minded men and such as from a low estate and mean extract aimed at great matters and aspired to high places to be Knights Lords and Princes 18. Lovers of Pleasures more than Lovers of God whatsoever Pretence they made of their love to God yet indeed their own Pleasure was and is their god and their main end is for their own good And all these eighteen Troops which the Apostle cloatheth in the same Livery that is a pretended form or shew of Godliness and a Directory to seem more zealous in Religion and to bear a greater love and care of Gods Honour than all others but should notwithstanding all their Pretences their Zeal and their Saintship deny the Power and vertue of the right and true Form of
concluded and expressed in our 39 Articles to which all Ministers subscribed and this uniformity of Gods worship thus purged from all abuses errors and Superstitions and so perfectly composed by all those holy men for the honor and service of God was fully authorized by the Queen and all the Parliaments that were convened and held in her time to be observed without any omission or alteration in all Churches as you may see by the Act prefixed before the Book of common Prayer And afterwards it was continued and preserved by that wise and learned King K. James and above all and more strictly than all by that ever blessed King and glorious Martyr of Jesus Christ Charles the 1. that defended the true faith and this true form of serving God against all opposers both the superstitious Papists and the apostate Puritanes and Separatists even to the loss of his life And I presume all good Protestants will yield unto me and I am perswaded That the Church of Ingland in King Charles his raign was the purest Church on earth that the Pope and his Cardinalls if they would speak according to their consciences could not deny but that the Church of Ingland as it was purged from Idolatry and Superstition and established in such purity of Doctrine and excellency of Discipline in the raign of King Edward the 6th and especially in Queen Elisabeths time and so continued in the raign of King James and King Charles was the truest and the purest Church unless they did except their own Church that way-fared and was militant here on earth where the faith of Gods elect might infallibly be found the service of God was rightly observed and was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Temple the House and the Church which he hath purchased and wherein he dwelleth And So E. H. truly confesseth that amongst all the reformed Churches E. H. in his Preface to the Reader the Church of Ingland hath alwayes been esteemed the purest as being most conformable to primitive purity and the word of God both in Doctrine and Discipline B. Montague in apello Caesarem c. 5. p. 47 48. And this appears even from the pens of the heads of other reformed Churches as Bucer Melancthon Calvin Camerarius Beza Zanchius Molinaeus Casaubon Sergevil Saravia and others who many of them confess in plain words and all by consequence conclude that the Church of Ingland of any particular national Church in the world cometh nearest to the apostolick rule for though all the Churches that protested against the superstitious tenents and errors of the councill of Trent and the Church of Rome have borne the name of reformed Churches yet neither all nor any of them all are indeed well and perfectly reformed when as many of them are corrupt in many points of Doctrine as I could shew you amongst the Calvinists and especially the Lutheran Churches that maintain that foul error of the ubiquity of the humanity of Christ their consubstantiation of his body in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and their many mistakes about the communication of the Properties of both his natures as Danaeus sheweth most excellently against Chemnitius and most of them are deficient in the rule of primitive Government not any one of them indeed following the Apostles Discipline And the reason of their deficiency is The reason of the deficiency of the Reformation of the other reformed Churches because that in the French and German Churches and the Churches beyond the Seas the Reformers of them by reason of the innumerable number of their potent enemies and the civil broyles and diffentions that were then in those parts and especially the want of a King in Israel that is a supream Monarch in some of those places over the people which made way for every one of the vulgar sort to do as we read in the Book of Judges what seemed right in his own eyes Judges 21.25 were constrained to do what they might and not what they would have done what could be effected and not what they desired to be performed But the Church of Ingland not by popular or any one particular mans reformation as John Knox that furious puritane did in the Church of Scotland but by a national Synod of all the Bishops and best Divines called by the King and confirmed by the King Peers and Commons of the whole Kingdome reformed her self not as other Churches did tumultuarily but with a great deal of advice diligence and deliberation that so it might be effected as the Apostles left it as the sacred rule required and as it was premonstrated it should be performed and weeded from all the dross the tares and the darnells that should spring to choak the pure wheat And therefore seeing the Church of Ingland until these late times was the truest and the purest reformed Church on earth it is conceived and I do believe it that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great Antichrist should arise not out of Rome that hath corrupted many truths and superadded many errors and Superstitions upon the fundamentalls of our Religion and is as yet unreformed nor out of Constantinople which hath likewise apostatized from the true faith of Christ and doth still continue unreturned to Christ from their false Prophet nor out of Hierusalem as some men do most fondly dream but out of this Church this very Church of great Brittain For as heretofore Speed l. 6. cap. 45. Camden britan pag. 74. Euseb in vita Constant. Zechar. 10.11 this Iland of great Brittain brought forth Constantine the son of Helen the daughter of King Coylus which was the best instrument that ever the Church of Christ had to further and to honor the Christian Religion as Eusebius sheweth the same at large And as according to the Septuagint the Prophet saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath passed through the narrow sea with affliction and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down and the scepter of Aegypt shall depart away which may signifie that Christ hath first of all purged this Church that lyeth within the narrow seas and hath made the purest Reformation here that was made in any place by the afflictions and sufferings of the aforenamed Martyrs in Queen Maries dayes and hath thereby brought down the pride of the Pope and of the Roman Church that were then as powerfull as the Assyrians were when the Prophet wrote the same and hath driven away his usurpation and freed us from his tyranny as the Israelies were delivered from the bondage of the Aegyptians so the devil bearing an inveterate hate and infinite malice against this Iland more than against any other place The 2. special Reasons why the devil beareth a greater malice to this Iland more than to any other place for these two grand services that it did to God 1. The toleration of the Christians to profess their faith in peace and the Plantation of the Church of Christ to encrease
or how soon Christ will come to Judgment to make a final end of the Antichrist and to deliver his Servants out of all their troubles And this Author wrote a Book entituled The Grand Rebellion that they shall suffer by the Means and procurement of the Antichrist And so first the grand Rebellion will shew it self and the great Apostasie will appear then the great Antichrist will come and settle himself in the Church of Christ and he shall be revealed and made known not to all men no more than Christ was when he came into the world but to as many as the Spirit of God shall enlighten and open the eyes of their understanding to take notice of him that they may avoid him and not be seduced by him E. H. de Antichristo c. 6. pag. 101. to follow his pernicious waies as E. H. hath most truly declared And then as the Apostle saith the Day of the Lord will come and we may certainly expect it and believe it will not be long before he cometh Question Now it is demanded where in what Kingdom and in what Reformed Church or in what other Church this Grand Rebellion and huge apostacy hath happened and appeared And it is answered Respons That the apostacy here spoken of cannot be 1. The apostafie of the prime grand Hereticks 1. That this apostacy here spoken of cannot be meant of the apostasie of the prime grand Hereticks For though the Nicolaitans the Ebionites and the Cerinthians in the time of St. John and afterwards the Montanists Valentinians Arians Nestorians Eutychians and the succeeding Hereticks Manichaeans Pelagians Donatists and all the other Brood of the prime Hereticks fell into many most fearful errours and so rebelled against their Governours and drew many Disciples after them to make a defection from the true Faith and have by their apostasie and subtilty corrupted whole Churches and Congregations of Christ yet that their backsliding and apostasie cannot be said to be this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the grand Rebellion and the special great falling away from the Faith which the Apostle here speaketh of because their apostasie was not so general and so extensive from the most and the chiefest points of Faith as this is but each Heretick and each Sect of those Hereticks started aside from some particular point of the true Catholick and Christian Faith as Arius denied the Divinity of Christ Nestorius made Christ to subsist of two Persons and Eutiches on the other side to confute him confounded the true Properties of both Natures Manichaeus would have God to be the Author of evil or that there be two Gods the one good and the author of all goodness and the other evil and the author of all the evil that is Pelagius taught the too large extent of mans Free-will All the prime grand Hereticks far better than our present Presbyterians and others with the Stoicks ascribed all events to a fatal necessary and so the rest of those Heresiarchs defiled themselves and their Churches with some particular errour or with some very few at the most and yet still they retained the rest and the most points of the true Faith and especially the setled Form of Gods Service and defired alwaies to be in the Commnion and to keep the unity of the Catholick Church and they ever observed the right Government and Discipline of the Church none of all the Hereticks until Aerius nor after he was therefore condemned for an Heretick as Epiphan sheweth any other Heretick till this last Century produced a Brood of Aerius Proselites were ever found to deny the Episcopal Government of the same and they all generally retained the established Creeds and Articles of wholsom Doctrine Lyturgies Catechismes and the right manner of the Worship of God with that reverence and devotion as he ought to be worshipped though they started aside and apostatized from some particular points of the Foundation of the Catholick Faith And 2. 2. Nor the apostasie of the Eastern Churches The like may be said of all the Asiatick and Affrican Churches that succeeded them and were many of them corrupted by those grand Hereticks that they professed the Creeds observed the Lyturgies and reverenced their Governours as the Apostle enjoyneth and receded only like their Leaders from some few Points of the true Faith and therefore the grand apostacy here spoken of cannot be fastned nor applied to any of them And 3. As the Eastern Churches are free from this apostacy so the Church of Rome 3. Nor the apostasie of the Church of Rome and all the rest of her subordinate Western Churches though they have corrupted the Doctrine of Christ with many Errours Ceremonie and Superstitions yet because they retain the main Heads the true Scriptures the Catholick Creeds and the gross sum of the Christian Religion though mingled with many erroneous accessions and is therefore rightly compared to a field of goodly Wheat but very full of Tares and Darnels cannot be said to be guilty of this grand Rebellion and apostasie Reason 1 1. Because all their Errours and Superstititions are not so foul as those of the foresaid Hereticks and the additions which they agglutinate unto the Truth as a bad super-structure upon a good Foundation cannot be liable to this transcendent apostasie when as all the errours of the Church of Rome are rather Superstitions and additions of more Articles than ever the Apostles left or the Primitive Church professed to the true Faith and Catholick Creeds than a defection or discession and departure from the Faith and therefore that Church cannot be guilty of this apostasie and departure from the Faith but rather of creating a new Faith and new Articles of Faith which God never requireth us to believe Reason 1 2. Because the now Church of Rome of France Spain and other Churches under the Popish Jurisdiction did never profess all the Articles of our faith in the true and right sence as they ought to be believed and interpreted but they were born nursed and nusled in the errors and Superstitions that they are in continually and how can they be said to recede and depart from the faith and from the truth that never knew them nor profest them and therefore seeing they never were in the true faith they can no wayes be said to be guilty of this apostasie from the faith Object But you will say as E. H. doth and many others with him that when after Constantines time E. H. in the Preface of his book de Autic the Church began to be wealthy and as the envious said venenum intravit in Ecclesiam poison that is the poison of riches honors and authority especially after Phâ—cas his time that gave unto the Pope the title of universal Bishop entred into the Church and among the Clergy then the Monks brought tapers into the Church and they induced the trisagium that is sancte Deus sancte fortis sancte immortalis which as
world and therefore to encourage all the Christians to be constant in their Profession unto their death it was requisite to use all the Eulogies and praises that might well and rightly be given especially in the funeral Orations of the Martyrs unto those holy men that had so manfully fought the good fight of faith and so christianly died for the defence of the Gospel of Christ when as the contrary would have been a great disheartening of the weak Christians but these Eulogies a spur to inflame them to all readiness to undergo the like Martyrdome rather than to start aside from their Christian profession Neither do I see how those Eulogies and praises that these Fathers gave unto the Martyrs are any wayes contrary to the truth of our faith or the Word of God because we know that as the Prophet saith Psalm 116.15 right dear in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints and no doubt but he hath some love and care of their dead bodies to preserve them from that spirit of malice and contempt that the Devil and his wicked assassinates bear against them and therefore as he preserved all that were in the ship for S. Paul's sake Act. 27.24 so he may be pleased to preserve others his servants with the preservation he extendeth and would have shewed to the bodies of his Saints and especially of his holy Martyrs the which he would have no wayes to be abused as the Prophet sheweth and doth exceedingly complain of them that give the dead bodies of Gods servants to be meat unto the fowles of the air Psal 79.2 and the flesh of his Saints to the beasts of the field as now I have seen it in many places how the hogs are rooting in their graves and the dogs gnawing the bones of Gods servants That the aforesaid Errors make not this Apostasie And I say that although the Roman Church hath failed in the Premises and erred in the points aforenamed yet all that doth not make this grand apostasie which the Apostle here speaketh of Reason 1 1. Because here in the Roman Church we finde no rebellion against their Governors but qui ducunt eam seducunt eam the leaders of that Church deceive the Church and so her apostasie is not so odious but the more excusable and the less abominable in the sight of God Reason 2 2. Because these Errors and Superstitions aforenamed and the like have only defaced but not nullified bespotted and polluted but not destroyed that Church which is now like unto a false woman that hath played the whore but is not divorced nor run away from her husband That the Church of Rome holdeth all the foundation and preservation of the Christian Religion for so long as they profess to believe as the three authentick Creeds that is the Apostles Creed the Nicene Creed and the Athanasian Creed teach us and use the Lords Prayer and publish the ten Commandements and receive the two Gospel Sacraments that is Baptisme and the Lords Supper and retain the wholesome form and reverent manner of Divine worship and service of God with the rightly authorized and lawfully called Pastors and Governors and a dutifull submission to the established Discipline of the Church which things are both the foundation and preservation of the Christian Religion and which they say are all observed and performed in the Roman Church I believe no good Christian can deny her to be a true Church though not a pure Church of God because that while the foundation remaineth sure and undigged up all superstructures of wood hay stubble doth not evert and overthrow the whole edifice but is rather a going beyond Eccl. 7.16 17. than a going back from the faith of Christ like the being too righteous and not too wicked as Solomon speaketh that is the being too precise and making more sinnes than ever the Law of God made and not too prophane and so exceeding in the works of supererrogation and observing many other commandments of men besides the commandments of God Mr Mede P. 612. just as the precise Pharisees required the people to do in the time of Christ and Mr. Mede resolves Mr. Hartlib that the Roman Church hath not erred in the fundamental Articles of the Faith but in the assumentis which they added unto the foundation so likewise D. Crakenthorp B. Hall and most of our best Divines are of the same minde And therefore questionless the Church of Rome cannot be guilty of this grand rebellion and Apostasie here spoken of And 4. 4. Nor the falling away of the Protestants from the Church of Rome As the African and Afiatick Churches of the East under the Greek Patriarchs and the Europaean Churches of the West under the Pope of Rome are not liable to this grand Apostasie so neither can the Church of Rome nor any other Master of that Church say and say truly that the falling away of Luther Calvin Beza and the rest of the Protestants and protestant Churches from the Roman errors and superstitions and from their obedience to that Church can be this falling away and apostasie here spoken of because we with them and they with us do hold and profess the same 3 authentick Creeds that do contain the sum and substance of our Christian Faith and are agreeing in all or at least in most of the essential and fundamental points of the Christian Religion and the differences betwixt us in the most points that are of moment are not so capital but that for the most part a charitable construction and a right distinction might well and fairly reconcile most of them especially as they are held by the best Interpreters of the Scripture in that Church and by the most temperate and soberest Divines of our Church because as the Apostle saith charity is kinde and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 charity is not rash that is in her judgment no more than in her actions 1 Cor. 13. but beareth all things believeth all things hopeth all things and endureth all things and the want of this divine grace of Charity maketh those faults that are indeed but mole-hils to appear like mountains and this want of charity is too too common a fault both among the popish and the Protestant writers which doth make the breach wider and the differences to seem far greater and far worse than indeed they are which made me often to pray that God would send more love betwixt us and suffer not the devil to send so much misprision and distaste betwixt us as there is Question And now the foresaid Churches being freed from being liable to this apostasie the question is What Church can be said to be found guilty of it What Church is guilty of this Apostacy and instead of answering it it is now demanded If this now present Church of great Britain be not liable to this charge of a grand Rebellion and apostasie such as the Apostle speaketh
2. The contradictions of the Popes Their Popes do follow the same steps for Stephan the 6. abrogated all his Predecessors Decrees but Formosus took up his body after his burial for it and cut off two of his fingers and then buried his body again and the next succeeding Popes Theodorus the 2. Ex Polychron Romanus and John the 10. confirmed all the Acts of Formosus but Sergius disannulled them all again and took up Formosus his body and threw the same into Tiber. 3. 3. The contradictions of their Orders The Oppositions among their Orders is never a whit less than betwixt their Popes for the difference betwixt the Dominicans and the Franciscans about the conception of the blessed Virgin Mary the Dominicans holding that she was conceived in original sin and the Franciscans denying the same was so great and their fury was so hot Anno 1476. against each other that Pope Xistus the 4. joyning with the Franciscans burned 4 of the Dominicans for defending that truth Neither are their Schooles free from this fault for the Scotists Ochamists and Thomists could never be reconciled Erasmus in loc contr Laton Alphoas l. 1. c. 6. Genchrard in Chron. untill the Thomists got the conquest and at this day the Seculars and the Jesuits can never agree nor the Jesuits that are indeed the better learned accord well among themselves for Alphonsus de Castro and his Adherents do hold the Council above the Pope but Card. Bellarm. and all his Schollers do hold the contrary and it is observed by Genebrard that there were 20 several Sects and Schismes amongst the Romanists at the same time and others have collected 80 several different Opinions amongst them about that one only point of the Eucharist And I could yet further inlarge this point how they do not all agree in the Doctrine of our Justification nor in many other points beside nor indeed any one of them long with himself quia oportet mendacem esse memorem because the teacher of errors and false Doctrine had need to have a good memory ea falsitatis atque erroris est natura ut nemine repugnante a seipsa tandem juguletur and that is the nature of Error and falsehood that a length it will overthrow it self though there were no man to speak against it and therefore we finde Bellarmine himself confuting and contradicting himself in many places as our learned Bishop Morton hath most excellently observed but I stood too long on this point already 2. 2. The collusion of the Roman Church There Collusion is and especially in former times was such that they did not onely deceive one another but almost all the world besides Presbyter amplectens faeminam presumitur benedicendi causa fecisse and old Lyra saith fit aliquando in Ecclesia dei maxima deceptio in fictis miraculis à sacerdotibus the greatest decepts and cosenage shall happen sometimes in the Church of God by the false and faigned miracles that shall be done by the Priests and so indeed as our Presbyters do now so their Priests and Jesuits by their faigned sanctity false miracles and subtle insinuations into the hearts and bosomes of the vulgar people seduxerunt gentes have seduced them and made them drunk with the wine of their abominations and abominable flatteries 3. 3. The oppression of the Romanists For their oppression vexation and cruelty towards the servants of God it exceeded all humanity and the Chaldean Babylon must not compare with them herein for they did not only vex the children of God and lay heavy yokes upon their necks which was all that Babylon did unto the Israelites but they did also persecute the best Protestants with sword fire and faggot burning them as they did John Hus and Hierom of Prague and take their bones out of their Graves if they cannot lay hands on them alive as they did the bones of Bucer and Phagius in the time of Queen Mary Scaeva sic in manes manibus arma dabant And so they warred Amos 2.1 And as the King of Moab burned the bones of the King of Edom so they raged against the very Ghosts of the Saints And therefore if we had nothing else to say against them but this their cruelty against the Saints and Servants of Christ yet this alone is a sufficient argument to prove their City and Church a Babylon and themselves rather Citizens of Babylon than Members of the Church of Christ for as he that was born after the flesh Galat. 4.29 persecuted him that was born after the Spirit even so it is now saith the Apostle The Church of Christ doth never persecute but doth alwaies suffer Persecution for Christian Religion is to be maintained enlarged and defended non occidendo sed monendo non saevitia sed patientia not by killing but by monishing not by cruelty but by patience nam si sanguine tormentis religionem defendere velis jam non defendetur Lact. l. 1. c. 19. Religion not to be planted by the sword sed polluetur saith Lactantius For if thou wouldst defend Religion with shedding of blood and inflicting torments it is not defended but polluted and thou dost defile it and spoil it in seeking to maintain it And this is plainly seen by the example of Christ himself who neither instituted his Kingdom by any foreible meanes nor would have himfelf defended by any outward power of the sword but biddeth S. Peter to put up his sword into his sheath Matth. 26.52 and he sheweth the reason of it unto the Governour because his Kingdom is not of this world nor like unto the Kingdoms of this world for they are enlarged and defended by force of Armes and by the sword Rom. 10.14 but the Kingdom of Christ is encreased and continued by the reading and the preaching of the word and Faith cometh ex auditu non ex metu by hearing not by threatning ex dono Dei non ex imperio hominum from the Gift of God and not by the Command of any man And therefore S. Bernard saith that suadenda fides non cogenda Faith is to be perswaded and not compelled And S. Paul saith 2 Cor. 10.4 Damasc 3. sent c. 32. that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual And Damascene saith that the Gospel was preached throughout all the world without weapon armour or Battel by a few naked poor afflicted men and if men believed they saved their souls if not the Apostles were to take none other revenge but to shake off the dust of their feet to be a witness against them that refused their Doctrine Object But the Romanists against this do answer for themselves and say that our Saviour bids his Servants to go to the high waies and compel the people to come into his Wedding that his House might be full Luke 14.23 Solut. I answer 1. That the Word compell doth not alwaies imply
themselves to his meaning Genes 11.9 do interpret it but the great city of this world that is in all things agreeable to every particular thing that is spoken of this great Babylon for as that place and city was chiefly called Babylon that is confusion because as Moses sheweth God confounded the Languages of those grand rebells that endeavoured in that City 1 John 2.15 1 John 17.9 to scale the walls of Heavens and as it were to desie God himself so this world is just like unto the same the receptacle of all confusion and disorders and it is one of the three capital enemies of mankinde that we profess in our Baptisme to renounce and that we are charged not to love but still to fly from the baits and the deceipts thereof and John 5.19 for which our Saviour that prayed for his enemies which crucified him denieth his prayer saying I pray not for the world because God hateth all those that work wickedness and S. John saith the whole world all of it lieth in wickedness and will not be raised from it and besides God is the God of order and the whole world is out of order the very babel of all confusion The great Antichrist shall rise in such a place as shall be like Babylon when first it was called Babel Genes 11.79 and confusion is the mother that bringeth forth the Antichrist into the Church and it is the nurse that fostereth cherisheth upholdeth and protecteth him against Christ and against his Church But though the world in General is that great citie whith is meant Revel 17. and elsewhere in that book and wherein the great Antichrist will settle himself yet must he rise and spring in some place City or Kingdome of the world that is not as Rome or Constantinople a Babylon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 respectively but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 simply and transcendently like as the Chaldean Babylon was and in all things resembling her when first she was called Babel the City of Confusion and that was when all the Inhabitants thereof were without any settled just and lawfull Governors or Government among them but were as the children of Israel were in the later time of the Judges Judg. ult and Ver. ult when there was no King in Israel but every man did that which was right in his own eyes and so they did now in Babel they understood not one another they obeyed not one another but when the Master or Governor required one thing they did another and when they called for bricks they brought them straw and so forth And what Kingdome Rome not like Babylon when first it was called Babel City or Church is or hath been thus like Babel without any setled just and lawfull Government or Governors I will not determine but I am sure Rome hath her Governors and the Church of Rome her settled strict and well observed Orders and Lawes which none dares disobey nor do what is right in his own eyes nor preach what Doctrines he please unto the people But in what Kingdome City or Common-wealth soever we see no settled just and lawfull Government but the Governors like pegs driving out one another and settling first one kinde of Government then another of greater power cometh and changeth that Government then a third then a fourth and so forth and the Commonwealth standeth like a windmill upon the top of a hill that must turn with every winde and submit it self to every Government that is most prevalent and where you see the Church without Rulers without order and without Law but every Presbyter doth what he pleaseth and serveth God with what service his own fancy liketh best I believe that City Kingdom and Church doth in all things parallel the first Chaldean Babel and must be if any place be the very seat of the Antichrist and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 simply most eminently and transcendently a Babylon and the fittest place for the Antichrist to reside And so the Antichrist having learnt his lesson divide impera i.e. by confusion and division and setting the Father against the Son and the Daughter against the Mother the subject against his King and the King against the subject the people against their Pastors and their Pastors against the people and so of all the rest he will settle and inthrone himself in that imperial seat of his rule and authority where there is most confusion and where there is no settled just and lawfull Government and this is that Babylon thus mystically expressed by the Holy Ghost and thus clearly explained unto you where the Antichrist shall rule and reign and rage over Gods people even in that place of the world and in that street of this Great City where there is most division and confusion both in the Church and Commonwealth this confusion being his chiefest consolation and the furtherance of his progression and which as the Poet saith Turbabit faedera mundi will soon bring the world out of order and to be ruled as he listeth And now the question is demanded Whether in any other place of all the world you can finde more divisions and confusions and a more unstable unjust and unsettled Government both in Church and Commonwealth then you may finde in these Churches and Common wealths and formerly the Kingdomes of Ingland Scotland and Ireland for though that in this Babylon this place that is so full of disorders and confusion Where discord reigns in realm or town The wicked win the chief renown Plutarchus in vita Niceas pag. 547. you may finde many zealous and religious men that do fear God and mourn for the sin of the Antichrist and abhor all his wicked wayes yet it is demanded if ever there were more faction in Hierusalem in the time of their last siege more Sects in Amsterdam more malice in Rome in the time of the proscription or more corruption in the time of the Pope and more division among the Reubenites and confusion in great Babylon in the land of Shinar than may be found now in this relapsed Church and among the people of these Dominions And for the diversity of Sects multiplicity of opinions and the manifold confusions in the Church it is demanded if the errors and heresies of the Sectaries Presbyters Independents and lay-Preachers are not only published printed and permitted but also cathedrally and autoritatively if not maintained yet countenanced or connived at at the least And if here in the field of Gods Church and out of this Babylonish chair you may not finde any error or heresie that hath been formerly invented and broached by the grand Hereticks and confuted by the Fathers of the Church now again in some place or other and by some Sect or other resuscitated and refined unto the people and whether you may not uncontroulably choose any Religion and be of any Sect either Antinomian Anabaptist Arian Aerian Brownist Barrowist Dipper The manifold
Kingdoms 4. The judgment of the Idol shepherd So the right eye i.e. the understanding of divine things shall be taken from the Antichrist though his left eye shal be quick-sighted enough in all worldly things and tore their clawes i. e. their strength and power all to pieces I think I may say this without question 4. Tâ—e Lord denounceth the Judgment of this Foolish Idol shepherd saying Wo to the Idol shepherd that leaveth the flock and much more wo to him that thus spoileth the flock the sword shall be upon his arm and upon his right eye his arm shall be clean dried up and his right eye shall be utterly darkned And so it fell out accordingly to this Idol shepherd the Scribes and Pharisees and the rest of the false Prophets of the Jews for though they thought themselves safe and had done all things well when they had broken the two staves of Beauty and Bands and had bought and sold their King Priest and Prophet and had put to death the true Bishop of their soules Jesus Christ yet the just God that is slow to anger and of great patience and was formerly forty years grieved with this generation when their Fathers tempted him proved him and saw his works forty years after this direful tragedy And so this Beast for doing as the Jews did kill his King and his Bishop let him fear the like judgment as the Jews had executeth this very judgment upon this Idol shepherd as Josephus ben Gorion and Josephus the Son of Mathathias 1.7 de Bello Judaico setteth down the same at large and in his 18th Book of Antiquit. he confesseth the same to be for their malice against their King Jesus Christ and the killing of the holy Apostle St. James that was Bishop of Hierusalem And this much shall serve to be spoken of the foolish Idol shepherd of the Jews that the Lord raised in the time of Christ and was the Type of the great Antichrist who in all the foresaid particulars did or will imitate this his Predecessor so far as the type doth agree with the thing typified So that I need not spend any longer time to tell you what the Prophet sheweth the great Antichrist that is here exprest under the title of the Idol shepherd should do when the Lord should raise him and for our sins send him amongst his flock because you have heard many points of his lewd and foolish pranks already in the doings of his type that was the Idol shepherd of the Jews that the Lord raysed for their sins in the time of Christ And you may see The a Staves never broken in any Church till now in the Church of Ingland as I said before how this Prophesie is now and never till now fulfilled since the type in the time of Christ for 1. As Christ the king of the Jews was bought and sold and crucifyed when the staff of beauty was broken so Charles our King was bought and sold and beheaded when the true Doctrine of faith and true obedience to our Governors were corrupted and this staff of beauty broken all to pieces 2. The time that the Antichrist should rise The Antichrist must be those new raised Preachers that do cohere with this foolish and idâ—l shepherd of the Jews As when the staff of bands was broken the Lord raised this foolish and idol Shepherd among the Jews so when our Bishops and Governors were supprest and their Discipline which is the staff of bands was broken all Sects increased all errors and heresies appeared and the great Antichrist manifested himself unto the world and did as he is here typified by the doings of this foolish and idol shepherd But now that which is more considerable to be understood is to know who is or should be the great eminent and transcendent Antichrist that is here typified by this Idol-shepherd I know the Divines of Gappe and the most of our Presbyterians are as sure as Gabriel Powel was that believed iâ— as he believed the Apostles Creed that the Pope is that great Antichrist and therefore when other matters fail them they fill their Sermons with exclamations against the Pope and deal with him as the Collier did with the Major of London when he came to High-gate and yet I am as sure that they are altogether mistaken in their faith and knowledg herein for though the Pope should be The Pope is an idol-shepherd yet not meant here tipified by this idol-shepherd as he is an Antichrist and a foolish Idol-shepherd as many others of our Presbyterians be and doth imitate this Idol-shepherd of the Jewes in all or most of the foresaid particulars as the little or no good that he doth to the flock of Christ and the great honor and service that he expecteth from all the Kings and Princes of the earth yet there are many other signal Characters notes and acts of the great Antichrist exprest in other places of the holy Scripture which are no wayes coherent and applicable to the Pope which I could shew unto you but that nunc non est narrandi tempus But then you will demand of me Who is that Antichrist if the Pope be not the Antichrist I answer that as S. Augustine saith satius est dicere quid not sit Deus Yet by Gods help I shall hereafter tell you whom I take him to be quam quid sit Deus for God is not the Sun he is not the Moon he is no created substance and I erre not in any of these answers so I say tutius est dicere quis non est Antichristus quam quis est Antichristus and he is not the Pope I am sure of it but I am sure he is a foolish and an idol shepherd whosoever he be yet not the Pope because these have not as yet happened unto the Pope for that his strength and power are not clean taken away though much diminished neither is the knowledge and Doctrine of the Roman Church utterly or totally perverted and the truth of Christian Religion quite extinguished nor yet the right way of serving God wholly corrupted as I shewed unto you before but whether the power and strength of the Long Parliament be not mouldred away from a mountain to a mole-hill and themselves vanish away like smoak let those members that are yet unnihilated answer it or if they be not yet come to nothing how long they are like to continue let my Reader judge 2. The next testimony of the Old Testament 2. The prophesie of Daniel under the person of Antiochus that is said to have any reference to the Antichrist and his doings is found in the Prophesie of Daniel But St. Paul tels us that to the Jews and Fathers under the Law omnia in figura contingebant illis all things happened and fell out to them in types and figures and most of those types and figures that were delivered unto them reached no further than
boasting and bragging or prae se ferens as Beza translates it pretending that he is God or as Tremellius saith ostentet seipsum ac si Deus esset he will carry himself as if he were a God that is in Gods stead the true King to rule the people and the right Bishop to govern the Church of Christ or That the Antichrist will wholly direct the Clergy and dispose of all things in the Church and about the service of God as some do read it he would be esteemed and taken tanquam sit Deus for such a supream Monarch and chief Governor over Gods Church as God said unto Moses he should be to Aaron his God to direct him in all the service of the Tabernacle and the whole worship of God so will the Antichrist be such a God to order direct and dispose of all the worship of God and how all the Clergie in order and without order should behave and carry themselves in the whole service of the Church which I take to be the true meaning of the Apostle in this place For this shewing himself or bragging that he is God is not to be understood that he would have himself believed to be the true and everliving God and worshiped with divine worship as the Historians tell us Alexander Antigonus Augustus Caligula Domician and divers others of the Caesars and Emperors were transported to that height of pride and ambition as believing themselves to be more than men to require the people their subjects to take them for Jupiter Apollo or some other of those anciently esteemed Gods and to ascribe the honor and worship that was usually given to those Gods unto themselves as Altars Sacrifices and the like whereof Virgil speaking of Augustus saith Virgilius eglog 1. Illius aram Saepe tener nostris ab ovilibus imbuet agnus And Horace also saith Horatius epist. l. 2. Jurandásque tuum per nomen ponimus aras But the meaning of the Apostle is that this man of sin the Antichrist will bragge and boast unto the people that he is all for God and for the honor and service of God and therefore sits in the temple of God to set out the right directory of serving God that so God through him and by his only means and endeavors might be rightly served and worshipped according to his directory as the Mahometans worship Mahomet according to his Alcoran and we formerly worshipped God according to the form prescribed unto us by our Governors in the book of Common-prayer and so he sheweth that he is God that is most godly and so a God by the participation of the godliness and holiness of God which exposition doth most fitly agree with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what he sheweth himself to be which is the rediest way to deceive the people And whether the long Parliament hath not usurped this ecclesiastical power and jurisdiction over all the holy things Let the Reader judge whether this be not fulfilled in the long Parliament and to set forth the sole Directory of Gods service tanquam sit Deus as if they alone had Aarons Office to order all the other Priests and Levites or had the spirit of S. Paul infallibly to direct the Church of Christ as well as Moses his Authority and the power of a King to rule the people Let the Parishes and people of God that have none other form of Gods service but what the Parliament Preachers and the observers of their Directory do use be the Judges both of what service and of what Doctrine is brought unto them I make small account though I will not pass it unsaluted of that Observation which some men have made that the Parliament House where the members of the long Parliament sate Arise Evans in his Voice from heaven was a Chappel consecrated by King Edward the 3. to be the Temple of God as appeareth by many Records because many other Parliaments have sate in that Chappel and yet not any of them all have usurped this power to be the supream disposers and directors of all the holy service of God the Commanders of all the Bishops and Priests of the most high God how to do his service and what service should be done unto him and to make themselves the sole Possessors the right owners to dispose sell or give all the Revenues lands states Tythes and offerings of the Church as it is said the Antichrist would do and which he may no better nor so well do as Scyrus and Procrustes the two vilest robbers that we read of could take thy purse and all thy mony by the High-way side And here also I cannot omit to observe Note the word fit in the temple that the Apostle saith that the man of sin shall not stand but sit in the Temple of God where the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifieth to fit as where it is said that Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 4.6 and 20.12 sate by the well and so the two Angells were seen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sitting in white raiments is to be distinguished from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which betokeneth and signifieth collocare to place or to set a thing in some place as it is where the Apostle saith if you have judgments of things pertaining to this life 1 Cor. 6.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set such or place them to judg who are least esteemed in the Church and so where it is said that the Disciples brought the Asse and the Colt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as it is in some Copies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they set him Matth 21.7 or placed him thereon And therefore it is rightly concluded by Maresius that this sitting in the Temple of God is ill applyed by Grotius to Caius Caligula his causing of his Statue to be placed in the Temple at Hierusalem but it may most properly signifie the sitting of the Parliament Let the Reader judge of this or the like society of men in that place where they intend to acquiesce and rest themselves whether the place be physical or Metaphysical And whether the Parliament resolved not only to stand in that their dignity and Authority for a while or intended to sit and acquiesce and continue themselves and their Successors for ever in the Parliament-House and in the Temple of God to govern the Church of God as God themselves know best I will not judge of their Intention CHAP. VI. That the Antichrist is a great Professor of Religion and a seeming Saint That he belyeth his Profession and is indeed the greatest Hypocrite in the world What the great Lye of the Antichrist is What 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth What it is to deny Jesus to be the Christ And how the Father and the Son may be denied two manner of waies 2. THough I might go on
on earth and he is still our King as the Prophet saith The Lord is King and hath put on glorious apparel Psal 93.1 and he placeth other Kings to be his Substitutes and Vicegerents to guide and to govern his people according as he doth command and therefore he saith By me Kings do raign Prov. 8.15 and as he is still our King so S. Peter saith He is still the Bishop of our souls 1. Pet. 2.25 and the Priest that maketh an atonement to God for us and he placeth other Bishops and other Priests under him to teach and to govern his Church in the truth of his Service and Religion And you know what Christ saith to these his Deputies and Vicegerents Luk. 10.16 He that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me So he that denieth and hindereth you to execute your Offices denieth me mine Offices to be both King and Priest and so denieth me to be the Christ and in denying me he denieth him that sent me Psal 2.8 and gave me the Gentiles for mine Inheritance and the uttermost part of the earth for my Possession and also Sware that I should be a Priest for ever Psal 110.4 after the Order of Melchizedech Therefore it is most plain and apparent that whosoever professeth himself a Christian and yet maliciously opposeth and trayterously denieth the execution of the Kingly and Priestly Offices of Christ to be performed by his Deputies Kings and Priests that he appointeth under him and so far denieth them to do it as utterly to destroy them and deny them to live as the Jews denied Christ before Pilate to be Kings and Priests in Christs stead to Govern and to Teach his Church is here meant by the Apostle to be the Grand Lyar and the Great Antichrist that denieth Jesus to be the Christ and so you have seen what is the meaning of denying Jesus to be the Christ 2. The other Point to be considered is to enquire and search if we can find 2. Whom can we find to have denied Jesus to be the Christ Neither Pope nor Turk who have thus as I shewed you denied Jesus to be the Christ and if you find who hath done so you shall find out the Antichrist and I beleeve we shall find him neither in Rome nor in Constantinople for the Pope I am sure of it denieth not the Bishops as Christs Depuâ—ies to execute their Priestly Office when he professeth himself to be Christs Deputy and Vicar to discharge that Office to instruct and to govern his Church and for the Turke he will not extirpate Monarchy nor cast down Kings when he professeth himself to be the chief Monarch of the earth and a King of Kings as his own Letters testifie But whether the Long Parliament and their adherents Let the Reader judge whether the long Parliament hath not fulfilled this saying of the Apostle that in words do constantly affirm and profess that Jesus is the Christ and themselves good if not the best Christians that are on earth have not by their deeds in opposing their King the Substitute and Vioeroy of Christ and denying him either to execute his Regal Office or to live and in suppressing all the Bishops and so many Orthodox Loyall Preachers so that they shall never as Bishops execute the Priestly Office of Christ denied Iesus to be Christ by denying those Substitute Officers of Christ to execute those Offices or to live in those Offices I leave it to them that can judge who is the Lyar and the Antichrist and that denieth Iesus to be the Christ Only I must say That if I were a Pagan and an Infidel and had seen no more of the Parliaments doings but these two things i.e. 1. Their words and great profession of holiness and Christianity And The two chiefest things that do most of all regret the mind of the Author 2. Their deeds in the cutting off of their own just and lawful Kings head and the head of their chief Priest and the suppression exclusion and extirpation of all the godly Bishops in these three Kingdoms and likewise the prohibition and sileneing of them and the rest of the Orthodox Preachers from preaching of the Gospel of Iesus Christ not for any supposed Errour in their Doctrine but for a suspition they had that those faithful men would publish the truth and villanies of their Acts and Proceedings unto the People I should beleeve none could be a greater Lyar or a greater Antichrist than they that did such things Being confident that neither Decius nor Dioclesian nor any other of the primitive Persecutors nor Pope nor Turk nor any later Tyrant hath ever done the like And yet herein That the Author can very well endure dissentients I am not so wedded to mine own opinion as that I cannot endure dissentients for I am not of their mindes that hold him not for their friend and will bear no correspondence with him that will not per omnia in omnibus in all things be of their minde neither do I propose my conceptions notions and Expositions as infallible Articles of faith for others sub paena to be believed but I only set down what I conceive and do verily believe to be true and my Reasons and Arguments that induce me thereunto leaving to all others the liberty of their own conscience to believe what they will and whom they will to be the Antichrist Pope or Turk or whomsoever they please 3. 3. That the Antichrist denying Jesus to be the Christ denieth the Father and the Son which may be done 2 waies 1. Way Mat. 10.40 Luc. 10.16 S. John proceedeth and saith that the Antichrist not only denyeth Jesus to be the Christ but also by this denial he denyeth the Father and the Son and this as I conceive may be done two manner of wayes 1. By separating himself from the rule Government and Ministry of Christ and maliciously suppressing the ordinances and the substitute Governors of Christ which is a most observable and inseparable mark of the Antichrist and of all his followers for thus our Saviour tells us that whosoever despiseth rejecteth and suppresseth the officers Embassadors and Ministers that Christ sendeth and setteth over us to ruâ—e us and to instruct us despiseth rejecteth and by as much as in him lieth suppresseth Christ himself and whosoever despiseth rejecteth and denyeth him despiseth and denieth God the Father that sent him and therefore you may plainly see hereby Vide R. W. in lib. The Doctrine of the Scripture touching the original of Government pag. 117. that the rebellious risers against their King Prince or any other their supream Governor that Christ placeth over them and the suppressors of the Apostles Bishops and Pastors of Gods Church the successors of the Apostles that Christ sends to teach and to govern his Church throughout all ages do rebell reject and deny Christ which is
say that we must understand not only the name Jehova and Lord and God and the other usual and proper titles and names of God which S. Hierome and others have collected out of the Scriptures but also any other thing that discovereth and maketh God known unto us as his works his word his titles his attributes and the like because God hath no proper name that can make him known unto us or fully express his nature and his being as God himself saith unto Moses Exod. 13.14 when he desired to know his name that he might thereby know him So whosoever denyeth the things and rejecteth the words notions and expressions that bring us to know God or to know the Father and the Son to be the true God doth therein and thereby deny God and is as the Apostle saith the great Lyar and the Antichrist that denyeth the Father and the Son Leber Secundus CAP. I. The measuring of the Temple the two Witnesses that should erect and build the Christian Church who they are how long they should Prophesie how they should be killed and used after their killing how they shall be resuscicated and revived and in what time they shall be revived after they be killed and of the great mystery of God what it is and when that shall be finished OUr loving Lord and Master Jesus Christ having left us here on earth was not like Pharoahs Butler so unmindfull of us as we are of him when he was glorified in Heaven but he sends his Angel to informe his best beloved Desciple and Servant Ichn of those chiefest afflictions and persecutions that the Christian Church should find and must so undergoe here amongst the Sons of men from that time that the Angel came unto him untill he should come to judge the World and to deliver his distressed Servants out of all their troubles To what end Christ foretells the troubles of his Church and he foretells us of them that they being foreshewed unto us we might the better either study by our endeavours and prayers to God wisely to prevent and avoyd them or manfully with Gods assistance to undergoe them which might the better and the more patiently be done being expected for to come quia tela previsa minus nocent because expected troubles are alwayes less dangerous and not any wayes so grievous as those that do suddenly surprize us and rush upon us like an A med man and this sad and wofull condition of the Church the Wars and Conflicts that she must pass through and the troubles and persecutions that she must suffer the Blessed Evangelist and Apostle St. Iohn setteth down in this book of the Revelation as the Holy Ghost by his Angel hath shewed them unto him And of all the things that are foreshewed I intend only to handle What things the Author chiefly aimeth to treat of by the assistance of Gods Holy Spirit and to treat in this place what I conceive to be the chiefest things that are observable in the 11th 12th and 13th Chapters of this Book of the Revelation and which are as I beleive principally meant or at least most probably applicable to these very times wherein we live and in all likelihood to this particular Church of great Britany and Ireland that to many men seemeth to be the Stage whereupon all or most of the sad spectacles and Tragedies here in these three Ghapters mentioned are evidently seen acted as they were foreshewed I confess the burthen that herein I took upon me is very heavy and the charge very great and I have often Prayed to the same Holy Spirit The weight of the burthen that he undertaketh that as Daniel saith giveth Wisdome and revealeth Secrets Dan. 2.21 22. and that hath revealed these secrets unto his Servant Iohn that he would be pleased to reveale the meaning of them unto me who without his help can understand just nothing but with his assistance may find out the true meaning of these mysteries which wiser men and greater Schollers without his help cannot do and herein I presume not positively to affirme any thing as Articles of Faith for others to beleive but I only do set down what I verily do conceive to be the true meaning of the Holy-Ghost and say with the Poet Si tu quid rectius istis Candidus imperti si non his utere mecum Now the summe of these three Chapters The summe of the three Chapters that are explained by the Author 11 chap. in brief is this 1. In the 11th Chapter the Angell setteth down to St. Iohn the state and condition of the Governours and Pastors of Gods Church the two Witnesses of Jesus Christ and their fiery tryall their persecution and their suffering under the rule and Reigne of the great Antichrist termed here the Beast that ascendeth from the bottomless pit 2. 12 chap. In the 12th Chapter he sheweth the troubles Crosses and Persecutions of the whole Church and the chiefest members of the same and how that notwithstanding all the malice of Satan and the spite of her persecutors the Church should be assisted and delivered from them all 3. 13 chap. In the 13th Chapter the Apostle describeth unto us the great Antichrist that should most of all persecute the Witnesses of Christ and the false Prophet that should instruct and instigate the Antichrist to proceed on in all his impieties and he sheweth the Combination of these two and of others the chiefest Enemies of the Witnesses and of the Church of Christ First 1. Of the measuring of the Temple and of the Worshippers therein Chap. 11.1 After that the Apostle had eaten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the little book which the Angell gave him and was told by the Angell that he must Prophesie againe before many People and Nations and Tongues and Kings he saith there was given unto him a Reed like to a Rod or a measuring Pole and the Angel said unto him arise and measure the Temple of God and the Altar and them that Worship therein And we find that this measuring Reed was used sometimes to pull down to ruine and to destroy the measured place and sometimes to build and to reare up the same and some Interpreters whom E. H. followeth do understand it here for the ruine and Rejection of the Jewish people the dissipation of them by the Romans What is meant by the Temple that was to be measured The building of the Church of Christians and the end of their then Temple their Sacrifices and their Religion that was now approaching on and very nigh at hand but I rather conceive that by the Temple of God that was now to be measured we should understand the Church of God that is the Christian Church that was now to be edified to be reared up and to be reduced to a new forme and to have new Ordinances and new Sacraments far better then those that were in the Jewish Temple as Beza
evade and wash away these Characters of Sodom and Egypt and Hierusalem I will not accuse her let her excuse her self if she can howsoever when the slaughtered witnesses are cast forth into the streets of the great City they of the people and kindreds and tongues and Nations shall see their dead bodies three dayes and a half and shall not suffer their bodies to be put in graves Upon which words Junius in his notes annexed to Beza's Translation that understands this beast that slew the witnesses Juâ—ius in annot annex Bezae translat in apoc c. 11. Quia tres annos cum dimidio Juper vixit bon facius Jubilaeo suo ut ait Bergomensis that is the Protestant Preachers of his time to be Boniface the 8. who killed neither King nor Bishop and I am confident never did so much mischief to the Waldenses and fratricelli that were condemned for hair brain'd Hereticks as the long Parliament did to the Orthodox Bishops saith that these three dayes and a half do signifie those three years and a half that the said Boniface lived after his Jubilee as Bergomensis recordeth But I conceive rather that these three dayes and a half are not simply and properly to be taken strictly for the set and determinate time of 3 years and a half but for some certain short space or time thereabouts that for some reasons I shall shew hereafter the spirit of God is pleased to express by these three dayes and a half during all which time thus expressed the dead witnesses that are in some part actually killed and in the rest spiritually and civilly slain by the beast shall after the beast hath triumphed over them remain in the sight of the World in the streets that is in the common Roads and open places of every Town City and Village rejected despised and scorned for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the street of the great City signifieth as Mr. Mede proveth at large And being thus despised and scorned in every place the wicked limbs of the beast and the adherents to the Antichrist shall not suffer their carkasses to be put in graves that is they will strip them of all honour they will deprive them of all their just Titles and they will denie them all civill respects and esteem them no better then as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 4.17 Vergilius Aeneidos lib. 6. Plutarchus in vita Nicâ—ae p. 544. Quintus Curtius l. 5. the very filth and off-scouring of the Earth for this is the meaning and to be understood by the laying of them in their graves which the very Heathens reckon'd the last and not the least honour and respect that we owe and should shew unto our worthy friends and deceased Heroes as Virgil sheweth by the interring of Palinurus to whom he saith Et statuent tumulum tumulo solennia mittent And Plutarch sheweth that the same due respect ought to be observed as an honour that we owe unto all our worthy Heroes friends and benefactors And so Quintus Curtius saith that when Alexander lost so many men in the straights of Pila-Susida he would not depart thence and leave his slain Souldiers unburied Vide Tobit 1.17 18 19. and c. 2. 4. 7. untill they were interred because saith Curtius among all other Ceremonies observed in the Discipline of their Warres there was none more religiously kept then the burying of their dead and you may remember what great account Tobit made of this honour that is due unto the dead bodies of men and therefore especially of worthy men such as these witnesses of Christ were And whether the godly and Christian King the defender of the true Christian faith while he lived was according to the letter of the Text suffered to be put in his grave after the Christian form prescribed by the Church of Ingland or rather thrown like into a pit Mr Fuller in the Hist of the Church of the buriall of King Charles without the due honour that we owed him let the worthy Authour of the History of the Church of Ingland be consulted with I am sure the goodness vertue and piety of this gracious King and glorious Martyr deserved at the hands of his friends and subjects a far more glorious Tombe honour and solemnities of buriall then what Artemisia did for Mausolus or what was done for Alexander or any other Emperour or King whatsoever I will not except Constantine nor Theodosius who though they were most pious men yet did they not sacrifice their lives and suffer all their blood to be spilt rather then they would suffer Gods service to be any wayes defiled or his Servants to be destroyed as this glorious Martyr did therefore I wish he should And whether the Reverend Bishops the worthy Deanes the learned Doctors and abundance more of the faithfull witnesses of Jesus Christ do not thus lie neglected without honour without respect nay despised and scorned without meanes and without maintenance in the great Cities and in the little Villages Towns and Countrey throughout all Ingland Scotland and Ireland let those that see them be the Judges And let my Reader consider I beseech him if that learned and pious man Mr. Mede seemeth not to intimate that these two Witnesses of Christ shall be killed and rise againe in the reformed Churches for he saith who knoweth not Mr. Mede pag. 22. whether or no the reformed Churches shall not be deservedly punished for the reproach offered to Christ in this behalf by taking away the Witnesses for a time because they reverenced them not according to the dignity of their Embassage while they injoyed them for it is too well known A true conselsion of Mr. Mede what offence the reformed Churches have committed in this behalf that while the Prophets of Christ mightily bestirred themselves in reforming the Temple of God others in the meane while disgracing that most sacred work and especially the Workmen by pillaging the I reasure and interverting the oblations thereof not leaving in some places so much as foode to the great disgrace of the true Religion whereby the Ministers thereof That the Antichrist shall arise in the reformed Church and why might be ho nestly according to the dignity of their Calling sustained much less that any thing should abound which they might set aside for the enlarging of the Reformation the necessity of the Holy War the relief of the Afflicted Brethren and other pious uses and was not the prevarication of this kind for which the Jewish Temple that was the Type of the true Christian Church was given to Antiochus Epiphanes that was the Type of the great Antichrist to be prophaned and the true Religion of the true God to be troden down for the space of three years and a half for an Army saith Daniel shall be given to him against the daily Sacrifice Dan. 8.12 by reason of transgression and it shall cast down the truth to the ground and it shall do
so cryeth and is pained in bringing forth Children unto God and she is likened to Children in respect of particulars that are all the Children of the Church begotten and brought forth by her unto God through their regeneration and new birth by Baptisme and the Preaching of the Gospel and grace of Christ And these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The pangs of the woman and what they signifie pangs and paines of this woman to bring forth her Child may most especially signifie the troubles and afflictions that the Primitive Church endured for the Preaching of the Gospel and converting the Infidels unto the Faith of Christ under the first ten grievous persecutions and so likewise for the troubles that the Church should suffer at any other time and chiefly those great troubles that she must undergoe for doing the same service and work of regenerating children unto God in the persecution of the Antichrist for these troubles and afflictions of the Church are compared by the Prophets to the pain of a woman in travell Esay 66. and Jer. 30.6.7 because the Church will endure as much and as readily hazard her life to beget a Child to God as any woman endureth and hazardeth her life to bring forth her Child into the world and sooner too And our Saviour to shew the greatness of these pangs and pains of a woman that is in travell with Child saith that the troubles of the Jewes which should happen unto them and were as great as any we read of Mark 13.9 as Josephus ben gorion witnesseth are but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beginnings of their pangs or sorrowes which shall be no lesse then the pangs of a woman in travel so shall the pangs and pains of the Church be under the persecution of the Tyrants and the Antichrist for bringing forth Children unto God very great pains and troubles as that which here followeth will make it more manifest for The Evangelist saith v. 3. 2. The Vision of the Dragon and his malice to the woman v. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there appeared another wonder in Heaven and that seems to be a greater wonder then the former and a wonder indeed every way if we should consider all particulars in very many respects and therefore the Holy Ghost prefixeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and behold it or consider it well for a great red Dragon or as the Greek hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great fiery Dragon Job 1.6 or a Dragon as red as fire appeared in Heaven so he that durst go into Paradise before dares now to go into Heaven and to appear among the Sonnes of God as he is more often and more diligent in the Church of God to hinder our devotion then we are to perform the duties of our Religion and he that was but a Serpent before crawling upon the Earth is now become a great Dragon flying in the Air The Dragon had 7 heads and 10 horns and therefore this sign or wonder well deserveth an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 behold him and take heed of him for he hath 7. Heads harder to be discovered then the heads of Nilus and harder indeed to unhead him then it was for Hercules to cut off the heads of hydra and he had 10 horns and therefore he was of a mighty strength The horn an Emblem of strength 1 Reg. 22.11 because the horn is an emblem of power and strength as Zedechia made horns of Iron and said thus saith the Lord with these shalt thou push the Syrians untill thou hast consumed them and he had 7 Crowns upon his heads that is upon every head a Crown to shew unto us how glorious and majesticall wickedness and the instruments of wickedness would fain seem to be and his tail drew the third part of the Starres of Heaven and did cast them to the Earth What the tail of the Dragon signifieth Who are the Starres by his tayl I understand the fear of him the terror of his sting and the lashing of them far and neere that will not submit themselves to him and by the Starres of Heaven I understand those that seemed to be holy Professors good Christians and to shine like Starres in the Church of God or else those that were appointed to shine and to give light as Starres to them that are in darkness and do walk in the night of ignorance as are the Bishops Preachers and Ministers of Gods word for so the Angel saith unto our Evangelist Revel 1.16 v. 20. that the seven Stars in the right hand of Christ were the Angels that is the Bishops and Pastors of the seven Churches and by the third part of the Stars I understand not the subduing of the third part of the rulers of the world to the empire of Rome as Mr. Mede thinketh for why should the rulers of the world Mr. Mede pag. 35. be termed the Stars of Heaven and to be cast to the Earth when as they were earthly and worldly enough already and had small correspondency with Heaven but a great many as I told you the number of 3.7 and 110 doth often import What is to be understood by the third part of the Starts Let my Reader Judge whether this was not fulfilled in our time both of the Clergy and laytie that seemed to be as Stars in the firmament of the Church for feare of the Dragons tayle to be stung and lasht with the loss of their preferment their wealth their lands their liberties and their lives are pull'd down from Heaven and drawn away from their station and from the performance of their due respects unto the Witnesses and of their duties of the right service of God in his Church and are cast down to the earth that is to follow after the world and for the love of the world and the preferments of the earth to observe and follow any new forme of Gods service and so to become Apostates Meteors and falling Stars and meere Hypocrites in the Church of God which is very much that the Dragons tayle should do such great mischief And yet this is not enough for this Dragon to do to corrupt the third part of the Stars and to draw a multitude of professors from the right service of God to follow after the world and his wicked wayes but he would faine have more grist to his Mill Hell being like the Daughters of the Horse-leech that still cry give Proverb 30.15 16. give and being one of the four things that are never satisfied and that never faith it is enough and therefore he stands before the Woman which was ready to be delivered to devoure her Child saith our Translation when she had brought it forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to eat up her Son saith the originall but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being derived of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pario to bring forth it may be translated her Child as well or as I
conceive more agreeable to the meaning of the Holy Ghost then her Son and the Dragons eating of it would be a speedy devouring of her Child whether it were Male or Female so the Dragon was watching this woman and is still watching to devoure every Child of the Church Male or Female And in the fifth verse the Angel saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 V. 5. The diversity of opinions who this Child should be and the woman brought forth a man Child who was to rule the Nations with a rod of Iron and the Child was caught up to God and to his Throne where we are past the plaine and are come into the Wilderness wherein the way is not so easie to be found out when we do find so many pathes and such a great diversity of opinions among the learned who is meant by this Man child and what is to be conceived of his birth and of his taking up to the Throne of God Rupertus de victoria verbi dei l. 9. c. 28. l. 12. c. 2. Math. 2.16 c 4.1 for some Interpreters by the Birth of this Man child do understand the Birth of Jesus Christ in the Jewish Synagogue of the Blessed Virgin whom the red Dragon the Devill by Herod his grand instrument sought immediately to destroy as soone as ever he was borne as St. Mathew sheweth and also tempted him as soon as ever he was Baptized as the same Evangelist declareth But against this E. H. doth rightly oppose E. H. de Apostasia pag. 44. that the Revelation is not of known things that are past but as the Angel saith of things that must shortly come to pass and the incarnation or Birth of Christ of the Virgin Mary was not to come the same being already past well nigh an 100. years before and therefore though we deny not but the Dragon sought to destroy Christ as Rupertus saith as soon as ever he was brought forth out of his Mothers Womb yet we say that cannot be the meaning of this place which is to be understood of another Child that is to be borne of another Woman E. H. Lococitato By this Child understandeth the great Constantine and therefore E. H. and some other Authors do understand this woman to be the Primitive Church of the Christians groaning to be delivered from under the bloody Tyranny of the Red Dragon that is from the cruel dealing and sad condition that she sustained under the Pagan and persecuting Emperours and the Lord delivering her from those Tyrants by raising up Constantine who as they say is the Man-child that the Church then brought forth a good Christian to rule the Nations with a Rod of Iron that is to subdue Licinius and Maxentius and the Nations that adheared to them with his Victorious Sword and he was caught up to God when he was converted from an Infidell to become a Christian and he was placed in Gods Throne when he attained to the Imperiall Majesty The which exposition The former exposition rejected though it seem very probable and plausible yet cannot I yield unto it to be the meaning of the Holy Ghost in this place because this woman doth not crie to be delivered from her enemies that were without her but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having in her belly that is a Child within her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 she cryed by reason of her child birth pain which the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that cometh from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to bring forth a Child from whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signifie dolor parturientis the very pangs and pain of bringing forth the Child into the world and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that comes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 torqueo to be grieved or vexed and wrested with pain doth make it manifest that she cryed not to be delivered from her enemies but to be delivered of her child that she had in her womb and would faign have him to be brought forth into the world That Constantine is not the Man-child here meant Neither can I see any reason to perswade me to yield that this man-child should signifie Constantine the great Reason 1 1. Because this woman which signifieth the Church was not as then before Constantines time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 circumcinctasole cloathed or girded and compassed about with the great light of the Sun that is fully inlightened and instructed with the Doctrine of Christ and the many points of particular truths of Christian Religion nor can we finde her to be thus inlightned untill the time of Theodosius alter the death of Valens and Gratian which was about the year of Christ 382 when those great lights The woman not cloathed with the Sun till 382. that God then raised in his Church to expell the foggy mysts of errors and clouds of heresies that were formerly raised by the Hereticks and still pestered the Church St. Hierome St. Ambrose St. Augustin St. Basil Bishop of Caesaria that for his great learning and wisdom was rightly termed Basilius Magnus great St. Basill Gregory Nazianzen that for his excellent skill and knowledge in Divinity was styled Theologus the Divine as the writer of these Revelations is called John the Divine Epiphanius Cyrillus Bishop of Hierusalem When the Bishops were like Stars and when like the Sun and many more most worthy men of great learning and piety made the truth of the Gospel of Christ that was left unto us by the Evangelists and Apostles to shine in the Church as the Sun in the Firmament that formerly while those hereticks that Irenaeus Tertullian Epiphanius and St. Augustine record troubled the Church and darkned the truth of the Gospel the said truth shined but as the light of the Starres and therefore during those times of the grand Hereticks the very Angels of the seven chiefest Churches of Asia that is the Bishops and prime Pastors of those Churches Revelat. 1.20 were called seven Starres for the seven Starrs are the Angels of the seven Churches saith the Holy Ghost and the twelve Apostles are compared unto twelve Starres as I shewed to you before and the Church could not be inlightned with the light of the Sun when her chief teachers were but Starres and shined to her but as Starres though the light which these Starres sent forth was the light which they received from the Sun that is the Sun of righteousness as the Prophet calleth him but in the year 382. and about that time Reignolds Devitis Imperat. fol. 115. was the flourishing time of the learned when the Doctrine of Christ did shine as the Sun saith Reignolds Reason 2 2. Because that although the Church like the woman that is with Child is pained before the time of birth yet is she most of all tormented when the child is nearest to be born so the Church had her pangs in those that she brought forth in the
Child that the Dragon watcheth to devoure but Christ that is mystically begotten and spiritually residing in that Child of the Church which is truly regenerated is that Child which is advanced and advanceth with himself as his member every true Christian to the Throne of God and which in and by those that are his members and have him by his spirit residing in them What Child ruleth these Nations with a Rod of Iron subdueth the Devill and all the Heathenish Idolaters and all others the enemies of his Church as he did overthrowe all the Oracles all the Idolls of the Gentiles all the Tyrants that persecuted and all the Hereticks that molested his Church And all these things were wrought by this child in and by those instruments that were his members and the Children of the Church even as we find it fully expressed in our Ecclesiasticall Histories how Constantine overthrew Licinius Maxentius and Alexander that rebelled against him and vexed Gods Church and Theodosius vanquished Maximus Eugenius and Arbogastus and that in so wonderfull a manner as not onely the Christian Historiographers but also the Poet Clandian in admiration of his Victory saith O nimium dilecte deo cui militat aether Claudian de consulat Honorii Judges 4. Et conjurati veniunt ad classica venti That as the Starres in their order did fight against Cicera so the Skies and the windes did help and assist Theodosius so much beloved of God and so many other true Christians Children of the Church and the members of this Child or rather as I said this Child in and by those his members hath subdued all the Idolatrous Instruments of Satan and the tyrannicall enemies of his Church and so ruleth them with a Rod of Iron and breaks them in pieces like a Potters Vessel And yet notwithstanding all the omnipotent power and the infinite ability of this Child By the Wilderness is meant a life sequestred from the pomp and vanities of the world to protect his members it seemed good to God not to suffer the woman to stay before the Dragon but he by his blessed spirit moved her for fear of the red Dragon as I conceive though that is not exprest because he still waiteth and watcheth for any opportunity to destroy the faith of Christ from every Christian and to bring them either to renounce their faith like the Apostate Julian or to follow after the world like Demas or else to defile the faith of Christ with the old errors and heresies of the primitive age that are still revived by upstart inlighters to flie into the Wilderness that is to forsake the vanities of the world and all worldly pomp and the society of all wicked and earthly men for the Wilderness is said to be the place which God had appointed and prepared for her verse 6. And what place I pray you doth God appoint for his Children in this world but such a Wildernesse or desart let the same be where it will where they may fast and pray and serve God without being hindered or corrupted by the wicked worldlings for so Lot while he was in Sodome Joseph in Aegypt and Daniel in Nebuchadnezars Court lived as it were like Marke the Eremite in a Wilderness that is sequestred from the world and all the inticements of this world otherwise as St. Ambrose saith Transire in Egyptum non erat criminosum sed transire in mores Egytiorum crimen habet as it was no sin to passe into Aegypt but to follow the manners and the Idolatries of the Aegyptians was most sinfull so to live in the world is no wayes offensive to God but to fashion our selves like unto the World and to be led away and as it were bewitched with the vanities pleasures and delights of the world is that which is forbidden 1 Cor. 7.31 In what Wilderness the Church liveth and is most hatefull unto God and therefore God brings his Church that is his Children out of the World though they live in the world and willeth them to use the World as though they used it not or not abusing it as St. Paul speaketh And in this Metaphoricall Wildernesse or solitary unworldly manner of living in the World and not in any locall Wilderness Junius in annot in locum When the time of the Womans feeding in the Wildernesse expired such as the Children of Israell wandered in the Church of Christ by the power and providence of God was sed that is with the Heavenly Doctrine of the Gospel which is the Spiritual food of our soules for 120 and 60 dayes saith the Angel v. 6. and that is as Junius rightly expounds it by taking a day for a year 1200 and 60 years which must needs be expired after the Woman became Cloathed with the Sun and was so delivered as I shewed to you before and thus fed in the Wilderness for feare of being corrupted by the wiles of the red Dragon just about the yeare of Christ 1642. For so the Ecclesiasticall Histories do most evidently That the Church of Christ was free from any bloody persecution from 382 untill the year 1642. which is the full space of 1200 and 60 years and undoubtedly declare unto us that during all this time of 1200 and 60 years after the reigne of Theodosius untill the year 1642 the Church of God had rest and was freed from any bloody persecution for the profession of the true faith the right Service of God and the two Witnesses of Christ that is as I said before out of E. H. and others the Christian Magistrates the King as chief those that are sent from him as St. Peter saith and the spiritual Ministers the Bishops and Preachers of the Gospel living in their Cloysters and Monasteries as in a Wildernesse secluded from the world and all worldly affaires had free liberty and furtherance through the protection and assistance of the Christian Emperors and those Kings and Queens that God raised to be as nurcing Fathers and nurcing Mothers unto the Church to Preach open and publish the mysterie of our Christian Religion and the truth of the two Testaments and to instruct the people of God in the doctrine of Faith Repentance and so to edifie the Temple that was measured to be built as I have shewed to you before c. 11.3 But then the Dragon seeing the Woman and her Child thus escaped and freed out of his persecuting hands the hands of his instruments How the Devil wheeles about like a cunning Fencer the Idolatrous Heathen Tyrants and the bloody Arrian Kings he like a very cunning fencer that can play with both hands and is good at all Weapons wheeles about and because he cold not prevaile in his own ground and upon the Stage of the Heathen Tyrants he like the Roman Scipio very boldly enters upon his Adversaries Territories and makes a Warr in Heaven and that is he followeth the Woman into the Wilderness and
chief Prelate were killed about the same time by the same persons and for the same cause as it seemes the two witnesses of Christ were to be and our King and Bishops were for the pretence of fear of bringing in Popery as here it did 1. The King which is the supreme Magistrate and 2. The Bishop which is the chief Praelate Pastor of the People should be killed about the same time by the same persons and indeed upon the matter for the same cause whatsoever pretences should be alledged the which cause is shewed to be the malice of the Dragon to the woman and her Child and to slay the witnesses And I do verily believe that if learned Junius Beza and others the like wise and learned men had lived in these times and had seen the things that were and are done in these dayes of the last Century of years among Protestants and in the best reformed Churches they would have interpreted this and many other parcels of Scriptures far otherwise then they have done and no marvel nor any disparagement to their learning and wisdom because as I said before Prophesies and Predictions mystically set down are not perfectly understood untill they be fully accomplished and fulfilled And therefore as the Holy Ghost had set down in the 11th Chapter how the two witnesses of Gods truth and the Governours of his Church should be used persecuted and killed by the Ministers of the Antichrist the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit so here in the 12th Chapter he sheweth how the Church her self and all her members should be molested afflicted and persecuted by the Serpent that had formerly seduced her out of Paradise and now followeth her into the Wilderness makes Warre against her and throwes a whole flood of miseries and mischiefs upon her to see if he can utterly destroy her and being exceedingly vexed and filled with wrath that the woman should be any wayes helped as she was by the earth and earthly members that opened their mouthes to speak for the innocent Children of the woman and thereby swallowed up many of those bitter waters that the Dragon had spued upon her that all the Servants of Christ and the observers of the witnesses should not be wholly and irrecoverably destroyed he goeth about to make warre with the remnant of the womans seed and yet it is not said that he made this warre with the remainder of the womans seed after the death of the witnesses because they were so few that they were not able to warre with him but he went about to make warre with them and to that end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he stands upon the Sands of the Sea for these words are the conclusion of the 12th Chapter and not the beginning of the 13th Chapter and they are to be referred to the Dragon and not to St. John as our English Translation mistakes it and the meaning is that the Dragon intending to prosecute this warre against the remainder of the faithfull Christians that observed the witnesses and did their duties in the service of God as they ought to do and so kept the Commandements of God and had the Testimony of Jesus Christ that they were 〈◊〉 true and faithfull servants stands upon the Sands that is upon the rest of the Preachers of Gods word and those faithfull Clergy-men and other zealous and conscionable Christians that used and observed the right form of divine service or the right mazner of serving God Who are meant by the Sands upon which the Dragon standeth which the faithfull and slain witnesses of Christ had prescribed and obeyed their Governours and submitted themseives to the Discipline and to the uttermost of their abilities justified and defended the same Government which the true Governours of Gods Church had ordained and he trezdeth and trampleth these Sands under his feet for as the Sands are placed by God to keep in the Seas within their bounds that they should not overflowe the Lands so is the Lawes and Discipline of the Church and those faithfull Ministers and others that observe the same a stop and a bridle to refrain the people and to hinder them from passing over the bounds of equity and piety and though the Discipline and sentence of the Church seemes but a weak fence to keep out the wild beasts and to retain in the fold of Christ his sheep and of little force like a paper bullet to terrifie the wicked from any evill yet as the Sands that are but of a small substance do notwithstanding keep in the raging Seas and as the twigs that tie the hoopes of a Hogs-head or Tun are but very small and yet are the preservatives of the Wine so are the Lawes and Discipline of the Church though not capitall nor bloody yet sufficiently able like the Sands to suppress the raging waves of wickedness from all the Children of the Church How the Dragon stands upon the Sands But now saith the Angel the Dragon stands upon these Sands treads down all holy orders rageth against all the Discipline of the Church throwes the observers of them out of their Churches deprives them of their livings stops their mouthes with terrors and threatnings and as he had formerly slain the witnesses so now he raiseth the windes stirreth up storms and all the Tempests that he can Judge if this also be not fulfilled in the time of the long Parliament to blow away these Sands that adhered to the witnesses and endeavoured to keep in and to restraine the waters of the Seas and the wickedness of the people from overflowing and wheresoever these windes do blow and these Sands are stood upon I pray God to give them patience to overcome these stormy winds and Tempests Amen CAP. III. The three principall enemies of Gods Church Satans 1000 years imprisonment when begun and when ended when the Christian Religion tryumphed over the Idolls of the Gentiles and over all the Gods of the Heathens that the beast signifieth the great Antichrist and a pack or confederacy of most wicked men from whence it sprung of the seven heads of the beast what they are handled at large and the Authours opinion of the seven Kings and the eighth that is the beast and the Antichrist 3. AFter that the Angel which Christ sent unto St John had informed him of those sad accidents that should befall unto the witnesses in the 11th Chapter and the state and condition of the Church of God under the person and title of the woman for the space of 1200 and 60 years and the persecutions that she must undergo after the end and expiration of those years that began as I shewed unto you about 382. and ended in or about 1642. in the 12th Chapter he proceedeth in this 13th Chapter to shew unto him the Instruments that the red Dragon raiseth up and the Devill useth to become the murtherers of the witnesses and the persecuting enemies of Gods Church and I
given to this eighth which are not attributed to any of the other seven and therefore makes it plaine that none of all the Emperors or Kings can be understood by this eight for first It is said that this eight is the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit and this is said of none of the other seven Secondly It is said that they that dwell on the earth shall wonder when they behold the beast which is not said at the beholding of any of the others For so the Originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kings or Emperors Thirdly It is said of this eight that he is of the seven and not one of the seven as our English Translation hath it and this is not said of any of the other seven Fourthly It is said of this eight that he shall goe into perdition which in like manner is not said of any of the other seven and Fifthly As I noted before when the Holy Ghost speaketh of this 8th he saith and the beast that was and is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our Bible renders even he and none other is the eighth mark it well Therefore I conclude that this eighth can be none of the foresaid Emperours nor any of all the Kings or Emperours of the world of whom none of these things is said that are said of this eighth who is no where said to be a King or to weare a Crown or to have any speciall Ensign either of King or Emperour and I conceive Who were the five Kings that were fallen 1. Caligula that by the 5 Kings which were then fallen we may understand the 5 greatest persecutors that lived and reigned after Christ his ascention and before this Prophesie was revealed unto our Evangelist and I take them to be 1. Caius Caligula that most vitious and bloody Tyrant who wished that all the Citizens of Rome had but one neck that he might chop it off at one blow and whom Grotius makes the man of sin and others do assent unto him 2 Claudius Tiberius 2. Claudius that banished both the Jewes and the Christians out of Rome 3. Domitius 3. Nero Nero that Monster of men that crucifie St. Peter and beheaded St. Paul within a year one of another and when he had burned a great part of the City of Rome that he might see how Troy burnt when it was taken by the Grecians to put off the blame from himself he layed the fault upon the Christians and persecuted them for the same 4. 4. Vespasian Vespasian that besieged Hierusalem and first began the Warre against the Jewes that brought abundance of miseries upon the Christians 5. 5. Titus Titus that utterly destroyed both their Temple and their City and therein many Christians as well as Jewes The Holy Ghost omitting the other three Emperours Galba 7. months Otho 4. M. Vitellius 8. M. Galba Otho and Vitellius as men that although they had been never so wicked yet in so short a space as they raigned when as all three raigned but one year and 7 moneths they could do no such great mischief unto his Church as deserved to inrole them in the Catalogue of the most noted persecutors And by that one 6. Then in being Domitian which is said then to be I do with Junius understand Flavius Domitian who caused this our Apostle to be throwen into a Tunne of boyling Oyl at Rome and afterwards seeing how the goodness of God preserved him therein 7. Julian the Apostata so that he took no more harm then the three Children did in the fiery Furnace or Daniel in the Lions Den he spared his life but banished him into the Isle of Patmos where this Revelation was shewed unto him and by the 7th I do absolutely conclude him to be Julian the Apostata Reason 1 1. Because that although Dioclesian was the cruellest the bloodiest of all the former persecutors yet the Holy Ghost saith the other that is not yet come which was the 7th when he cometh must continue but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a short space and we find that Dioclesian reigned 19 years before his persecution began and in all 25 years whereas Julian continued but 3 years at the most and therefore Dioclesian that continued so long cannot be meant Reason 2 2. Because that although the Christians under Deoclesian Decius Trajan and the other persecutors endured more cruel tortures and were far more in number * Scribit Damasus in vita Marcellini ut Supra 17 millia Christianorum intra unum mensem a Diaclesiano inter fecta tormented by these Tyrants then they were to be at any time either before or after yet quia sanguis martyrum semen Ecclesiae because the blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church and causeth it to bring forth fruits more abundantly when as the cruelty of the Tyrants made the Christians the more constant in their profession and so could not do so much prejudice to the Christian Faith and Religion as Julian did for though Julian was not so bloody and so cruel as Dioclesian that forbad Charity to be shewed to the Christians that were in prison and even to those Vide Eusebium lib. 8. c. 2.3 et deinceps that they were bound to pitty by the Law of nature their Kindred nor did put the Saints to such ceuel deaths and tortures as the other his preceding persecutors were wont to do yet was he more devillish and far liker to overthrow Gods Church and to root out Christianity from off the earth then all the former Heathen persecuters were for as I said the more cruel they were against the Christians The two things that increased the Christian Religion 1. The constancy of the Martyrs 2. The Charity of the Christians the more did Christianity increase insomuch that as Sozomen saith Christiana religio propter constantiam martyrum Christianorum erga omnes cujusvis religionis beneficentiam longe lateque propagata est the Christian Religion by reason of the constancy of the Martyrs and the Charity of the Christians towards all men of what Religion soever they were spread it self far and neer when as the beholding of a poor Christian Woman so constantly and so manfully suffering Martyrdome for the faith of Christ moved a King and all his Family to become Christians which very point might be the Reason that all the other bloody Tyrants that were so succeed Domitian were pretermitted and not mentioned here by the Holy Ghost as upon the maine bringing no great detriment to the whole Church that gaineth thus much and more one way as she looseth another way But when the Tiger Julian that dealt like a Fox in all his wayes and perceived the issues of the former cruelties well enough and therefore with-held his hands from blood Socrates lib. 3. c. 10. and used his wit to root out the Christian
before they do not onely reject and deny the notions expressions and meanes whereby we make God known unto his people which is a Negative Blasphemy but also positively forsweare themselves by receding from that Promisory Oath which they took when they entred into Holy Orders and were made Ministers and by Preaching unto the Congregations such palpable Blasphemies as made my haires to stand and my heart to tremble when once I heard one of their prime Doctors Preaching to a great and honourable Assembly and also by the publick Lectures and printed books of the Presbyterians and the determinations of their Assembly at Westminster and their Associats and Proselites wherein you may hear and read such Doctrines touching free will And yet this horrible Doctrine is still Preached by the Presbyters and originall sin the irrespective and absolute decree of election and reprobation and the inevitable consequents of these and of abundance more of the like deep points of Divinity that they have broached as are more Blasphemous and more injurious and derogatory to the mercy and justice and truth of God then are any of the Blasphemous Errors and Heresies of the ancient and grand Hereticks Bishop Montague in his appeâ—lo caesarem Dr. Taylor in his vindication of the divine attri butes N. N in his prefatory cp to the examination of Tilenus as both learned Bishop Mountague and Dr. Taylor and many others have most fully and abundantly declared unto you and I being too large already must at this time pass them over and for the further clearing of this point referr my reader only to Mr. Edwards his collection of their Blasphemous Tenents in his Gangraena and the book intituled Hell broke loose 2. Consider and inquire how often hath that long Parliament it self Blasphemed the blessed name of God I meane not by their Idle vaine and customary swearing from which they do very well to refraine their Tongues and some of the adverse party do very ill to use it but that which is far worse by their solemne Vowes Oaths and Protestations deliberately made in the presence of God and men and wilfully unmade againe at their own pleasure when they saw that it made and served for their profit Sr. Walter Raleigh in his Preface to the Hustory of the world Comenti quidam non sunt qui crimina mundi omnia pertractent de tertora petunt proh pudor in Christam linguae temeraria dirae teia vibrant summo nil nocitura Deo Sebastianus Brant as if Oaths and Vowes were but as Lewis the 11th King of France was wont to say they were toys to deceive fools or as Apples and Nuts and other like things and Babies to beguile Children and therefore he was wont to wear a leaden God in his Cap and after he had put to death any one whom be hated or falfified his Oath or promise that he had made and sworne to any man he would take his God and kiss him and say that if he forgave him that fault he would do it no more meaning that fact that was already done but the like should usually come very soon after and did not that Parliament think and do the like with their Oaths their Vowes and their Protestations for you may inquire how often have they sworn to be true subjects and to bear faith and true alleageance to the beheaded King to his Heirs and to his lawfull successors and how many Protestations have they made to the same purpose and how often have they falsified their faith and broken this their Oath So inquire how solemnly have they sworn to live and dye with the Earse of Essex and when they suspected and thereupon disliked him how suddenly did they disoblige themselves from that knot and did choose Sr Thomas Fairfax in his roome So inquire how Religiously as it seemed with hands lifted up towards Heaven they swear and make a solemne Covenant to preserve the Kings person and yet by leaving the Clause of Preservation out of Sr. Thomas Fairfax his Commission do they not tacitly Authorize him in the apprehension of wise men to kill their King if he can which is not much less in War then a command and afterwards have they not killed and murdered him most barbarously indeed then inquire how have they Voted and Vowed and sworn at large Consider whether these doings be not to Blaspheme the blessed name of God to profess and to maintaine the true Protestant Religion and yet presently have not they contemned if not condemned and renounced the three authentick Creeds neglected the Lords Prayer rejected the reading and terrified the Readers of the Decalogue as they are set forth in our Lyturgy and cashiered the 39. Articles of our Church which I believe was the true Protestant Church and all these forenamed things were the partes constitutivae essentiall parts of the Protestant Religion that did onely discriminate the Protestants from the Papists because we protested thus to believe and these things to defend which the Papists rejected and condemned for Heresies and then to pass over many other things of less moment inquire how solemnly have they covenanted and sworn to unite themselves by an everlasting indissoluble League with their holy Brethren of Scotland and how often have they termed that Combination against their King in their Papers and Declarations a most blessed union and a most happy association that is as they meant for their own end to subdue and to overthrow the King and yet presently after they had attained their end how eagerly did they rail on them as on a most perfidious Nation as perjured as false confederates and of less credit then the Punick faith and how violently have they afterwards Warred to subdue them or destroy them which is indeed one of the best acts that ever they did to render vengeance unto them and a just reward of their unjust dealings and most perfidious disloyall confederating with them against their own King and which without question was a work proceeding from the hand of God who is most just in all his works and holy in all his wayes that as the wise man saith they might know that wherewithall a man sinneth by the same also shall he be punished Wisd 11.15.16 as the Idolaters that worshipped Serpents void of reason and vile beasts had a multitude of unreasonable beasts sent upon them for vengeance And what mysticall art what tropologicall sence or what subtle Scotus or any Sophister more subtle then he can with any distinction salve this their doings and a thousand such like jugling tricks of theirs from flat and literal perjury a gross blaspheming of the name of God I cannot with all mine understanding any wayes imagine for to swear the preservation of the King in the House and to give leave and to wink at the killing of him in the field to swear to be faithfull to him and to his Heires and yet to cut off his Head and to do
done against the house of God and such if not worse then what the Prophet sheweth and exceedingly complaineth No Turk or Pope did ever abuse the Churches so much and exclaimeth against it in Ps 74.7 8. and Psal 79.2 3. and you may be sure such as cannot be affixed on the Pope or Popish Church and yet this was not onely done by the rude and unruly Souldiers but it was also egged on by their preachers to be practised by the people whom they perswaded to believe that God is dishonoured if we think that he takes any delight in these steeple-houses as with all scorn and contempt they use to term these Tabernacles of God And therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The objection of the false Prophet the Beast that ariseth out of the earth that is the false Prophet doth object that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Tabernacle of God doth not signifie the steeple-house which we call the Church of God because God dwelleth not in houses made with hands but in the hearts and souls of the righteous people and the faithfull servants of Jesus Christ which are the Temples of the Holy Ghost as the Apostle sheweth These are the Tabernacles of God wherein he dwelleth 1 Cor. 3.16 even as he himself promiseth unto his people and for the place of his service it is wheresoever we lift up pure hands and hearts unto God to call for his affistance and to praise him for his blessings for as God is every where and as the old verse saith Enter praesenter Deus est ubique potenter Which is according to the Schooles supracaelos non elatus subter terram non depressus above the Heavens and below the Earth and as the Prophet David saith a spirit that filleth all places and is wholly present in every place for if I climbe up to heaven thou art there Psal 139.6 John 4.23 1 Reg 18.4 Acts 20.7 8. and c 21.5 1 Tim. 2.8 and if I go down to hell thou art there also even so he may be served in any place as our Saviour himself tells the woman of Samaria and as Moses did serve him upon the Mountain Elias under a Juniper tree St Paul in an upper Chamber and the Disciples on the Sea-shore and the Apostle saith I will that men pray every where lifting up pure or holy hands without wrath And as we may pray unto God any where so we may preach unto Gods people in any place for so Christ hath promised that whensoever or wheresoever two or three are gathered together in his name Matth. 18.28 c. 5.1 or to do him service he would be there in the midst of them and so we find that he himself preached in the Mountain and in the Ship and in any place where a fit opportunity and a just occasion was offered and he bade his Disciples to go and to preach from house to house which they did accordingly as you may see Philip preached to the Eunuch by the high way side Act 18 35. Neh. 8.3 Acts 17.22 St. Paul unto the Athenians as Ezra did unto the Jewes in the street in the mids of Mars-hill and therefore what need we to have a steeple house to serve God when God may be rightly served in any place I answer that the service of God is to be considered two wayes and is two fold 1. Private Solut. The service of God is twofold 2. Publique And 1. For the private service of God as for a man to pray unto God to catechise his Children and to instruct his Family as Abraham and Joshua are said to have done we deny not but men may and ought to do the same at all times and in every place and they are the best that do it most oft 2. For the Publique service of God we are to consider it either 1. In ecclesia constituenda in the establishing of a Church or 2. In ecclesia constituta in a Church setled and established 2. The publick service considered two wayes and in the first sence many things may lawfully be done which may not be done in a well settled and established Church And in the second sence there is a time when the publique service of God may be likewise done in any place but that is not alwayes save onely when we cannot come or not come without great danger and detriment What times God may be served in any place 1. In sickness time Esay 38 2. 2 Reg. 20.2 2. In Plague time 1 Chron. 21.29 3. In Warre time 1 Chron. 13 3. to serve God in the place where he requireth to be served and that is 1. In the time of sickness so Ezechias being in his bed and not able to go to the Temple turned his face to the wall and so prayed unto the Lord. 2. In the time of a Plague or any other contagious Disease raging among the people so David could not go to the Tabernacle of the Lord for fear of the Sword of the destroying Angel and I could never finde that God requireth our service with the losse of our lives but when he is more glorified by our death then he is by our life as he is by the death of those glorious Martyrs that lay down their lives for the defence of his truth 3. In the time of Warre which is the worst of all Plagues so David inquired not at the Ark of God in the dayes of Saul that thirsted after the life of David and so we may absent our selves from the Church for fear of the distroying Souldiers that do seek our lives 4. In the time of persecution 4. In persecution time 1 Reg 19.4.4 when our lives are sought after by Tyrants either for Religion or the transgression of any duty that is required against our Conscience so our Consciences be rightly informed so Elias served God under a Juniper-Tree when he was feign to flie for his life from the face of Jezabel 5. In Captivity or restraint when we are held in durance 5. In the time of Captivity and cannot go where we would go so Daniel prayed in his Chamber when he was held Captive in Babilon and Joseph in Egypt and the Apostles in the Prison and in the Stocks sung Psalms and served God when they were detained so fast that they could not go to the Temple 6. In our Travel upon unavoided necessities as Marriners by Sea 6. In the time of Iravel and others by Land upon urgent and extraordinary necessary occasions as for Phisitians to ride to preserve the life of man and the like they may serve God and both pray and preach in their Ships or in a private house as if they were in the Church of God 7. When we are plagued by Souldiers or any other enemies 7. In the time of great dangers so that we can neither tarry in our own Houses nor go to Gods House without eminent danger either of life or imprisonment or the
ordinarily and alwayes when he came to the Temple Matth. 21.14 and opportunity offered him so to do and St. Matthew saith that the blind and the lame came to him in the Temple and he healed them and so must we come to him into his Temple if we desire to be healed of our infirmities and so the Apostles and Disciples of Christ after his ascention into Heaven met and worshipped God in the Temple Act. 2.46 c. 5.25 and when the Christians began to be multiplied they presently erected Churches and consecrated them for Gods service as you may see in 1 Cor. 11.22 and from the 14th Chapter of the said Epistle where the Apostle bids the women to be silent in the Church which must not be understood of any other House or Congregation but the Congregation that meeteth for Gods service in Gods House And because that place was set apart from all prophane uses for to pray to God and to preach unto the people and to do all other exercises of Religion as administring the Sacraments catechizing the youths collecting the alms for the poor and the like services of the Lord and was hallowed and sanctified by the prayers of the Bishop onely for that end and that God hath promised his more speciall presence for our help and assistance in a most speciall manner in that House more then in any other place 2 Chron. 6. as you may see by Solomons prayer therefore the true Saints and servants of God did ever honour and reverence this very place of Gods Worship more then any Chamber of presence of the greatest Monarch in the World and none but prophane Atheists wicked Hereticks and the members and adherents of this Beast that are worse then the worst of worldlings have ever abused prophaned or blasphemed these materiall Churches whereof the Prophet saith holiness becometh thy house for ever for Though originally In what sence all things are alike holy and in respect of their own nature all places are alike holy and so are all persons all dayes and all meates and so all other things that are ejusdem speciei of the same kind they are all alike holy and there is no difference nor any more Sanctity or Holiness in the one then in the other being all alike Holily created by God Yet if we consider Gods designation of any of these things and the Sanctification In what sense some things are more holy then others For the further clearing of this point I desire the Reader to look into Mr. Mede's learned Discourse de sanctitate relativa and his answer to Dr. Twisse pag 660 and in Levit. 19.30 of the same by the appointment of God for such and such uses in the service of God then you shall find a great deale of difference betwixt the one and the other and a great deale of a relative accidentall Holiness in and belonging to the one more then to the other otherwise what difference will you make betwixt the common bread that we eat of the finest Wheat Flower and the most Holy and Blessed bread of the Holy Eucharist or the Lords Supper but the Sanctifying of it by Prayers for this use to be the Body and Blood of Christ this makes the difference so that now after the consecration of it with the words of Christ hoc est Corpus meum we cannot without prophaneness and a mighty offence give the same to Doggs or unbelieving Jewes or any other that we know to be altogether unworthy of it as we can give the other bread that is made of the same lump to either of these without any offence or what difference is there betwixt one day and another but because the Lord designed the 7th day to be set apart for his Service and hallowed it for that end therefore it is more Holy then all the other six dayes and so are the dayes and feasts that are appointed by the Church to honour God in them as the Commemoration of Christs Nativity Circumcision Resurrection Ascention and other dayes of Thanksgiving for some speciall blessings and extraordinary favours that as on those dayes we have received from God which none will prophane but the neglectors of Gods honour and the prophaners of his Service So what difference or what Holiness is there naturally betwixt one man and another but when the Lord chooseth one before another to be his Servant to be sent as his Embassador to Preach his Word and to administer his Sacraments and causeth him to be consecrated or hallowed by Prayers and impositions of hands for that purpose there is a great deale of difference betwixt them and much additionall Holiness in the one more then in the other in so much that our Saviour saith of these men he that receiveth you receiveth me Luc. 10.16 Zech. 2.8 and he that despiseth you despiseth me and the Lord saith of them he that toucheth you toucheth the Apple of mine eye and you see this difference in the Embassadors and other Officers of Kings Princes and Potentates whom we honour and reverence more then others because they are deputed and Authorized to be the Judges Sherifs or other Officers of the Kingdome where they are designed so to be and so likewise what difference or what Holiness is there in one place more then in another in the Church ground more then in the Barne floore surely not any at all originaliter in respect of themselves but when such a piece of ground is designed and dedicated for Gods Service and consecrated by Prayers for that purpose and God promiseth his presence to be more especially there for our comfort then in any other ordinary place then certainly there is a great deale of difference and a great deale of Holiness in that place and Consecrated ground more then in any other common ground whatsoever Therefore Jacob said of the place where God shewed his presence to him Gen. 28.17 this is Gods house and the gate of Heaven and the Lord said unto Moses Exod. 3.5 pull off thy shoes from thy feet for the place where thou standest is Holy ground and why was that ground more Holy then any other ground not in respect of any innate Holiness but because the Lord revealed himself there to Moses more then in any other place and I pray you look what the Spirit of God injoyneth us to do when we come into Gods House Eccles 5.2 for if we make no difference of these things but that every man that will may intrude himself to do the Service which God requireth to be done by another and he may do that Service any where in any one place as well as in another in a Common Barne as well as in a Holy Church then surely we need not observe any time when any one day is as good and as Holy as another the Munday as well as the Lords day and so confounding persons times and places we shall confound all Religion and
Rome for as the Prophet saith that the Lord would search Ierusalem with candles so have our men searched everie corner of Rome that there is not a stone of it unfound out but everie point of the Popes faith Zephan 1.12 and everie act of his Court and of his Councill are all discovered to the world and if I did the like to Constantinople or Paris or Antwerp or London or any other such great Cittie as Rome is Perphaps I should finde as many 25 Particular things therein as he findes in Rome and as many 25 things in other Churches as he found in the Church of Rome But let it be granted that Rome is answerable to Ierusalem and the Pope and his Cardinalls to Christ and his Apostles which is the sum of of his 14. c. yet take it not in his sence but as Aleazar saith utque successit antiquae Hierosolimae in co quod fidelium omnium eaput et metropolis sit effecta and so take the Pope and his Cardinals not as enemies but as successors unto the Apostles and Vicegerent unto Christ then all that he saith is rather an argument to approve and commend them for their desire to imitate Christ and his Apostles then any wayes to condemn them for the Antichrist and for the 25 number of their Cardinals which at first in the time of Clemens were but 15 and then were augmented by Anacletus the 3 Pope or the 2 as some count him and a most holy Martyr within the 1 centurie in anno 94 to 25 and the 25 number of the articles of the Roman faith into which Pope Pius the fourth reduced the sum of the Tridentine Councill as Mr. Potter reckoneth them even as the articles of our Church which we beleeve are augmented to 39 and the 25 gates of Rome which notwitstanding are not agreed by the best authors to be just so many when plinie saith there be but 24 and Liuius saith there be 27. and the 25 figures and characters that he saith are ingraven upon their chiefest Altar and all the other 25 particulars that he collecteth from his authors to belong to any thing either in their Cittie Church or religion as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contrarie positions to all the 12 things that are found in the new Ierusalem as the 12 gates 12 angels 12 Tribes 12 foundations 12 thousand furlongs 12 fruites of the tree of life doe no way convince and prove the Pope and his Heirarchie to the beast and the antichrist no more then the Mayor and the four and twenty Aldermen and if I should finde 25 gates and 25 Presbyters and some other 25 particulars either in London or Lisbon or Paris to be the verie seat of the Antichrist But I have been too long in the pursuance of these things that he saith are to be found in Rome and we are better to beleeve him then to goe there to see but I beleeve few wise men upon such an implicite faith of things not apparant nor approved by any of the ancient authors nor understood by verie good scholers except perfect arithmeticians as I take Mr Potter to be will make this inference to conclude the Pope and his Hierarchy to be the beast and the antichrist that is more perspicuously and plainely deciphered and shewed unto us in the holy scriptures which I have applied to nothing but to what wee have seen with our eyes and all men know to be true except the actors of these impieties and those that will be wilfully blinde And so to proceed upon plainer evidences then these arithmeticall ridles to discover the beast unto you 4. The name of Independents is most proper to the antichrist I demand if the verie name of Independants that is usaully and generally given them and by which the prevalent faction of that Parliament was best known and distinguished from the rest of the House and of all other true Christians apostate hereticks and wherein both themselves and their adherents doe so much glorie doth not sufficiently mamanifest the same thing and evidently prove them to be this beast and the antichrist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that was prophesied by the Apostles and expected by the Church to come into the world for though in the dayes of Aurelius Bishop of Carthage that lived in the fift centurie there were some that as the Cannon saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lest their absurdities and novelties should be discovered refused to submit themselves unto the Councill and so became Independants from the Church of Christ for which cause Aurelius caused them to be removed by the Councill as obstinate and rebellious from all rule and authoritie over the people yet these men never assumed the name of Independants neither was it given them for ought I read by any others because they persisted not in their obstinafie to draw more proselites after them but our Independants of these times as flat and fully oppsite to the Church of Christ are and are so generally termed and taken Independants from the Catholique Church and from every particular nationall Church and therefore they doe gather Churches and congregations unto themselves and in that respect are most properly stiled Independants as fit a name as any is in the world for the followers of the antichrist when as all other creatures men and Angels good and bad and not any of all the former hereticks excepted but that they acknowledged themselves to be entia dependentia not only depending upon him Heb. 1.3 that beareth up all things by his mighty word or the word of his power that is Jesus Christ but also desired to be received into that unitie and to depend upon the communion and society of the Church as Arius that arch heretick made great friends to be admitted into the communion of the Church of Alexandria as Theodoret writeth Theodor. haret fabul l. 4. The paralel But these men as A per se A or as the arctick pole is from the antarchtick so are they fully opposite ex diametro to their head and have assumed and let them have it this antichristian name of Independants they say not from Christ but I say certainly from Christ because it is from the Church of Christ for whosoever hath not the church for his mother 1 pet 3.20 shall never have God for his Father but as all perished by the deluge that were not in Noahs Arke that was the type of the church as St. Peter sheweth so shall they perish everlastingly that are not the members of Christ and of his church and within the communion of Saints which is a speciall article of the christian faith Then 5. The ancient Fathers as St. Aug. upon the words of Christ 5. The great persecution of the Parliament a concomitant signe of the antichrist Aug. de civit Dei l. 20. c. 8. and 9 Hypol. in erat de consumwat mundi Cyrillus cateches 15. Bellarum de rom Pot. l. 3. c. 7. The