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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	woman_n	world_n	year_n	94	3	4.4991	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62540	The two witnesses: their prophecy, slaughter, resurection and ascention: or, An exposition of the eleventh chapter of the Revelation wherein is plainly proved that the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, are the witnesses there spoken of, who have prophesied in sackcloth one thousand two hundred and sixty years compleat; that they are already slain, revived, and ascended. That the tenth part of the city is fallen by our late earthquake, wherein seven thousand names of men were slain. The second wo is past. This is the first part of the chapter, the second part follows. By Tho. Tillam, a weak labourer in the Lords Harvest.	Tillam, Thomas.	1651 (1651)	Wing T1168; ESTC R219308	67,928	180

shall not be able to stop their mouthes till toward the end of their Testimony they shall prophesie all along though it be not in that external pomp and glory wherewith Popes Cardinals and the rest of the Antichristian rable rout now flourished but all forlorn retired obscured in mournful Sackcloth yet they shall Prophesie the Temple even in the midst of the outward Court that is the Apostatized Church of Rome is given to them and even there do they worship the Lord in purity but so covertly and obscurely that they are not easily discerned especially by the Pope and his scarlet Conclave whose eyes are dazled with external pomp and glory Thus is the Virgin Spouse of Christ and her heavenly Witnesses which in the midst of Heathen Persecutions was clothed in the Royal Robes of her everlasting Husband now become an object of scorn and contempt to those wicked watch-men who what in them lay spoyled and depraved her of that heavenly simplicity and Gospel-purity she lately shined in Rev. 2.13 Now is she become the true Antitype of the Church of Pergamos dwelling in obscurity where Antichrists throne is and there she holdeth fast the Faith and denyeth not the name of her crucified Lord which ever and anon doth cost some faithful Antipas his life And here the blessed Witnesses nourish her and Prophesie against her Adversary that proud Scarlet Strumpet did so defile darken wrack wrest and pervert the holy Scriptures to uphold their abominable Idolatry and Superstition that no other vesture appear'd upon them but sable weeds of sorrowful Sackcloth and when in despight of their fond Allegories and sensual conceits these two Witnesses spake to their faces against the dreadful abominations creeping in so fast this Harlot not able to bear their reproof hating to be reformed Psal 51.17 and rejecting instruction did at length cast behinde them into secret holes and corners these blessed Scriptures of truth so that in the midst of all this Papal Tyranny which daily increased they remaind secretly nourishing the true Church even where the Beast reigned yea in the heart of his dominions the whole term of their testimony in Sackcloth viz. 1260 years during which time this is the Character which is given of the Romish Harlot Mich. Cec. contr Tyrannid Papae Mornaus Myst Iniq. Bez. quaest There were within the Papal Territories two Churches the one of the wicked sort flourishing wherein the Pope reigned the other of godly and good men and this he persecuted so that the Church was under or within the Papacy but the Papacy was not the Church Now this being clear in the word of truth that the true Church remains alive in the midst of this dead sea and is preserved like Jonah in the belly of this monstrous Leviathan What will become of that empty flourish of a vaunting Jesuite Where was your Church before Luther We see to the high prayses of our eterternal King that it was in the Ark in the midst of the great Deluge in Goshen in the midst of the Egyptian darkness in the den amidst those roaring Lyons in the furnace safe and secure in the extremest heat of Popish persecution And is now come forth of that great Tribulation as pure gold out of that fiery Tryal as a Crown of Glory in the hand of the Lord Isai 62.3 and a Royal Diadem in the hand of our God But who can marvel at this foolish question of blinde Papists when the poverty obscurity and simplicity of the True Church and her abstruse Witnesses is considered how could their eyes so grosly blinded with the black scales of ambition pomp luxury behold or discern such contemptible objects as the Church in her exile and her Witnesses in their Sackcloth Did not their Fathers the Scribes and Pharises grope in the same Egyptian darkness when they could not discern a Messias though working wonders even in the very midst of them their Holinesses lookt too high to behold Christ in a Carpenters coat even like His prophane wickedness who sitting in that Chayr of pestilence at Rome could not perceive the holy City under his feet nor the heavenly Witnesses in their mournful habit of both which their Predecessors and themselves are alike wilfully ignorant to this day O the distinguishing love of a gracious Father Why should not we be thus blind and ignorant shall we see the cause Luke 10.21 I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight The fourth Verse These are the two Olive-trees and the two Candlesticks standing before the God of the earth Mr. Mede saith Clav. Apoc. pag. 11. 12. there lieth hidden in these words an Hebraism having this signification viz. The two Olive-trees at or besides the two Candlesticks Annotat. Zech. 4.3 they are said to stand by the sides of the Candlestick or as the London Ministers have it With the two Candlesticks or Churches so that the Churches are one thing and the Witnesses feeding them another thing These two Olive-trees are plainly called the word of the Lord Zech. 4.6 not Zerubbabel and Joshua as some imagine nor Enoch and Elias as others conjecture nor Christ and his Saints as a third conceive nor Burton and Prynne as hath been confidently affirmed but all with as much show of truth as that the two Houses of this present Parliament should be them but all these conceits and all other fancies of like nature are not worth the Answer as having not the least ground or warrant in that blessed Rule that is able to make the man of God wise unto salvation others have supposed that they are the Word and Spirit And our English Prophet Mr. Brightman thinks they are the holy Scriptures and the Churches of the Saints But this may not be granted for these reasons 1. The Scriptures and the Saints cannot die one kinde of death and there is not the least appearance in the Word of any difference or distinction in their sufferings and we must be sure to keep close to the Reed that was given John to measure all true Believers by 2. The Saints cannot be said in any cleer sence to rise again three years and a half after their sufferings at the time mentioned by Mr. Brightman 3. It is evident that the Saints suffered as great misery and were as vehemently persecuted after his supposed resurrection as at any time before which were absurd and without any Scripture ground to conceive of the Witnesses after their reviving 4. Rev. 12.6 The Saints are the woman or Church and the Witnesses distinctly added for her aid succour and support in her exile 1260 dayes or years Therefore the Saints and the Scriptures both cannot be the Witnesses But some who have thought that these two Witnesses are the Word and Spirit do come nearest the truth and

in this secret covert By all which it is evident that immediatly after the birth of the man-child Rev. 12.5.6 the woman fled into the Wilderness or secret corners with her heavenly Witnesses the sweet Scriptures of truth and this is that Inner Temple that was exactly measured and prepared by God for her Rev. 11.1 where she is fed nourished and supported by them through her saddest darkest Wilderness course of 1260 prophetical dayes which in Scripture language is so many years as is cleer by Ezeck 34.6 and other Scriptures In all which term of time the holy City lies troden underfoot by the Gentiles in the outward Court even those who were but yesterday as it were come out of trouble and misery themselves having been the objects of Heathens scorn and derision and subject to their rage malice cruelty having obtaind a little rest and the sweet gales of peace now breathing upon them they turn this grace into wantonness and cruelty smiting their fellow servants and lording it over their brethren even as others do to this day who think themselves the true Churches of Christ robbing them of all external comforts while they cleave to and dare not relinquish the Gospels simplicity and soo Rome lately a true Church of Christ is the first that preacheth and practiseth cruelty force violence and persecution And did Rome do so Taylor Libert pag. 26. and is Rome singular in these ungospel-like dealings have not Englands Watch-men learned the same lesson and pretty well con'd it by heart Look upon the late Prelats see what their practice was soon after the bloody Marian dayes Many living testimonies can yet bear witness against the monstrous cruelties of them and their Successors but they are gone out like the snuff of a tallow candle and no doubt but their name will soon perish though the stinke remain How happy had it been if Diotrephes had perished with them but alas our misery our brethren who suffered with us under the late Antichristian persecution of the Prelates have now laid and do already act upon as violent principles of Tyranny and cruelty as either of the former and had not the Lord wonderfully raised up a faithful Magistracy for the support of his Saints banishment had been their gentlest punishment Had it been an open Enemy that had done this Psa 55.13 I could have born it but it was thou a man mine equal my guide and mine acquaintance with whom I took sweet counsel and walked unto the house of God in company this cuts to the quick All these Pope Prelates Presbyters and some mounted a little higher while they were under the ferula accounted persecution unlawful but being out of the danger of a Pile and a Faggot themselves they quickly change their opinion and become as bloody persecutors as their Predecessors But to return to consider the exact time when the Witnesses began to prophesie in Sackcloth it is cleer I hope proved by full evidence from Scripture c. that no sooner did the Churches begin to take breath from Heathenish Persecution by the birth of the man-child Constantine but the Dragon cast out of his mouth such a horrible flood of Arrian cruelty Clav. Apoc. pag 47. that as one saith it did seem to equal that of the Heathens if not far exceed it while the poor Saints with a wonderful constant resolution sadly sigh forth this Swan-like Song Moulin Theoph. pag. 278. We are burned for reading the Scriptures while we burn the more in love to read them These blessed Witnesses the Scriptures were at first collected by the Emperial Edicts of the Royal man-child Constantine immediately upon his birth I mean his spiritual birth all along and though many other Writers came in under the names of the Apostles yet only those were received for Authentick of which evident proof was made to be truly theirs And these being compleated in one Volumn together were called the New Testament and joyned to the other Scriptures of Moses and the Prophets which were called the Old Testament So that now and not till now were the Two Testaments apparantly visible For what by reason of those ten bloody Persecutions their extream poverty their continual labouring for life c. the poor Christians had neither leisure nor liberty to collect the Scriptures into one Volumn they being also deprived of that benefit of Printing which we now enjoy withal considering the far distant places each from other to which the Gospels and Epistles were written it cannot well be imagined how the poor distressed Churches should accomplish so great a work as this of compiling this holy Book this was a design reserved and a work only fit for the royal man-child to accomplish So that at this instant the two Witnesses received the power promised to them Rev. 11.3 and no sooner did they receive this Authority but presently they began to prophesie in Sackcloth Anno Dom. 304. for now the Church of Rome that was lately so famous in their sufferings raised with the prosperous gales of the Emperors breath do sail with such a full clew of peace tranquillity honor wealth c. that being hereby lul'd fast asleep the grand Enemy who is ever waking and watching for such an opportunity now sows his cursed tares of Superstition Idolatry and Heresie amongst them Tulk. Rhem. Test p. 657. Dr. Homes new world pag. 14. but so secretly and cunningly as is declared that this Cockatrice did not suddenly appear to open view But presently these tares grew apace as ill weeds will do so that with ease and prosperity they soone degenerate into Error and all kinde of vanity and as vice encreaseth Hosea 4.7 Brightman Rev. apoc pag. 112. so the foster mother the false Church encreaseth and quickly grows very ample and spacious while the true Church lies hidden obscure in corners with her sorrowful Witnesses in sable Sackcloth so that the major part laying aside the simplicity of the Gospel betake themselves wholly to advance their outward state and the blessed Word of Truth that prohibites affectation of greatness lordliness and outward pomp is slighted and contemned by this Apostatized Chuch of Rome who being now full and compleat in their own conceits lacking nothing tread underfoot the holy City and by degrees mounting from poverty to all outward felicity and her Pastor from being an honest poor Minister riseth to the state of a Lordly Diocesan Prelate from thence to be Primate and Metropolitan of Italy and at length by fawning and flatteries he obtaineth the Kingdom even the Province and City denominating the Emperor 2 Thes 2.7 Dan. 11.12 and now this Let being taken out of the way that only obstructed the Revelation of Antichrist the Popish Authors little suspecting their lord god the Pope to be the man begin to wonder where this king of pride is what shall we say saith one to this that long since the Nations fell away

after they have dealt with these blessed Witnesses as their Predecessors did with the Lord Jesus Mat. 26. with most bitter reproaches calling them a dead and dumb thing Jewel Def. Apol. p. 552. Act. Mon. p. 1133. a black Gospel inken Divinity dumb Judges c. they bring them to the stake and this was done by the Popes Inquisitors in Paris and in England where by Proclamation they were burned And yet these Monsters while they burn the Scriptures are more wicked in abusing them to warrant their detestable practice producing that blessed word Mat. 7. Give not holy things to dogs to justifie the with-holding the Scriptures from the common People Fourthly The exact time when these sacred Witnesses were overcome and killed was in the year of our Lord 1564. when after the Conventicle of Trent who as Judges in the Popes Assizes had blasphemed arrained and condemned this Word of truth Bulla Pii 4. 1564. Pope Pius the Fourth acted the part of the Executioner by his Antichristian Decree absolutely suppressing them and denouncing Excommunications against any that should dare to use them and now these blessed Witnesses having prophesied so many years in Sackcloth as their Lord and ours had been preaching dayes in the time of his flesh The power of Rome they are overcome and killed by the same power that killed him and are to lie unburied about so many years as our Lord lay in grave and some certain space of time after to ascend into Heaven in imitation of his Ascension as shall with the gracious Assistance of this Lord of life be shewed in its place By this time I hope it appears with some clearness 1. Apoc. 12.6 That the woman was no sooner delivered of the manchild Constantine but immediately through the violence of Arrian Persecution c. she flies into the wilderness in the time of Pope Sylvester Anno 308. 2. That at the same instant the sacred Witnesses began to Prophesie in Sackcloth and to feed the woman in her exile as being her only support succour and sustenance the whole course of her wilderness condition viz. 1260. years 3. That the holy City began even then to be trodden underfoot by the Romish Gentiles the mystery of Iniquity being now acting in the Chayr of Pestilence but so obscurely and secretly that it was hardly discernable at first 4. We have also seen a glimps of the excessive Pomp Pride Luxury and Cruelty of the man of sin all this dismall time of black obscurity 5. The nature of the War raised and prosecuted to the overcoming of the Witnesses as they were about to finish their testimony 6. How and when they were overcome and killed by those soul-murdering Butchers in the Slaughter-house of Trent and the bellowing Bull of Pope Pius the 4. Ann. 1564. And if we add hereunto the three years and half of their lieing dead in the streets of the great City which will be terminated in the year 1568. we shall fit from the time of Sylvester when they put on their sackcloth Anno 308. to this time of Pius when they put it off Ann. 1568 the Account exactly perfected viz. 1260 years of the womans exile and the Witnesses Prophesie in Sackcloth For it cannot be imagined I suppose that their Prophesie should cease in Sackcloth till they had ended their sufferings at their Resurrection The eighth Verse And their dead bodies shall lie in the streets of the great City which spiritually is called Sodome and Egypt where also our Lord was crucified That is the City of Rome by whose power our Lord also was crucified under Pilate the Roman Governor through the streets or Provinces of this spiritual Sodom and Egypt are the mangled A fit Character for that Scarlet Strumpet except it fall too short in regard of her more dreadfull abominations then either Sodoms filthiness or Egypts gross Idolatry or inhuman cruelty massacred bodies of these Witnesses hurried and tumbled in a dead letter which the people understand not The ninth Verse And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three dayes and an half and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves The kindreds and tongues assembled in the Conventicle of Trent having overcome and killed them Brightman saith that unless the Angel had named the Councel of Trent in express words he could not have spoken more plainly pag. 119. as hath been declared they now as assured they have taken their life and power away cast them out thus mangled in a dead Character to the people and Nations devoted to the Whore and all agree to keep them out of Graves that they may exult and rejoyce in the triumph of their victory over them Will you have a brief Character of this accursed Crew in their Slaughter-house of Trent where the Witnesses were slain Conc. Trid●nt pag. 840. The Councel of Trent was a meer painted Sepulchre with a beautiful outside of specious pretences Bp. 5 Churches pag. 849. nothing within but rottenness and putrefaction or as one of their own Bishops said the Councel seemed to consist not of Bishops but of disguised Masquers Images rather then men all striving to maintain the Popes inordinate and shameful domination here poyson was caroused in a golden Cup. Or to use the words of the French Queen Mother nothing but a fair appearance of Flowers without any fruit at all their proceedings being quite contrary to their expressions two thirds of the Bishops conspiring and subscribing to hinder Reformation c. In this filthy heap of mud and dirt whited over are these blessed Witnesses strangled and then not suffered to remain in this painted Sepulchre nor by the people to be finally buried they are exposed to the scorn derision and reproach of their enemies with their tongues cut out their breath stopt overcome and killed The tenth Verse And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoyce over them and make merry and shall send gifts one to another because these two Prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth If you have taken notice of the dealings of the Philistines with Samson you have a picture drawn to the life of these Antichristian miscreants in their abominable practices against the Scriptures in the Councel of Trent whereat they smile to this day in their triumph of their own wits as at a Master-stratagem let us compare them together Judg. 16.19 Delilah betrays him into the hands of the Philistines They cut off his seven locks wherein his great strength lay whereby he had done such high exploits They put out his eyes and brought him down to their Great City They bind him with fetters of Brass and he did grinde in the prison house The Philistines feast and rejoyce over Samson who had vexed and tormented them After a certain time Samsons locks did grow again and his strength returned to him And he overthrew the house of Dagon And

his life but none so dangerous as that Arrian gulf wherein the Dragon with the third part of those fallen Stars endeavoured to swallow him From all which cursed designs he was wonderfully and even miraculously preserved by that gratious hand who took him up to his Throne viz. the Royal Thorne of the Empire the highest honor and dignity in the world and to make his glory compleat indeed he was from his former Idolatry caught up to the chast imbraces of the Spouse of the Lord Jesus that blessed holy Throne where the great Jehovah delighted to sit while it continued pure To this and all other Churches of Saints Rev 8.8 Now was that voyce from heaven heard viz. this day is poyson powred forth into the Church for now Christs is death slighted and errors c. prevail abundantly he presently became not only a famous Protector but a most bountifull benefactor heaping mountains of Royal favours upon them in so much as he is supposed through his fervent zeal manifested in wonderfull beneficence to be that burning Mountain cast into the sea upon which the third part of the sea of Rome suddainly became blood that is the third part of her doctrine and discipline was corrupted by the third part of the Stars that the Dragon drew down after him which fallen stars being now at rest and peace this peace producing plenty and that luxury all which beget ambitious designs which having the bounty of a Royal Emperor as a fit object before them they not knowing how to manage such a prosperous estate having been so long pressed down with cruel persecutions and deep afflictions do suck in this liberality with so much greediness that they cease not swelling till they burst with it into such excessive pride pomp state cruelty luxury and all kind of wickedness that they force the poor woman even as soon as she hath but newly brought forth her man-child to flie into the Wilderness Rev. 12.5 6. that is into holes and corners anywhere to enjoy her Beloved in the purity of his Ordinances with which she is fed and nourished by her two Witnesses the holy Scriptures prophesying in Sackcloth with her 1260 yeers And now that an open gap might be made for the man of Sin to be set up in his Chayr of Pestilence the Royal man-child translateth his Imperial Throne from Rome to Constantinople 2 Thes 2.7 Comment of the London Ministers and so the let spoken of by S. Paul being by the judgement of most of the ancient Doctors of the Church the Romane Empire by this removal of Constantine taken out of the way Pope Sylvester taking hold of this opportunity of the Emperours absence laden too heavily with many royal favors layes the foundation of Babel but yet so secretly privily covertly and obscurely that a very curious diligent eye could hardly discern it in these beginnings and indeed had it not wrought so obscurely and almost indiscernably it could not have been the Mystery of Iniquity and therefore the Prophet Daniel though throughly acquainted with this working of the man of Sin is brought in diligently observing and prying very narrowly before he could discern him so secret and obscure were his beginnings Dan. 11.21 Dan. 7.8 hardly suspected of any as being a horn too little at first to be feared but as little as it is it loseth no time to make it self great but partly by flatteries subtile insinuations highly raising the same merit of such as were bountiful and liberal to the Churches vehemently exciting others to the like beneficence till at last he is heightned by obtaining of Kingdoms and Provinces to an open discovery of himself to be that great Antichrist Thus in his Infancy he begins to erect the Chayr of Pestilence for no man denyeth saith Guicciardin that the Translation of the Empire was the first cause of the Popes Authority Hist Trent pag. 833. Hakewil Apol. pag. 473. For now the people of Rome withdrew their obedience from the Emperors by occasion of their absence and it is the confession of the Jesuits themselves that the Empire was not only then translated but even long since dissolved and so the great Let removed and an open door set for the Papal Kingdom to be elevated by degrees to its heigth of impiety which must likewise by degrees come to utter ruine and destruction as the foundation of Babel is now laid upon the translation of the Empire from Rome so the poor woman the true Church of Christ perceiving the Mystery of Iniquity beginning to work not able to side with the pomp pride ambition superstition and all kinde of wickedness that the most are drownd in she flies into the Wilderness which is no other then the few faithful Saints that kept close to the Rule associating together in some private corners even in the midst of Rome the outward Court as also many precious societies of Saints did in London and other places in England and Wales in the late dayes of bloody Antichristian Prelates giving up themselves to the Lord and one to another Even so did this virgin Spouse of Christ keep close to the Faith holding fast to her first love being fed and nourished with the pure lively Oracles these heavenly Witnesses of Christ in these secret corners and retired covert places in the midst of Pergamos where Satans seat was And this is that Wilderness condition and obscure hiding place that God prepared for her and her Witnesses that there she might be securely preserved from the unfaithful Watch men who having learned to lord it over Gods Heritage and to smite their fellow servants and to eat and to drink with the drunken and to abuse this simple Spouse of Christ and take away her vail these and such like actions as these is the treading underfoot the holy City by these degenerate Romish Gen. tiles the outward Court which are now generally infected with the Arrian Heresie and other dreadful abominations Taylor Libert pag. 141. 143. This is the Revelation of our English Prophet Brightman Rev. Apoc. p. 79. who saith that no sooner did some peaceable conditions begin to appear and Heathenish Tyranny cease but straightway did the Bishops begin to be set on fire with spiteful dissentions c. the Bishops of Rome even so early boasting with brags of pride in Peters Chayr and succession from him upon whom they affirm the foundations of the Church is laid and this foolish conceit produced that presumptious Edict that Tertullian who lived in the third Century condemned I hear saith he that there is a peremptory Edict set forth of late Trap. Comment pag. 291. Thus saith the chief Priest the Bishop of Bishops c. I hate saith Basil the pride of that Western Church And thus by this excessive pride of these Romish Gentiles boasting of their external glory and lustre they do plainly declare to the world that they are none of the true Church hid