Roman Dominion in the last and Antichristian Edition must continue a long time â—…o the admiration of the world The Caesarean Majesty was to continue some good space of time and that being cut off the Antichristian is to be restored as the wonder of the world And therefore it is said That all they whose Names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world shall admire when they behold the Beast that was and is not and yet is chap. 17. vers 8. Now then if we can make it appear what is the meaning of the Spirit in these things when the Antichristian Kingdom began and how long it must continue if we can shew what is meant by the Name Mark and the Number of the Name and how all these are applicable to the universal headship of the See of Rome and to the worlds living in subjection to that headship if these things can be cleared as by the Lords assistance I shall endeavour to clear them in the process of this Treatise I hope that this will not any longer be accounted a fruitless inquiry which may be the mean under the grace of God to redeem the Souls of men from such a thraldom For put case you have to do with such a one who placeth a great part of his Religion in yielding subjection to the universal headship of the Bishop of Rome You shall do much toward his Conviction when out of the Scriptures in general you shall be able to prove such an Obligation to be contrary to Faith in Christ. And this many worthy Writers have done already Yet you shall do more when out of this particular Scripture you shall be able solidly to prove the Profession of such an Allegiance to be the Mark of the Beast If they that separate from our Church and cite that Scripture Come out of Babylon my People would first define what Babylon is and that the Church of England is the Babylon that St. Iohn speaks of they would carry on their business more demonstratively and Apocalyptically Till this be done they do but beat the Air. The same Law may be given to us when we charge the Roman Catholicks that they are such that receive the Mark of the Beast To justifie the charge we should define in the first place what the Beast his Name Mark Image and the Number of his Name do signifie and when this is done we should shew how these things do agree to the head-ship of the Roman Bishop If there be no performance of this how can we accuse them of a sin and we our selves be altogether ignorant what that sin is Therefore the right determination of these things is no trivial matter as some imagine Seventhly If we consider the Reign of Christ upon the Earth for 1000 years to the better understanding of this it is behoveful for us first of all to know what is the Reign of the Beast over those that have the Mark and worship the Image For it is the Scope of the Spirit to set the Reign of Christ in immediate opposition to the Reign of the Beast If therefore we can well understand the nature and manner of the Beast's Reigning over those that have his Mark and worship his Image we shall be the more able to see the nature of the Reign of Christ. For the knowledge of one contrary doth exceedingly conduce to the knowledge of the other specially in that Point wherein the contrariety doth stand and the contrariety between the Lamb and the Beast doth lie in the Soveraignty Now for the clearing of this Truth we can prove it from the Scope of the Prophecie and from the coherence of the Visions For in the former part of the Prophecie from the beginning of the 13 chapt to the end of the 19 it is the Plot of the Spirit to describe the Kingdom of the Beast in its first Institution in the greatness of its power in its cruelty against the Saints in the time of its continuance and in other Adjuncts of that Dominion At the end of the 19 chap. he sheweth how the Beast is cast into the Lake of Fire and when this is done he beginneth to â—…peak of the Reign of Christ and of the Resurrection of the Martyrs From the whole Scope of the Prophecie it is evident That the Reign of the Beast is opposed to the Reign of Christ for 1000 years where the Beast doth make an end at that instant of time the Reign of Christ doth begin And where the death of the Martyrs is fully complete there the Resurrection and emersion out of the Antichristian Death doth immediately ensue Now for the Consequents that follow the destruction of the Beast's Kingdom Iohn tells us I saw an Angel come down from Heaven having the Key of the bottomless Pâ—…t and a great chain in his hand and he laid hold on the Dragon and bound him 1000 years Further he did cast him into the bottomless pit and set a Seal upon him that he should deceive the Nations no more chap. 20. vers 1 2. Now if the question be put How and wherein were the Nations deceived I Answer It was in the worship of the Beast and in receiving his Mark for it is mentioned in the two last verses of the former Chapter That the false Prophet deceived them that received the Mark of the Beast and worshipped his Image When the Beast was destroyed then the Dragon was bound up and so an end was put to the deceiving of the Nations By all that hath been spoken it is evident That the Reign of the Beast in all his times is immediately opposed to the thousand years of the Reign of Christ. Therefore if we would know the nature of the Reign of Christ in what manner he shall Reign upon the Earth and how his Martyrs shall Reign with him it is needful that we should understand what is the Reign of the Beast over those that receive his Mark and worship his Image It is needful also that we should understand the whole Antichrisian time to be the season of the Death Sufferings and Beheading of the Marâ—…yrs for the testimonies sake When this time is ended then there shall be a rising or a standing up from this Death The right stating of these things will prepare the way for the discovery of the 1000 years And for ought as I can discern one chief reason wherefore we are so dark in the Apprehension and confused in the Notion of the Reign of Christ is this Because we do not first Expound and make cleer the Reign of the Beast what it is what his Name Mark or Image are nor what is the Number of his Name These and many other Reasons might be brought to prove the Use and Profit of the Discovery But to gather up all into one Sum If any think these things to be a Nicety â—…et them consider First That these are the distinctive Badges of the Beast's Kingdom Secondly That
the great Sin of the Christian world for many Ages hath been in worshipping the Image and receiving the Mark. Thirdly The grievous Judgements of God denounced against men for these things Fourthly The Cause of the Martyrs Sufferings because they would not worship the Beast nor receive his Mark. Fifthly The object of the Vials they are poured out upon a People distinguished by these Characters Sixthly The deceiving of the Nations in the matter of the Mark of the Beast and the worship of his Image Seventhly The Reign of Christ upon the Earth which will be the more demonstratively understood by the right Stating of the Reign of the Beast â—…ver those that worship the Image and receive the Mark All these Considerations laid together plainly shew the Use and Profitableness of the Discovery Now let us proceed to the second Point to the Possibility thereof CHAP. II. Concerning the Possibility of the Discovery and how that there are certain Demonstrative Principles to bring the Truth to light THere are now living in these times many who think that there is no medling with this Prophecie especially in the matter of the Beast and the Number of his Name But I would entreat all such seriously to ponder in their own hearts Whether by this Opinion of theirs they do not secretly accuse the Lord Christ either for want of Truth or want of Wisdom For what man of Truth will call that a Revelation which is no Revelation at all And what man of Wisdom will say Blessed is he that readeth and keepeth the words of the Prophecie when there is no possibility to reade it so as to understand And particularly Shall the Lord Jesus give serious warning to his Church and People shall he shew them so long before-hand the great sin of the world which shall consist in the worship of the Beast and in receiving of his Mark and when all comes to all shall it be presumption to shew what is the meaning of Christ in these things To what end were they Revealed if there be no use of the Revelation at all and there is no use if it be so difficult that it cannot possibly be understood It was a special part of Love in Christ to send and signifie to his Servants things that must come shortly to pass But what part of Love is it to signifie it in that manner that they cannot possibly understand what he meaneth You will say It was revealed to some Select ones I grant that some of the Servants of Christ have a peculiar Gift to understand the Typical Expressions in this Prophecie as every Member in the Church hath his peculiar Gift dispensed to the edification of the whole Body and therefore they are bound to lay out their Talent this way for the common good But what shall we say of them that account it curiosity in any whosoever to meddle with these studies and are absolutely for the concealing of these things from the People But if it be alledged That Experience sheweth how they have been deceived who have bestowed their pains in this kind of study I Answer The same Experience plainly sheweth That they who have come with a sincere mind to finde out the Truth to study the whole Body of the Prophecie to compare Time with Time Vision with Vision and the Prophecies with the Stories have had a good return of their Labours I may say without prejudice to those that went before That Bullinger in his time Brightman in his time Grasserus in his time Mede in his time each of these have made their several and respective Additions to the clearing of the Prophecie If we endeavour to carry on the Work where they left it at least with the same Industry and Fidelity we may by the blessing of God be the instruments of bringing those Mysteries to light that were not discerned in former Ages And for my part I do firmly believe That God will not cease to raise up such in the times following as shall clear the things that have layen dark in the Prophecies and do yet remain hid to us But for the present because many think that the Name of the Beast and the Number of the Name are unsearchable Mysteries let me lay down some Reasons to prove the Possibility and the Evidence of the Discovery First The Name of the Beast and the Number of his Name are the Essential Characters of a State or Government obvious to the view of men It is said of the Writings of S. Paul that there are many things in them hard to be understood 2 Pet. 3. 16. There may be good Reason given for this to wit The sublimity and the spiritualness of the matter for a Natural man that hath no Experience in his own heart how can he judge of the meaning of the Apostle when he speaketh of the Life of the Spirit of the leading of the Spirit of the Comfort of the Spirit of the putting off of the Old man and the putting on of the New When a man hath no experience how can he understand these things that are so largely spoken of in the Epistle to the Romans Now it is not so with the Name of the Beast and his Mark these are the Badges of a Government obvious to the Senses of all men If there be any difficulty it lieth only in the typical and figurative way of expression Secondly The Name of the Beast and the Number of the Name are the essential Characters of a State or Government which the Church hath had long experience of for many Ages For the Monarchical Kingdom of Christ that shall be over Jews and Gentiles in the latter times though there are many things spoken in the Scriptures concerning this Dominion yet there are sundry passages hard to be determined because the event hath not yet shewed the meaning of the Prophecie Now there is nothing wanting so far as it concerneth the event to make known to the Church what is meant by the Name of the Beast and the Number of the Name Thirdly The Name of the Beast and the Number of the Name are such Characters that the Church in Being hath the present Experience of Many things are dark in the Old Prophets because the Stories of those times are lost to us The Jews could better understand the meaning of some Prophecies than we can And I believe the greatest Knot in Expounding the 70 weeks of Daniel lieth principally in this To shew precisely and determinately where that Number of Time doth begin There is an excellent agreement between the Greek Historians about the respective times of the Kings of Persia But the Knot lyeth in this Rightly to determine who that Darius was in whose times the Temple was built and the City repaired This thing was better known to the ancient Jews than it is to us But now for the Name of the Beast the Mark and the Number of the Name there is not the like Reason of darkness in these because they
Roman Obedience or that all had the Mark of the Beast who were Subjects under that Jurisdiction To speak properly they sin onely against the Kingly Power of Christ and his Regal Office as Mediator that submit to the Roman or rather to the Antichristian Dominion in these last times Princ. 12. The Mark of the Beast ought so in special to be expounded that the whole Company which câ—…rrieth the Mark may be set in direct opposition to the 144000 who had their Fathers Name written in their Forehead This is clearly proved from the collation of two Scriptures Chap. 13. ver 16 17 18. with Chap. 14. ver 2 3 4 5. In the former Scripture we have a description of those that worshipped the Image and received the Mark and immediaiely after them there is the description of those that were with the Lamb upon Mount Sion and had their Fathers Name written in their Forehead It is plain then That there is an immediate Antithesis or Contraposition betwixt the Lamb and the Beast the Name of the Lamb and the Name of the Beast the Followers of the Lamb and the Followers of the Beast There is then a perfect contrariety betwixt these two as may be seen in the whole Body of the Prophecy They therefore who will rightly expound the Book of the Revelation must diligently observe the Contraposition and by the one expound the meaning of the other contrary But withall this Rule ought to be remembred That oppositio must be in eodem circa idem the opposition must be in the same and about the same matter And therefore to apply the matter to particulars I cannot see how Mr. Potter doth proceed by this Rule in that Contraposition of his between the Number of the Beast and the Numbers of the New Ierusalem First whereas he opposeth the Number 144 to the Number 666 he should have proceeded in eodem and made the opposition in the same matter If therefore 144000 be the Characteristical Number of the Subjects of the Lambs Kingdome then 666000 should be the Number of the Subjects of the Beast and so Subject will be opposed to Subject and Number to Number Secondly Mr. Potter opposeth the Number of the Beast to the Numbers of the New Ierusalem which cannot properly be said to be oppositio in eodem an opposition in and about the same matter For in the true Apocalyptical method the Beast is not so much opposed to the New Ierusalem as to the Lamb his Riâ—…al in Kingly Power If we will speak plainly the New Ierusalem is opposed to the Whore of Babylon the Gospel-Church to the Roman Idolatrous Church For after that the Saints had sung their Halelujahs at the destruction of the Great Whore these words are immediately added Let us be glad and rejoyce for the Marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made her self ready Chap. 19. ver 1 2 3 4 c. Therefore the contrariety standeth more immediately betwixt the Lamb and the Beast the New Ierusalem and the Whore of Babylon Therefore the Number of the Beast is not so immediately opposed to the Dimensions of the New Ierusalem And yet further in the opposition between the Lamb and the Beast between the Whore of Babylon and the New Ierusalem we must go so far onely as may be well warranted by Scripture or by necessary deduction from Scripture And therefore whereas Mr. Potter layeth down this Maxime The description of the New Jerusalem is not for this reason onely set down in Scripture that by it the knowledge of the true Church of Christ might be described but that the false Church of Antichrist by way of Antithesis might by the same description mutatis mutandis be also manifestly revealed pag. 122. This Position of that learned Author I do in part receive but yet I do not think that we are to extend it to every particular without any restriction We reade in the description of the New Ierusalem of 12 Gates 12 Apostles 12 Angels 12 Foundations and yet I do not think that we have warrant to look after such a set Number of Gates of Angels of Apostles of Foundations in the City of Rome And yet further if we could finde such certain Numbers in the City aforesaid it were not to the purpose in hand For in the true sense of the Prophecy not Rome within such Walls or Gates but the Romish Church in such a largeness and compass of Territories is immediately opposed to the New Ierusalem or the Gospel-Church that shall be in the latter times at the end and destruction of the Beasts Kingdome We reade in the slaughter of the Witnesses that they did lie slain in the streets of the great City spiritually called Sodom and Egypt and where our Lord was Crucified Chap. 11. ver 8. Now there is none that will say that they did lie slain in the streets of Rome literally so called but within the verge and precincts of the Romish Church This properly is the Great City that is opposed to the New Ierusalem to the Holy City to the Lambs Wife that comes from God out of Heaven Princ. 13. The Number ought so in special to be expounded that it may appear to be 666 in that method and way of account which is called the Number of a Man For so it is expresly said Let him that hath wisdome count the Number of the Beast for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Number of a Man They therefore who will have Lateinos or some such Grammatical word to be the Number of the Name how do they make it appear That this is the Number of a Man or that it is the manner of men to calculate States and Governments by Anagams or Numeral Letters of any Grammatical Name whatsoever Princ. 14. The Number ought so in special to be counted not according to the subtilties of humane invention but according to the nature of the subject matter and the manner of the Holy Spirit in such-like descriptions For the nature of the subject matter the great sin of the world is in receiving the Name and the Mark of the Name And shall we think when the Lord Christ speaketh to his Churches concerning these things that only they who have skill in the subtilties and mysteries of Art shall have ability to understand his meaning Surely though the Number it self may be more mysterious yet the Matter Numbred must be in more open view Secondly for the manner and use of the Spirit in such-like descriptions his use is to speak Parabolically and Typically and yet we finde no one instance of the discovery of a Government by the extraction of the square-root Very often we finde when he speaketh of the rising of a Government or the destruction of a State he doth usually Number such a Chain or Line of years to each such remarkable occurrence and he doth refer us either to the Chronologie of the Bible or to the Stories of the Church These
Reproof and Instruction in Righteousness I shall do it the rather because many in these times are preoccupated with prejudice Paraeus in his Commentary upon the Revelation and in the Preface of the Work hath these words Apocalypsin interpretari non est nodos aenigmatum omnium solvere apices omnes aâ—…u fodere nihil omnino ignorare vel quid Imago quid Character quid Numerus Nominis Bestiae quid Bestia ipsa c. By this it is evident what the forenamed Interpreter doth judge concerning these Points to wit The Beast the Name the Mark the Number of the Name He taketh them to be but Punctilio's and Niceties in this kind of Learning But saving the great worth of so judicious an Author I shall now endeavour to make good the Contradictory to his Assertion and shall prove these to be Points very Momentous and much conducing to the knowledge of the whole Prophecie First If you take the Book of the Revelation in the main Scope it is for the most part carried on in the Description of the Kingdom of the Beast in the time of the beginning and continuance of that Kingdom as it standeth in Diametral opposition to the Kingdom of the Lamb and of his Saints The Lord Jesus Christ that sent his Angel of â—…et purpose to sigâ—…e to the Churches things that must shortly come to pass â—…endeth a great part of the Prophetical Narration in the description of the Beasts Kingdom and in the delineation of the Name Mark and Number the essential Badges and Characters of the Kingdom Therefore it must needs be a matter very behooveful to the right understanding of other parts of the Prophecie to define in the beginning what is signified under these Emâ—…ems or typical Expressions Secondly The holy Spirit speaking of the Image of the Beast 〈◊〉 Name Mark and the Number of his Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That iâ—… giving worship to the Image and in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark the great sin of the world hath consisted in these latter times chap. 13. vers 11 12 13 14 15 16. Now then if the great sin of the world hath primarily and chiefly consisted in these things it is a most material Point to finde out what the holy Spirit doth mean by these symbolical and figurative expressions I cannot mourn for a sin privately in heart neither can I publickly reprove it in others but I must first know what the sin is But that this Idolatry may more fully appear let us amplifie it by two Circumstances First By the Circumstance of Place where and how far it hath been used And here it is plain in all the parts of the Dominion of the Beast none may buy nor sell but he that worshipeth the Image and receiveth the Mark He causeth all both small and great rich and poor free and bond to be subject to his Laws If you look to the Latitude of the Dominion the Scripture speaketh of a very large and ample Dominion that the Beast hath For the Nations were deceived chap. 20. vers 3. All the world worshiped the Beast chap. 13. vers 8. The Kings of the Earth did also agree to give their power to the Beast chap. 17. vers 17. Therefore the Dominion of the Beast must be very great and by consequent the sin must be an Oecumenical sin practised in all the parts and precincts of so large a Dominion Seeing also it is not the sin of one particular Nation City or Church but in a manner the general and the common Apostacy of the times therefore it is of great moment to be considered The sin of Ieroboam is much spoken of in the Scripture that it was a sin of departure from the true God and that it continued long after his death yet for all this it was only practised within the compass of the Ten Triâ—…es so long as they continued a Kingdom But now the worship of the Beast and the receiving of his Mark have overspread all Nations in the Christian world only there have been some faithful Witnesses which have stood for the Truth and have been slain for the testimonies sake Secondly For the Circumstance of time how long shall it be that men must worship the Beast and receive his Mark This must be in all the times of the Kingdom of the second Beast For though I do not fully agree with Mr Mede as may appear by that which I shall afterwards deliver That the ten-horn'd the two-horn'd Beast are exact contemporaries in all their times yet in substance and in the main they are said to be of equal continuance The time of the ten-horn'd Beast is 42 months or 1260 prophetical dayes or ordinary years So then some small proportion being deducted this period will be the time also of the two-horned Beast and of the worlds receiving the Mark and the Image which he made Therefore seeing this sin shall continue many ages together it behoveth us to make the more diligent search into the matter Nebuchadnezzar set up a great Image as the type of the Babylonian Majesty he caused all the States of that Empire to come together to the Dedication of the Image he commanded them all under pain of death to fall down before it He had a note of distinction also to discern between the worshipers of the Image and those that refused that worship Yet all this was done as it were in an instant of time But for the Image of the Beast set up in honour of the Roman Majesty this hath continued many ages Here all Nations Languages and People are required to worship here is a penalty laid upon all that shall refuse to yield Obedience to the Command and here is a mark to distinguish between those that are the Beast's and those that are none of his These Tyrannical and Idolatrous practises have continued by the fore-appointment and counsel of God for many generations Therefore considering the largeness of the place and the long continuance of the time that the world hath sinned and doth yet continue sinning against Christ in these very things we may conclude That it is no nice curiosity to finde what is meant by the Beast his Name Mark and the Number of the Name Thirdly If we consider the grievous Judgements of God denounced against all those that worship the Beast his Image and receive his Mark in their Forehead and their Right hand that they shall drink of the Wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture in the Cup of his Indignation Also that they shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels and of the Lamb and the smoak of their burning shall ascend for ever and ever chap. 14. vers 9 10 11. The learned Grasserus rightly observeth That in the whole Canon of Scripture there is nowhere a more terrible judgement threatned than that which is here denounced against the men that worship the Beast and receive his Mark. And shall
conjectural Knowledge and go no further So in the present case touching the Beast his Name Mark and Number men do only take up with a Topical Knowledge yet I am perswaded if they would look to the Principles laid down in the whole Bodie of the Prophecie they would finde that here is a certain Demonstration to be had and that they need not go to literal Names to numeral Letters to Anagrammatisms and to such-like uncertainties Thus I have passed through the two Prooemial Points The First Concerning the Profit and Use of the Discovery The Second Concerning the Possibility thereof and that there are true Principles of Demonstration to Discover the meaning of the Spirit Now I will come to the Body of the Treatise CHAP. III. That the Name of the Beast is not the word Lateinos or any other Grammatical word but the name is The Universal Power and Headship of the Beast immediately opposed to the Power Dominion and Headship of the Lamb. FOr the carrying on of the whole Work we will divide the Matter into Two Parts into that which is Doctrinal which concerns the Truth of the thing and into that which is Practical which is for Use. For the Doctrinal Part We will First handle the Substance of the Interpretation Secondly We will prove it by sundry places of Scripture and by the Harmony of the Prophecie For the Truth of the Interpretation We will First shew what is meant by the Name Secondly What is meant by the Number of the Name For the Name It is most necessary that we should begin with the Exposition what it signifieth For the right Stating of the Name doth much conduce to the Knowledge of the Number It is the Number of the Name and therefore unless we shew what the Name is we cannot finde out the Number All true Learning sheweth That in every Demonstration we are to begin with a right Exposition of the Subject And whereas in a manner all the Learned down from the times of Irenaeus have taken Lateinos for the Name and the Numeral Letters for the Number of the Name Herein they have been greatly deceived as we can prove by many solid Reasons And some of our own Interpreters also have suspected the vanity of this way These are the words of Iunius in his Notes upon the Revelation Chap. 13. vers 18. I am not ignorant saith he that men bring other Interpretations of the place but by their leave I also have brought my Interpretation to be compared and that for this reason specially because to me it seemeth not probable nor like That the Number of the Beast or the Name of the Beast ought so to be taken as the common strain of Interpretors will have it For saith he this Number of the Beast he scil the Beast teacheth giveth and imprinteth as the publick Note of his own which Note he highly rateth above others as the Note of his beloved Ones Now these Interpretations seem to be so far wide from the Propriety and Condition of this Number whether we respect the Name Latinus or Titan or any such like For these the Beast doth not teach give nor imprint but with the greatest care forbiddeth them to be taught and boldly denieth them He doth not allow but disallow them and those which do so esteem of this Number he doth persecute with a direful hatred So far Iunius Let us now adde the words of Chamier in his Panstratia Tom. 2. lib. 17. cap. 8. sect 5 6. Truly saith he this way of Interpretation that I may speak freely what I think seemeth to be far wide from the manner of the Spirit and to come too neer to the dreams of the Cabalists Whereas we read in the Sybils Verses That Iesus is described by 888 this is a bable and not from the Spirit of God Secondly This cannot be the proper Name of one Man seeing we have formerly shewed the Error of them who will have Antichrist to be one Individual Person Therefore of necessity it must be either a Name common or a Name proper to some State But by what right may the Name of the Beast be called common and for a Name proper to some particular State no man hath brought that to Light Thirdly It is not said that it is the Number of the Name only but here is a prohibition to men That they shall not buy nor sell that have not the Number of the Name How this may be understood of that Cabalistical supputation of the Letters I cannot discern Neither can I discern how other men may have the Number of the Name Farther What is the way of Computing Is it Hebrew Greek or Latin But it is not the manner of the Latines to count by Letters therefore it must be a Greek or an Hebrew Name But how can Antichrist assume such a Name to himself that is only peculiarly known in the Schools So far Chamier I might here recite the words of Danaeus Mr Forbes and others but these Testimonies shall suffice to take away prejudice from me because I do forsake the ordinary stream of Interpreters and do look after such a Name of the Beast which is more true The Work which I have more specially to perform is positively to prove That the Name of the Beast is the Universal Headship of the Bishop of Rome and by the same Reasons by and through which I will disprove Lateinos I will prove the Universal Headship to be the Name of the Beast And the Reasons are as followeth First I argue from the main Scope of the Text concerning the Beast as he is a Monarchical King and here I say his Name must necessarily be his Sovereign Power and Headship The Rabbins have a good Observation What God himself is that his Name is So I may say What the Beast himself is that his Name is The Beast not only in this Text but all the Prophecie throughout is described as a Monarchical King therefore the Name of the Beast must be his Universal Power and Headship Object Seeing the Name of a thing person or State is of so doubtful a meaning what warrant is there to take the Name of the Beast for his Sovereign Power and Headship Answ. I confess That the Name of a thing person or State is ambiguously taken But yet for all this it is not so Obscure if we will take the right course to understand the Scripture Inst. You will say The great Question lieth in finding the right course Rep. The right course lieth in this By looking to the main sense in each text respectively and the main sense will guide the Interpretation Let us come to give some Instances out of the Scripture but more specially out of the Book of the Revelation For Instances out of the Scripture VVe often read of calling upon the Name of the Lord of trusting in the Name of the Lord. Now is not the calling upon the Name of the Lord the calling upon God himself the trusting
in this place for Power and Headship but it is not absolutely necessary that we should build upon such a sense I Answer The Name of the Beast must necessarily be construed and taken for his Power and Headship because as a Potentate he doth confront the Lord Jesus Christ the true Head of the Church this is the scope of the Prophecie and therefore the Name of the Beast cannot rationally and fairly be taken in any other sense Paraeus in his Commentary upon the Romans doth open the meaning of these words As I live saith the Lord every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God Rom. 14. 11. From the misunderstanding of this place he telleth us That the superstitious bowing at the Name of Jesus had its first original And he doth shew the irrationality of that practice For why saith he should men be uncovered and why should they bow their knee at the Name of Iesus rather than at the Name of Christ or at the Name of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost Further He doth insist upon the greatness of their superstition when men give worship to Letters and syllables rather than to the Person himself And therefore he cometh positively to define what is meant by the Name of Jesus And so he saith Nomen Iesu non est vox dâ—…ssyllaba scripta picta aut pronunciata sed persona Majestas imperium Servâ—…toris cui omnes subjectionem debent The Name of Iesus is not a word of two Syllables written painted or pronounced but it is the Person Majesty and Dominion of our Saviour to which all do owe Subjection So I may say in the present case That the Name of the Beast and the Number thereof is his sovereign Power and Authority to which all his Vâ—…stals do yield their subjection and they have departed from the true meaning of the Spirit who have looked to the Name Lateinos and the Numeral Letters of that Name For the Name is not a word of one two three or four syllables written painted or pronounced but the Name of the Bâ—…ast is his Power and Headship standing in immediate Opposition to the Name or Headship of the Lamb. But if you ask What certainty there is of this Interpretation The ground I build upon is the rule of Opposition and the whole scope of the Prophecie If we take the Name for a Grammatical Name what certainty can there be and who can particularly define what the Name is Doctor Mayer upon the place having rejected several Names and their Calculation by Numeral Letters doth thus determine As long saith he as we go this way to work we shall never be able to Convince the Adversary there being so many Names that do contain the Number And for my part I do believe That if men will peruse the Greek and Hebrew Lexicons they shall find many words which either severally or joyntly will make 666 by the calculation of the Numeral Letters Now what certainty is in all this On the contrary If we take the Name of the Beast for his Universal Power this doth agree with the Circumstances of the text with the Analogie of the Prophecie and there can be no good exception to the contrary Now to gather up all into one Sum Though the Name of a Thing the Name of a Person the Name of a Place the Name of a State or any such-like may be ambiguors yet we may finde out from the scope of the text that which will determine the ambiguity If any shall say That the Name of the Beast may be taken for any thing else as well as for his sovereign power I yield that it may be so but if we look to Analogie in the Scripture it must needs be taken for his sovereignty As therefore in the like cases when the Scriptures speak of believing in the Name of the Lord of the writing of the Name of the new Ierusalem of the Name of the Lamb of the Name Abaddon Apollyon Harmageddon of the Name of the Father in the foreheads of the 144000 of the Lords making himself known to Moses by the Name Iehovah of the Fathers giving to the Son a Name above every Name that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow As in these several Scriptures we are not to look after Names consisting of Letters and syllables but to judge of the Truth according to the scope of the text So in the present case we are not to look after such a Name of the Beast that is meerly literal but after such a Name that will hold correspondency with the subject matter of the text and with the nature of the thing it self If this be so it is easie to conclude That the Name of the Beast is no other but his Potency or Headship Secondly We argue from the Condition and Quality of the Mark. For as à priori we may come to the knowledge of the Mark by the right stating and defining of the Name So à posteriori by the knowledge of the Mark we may come to understand what is meant by the Name seeing that it is called the Mark of the Name They shall be tormented day and night that receive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mark of the Name Rev. 14. 11. I finde that many approved Commentators who do much differ from the Truth of our interpretation do willingly agree That the profession of a Roman Catholick is the Mark of the Name Now upon their own grounds do they not affirm also in sense and substance That the Universal Headship of the Bishop of Rome is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Name of the Beast For what is the profession of a Roman Catholick Is he not such a one that doth believe receive and profess the Universal Headship of the Bishop of Rome Take away the Catholicism of the Roman Bishop the Faith and Profession of a Roman Catholick will be a meer non-ens or nullity So then if this Profession be the Mark of the Name as Grasserus Brightman Piscator and other Expositors will have it I say upon their own grounds the Universal Headship must be the Name it self seeing the profession of a Roman Catholick is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mark of the Name And so our Conclusion is proved à posteriori From the Condition and Quality of the Mark we may know the nature of the Name The third Argument is drawn from the Image which is Homogeneal and answerable to the Name in the nature and essence thereof For the Image of the Beast I might take it as a thing already sufficiently declared in the Commentaries of the Protestant Writers In them it is nothing else but that Expression of the ancient Splendor and Glory of the Roman Majesty anciently decayed in Rome Imperial and in the latter times repaired and revived in Rome Papal The scope of the text sheweth that this is the meaning and that the Image was made to the Beast which was wounded in one
Appellation that consisteth only of Letters and syllables how will this redound to the benefit or perfection of the Beasts Kingdom if men of all Degrees and Orders shall receive a Name meerly consisting of Numeral Letters and such-like trifles But if you take the Name for the sovereign Power and Headship there is nothing more rational and common than for the Kingdoms of this world to make Laws that all should live in subjection to their Power and Authority And Experience plainly sheweth That in all the Kingdoms of the Christian world stricter Laws have been made for the Preservation of the Dignity of the Catholick Apostolick Roman See as they call it and for the maintenance of the Decrees made by that Authority than there have been for the support and Defence of their own Communities Among many take this one Instance of the Statute Ex Officio made here in England in the times of Hen. 4. In which Statute it was provided That all they should be Burned publickly in the sight of the People that did maintain teach inform openly or in secret any thing contrary to the Catholick Faith and the determination of the Holy Church And so in the times following by vertue of this Law the faithful Martyrs under the Title of Lollards have been publickly burned for speaking preaching writing and declaring against the Decrees and Superstitions established by the Authority of the Church of Rome And it is as plain That neither the Scripture nor any Article of the Creed nor any other Point of the Christian Faith is received among them but that which is warranted by this Authority From whence we may easily collect what is meant by the Law and Injunction of the Beast That none might buy nor sell but such only that had the Mark and the Number of the Name We are not to take the Name Alphabetically For to what end should he command men to receive such a Name as this But if you take the Name for the Universal Headship and the Mark for the publick owning of subjection to this Headship there is great Reason given for the making of such a Statute and it is fully proved by the event The Seventh Argument is taken from the Essence of the great Antichrist as he is set forth 2 Thess. 2. For the Pith and Marrow of the Apostle in this description is to express the great sublimity of Power that the man of sin should assume to himself in and over the Church of God These are the words of the Text He as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God vers 4. From these words we may gather the Essence of the Antichristian Kingdom lieth in the affectation of a kind of godlike Dominion and Headship in and over the Church of God Now then as the â—…on of God hath merited of his Father to be only Head and only Lord So must our subjection be rendered to him without communicability of such a prerogative to any other For though there be gods many and lords many there is but one Universal Head on whom the whole Body of the Church doth depend In this sense as the Son hath merited of the Father to be the Supreme Lord and Head there is none de jure can be but himself only Now then when Paul in the Thessalonians doth describe the Essence of the Beast's Kingdom he doth shew that it doth chiefly confist in the Headship and Dominion over the Church And this is that which Iohn in the Revelation calls the Name of the Beast And so far we have gone in the Discovery of the Subject of the Number We have shewed by many Reasons That the Name is The Headship of the Beast Now we shall in the next Chapter endeavour to Calculate and Compute the Number CHAP. IV. Concerning the Number of the Name of the Beast where it is shewed That the Name or Universal Headship began publickly to be Established under the Emperor Phocas 666 years from the beginning of the Roman as the Fâ—…th Metal Kingdome FOr the carrying on of this Complicate Proposition we are to make Two things clear First That the Name or Sovereign Dominion of the Beast began precisely at that time of the Universal Headship under the Emperor Phocas Secondly That there is a Câ—…in of 666 years from the begining of the Roman as the Fourth Metal Kingdom to the Name or Universal Headship afcreâ—…aid First Concerning the Eâ—…sion of the two-horned Beast out of the Earth I find a great consent in the Commentaries Controversies and Stories of the Church That the Two-Horned Beast began in the Universal Headship under the Emperor Phocas Crackanâ—…orp in his Treatise against Spalaâ—… calleth it the Câ—… one of the Building And in very deed though many Authors do stiffly maintain That the Name is the word Lateinos and that the Number is made out of the Numeral Letters of that Name yet if you put them upon it to state the Original of the Beast's Kingdom they do generally in a manner pitch upon the year aforesaid But we will not depend upon Authority Therefore to the right computing of â—…he true Apocalyptical time we will Observe these ensuing Principles Principle 1. There must be some particular instant of time when the Antichristian state Typed by the Beast with Two Horns had its first visible rising out of the Earth This is proved from the words of the Text And I beheld another Beast coming out of the Earth and he had Two Horns like the Lamb and he spake as the Dragon Rev. 13. 11. And therefore as there was a certain and determinate time when the Babylonian Lyon and the Persian Bear came up out of the Sea that is As there was a certain time when the Babylolonian and Persian Monarchies began so there must be a particular and certain term of time when the Antichristian Monarchy must come up out of the Earth also If this be well observed it will cut off a multitude of superâ—…luous Diâ—…putes concerning the Infancy Childhood Middle age and other degrees of the Antichristian state In these points every man may abound in his own Fancy but sure I am according to the true Apocalyptical process there is mention made but of one visible and remarkable beginning of the Two-Horned Beast And this is at the time of his rising ouâ—… of the Earth Princ. 2. Secondly The time of the rising of this Beast must be after the dissipation of the old Empire and the beginning of the Ten Kings Typed and Figured by the rising of the Ten-Horned Beast out of the Sea There are Two Branches in this Principle The First is this That the time of the beginning of the Two-Horned Beast must needs be placed after the Fall of the Empire This is clearly proved from the Scope of the 13 and 17 Chapters of the Revelation Both these Scriptures do pitch upon this that there must be a taking away of the Imperial Majesty and a kinde of Chasm
or Intercision of that sovereignty before the Roman Dominion in the last the reâ—…aired and Antichristian state thereof In the 13 Chapter it is said That the Ten-Horned Beast had a wound in one of his heads vers 3. What is this wound but an intercision or cessation of all Roman Majesty in the world at the rising of the Ten Kings The Two-Horned beast by his Deâ—…es did cure the wound vers 14 15. What is this cure but the renovation of the same Sovereignty in the Popes which was formerly lost in the Caesars So in the 17 Chapter it is said That all the world worshipped the Beast When they beheld the Beast that was is not and yet is v. 8. What is meant here by the Beast that is not This noteth the total cessation abrogation of the Roman Majesty at the Fall of the Empire And by the Beast that is This â—…eth the reâ—…ing of the Roman Majesty from the Dead when it was formerly lost in the Caesars Both Scriptures then do plainly shew and so doth S. Paul in the Thessalonians That the Empire must first Fall before the Antichristian times can begin They therefore that set the beginning of the Beast's Kingdom at the time of Victor or at Constantines removing the seat of the Empire to Constantinople or at the Reign of the Emperor Iulâ—…an or at any other time before the Fall of the Empire To my understanding they do anticipate the true beginning of the Beast's Kingdom and do go against the Grounds and Foundations of all true Apocalyptical learning The Second Branch of this Principle is this also That the time of the beginning of the Beast with Two Horns must be after the rising of the Ten Kings or the Ten-Horned Beast out of the Sea chap. 13. vers 1. For though the antient Commentators take the first Beast to be the Old Empire yet the latter Interpreters such as Brightman Peraeus Mede and others do more rightly understand this to be the rising of the Ten Kings out of the ruines of the Empire And in very deed if we consider the time of the Beginning of this Beast it was presently and immediately after the Dragons Flood scil after the Inundation of the Barbarous Nations Secondly The Manner of the Rising The Beast had Ten Crowns upon his Horns at the time of his Rising out of the Sea which noteth the Division of the Roman into Ten inferiour Kingdoms in that notable change of State Thirdly The time of his Continuance He was to continue 42 Months and this is the exact time of the Sufferings of the Church under the Antichristian Persecution These and many such-like Reasons do strongly prove That the Beast with Ten Horns and his rising out of the Sea doth Note and decypher The standing up of the Ten Kings out of the Ruines of the Empire And here then The beginning of the 42 Months the time of the Reign of this Beast is set forth by a true Demonstrative Character and we may not doubt of the certainty thereof Further then If we look to the scope of the Text the rising of the Beast with Two Horns must needs be after the rising of the Ten-Horned Beast and so consequently after the standing up of the Ten Kings out of the Ruines of the Empire And so the Visions will be rightly applyed to their true times I know nothing of moment which doth contradict this Assertion but only that which is spoken by Mr Mede in his Apocalyptical Key Synchronism the second Where he endeavoureth to shew That the Ten-horned Beast and the Beast with Two Horns are exact Contemporaries in all their times These are his words A se invicâ—…nt neque ortu suo neque interitu separantur quinetiam altera alterius potestatem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hoc est in praesentia ipsius administrat And then he concludes Quis non vidit illas omni aevo suo necessariò contemporare But saving the great respect I bear to this Author I cannot see first how this can agree with the scope of the Scripture Secondly With the event of things Thirdly With the Tenor of his own Doctrine as he delivereth it elsewhere Fourthly With the Body of the best Protestant Expositors who have spoken most Proâ—…atively concerning the beginning of the Beast's Kingdom First I cannot see how he agreeth with the Scripture For Iohn saw first a Beast come out of the Sea with seven Heads and ten Horns and ten Crowns upon his Horns and after that he saw another second Beast which came out of the Earth with Two Horns From whence we may easily collect That the rising of the one is in order of time before the rising of the other and therefore they no not ad amussim contemporare ortu suo they do not exactly agree in the time of their Original Secondly I cannot see how he agrees with the event of things For at that time when the Ten Kings arose out of the ruines of the Empire there was no Roman Sovereignty in the whole world For as we have formerly mentioned The Beast had a wound in one of his Heads and therefore there was an intercision and a cessation of that Potency for a time We yield that the Two-Horned Beast is the Restorer of the Ten-Horned Beast he cured the wound and made the Image to speak and live It is true that he revived the Roman Sovereignty from Death to Life but this reviving was not assoon as the Ten Kings rose out of the Ruines of the Empire Thirdly I cannot see how this agreeth with Mr Mede's own Doctrine For he saith Apost pag. 83. That the Fourth Beast is the Roman Kingdom the Ten Horns are the Ten Kings that arise out of the dissipation of the Empire and the little Horn he saith expresly that it must arise after them pag. 74. For so he will have the Chaldee word to be all one with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the 70 to wit That the little Horn must arise behind the Ten Horns Now then if the Papacie must arise after and behind the Ten Kings it is plain That he doth contemporate with them ortu suo in his beginning and that according to Mr Mede's own Principles Fourthly I cannot see how he can agree with the Body of the best Protestant Expositors who have demonstratively written of the beginning of the Beast's Kingdom For as many almost who have spoken of the rising of the Two-Horned Beast out of the Earth have applied this beginning to the Bishop of Rome in the times after the Fall of the Empire when the Decree went forth That he should be Head over all the Churches All the Circumstances of the Text laid together prove the truth of this Interpetation We come now to the Third Principle Princ. 3. The time of the rising of the second Beast must be so stated That all the circumstances of the Text may agree to such a beginning We must not leave the times of the Fall
Kings and reigned in the same row with Antiochus Magnus and Antiochus Theos Yet we cannot say that he came to reign with them for when he began they had no Being at all This is true in all successions when he that cometh after beginneth to Reign then they that go before cease to be But it is otherwise spoken of the little Horn he came up among them to wit among the Ten Horns he broke three of them in pieces and for the residue they had their Existence and Being together at one and the same time You will say That this is but a similitude and similitudes are not to be pressed in every particular I Answer That Types and Similitudes used by the Holy Ghost ought to be pressed so far as he intendeth If therefore by ten Horns he did intend a lineal succession of Kings why did he not keep the same method which he used to do in the description of such Successions In the former verses he speaketh of the rising of Four Beasts out of the Sea the first like a Lyon the second like a Bear the third like a Leopard the fourth was diverse from the former All these are said to come up out of the Sea one after another by which it is clear That there are so many successions of Monarchy But when he cometh to describe the Ten Horns there is nothing to prove such a subalternation or succession of one Horn after another but rather the contrary The Ten Horns are Ten Kings that shall arise and after them a little Horn shall arise and so all shall exist together But when the Babylonian-Lyon rose up out of the Sea and after that the Persian-Bear and Graecian-Pard it is no where said That these Beasts did arise up inter se invicem and that they had an existence at one and the same time For this were to confound that order succession and subalternation of the Four Monarchies which the holy Spirit intendeth But Dr Willet doth make this Reply The Beast in the Revelation is called a Beast with seven Heads which signifie so many forms of Government in a lineal Succession So the Beast may be called a Beast with ten Horns to wit so many Kings succeeding one another Answer If he could shew as good Reason wherefore the ten Horns are ten Kings in a lineal succession as the seven Heads of the Beast are so many successive forms of Roman Government we would yield up the Cause For it is expresly said There are Seven Kings five are fallen one is and the other is not yet come chap. 17. vers 10. Now there is not the least iota word or apex in Dan. 7. to prove such a succession but rather the contrary To me therefore it is very strange That the holy Spirit should depart from his usual method in Typical and Periodical Prophecies that he should speak of ten Kings lineally succeeding and yet leave no Character or Mark in the text to know the succession I may say It is not ordinary with him so to do Now take the ten Horns for the ten Kings of the Roman Empire it is clear That these had Existence with the Papacie or little Horn. The Angel thus speaketh concerning the ten Horns These have no Kingdom as yet but receive a Kingdom one hour with the Beast vers 12. Both Scriptures plainly shew That the ten Kings are of one and the same time though in order of succession the little Horn came up after the ten Querie 4. If the ten Horns be ten Kings and the little Horn be the tenth why is it said That only three of the former were plucked up by the roots This implyeth That there was no eradication of the residue of Horns but they had some being with the little Horn. You will say That only three were plucked up by the roots because the little Horn did actually subdue and humble three as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie Well be it so still the Question is which three of the former ten were they that the little Horn did eradicate Dr Willet and other Interpreters of his way take it for a granted truth That he did pluck up Three Kings that Reigned immediately before But now do they prove this from the text The words are without any restriction or limitation He shall subdue three Kings vers 24. Before whom three of the first Horns were plucked up by the roots ver 8. Therefore to my understanding when the Scripture saith That the little Horn came up among the Ten and did subdue Three only this is to me an Argument That the residue of Horns were not brought in subjection but had an existence as Kings in the times of the little Horn. Secondly It is said of the little Horn that he shall be diverse from the first and shall subdue three Kings If you take the Three Kings for Three lineally Reigning how could the taking away of such a Number of Kings make the little Horn more powerful than the former In the corrupted State of the Ten Tribes we read somtimes That he that came after did take away the life of the Prince that went before yet this was never judged as a cause of greater power and strength to come to the Kingdom by such Usurpation 2 King 9. 3. Hos. 1. 4. On the contrary If you take the Ten Horns for Ten States or Realms into which the Fourth Monarchy became divided here will be a clear Reason why the little Horn became unlike to any of the former because he brought Three Kingdoms under his Dominion We read that Alexander's Dominion was plucked up by the roots and this was the cause of the greatness of the King of the South and the King of the North Dan. 11. 4 5 6. So in the present case the eradication of Three States or Dynasties before the little Horn is the cause of the greatness of his Dominion Thirdly Let us come to particulars what Three Kings were they whom Antiochus did subdue They say Ptolomaeus Philopater the King of Egypt Seleucus the Brother of Antiochus and Demetrius But it is mentioned Dâ—…n 11. 21. that he shall come peaceably into the Province Now what peaceable coming is this when he shall begin with the extirpation of Three Kings Again how can Ptolomaeus Philopater be one of the Ten Kings of the Seleucian line No Historian did ever reckon Ptolomaeus Philopater among the Seleucians And for his over-running of Syria this doth no more make him one of that Succession than Tamerlains over-running the Turkish Empire doth make him one of the Ottoman line Now on the contrary let us take the little Horn in that sense as the text naturally requireth all these difficulties will be avoided The Beast with Ten Horns is the Roman as divided into Ten lesser Kingdoms The little Horn is the Papacie Now to give elbow-room to this in Italy Three of the Ten Kings lately raised out of the Ruines of the Empire were all
as the Lagidae one of the Successors of Alexander did remain These are his words Quatuor Regâ—…aunam Monarchiam constituunt non per se separatâ—…m considerata sed conjunctim hoc axioma mereri haud secus ac de mortuo Principe omnes Praefecti Conjunctim repraesentant Principem Adeo si pars Ditionis ab extero quodam avellatur illa non Praefecto sed toto Principatui decedat Ita Romani ereptâ Asiâ Occupatá Macedoniâ diminuêre quidem Monarchiam extinxisse vero ad se transtulisse dici non potuerant antequam ultimam partem Aegyptum subegerunt pag. 50. From which words of his it is clear That the Graecian Empire was diminished only at the Overthrow of the Seleucian Kingdom and it was extinguished at that time only when the Lagidae were brought under the Power of the Romans But herein he is greatly deceived for if we must Affirm That each Metal-Kingdom doth continue as long as any Fragment thereof doth remain what shall we say by the meaning of this Scripture As for the rest of the Beasts their Dominion was taken away but their Lives were prolonged for a time Dan. 11. 12. This plainly sheweth That after the Imperial Dominion was taken away there might be some prolongation of life some inferiour Dominion as long as any Relique remaineth This is true in some sense after the death of Alexander the Great when his Kingdom was divided among his Successors there was some diminution of the Monarchy because these Successors did not stand up in his strength And yet for all this the Empire of that Nation did still abide And further when Aemilius the Consul subdued Perseus there was a greater defalcation yet nevertheless The Graecian Monarchy continued the most prevailing about the Borders of the Church But afterwards in the times of Pompey when those Eastern Countries were brought under the People of Rome then there was not only a diminishing but a plain abrogation of the Empire of the Graecians For then the Graecian did not only lose the Imperiality in a more general sense but the Imperiality here principally intended about the Borders of the Church And therefore where the Seleucian made an end there the Roman began Thirdly The Seleucian of the Four Successors of Alexander was the most prevailing and the most eminent Priâ—…ce Therefore at the Ruine of the Seleucian we do rather place the end of the Graecian Kingdom typed by the Brass-Metal and the Third Beast That the Seleâ—…cian was the most notable of all Alexander's Successors we prove First From the Testimony of the Scriptures For it is expresly said That a Mighty King scil Alexander the Great shall stand up but when he shall stand up his Kingdom shall be broken Dan. 11. 3 4 5. Now this came to pass after his death his Kingdom was divided to Four Successors the Kings of Syria Egypt Asia Greece For the Kingdom of Asia that â—…oon vanished and the Kingdom of Greece or Macedonia was very remote from the Confines of the Church All the description is limited to the Two Successors Syria and Egypt and of these Two that of Syria was the more Potent The King of the South meaning Egypt shall be strong and another of his Princes shall be stronger than he vers 5. that is The Seleucian Prince in Syria called the King of the North shall be stronger than the other Succesâ—…or And further Concerning the Seleucian it is added His Dominion shall be a great Dominion This plainly sheweth That the Seleucian is the most eminent and the most notable of all the Successors according to the Testimony of Scripture Secondly This is clear by the Testimony of Historians For the Stories of the times plainly shew That the Seleucidae did possess Syria Babylon and part of Asia and as some will have it they possessed all from Phrygia to the River of Indus Thirdly It may be confirmed by Reason for the Antigonidae in Asia that were one of the Four Successors were subdued by the Seleucian and therefore by the Addition of this the Seleucian must needs be the greater Dominion Fourthly Here is the Consent of Modern Expositors for Iunius Broughton Rolloc Piscator Wâ—…llet and other Interpreters of this way do pitch upon the Seleucian as the principal Successor I do not say That their Position in the particular Application is true but that which I stand upon is The ground of their Reasoning in a more general sense For if they Affirm the Seleucian to be the fourth Kingdom in their judgement there must be somthing more eminent and remarkable in that Potentate above all the rest of the Successors Wherefore else should they appropriate the Fourth Metal-Kingdom to him only Lastly We are to have special regard unto this rather than to any of the other Successors because whatsoever is spoken in the Prophecie of Daniel concerning the Graecian or the Third Metal-Kingdom is specially meant of the Seleucian Kings As for Ensample A great part of the description chap. 8. and chap. 11. is concerning Antiochus Epiphanes his rising greatness cruelty against the Saints and his polluting the Sanctuary Now out of which of the Four Successors did he spring Was not his Original out of the Seleucian stock And did he not Reign as a Seleucian King For the Angel speaking of the Fall of Alexander and the Rising of the Four Successors proceedeth in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and out of one of them came forth another little Horn. Now if you enquire which Successor was that One from whom Antiochus Epiphanes did spring Did he not arise out of the Seleucian Family By all that hath been said it is clear by the Testimony of Scriptures by the authority of Historians by the weight of Reason by the consent of Interpreters and by the sufferings of the Church That the Seleucian is the most eminent and notable Successor of Alexander Therefore we do conclude That we have more special Reason to end the Third Metal-Kingdom at the destruction of the Seleucian rather than at the destruction of any other successor If we must end at the the destruction of the Seleucian where he endeth the Roman must begin as the Fourth Metal-Kingdom ARGUMENT III. When all things needful to the being of the Fourth Metal-Kingdom began first to be applicable to the Roman State at that instant of time did the Roman begin as the Fourth Kingdom But at the time of Pompey's Victory over the Seleucian and his reducing of the Territories of the Church all things needful to the being of the Fourth Metal-Kingdom began to be applicable to the Roman State Therefore at the time of Pompey's Victory over the Seleucian and his Reducing the Territories of the Church the Roman did begin as the Fourth Metal-Kingdom For the Major none will Deny That the Roman did then begin as the Fourth Metal-Kingdom when it did receive all things necessary to the being of that Kingdom Things do then begin when they receive
question was to me how the Name or Universal Headship of the Beast should be 666 Here I mused and often pondered in my minde what is the manner and use of the Spirit in the Scriptures when he speaketh of the riâ—…ng of Governments and their Calculations by Number to discover their beginning And here I found as I believe every man shall do the like who will give himself to observation that the Prophetical Scriptures do very often reckon Governments either by the Number of years to the time of their rising or by the Number of years how long they shall continue Now I was sure that 666 could not be the time of the continuance of the Antichristian Kingdom seeing in the whole body of the Prophecy it is largely shewed That the Kingdom of the Beast must continue 1260 Prophetical days or years and that this time must commence from the rising of the ten-horned Beast out of the Sea or the ten Kings out of the ruines of the Empire Therefore Mr. Archer in his book of the Personal Reign is a very fabulous Writer in this as in many other particulars when he will needs have 666 to be the time of the continuance of the Beasts Kingdome All the circumstances of the Text plainly laid together do decypher this Kingdome à priori and therefore the Number must refer to the time of the beginning or the standing up of the Name or Headship But then the great 〈◊〉 was 〈◊〉 what time I should 〈◊〉 to Number In this caâ—…e I was helped by the practise of Chronologers For theâ—… when they have a Prophetical Number and do not know â—…rom what beginning to compute iâ—… aâ—…k how long it continueth and where it maketh an eno And if they be certain of these two they will finde out the third where it ought to begin It is a sure rule in this as in other kindes of learning By two known things you may come to discover a third unknown And sometimes it so cometh to pass that some diligence must be used before we can come to the knowledge of the two by and through which we may prove the third As for example We reade That the Prophet Ezekiel was to lye upon his left side 390 days which signifie so many years of the patience of God in bearing the iniquity of the house of Israel Again he was to turn and to lye upon his right side 40 days which signifie so many years of the patience of God in bearing the iniquity of the house of Iudah Ezek. 4. 4 5. Now for the application of the times the great Queâ—…ion is Where the 390 years begin and where they make an end and how long they do continue For the continuation there is no doubt to be made and for the time of the ending this must be at the destruction of Ierusalem by the Chaldaeans For the time of the end though it is not set down in express terms yet it may be collected from the whole scope of the Text. For five years before the destruction of Ierusalem Ezekiel was to take a Tile and pourtray upon it the city Ierusalem and laâ—… sâ—…ge against it build a fort against it So then the scope of the whole Vision is to shew That after the 390 years of the patience of God are run out the time should come that the Chaldaeans should destroy both City and Temple In this Ezekiel was a sign to the home of Israel to foretel the destruction of the City and Temple five years before it came to pass Ezek. 1. 2. Upon these grounds Chronologers do reason in this manner If the 390 years do end at the destruction of Ierusalem by the Chaldaeans they must necessarily begin at the Apostacy of Ieroboam For if you take the right vein of Chronologie in the Book of the Kings and number the times interchangably as each King of Iudah and each King of Israel began to reign and to carry on the whole series and order of years you shall find by induction of singulars That there will be an exact line of 390 years from the defection of Ieroboam to the destruction of Ierusalem aforesaid He that desires the particular account of the years and how it is exactly computed let him go to the Isagoge of Calvisius And of the certainty of the account the Chronologer thus speaketh Hunc igitur numerum annorum 390 ex annotatione Historiarum hujus temporis ab initio Ieroboami usque ad excidium Hierosolymae nos colligemus It a quidem ne conjecturas nos Lectori obâ—…rudamus neque etiam sacrae Scripturae vim faciamus Isag. Cap. 40. And in very deed his performance is answerable to the Promise for he doth exactly prove by induction of singulars and that from the words of Scripture That there are 390 years from the Apostacy of Ieroboam to the destruction of Ierusalem But now for the 40 years of the iniquity of the house of Iudah this matter is somewhat more dark But yet nevertheless Chronologers do reason in this wise If 40 years be the time of the patience of God in bearing the iniquities of the house of Iudah and those years must run compleat at the destruction of Ierusalem by the Chaldees then it will follow according to the Scripture-Chronologie and the series of the times that they must necessarily commence from the 13 year of Iosiah Now if a question be made Why these years should begin from the 13 of Iosiah who was a reformer of the Church Though he was these times are to begin there because the Lord did then begin to strive with that people to bring them to Repentance by the Ministery of Ieremy These are the words of the Text From the thirteenth year of Iosiah the son of Ammon King of Iudah even unto this day that is the three and twentieth year the word of the Lord hath come unto me and I have spoken unto you rising early and speaking but ye have not hearkned And the Lord hath sent unto you all his servants the Prophets rising early and sending them but ye have not hearkened nor inclined your ear to hear Jer. 25. 3 4. From these words it is plain That the 40 years patience of God in bearing the iniquitie of the house of Iudah did begin from the Ministery of Ieremy and when these should run compleat then the Prophet â—…zekiel doth signifie That there shall be the destruction of Ierusalem From this and from some such like passages I was moved to take the like course I argued in this manner If 666 be such a Number of years and if this period of time also must end at the setting up of the Universal Headship under the Emperor Phocas by necessary consequence I did conclude That this time must begin 60 years before the birth of the Lord. Consulting with Chronologers I found that this was much about that time when Cicero and Antonius were Consuls at Rome But here to me was the great difficulty
fitly applied to Rome Antichristian which is truly and properly called the Whore of Babylon in the figure But now a little to draw nearer to the Point When was it that the Whore did begin to ride the Beast and where shall we set the date of her Dominion For so the Angel doth expound the words The Waters where the Whore sitteth are Kindreds and People and Multitudes and Nations and Languages ver 17. Her sitting upon the Beast and upon many Waters doth not onely imply an ordinary sitting but a sitting in the way of Lordship Dominion and Supreme Command Such a kinde of sitting we must look after if we will truly know the time when the Whore began to ride the Beast And here I say at that time when the Bishop of Rome did begin to be the second Beast or Universal Head under the Emperor Phocas then at the same time did the Roman Church begin to be the Mother of all Churches or rather the Great Whore that rideth the Beast the Mother of all the Fornications and the Idolatries of the Earth Let us therefore more distinctly consider the times as the Angel doth give the true delineation of them And therefore speaking of the Ten Kings that should carry the Whore that should be wholly at her devotion he doth expresly speak of them They have no Kingdome as yet but receive a Kingdome as Kings one hour with the Beast ver 12. Therefore the fall of the Empire and the rising of the Kings must needs anticipate or go before the Jurisdiction and Dominion of the Great Whore And lest there should be any mistake in the time the Angel doth plainly shew That there must be eight Revolutions of State in the City of Rome and that seven of them must fall before the time cometh that the Whore shall ride the Beast These are his words There are seven Kings five are fallen one is and the other is not yet come and when he cometh he must continue a short space And the Beast that was and is not he is the eighth and is of the seventh and goeth into Perdition ver 10 11. From whence it is manifest That the Ten Kings must arise and seven Forms of Government must fall in the City of Rome before the times of the Great Whore can begin But here is a hard question to be decided by the way How can the Beast be said to be the eighth King and yet one of the seven Heads I will the more willingly take it into Consideration because I have been heretofore much puzled with the question And I finde also that the very best and most approved Interpreters do not give a certain sound To let pass how far Brightman and Paraeus have gone aside in the matter Mr. Forbes makes the Kings and Heads of the Beast to be co incident terms but in this he is greatly mistaken For the Beast in the order of Kings is expreslâ—… said to be the eighth King and in the order of Heads he is onely one of the seventh Therefore we may certainly conclude That these are not equivalent terms but that necessarily some distinction must be made betwixt the Heads and the Kings Mr. Mede therefore keeps himself in doubtful terms for speaking of the seventh Change of State to wit The Christian Caesars he saith That this Potentate because he should be of short continuance shall seem to be Dynastes alius another Ruler sed revera non alius in deed and in truth not another So likewise concerning the Beast in which State he should carry the Whore This Beast saith he in respect of the Change of the Caesars seemeth to be the eighth but revera non nisi septimus in deed and in truth no other but the seventh In which words of his so far as I apprehend there are two passages which seem to me to differ from the scope of the Text For when he speaketh of the Change of the Caesareate from the Pagan to the Christian Caesars how can he call that of the Christian Caesars Dynasten quasi alium revera tamen non alium The words of the Text are plain Five are fallen one is to wit that of the Pagan Caesars when Iohn wrote the Revelation and the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that of the Christian Caesars is not yet come It is clear then that the Governments of the City of Rome are eight in all and not eight in appearance onely and the Dynasty of the Christian Caesars is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 another in reality and truth and not another in shew onely as Mr. Mede will have it So likewise for the Beast it is strange that he should affirm him to be quasi octavum Dynasten as it were the eighth Potentate sed revera non nisi septimum but in deed and in truth no other but the seventh The words of the Text are express The Beast that was and is not he is octavus the eighth in reality and in truth and not the eighth in appearance only Therefore the Exposition of Mr. Mede doth contradict the words of the Text and the knot remains Upon much debate I finde that we must go another way to work and here we must distinguish the Roman Governments as they are simply so called from the Roman Governments as they are Heads of the Beast If you look upon the Roman Governments as so many Policies and Forms of Dominion then it is clear That there are eight Forms of Regency to wit The Kings the Consuls the Decemvirs the Dictators the Tribunes the Pagan Caesars the Christian Caesars and after all these seven cometh the Beast as octavus Dynastes the eighth Potentate Now on the other side if you reckon the Heads of the Beast there can be but seven Heads and therefore the Beast must needs be the particular seventh seeing the Christian Caesars from Constantine to Augustus cannot be called an Head of the Beast at all unless we will go against the scope of Scripture For it is not the manner of the Scripture to call Christian Governments by the Title of a Beast or the Head of a Beast This Character doth properly appertain to the Kingdomes and States of this World that persecute the Church and are contrary to the Laws of the Kingdom of Christ. Upon this account the Christian Caesars do indeed make a distinct Dynasty or Policy and yet are no part or Head of the Beast The words of the Text are clear for when the Spirit speaketh of the other that should come to wit the Dynasty of the Christian Caesars he doth not say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 another Head but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 another King which sheweth plainly That the Christian Casars are a distinct Form of Government but no Head of the Beast So likewise the Beast of the last edition is not termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the eighth Head but he is simply called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the eighth King Touching the Kings it is spoken
of them Five are fallen one is and the other is not yet come and the Beast that cometh out of the Bottomless Pit he is the eighth To satisfie the doubt we do pitch upon this sense that the Beast is both the eighth Dynasty and the seventh Head For if you reckon by the order of Kings the Dynasty of the Christian Caesars being included he must needs be the eighth But if you reckon by the Heads of the Beast which are Pagan and Idolatrous Forms of Government then that of the Christian Caesars must be Status exâ—…resimus or exemptilis a State exempted and put out of the Kalendar From whence it comes to pass That the Beast if you reckon him among the Kings his place is to be the eighth but yet among the Heads he is but the seventh And so these words The Beast that was and is not he is the eighth and is one of the seventh are plain as I take it and the knot is untied But leaving this scruple I finde That all solid Interpreters do agree in the general sense of the Text to wit That the Antichristian times begin at the fall of the Empire and the rising of the Ten Kings The words of the Angel are so clear for speaking of the Roman Dominion and the Ten Horns of that Beast he expresly saith These have no Kingdome as yet but shall receive a Kingdome one hour with the Beast which plainly sheweth That their times shall be when the Roman Dominion shall come to the last and Antichristian edition of State The fall of the old Empire and the rising of the Ten Kings is an infallible Character of the beginning of the Antichristian times And this no man can rationally deny that doth look upon the true scope of the Angels Interpretation But our question is concerning the times of the Great Whore when was it that she did begin to ride the Beast We cannot say That it was at that time when the Kings did rise out of the ruines of the Empire For then the Kings of the Earth did not dogmatically and conscientiously acknowledge the Church of Rome the Mother of all Churches To the resolution of the case we will consider what Expositors do say to this purpose For in the 17th Chapter though there is mention made of the Beast with Ten Horns yet there is not the least word of the two-horned Beast Now the reason ordinarily given is very solid and it doth agree with the scope of the Scripture For it is plain That the description under the resemblance of a Beast with two Horns Chap. 13. is again repeated under the similitude and type of a Great Whore Chap. 17. Both Scriptures speak of one and the same matter in substance though in a different manner And if need should require we have many Arguments to prove the Parallel Now then in the present case seeing Iohn speaks of the City of Rome that in his days was the great City that ruled over the Kings of the Earth it is to our purpose to inquire when the Church came within the verge of the Dominion oâ—… that great City And here I say if we calculate the times aright and reckon 666 years from that time when that great City came to have Dominion over the Church we shall precisely come to that point and instant of time when the Church of Rome was made the Catholick and the General Mother of all other Churches The Church first came under the Dominion of the City of Rome and then 666 years after â—…hat Church her self was declared Universal Mother of all Churches And here then our Interpretation is one and the same in substance in both Scriptures And whereas the Woman hath this Inscription on her Forehead Mystery Babylon the Great the Mother of Harlots and the Abominations of the Earth The Name then on the Forehead of the Woman is not a Grammatical word consisting of Letters and Syllables but it signifieth her Universal Maternity or Motherhood when she began to be declared Universal Mother over all other Churches Now if you apply this to the times it came to pass in the 666th year from that time when the Church and the Territories of the Church came under the obedience of the City of Rome And this is the Number of her Maternity or general Motherhood or of the Name written in the Forehead of the Woman If we apply this to the two-horned Beast in the 13 Chapter his Name is no other but his Paternity or Universal Headship and the Number of his Name is no other but the Number of his Universal Headship from the beginning of the Roman as the fourth Metal-Kingdome And so the sense of one Chapter is clear by the scope and drift of the other But we go on CHAP. X. A List of Fifteen Principles drawn from the main sense of the Prophecy concerning the Beast his Name Mark and Number by the Position of which the present Interpretation is established Also the several Expositions of Mr. Potter and other Writers are brought to Tryall FOr the more full proof of the Point we must take the same method to prove the truth of our Interpretation as Divines do when they would prove the Pope to be Anti-Christ They do infallibly determine him to be so because all the Properties of the Beast do punctually pitch upon that Seat or Succession So in the present case we may say That 666 is such a Number of years to the setting up of the Name or Universal Headship of the Beast And this we take to be an infallible and undoubted Truth because all the Principles of the Prophecy do pitch and mainly centre upon such an Interpretation We can prove the truth thereof by the accumulation of Notes Wâ—… may further take in the words of the Jesuite Suarez for he himself well obserueth That it is not sufficient to decypher Antichrist by one two or three Notes but by the Concurrence of all the Properties that do appertain to him So I may say for a tight Exposition of the Name of the Beast and the Number thereof we must not rest in a few Circumstances for so many have been brought for the name Lateinos And M. Pâ—…tters Interpretation also seemeth to be very fair But this is that which I mainly stand upon That their several Interpretations will not agree with many Principles The same course then that we take to prove the Truth shall be to disprove their Error But now to the Principles in order Princ. 1. The Name of the Beast his Mark and Number do all agree to the Papall Tyranny by a special application This is proved from the whole scope of the Text. For the Beast is a Tyrannical Empire or Government and not onely so but also a Roman Tyrannical Empire in the last edition thereof Therefore these Characters are specially applicable to that Government and to the Hierarchy thereof and not to any other They erre therefore that seek after the Number in the
The Number 5 is the Number of so many parts of their Jurisdiction and thereupon they observed this Number in their Trespass-offering But we cannot say that it was their sin to do it Neither can I see if there should be the like National cause that it is simply a sin in any State to be frequent in the use of the Number 25. For in it self what good or what evil is in that Number You will then say What is meant by the Name and the Number thereof I answer Take the Number 666 severally by it self it is nothing but if you take it joyntly as the Character of the Name and the Mark of the Name we may say That in these things hath consisted the grand Apostacy of the latter Times And for Mr. Potters Interpretation I cannot be satisfied in it for these three Reasons First he undertaketh to expound the Number and to apply it to so many Cardinals so many Churches so many Altars c. Whereas the Number is not the Number of these but it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Number of the Name of the Beast Secondly he undertaketh to shew how the Beast is frequent in the use of such a particular Number whereas the Number is rather the specifiâ—…al Note and Character of the Kingdome it self Thirdly he sheweth how the Beast is frequent in the use of the Number 25 the square-root of 666. But what sin is there in the frequent use of such a Number To speak properly in these things there is neither good nor evil These are some of the Reasons that move me to depart from the Interpretation of the forementioned Author whom I do otherwise acknowledge to be a man of solid and excellent Learning and much to be approved for his industry and diligence which he hath bestowed toward the discovery of these Mysteries Princ. 5. For the Mark of the Beast and for the worship of the Image and for such-like things the world is made liable to the most grievous Iudgements of God This I have largely proved from Rev. 14. 9 10 11. Now if you apply this to singulars How can men rationally be tormented day and night How can the smoke of their burning ascend for ever and ever for the superstitious use of the Number 25 the square-root of 666 Surely all these things ought so to be stated that the Justice of God may be cleared in the execution of Judgement I cannot then think that so grievous a Judgement is denounced against the superstitious use of the Number 25 but rather as I have largely proved for the yielding subjection to the Name or Universal Headship of the Bishop of Rome as it began publickly to be established in the 666th year from the beginning of the Roman as the fourth Metal-Kingdome Princ. 6. In over coming the Name of the Beast and the Number of the Name standeth the special object of the Martyrs Victory This I have largely proved from Chap. 15. ver 2. The persons that stood on the glassie Sea that overcame the Beast were the company and society of Martyrs which suffered for Christ in all Antichristian times and their Victory is no other but a Victory of Martyrdome Now if you apply this to the ordinary Interpretation If the Name of the Beast be no other but the word Lateinos and the Number no other but the Numeral Letters of that Name what a kinde of Victory shall the Martyrs obtain over Words and Syllables and Numeral Letters We may be well assured That there is another kinde of meaning in these words that is the Martyrs did overcome that Power Authority and Universal Headship it self which began solemnly and publickly to be established in the 666th year from the beginning of the Roman as the fourth Metal-Kingdome Princ. 7. The glorious Resurrection of the Martyrs to reign with Christ 1000 years is grounded in special upon this Reason Because they did refuse to worship the Image and to receive the Mark. And therefore Iohn in the Vision saith I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the Word of God and the Testimony of Iesus that these lived to wit out of their Antichristian death and reigned with Christ 1000 years Chap. 20. v. 3. It is evident from hence then That the Name Lateinos or any such-like Grammatical word cannot be the Name of the Beast For the Martyrs were never put to death neither shall they ever have their glorious Resurrection for Names consisting of Letters and Syllables The slaughter hath been mainly for the refusal of the Authority and the Laws made by the Authority or Universal Headship of the Bishop of Rome Therefore their glorious Resurrection to reign with Christ shall be for their suffering in the behalfe of Christ. Princ. 8. The Image of the Beast ought so to be expounded that it may express to the life the repair of Roman Majesty after the deadly wound This is proved from the scope of the Text. When the second Beast came out of the earth he did cure the deadly wound that the first Beast had in one of his Heads He had power also to give life to the Image of the Beast that the Image should both speak and live Chap. 13. ver 14 15. Now for the curing of the wound of the first Beast and the giving life to the Image of the Beast these typical expressions do denote the onely repair of Roman Majesty after the fall of the old Empire This is clear from the scope of the Scripture and it is abundantly shewed in many Commentaries The Angel also in Rev. 17. hath this expression The Beast thou sawest that was is not and yet is Here he speaketh of the marvelous recovery of the Roman Majesty after a former loss and destruction which is nothing else in sense and substance but the making of an Image to the Beast that was wounded in one of his Heads and the causing of the Image both to speak and live For in a sense it is true that there was a total eradication of the Roman Soveraignty for a while and when it was set up in the Popes there was a kinde of reviving and a rising of that Soveraignty from the dead The laying down of this one Position did drive me from an Interpretation which seemed to be very plausible in my first meditations upon this Argument Now that particular Interpretation did concern the times of Victor his Excommunicating the Churches of Asia not long after the writing of the Revelation Now because the Roman Jurisdiction over all Churches did begin to make its first visible appearance in these times I did therefore apply the Number of the Beast to the forementioned Excommunication And for the particular time Calvisius the Chronologer saith That those Churches were Excommunicated in the year of the World 4145 and in the year of the Lord 196. Now if you subduct 666 years out of 4145 there will remain the 3479th year of the World which was the first year
things are most necessary for the Calculation of the Times and for the Exposition of the Prophecies But whereas Mr. Potter doth wholly build upon the extraction of the square-root in a figurate Number I cannot see how this doth agree with the practise of the Spirit in other Scriptures I must needs confess that he speaketh very rationally in these words as they follow I have saith he but beaten made plain the same path which Mr. Forbes and other Commentators have trodden out before But I am now come to the place where they either stood still or turned out of the way They say that the Number 12 is the square root of 144 why then do they not proceed in the same Method to finde out the root of the Number of the Beast seeing they say it is opposed to the Number 144 These learned men cannot be supposed to be guilty of so much nescience as to be ignorant of the square-root of a Number Rather they thought it unbeseeming the Wisdome of God and the Majesty of the Scripture to wrap up such Divine Mysteries in Humane Inventions But be it what it will be it is the foundation of Geometry and Arithmetick it is that also in and through which many famous inventions have been brought to light And the words themselves also do insinuate that the discovery is to be made by wisdome So far Mr. Potter pag. 47. In this I do agree with him That it is the foundation of Geometry and Arithmetick in some good measure to extract the square-root of any figurate Number yet for all that I cannot see when the Spirit either in Daniel or in the Revelation doth speak of Tyrannical States or Empires under divers Emblems and Figures that we should discover and finde out these Governments by calculating the square-root of any Number but rather we should go to the Chronologie of the Times and the Stories of the Church And in this sense we hold That Humane Learning is exceeding necessary And for the invention of the square-root it is very necessary in its kinde Princ. 15. The Number ought so in special to be expounded that it may be in some sort discoverable to the people that lived in the days of John and in the ages immediately following though they lived before the beginning of the Beasts Kingdome Therefore when it is said Let him that hath wisdome count the Number of the Beast S. Iohn in these words speaketh to the people that lived in his days and in the ages immediately following that by this they should understand the signs of the coming of the Man of Sin And he doth yet further shew in what Revolution of Time he shall appear There are seven Kings five are fallen one is and the other is not yet come and the Beast that comes out of the Bottomless Pit he is the eighth In which words of his he doth plainly shew That when seven Forms of Government are fallen in the City of Rome then the Beast shall begin as the eighth Potentate At the same time also he saith That the Roman Empire shall be divided into ten inferiour Kingdomes that these have no beeing as yet but receive a Kingdome one hour with the Beast By the collation of both these Scriptures it is clear That the Number was discoverable in the times of Iohn and not onely to Iohn by Revelation but to others also that would imploy themselves by search From hence then we may clearly discern That they are in an error who would have the Number 666 to be the Number of the time of the rising of the Beast and yet make their account by the years of the Lord. So Danaeus in his Treatise de Antichristo The Spirit of God in that place saith he medleth not with Arithmetical signification of Letters but with the Time and Number of years wherein those things shall be accomplished that are there spoken of and for the particular time he referreth us to the year 666 pag. 13 14. Alstedius saith Denotatur tempus quo Antichristus inchoaturus regnum suum scil anno 666 quo tempore coepit Papa maxime dominari Theol. Polem Part. 4. Controv. 5. pag. 388. The like is said By Eckard the Lutheran and others Though in this matter we do agree with the forenamed Expositors That about the 666th year from the birth of the Lord the Universal Headship of the Bishop of Rome was set up though this be true in some latitude of speech yet it cannot be the meaning of the Text. For what knowledge had the people that lived in the days of Iohn and in the ages immediately following of the account by the year of the Lord Why should not the Christians that lived in Spain finde out the Number by the Spanish Aera The Christians in Aegyâ—…t and Africa by the Aera of Dioclesian And the Christians under the Emperors of Constantinople by the Indictions These and many other ways of account were anciently used Dyonisius the Less about the year 532 did begin to compute by the years of the Lord and that way of Computation came not into vulgar use many years after It is therefore very strange That men should Number the times of the beginning of the Beasts Kingdome after the account by the years of the Lord and yet certain hundred years after the Church should be wholly ignorant of that way of Computation And thus laying all things together we have proved by the concatenation and connexion of all particulars That ours is the true Interpretation because it doth agree with all the Body of the Circumstances fore-alledged And for other Expositions we have shewed the Reason why we cannot rest in them because in severall Principles more or less they do cross the meaning of the Spirit Now it remaineth that we compare the substance of our Interpretation with the scope of the Apostle S. Paul 2 Thess. 2. CHAP. XI A brief Description of the Doctrine of S. Paul 2 Thess. 2. And how he doth fully agree with the present Interpretation ALl Interpreters and Writers in a manner do agree in this That the Beast his Name and Image spoken of Rev. 13. are all one and the same in substance with the description of the Great Antichrist in the Thessalonians Let us come to the words of the Text. Vers. 1. 2. Now we beseech you Brethren by the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ and by our gathering together to him that ye be not soon shaken in minde nor be troubled neither by Spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us as though the day of Christ were at hand In these words there is some darkness in our English Translation for whereas the Translation hath it We beseech you Brethren by the coming of the Lord the word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the cause of the coming of the Lord. The Apostle in the former Epistle having spoken of the coming of Christ to Judgement of the Resurrection from the
Dead and the taking up of those that should remain to meet the Lord in the air Hereupon certain among the Thessalonians mistaking the meaning of the Apostle did conclude That the Day of Judgement and the general Assembly of the Saints was then at hand Now to diminish this opinion the Apostle doth exhort them in these words I beseech you Brethren 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the cause of the coming of Christ to Iudgement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the matter or cause of our gathering together unto him that ye be not soon shaken in minde nor be troubled either by Spirit by word or by letter as from us as that the day of Christ is at hand This sheweth plainly That they did mistake the Apostle in his former Epistle and did understand his words as though Christ should come presently to Judgement Now for their better information he proceedeth Vers. 3. Let no man deceive you by any means for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first and the Man of Sin be revealed the Son of Perdition He plainly sheweth what things should precede the coming of Christ to wit A general defection from the Faith and the revelation of the Man of Sin And this I take it doth fully open the meaning of our Saviours words in the Gospel concerning the woful state of the Church in the latter times He speaketh plainly that many false Christs shall arise and shall deceive if it were possible the very Elect Matth. 24. 5 23 24. Now to what times can we better refer this then to the times of Antichrist to the times of the Apostacy in which men shall depart from the Faith and shall give heed to the Doctrine of Devils 1 Tim. 4. 1. Now whereas the Apostle saith That there shall come a falling away first Some of the Ancients as Hierom did understand this of the defection from the Roman Empire Though this be a truth yet it is not the meaning of the Text For the falling away here meant is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a falling away from the true Faith or from the pure Worship of God So the word is used commonly in the New Testament and the sense of the Text doth plainly shew That God gave men up to delusions to believe lies because they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved The words then do not intend a Civil but a Spiritual apostacy or falling away Further whereas it is said And the Man of Sin shall be revealed the Son of Perdition Here is a great question Whether the times of the Apostacy and the Revelation of the Man of Sin do begin all at one instant Some will have this to be a Figure which the Rhetoricians call Hendyadys But they are deceived for the words are plain that a falling away from the Faith should be by degrees and when this Apostacy should come to some ripeness and maturity then the Man of Sin should be revealed For how is it possible that the Christian Church should degenerate so far from Christ to take Antichrist for her Head but she must be moulded prepared and wrought by degrees for such a rebellion And for that expression The Man of Sin whereas the Romish Interpreters and Hugo Grotius in his Tract de Antichristo do take this for one individual Man herein they are monstrous absurd For if he be one Man as they suppose then the Apostle tells us That he was secretly conceived in those first times the Mystery of Iniquity did then begin to work And he further addeth that he shall continue till the last times whom the Lord shall consume with the word of his mouth and shall abolish with the brightness of his coming Upon these grounds if the Man of Sin be one individual Man he must needs be very long-lived he must live in a manner from the first to the second coming of Christ. But leaving them to make good their own conceits to speak positively The Man of Sin meant in the Text is A State or a Succession of Men in a State or Government for Iohn in the Revlation doth call this Tyrannical Empire by the Title of a Beast which all do know in the sense of the Prophets doth intend an Idolatrous or a persecuting Empire He is called The Man of Sin by a singular Emphasis as being exceeding sinful and the cause of sin to others for so it is said in the Scriptures Ieroboam the son of Nebat that made Israel to sin And if he be the Man of Sin it is no hard matter to render a reason why he should be called The childe of Perdition This Title was sometimes given to Iudas While I was with them in the world I kept them in thy Name those that thou gavest me have I kept and none of them is lost save the Son of Perdition Joh. 17. 12. In the next words the Apostle doth describe him according to his nature Ver. 4. Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or is worshipped So that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God For his opposing himself this is spoken in relation to Christ as he is King Priest and Prophet So the Beast in the Revelat. is set in immediate opposition against the Lamb as if he were another Christ the Rival of his Kingly Power and Dignity And whereas he doth exalt himself above all that is called God Interpreters do ordinarily take this for Magistrates whether Inferior or Superior above all which Antichrist must advance himself The expression above all that is called God is a style too diminuent to express the true God by There be maâ—…y that be called Gods yet to us there is but one God 1 Cor. 8. 5. This is spoken of Magistrates that they are called Gods and above all these Antichrist as he doth pretend himself Universal Head of the Church shall exalt himself Further whereas it is said that he sits in the Temple of God this is meant of the Church of God where God is worshipped in the time of the New Testament as he was in the Temple of Ierusalem of old Now that the Church is called The Temple of God is clear from that of the Apostle Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God and The Temple of God is holy which ye are 1 Cor. 3. 16. The result of the whole speech is this That Antichrist shall sit in the Universal Church as in his Episcopal See for so the word in the Original doth signifie Cathedraticâ potestate praesidere By these words it is plain That the formality of Antichristianism lies in the Universal Headship For when the Apostle doth describe the Great Antichrist by his nature he saith That he sitteth in the Church of God as the supreme Lord and Ruler Therefore if that be true which I have so largely dispured in the Body of the Treatise That the Name of the
Beast is no other but his Universal Power and Headship over the Church of God then I will leave any man to consider Whether one and the same thing is not here spoken by S. Paul in the Epistle to the Thessalonians He as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God And hath not the Bishop of Rome for 1000 years put himself in the place of Christ as the Head and Law-giver to the Church of Christ But the Apostle goes on Vers. 5. Remember you â—…ot when I was with you I told you these things We reade in Acts 20. when the 〈◊〉 sent to Ephesus he called for the Eâ—…ders of the Church he told them that grievous Wolves should come and that they should not spare the stock The same things in effect he spake among the Thessalonians when he did foreshew the decay of the Christian faith and the revelation of the Man of Sin Now for the time of his coming and the knowledge they had oâ—… that time he hath these words Vers. 6. And now ye know what with holâ—…eth 〈◊〉 he may be revealed in his time â—…y the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the thing that doth withhold all Interpreters for the most part 〈◊〉 understand the Great Empire of the Romans For as long as the Mâ—…jesty of that Empire did stand it would keep 〈◊〉 the dominion of Antichrist who should ariâ—…e What knowledge the 〈◊〉 Thessalonians had of this is doubtful yet there iâ—… nothing more â—…ure then that the Ancient Writers 〈◊〉 as lived before the fall of the Empire did believe That when this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 come then the Man of Sin should be revealed Among many others when Hierom heard of the taking of Rome by the Râ—…me he did make application of this Scripture that then the Man of Sin was at the doors Now whereas some Interpreters think that we cannot shew any precise time of the coming of Antichrist they divide themselves into sundry opinions And therefore some speak of his Conception some of his Birth some of his higher advancement into the Throne and some of the full Perfection of his Power Others there are that take all these together and tell us That he was conceived in the Primitive Times born about the times of Constantane set up in the Throne under the Emperor Phocas and raised to the high pitch when he did assume the Power of both Swords But all these are but conceits of mens own Commenting For the time of the revelation of the Man of Sin must not be as every one will feign it at his own pleasure but as it is positively and plainly set down in the Word of Truth Now if we go to the scope of the Context the Great Empire of the Roman the impediment that hindred must be taken away and then after that the Man of Sin must be revealed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his definite and determinate time There is then a precise definite and determinate time for the revelation of the Man of Sin and this must be after the fall of the old Empire Nâ—…w according to these grounds there can be no other time intended but when he was installed Oecumenical Bishop under the Emperor Phocas It is clear by the Stories of the Church That the Empire fell and the Kings arose in the fifth Century And after that in the year 606 from the birth of the Lord and in the year 666 from the beginning of the Roman as the fourth Metal-Kingdome the Bishop of Rome was declared Universal Head over all Churches in the times of the Emperor Phocas In this year he was revealed and declared to the world in such a manner as the Apostle doth describe him for in this year he did begin to sit in the Church or in the Temple of God as in Cathedrá as Oecumenical and Universal Bishop and Head of the Church And so we have the particular time when Antichrist was revealed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his definite time This we take to be the natural sense of the Text for if these two things be supposed First that the beeing of the Man of Sin lies essentially in his Headship over the Church and Temple of God Secondly that he did appear in his proper time after the fall of the old Empire What other thing can here be signified or decyphered but that which we speak of to wit that the Number 666 in the Revelation doth point out the time of the rising of this Spiritual Monarchy For as we have formerly shewed the year 606 according to the calculation of the times in Daniel is the Number 666 the Number of the Name or Universal Headship of the Beast And thus we see how the scope of the Apostle in this Scripture doth fully answer our Interpretation concerning the Name of the Beast and the Number of the Name Now let us go to the words of the Apostle as they follow Vers. 7 8. For the Mystery of Iniquity doth already work onely he who now letteth will let till he be taken out of the way and then shall that wicked one be revealed Here Interpreters do inquire what is meant by the Mystery of Iniquity Some do think that the Apostle doth refer to those Heresies in the first times that were previous to the bringing in of the Man of Sin But how could those gross Heresies be so called The Mystery of Iniquity did incroach upon the Church and upon godly men under the appearance of the greatest holiness Secondly suppose that in those first times there were some beginnings of Free-will Justification by the Merit of Man yet these things are not to our purpose for we are here specially to look after such a working of the Mystery of Iniquity as makes way for the Papacy or the Papal Government or the Universal Headship of Antichrist that he shall sit as Lord or chief Ruler in and over the Church and Temple of God The question is What previous workings were there in the Apostles days and so downwards towards the setting up of the Universal Headship For this is to the scope of the Text and this doth answer the matter in hand Let us therefore consult with other Scriptures S. Iohn saith Ye have heard that Antichrist shall come even so the spirit of Antichrist is already in the world 1 Joh. 4. 3. What doth he mean by this that the spirit of Antichrist was already in the world He doth explain himself in his third Epistle and the 9th verse I would have wrote unto the Church but Diotrephes who loveth to have the pre-eminence suffereth us not It appears from hence then that in those first times men did affect that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Primacy or Headship in and over the Church of God Here then the Mystery of Iniquity did begin to work in those first times But lest any man might alledge that these incroachments were too gross and that the Mystery of Iniquity must be carried on with greater shews
the house upon his Children by a violent wind he could do any thing when he was let loose And so truly the times of Antichrist were the times of the loosing of Satan God did permit him to do great things to deceive that kinde of people who had forsaken the plain way to Salvation written in the Word to look after dispensations of a higher light by Visions Dreams and Revelations Now then to make Application of all these things to our times my speech and exhortation is to them who amongst us have departed from Ordinances and from Scriptures and are now for extraordinary Revelations my earnest desire is to them That they would lay these things to heart If they go on if they build upon such uncertain grounds let them seriously consider whether they may not be deluded by the power of Satan and whether God in his just Judgment may not deliver them over to believe lies I will not make mention of that Sect which goeth under the Name of the Quakers what they are and who they are God knows I do desire to contain my self in such things as I have some experience of There have been some friends of my familiarity heretofore whom I did conceive to be people of good hope these as I have observed have departed first from the Ministery and then have come to slight the Written Word and then last of all to hang upon Revelations and extraordinary Enthusiasms of the Spirit I have seen a Book scattered abroad by these men it beareth the Title of Gerard Winstanley his new Law of Righteousness The argument of the Treatise is That the Propriety of Goods is the Curse laid upon the Creature That all things should lie in common and that the whole earth should be brought to a Publick Treasury For probation of this as he doth make some mention of the practise of the Apostles in the Primitive times and that which shall be in the future glorious estate of the Church so for the more special confirmation of this he doth depend upon an extraordinary Revelation as it is expressed pag. 57. In the beginning of the Treatise he doth distinguish three Ministrations the Ministration of Moses of Christ and of the Spirit And saith he as the worshippers in Moses Ministration envied those that worshipped the Son of Man So those who now worship Christ at a distance in their several Congregations and Forms and are most zealous these are the bitterest enemies to the Ministration of Christ in the Spirit pag. 14. But further when he comes to expound himself concerning the Ministration of the Spirit he slights all outward Forms and doth look onely to inward Teachings Now I will speak a word or two to the followers of this way I will not say in positive terms that they are led by the delusions of Satan neither will I judge of their final estate they stand or fall to their own Master yet nevertheless I may be so bold seeing they have so often in their mouths the Whore of Babylon and Come out of Babylon my people and that every thing is Antichristian not onely in Mâ—…nistery Magistracy but also in the propriety of goods to desire them to look home to their own hearts whether they are not most Antichristian themselves or whether that Spirit which did so strongly deceive the Antichristian world doth not deceive them also when they do believe and profess such things as are directly and diametrally contrary to Scripture For these men though I do desire to speak moderately of them yet in some particulars they are delivered over to deep delusions when they go so palpably against the written Word and pretend extraordinary Revelation It were good in this case that they would judge themselves that they do not prove in the event the greatest promoters of the Kingdome of the Beast I am perswaded that Gregory the Great was in the main a godly and zealous man yet it appeareth by his Dialogues that he did run into foul errors into Idolatry into wil-worship and the like when he left the Scriptures to follow Revelations This is the only word which I do desire to speak to them Secondly here is also a word of Admonition for all those who endevour in these times to extinguish Book-learning For though it is a most certain truth and much to be lamented that men have looked too much to Scholarship and have made an Idol of it for they have not regarded the inward teachings of the Spirit in the heart nor the Spiritual understanding of the Mystery of Salvation which are the principal qualifications to prepare and fit men for the Ministery These things I confess have been too much slighted and the slighting and neglect of them hath been a great cause of hurt to the Church of God and damage to the Souls of men This shall never be denied by me For how may we probably conceive that a Minister will come home with the Demonstration and Evidence of the Spirit so powerfully at least to the Conscience of the Hearer when he himself is altogether a stranger to these inward workings How can he so effectually bring home the lost Sons of men to Christ when he himself never had a true feeling of his lost condition They must needs then run into a great extream who dote so much upon Secular Learning and do neglect the chiefest thing But yet on the other side they go as far out of the way who would have this kinde of learning to be extinguished in the Church of God This I much fear may be one mean to throw the world back again upon Visions Dreams and Revelations to set up the Kingdome of Antichrist once more Now whereas it is alledged That there were excellent Preachers in the Apostles times when there were no Universities nor was there any Humane Learning acquired by study Though this should be granted those extraordinary Revelations are now ceased Therefore we must be contented to go in the ordinary way and not to look for those extraordinary distributions which were in the first times They who are for the dissolving of Universities and for the total cashiering of Humane Learning let them stay untill there be a renovation and a return of these extraordinary gifts unto the Churches Some are of opinion that such times shall come if that be true let them be patient till they do come However as the case doth stand for the present I believe they who take away Humane Learning do what in them lies to reduce the Antichristian times All do agree that in these times the Church was in an eclipse or great darkness Now let us inquire after the time of the emersion how the Church came out and the time of the immersion how she was brought into this darkness For the time of the emersion most do pitch upon it that she waded out of obscurity at the time of Luther when the eternal Gospel began to be preached to every Kindred Tongue and
mingling one with another to preserve the Union of a Kingdom On the contrary if we take the Ten Horns for Ten Kings or Kingdoms at one and the same time there is nothing more ordinary than to establish Leagues and Confederacies betwixt Kingdoms and States that are contemporary each with other For that which they Alledge concerning the Division betwixt the Seleucidae and the Lagidae we have spoken thereof already and therefore we will not repeate the same things again Let us now in the last place come to those Queries concerning the Collation of the little Horn mentioned Dan. 7. and that little Horn spoken of chap. 8. For they that differ from us stand much upon this That Antiochus Epiphanes is signified in both Scriptures under the same Emblem Here we agree with them in Two Points First That the Prophecie of Daniel doth repeat one and the same thing for the better understanding of the Visions But then there must be some good evidence from the text to prove the things repeated to be the same though the Expression is divers Now what good proof is there to make it appear that the little Horn chap. 7. and that little Horn chap. 8. are one and the same Secondly We agree That Antiochus Epiphanes the Graecian Antichrist doth resemble the Roman Antichrist in many things and that the one is the express Image and Type of the other In these particulars then they do agree and are parallel Antiochus the little Horn Dan. 8. The Papacie the little Horn Dan. 7. 1. Out of the Graecian Kingdom there came forth a little Horn vers 9. 1. After the Ten Kings a little Horn did arise out of the Fourth Kingdom vers 8. 2. He did destroy the Mighty the Holy People vers 24. 2. He shall wear out the Saints of the Most High vers 21 23. 3. He shall magnifie himself in his heart against the God of gods vers 25. 3. He shall speak great things against the Most High vers 25. 4. By him the daily Sacrifice shall be taken away vers 11. 4. He shall think to change Times and Laws and they shall be given into his hand vers 25. In these several Particulars it is manifest That the little Horn mentioned chap. 7. and chap. 8. do both agree But yet whosoever he is that diligently considers the Scriptures he shall finde them to differ in the most remarkable circumstances First They differ in the State or Government where they arose the little Horn chap. 8. rose out of one of the Four Divisions of the Graecian State but the little Horn chap. 7. arose out of the Kingdom Typed by the Fourth Beast which all our Arguments asorementioned prove to be the Roman Kingdom Secondly They differ in the preparation and moulding of the State before the rising of either of them For the little Horn chap. 8. arose out of one of the Four Divisions of the Greek Empire But the little Horn chap. 7. arose after the Division of the Roman Empire into Ten inferiour Realms Thirdly They differ in their Actions For the little Horn chap. 8. is only said to rise out of one of the Four Kingdoms of the Graecian Empire but the little Horn chap. 7. is said to arise after the Ten Kingdoms of the Roman Empire And that he did pluck up Three of the former Kingdoms by the roots This is cleer from the scope of the text Fourthly They differ in the object of their Tyranny For though the little Horn chap. 8. is said to destroy the Holy People vers 24. yet the whole scope of the text sheweth that only the People of the Jews are here intended Now for the little Horn chap. 7. he is said to wear out the Saints of the Most High but there is no circumstance in the text to prove that these are the People of the Jews There is not one word of taking away the daily Sacrifice or of the setting up of the Abomination of Desolation or of Daniel's People or the pleasant Land or any such passages which the Prophet useth when he speaketh of the Jews All that can be said is this That he shall change Laws and times But from hence we cannot infer That these must be the Laws and Times of the Jewish Church For the Apostle when he speaketh of the Great Antichrist doth use such an expression He shall sit in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God 2 Thess. 2. And yet he doth not mean the literal Temple in Ierusalem Fifthly They differ in the time of the Continuance of their Tyranny The little Horn chap. 8. shall prevail and the Sanctuary shall be troden down unto Evenings Mornings 2300 vers 14. Now for the little Horn chap. 7. he shall wear out the Saints a time and times and half a time till the Saints themselves take the Kingdom How this time and times and half a time should be all one with the 2300 Evenings Mornings I cannot discern If you apply this to the Roman Antichrist a time and times and half a time is the full sum of the Antichristian Tyranny Rev. 12. 14. Sixthly They differ in the Event For after the 2300 Evenings Mornings the Temple was cleansed vers 14. and after that the little Horn had finished his times he was broken without hand vers 25. All these things were truly fulfilled in Antiochus Epiphanes But if you apply the little Horn chap. 7. to Antiochus there can be no right accommodation First That little Horn did wear out the Saints till the Son of Man came in the clouds of Heaven but so did not Antiochus Epiphanes Secondly The little Horn did wear out the Saints a time and times and half a time till the Dominion under the whole Heaven was given to the Saints but so did not Antiochus Epiphanes Thirdly The little Horn shall continue till the time of the Destruction of the Fourth Beast But the Kingdom of the Seleucians ended not at Antiochus many of that line succeeded afterwards in the Kingdom And there was a good space of time from the death of Antiochus to the destruction of the Seleucian State by Pompey the Great But Dr Willet replieth Though the Kingdom was not utterly ruined yet the Glory of it was much abated at Antiochus his death By the like Reason I might argue That there was an end of the Babylonian Kingdom at the death of Nebuchadnezzar because the Glory of that Kingdom did afterwards abate in Evilmerodach I might argue also That the Graecian Kingdom ended in Alexander because the Kings that arose after him did not arise in his strength Others there are that do Alledge the words of the Eleventh Verse I beheld then because of the voyce of the great words which the little Horn spake I beheld even till the Beast was slain and his Body given to the burning fire From hence they gather That the little Horn was first broken off and when the Beast was Hornless and harmless then he was destroyed
Such a sense may be admitted For we read in the Scripture That the Davidical Kingdom should be destroyed for the sins of Manasseth King of Iudah 2 King 23. 26. yet the destruction was many years after his death Though such a sense may be admitted yet it will not stand in the present case for in this Chapter the little Horn is said to continue till the destruction of the Fourth Kingdom It is said in express terms in the 26 Verse That the Iudgement shall sit and they shall take away his Dominion to consume and to destroy it to the time of the end Here I demand Whose Dominion is it that they shall take away Is it the Dominion of the Fourth Beast Hornless and harmless No This is immediately spoken of the little Horn that should wear out the Saints of the most High and should change Laws and Times a time and times and half a time Touching this little Horn it 's said That the Judgement shall sit and they shall take away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Kingdom They shall bereave him of his Dominion Therefore it is clear That the times of the little Horn shall continue to the end of the Beast's Kingdom and to the beginning of the Kingdom of the Saints And yet further Daniel did desire to know the truth of the Fourth Beast and of the Ten Horns of the little Horn that came up after them I beheld saith he and the same Horn made War with the Saints and prevailed against them until the ancient of dayes came and judgement was given to the Saints of the most High the time came that the Saints possessed the Kingdom vers 22. From these words also it is manifest That the times of the little Horn do extend to the beginning of the Kingdom of the Saints Now how this should be verified in Antiochus Epiphanes it is not as yet made so clear to me But if you apply this to the Papacy all things will agree for it is manifest That the Two-Horned Beast in the Revelation must wear out the Saints a time and times and half a time Rev. 12. 14. Rev. 11. 7 8 9. Now when this time is once fulfilled the Beast and the false Prophet shall both of them be cast into the Lake of fire and the Reign of Christ and of his Saints shall begin upon the Earth Rev. 19. 20. Rev. 20. 1 2 3 4. But by the way because some stand for a Personal Reign of Christ at the end of the Fourth Kingdom because then the Son of Man is said to come in the clouds of Heaven I Answer That they have no Reason to take that strictly which we can prove from the Harmony of Scripture ought to be construed with some kind of Latitude These things are shewed to Daniel who saw afar off as joyned together and yet in experience they do not meet in the same juncture of time As for example A man that traveleth in Wales or some such-like hilly Country while he is yet at a long distance he may see the tops of two great Mountains as though they were near together yet when he cometh to look upon them with a more distinct view the one may be ten or twelve Miles beyond the other in the distance of place It is well known also That when the Apostles made mention of the coming of Antichrist they also spake of the end of the world 2 Thess. 2. What then shall we argue as many do That the Discovery of Antichrist will not be till the end of the world This cannot be We that live in these times may see more clearly That Antichrist hath been revealed many hundred years ago and the end of the world is not yet come If therefore a Reason be demanded why these two The Revelation of Antichrist and the End of the World are coupled together we may say That the Apostles who saw afar off spake of these things because they should happen in the last times though in the particularity of time the one might be before the other In like manner the Prophet Daniel who lived very remote from the Dissolution of the Fourth Kingdom from the glorious Kingdom of the Saints and from the coming of the Son of Man in the clouds of Heaven to him all these things in the general and in the lump may be represented together when in a more distinct and particular consideration the one may be before the other The consuming of the Kingdom of Antichrist with the word of his mouth and the establishment of the Kingdom of the Saints may be before the Personal appearing of the Son of Man in the Clouds of Heaven But now it is not to our present purpose to meddle with this Difficulty That which we have to say is only concerning the Fourth Beast That either he must signifie the Seleucian or the Roman Kingdom But we have proved by many Arguments against Dr Willet and others That the Seleucian cannot here be meant Therefore we may safely conclude That the Fourth Beast with Ten Horns is the proper Embleme and Type of the Roman Kingdom From whence also we gather That Daniel in his Prophecie and Iohn in the Revelation so far as this Point is concerned do speak of one and the same matter And by the Interpretation of the one we may finde out the sense of the other Prophecie There is no Principle that can be more useful and demonstrative than this To discover the Truth by the Harmony of the Prophecies Now let us go to the beginning of the Roman as the Fourth Metal-Kingdom and so let us see how there is a Chain of 666 years from that beginning to the Universal Headship of the Beast This shall be the Subject of the Chapter following CHAP. VI. That the Beginning of the Roman as the Fourth Metal-Kingdom is not from the time of Julius or Augustus Caesar or from any other vulgar Beginning but precisely from that instant when the Church of God came under the Dominion of the Romans 60 years before the Birth of the Lord and 666 before the going forth of the Decree That the Bishop of Rome should be Head over all the Churches THere are in this Proposition Two Parts that need special Confirmation First That the Roman did begin as the Fourth Metal-Kingdom when the Church came under the Dominion of that People Secondly That from this beginning there is the space of 666 years to the Universal Headship For the Beginning of the Dominion of the Romans according to different Relations men may differently state the Epocha thereof But laying aside all other considerations we are to note in what sense Daniel doth begin it as the Fourth Metal-Kingdom And here I stand upon it That we are principally to look to the state of the Church How the Church and the Continent adjoyning came under the Dominion of that People For the clearing of this we will also demonstrate two things First That the Beginning of