And when the seven Thunders had uttered their Voices v. 4. I was about to write A sealed vision is an obscure vision I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me seal up those things which the seven Thunders uttered write them not A Sealed Book a Writing a Word sealed according to the Style of the Scripture is a word that is not understood 1s 29.11 The Vision of all is saith Esay as a book that is sealed that is to say you shall not understand it God saith to Daniel seal up the vision Dan. 8.26 for it shall be for many Days And in another place O Daniel shut up the words Dan 12.4 seal the book even to the time of the end many shall run to fro knowledg shall be encreased That is to say God will not have the Prophecies be understood till a certain time In like manner the Prophecy that respected Antichrist was Sealed up till an appointed time For above ten whole ages nothing of It was understood or so little that 't is to be reckon'd as nothing And write them not that is to say do not express them in such terms that in them the events may be read at least not very soon V. 5. And the Angel which I saw standing upon the Sea and upon the Earth lifted up his Hand to Heaven V. 6. And sware by him that liveth forever and ever who created Heaven and the things that therein are and the Earth and the things that therein are and the Sea and the things which are therein That there should be Time no longer V. 7 But in the days of the Voice of the seventh Angle when he shall begin to sound the Mystery of God should be finisht as he hath declared to his Servants the Prophets VVhen the last Trumper must sound The Voice of the seventh Trumpet is that which must sound at the moment of the last Fall of the Antichristian Empire when Popery shall be destroyed Then all the Nations shall turn unto God to make up the Kingdom of Jesus Christ that is yet to come as appears by these words The seventh Angel sounded Ch. 11.15 and there were great Voices in Heaven saying The Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign forever and ever Here our Angel swears that in that time that is to say when the Kingdoms shall be reduced to Jesus Christ Time shall be no longer Time in this place is not opposed to Eternity as if the Angel would say that then the World shall end and Eternity begin but his meaning is that the times afforded to Antichrist shall be ended shall be no more It must be remembred that the Holy Spirit as well by the mouth of Daniel as by that of St. John assigns to Antichrist a time times half a time This shall be no more There shall not be neither time nor times nor half a time for Antichrist Time shall be no more for his reign it shall be the time of his total destruction Then the mystery of God shall be finisht as he hath declared to his servants the Prophets viz. The mystery of this glorious reign of Jesus Christ on the Earth which hath been foretold by all the Prophets in so magnificent a manner as we shall shew in the process of this work which Daniel saw so clearly as to mark the time circumstances of it And the voice which I heard from heaven v. 8 spake to me again said Go take the little book which is open in the hand of the Angel which standeth upon the sea upon the Earth And I went unto the Angel v. 9 said unto him give me the little book And he said unto me take it eat it up it shall make thy belly bitter but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as Honey The voice which he heard from Heaven is the same as spoke to him in the beginning of the book I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day heard behind me a great voice as of a Trumpet saying I am Alpha Omega the First the Last And this also shews that this here is a new prophecy not the continuation of the first For the same voice of God the Father that began the First Revelation returns begins the second as the same Jesus Christ also appears again a second time Saint John receives the book from the hand of the Angel that is to say of Jesus Christ because 't is he that sends the Prophets that inspires them by his Spirit This little book is Saveet in Saint John's Mouth because the Spirit of prophecy the glory of being the mouth of God from heaven pleases the inclination of men that love honour But this little book Made his belly bitter because that after having reflected on the events which he was about to fore-tell after having digested consider'd them in his own breast he found them so dreadful that they filled his soul with sorrow And he said unto me v. 11. thou must prophecy again before many people nations tongues Kings These words do no longer leave any cause of doubting whether this be a new prophecy not a continuation of the First Thou must make a Second Prophecy to Kings People Nations wheras what thou hast prophecied to them respected their Temporal state for the future that which thou shalt foretell them respects their Spiritual state the things of Religion CHAP. IX A short System of all the Events of the Church which are noted in the Apocalypse first of all an Epitome of the Chronology The history of the Church is not to be found but in the last eleven Chapters of the Apocalypse WE must not seek for the History of the Church in the First Nine chapters of the Apocalypse Joseph Mede is the first that hath discover'd that the Apocalypse consists of two bodies of Revelations meant by two Books the first of which we find in the beginning of the fifth Chapter v. 1. And I saw in the right hand of him that sate on the throne a book written within on the back side sealed with seven seals The other we find in the 10. Chap. v. 2. And he had in his hand a little book open he set his right foot upon the sea his left foot on the Earth It is plain that these two Books are two bodies of Revelations perfect in their kind different each from the other that both the one the other run through all reach to all the times from the beginning of the Revelation of St. John even to the end of the World. One cannot imagine any thing more reasonable than this that the First Book contains the destinies of the World the Empire the Church also in respect to her Temporal as far as she is
of the Antichristian Empire If it can be made very plain and certain that the three years and a half of the duration of this Empire must not be taken for natural years but for three prophetical years and a half it will also be very certain that all which the Papists say concerning Antichrist is false For if the Antichristian Empire must last 1260 years Antichrist can never be only one single man seeing there is no man that hath lived doth or can live 1260. years Nor will it be more true that Antichrist must not come but just at the end of the World For the duration of 1260. years and the end of the World are not one and the same thing Neither will it be more true that the Gospel must have been preached in all the Nations of the World before the coming of Antichrist For there is no prophesy that saith or doth so much as insinuate that the Gospel must be preached every where 1260. years before the last coming of our Lord Jesus Christ It will be as false that Antichrist is not to come till after the total ruin of the German Empire For although we do not exactly know the time the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ however this is held for certain that the World is not to endure yet two or 3000. years longer as it must do if Antichrist be not yet como and must reign 1260. years For besides these 1260. years we must find out a 1000. years of peace for the Church before the end of the World. Neither will it be true that Antichrist must be a false Messiah received by the Jews an enemy of God and of all Religion For God would not suffer that His wisdom would not permit it There is nothing in the Scripture that gives us any ground to presume that an Infidel an open enemy of Jesus Christ and of his Religion must remain master of all the World for 1260. years 'T is plain therefore this is the principal controversy on which all the rest do depend Let this be remembred We will handle this controversy in its proper place In the mean time we shall say something in this Chapter to lay open the falseness of the other pretended characters of Antichrist Antichrist is not only one single man. I. He must be onely one single person and not a series of men If this be so why did Saint Paul say that the mystery of iniquity began in his time Why did Saint John say in his first Epistle that Antichrist was already come into the World He was come in his fore-runners saith Bellarmin I acknowledge it But do the fore-runners use to go 2000. years before him whose fore-runners they are Types indeed are and may be two or 3000. years before those persons of which they are Types But 't is not so with fore-runners Why is Antichrist represented as a Beast if he be but one single man Is it not usual in Prophetical visions to represent an Empire i. e. all the successive Kings of that Empire by a Beast So the Monarchy of the Babylonians and Assyrians with all their Kings is represented to us by the first Beast in the seventh Chapter of Daniel which was like to a Lion The Empire and Emperors of Persia by only one Bear and so of the rest At least this makes it undeniably clear that there is no necessity that we should understand one single person by those two Beasts in the Revelation that represent Antichrist How can this be reconciled with that which these men have confessed that the fourth Beast of Daniel and the first Beast in the thirteenth of the Revelation all are the same beast Seeing the fourth Beast in Daniel by their own confession signifies an Empire and a series of men 't is necessary also that the first Beast in Saint John should signify a series of Kings and Tyrants 'T is true the Scripture often speaks of Antichrist as of a particular person It calls him the man of sin a King a Horn c. But it speaks of Empires also in the same manner They are Kings the ten Horns are ten Kings They are beasts and one Beast in the singular number The Empire of Persia is one Beast that of the Greeks is another the Empire of the Romans makes the fourth Beast The Spirit saith concerning the seven Heads of the Roman Empire the seven Heads are seven Kings i. e. they are seven sorts of Governours and Governments That Antichrist must not be a Jew II. Antichrist must be a Jew of the Tribe of Dan. of a mean birth and must style himself the Messiah of the Iews Where are the proofs of this He must be a Iew and of the Tribe of Dan because it is written Gen. 49.17 Jer. 8 16. Dan shall be a Serpent by the way and an Adder in the path that biteth the Horses heels The snorting of his Horses was heard from Dan. Doth this deserve a confutation And because some of the ancients have been taken with these visions must we therefore receive them as Oracles Among the things that are certain Bellarmin places this that Antichrist shall be a Iew but doth not give us any shew of proof for it besides the testimony of the Ancients But as to that we must take all or nothing Either the Authority of the Ancients must be wholly received in this matter or else be wholly weak If we must admit what the Ancients have said concerning Antichrist we must believe that it will be the Devil that shall incarnate himself in the bosom of a false Virgin as the Son of God did in the bosom of a chast one We must believe that Nero was Antichrist In a word we must admit of a hundred dreaming opinions about it which at this day are unanimously rejected If the Authority of the Fathers be not good in many places 't is good in none 't is doubtfull every where We must have proofs drawn from the Scriptures to shew us that Antichrist must be a Iew. But see Bellarmines great proof III. Antichrist must be received by the Jews as their Messiah Antichrist must not be received by the Jews as their Messiah And the Jews would never acknowledg any for their Messiah that was a stranger uncircumcised and one that was not of their own nation But where do they find this that the Jews must receive Antichrist for their Messiah These Gentlemen that have a more piercing sight than the Angells themselves find it in those words of our Saviour I am come in my Father's name and ye have not received me if another come in his own name him you will receive He that will come in his own name and whom the Jews will receive shall be Antichrist who will call himself the Messiah Have these men any shame left in them Bellarm. l. 3. de Rom. Pontif. Cap. 12. Sect. praeter to put this at the head of such a proof viz. Sunt alia
part of that homage that is due to him 'T is not without a great mystery of Providence that such extravagant Ideas and such as are not according to the intention of the H. Spirit should be affixed to the names designed to signify the Antichristian Empire and its head For example the man of sin the son of perdition the Beast with seven heads full of blasphemies the great Whore the Cup of abomination Antichrist Excessive Ideas I say have been affixed to these names as if hereby it were signified that the person and the Empire designed by these names should have nothing of the Christian yea nothing of humane in it and that they should be prodigies of impiety madness blasphemy and impurity The same thing hath happen'd in the term Apostacy to which hath been affixed the Idea of an utter renunciation of the faith And this hath not come to pass without a singular Providence of God who would not have Antichrist to be known to the end that during his birth and establishment no man might oppose him Our second Observation is that the word apostacy in the Scripture use of it answers to the Hebrew word mered rebellion The word Apostacy properly signifies rebellion and marad to rebel 'T is very usual with the 70. Interpreters to render these Hebrew words by those of to apostatize and apostacy whether it be rebellion against God or rebellion against men that is treated of The Reubenites and Gadites returning home after they had assisted their Brethren to settle themselves on the other side of Jordan built an Altar on the bank of the river The other Tribes imagining that the Reubenites Gadites intended to sacrifice on that Altar against the commandment of God they say to them ye rebel against the Lord. Josh 22.18 19. Timeredou which in the Greek is rendred you are become Apostates from the Lord. On the other hand the Reubenites justifying themselves say the Lord knows if this thing be done in rebellion They use this word mered and the septuagint have rendred it by that of apostacy When the Spies returned Joshuah and Caleb being desirous to induce the Israelites to pursue their journey to endeavour the conquest of the Land of Canaan according to the intention of God they say to them revolt not al timeredou and the Greek hath it do not turn apostates Instances are without number and 't is sufficient to have intimated it According to this use of the word which is certainly the Scripture use of it 't is evident that the Papism is a true apostacy a rebellion a revolt To be an Apostate in the Scripture sense Apostacy doth not always signify a total defection it is not necessary that a man should utterly abandon the true God. When the Israelites on this side Jordan accuse the Reubenites of an intention to turn Apostates do not revolt they do not so much as suspect that they intend entirely to renounce God but only to build an altar against the Altar of Moses to sacrifice to that God that brought them out of Egypt Do not apostatize say they to them in building you an Altar besides the Altar of the Lord our God. When Caleb and Joshuah say to the Israelites on the occasion of their refusing to go towards the Land of Canaan do not apostatize they did not apprehend that the Israelites were minded to chuse another God but only that they would revolt from the orders of the true God but yet without renouncing him for their God. How the Papism destroys the Articles of faith It is not therefore necessary that the Papism should be a formal and entire renunciation of the faith it is enough that 't is a revolting from the faith Now certainly the Papism is so There are none of the Articles of the Christian faith which it doth not destroy and against which it doth not plant its engines There are rebels that do in words acknowledge a Prince for their King who yet do not cease to make war against him This is the ordinary way of rebels The Papism doth perfectly the very same thing It doth homage in words to the principal Articles of the Christian faith but indeed it fights against them it destroys them It acknowledges a God manifest in the flesh but it revolts from this Article and destroys it by another carnal God or a God in the flesh i. e. the Bishop of Rome to whom it ascribes a double power which agrees to Jesus Christ alone and which even Jesus Christ himself would not exercise while he was here upon Earth It destroys also this God manifest in the flesh by another Jesus Christ incarnated breaden transubstantiated indivisibly united to the accidents of the bread and of this false Christ it makes a true Idol It believes one Jesus the redeemer of the World but it destroys this article of faith and revolts from it in saying the Saints are our mediators in offering to God their merits besides the merits of Jesus Christ and in praying to God in their name and by their intercession It believes one only God but it revolts from this article in supposing new objects of worship to which it renders a truly religious worship It believes that the blood of J. Christ cleanseth us from all sin but it revolts from this Article divers ways in seeking out strange satisfactions and in supposing a purgatory the use of which is to expiate the sins of men 'T is an Apostacy from the faith to introduce that Which is beside the faith And that we may clearly understand that all these things and others of the like nature may very well be called an Apostacy from the faith we must again make use of that passage in the 22th Chapt. of the book of Joshua where the Israelites say to their brethren do not apostatize in building an Altar besides the Altar of the Lord. These words shew that one may be an apostate not only by bringing things into Religion which are against Religion but also in promoting things that are besides Religion For they do not say against the Altar but besides the Altar Now in this sense it is clear that the Papism is an Apostacy For besides the true object of worship it introduces new objects of religious adoration besides the sole and only Jesus it introduces many saviours besides the sole Intercessor many intercessors besides the sole sacrifice another sacrifice besides the true Sacraments false ones The Papism introduceth doctrines worship both against the faith besides the faith therfor 't is a true revolting or apostacy from the faith The Papism is an Apostacy if it he considered alone My third Observation is this that to have a right knowledge of the Papism we must not look upon it as is usually done as compounded with the opinions and worship of Christianity which it hath retained This is one of the great artifices of the Devil and his Agents to make us
brought back the worship of Daemons The Heathens to render these Daemons or these Demi-Gods favourable to them erected their pictures and made Images of them all the world knows that They consecrated these Images and perswaded themselves that by vertue of that consecration the spiritual Gods came to dwell in that matter to which they had given a shape The makers of Images saith Tertullian give bodies to the Daemons One may see this Theology very distinctly expressed in a Dialogue entitled Asclepius attributed to Hermes Tresmegistus which at least is of some antiquity and was in some esteem among the Heathens seeing Apisleius took the pains to translate it into Latin. 'T is a marvel saith he that surpasseth all other marvels that man hath found a way to make Gods. Our Ancestors were greatly deceived by their incredulity touching the Gods and had but little regard to religion and the purity of the Divine service They invented an art of marking Gods Because they could not make souls and join them to insensible bodies they called the souls of Daemons and of Angels to put them into their Images and in the holy mysteries by which means these Images obtain the power of helping or hurting See altogether pure popery They may say what they will that they believe not that there is any vertue in the Images yet however it is true First That in the Papism an Image that hath not been consecrated according to the Ritual cannot be exposed to the publick devotion of the people Secondly That Images not consecrated are reputed of no vertue whereas those that are consecrate do often work miracles or the he and she-Saints work miracles by them But if you would have any thing that is yet more like to the Doctrine of the Heathens touching the power of consecrations to draw the Gods into their Images you will find it in the Doctrine of Transsubstantiation and the real-presence As the Heathens believed they did by their invocations draw down their Gods into their brass and marble so the Papism by the vertue of consecration draws down its God into a morcel of bread and there encloses it fast The ancient Heathens defended themselves in this matter just as our new Heathens You deceive your selves said they we worship neither copper nor silver nor gold nor other matter of which the Images of the Gods are made c. But in these signs we adore and worship the Gods. Lastly the Heathens did adore and serve the Reliques of their dead men and of their Daemons 'T was to the honour of these dead men that the feasts were made that are called inferiae parentalia parentationes and novemdialia and a hundred other things whence we have elsewhere shew'd its perfect conformity with the services of the papism for the dead We have heard Plato quoted by Eusebius telling us we must worship the sepulchers of the Hero's Clemens Alexandrinus Arnobius Eusebius c. tell us the Temples of the false Gods were nothing else but the Tombs of the Heroes And this is exactly what the papism imitates its Temples and its Altars are garnisht with Reliques and it would believe that a Temple would not have all that it must have if there were not some bones of a Saint under the Altar Thus you have that which perswades me that the Apostle designs the worship of the papism by the doctrine of Daemons 'T is this exact conformity that is found between the ancient Doctrine of Daemons and the mew I think nothing can be objected but this viz. that the word Daemon in the H. Scriptures is never taken in a good sense It always signifies those wicked spirits that seduce men in this World and must torment them in the other Whereas the Heathens in their Theology by Daemons understood those kind spirits which are the mediatours of commerce between God and men Joseph Mede answers to this two things The word Daemon in the Scripture is not always taken in an ill sense First That the usage of this word Daemon in the sense of the Pagans for Gods of the second rank was not unknown to the writers of the new Testament Saint Luke in the 17th Chap. of the Acts introduceth the Athenians saying of Saint Paul that he is a setter forth of strange Daemons In the same Chap. Saint Paul saith that he found the Athenians too much addicted to the worship of Daemons In the 9th Chapter of the Revelation Saint John saith that the horrible plague that fell on men hindred them not from worshipping of Daemons The people there spoken of that came from above Euphrates horsemen to the number of twenty thousand times ten thousand are in all likelihood the Turks And those that are smitten with that plague are the Christians to whom the adoration of Daemons is attributed because they worshipped Saints and Angels The second thing that Joseph Mede answers which is very certain and very solid is that the Heathens sacrificed and render'd their homage to evil spirits and not as they pretended to Angels The Heathens the Papists in believing they worship good Genius's serve the wicked spirits and to the happy Spirits that are Administratours under God. Because these holy creatures are too much given to the service of God and too much in the interests of their great master to arrogate to themselves and receive any of that homage that men would render to them The Heathens therefore in their intention served good Genius's but indeed the wicked Daemons 'T is the same with the Heathens of the Antichristian Empire They intend to serve the Saints and Angels but those pure and happy Spirits have no mind to receive such worship It goes to them that refuse it it goes not to God who abominates it It goes therefore to the Devils that take it for themselves and rejoyce in it so the Antichristian Idolatry may justly be called by the same name as the Heathen Idolatry For they have the same model ' the same principles the same ceremonies and they go to the honour of the same Prince of darkness whose Empire they encrease CHAP. XXI What is the Character of those that were to establish Idolatry in the Christian Religion They are Priests and Monks Authors of the Laws of Celibacy and of fasts How many fables and fictions have been invented by these men seared in their Consciences WE are much obliged to the H. Spirit speaking by the mouth of S. Paul that he would in this Text add the Character of the persons that were to cause Apostacy What must be the Characters of those that should teach Doctrines concerning Daemons and teach this doctrine of Daemons For at last these terms of Apostacy and the doctrine of Devils or of Daemons being general the Subjects of Antichrist would always have been able to have saved themselves by the help of the doubtfulness and ambiguity of them in saying that every heresy is apostacy and every lye is a doctrine of
the World but was manifest in these last times for us 2 Pet. 3.3 4. The same Apostle tells us in the last days shall come scoffers walking after their own lusts and saying where is the promise of his coming 'T was the very time in which Saint Peter spoke and wrote For 't is spoken as of persons that were in being already And it appears by the second Chapter of the Epistle to the Thessalonians that there was an opinion spread abroad that the end of the World was at hand which made prophane ones say where is the promise of his coming which they tell us is nigh The Prophet Ioel saith Acts 2. in the last days I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh St. Peter applies this Oracle to that which happen'd on the day of Pentecost and in the ages of the Primitive Church 2. Tim. 3.1 St. Paul saith to Timothy Know this that in the last days perillous times shall come for men shall be lovers of their own selves c. These last days began a little after St. Paul For the Church was not long before she corrupted her manners These very same Texts prove also the other thing we have laid down which is that the last times do not signify a short duration For the manifestation of Jesus Christ made in the last times and God speaking to us in the last days by his Son and the last days wherein the prophane shall bear sway all this I say signifieth the time that passeth from I. Christ to the end of the word The times divided into three parts in reference to the Church To understand why the Period that passeth from Jesus Christ to this present time is called the last time we must observe that in the Scripture the times are divided either with reference to the Church or with reference to the World. With reference to the Church there are three times A time when the Church was without the Law and without the Gospel this is the first time that passed from Adam to Moses A time wherein the Church had the Law of Moses that was the time from the departure out of Egypt to I. Christ that 's the second time Lastly A time wherein the Church enjoys the light of Iesus Christ that 's ours and that 's the third time The times in reference to the world are divided into four With reference to the World the time is divided into four great Monarchies that must precede the last reign of I. Christ The first was the Monarchy of the Assyrians which had its seat first at Niniveh and afterwards at Babylon The second is that of the Persians the third that of the Greeks and the fourth that of the Romans whose reign must be prolong'd till the Kingdom be given to J. Christ and his Saints Since Jesus Christ we are in the last times Now whether we refer it to the first division or the second 't is still true that we are in the last times that I. Christ came in the last times and that the Empire of Antichrist must be in the last times J. Christ came in the third and last time with reference to the times of the Church seeing he came since the Law of Moses ceased to be in its vigor And Antichrist also hath his reign in the third and last period of the Church Jesus Christ also came in the last times with respect to the World for he came in the time of the fourth Monarchy Antichrist with much more reason may be assigned to the last times of the fourth Monarchy because he himself is but a continuation of that fourth Monarchy But to be so much the more fully perswaded that 't is a very proper expression it must be observ'd that the fourth Monarchy figur'd by the fourth beast was to have two great periods one of six heads the other of a seventh head having ten horns The Period of the six first heads is the Roman Empire under Kings Consuls Decemvirs Tribunes of the people perpetual Dictators and Emperors And this first Period contains about 12 or 1300 years The period of the little horn or the seventh beast with ten horns is that of Antichrist and the ten Kings which must also be between 12 and 1300 years Antichrist therefore is come in the last time of the last time i. e. in the last period of the fourth and last worldly Monarchy And consequently the Holy Spirit might with very great reason call his reign the last times And thence it can by no means be concluded that this Kingdom must last but a few years before the end of the World. Having said all that I had to say to destroy this false imagination that the Empire of Antichrist must last but three years and a half I might justly reassume and urge all those Arguments I formerly mentioned to prove that the Idea of Antichrist which the Papists frame to themselves is false and that the popish Roman see is the true Antichrist But before that I must use them yet once more to confound the dishonesty of the Translators of the Port-Royal Rev. 17.10 The dishonesty of the translation of the Port-Royal about the duration of Antichrists reign who say of the ten Kings that they shall take power for one hour or for a little time with the beast instead of translating in in the same hour or at the same time with the beast They found this translation or rather this notorious falsification very proper to take away from the Reformed this Text that proves so clearly that the birth of Antichrist must be reckon'd from the division of the Roman Empire among ten Kings and into ten Kingdoms But afterwards we shall see that though we should let their translation pass our proof would not in the least be weakned by it But as they will not agree that 1260 years may be called a little time see here they are engaged to prove that all that we have said to prove that the 1260 days of Antichrists reign are so many years is illusion a Chimaera a dream and a sophism For if our proofs do subsist how will they maintain their version that the Kings shall take power for a little time with the beast Seeing all Interpreters do agree and 't is clear of it self without their consent that the power of the ten Kings must last as long as that of the beast And also these ten Kings must reach beyond the beast for after they have clothed him with their power they must strip him of it eat his flesh and burn it with fire If therefore they duration and continuance of the beast be 1260 years as we have demonstrated it 't is necessary that the reign of the ten Kings be 1260 years and consequently this reign will not be for one hour and for a little time 'T is here that these Gentlemen the Interpreters will have great need of the Arabique Rabbinical learning and Hebrew of Father
of late have given it They say the Time of the Regeneration is the Time of the Church from Jesus Christ to the end of the World. That during all that time for 1600 years the Apostles have sat as it were on Thrones to judge the Church because we consult them and have recourse to their Oracles But 1. 'T is a strange abuse of words to call by the name of Regeneration such corrupted times as those of the Church for the last twelve hundred years 2. 'T is to take the words in a very figurative sense indeed to call that which the writings of the Apostles do at this day sitting upon Thrones and judging the twelve Tribes of Israel 3. Lastly I know not why the twelve Tribes of Israel should come into this promise and why they only since they are altogether excluded from the Covenant and are not governed by the writings of the Apostles I confess then that I find nothing therein but what is obscure But all is plain if by Regeneration I understand the happy Reign of Peace and Righteousness and Charity For the Church must be greatly renewed to reach that blessed state Then indeed the Son of man shall be sat on the Throne of his Glory He shall then have the full Dominion whereas now he reigns as it were but by halves and after the end of this World he shall reign no longer for then he shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God his Father If we suppose that then the raised Apostles shall be at the head of the twelve converted Tribes and shall govern them and send their orders by them to the rest of the World according to which all other Governours throughout the Earth shall manage themselves If I say this be supposed no Text can be plainer The word Thrones will then be taken in its natural signification and to Iudge will signify the same as it doth throughout the Scripture perticularly in the book of Iudges where we read that Iephta and Sampson and Samuel judged Israel so many years Lastly by this means we shall understand why the twelve Tribes of Israel are mentioned 't is because the Apostles are to have a perticular care and oversight of them as being their own People although their authority shall be universal I confess this seems to me most probable Nevertheless I determine nothing but suspend my judgement 4. Doubtfull Character Whether Jerusalem shall be rebuilt 4. I leave it also as doubtful whether Ierusalem shall be rebuilt to be the seat of Christ's Kingdom to say the truth as I believe that the Iews shall meet together in their own Country I see no reason why they should not rebuild the City of Jerusalem Which being rebuilt will doubtless be the most illustrious City in the World and if you will the seat of the universal Empire not of an Earthly Monarchy that hath its Armies Tributes Customes Forts and Governours spread throughout the Earth but it shall be the principal seat whence shall flow the Orders and Oracles of Iesus Christ whereby the whole World shall be governed 5. Doubtfull Character The duration of this Kingdom 5. Lastly I will not determine how long this Kingdom shall last A thousand years are exprest oftentimes determinate numbers are put for indefinite But I see no inconvenience will follow if we take that number in its natural signification and I am of that opinion After this Reign of a thousand years there is a great Event to be brought about set forth in these words V. 7. Chap. 20. And when the thousand years are expired Satan shall be loosed out of his prison V. 8. And shall go out to deceive the Nations which are in the four quarters of the Earth Gog and Magog to gather them together to battel the number of whom is as the sand of the Sea. V. 9. And they went up on the breadth of the Earth and compassed the Camp of the Saints about and the beloved City and fire came down from God out of Heaven and devoured them VVhat shal happen after the thousand years explained I see but one sense can be given to this that you may comprehend it you must know that we are not to take those promises of the conversion of all Nations and of all men in perticular in such a strict and rigid sense as to admit of no exception I have already told you that the Church shall then as far exceed the World and the Good the wicked as now the World and the Men of the World do the Good. Therefore there shall then be some remaining people not converted They shall be supprest and kept under during the thousand years and shall not molest either the Peace or Purity of the Church But at the end of this Period their numbers shall be increast and become very considerable And before the end of the World a cruel persecution against the Church shall arise from them and because the number of three and half is fatal for persecutions 't is not unlikely that this shall also last three years and half before the end of the World. During three natural years and half the Sanctuary was shut up and prophaned by Antiochus For three years and half Iesus Christ preacht in an afflicted state for three prophetical years and half the two witnesses prophecied clothed in sackcloth for three prophetical days and half i. e. three natural years and half these two witnesses should remain dead in the streets of the City So to me it seems probable that the last Persecution after the thousand years of Rest shall last three years and half and then may come the Antichrist of St. Irenaeus whom I will so far honour as to believe that he had learnt the Mystery of this last Persecution from some Apostolical Persons which he confounded with the reign of the Apocaliptical Beast for 1260 days Neither is it improbable but that the Ring-leader of this last Persecution may be a Iew for there is no mean to be found among that People they are all either very Good or very Bad. They who shall live when the Iews shall be converted shall be able to Divine something of it For if they then see a remnant of obstinate Iews cantonize themselves in some corner of the World and resist the general stream of Conversion there will be some ground to believe that this shall be the first bud of that Great Rebellion which the Providence of God reserves for the end of the World. And so it may be there shall arise a Iew as St. Irenaeus said pretending to be the Messiah who shall persecute the Church and reign for three years and half before the end of the World and be destroyed within a few days before the last Iudgement This shall be the Diminutive of the great Antichrist which should not be confounded with the Man of sin of whom Saint Paul speaks nor with the Beast in Revel 13. nor with the Woman chap.