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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	ghost_n	holy_a	part_n	5,261	5	4.5208	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64635	Certain discourses, viz. of Babylon (Rev. 18. 4.) being the present See of Rome (with a sermon of Bishop Bedels upon the same words) of laying on of hands (Heb. 6. 2.) to be an ordained ministry, of the old form of words in ordination, of a set form of prayer : each being the judgment of the late Arch-bishop of Armagh, and Primate of Ireland / published and enlarged by Nicholas Bernard ... : unto which is added a character of Bishop Bedel, and an answer to Mr. Pierces fifth letter concerning the late Primate.	Ussher, James, 1581-1656.; Bedell, William, 1571-1642.; Bernard, Nicholas, d. 1661.	1659 (1659)	Wing U161; ESTC R10033	109,687	392

of the Pope The Second How the Papacy may be said to be the Beast that was and is not and yet is Rev. 17. 18. The Third being Bishop Bedels Sermon on Rev. 18. 4. Come out of her my people c. The Speaker our Saviour Christ His people those within the Covenant of Grace A paralleling the Speeches here with those of the Prophets Of Litterall Babell who meant by Mysticall Babylon The judgement of Bellarmine Salmeron Viegas to be the City of Rome How the title of Babylon the great and her reigning over the Kings of the earth rather agrees to Rome Papal then Heathen The Cup of inchantment whereby she hath deceived all Nations and one in speciall in imitation of literall Babell Dan. 1. applyed to that See Her Wantonnesse Pride sitting as a Queen glorifying her self the blood of Christians shed by the Papacy to be beyond that of Heathen Romes persecution his conclusion from the Premises That there are some of Gods people in Babylon That they are to goe out not only in affection but the place also Of Baptisme Grounds of the Catechisme Faith taught there of the doctrine of of merits What is to be thought of those that doe yet live there and cannot come out Whether the Church of Rome be a true Church rightly stated p. 83. Of the Ordination had there by the use of these words Whose sins ye remit c. That the Papall Monarchy is Babylon proved by arguments at the barre of Reason and from common principles of Christianity p. 89. Answer to that motive of staying in Babylon because they are told they may be saved in it An exhortation of such as are yet in that captivity to come out and of our selves to come further out Of Impropriations Dispensations c. with a conclusive prayer for the destruction of Babylon The Fourth A Confirmation of the abovesaid judgment From some grounds out of the Ancient Fathers consenting in an expectation that Rome must be the place and the successor of the Emperour there the Person A clear application of it to the See of Rome by the Fathers and Writers in successive ages before and after the tenth Century The Judgment of the eminent Bishops of England since the reformation the book of Homilies especially in 2 places calling the Pope Antichrist and the Babylonical beast of Rome A Synod in France as Ireland How far confessed by the prime writers of the Church of Rome The mistake of such as have diverted the application of it some other way an Answer of a passage of Doctor Heylenes concerning it in relation to the Primate and Articles of Ireland The Fifth Of laying on of Hands Heb. 6. 2. Reasons why not confirmation but ordination Paraeus and Mr. Cartwrights concurrence in it with the Primate The necessity of an ordained Ministry The neglect of it as undermining the foundation Objections answered with a seasonable application to the present times The necessity of an external call The Authority not from the People That objection against our ordination being derived from Rome at large answered p. 218. That personal faults in the ordainers doth not null the ordination Some application The 6. Of the old form of words in Ordination Receive the Holy Ghost not meant of the sanctifying grace of the spirit nor extraordinary gifts of it but of ghostly or spirituall Ministeriall authority 1 Cor. 3. verse 3. 6. and 1 Iohn 2. 20. The anointing teacheth you c. illustrated An objection out of S. Augustine answered Whose sins thou forgivest c. In what sense Ministers are said to forgive sins The Primates judgement in his answer to the Iesuits Challenge defended to be according to the doctrine of the Church of England which Doctor Heylene hath scandalized him in it The 7th Of a Set Form of Prayer The judgment of Calvine Dutch and French divines with their Practice Examples out of the Old Testament and New The pattern of our Saviour giving a form to his disciples taking one to himself and observing the set forms made by others That objection of Stinting the spirit answered An Vniformity in publique prayer a means of reducing unity in Church and State The full concurrence of Mr. Rogers Mr. Egerton Dr. Gouge Mr. Hildersham Dr. Sibbs Dr. Preston c. Of the length and gesture in prayer Mr. Hildersham of an outward reverence in the publick A Character of Bishop Bedell his industry at Venice and at home humility moderation government and sufferings An answer to Mr. Thomas Pierces fifth Letter wherein three Certificates have been published by him for the justification of a change of judgement in the late Primate of Ireland in some points ERRATA SOme omissions of Accents Po●nting and number of pages the intelligent Reader may correct himself Page 39. l. 2. r. professed p. 40. l. 8. r. ●o-ammi p. 44. l. 18. r. ir● p. 45. Lo. for there t is related that p. 46. l. 15. d. and p. 48. l. 8. circun p. 49. l. 6. ly p. 63. l. 〈◊〉 d. ● p. 59. l. 11. although p. 60. l. 4. her p. 63. l. 1. As gods l. 21. dis● p. 64. l. 22. they they p. 70. l. 10. val p. 82. l. 20. d. 〈◊〉 p. 92. l. 6. may p. 160. l. 23. p. 161. l. 11. Padre p. 162. mar l. 8. justif p. 185. l. 2. baptizing p. 189. l. 2 -mining p. 198. l. 6. of the p. 248. l. 22. mediatly p. 250. l. 22. a. p 278. l. 12 there p. 317. l. 8. Wethersfield p. 322. l. 18. prayer p. 329. l● 21. and Mr. p. 362. l. 12. d. following p. ●78 l. ult d. which The judgement of the late Arch-bishop of Armagh and Primate of Ireland what is understood by Babylon in Apoc. 17. 18. Apoc. 18. v. 4. Go out from her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and receive not of her plagues IN these words we are straightly enjoyned upon our peril to make a separation from Babylon For the understanding of which charge these three Positions following are to be considered The first Position THat it is plainly foretold in the the Word of God that after the planting of the Faith by the Apostles the Kings and Inhabitants of the earth should be seduced and drawn into damnable errours and that the mother of all these Abominations of the Earth should be a certain great City called Babylon in a Mysterie Proof THis we finde directly laid down in the Revelation that a great Citie called in a mystery Babylon should become the mother of the spiritual whoredome and abominations of the earth so that the Kings of the earth should commit fornication with her and the I●habitants of the earth should be made drunke with the wine of her fornication The second Position THat by this great City Babylon the Mother of all the abominations of the earth is understood Rome Proof 1. BY the clear Testimony of Scripture in the seventeen Chapter of the Revelation where

humane nature not that which is accidentall A maimed Father begets a Son like himself as he was before he lost his arme as the circumcised did and doth an uncircumcised child the like application may be made to the transferring of ordination in such a wounded diseased Apostatized Church as the Roman now is and by such corrupted persons in life and doctrine continuing in it so they do observe the essentials in ordination other superstructures or corruption in the ordainers doth not null it either to the persons themselves or successors which might be further manifested by the p●actice of the Church in all ages 1. That Ministration under the Law the Priests of which the Jewish Writers say were consecrated by laying on of hands had as much cause to stand upon succession as any yet ye find often that the Priests the sons of Aaron and the Levites had corrupted their wayes were defiled with Idolatry in Ahaz and Manasses time and others as bad or worse then the See of Rome yet after a reformation the succession which was by their hands was not questioned Though the Priesthood ran through much filth yet retaining the essentialls of the Jewish Religion as circumcision c. they were owned of God again in a successive ministration See in the height of their Idolatry when they were offering their children by fire unto their Idols yet by retaining the Sacrament covenant of circumcision their children are called the Lords children Ezek. 16. 20. Thou hast taken thy sons which thou hast borne unto me c. thou hast slayn my children in causing them to pass through the fire etc. 2. In our Saviour Christs time there was as bad a succession as ever in the Priests Pharises Scribes Sadduces c. yet as he permitted their administring of some rites for himselfe whether of circumcision or the offering made for him in the Temple at the purification after the custome of the Law in his infancy so at his manifestation about 30 yeares after he sends those that were healed by him to the Priests to offer what Moses commanded ye see he did not determine against the office for the personal defilements of their Predecessors or themselves 3. Nay under the Gospel about four hundred years after our Saviour Christ was not the world so over-run with Arrians that it groaned under it as St. Ierom saith when they had the commands of the Pulpits ordaining of Preachers children were baptized by them men put to receive the communion of them as Hilary and Basil say the Orthodox were hatched under the wings of the Arrian Priests yet upon a reformation and the renouncing of that heresie we read not of any rejecting of the succeeding Ministers because they were derived through such hands which I conceive to have been as bad as the Bishop of Rome and his followers The Church then was so wise as to consider a jewel looseth not his vertue by being delivered by a foul hand so neither is the treasure of the Ministry to be despised because it hath passed through some polluluted vessels to us which is appliable for the saving harmlesse our ordination though transmitted through the Popish defilements of some persons so much in vindicating the ordination of the Church of England from the scandall of being Popish Antichristian with which by some ignorant and rash people it is frequently aspersed Let me conclude with this short admonition Be not hereafter so unworthy as to blurre that Ministery with being Antichristian by whom ye have received the knowledge of Christ both by their translating of the Scriptures out of the Originalls into your Mother-tongue for your reading and their labour in the exposition of them for your understanding by whom you and your fathers have been baptized and instructed Be not such ill birds as thus to defile your own nests do not side with the agents of the Bishop of Rome in thus detracting and lessening the reputation and esteem of them Let them not say in their hearts so would we have it nor you with your tongues unlesse in your hearts you are Romish your selves Is it not strange that those who have been so great opposers of the errors of Popery wrot so learnedly and fully against them who have applyed that in the 2 Epist of the Thessalonians concerning the man of sin and that of Babylon in 17. Revel to the Papacy as Bishop Downham Abbot Iewell and the late eminent Primate with divers others that now they should with their very calling and profession be styled Popish can we think otherwise but that the hand of Ioab I mean the Jesuit is privily in it Is it not a wonder it should so come about that such as have been the greatest enemies to the See of Rome should be reckoned as members and friends of it and thus perpetually yoked together as twins nay trod under foot as unsavory salt upon that very account as being Episcopall Is this a just reward of their labour in the defence of your profession thus to be aspersed by you as Absolon to Hushay Is this thy kindnesse to thy friend Certainly those of the See of Rome cannot but smile within themselves that they have thus covertly deluded us and so closely taken a revenge of those their adversaries How true is that speech of our Saviour A Prophet is not without honour save in his own country other nations French and German magnifie the Clergy of the Church of England by what is transmitted over Sea in many of their works onely despised at home as the off-scouring of the world what a preparative this is to the expectation of the Papists an able learned ordained Ministery having been hitherto the stop to the introduction of ignorance and superstition which if removed might flow in the more easily which God in his mercy prevent And thus I have endeavoured to confirm the Primates judgement upon this place viz. that by laying on of hands is meant an ordained Ministery The Primates judgement of the Sense and Vse of the Form of words in the former Constitution at the Ordination of Priests or Presbyters defended and enlarged viz. Receive the Holy Ghost whose sins thou forgivest they are forgiven and whose sins thou doest retain they are retained Which as an Appendix to the former subject could not well be omitted THey are the words of our Saviour Iohn 20. 22. to the Apostles and why they may not be continued to their Successors who are to succeed in that office of the Ministery to the end of the world doth not yet appear and 't is possible that the late offence taken against them to the disuse of them may arise from a misapprehension of the sense of them The Primates judgement of which I think fit to manifest who in all his Ordinations constantly observed them They consist of two clauses 1. Receive the Holy Ghost 2. Whose sins thou forgivest they are forgiven and whose sins thou dost retain they are retained 1. For the first Receive the Holy Ghost We do not here understand the sanctifying graces of the spirit For

the Apostles had received them before in that they were bid by our Saviour to rejoyce that their names were written in heaven the evidence of which is heaven wrot in the heart here and had his witnesse that they had believed and had kept his word for whom he had also also prayed in that sense Sanctifie them through thy truth John 17. And if this had been the gift there had been no particular thing given to them for all that will be saved must in some measure partake of it Rom. 8. 9. If any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his And though it be the testimony of a good Christian yet 't is not a sufficient warrant for him to take upon him the Ministery 2. Again it cannot be meant of the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost viz. Gifts of tongues c. For in that sense the Holy Ghost was not yet given till fifty dayes after viz. the Feast of Pentecost but this was given upon the day of his Resurrection So that a third sense must be had which was the Primates as followeth 3. Receive the Holy Ghost i. e. receive Ministeriall power of officiating and dispensing those sacred Ministrations unto which the promise of the holy Spirit is annexed and through which as the Conduit-Pipes this holy water is conveyed not so much meant for their own benefit as the good of others In this he gave them power as the Stewards of God to be dispensers of holy and spiritual things to the benefit of such over whom the Holy Ghost had made them overseers which is accordingly attributed to the Elders of Ephesus whom S. Paul had ordained Mr. Hooker's glosse in his Eccles Polit. is accordingly Receive the Holy Ghost i. e. Accipite potestatem spiritualem receive ghostly or spiritual Authority in order to the soules of men now to be committed to your charge And if you mark the context their Commission is here from the blessed Trinity the Father and Sonne in the verse before As my Father hath sent me so send I you And in this verse a reception of Authority from the third person the Father sends Matth. 9. 38. Chap. 10. 20. the Sonne Ephes. 4. here the Holy Ghost as Acts 20. And so more fully thus Receive the Holy Ghost i. e. receive Authority from the Father Son and Holy Ghost for the efficacious preaching of the Word and Administration of Sacraments by and through which the graces of the holy spirit in repentance faith forgivenesse of sins and the like are ordinarily wrought and confirmed to the hearers and partakers of them yet not excluding it from being a Prayer also viz. that the person thus authorized might receive such a spiritual assistance in it Receive first by way of donation in the name of Christ as to the office and secondly by way of impetration as to the efficacious spiritual assistance of him in it which the accustomed succeeding prayer did confirm which as it was in both senses frequently effectual by the mouth and hands of the Apostles so hath it been accordingly from age to age in and by the Ministery succeeding and therefore why may not the same form of words be used at their Ordination also Can we think this solemn reception of the Holy Ghost in that sense as hath been explained was onely for the benefit of that age and withdrawn totally again in the next That his being with them thus by his spiritual assistance to the end of the world was to determine with the death of the Apostles some of which as Saint Iames Acts 12. were not long after No surely this oyle poured upon their heads descended further then so even to the skirts of their garments in these dayes The third Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians hath much in confirmation of this In the third verse Saint Paul styles the Minister ordained by Christ his Amanuensis ye are the Epistle of Christ ministred by us written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God Christ the inditer the Minister is as the hand of a ready writer or the Spirit is as the ink the Minister as the pen through which 't is diffused upon the fleshly Tables of your hearts and by saying us he doth not appropriate it to himselfe but gives the like to Timothy ordained by him which he continues in the sixth verse God hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the letter but of the spirit as he calls the Word the sword of the spirit Ephes. 6. committed into the hands of the Ministery so the whole office is called the Ministration of the Spirit v. 8. the Ministration of righteousnesse v. 9. i. e. instrumentally be it that of Iustification or Sanctification by which he saith it did exceed in glory that under the law The shining of Moses face the glory of the Temple and vestments of the Priests were glorious but yet had no glory in this respect by reason of the glory which excelleth for if that which is done away were glorious how much more that which remaineth is glorious Now wherein lieth this glory but in being by this Ministration the Conduits through which the Spirit is conveyed and received or being cap. 6. 1. co-workers together with him of it even as the glory of the latter Temple by the presence of Christ himselfe is said to be greater then the former though it had types of him in a more outward glorious lustre 't is therefore called v. 18. the glass of the glory of the Lord by which we are changed into the same Image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Which as it rebukes the Contemners of the office of the Ministery so it answers that frequent objection made against the use of these words at the Ordination to it viz. That the Sanctifying graces of the spirit were sometimes lacking both in the Ordainers transmitting and ordained the recipients It is answered the Transmission or reception of the Holy Ghost here is not meant in that sense as to the resting of it in the persons themselves but as the conveyers of it for the use and benefit of others viz. through these Administrations which they are now by this authorized to performe And that it may be so ye see it in Iudas who by our Saviours Commission to him through preaching and baptizing was the instrument accordingly of the transferring of it i. e. remission of sins c. unto others without partaking of it himself our Saviour calls him a Devill and a son of perdition but yet in this Office the Devils were subject to him and he the means of dispossessing of others like Noahs Carpenters who were instruments to save others but were drowned themselves 'T is probable Saint Paul or some of the Apostles ordained Hymenaeus and Phyletus

Phygellus Hermogenes and Diotrephas but as in neither of them doth there appear any sanctified grace of the spirit so we do not read it caused any suspension of the vertue of their ministerial acts to the receivers or that the Apostles gave order for any reiteration of them personal faults not voyding Acts of Office and so why should the like be a prejudice to it in these succeeding Ages Receiving supposeth a gift but 't is as the giving of a summe to a Steward by his Lord not to his own private use but for the dispensing of it to the family And to say no more there are some learned Interpreters do apply that passage 1 Iohn Chap. 2. 20. to an ordained Ministery yee need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you all things and is truth Beza 's words upon the place are these the same anointing he could not with a more cleare Testimony have adorned the Pastors and Teachers from whom they were instructed and daily as yet are then to say they were taught by the holy Ghost had bin formerly c. Piscators words are these The anointing teacheth i. e. the Ministry of the word or the Holy Ghost efficacious by the preaching of the Gospel wherefore the Ministery ought to be in a great esteem with us Ye see they do not understand by this Vnction or anointing signifying the Holy Ghost an immediate teaching or inspiration as by some Enthusiasme but immediately through the Ministery ordained for that end by a Metonymy as they say of the Adjunct the oyntment for the hand which applyes it or delivers it to you and the teaching you all things is meant of all things necessary to salvation the credenda and agenda which by the Ministery had bin so f●lly taught them that they needed not to be taught by Saint Iohn again here If any shall object as it hath been nnto me that of Saint Augustine lib. 15. de Trinit cap. 27. Quomodo ergo Deus non est qui dat Spiritum Sanctum imò quantus Deus est qui dat Deum neque enim aliquis discipulorum ejus dedit Spiritum Sanctum orabant quippe ut veniret in eos quibus manus imponebant non ipsi eum dabant quem morem in suis praepositis etiam nune servet Ecclesia c. i. e. How should not he be God who gives the Holy Ghost nay how great a God who gives God for neither any of his disciples gave the holy Ghost they prayed indeed that it might come upon those on whom they imposed hands they did not give it themseles which custom the Church now observes c. 1. In the words before these he speaks of a double giving of the Holy Ghost by our Saviour the one on earth after his resurrection the other from heaven after his Ascension upon the day of Pentecost now in relation to the latter in those extraordinary gifts of the spirit the words objected have their principal application which doth not concern that we have in hand which is only of the former being meant of successive ministerial authority for the ordinarie dispensing of the office Secondly whereas he saith the Church hath observed that custome in imposition of hands to pray for the persons reciving of it hath bin formerly acknowledged to be one sense of that clause viz. by way of impetration Take the gift of the spirit pro dono infuso so we use the words per modum impetrationis take it pro officio so we use it per modum collationis ministerially conferring the power of executing the office of a Minister there is no contradiction but that in the same act there may meet a collation of the office with authority to execute and an impetration for the persons receiving an assistance of the spirit in the executing of it which in the old in junction immediately followed in a prayer for the person ordained accordingly so that the custome and intention of our Church is no other then what was in Saint Augustines time not presuming to give the Holy Ghost in the latter sense only praying it might be given of God to him but only in the former So much for opening of the first clause in ordination Receive the Holy Ghost which rightly understood is not such a rock of offence as some have taken it to be in the disuse of it The second clause is whose sins thou forgivest they are forgiven whose sins thou doest retain they are retained At which as much if not more offence hath been taken then at the former as if it savoured of Popery which ● shall give you the Primates sense of also That it may be retained in ordination and attributed safely to the office of the Ministery without the least savour that way which no man that knew him and what Popery is but will acquit him of the least grain of it Thus far it will be granted by all sober persons 1. The Ministers may be said to remit sins by way of preparative to it in being the instruments by preaching the word of reconciliation to dispose men towards it in bringing them to repentance whereby they are capable of it 2. By way of Confirmation in exhibiting the seales of remission in the Sacraments according as one well glosseth upon these words 'T is Gods act onely to forgive sins but the Apostles are said to do it not simply but because they apply the means appointed of God for that end viz. the word and Sacraments What is there more in forgivenesse of sins then in reconciliation of God and man now ye find this given to the Ministery 2 Cor. 5. 18 19. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word or ministery of reconciliation Gods act onely authoritate propria by his own supreme authority the Ministers act potestate vicaria as a substitute in Christs stead and the word doth include the Sacraments also as in our usual speech the Letters Pattents doth the Seale affixed to them as the Ministery doth the whole ministerial office 3. Declaratively in testifying this grace of God and declaring Gods good pleasure accordingly upon repentance unto the person like that of Nathan to David or Saint Peter to his Auditory Acts 3. as Ferus saith man doth not properly forgive sin but doth declare and certifie that it is remitted of God so that absolution received from man is as much to say behold my son I certifie thee that thy sins are forgiven thee I declare unto thee that God is at peace with thee which I relate the rather out of him both for his being a writer of the Church of Rome and that this passage is purged out of his book by them as erroneous as may be seen by comparing the Edition of Mentz with the Edition at Antwerp 1559 and 1570 Which agrees with that in the Articles of

Finally let us all beseech our Lord Iesus Christ to give us Wisedome and opportunity to further his work and to give success unto the same himself to hasten the judgement of Babylon to bring his People out of this bondage that we with them and all his Saints in the Church Triumphant May there upon sing a joyfull Hallelujah as is expressed in the next Chapter Salvation and Honour and Glory and ' Power be unto the LORD our GOD Amen Halleluiah A Confirmation of the Iudgement of these two most Reverend and learned Bishops in this particular and the vindication of it from the aspersion of Novelty or Singularity from some grounds out of the Ancient Fathers the continued Suffrages of learned men in successive ages and the most eminent Bishops of England and Ireland of later yeares occasioned to be the more large by the Censure which Doctor Heylene in his late book gives the Primate and the Articles of Ireland for it FIrst For the Fathers who lived before that defection or Apostasy whch was to preceed and prepare the ways for the man of sin 2 Thes. 2 3. there could not be expected from them any such direct application unlesse they had a Spirit of Prophesie themselves Rome was in the Primitive times a pure Church and the least infected with Arianisme and other heresies which then abounded in the Eastern parts being rather a receptacle of such as were banished thence by that persecution so that it must have been a Prophetick pen that should then have affirmed that righteous City should become an harlot 'T is true there might be a conception of that man of sin but till his birth there could be no judgement given of him iniquity was breeding but in a mystery verse the 8. like the child in the womb which the Mother of it cannot then be assured but it may prove an abortive and harlots use to keep their conceptions close and undiscerned till they are forced to discover them Now this being thus in the conceiving and producing of that wicked one the silence of the Fathers as to so early a sentence whatsoever they might suspect is not to be wondred at Diseases may be gathering in the body when neither the party himself is sensible nor the most skilfull Physitian can discern of the event fire may be kindling in the house but the next neighbours do not cry out of it till it be smelt or flame forth to their view And so there might be some such distempers and strange fire smothering in the Church of God for some 100's of yeares but till it brake out ye could not expect the Fathers of those ages could take any notice of it at least digito monstrare dicier hic est Secondly The prophesies of the New Testament are like those of Daniel in the Old shut and sealed up till the Time of the fulfilling according to that of Saint Augustine Prophetias implericitius quam intelligi that prophesies are fulfilled before they are understood agreeing with that Rev. 1. 3. blessed is he that reads and understands for the time is at hand 'T is the speech of Irenaeus All prophesies before they are fulfilled are riddles unto men but as soon as the time is come and the thing prophesied is come to passe they have a clear and certain exposition our apprehension conceives no further then our experience reacheth unto That old Adage Veritas est temporis filia truth is the daughter of time hath its place here and in this sense the day shall declare it and therefore Andraeas Caesariensis in his Commentary upon the Revelation speaking of Babylon and who should be meant by it though he had his suspitions as liviug near the time of the revealing of it yet suspended his direct application only saying that the accurate knowledge of the person time and experience will reveale it to the diligent observers What our Saviour said of Iohn the Baptist for his knowledge of some mysteries foretold in the old Testament and living after the Prophets That he was greater then they and the least of the Ministers of the Gospel by surviving him to be greater then he so is it in this sense appliable to the after-ages of the Fathers who lived to see the fulfilling what is foretold of this subject by Saint Paul in the Thessalonians and Saint Iohn in the Revelations Which is according to the judgement of Bishop Andrews in his Tortura Torti page 186. where having fully applyed that of Revel 17. 18. to the See of Rome he addes this But it is no wonder those things which I have said have not so clear or certain an interpretation in the writings of the Fathers for it was then a mystery of iniquity which wrought the book of this prophesie was as yet sealed up And it is a most true speech every prophesie is a riddle while 't is not fulfilled And though those Ancients very much excelled us in all manner of gifts and specially in the holinesse of life yet no man hath cause to wonder that all these things did not seem so clear to them as by the grace of God they are now to us who do see this prophesie now consummated daily before our eyes Certainly while Rome continued in its purity the Fathers of that age might well have wondred with great admiration as Saint Iohn himself did and look upon it as incredulous that it should have degenerated into that pride Idolatry Murder and become the Mother of all abominations c. even as we would at this day if the like should be foretold of England which hath been so famous for Religion in being a shelter for such as have been persecuted by the See of Rome abounded with writers against it and the chief Church of the reformed Religion in opposition to Popery I say if any should take upon him a spirit of prophesie in averring it should in time be an advancer of Popery and be utterly over-run with it and become a persecutor of such as should oppose the errours of it the sinke of Heresie Schisme and prophanenesse c. would not we who now live be as far from believeing the report as Hazael was at what was told him by the Prophet concerning himself But Thirdly There are some grounds out of the ancient Fathers which may be accounted as foundations whereupon to build this application the more firmly being as Bishop Andrews saith a wonder they should see so much looking on these things only quasi per transennam Tertullian who lived about 400 yeares before the Emperour was cast out of Rome in the Exposition of that 2 Thes. 2. 9. and now ye know what with-holdeth or who letteth verse 7. he who now letteth will let till he be taken out of the way saith this Who can this be but the Roman Empire whose removal out of Rome being dispersed into 10 Kingdomes must usher in Antichrist and then shall the wicked one be