can or are able to doe yet all shall bee in vaine the worke shall neverthelesse be perfected and accomplished for God who by his Almighty power and most wise providence orders all things hath so disposed of this that for all their forementioned surmises most unlawfull practises and howsoever powerfull oppositions the foresaid Kings shall but be * gathered together into the place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon that there he may deliver them into your hands as said once the Lord unto Joshua as we read cap 10. 8. But to come to the words of the text it selfe in the which as you see is set downe the third and last complaint or message uttered by the third and last kind of the forementioned frogges right Amphibies indeed or sea-faring men â—…e Vice-Roys having before done their arrand and the Merchants likewise theirs recited in the uerses before expounded by the precedent brethren now according to our order must I speake of this last mentioned in this seventeenth verse and the two following In which are contained thee chiefe points the first whereof concernes the messengers themselves The second shewes the cause of their complaint or message and in the third wee have the message it selfe The first is contained in the 17 verse and the other two in the two next verses As for the messengers of whom I shall onely speake at this present they are here described first by their function in the former part of the verse secondly by their action or behaviour in the last words of it their function is noted unto us both by the quality thereof and by the quantity of the persons excercising it The quality is expressed by divers both titles and orders whereof some are superiors others inferiors The superiors in order are the Ship-masters and their Assessors the inferiors are the Mariners their assistants Concerning their quantitie they be not some few choyse men of â—ach of these ranckes orders of officers but all of all sorts every one of them the businesse being of such importance that it concernes them all all of them also â—earing the common danger that was like to entrap overwhelme them all as it doth also clearely appeare by their action and behaviour expressed in the last words of this verse where it is said that they stood afarre off But before wee come to speake of these severall officâ—rs we must first of all shew what is meant by this Sea whereon and by the Ships wherein these messengers did before exercise their offices and trade As for the â—ea we must not imagine it to be the maine Ocean which doth as it were girt the whole Earth by its midle though thereupon those great m Spanish Gallions and other tall Ships of the Christian Kings and Princes of Europe doe navigate and commonly trade to the East and West Indies from whence they fetch those rich commodities to which the Holy Ghost hath onely made allusion in the former verses of this chapter viz. 12. and 13. Neither is it the Mediterranean sea though thereon the Pope of Rome doth keepe many good ships and Gallies well furnished with men and munition for the keeping of the Coasts and Sea townes of Saint Peters patrimonie as they speake Nor the Tyber neither watering in its course that ancient and glorious Citie of Rome nor any other River whatsoever though they be all of them called by the title of Seas in the Scripture how navigable soever it bee This being no naturall but a mysticall sea so called by allusion made to some of those naturall seas All which are nothing else in Scripture language but great Assemblies of waters gathered together in one place and called from the beginning by God the Creator by the name of Seas Which Seas are different according to the difference of those waters whereof they are as it were compounded or made up who are therefore either Caelestiall or Terrestriall the Caelestiall being above the firmament and the Terrestriall under it by the appointment of God as we reade * Gen. 1. 7. Where it is said by Moses that God made the firmament and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament But the Terrestiall are those that are gathered together under the said firmament as it is there expressed which are properly called * Seas Now these natural Seas do likewise differ both in quantitie the one being greater then the other as the Ocean is greater then the Rivers and the Rivers are greater the one then the other yea greater then the Lakes Pooles of waters though they also be called by the title of Sea in Scripture phrase as that great Vessell made by Salomon for the service of the Temple was likewise called by the same title of * Sea They differ also in Quality some of them being salt the other brackish and the other fresh these last being as it were distilled and purified in their passage through the veines of the earth Moreover such waters thus gathered together to make up these diverse Seas are very powerfull and unresistable no earthly power being able to stay either the ebbing or flowing of the Sea or the most violent course or streame of any of the least Rivers much lesse to abate their overflowings Now all these properties and different qualities of these Naturall Seas and waters doe very fitly conduce to the Mysticall Seas here intimated which likewise are nothing else then great confluences or Assemblies of Mysticall waters that is of pâ—oples or rather heads of Peoples and that according to the exposition of the Angell himselfe Revel. 17. 15. who speaking to Saint John tells him there that the waters which he had seene whereon the Whore did sit were peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues which are gathered together into one place making up one intire body And thus was it expounded by the Spirit of God in the prophesie of Isay Chap. 8. verse 7. above 700 yeares before Saint John did write this Revelation where speaking of the King of Ashur and of all his gâ—lory he sayes behold the Lord bringeth up upon them that is upon the Israelites the waters of the river viz. of Euphrates mighty and great even the King of Ashur with all his glory Which Mysticall Seas being also as the Naturall of great force puissance do accordingly in Scripture language note great power and authority as it is evident Psal. 46. 4. where the Holy Ghost speaking of the power and great rage of the Earthly Kings and Kingdomes sayes that Though the waters of the sea rage be troubled yea though hemountaines should bee shaken with the swelling thereof yet c. then expounding the same verse 6. following he sayes that When the nations raged the Kingdomes were moved God thundred c. Againe Pal. 93. verse 3. 4. where the Prophet speaking of the mighty power of God in preserving his
Church against all the assaults of the world sayes to this purpose The flouds have lifted up O Lord the floods have lifted up their voyce the floods lift up their waves The waves of the sea are marvellous through the noyse of many waters yet the Lord on high is more mighty And Psal. 124. verse 2. and 4. If it had not beene the Lord who was on our side when men rose up against us then the waters had overwhelmed us the streame had gone over our soule saith the Church of God there this is also manifest by the place now alleadged of Isay 8. 7. Now such powerfull assemblies or seas of people are different according to the different qualitie of the waters or peoples whereof they are as it were compounded or constituted the one being Civill the other Ecclesiasticall Againe the power of the Civill assemblies is either Monarchicall or Aristocraticall or Democraticall such as were those that are mentioned by the Prophet Jer. cap. 51. verse 42. where speaking of the powerfull armies of King Cyrus that were to come against Babylon thus hee saith The sea is come upon Babylon she is covered with the multitude of the waves thereof And Dan. 7. who speaking of the foure Empires that should be raised in the world to sway the Empire thereof he saith verse 3. * That foure great beasts came up from the Sea one divers from another The Ecclesiasticall power is that Hierarchicall wth is often mentioned in this booke of the Revelation and so in this place as it shall more clearely appeare by and by to which power applying now the former diffâ—rences of the Naturall seas and waters before spoken of we say that they are accordingly either Caelestiall or Earthly The Calestiall are those * Glassie-pure-Crystall-like waters of life or Assemblies of true Christian professors of the holy and pure Religion of Christ refreshed and filled with the pure waters of the heavenly doctrine * proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb Christ Jesus Whom alone they take for their head acknowledging that he hath beene anointed by God King * Vpon Sion his holy mountaine And that * the Lord God hath given him the throne of his father David upon * whose shoulders also hath beene laid the key of the house of David that is the Government thereof to reigne over it for ever * for he must raigne till he hath put all his enemies under his feet This Caelestiall Hierarchicall power then over the Church is in Christ alone who while he remained in the flesh did immediately by himself administer it in this his Kingdome of Grace And now being gone to continue the same in that of Glory he hath appointed according to that * power given unto him by his father both in Heaven and in Earth the administratioÌ„ of the keyes thereof to his Church the people whereof and its holy congregations doe make up and constitute those glossie seas or assemblies of the true reformed Churches as being filled with the foresaid pure living waters proceeding from the said Throne The which Church doth likewise administer this power by her * Ministers and Governors who are to exercise it not as dominering Prelates over Christ his heritage but as his Ministers in * Christ his name and by his power as acknowledging no other Soveraigne in matters Ecclesiasticall but him alone who is the true * Melchisedech of his said Church The Earthly Hierarchicall powerfull sea is that which is represented unto us in this booke of the Revelation by those Terrestiall seas filled with earthly doctrines humane traditions and ordinances to which the Holy Ghost maketh allusion Revel. 16. The which are either n Vniversall answering to the maine Ocean o or Nationall correspondent either to these particular seas which take their diverse denominations from the divers Kingdomes they beate upon as the Baltick or Swedish sea the German sea the Brittish sea c. which are thus denominated because such parts of the maine Ocean beate upon the coasts or shâ—res of those kingdomes of Sweathland Germanie England c. Or rather to those nationall rivers as I may call â—hem called also Seas in Scripture as it was shewed before which do water or runne along or through whole Kingdomes or Provinces often distinguishing and separating the one from the other The Vniversall Hierarchical earthly sea is that wch is mentioned in the third ver. of the said 16. chap. upon which the second Angell powred out his Uiall which thereby became not only as the blood of a dead man but also it caused every living thing to die therein which was at last effected and fully accomplished by those Vaiversall humane-earthly-hierarchicall assemblies of peoples or heads of peoples as is before noted who makeing and acknowledging the Pope for their supreame head under whose Soveraigne power and absolute authority they were gathered together did settle and establish the same together with all that false Antichristian doctrine and humane traditions by them not onely approved but also preferred to the Scripture it selfe attributing and allowing then unto him that full power to doe which though long before hee had begun to assume unto himselfe and to exercise the same even since the time of the powring out of the second Viall under Boniface the eight who first instituted the o Jubiles Anno Dom. 1300. appearing the first day of the said Jubile in his Popish ornaments and the next in an Imperiall attire or harnesse with anaked sword carried before him crying with a loud voyce Ecce duo gladij hic behold here are two swords yet was it now brought to its full perfection namely first in that p Councell of Constance where three Popes occupying at once the Papall Sea viz. Gregorie the twelfth Benedict the thirteenth and John the three and twentieth were deposed and Martin the fift established which schisme had continued more then any other before viz. 50. yeares in it was enacted that damnable decree Haereticis non esse servandam fidem that it was lawfull to breake the oath made to Hereticks by vertue whereof John Husse was there burned and then totally in that of Trent q begunne under Pope Paul the third and ended eighteene yeares after in the time of Pius the fourth and by him confirmed the next yeare following whereby all that Popish Sea of false humane earthly doctrine was altogether corrupted which caused as the spirituall death of all those in that sea that might have yet some remnant of living water in them so that second woe proceeding from the great slaughters of Christians executed by the Turkes * Who killed by the fire and smoke and Brimstone comming out of the mouthes of the horses whereon they sate the third part of men The Nationall Hierarchicall powerfull sea proceeding from that forenamed Vniversall as the Rivers doe come from the Ocean Eccles. 17. is represented
without danger over it and to enter without any great resistance in her Babylonish Church to beate downe their x new erected Altars to overthrow all their Idols Crucifixes and utterly to abolish and cashire out all false selfe will worship superstitious ceremonies in stead thereof to settle establish the true Kingdome of Christ to be governed by his most holy lawes and heavenly ordinances as Moses commanded often the Israelites to doe when they should once be entred into the land of Canaan after they had passed over the Jordan And because this Jordan with the drying of it and passage over it by the said children of Israel under the leading of Joshua yea all their voiage along the forementioned wildernesse of Canaan is a true prototype of this mysticall Euphrates so often mentioned before as it appeares by that which the Apostle in his 1 Cor. 10. 6. and 11. speaking of the things that came to the Israelites in the wildernes sayes of them that the were types {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as it expressed in the originall and that they are written saith he to admonish us c. Therfore that we may the better understand the mysterie of this drying up and passage over the said Euphrates it is very requisite that we say first some what of the last Journeys of that Ancient people of Israel along their said wildernesse All of them together are in number 42. as is before noted which may be divided in three generall parts The first whereof doe comprehend those that were made by them from Rameses in Egypt till they came to Mount Sinai where they pitched * in the third moneth when they were gone foorth out of the Land of Egypt where they had remained almost a whole yeare as it is manifest by that which is said by Moses Num. 10. 11. In which mount God gave them his law with his ordinances and holy statutes concerning his worship and thereby did covenant with them that if they would observe and keepe them hee would be their God and they should be his people Yet neverthelesse they presently brake it falling to Idolatrie in worshipping of the * golden calfe made by Aaron the High Priest the which first part comprehends eleven Mansions or Journeyes The second part is from that Mount of Sinai to that other of Hor where AaronÌ„ died in which they did but wander up and down the said desert advancing never a whit towards the said promised land of Canaan but recoiling rather from it in wch wandering they continued for the space of almost 38. yeares and made during all the said space of time twice eleven Mansions which were thus doubled because of those two great capitall sinnes committed by them against the Lord the first whereof was the foresaid Idolatry and the second their generall rebellion and revolt which happened at that place called therfore * Rimmon Perets mentioned Numb. 33. 19. The third last part is from the time of their departure from that mountaine of Hor after their * thirty dayes mourning for the death of Aaron a type also of the mourning mentioned in this chap. begun when y Jezabel was first cast into a bed by the Kings of the earth which had committed fornication with her cast also with her into great affliction by the meanes of the second plague inflicted upon her by the powring out of the second Viall as wee will shew presently continued by the Merchants of the earth at the powring out of the third Viall and now termined by these Mariners both of them the right children of the whore Jezabel z * killed togetherwith her with death That lastperiod I say beginning at their departure from that Mount Hor continued till their first entrie into the said land of Canaan when they encamped in Gilgal * in the East side of Jericho entring therfore into the said land at the East part therof as our passengers over this mysticall Euphrates are called mistically the Kings of the East as it will appeare by by This last period containes nine journeyes a in all forty two At the last of which journeyes viz. at the latter end of the thirty ninth and about the beginning of the fortieth the said people pitched at Habarim standing there as it were in heapes or companies of peoples desirous and readie to passe over the said Jordan being now so neere unto it b But the time of their said passage being not fully accomplished they were therfore faine to stay yet a whilelonger in the wildernes which is before Moab towards the Sun-rising as it is said Numb. 21. 11. from whence being removed they advanced to Beer that is saith Moses Numb. 21. 16. the well whereof the Lord spake unto Moses gather the people together and I will give them water Then Israel sangthis song spring up O well sing ye unto to it c The Princes digged the well the Nobles of the people digged it by the direction of the Law giver with their staves d At which time they fought against Sihon King of the Amorites * and smote him with the edge of the sword and possessed his land from Arnon unto Jabok c. Then they turned and went up by the way of Bashan and fought against Og the King of Bashan and smote him likewise and his sonnes and all his people This Og was a mighty gyant * Deut. 3. 11. e Wâ—â— only remained of thâ—â—emnant of the Gyants whose bedstead was a bestead of yron of nine cubits long forre broad after the cubit of a man He saith also thaâ—â—is land was a goodly soyle the pastures whereof nourished strong and fat cattell being watered by the foresaid Jordan which doth runne through that ancient land of Israel dividing Galile from Judea having two spring heads viz. Dan and Jor whence it tooke its name of Jordan f signifying the river of Judgement or a caldron of Judgement c. It is to be noted further that in its course along that countrie it maketh two lakes or Seas whereof the one is greater then the other the least is called waters of Merom By which all the Kings of Canaan to the number of foure and twenty assembled by * appointment to fight against Israel with all their host in multitude as the sand that is upon the sea shore with horses and chartes very many c. The other which is a great deale bigger is called in the old Testament the * Sea of Chinnereth and in the new the * Lake of Genezareth or the Sea of Galile from which having runne a long way of some forty miles it falleth in the dead sea of Sodome of which it is as it were swallowed up Which Sea hath no visible intercourse with the Ocean and is surnamed dead because no living thing can endure its bituminous savour from abundance of which matter it
unto us in this booke of the Revel. either by those rivers and fountaines of waters upon which the third Angell powred out his Viall mentioned Rev. 16. 4. which also there by became blood Or by that other upon which the sixt Angell powred out his noted Revel. 16 12. called there by the title of Euphrates which is the name of its Type viz. that literall Euphrates of that old Babylon of the East mentioned Jer. 51. 63. and intimated Esay 44. 27. foretelling the drying up of it by the meanes of Cyrus King of Persia some one hundred and twenty yeares before the accomplishment thereof which Nationall mysticall seas or rivers are distinguished one from the other both inrespect of the different titles given unto them as also in respect of their different plagues of the different effects thereof the titles are different the first being called only by the generall title of rivers and fountaines upon which the third Angell powred out his Uiall but the other which is as it were separated and somewhat distant from them by the interlacing of two other Vialls viz. the fourth and the fift is called by the particular name of Euphrates As for their plagues they are different not onely in that the said rivers and fountaines are plagued by the third Viall of the third Angell r a long while before the sixt Angell did power out the plague of his Viall upon the said Euphrates but because there is also a great difference betweene the parties upon whom the said third Angel did powre his said Viall and those upon whom the sixt did powre his as wee shall shew by and by Finally they differ greatly in the effect of their said plague because the waters of the said rivers and fountaines became blood by meanes of the third Viall powred out upon them but by this the waters of Euphrates are dryed up wherein allusion is made to that litterall Euphrates of old Babylon forementioned Now then wee say that the former of these Rivers and fountaines doe represent unto us the powerfull nationall Hierarchicall assemblies of Archbishops and Diocesan Bishops altogether Popish and corrupted both in doctrine and discipline challenging and holding their said power and authority from the Pope under whom they exercise it over their severall Nationall Dioceses holding themselves accountable for the administration of the said powerfull Hierarchicall Jurisdiction to none other then to the said Pope whom they doe acknowledge for their supreame head as drawing from him the whole influence of their said Antichristian Jurisdiction But concerning this Euphrates though wee know as it hath beene also avouched of late and published both in the Pulpit and in print by some of the chiefest creatures of that Nationall sea that both of them have one and the same originall source as flowing both from that forementioned Vniversal Popish sea and therefore doth as the former signifie a like humane-earthly-nationall-hierarchicall-usurpedpower over some Nationall Churches and people yet it seemes to bee somewhat different from the former rivers if not in effect yet in appearance or outward shew and profession because the waters especially of the doctrine where with the people living in that sea are as it were filled and nourished are not all nor altogether t corrupted as were those of the former Seas both Vniversall and Nationall They are not pure neither as are the waters of that Sea mentioned Revel. 4. 6. which was of glasse like unto Crystall nor like that pure river described Revel. 22. 1. which was a water of life cleare as Crystall proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lambe But it is a water of a mixt kind between pure and altogether corrupted as there is a kind of mixt naturall waters as was noted before which are neither altogether fresh nor altogether salt but brackish even so the waters of this Mysticall sea are I say of a mixt kinde of water as that sâ—a described Revel. 15. 2. which was as it were a sea of glasse mingled with fire and not simply nor solely a sea of glasse but onely as it were that is v seeming onely to bee so neither pure nor cleare but very obscure and intricate not onely because it was mingled with humane doctrine philosophie drawne out of the u bottomlesse pit Revel 17. 8. but with the fire of hot persecution also which is the Sea whereof the Spirit of God speaketh in this text I meane the Sea of Euphrates upon which these seafaring men did exercise their trading for and in the behalfe of these forenamed Merchants before it was dried up as now it is Which is also the very cause why these sea-frogs are thus troubled and so much disquieted as it appeares by their forementioned message and complaint At the shore whereof the Kings of the East mentioned Revel. 16. 12. that is the true reformed Christian Israel or Church of God had now stood for a good while waiting for a fit and prosperous passage over it being there at length arrived after a most tedious and troublesome journey through that barren and unfruitfull desert of Idolatrie and superstitious worship having also by the wonderfull mercy of God and gratious favour towards them gotten the victorie of the beast and of his image and of his marke and of the number of his name fitting and tuning in the meane while the harpes of God that when they should have passed over that broade deepe overswolne and fierie Euphrates they might more freely and joyfully * sing the song of Moses the servant of God the song of the Lambe For then should they have indeed greater occasion then they yet had to say as you see Revel. 15. 3 great and marvellous are thy workes Lord God Almighty just and true are thy waies thou King of Saints as it is effected by them being passed over the sâ—id Euphrates wherfore they having sung the Hallelujah there mentioned they alleadge for a reason these words following in the second ver. of the 19. chap. of the said Revelation for * true say they righteous are thy â—udgements for thou hast judged the great whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornication and hast avenged the blood of thy servants at her hand As it was impossible for them to doe before no more then the Levites of old could when those that had led them captive to Babylon required of them to sing upon their harps one of the songs of Sion being hindred there from by the said Hierarchicall sea stopping their course till then by her hot burning fiery waters of persecution most intollerable tyrannicall pride by which she doth yet what shee can by the meanes of her said Emissaries to keepe theÌ„ from passing over it but all in vaine being now dryed up a very wide gate yea a most large spacious way being opened prepared for the said Church children of God to goe now
is also called Lacus Asphaltites a right type of Hell once filled with the dead bodies of the Jewes flying before the Romans in that lamentable and last destructiō of Jerusalem presuming upō a false ground that it would drie it selfe and give them passage as it had done in former ages to their forefathers To which allusion is often made in this book of the Revelation as namely in the punishment of the chiefe enemies of the Christian Church Moses having thus conquered these two forenamed Kingdomes of the Amorites it is said Deut. 3. 12. 13. that he gave the Cities thereof unto the Rubenites and to the Gadites And the land of Gilead and all Bashan being the Kingdome of Og hee gaue unto the halfe tribe of Mnassah c. But it was upon this condition that they themselves should not stay therein yet but passe over the Jordan armed before their brethren the children of Israel all of them that were meet for the warre untill the Lord had given rest unto their brethren as well as unto them c. and then as said Moses unto them they should after that returne every man unto the possession which God had given them and not before Then the people of Israel went forward advancing to their last Mansions or Journeys viz. to the 41 and 42. and pitched all along the said river Jordan from * Beth-jesimoth signifying the house of Desolation to Abel shittim signifying sorrow of thornes As it happened indeede unto them both for their corporall spirituall whoredome the one that is the corporal committed with the daughters of Moab * and the spirituall whoredom through the counsell of Balaam committed in trespassing against the Lord for worshipping of Peor wherefore the plague came among the congregation of the Lord And there dyed in that plague foure and twenty thousand For which cause the Lord commanded Moses to * revenge the children of Israel of the Midianites after which he was gathered unto his people for neither he nor Aaron his brother because they were Ministers of the Law who made nothing perfect Heb. 7. 19. could not introduce the people of God into the land of Canaan but Joshua a true type of the Kingly office of Christ and Eleazar another type also in that the Priesthood was renewed in his Person but manifestly changed in Christ which was not * made Priest after the Law of the carnall commandement but after the power of the endlesse life after the order of Melchisedec By whose ministerie the said Jordan was dryed up that all the Israelites might goe drie cleane over it as it came to passe * as soone as the Priests that bare the Arke of the Covenant of the Lord of all the world had taken it upon their shoulders and had dipped their feet in the brim of the water which was in the time of harvest at which time Jordan did commonly overflow all his bankes for even then * the waters which came downe from above stood and rose up upon an heape but the waters that came downe towards the sea of the wildernesse which is the salt sea or lake of Sodome failed and were cut off and the people passed over right against Jericho And the said Priests stood firme on drie ground in the midst of Jordan and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground untill all the people were passed cleane over Iordan But note now that in passing over the said Jordan * the sonnes of Reuben and the sonnes of Gad and halfe the tribe of Manasses went over before the children of Israel armed as Moses had spoken unto them It is also added concerning the time of their said passage verse 19. that it was * the tenth day of the first moneth that then they encamped in Gilgall in the East border of Iericho where Ioshua did pitch the twelve stones which they had taken out of Iordan that they might befor◠a memoriall unta their children for ever There also the Lord did say unto Ioshua * that he should make some sharpe knives to circumcise againe the children of Israel the second time because all the people that were come out of Egypt that were males even all the men of warre were dead in the wildernesse by the way because they had not obeyed the voyce of the Lord wherefore the Lord had sworne unto them that he would not shew them the Land which the Lord had sworne unto their fathers that hee would give them And when they had done circumcising all the people they abode in their places in the campe till they were whole After * the Lord said unto Joshua this day have I taken away the shame of Egypt from you There also they kept the Passeover on the fourteenth day of the moneth at even in the plaines of Iericho And they did eate of the old corne of the land on the morrow after the Passeover And the Manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corne of the land neither had the children of Israel Manna any more but they did eate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that yeare Having said thus much of these last journeys of the Israelites and of some of the chiefe accidents which befell them about their passage over Jordan fit for the better understanding of the matter now in hand concerning the drying up of our said Misticall Euphrates and deliverance of the Christian Israel out or their forementioned desert we must now apply the same to our said purpose thereby to give also according to our former promise in the Epistle to the Reader some tast of the parallell there mentioned very necessary not onely for the clearing of many misteries that are yet very obscure in the booke of the Revelation but also that we may with greater admiration observe the waies and wise proceedings of the Lord in this reformation of his Church now by him taken in hand and in some good measure by him already effected as the same was represented unto us in the old type of the old Testament and foretold both by him and by many of his Apostles in the new which will be also a most sure guide to direct us thereby to follow him and to give him the glory due unto him for all And to this end we must know that about the latter end of the forementioned third and last great period of time whrein that Journey of the 42. Moneths of our said Christian Israel through their said wildernesse was divided which we shewed to beginne in the time of John Wickleff in the yeare 1380. of Christ when the said people began to issue out of it the said Christian Church I say having sustained many strong oppositions and most cruell persecutions during the space of some two hundred yeares that she was a passing through that hideous desert full of most cruell * fiery serpents I meane the g fires of persecution which
mighty and great meaning indeed the King of Ashur as it is expounded in the very next words but alluding to the said Euphrates which did water the land of Assyria so hath this mysticall done to which also the same Spirit of God alludeth speaking of it in this book of the Rev. as it was shewed before so that that which the Lord said then to the said people of Judah may very fitly be applyed to the people of this land That because they had refused both in the time of King Edward the sixt and also of Queene Elizabeth * that pure river of water of life cleare as Chrystall proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lambe I meane the the true Liturgie or worship of God together with the true discipline of Christ or Church government both profered unto them then both by Martin Bucer and Peter Martyr grounded and drawn out of the doctrine of Christ of his holy Apostles as we find it expressely instituted by him saying first concerning the said Liturgie * that it is in vaine to worship him teaching for doctrine mens precepts And that all such doe onely draw neare unto him with their mouth and honour him with their lips but their heart is farre off from him Yea in so doing they do but worship that which they doe not know as he said to the woman of Samaria John 4. 22 23 24. for then was that time come of which he speaketh there when the true worshippers were to worship the father in spirit and truth for then the father did require such to worship him For God being a Spirit they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth And concerning the said Discipline observe onely these few places viz. Mat. 5. 22. and 18. verse 15 16 17 18. and chap. 20. verse 25 26 27 and 28. where is set downe the true patterne thereof I doe but name them because I intend not to speake of this now renewed as it were by him after his Resurrection as S. Luke tells us Acts 1. 3. where he shewes that Christ was seene of his Disciples and heard too as saith Saint John in his first Epistle chap. 1. verse 1. speaking of those things which did concerne the true Government of his Kingdome of Grace and that by the space of fortie dayes as he had beene with * Moses in the mountaine under the Law when he gave him the patterne of the Tabernacle of all the instruments thereof which were then to bee imployed in his holy worship then instituted by him wherin as Moses shewed himselfe very faithfull in all the house of God as the Apostle doth testifie Heb. 3. 5. the same may we say of the Apostles concerning the Govenment of this house of Christ But as the said Iewes I say did then refuse such waters so the said people refusing both the said pure and simple worship of God and true Church Discipline and preferring to it that vaine frothie pompous-humane-will worship or Liturgie of Rome some what refined I confesse but yet the very same in substance therefore did the Lord bring upon them that proud Prelaticall Hierarchicall Church governement by the meanes of it The which hath at length * broken into England especially and hath so overflowed and passed through it that it is come not only to the neck but even to the very top of the cheekes and k eares of some of the best servants of God some of them having had their eares cut with the Knife made as it were of the glasse of that * glassie sea and burnt with the fire thereof yea it had so spread out its wings that it had covered the breadth of the land becomming thereby impassable and like the raging sea that cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt as saith the Prophet Isa. 57. 20. as it proved especially when the said Christian Israel of God was ready to passe over it As the waters of the forementioned Jordan did then overflow and fill all his bankes as soone as the feet of the Priests that bare the Arke were dipped in the brinke of the waters thereof thereby to prepare the may for the said children of Israel to passe over it after the drying thereof even so did then especially that Hierarchicall powerfull tyrannicall sea flowing from that forementioned l head thereof raise to such a height of pride and inhumane cruelty that it did overflow and runne over all power and authority both divine and Humane and became thereby so intollerable that no humane creature was able to withstand restraine or resist it So that in a short time it had easily as another deluge overflowed and destroyed the whole land and by its most deadly waters of Popish and Arminians false doctrines and superstitious ceremonies killed every soule living yet in that tyrannical scalding sea according to the prophesie of Christ therein truely accomplished recited Mat. 24. 22. saying that except those dayes meaning the dayes of the great tribulatioÌ„ mentioned described by him in the next preceding words which can bee no other then the thousand two thundred and sixty dayes of this christian Churches pilgrimage through her said deseart so called Revel. 7. 17. except saith he they should be shortned there shall no flesh be saved but for the elects sake those dayes shall bee shortned As it is now manifestly come to passe by the wonderfull mercy of God who being a God * that heareth prayers as the Prophet saith hath at last * looked downe from the highest of his sanctâ—any and hath from Heaven beheld the earth to heare the groanings of the prisoners and to loose those that were appointed to death and hath regarded the prayer of the destitute not despised their request as it is said in that Propheticall Psalme that was then written for the generation to come and for the people which was to be created a new For he is no idle spectator of the wrongs done unjustly to his servants but rather such a one as doth usually * resist the proud Hamans of the world scattering them in the imagination of their hearts and putting downe the mighty from their seates As the most blessed Virgin Mary doth fing Luke 1. 52. 53. and as we see it already begun by the almighty power of God who hath taken in hand that proud Hierarchicall whore even in the very time when in her over-swelling pride * shee most glorified her selfe saying in her heart I sit a Queene and am no widdow and shall see no sorrow as she is brought boasting of her selfe Revel. 18. 7. 8. Whereupon the Angel denouncing her last sentence of condemnation saith of her in the next words Therefore must her plagues come in one day death and mourning and famine and shee shall be utterly burnt with the fire of Excommunication for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her Who therefore doth now stirre up those that
Officers the most part of them being but lawyers or laikes to use their owne terme no more then they esteeme our Church Elders to be To all which they have given as new Offices of their own moulding and humane invention so likewise new names and titles of their owne fabrication also none of them being * of the fathers planting as saith Christ And such are those of the first forementioned ranke and order as their Suffragan Bishops Chancellors Archdeacons Deanes Commissaries or Highcommissioners which sit as Judges in the said Courts and to whom that Hierarchicall power of the Pope Archbishops c. hath coÌ„mitted the Administration of the keyes not of Christs Spirituall kingdome as Christ himselfe gave to Peter to the rest of the Apostles representing then the whole Church but of their earthly Hierarchicall Kingdomes having appointed them to bee the sole Judges in Ecclesiasticall causes and matters Then the next that follow which are of the second ranke as namely their Secretaries Dataries or Registers Advocates and Procurors occupying Ships Then follow in the last place the third and last sort of them viz. their Promooters Apparitors Solicitorus to which may also be very well added all that table of Questmen Sidemen Inquisitors Church wardens Pursivants c. all which are right Aucupes Aulae or flies of the Inquisition nay all I am sure both great and small birds of a feather and hatcht all of one damme I meane that whore of Babylon All which doe trade on the Sea or word for word as it is in the originall {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} labour the Sea Whereby the Holy Ghost alâ—udeth manifestly to the worke of Huâ—bandry and to those that are occupied in that calling to labour the ground breaking the clods of it and cutting it with the plow A goodly metaphor indeed very well befitting and clearely manifesting the right manner of the trading of these Officers upon this seas which is also used elsewhere to the same purpose viz Psal. 129. 2 3. where the Church of God is represented complaining of her Eâ—emies and saying Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth and yet they have not prevailed against me The plowers ploâ—ed upon my bâ—â—â—e they made long their furrowes by which Metaphoricall speech the cruell afflictions of the Church thus laboured or plowed up as it weâ—e by her Enemies are meaâ—t Which dealing doth very fiâ—ly agree to all the Pâ—â—aticall offices of those Hierarchicall Courts who plow thus the seas or peoples over which they are established when once they doe fill into their lurches or are brought under their â—yr â—â—icall power even as the plowman doth the ground but not as he thereby to fit it and prepare it the better to receive the good seede that it may bring forth the more fruite to the owner but rather as the hirelings use todoe hiring the ground and wearing it with tilling till they have suckt all the fat thereof and filled their owne purses to the great prejudice and manifest dammage of the owner And thus much for the meaning of the words of this present text In the exposition whereof I have beene constrained to insist thus long because it hath beene heretofore otherwise expounded and taken in another sence by the former interpreters then I have done now being led thereunto first by the exposition that the Angell himselfe doth give to the waters or sea wherupon both the whore her selfe sitteth as it hath beene shewed out of * Revel. 17. 15. and these her Officers doe trade as also by the consideration of the type of this Church mentioned before the which I have followed from journey to journey or from one moneth to another especially in the last of the third great Period or part of her voayge through the wildernesse comparing the estate time and events of this christian Church to those of that ancient of Israel whereupon I say I I have grounded this my exposition the which neverthelesse I doe willingly and with all humility submit as I did when I first preached it in publike to the wise and charitable censure of the rest of the most faithfull and painefull labourers my fellow-brethren in the Ministerie rowing hard with us in the true ship of Christ being in the midst of those Seas tossed with mighty waves in great jeopardie that they may bring his true Disciples to the shore of heaven in drawing them out of those troublesome and dangerous hierarchicall seas whom I desire not to cast it away as a new Doctrine though it might seeme so at the first sight but to ponder it well before though they finde it clothed in a very course and homely language and yet borrowed in which having dared to walke thus farre in publike I will yet adventure a litle further observing out of this text thus expounded some few points of Doctrine the which I meane to handle as briefly as I can to apply them to some use of Admonition and exhortation And first in generall considering that all this Hierarchicall forementioned earthly power represented by the said Euphraticall Jordan and all the Officers which doe exercise or administer the same power doe proceed all of them though some more immediately manifestly then the other froÌ„ that Vniversall Papall Sea the common Mother of all the other * Harlots and abominations of the earth and that all the said Officers are thus represented unto us in this text under those foresaid titles of Seafaring men or Sailors in ships whose offices and unlawfull practises doe all issue of the same Source this I say may yeeld this point viz. that The Beast of Rome together with the false Prophet have changed Christs fishing Ship or true Church into a very Pirate Ship or denne of theeves who in stead of gaining soules to Christ doe leese them and in liew of bringing them to Heaven cause their passengers to make ship-wrack both of soule and body in hell as it appeares not only by the words of our Saviour speaking to the Scribes and Pharisies of his time the right predecessors of these both of them having beene the murthers and persecutors of Christ and his saints and saying unto them Mat. 23. 15. Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisies Hypocrites for ye compasse sea and land to make one Proselyte and when he is made ye make him twofold more the child of hell And againe speaking of them to his Disciples he saith Mat. 15. 14. Let them alone they be blinde leaders of the blind And if the blind leade the blind both shall fall into the ditch this truth is likewise manifest by that which is said in particular of their followers Revel. 1â— 8. That all the names of the dwellers upon earth who should worship the Beast were not wrâ—tten in the booke of the Lambe slâ—â—ne from the foundation of the world But especially it is â—lâ—â—re by that which is written in the next chapter viz. 14.
them in their owne Territories and to be there a scourge unto them for the punishment of all their said Idolatries These fell out not long after upon the blowing of the third of the foure forementioned Windes loosed by the Angel ordained by God to restraine it till the time by him appointed was accomplished which cōming from the East quarter of the world brought along with it about the yeare of the Lord * 1300 that other sect of Mahumetans called Turkes who not contented to have taken from the Constantinopolitan Emperors during the time of their forementioned troublesome estate and decaying Empire the most and best part of their Provinces in Asia passed over the strait of Hellespontus into Europe about the yeare 1320 wherein they conquered presently after the whole Countries of Thracia Mysia and Macedonia afterwards the whole Empire it selfe which was utterly overthrowne by the taking of that famous Citie of Constantinople by Mahomet the Great first Emperour of the Turkes and the seventh King from Ottoman the first founder of that Empire who was not of the Selzuccian family as were all the other Turkes Sultans the Successors of Tangrolipix but of the Oguzian Tribe a family famous also amongst the said Turkes The taking of which once most glorious but then most miserable Citie fell out in the yeare * 1453 the 29. day of May Constantine Palaeologus being then Emperour who then ended there miserably his dayes together with the said Greeke Empire From thence they advanced further in Europe wherein they conquered many Kingdomes and Provinces invading infesting and ravaging many peoples in the said part of the World both by Sea and by Land and all this for the punishment of their abhominable idolatries and superstitions in so great a quantitie and innumerable number that the Holy Ghost in that ninth Chapter of the Revelat. where this most inhumane barbarous and bloudy warre is described from the 13. verse thereof to the end of it with the true cause mentioned in the 20 verse of the same might very well say that thereby the third part of men were killed But for all that the rest of the men who had the mark of the beast though they did escape those plagues yet did they not repent of the workes of their hands but rather continued to worship their most devilish Idols persecuting most cruelly all those who refused to worship them thereby shedding the bloud of the Saints and of the Prophets because they refused to submit themselves any more to that proud Antichristian tyranny of the Pope casting off his most intolerable yoke together with all his false doctrines and ordinances which then they began to see how they were altogether become as the bloud of a dead man so that it was impossible for any living soule to live in such a deadly and abominable Sea or to drinke without danger of most apparent spirituall death any of the waters or humane doctrines and superstitious Ceremonies issuing from the said Popish Hierarchicall Sea and therefore had rather suffer the most exquisit torments and most cruell corporall death yea of the hot burning fire then the most common that could be inflicted upon them by their bloudy barbarous persecutors then to returne backe againe towards that most deadly mysticall Sea from the which they did rather flie as of old the * Israelites from that of Ezion-Gaber as soone as they had heard the voyce of the Lord saying unto them You have compassed this mountainous Countrey of the Edomites long enough therefore turne yee Northward viz. towards the Land of Canaan againe standing Northward from Ezion-Gaber Even so did the Christian Israel as soone as they had heard that * Angel flying in the midst of Heaven having the everlasting Gospell to preach unto them that dwell on the earth and to every Nation and kindred and tongue and people saying with a loud voice Feare God and give glory to him because the houre of his judgement is come c. Hastening towards the Northren Countries of the Popish Roman world in very good hope to enter then in the promised Canaan of true reformation as it was noted before but being frustrated of their said conceived hope by the forementioned i Edomites they were constrained to make a very long circuite to approach it and to enter thereinto by the East side of it In which way as they were stung with the fiery Serpents in the Desart of the foresaid Edom in the beginning of their issuing out of their Desart and by them very unkindly used so at the end of it they did finde both Midianites and Moabites with false Prophets who would by their wiles have hindred their entry into their said Canaan but chiefly that fiery Euphraticall Jordan forementioned stopping altogether their entrance thereinto All which most unkind unmercifull hard dealings and most cruell usage of the said poore and sore afflicted Church of God besides the forementioned Idolatries of their detainers and persecutors were the cause of the loosing of the foresaid Easterly Winde by which the sixt Angel was moved to sound with such a long blast or Alarme to excite the five Angels to powre out the forementioned plagues contained in each of their Vials upon the most notable parts of that Antichristian Roman Empire but especially upon its forementioned Euphrates both Universall and Nationall the inflicting of which brought upon them the second terrible woe because thereby k God first gave them bloud to drinke to avenge the bloud of his Saints which they had as it is already said shed in great abundance l Secondly He did also by the means of them scorch them with fire Wherefore they did blaspheme the name of God because they had burned with fire his Saints and most faithfull servants and had tortured them thereby to compell them to blaspheme m Yea the said plagues were so grievous painfull that for very paine they were constrained to gnaw their own proper tongues because they had cut the tongues of his servants thereby to hinder them to make open profession of their most holy faith to confesse his name and sing his most holy prayses in the midst of the flames as else they would have done And as the said persecution instituted by Antichrist began from the time of Wickliffe and hath cōtinued to these late years even so have the foresaid plagues continued since to this very present time But the last of the foresaid five Vials being powred upon a particular Nationall Euphrates as was shewed before hath produced also a more particular effect than the former though being powred out upon a particular member of the same mysticall body the whole cannot chuse but by sympathy to have some feeling of it as is manifest by the stirring of the three forementioned Frogs by the cōplaints of all the Viceroys Merchants Mariners not onely of the said Nationall Sea but also of the Vniversall The cause whereof
servants whom he hath also armed now especially with such powerfull authority that If any one doth yet presume to hurt them or oppose them in this most blessed and most holy work of Reformation * fire shall proceed out of their mouth to devoure all their enemies for if any man will burt them he must in this manner be killed And they have also to this end a two edged sword in their hands to execute vengeance upoÌ„ the heathen and corrections among the people yea to binde their Kings in chaines and their Nobles with fetters of iron that they may execute upon them the judgement that is written this honour shall be to all his Saints Prayse yee the Lord FINIS * So the woman did sit upon a scarlet coloured beast Rev. 17. 3. called before vers. 1. waters expounded after vers 19 and 18. * Revel. â— 15. 16. 17. 13. â— 12. 14. 16 17. â— * And thus did the Serpent cast oute of his moâ—th the like â—â—â—nde of water as a flood after the woman Revel 12.15 These Kings were 31 in all Iosh. 12.24 Psal 125. 3. Revel. 11. 〈◊〉 Idem 1. 3. 5. Numb. 33. 1. 3 c. a That is yeares a day for a yeare according to that threatning mentioned Numb. 14. 34. alluding to the type thereof mentioned Exod. 19. 4. Deut. 32. 10. b i. e. One yeare two yeares and halfe an yeare of dayes amounting to the forementioned time of 1260 dayes of yeares c Cent. Magd. Cent. 4. p. 861. l. 44. Helvicus Crounologie Alsted Chron. p. 76. * Revel. 12. 15. h This may be very easily gathered by that which is said Revel. 17. 1. 21. 9. i This is the right practise of the Hirarchicall men both in Pulpits printed books publick and private conferences and the best arguments they can alleadge to oppose the excellent Church government of the reformed Churches beyond Seas k Thus doe the proud wicked men of the world perswade themselves that it is in their power to hind er the proceedings of Gods judgements and to stay his hand when he hath begun to execute Iustice upon them this was the cause of the builders of Babel Gen. 11. 4. c. and of Pharaob Exod. 5. 2. and 〈◊〉 5. 9. and likewise of thâ—se who think that the Kings of the earth shall be able to hinder the drying up of this mysticall Euphrates or to make it run as before now it is dayed up But all such must know that there isâ—… neither understanding nor councell to withstand the Lord as saith Solomon Prov. 31. 30. l For with him is wisedome and strength hee hath counsell and understanding it is he that breakes downe and it cannot bee built that shutteth a man up and he cannot be loosed he that sendeth the waters to destroy the earth and he againe that withholdeth the waters and they dry up saith Job 12. 13. c. * Revel. 16. 16. Iosh. 10. 8. m Such as were those of the great Armado of Spaine called Invincible sent in 1588. to conquer England in the time of Queene Elizabeth Or of that other last which was overthrowne by the Hollenders neare Dover in 1639. * Gen. 1. 7. * Verse 10. * 1 Cron. 4. 2. Revel. 17. 15. Ier. 51. 42. * Dan. 7. 3. * Revel. 4. 6. and * 22. 1. * Psal. 2. 6. * Luke 1. 32. * Esay 22. 22. and 9. 6. * Cor. 15. 25. * Luke 22. 29. and Mat. 16. 19. compared with 18. v. 18. * 1 Thes. 5. 12. Heb. 13. 17. 1 Pet. 5. 3. * 1 Cor. 4. 1. and 5. 4. Mat. 28. 18 19 20. * Psal. 110. 4. Heb. 7. 21. n Thus the Pope doth attribute unto himselfe an universall Hierarchicall power over all the Churches and Bishops of the Christian worlâ— which presumptuous title was at length granted unto him by Phocas the Parricide or cruell murtherer of Maurice the Emperour in the veâ—â—e of our Lord 606 who therby became the Popes midwife Eodem â—nno Concilium Romanâ—m celebratâ—â— in quo idem Bonifacius pro mulgat privilegium Phoâ—â— â—â—jus parriciâ—iâ—â— approbaverat de primatu Ecclesie Romanae quem Patriarâ—hae Constantinopolitani hactenâ—s impugnaverant For the punishment whereof God brought from the Southerne part of the world some 15. or 16 yeares after Mahomet with his false Alcoran together with his troopes of Locusts or Saâ—â—asins who did extreamely vexe the woâ—ld causing the first woe Reâ—â—◠〈◊〉 5. 1â— o Thus are the Nationall Dioceses or Seas of Archbishops and Bishops called by the name of the chiefe Cities of those Provinces over which they doe dominere and exercise their powerfull usurped authority as the Diocesse of Caâ—…ry that of Yorke c. o The Iubiles were first instituted by Boniface the eight in the yeare of the Lord 1300. calling himselfe most blasphemously the Portion of Heaven as having the keyes of it in his power of whom it is very well said that Intravit ut â—ulpes regnavit ut Leo mortuus est ut canis For the punishment whereof God brought the Turkes over the Hellespont in Europe under Ottoman their first Emperour in the yeare of Christ 1320. In this very time and in this Pope that Prophecy of Revel. 13. 11. was truely accomplished these two swords being the two hornes there spoken of signifying the power both of the Priesthood of the Kingdom therefore doth he also weare them in his Miter as true signes or markes hereof Then indeede did this Beast come out of the earth for as the Kingdome of Christ is from Heaven and bringeth men thither so the Popes kingdome is of the earth and leadeth to perdition because it is begun and established by ambition covetousnesse beastlines theft treason and tyrannie Luke 22. 38. p This Councell was held in the yeare of Christ 1414. under Pope Martin the 〈◊〉 whose Pantofle the Emperour Sigismond kissed very devoutly kneeling q It was begun in the yeare 1545. was as the very sincke of all herisies and false doctrines * Revel. 9. 17 18. Eccle. 1. 7. Revel. 16. 4. and verse 12. Ier. 51. 6◠〈◊〉 44. 27. r For the third Viall was pâ—â—â—ed presently after the foremâ—ntioned Councells of 〈◊〉 and Tâ—… about which time Aâ—… the Tâ—… wastâ—d â—any kingdomes in Euâ—… and â—pâ—lt â—â—ch Christian blood The like did Mahomet the seccond and Bajazeth his successors sâ—â—â—â—â—ls Turkish Hist. from the yeare of Christ 1420. to 1600. c. The sixt Viall was powred upon Euphrates about the yeare 1632 so forwards the effect whereof viz the drying up of it appeared first in Scotland anno 1639 when the sentence of Excommunication was deceived against the Hierarchie and the ministers thereof t He that was last the head of this Nationall Hierarchy had manifestly corrupted all both doctrine and worship had hee not beene betimes prevented by the Parliament as it appeares both by his conference with the Iesuite also by the late Canons and by his most tyrannicall actions and cruell