that the destroying Angell of Spiritual Egypt might pass over them spare them And they were to be sealed before the seven Trumpets sounded because the ruin of the Church was to happen under these seven Trumpets Thus you have the whole mystery of the 7th Ch. In the beginning of the 8th Ch. after the opening the seventh seal there was silence for about half an hour plainly by way of allusion to what was done in the Temple where while the incense was offering the musick ceased all was in silence The seven Trumpets are given to seven Angels Every thing is made ready for the sounding of these Trumpets The first Angel sounded â— 8 there followed Hail Fire mingled with Blood they were cast on the Earth a third part of the Trees was burn up all green grass was burnt up The seven Trumpets continue to concern the Roman Empire as the seven seals had done The first Trumpet begins where the sixth seal ended The sixth seal brings the Roman Empire to the total fall of Paganism which happen'd under the two Theodosius's Father son The first Trumpet begins under Theodosius the younger signifies the first irruptions of the Barbarians The first Trumpet then must begin at the same time Hail mingled with Fire Blood falls on the Earth 'T is is a lively good representation of the inundations of those barbarous people who in the reign of Theodosius the younger came out of Thrace under the conduct of Alaric ravaged first of all Macedonia Thessaly Greece Achaia Corinth Argos Sparta Epirus Italy it self Afterwards about the same time the Vandals the Alanes the Marcomans the Herules the Sueves the Allemans possessed desolated Gaul Spain Afrique 'T is a Hail mingled with fire blood For these barbarous people fell on like a storm of hail with violence in a sudden manner The carried fire every where bathed the Earth with blood Is 28.2 â—0 3. 32.19 We may see Hail used for the like inundations of strange people in divers places of the Prophets So is the coming of Salmanassar his Assyrians expressed by the Prophet Esay And the third part of the Trees was burnt The third part signifies the Roman Empire It must be observed that this third part appears again in all the Trumpets this third part certainly signifies the Roman Empire The reason of it is evident 'T is because this Empire did possess doth still the third part of the World. Geographers divided the world into three parts Europe Asia Africa The Roman Empire took up one of these three parts viz. Europe So that when the Prophet saith that the several plagues of the Trumpets afflict the third part of the world 't is as much as to say they afflict Europe It will be said that the Roman Empire extended it self also into Asia Africa But 1st there was also in Europe a great extent of Northern countries that was not possessed by the Romans So that what it had in the other parts of the world could only serve as an equivalent for what it had not in Europe So that it always remained true that the Roman Empire did not reach to above a third part of the world 2ly Moreover Europe being the seat of the Roman Empire because Rome Constantinople are both of them seated in this third part of the world it is clear the Roman Empire can't be better represented than by Europe or a third part of the world Lastly 'T was Europe chiefly that was harrassed by the inundations of the barbarous people Therfore by the third part we cannot understand any thing but Europe The third part of the Trees was burnt See here a Grammatical figure that must be well observed for it is much used in the three following Trumpets That is to say the trees of the third part of the world viz. of Europe was burnt Now the Prophet represents this first inundation of the Babarians as having yet afflicted the Trees only of Europe or the Roman Empire because the following plagues made so very much greater havock This first tempest if I may use the expression touch'd the Trees only did not cause such terrible desolations as the following ones did the Barbarians contented themselves with the spoils of the fruits of the Earth mens goods And the second Angel sounded v. 8. as it were a great Mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea the third part of the sea became blood And the third part of the Creatures which were in the sea v. 9. had life died third part of the ships were destroyed And the third Angel sounded v. 10. there fell a great Star from heaven burning as it were a Lamp it fell on the third part of the Rivers upon the fountains of Waters And the name of the Star is called Wormwood v. 11. the third part of the Waters became Worm-wood many men died of the waters because they were made bitter The second third Trumpet signify the effusion of blood the bitter afflictions which the Barbarians caused in the Roman Empire These two plagues of the second the third Trumpet are very like those two of the second third violl in the 16th Ch. of the Revelation For in this later place the two vialls fall as they do here on the sea the rivers They produce the same effect which is that they turn the Waters into blood into liquor of Worm-wood The second third viall is but one plague continued so the second third Trumpet is but one the same plague continued So that these two places of the Revelation may give much light one to the other not that they signfy the same events but very like ones See. Jer. 51.36.44 Ezek. 31 4. Is 19.5 In the one in the other 't is certain the sea the Rivers signify people 'T is the resemblance emblem which all the Prophets use particularly St. John. We shall see the whore sitting on the Waters i.e. on the people For in all languages in the style of the vulgar in that of Orators Prophets to make a sea of blood always signifies to make a great slaughter We shall see that the sea of blood in the 16th Ch. signifies the great Slaughters caused by the Crusados Here the sea of blood signifies the slaughter which the Barbarians make in the whole extent of the Roman Empire This mountain burning like fire this great star like a Lamp at the bottom signify but one the same thing excepting that the Mountain of fire hath the same proportion with the Star like a Lamp as the sea hath with the Rivers The Mountain of fire falls into the sea the star or the great Lamp of fire falls into the Rivers i. e. the great fire falls into the greater Waters the lesser fire
into the lesser waters For here a Mountain of fire is much more than a star of fire tho in truth a star is a thousand a thousand times bigger than a Mountain But the H. Spirit frames his speech according to appearances hath chiefly are spect to those fires that are often seen falling from heaven which are called Falling-stars Joseph Mede with all other Interpreters would find in this Mountain of fire this Starlike a Lamp much more of mystery than is in it pretending that this means some great person distinguisht by his dignity as a king or an Emperour or by his knowledg as a great Doctor Therfore many by this star understand a great Prophet But 't is not so This must be explain'd with relation to the first Trumpet we must know that this is but the sequel of the history of the destruction of the Roman Empire by the Barbarians The first part of this destruction was but Hail mingled with Fire a common storm such as often happens in summer wherin thunder lightning in hot countries are always mingled with the hail But afterwards this inundation of the Barbarians increased in such a manner that it was no longer an ordinary storm There fell not only Fire mingled with Water Hail this Storm becomes wholly pure fire a fall of terrible Lightning a true Mountain of Fire that fell on the Roman Empire over-whelm'd it Afterwards the fire continued to fall on a third part in truth no longer as a Mountain but as a fire-brand such as the stars are that appear to fall in the air See therfore here three fires The First is mingled with Hail The second is meer fire great as a mountain The third is as a great Lamp. The First afflicts the Trees of Europe or of the third part of the World. The second falls into the sea changes it into blood The third falls on the rivers fountains makes their waters bitter This evidently signifies the three first degrees of the Barbarians invasion They come at First like fire mingled with hail which burns the trees like a storm that spoils the fruits of the Earth They pillaged the Goods the Riches of the Empire The mountain of fire that falls into the sea is Alario that made Italy desolate took Rome 2ly They come like a meet fire that consumes devours They fell on the sea By that I understand the people of Italy the taking of Rome by Alaric Italy was in respect to the Roman Empire what the sea is in respect to the rivers The sea is the center the rivers are all round about it The sea is the gulf the rivers come from all parts to pay their tribute to this gulf Rome Italy was the midst of the Empire Rome was the sea whither all the Provinces came to pay their tribute their riches Alaric his Goths falls like a burning mountain on Italy the city of Rome he takes it and sacks it This sea becomes blood Italy was filled with slaughter After this the Barbarians suffer'd themselves to be appeased Alaric after he had taken Rome and made there a new Emperour named Attalus with whom he went to besiege Honorius in Ravenna gave peace to Honorius quitted Italy retired among the Gaulls where with his Goths he establishthimself The Vandals possessed Spain The Burgundians staid on the Rhone The Huns inhabited Pannonia And then the Fountains the Waters i.e. the people that depended on Rome felt the force of this fire of the judgment of God. But this fire did not turn the waters into Blood because then the slaughter ceased the opposition ceasing the Barbarians saw themselves Masters But they turned the Rivers and the Fountains into Wormwood i. e. They reduced the Roman Provinces into a bitter Servitude And by reason of this the name of Wormwood is given this last Fire that is to say this last Judgment and Punishment less than the former but yet so great as to make the people live in Bitterness For the Goths spoiled them of their Lands Goods See the Mystery of the second and third Trumpet I have no need to give notice that the third part of the Sea and the third part of the Rivers signifie the Sea and the Rivers of the third part of the World i. e. of Europe For I have given notice already of that once for all In truth they were the People of Europe that suffered these Desolations V. 12. And the fourth Angel sounded and a third part of the Sun was smitten and the third part of the Moon and the third part of the Stars so as the third part of them was darkened and the Day shone not for a third part of it and the Night likewise The Fall of the Reman Empire 'T is still the same Figure that rules that is to say that the Sun of Europe which is the third part of the World was darkened in like manner the Moon and Stars We must remember that in the Prophecies the Sun Moon and Stars alwayes signifie the Powers of a State. The Heaven of the politick World is the superior Region of Dignities that sheds kind or malignant Influences on the People We shall see this constantly observed in this Book in such manner that in all places where the Sun Moon and Eclypses are spoken of 't is unquestionable that we must understand the darkening and destruction of the sovereign Powers in the State or Empire spoken of Now what Empire is it that is here spoken of 'T is the Empire of Rome For yet once more we must stick to this Principle as one of the principal Keys of the Revelation viz. that it moves wholly on the Roman Empire and that 't is properly nothing but a Comment on what is said of the fourth Beast in the 7th chap. of Daniel The Roman Empire and în part the Invasions of it by the Goths and other Barbarians being here treated of there is no room for doubting but that the Sun of the third part of the World which is smitten signifies the Sovereign of Rome the Roman Emperor the Moon is the Imperial Dignity the Stars are the Grandees of the Empire And 't is the Extinction of the Roman Empire of Italy that happen'd in the year 455. after the Death of Valentinian the 3d when Genseric came from Africa with his Vandals took Rome and sackt it fifteen days one after another after which the Empire was torn among tell Kings according as St. John foretold it in the sequel of this Book CHAP. VII An Explication of the Visions of the fifth sixth Trumpet wherin are seen the Empires of the Saracens Turks THis fall of the Imperial dignity at Rome in the fourth Monarchy is a great affair Therfore the H. Spirit stays upon it makes a pause as a mark of distinction as we have before observed But that which follows also is a great affair
superior Waters which were the family of the Patriarchs were nothing in comparison with the rest of mankind And hereby we have the reason why in that great work of the Creation God would make so much account of so small a matter as the Clouds are in nature even to assign a perticular day for their creation 'T is because they were the Image of the families of the Patriarchs who were very inconsiderable for their number but yet were to make so great a figure in the History of the Church 6. The superior Waters were little or nothing as to their extension but had this advantage above the waters which were beneath that they were near Heaven so the families of the Patriarchs little in number had this advantage to be admitted to secret and special communion with God. He conversed with the Patriarchs as a man with his intimate friend 7. The Clouds are lifted up to so high a place by the rays of the Sun and the attraction of Heaven the families of the Patriarchs were advanc't to that glory of being distinguisht from all others by the mercy of God. 8. The Clouds are the fruitfull springs whence proceed the rain the fruitfullness and blessing of the Earth God would make the Patriarchs the springs of blessing to the Church In thy seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed Therefore the Iews did always in their prayers make mention of the Covenant made with Abraham Isaac and Iacob 9. God put the Firmament or Expansum between the upper and lower Waters 't is that large vacuity of Misery and sin which separates the World from the Church 10. From the Clouds 't is easy to fall into the lower Waters but the Waters which are beneath rise with difficulty to the Clouds The fall is easy from the Church to the world and sin but 't is difficult to pass from the world to the Church In the third day was made a perfect separation of the waters i. e. that work of the separation of the Waters was finisht and this is the reason why God blessed not the work of the second day We must not look for a Mystery in that or imagine that on that account the waters must needs signify sin God blessed not the work which he had not yet finisht We find no Benediction in the second day but to make amends we meet with two in the third for those words and God saw that it was good are repeated twice 't is because in that third day we find two works the compleating the separation of the waters is one and the Creation of Plants another and God said Let the waters that be under the Heavens be gathered together into one place and let the dry Land appear 'T is an image of a perfect separation of People into one place i. e. into the World which is a great and vast abyss full of darkness and impurity into that I say let the Waters run there let the reprobate People gather together 2. And let the dry Land appear the holy People who till now had appeared mixt with the men of the World let them appear seperate from all other People 3. The World is represented by the Sea the Church by the Earth and dry Land so since that time in the stile of the Prophets and of Preachers the Sea hath always been an image of the World. The Ark of Noah which floated on the waters of the Deluge is the Emblem of the Church beaten by the waters of this world Jesus Christ sleeping in the Ship which was tost by a Tempest is the Image of the Church where Christ seems to be asleep while she is beaten and afflicted by the World. 4. The Sea is the habitation of Monsters the world is the residence of the wicked where we may see Monsters of covetousness of Ambition of Impurity and violence The greatest Animals upon Earth are not to be compared with those which live in the waters There are disorders to be found in the Church 't is true but they are nothing in comparison with those which are in the world 5. The face of the Waters is barren and produceth nothing whereas the superficies of the Earth is fruitfull The World doth inwardly nourish Monsters and in its outside produceth no solid good or true vertue 6. The Earth is the Synagogue of the ancient Church she is incompast with waters on all sides the People and Nations of the World. 7. She is continually afflicted by them and if we regard the violence of the waves one would think she should be overwhelmed 8. Nevertheless she stands her ground and remains victorious 9. The waters of the Sea have no setled foundation they are always in motion but the Earth is fixt the People of the world are unstable always changing The Church is a Land that hath its roots in the foundation of the world in God's eternal decrees 10. The Sea makes a frightfull object especially in a Tempest but the Earth presents our eyes with an agreeable diversity of Mountains and Hills of Trees and Flowers of Fruits and Blossoms The world is a deformed spectacle by reason of its disorders and uniformity of its faults But the Church shows us an agreeable diversity of gifts greater and less of vertues of good works of good Fruits for the Plants and Fruits are to the Earth that which vertues and good works are to the Church The Plants have their roots in the bowels of the Earth they appear on the outside of it they serve for ornament and use and need the kind influences of Heaven to make them grow All this agrees well to the vertues and good works of the Church God said Let the Earth bring forth Grass as if the Earth produced Plants by its own vertues 't is because he will have us act as if our vertues proceeded from our selves as if we were the Authors of 'em that he might thence take occasion to reward us for ' em But among the Plants of the Earth which are thus good usefull there are some hurtfull ones some poisons among the good Fruits of the Church there are some wicked works 12. Lastly the nearer any Land is to the Sun the better its Fruits the nearer any Church to God the Sun of Righteousness the better its works CHAP. XXII Explication of the Mysteries of the four last days of the Creation THe fourth day answers to the fourth Period of the Church 1. In this fourth day God created the Sun the Moon and the Stars 'T is easy to take notice therein of Christ the Sun of Righteousness of the Church who derives all her Light from the Sun and the of Teachers of the Christian Church which are as the Stars of the Intelligible World. This alone should open all mens eyes and make it evident that we ought to search after the Church throughout the whole work of Creation for this is the Key of the whole Mystery This fourth Period is from Iesus
encrease of the papal Tyranny 'T is known this papal Tyranny had its degrees since Leo the first that sate in that See in the year 450 to Gregory the Great the Bishops of Rome endeavoured to arrogate to themselves a superiority over the Universal Church but yet however without desiring to be called Oecumenical Bishops After Gregory the first to Gregory the seventh the Popes called themselves Vniversal Bishops but without styling themselves Soveraigns and Masters of Kings and Kingdoms This Gregory was the first that endeavoured to depose Emperors and Kings This is Antichrist perfected Those also that did not know him when he was yet in his first periods did know him when he arrived to this We have many testimonies of the German Bishops of that time who profess that this Gregory the seventh and his successors were Antichrist CHAP. VI. The circumstances of the fall of Antichrist re-establisht in their order An explication of the fifteenth Chapter Principles for the right understanding the sixteenth Chapter Divers interpretations given of it and their visible faults AFter having seen the time in which the fall and last ruin of the Antichristian Empire must happen 't is time to see the circumstances of that fall and I am very well satisfied that therein we shall find what will confirm that which we have affirmed touching the approaching end of Antichristianism I pretend to improve my conjecture to a kind of demonstration by the full agreement there is between my hypotheses and the Prophecies The circumstances of the fall of the Antichristian Empire are to be found in the 11 14 15 16 17 18 and 19th Chapters 'T is certainly that part of the Revelation that hath been least understood I mean as to what respects the circumstances of the ruin of the Antichristian Empire For as for the Characters of that Empire which are also contain'd in those Chapters they have been well enough apprehended But as to the fall of that Empire the time and progress of that fall God would not let men hitherto be so happy in their conjectures I hope that in what I shall now say something shall be met with that shall much more bear upon it the Characters of truth Divers circumstances of the fall of Antichrist which the H. Spirit hath not pleased to put into one vision The H. Spirit 's so often repeating the prophecy of the fall of Babylon and the ruin of its Empire is not only to give us a perfect certainty of the event 't is principally to mark out unto us that fall by divers circumstances But it hath not pleased God to give us all these circumstances in one vision that so the Prophecy might not be too plain For it is not at all the intention of God to inform us clearly of things to come with respect to their circumstances But only as to the substance of the thing The fall of the Antichristian Empire is the substance that which is necessary to support the hopes of the Church Hence it is that there is no obsecurity in the prophecy with respect to this no more then there was in the Prophecies concerning the Messiah with respect to the substance of it and the certainty of his coming but there was much as to the circumstances of that coming Therefore God hath misplaced the circumstances in the visions that they might be obscure because God was willing that the circumstances of the fall of the Kingdom of Antichrist should be obscure he hath for this reason divided them into several visions And for the same reason that is that he might put a venerable veyle upon that which he was not willing that we should know before the time He hath not placed the circumstances exactly according to the order of their coming to pass The vision which marches fore-most contains things which ought not to come to pass till afterward and the visions which follow contain things which ought to come to pass before Therefore that we may place these adorable obscurities in such a Light as is necessary to pierce into them we must bring things into their natural order and explain the visions according to the order of those events which they fore-tell In doing this we will begin with the 16th Chapter of the Revelation which contains the admirable vision of the seven viols which are the seven periods through which the Antichristian Empire ought to pass to come to its fall God does ordinarily prepare for greater visions by lesser The fifteenth Chapter is nothing but a preparation for the vision of the sixteenth Where are the seven last plagues as the twelve first verses of the 14th are nothing but a preparation unto the vision of the harvest and vintage which is very evident from the beginning of the 15th Chapter which is And I saw another sign in Heaven great and marvellous seven Angels having the seven last plagues As a preparation unto the vision of these seven last plagues God does make the Prophet see a sea of glass or of chrystal mingled with fire that is a sea where ice and fire are mingled and them that had gotten the victory over the beast and over his Image that is them that had escaped his corruption and idolatry stand upon the sea of glass or of ice and they sung the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb Great and marvellous are thy works It is clear A lively Image of those who escape the corruption of Popery its persecutions that the Prophet does make an allusion unto the passage through the red Sea and unto the Children of Israel who being got upon the shore of that Sea sung the song which Moses composed for them The Sea of glass mingled with fire answers to the red sea they who had gotten the victory over the Beast answer to the Israelites who had overcome the Egyptians Egypt out of which the Israelites marcht answers to this Antichristian Empire out of which the Elect do escape Therefore as the red sea and its waves were the danger out of which the Israelites coming out of Egypt were deliver'd so this sea of glass mingled with fire represents the evils which the Faithful who leave Babylon do escape These evils are called a sea on the account of their greatness and bitterness my breach is great like the sea said Jeremy they are called a sea of glass or a sea of ice because of their hardness 'T is more easy to escape out of a sea of water because the liquidity of waters does make it possible to swim through them but if a sea was glass or ice it would be impossible to get out of it There is also fire mingled with glass to represent the burning and extream dolours of those evils Fire and Ice are two extreams in evil yet they are joyn'd in the description of the calamities of the Church though they seem inconsistent if it be a sea of ice there cannot be fire there and if
a very bad smell which hath reacht even to us it formed a most frightfull object upon which the adorers of the Pope and of the so called holy seat cannot even now adays reflect without horror and indignation This plague fell upon the Earth i. e. upon the globe or whole mass of the Antichristian world For the members and the head the whole and the parts were cover'd over with this dismal corruption This corruption was and is 20 this day a terrible blow to Popery And further it cannot be express'd how great a plague how sore a blow this See received from hence For this gave occasion to the Emperors to meddle with the affairs of Rome and its Bishops The Successors of Charlemaine having let go this fair patrimony kept themselves in Germany during which time the Popes got strength and made themselves Masters But the excesses of the Court of Rome obliged the Otho's Emperors of Germany to march into Italy there they corrected and deposed some Popes and chose others to their mind They revived the ancient right which the Emperors had of confirming Popes after their election which was a very sore mortification of which they did not recover untill Gregory the VII And besides this corruption rendred the See of Rome contemptible to all nations In some Countries men took liberty to write very bitter invectives against it some of which are come to our hands This is a wound that bleeds even at this day and affords us a very strong argument against the pretentions of infallibility and supremacy challeng'd by the Church of Rome For we will never cease to object and very rationally that God is too good and too wise to suffer the Seat of his Vicar and of an infallible Vicar to be infected with so dismal a corruption These considerations let us see that none ought to object against us that we make one of the plagues of the Antichristian Empire to be that corruption which is one of its Characters The same thing we shall see in the fourth plague where we will make it appear that the tyranny of the Antichristian Kingdom which is one of its Characters is notwithstanding become one of its plagues When these Characters are risen to an immoderate height they become sensible they discover Antichristianism and by discovering it they destroy it for its safety consists in being a mystery it is a mystery of iniquity This is the first plague and the first period of Antichrists declining this period lasted above a 150 years for this corruption continued for a good space of the eleventh Age. The second and third plagues are thus set down v. 3. And the second Angel pour'd out his viol upon the sea and it become as the blood of a dead man and every living soul dyed in the sea v. 4. And the third Angel pour'd out his viol upon the rivers and fountains of waters and they became blood Waters signify people the sea of blood the Croisades Observe that the sea and waters in Prophetick visions signify people or nations this is so well known that it needs not to be proved And supposing that this Emblem is not common in other Prophets it is most evidently so in St. John. Come saith the Angel to him Chap. 17. v. 15. I will shew thee the judgement of the great whore which sits upon many waters The waters which thou sawest where the whore sits are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages The first viol was pour'd out upon the earth i. e. upon the whole Globe for earth contains both dry and moist The corruption of manners was spread over the head and the members over the papal Seat and all its subjects But this second viol is pour'd only upon the waters the sea and the rivers i.e. upon the people of the Antichristian Empire or upon the different Nations Tribes and Languages as the Spirit does express it it falls not upon the Head and the Seat on the contrary it is the Seat of the Beast which contributes to this Plague The waters of the sea were turn'd into blood and every living soul dyed What more native and lively representation could have been made of the Rage of the Croisades In all languages and in all sorts of style a sea of blood rivers of blood streams of blood signify a very great slaughter Now the proper Character of the Croisades is slaughter murther which falls not upon the head of the Antichristian Empire but upon the people all was there turn'd into blood Never was there such a prodigious effusion of blood in the sea i. e. among the peoples In the first Croisade there dyed more then two millions of men in three or four year 'T is evident that God did lead these wretched creatures as it were to the shambles that they should find the punishment of their crimes the took away so great a quantity of blood that he might cure the Ulcers of Christendom For that he might purge it of that vast rabble he permitted the Devil to inspire them either with such a sottish superstition or an extravagant ambition that they must go and deliver the holy Land or go and conquer Kingdoms in the East This plague lighted only on the sea not at all on the dry land upon the subjects of the Popedom not at all upon the Popes On the contrary the Popes improved that evasion to greaten their power to plunder whole Countries to make Generals of Armies to act as soveraign Monarchs and to lay a heavier yoke upon Kings whom they order'd to march and sent them as their slaves into the East and during their absence plundred their Kingdoms We must not imagine that all the plagues laid down by St. John must tend to the ruin of the See of Rome or to the diminution of its power for some are to light upon the head of that Empire to crush it others upon the people to punish them because they worship the Beast the plague of blood and slaughter is for the people This plague of the Croisades is divided into two plagues because of its long duration for it lasted 200 years from the end of the eleventh Age untill the end of the thirteenth The third viol which makes the third plague fell only upon rivers i. e. upon lesser waters because after a hundred years the fury abated there was no more marching of the whole West unto the East only that of some particular nations as of the Freneh among others under the conduct of St. Lewis and consequently the effusion of blood was much less there were only rivers of blood whereas the former Croisades had made a sea I shall add this explication which I have given does exactly agree with the Genius and Emblems of the Prophets The Prophet Ezec. 32.6 says to Egypt I will water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest even to the mountains There must be no less then a sea of blood to overflow a Countrey
the Schisme did shake off they yoke the City of Bolonia made a Law that the Benefices of that Church should be conferred upon none but of that City and Territory To conclude it cannot be expressed by how many ways that grand Schisme which divided the Sun of the Antichristian World did spoil it of its strength and lustre After this time the Authority which the Popes had so mischievously used to ruin the Kings and Kingdoms of Europe did scarce do any more mischief 'T is evident that then the Kingdom of the Beast was darkned because by this Eclipse it lost half of its beams i.e. of its Authority They grawed their tongues for pain History must be consulted to know how many calamities wars combats how much shedding of blood rage and fury did spring from this shameful Schisme Every one of these Popes gnasht his teeth and bit his tongue against the Antipope There were nothing but thunderbolts excommunications Croisades wars and combats of one against another Nay still to this day the slaves of the papal Seat are vext to the death when we prefs them with this thing But under all their sorrows they blasphemed the God of Heaven and repented not of their deeds In those Ages Idolatry was so far from loosing any thing that it encreased then was the reign of Monks of superstition of Fables of Legends and a thousand abominations In that age Simony was come to its height While the Court of Rome sate at Avignon is invented a thousand wayes of selling holy and prophane things Crimes Paradise Sacraments Minisâ—ry Marriages and in a word everything Then came abroad that famous book the Tax of the Roman Chancery and Penitentiary which at that time and yet every day forces to make the Kingdom of the Beast full of darkness This period lasted from 1305 untill 1440. CHAP. IX The sixth Plague are the Turks who pass aver the Bosphorus and invade the Greek and Latin Empires The three unclean spirits which come out from the mouth of the false Prophet are the papal Laws armed with Excommunications I Have carried on my conjectures untill I came hither and did somewhat content my self in what I had said about the five first Plagues The certainly of what hath been said ought to be encreased by that which follows but I confess that the remainder of this Chapter was thick darkness to me And understanding nothing of it I put it among those things that are to come according to the usual custome of them who Interpret Prophecies who say of every thing which they understand not that it is not yet come to pass And this made me ready to think that my perswasion as to the five first plagues was but a meer opinion For in the framing of systems whether they be of Principles and conclusions or of Events contain'd in Prophecies we must pierce through them all that we may see them clearly and be assured of their truth Whilest I thought that the remainder of the Chapter concerned the time to come I was content to understand nothing of it but I was afflicted with the fear that the end of Antichristianism was not at hand But at last after I had knockt twice thrice four five yea six times with devout attention and deep humility I believe that the door is open'd to me I dare speak thus though I know that some have said that this savours of Enthusiasme to whom I answer that there is one Article at least more in my Creed then there is in theirs viz. I believe in the Holy Ghost and his operations I am in this matter a Disciple of the Author of the enquiry after Truth and am perswaded that we see no truths but in God and by the assistance of God we contribute nothing besides our attention our prayers and our desires However I think that I have found out the two plagues that follow in this Chapter and by this means that which was only a conjecture of mine concerning the five fore-going is risen to a real perswasion I am therefore perswaded that through the Divine assistance I have pierced into the Systeme of the seven periods a favour for which I will render to him immortal thanks as long as I live For I confess that I cannot express the ravishing consolation that my heart hath felt in seeing such evident reasons to perswade me of the approaching deliverance of the Church If these two plagues had been yet to come I felt my heart began to fà int at the prospect of the dismal calamities which now oppress the Church without reckoning those which do still threaten her Hope deferred maketh the heart sick saith the Wise man. Sixth plague v. 12. And the sixth Angel pour'd out his viol upon the great river Euphrates and the water there of was dryed up that the way of the Kings of the East might be prepared The Kings of the East and the river Euphrates do give light to this Text. As for the Kings of the East we cannot doubt but that they are the Turks for they are the only Kings of our East They possess exactly that part of the Roman Empire which is called the East and hath kept the name of Natolia in the Text they might have been translated the Kings of Anatolia for that is the word which is used Now all know that the Turks are the Kings of Natolia As for Euphrates we find it in the sixth Trumpet as it is here in the sixth plague v. 13. And the sixth Angel sounded and I heard a voyce from the four horns of the golden Altar Revel ch 9. which is before God. v. 14. Saying to the sixth Angel which had the Trumpet loose the four Angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates v. 15. And the four Angels were loosed which were prepared for an hour and a day and a moneth and a year for to slay the third pare of men v. 16. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand and I heard the number of them v. 17. And thus I saw the horses in the vision and them that sate on them having brest-plates of fire and of jacinct and brimstone and the heads of the horses were as the heads of Lions and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone The most skillful Interpreters have in this Metaphorical description discerned the Turkish Cavalry which was formerly so formidable The Turks and their invasions are foretold in the 9th chapt of the Revelation and after the reading of what Joseph Mede hath wrote upon this I think it cannot be doubted that the thing is so This barbarous Nation which came out of Tartary had carried on its conquests even to Euphrates nigh to which if formed four Dynasties or Governments and there it abode a long time these are the four Angels who were bound behind Euphrates This River for some time served as a boundary or barriere of the Empire of
Monks nay I found this explication very serviceable I ranked the Monks into three Classis begging not begging and mixt as the Jesuites are who have according to their Statutes no Estates or possessions and yet do not begg as the Custome is 'T is certain that these are unclean spirits for all the corruption of the Christian Religion is come from them they go out to the Kings of the earth to unite them against the true Religion but however exact this notion seems to be I could never find in it the setled rest of a mind which believes that it hath found the truth At last I found that rest and three things by the assistance of God gave me light about this matter the word mouth that of spirit and spirit of the mouth and that of Armageddon these three words have fully perswaded me that these unclean spirits signify papal Laws and the Oracles of the Seat of the Beast armed with excommunications and Curses The three unclean spâ—rits are the Oracles of the Pope as the seven spirits of God are the Divine Oracles First that the term mouth is taken for speech examples are so many that 't is scarce necessary to cite any Put away from thee a froward mouth that is Put away from thee perverse speech A wicked man walketh with a froward mouth The mouth of the just is a fountain of life i. e. the speech of the just The Messiah speaking by the Prophet Isaïah chap. 49.2 he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword i. e. my speech or word this is a figure which is usual in all languages Secondly the term spirit signifies so often word or Oracle that the places cannot be numbred The 7 Spirits are the 7 Oracles Revel 1.4 Chap. 3.1 Chap. 4.5 Chap. 5.6 In the beginning of this book mention is made of seven spirits and from the seven spirits which are before his Throne these things saith he that hath the seven spirits and the seven stars And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne which are the seven Spirits of God and Christ himself is represented as having seven eyes which are the seven Spirits of God seni out into all the earth 'T is certain that these seven spirits are the same thing with the seven thunders of the 10th Chapter i. e. the seven words or Oracles which sound like thunders Now 't is clear that by these seven spirits we ought to understand the Divine Oracles which were inspired into the Prophets and Apostles by the Holy Spirit First because these are joyn'd with the seven stars Ch. 1 2â— he that hath the seven spirits and the seven stars for the seven stars are the Angels of the seven Churches i. e. the seven Pastors and this signifies the seven Oracles which proceed from the seven stars Secondly these seven spirits are called lamps he had seven lamps which are the seven spirits and this is the proper title of the word of God Thy word is a lamp unto my feet Ps 119. And 't is the proper office of the word and Oracles of God to serve as a lamp to enlighten souls and the world Lastly 't is said that these seven spirits of God are sent into all the world This can signify nothing but the sacred Oracles which are sent and preacht by the Apostles through the whole earth 'T is in this sense that our Saint John takes the word spirit in the fifth Chapt. of this first Epistle There are three that bear record on earth the spirit the water and blood By water and blood I cannot doubt but that the two Sacraments of the Church are understood Baptism is the water the Eucharist is the blood and the third or rather the first and principal of these witnesses is the spirit i. e. the word Lastly this is the name which Saint Paul often gives to the Gospel 2 Cor. 3.6 the Letter kills but the Spirit quickens we are Ministers not of the Letter but of the Spirit 'T is certain that the Letter signifies the word of Moses and the Spirit the word of Jesus Christ The three spirits of Antichrist are opposed to the seven spirits of J. Christ I cannot therefore doubt but that the Holy Ghost by these three unclean spirits of the Beast and the false Prophet intends the false and impure Oracles of popery opposed unto the seven Spirits of God who are before his Throne and go forth from him The opposition is so sensible that it cannot but be discerned the Spirits of God are sent out into all the Earth the spirits of the beast likewise go unto the Kings of the Earth The Spirits of God are lamps which being set on some high place do give light but these are like the froggs creatures of the night and of darkness that croak in the night and love the bottoms of waters As therefore the Spirits of God are undoubtedly his Oracles there is no cause to doubt that those unclean spirits of the beast and false Prophet are the false Oracles of Antichrist The spirit coming out of the mouth always signifies word In the third place Spirits coming out of the mouth so clearly denote words that it cannot be enough admired that none hath seen this First every thing which comes out of the mouth in a figurative style See also Ch. 1.16 2.15 Isa 11.4 signifies words 'T is said in the 19. Chapt. v. 15 that out of his mouth came a two-edged sword All know that this signifies the word of God that comes out of the mouth of Jesus Christ Isaiah saith that the Messiah shall smite the Earth with the rod of his mouth and slay the wicked with the breath of his lips a notable passage for explaining plaining that upon which we now are spirit or breath is there taken in the sense that we lay down the spirit of his lips is the speech of his lips And the rod that comes out of the mouth of the Messiah is also evidently his word or speech This is usual in all languages 't was said that lightnings came out of the mouth of Pericles we say every day there come flames arrows c. out of the mouth of such or such every one understands that this signifies words but above all the spirit of the mouth is never taken in any other sense Saint Paul saith that Jesus Christ will come and destroy that wicked one by the spirit of his mouth we have even now heard Isaiah call the word of the Messiah 2 Thes 2.8 the breath or spirit of his lips Ps 33.6 The Prophet David saith that the Heavens were made by the word of the Lord and all their host by the breath or spirit of his mouth There is none who is not perswaded that the word that formed the heavens and the breath or spirit of the mouth of God are the same thing Besides the figure is so natural and comely that we necessarily fall upon
which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt where also our Lord was crucified V. 9. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three dayes and a half and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put into graves V. 10. And they that dwell upon the Earth shall rejoyce over them and make merry and send gifts one to another because these two Prophets tormented them that dwelt upon the Earth V. 11. And after three days and an half the spirit of life from God entred into them and they stood upon their feet and great fear fell upon them which saw them V. 12. And they heard a great voyce from heaven saying unto them Come up hither and they ascended up to heaven in a cloud and their enemies beheld them V. 13. And the same hour was there a great earthquake and the tenth part of the City fell and in the earth-quake were slain of men seven thousand and the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to God. The Witnesses who prophecy cloathed in sackcloth are the faithful who preach under the Cross As to what concerns these two witnesses i.e. what is signified by them I have not changed my opinion since I wrote the book intitled Lawfull prejudices against popery Though as to all the rest the studious attention which I have used in reading these Prophecies hath given me quite different apprehensions I do therefore still believe that these two Witnesses who must prophesy 1260 days cloathed in sackcloth are the small number of the faithfull who during the reign of Antichristianism must keep themselves from its corruption and condemn its idolatries and tyranny God calls them witnesses because these are they who bore witness to the Truth which but for them would have been forgotten They prophesy cloathed in sackcloth i. e. they preach under the Cross For we must well observe that these two Phrases one used in our language the other in that of the Holy Ghost to prophesy cloathed in sackcloth and to preach under the Cross are absolutely of the same signification He makes them onely two in number to express that those faithfull who shall preserve themselves from the corruption of Idolatry shall be but a very small number And indeed experience hath too much verified this prediction Nevertheless he makes them two in number to signify that however small the number of true Christians is it shall notwithstanding be great enough to support the Truth and keep it from falling for in the mouth of two witnesses every word shall be establisht How these witnesses have power to change water into blood and shut up heaven v. 6. God ascribes to these two witnesses power to shut Heaven that it rain not in the dayes of their prophesy and power over waters to turn them into blood and to smite the Earth with all plagues as often as they will. Joseph Mede gives a very ingenious reason of this which I believe is very solid viz. That the Holy Ghost borrows his Emblems from the histories of the Old Testament and alludes unto several Pairs of eminent witnesses which God raised up at several times as Aaron and Moses at the coming out of Egypt Joshua and Caleb at the conquering of the promised Land Elijah and Elisha at the time of the grand Schism of the ten tribes Zerubbabel and Jehoshua at the return from the captivity Among these witnesses Elijah and Elisha had power to shut Heaven to hinder rain for three years and to make fire come down from Heaven Moses and Aaron turn'd the waters of Egypt into blood Joshua and Caleb brought the people of Israel into the Land of Canaan and smote the ancient Inhabitants with a sore plague To this the Holy Ghost alludes But we must further add that God ascribes to these witnesses 1. The shutting of Heaven that rain no in the days of their prophecy to signify that during the 1260 years of their Prophecy and of the reign of Antichrist there should be a great drought of grace and a barreness of virtues and gifts in the Church 2. The turning of waters into blood and the smiting of the Earth with all plagues Because all the heavy judgements of God that during the course of these 1260 years came upon the Antichristian Church were sent on the account of these two witnesses and to punish oppression under which it held both the Truth and those who were willing to profess it Here is fore-told a last persecution that must happen before the end of Antichrists reign The seven verses which we even now have read concerning the persecution which these two witnesses must suffer and the consequent of that persecution contain a grand event which must come to pass before the last fall of the Antichristian Kingdom And 't is one of the principal circumstances of this fall First we must observe the circumstance of time and when they shall have finish their testimony Mark this testimony must last a thousand two hundred and sixty days My two witnesses shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days cloathed in sackcloth Now these thousand two hundred sixty days of the prophesying of the witnesses are the forty two moneths of the Antichristian reign for forty two moneths make exactly 1260 days All the World is agreed that these are the three years and a half of the reign of Antichrist and that Antichrist and these two witnesses are absolutely and exactly contempories 'T is therefore the very same as if the Holy Ghost had said And when the Beast or the man of sin shall have finisht his reign of 1260 years it shall make war against the two witnesses This is therefore a persecution of Antichrist against the faithfull and a persecution that must happen before the end of Antichrists reign These words when they shall have finisht must not be understood as if the Holy Ghost would say when the 1260 years shall be finisht For after the 1260 years are finisht there can be no persecution seeing the Beast shall have lost his power So that this persecution must begin and end within the 1260 years but yet at the end of them 't is the ordinary custome not only of Scripture but of all men to say that something comes to pass when this or that is finisht because it happens when that things is finishing and very near its end This is therefore the last persecution of Antichrist against the Church This persecution hath its Characters 1. It must continue a long time Characters of the last persecution for 't is compared to a war The Beast that comes up out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them 2. This war or persecution must end in a victory over the two witnesses and shall overcome them and kill them Mark that God does not reckon the death and martyrdom which the faithfull suffer for the Truth as a victory that the Devil gains over them on the
that hath mercy on them shall lead them even by the springs of water shall he guide them I will make all my Mountains a way c. 55.12 13. and my high ways shall be exalted ye shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace The Mountains and the Hills shall break forth before you into singing and all the Trees of the Field shall clap their hands Instead of the Thorn shall come up the Firr-tree and instead of the Bryer shall come up the Myrtle-tree and it shall be to the Lord for a Name and for an everlasting Sign that shall not be cut off The Sun shall be no more thy Light by day neither for brightness shall the Moon give Light unto thee Is 60.19 but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting Light and thy God thy Glory The Sun shall no more go down neither shall thy Moon withdraw it self for the Lord shall be thine everlasting Light and the days of thy mourning shall be ended Is 54.9.10 This shall be as the waters of Noah unto me for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more go over the Earth so have I sworn that I would not be wrath with thee nor rebuke thee for the Mountains shall depart and the Hills be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee What is meant by all these prophecies All these and the like Expressions which we read in the Prophets do import 1. A profound Peace which shall never be interrupted by war. 2. Plenty and Abundance of all sorts of Goods 3. An Exemption from all Evils 4. Such a Prosperity where are Riches and Plenty and Joy. 5. A Felicity that is not to be interrupted by the return of Calamities This must be fixt that all these Prophecies respect the State of the Church under the Messiah for as to those who endeavour to turn them to another sense and apply them to the Temporal blessings of the Iews I cannot consider them as Christians but reckon them enemies to Christianity These promises have not been accomplisht We must therefore search for the accomplishment of these Prophecies in the History of the Church that no such thing can be found there the Antimillenaries themselves confess For they constantly tell us that these thousand years of Rest are altogether inconsistent with the orders of Divine Providence and the condition of the Church which is appointed to be always calamitous and afflicted upon Earth that Sorrow and Suffering Persecution and the Cross do inseparably belong to it that we must judge of what is to come by the History of what is past 'T is true in the three first Ages the Church was under the Cross of the Pagans in the fourth under that of the Arrians in the fifth she began to sink into superstition and hath remain'd overwhelm'd with it during the whole reign of Antichrist Where then shall we place those happy days the Prophets promise 'T is trifling to apply those promises of Peace and Tranquillity to certain little intervals of Quiet which from time to time the Church hath had in some places for it would be a very ill use of Rhetorick and a strange force put upon figures to represent so imperfect a calm by such terms as give us an Idea of the greatest and most perfect Prosperity imaginable Moreover the Prophets speaking of an endless Peace to which no affliction shall succeed it must be such a one as is like the waters of Noah which shall never return to cover the Earth it must be a peace so firm that though the Mountains be overthrown shall never be changed These Prophecies not accomplisht by the spiritual graces which the Church hath received We may not say that all this hath respect only to spiritual Graces the stability of God's Covenant and the Joy of the Faithfull I will not deny but the Holy Spirit may have some reference thereto but it is false that those spiritual favours in that weak degree wherein we see them at this day can comprehend the full signification of such great Expressions which clearly import a peace in reference to Earth as well as Heaven Add to this that though these Promises should not be applied but to Spiritual Blessings there must yet be a new Kingdom and a new Age for the fulfilling of them for we have never yet seen any wherein Spiritual Peace and invisible Graces have been so abundantly poured out to satisfy in any measure the greatness of such Expressions CHAP. XIX The fourth Head of Arguments for the reign of a thousand years are the Types Four Types of this Period the Principal is the seventh day of the Creation which is not an immediate Type of Eternal Rest but of the Peace of the Church on Earth I Come now to the fourth Head of Arguments viz. the Types They as well as the Prophecies are Pictures and representations of future Events They are not vain speculations of Divines and the Great wits that look upon them to be so approach very near to Impiety 'T is very certain that God hath been pleased to shadow forth his Mysteries in certain dispensations of his Providence Saint Paul teacheth us that Hagar the servant of Sarah Sinai a Mountain in Arabia were Types of the legal Institution As Sarah and Sion were also Types of the Covenant of Grace That Melchisedeck was a Type of our Lord Jesus Christ and in general that the Law had shadows of which the substance is to be found in Christ The Types therefore are no false or deceitfull Light whereby to judge in case they be rightly used Now I pretend that all the Types make for the Reign of Christ before the end of the World. We may find a great number of them The Captivity of Israel in Egypt was certainly a Type of that bondage under which the Church should groan The deliverance of Israel out of Egypt figured that of the Church from under the bondage of Antichrist during the Reign of Antichrist The Antichristian Empire is therefore called Egypt Now after the Israelites were come out of Egypt they entred into Canaan the Land flowing with Milk and Honey which did certainly prefigure the happy State of the Church after all her enemies should be subdued 'T is supposed that the Land of Canaan was the Image of that great and Eternall Dwelling to which the faithfull should be transported after the last judgement I deny it not But you must know 1. Type the Rest in the Land of Canaan that in the Old Testament the descriptions of the future Blessedness of the Church by Emblems Types Figures and metaphorical resemblances have not their immediate relation to Eternal Blessedness St. Paul hath told us that eye hath not seen it nor ear heard it nor can it enter into the heart of man to conceive and consequently
tear out the very heart of the sacred Scriptures in the Mysteries and Divine depths therein and leave it nothing but a bare superficies Let us give but two Examples of this Maxim of the Cabalists that God hath imprinted a seal of himself and of his Mysteries which reacheth to all matters The first is that of the Trinity of Persons in a unity of essence whereof we have a lively image in the World of Spirits by the essence intelligence and will which is found in every Spirit whether separate or united with matter and another lively image of it in the three dimensions of matter longitude latitude and profundity which are three distinct dimensions and yet make but one only and most simple extension The other instance is in the mystery of the Incarnation and the personal union of the Divine uncreated nature with the humane a mystery whereof we see a lively image in the Incarnation of those souls which God unites with matter These things deserve very well to be thought of Besides that the Holy Ghost hath sufficiently declared himself concerning these Mysteries He hath shown us one part that we may imagine the rest He saith that the light of the first day is the image of that Action whereby God causeth the light to shine in the darkness of our ignorance The Scripture calls our Lord the Sun of Righteousness by allusion to the Sun in the Heavens a second Adam with reference to the Creation of the first Adam the marriage of Adam and Eve an image of Christ and his Church Heaven is called Paradise by allusion to the Earthly Paradise In a word there are an hundred things in the work of Creation whereof no natural reason can be given there must be some therefore which are mysterious Why for instance did God create a Chaos before he put in order the several parts of the world why he rank't them all in six days time no more or less why he created not the Sun but on the fourth day why the Plants were created before the Sun and why the Fishes and Brids before the Beasts of the field 2. Principle the sensible World an image of the intelligible II. Our second Principle is this that the sensible World is the image of the Intelligible and this Intelligible World is not a World of Platonic Idea's 'T is in the Church where every thing is to be met with by analogy that is found in the sensible World. There is an Heaven there is an intelligible Sun which is God there are Spirits which are the intelligible Stars there is an Earth Plants Fruits and also wild Beasts enemies of this World. The Scripture leads us by the hand in these paths by the continual use of figures borrowed from the sensible World to signify those parts of the intelligible one From this principle we may conclude that the creation of the sensible World is the image and Type of the Creation of the intelligible World. And consequently that the Creation of the World is the Image of the different degrees by which God hath made his Church to pass through to bring it to perfection 3. Principle God divided the times into several periods III. Our third Principle is this that in every System composed of Events there are several Periods to be considered This is the Spirit of the Prophets God divided the times into seven Trumpets seven Seals and seven Viols Upon this Principle it cannot be doubted but the seven days of the Creation are as many Periods of this Intelligible World through which they are to pass to arrive a perfection 4. Principle the same images ought every where to signify the same mysteries IV. My fourth Principle is this that the H. Ghost ought constantly to fix the same Mysteries to the same Images in all the parts of the Creation For Example the Waters should every where be the same thing and signify the same Mystery which is a Principle that was not at all heeded by Placaeus In one place he makes the Waters to be Sin in another to be the Passions well ordered and gathered together in Christ In a third place 't is meant of the Heart sanctified and serving God 't is a fault that is most obvious and which alone is sufficient to prove that he had no System that they were only loose thoughts which shined separately but did not mutually illustrate each other The fifth Principle the mystery must not destroy the Letter V. I will add a fifth Principle that in this Mystery we should not as some do destroy the History There is nothing more dangerous if a man gives himself the liberty to deny matters of fact and to turn all into pure allegory there then remains nothing certain in the Scripture Libertins may then doubt of the whole and we shall no longer be able to distingnish those places where the relation must be taken according to the Letter from those where the Letter shall be false and where there is nothing but mystery We must suppose the Type to be in the matters of fact if the Events prove false the Type is null These Principles being laid down I thus form my System The Creation of the sensible World being an Image of the Creation of the intelligible World we must divide the time in which God hath formed the Church into seven Periods but those seven Periods are not precisely distinguisht each of them to contain a thousand years as hath been formerly supposed from those words of St. Peter a thousand years with the Lord are as one day There is some difficulty in the division of those Periods and after having well condered it I divide them thus 1. The first Period is from Adam to Abraham which is almost two thousand years 2. The second is from Abraham to Moses which is between four and five hundred years 3. The third Period is from Moses to Iesus Christ which it between fourteen and fifteen hundred years 4. The fourth is from Iesus Christ to the rise of Antichrist that is between four and five hundred years 5. The fifth is from the rise of Antichrist to his Completion that is between five and six hundred years 6. The sixth is from Antichrist compleat to his Destruction which is between seven and eight hundred years 7. The seventh and last is from the Ruin of Antichrist to the end of the World this will be about a thousand years The great inequality that there is between these several Periods as to their duration ought not to make any difficulty We must not reckon things according to the time but compute the time according to the things The time wherein nothing is done is reckon'd for nothing The Periods of the Church must be computed by the great changes which have therein happened Now 't is exactly in these six points that the Church hath changed its face From Adam untill Abraham there was no change in the face of the Church by
the first day God said Let there be Light and there was Light. The first day answers to the first Period of the Church which lasted from Adam untill Abraham 1. By what did the first day begin by Light. Jesus Christ the Messiah is the Light which inlightens every man that comes into the World 'T is from him that the Creation of the intelligible World takes its beginning from the first moment that Light hath shined in that famous Oracle The seed of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head The first day hath two parts It was Evening and it was Morning the Light of the Evening was the first but the dimmer of the two the Light of the Morning was the second but the clearest The knowledge of Christ began by that Oracle The seed of the woman c. The Period ended in Abraham by the same Light viz. the knowledge of the same Messiah but proposed less obscurely in that prophecy And in thy seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blest This was the Morning for the Light began to increase 2. By whom was this Light produced By the Word of God His Eternal Word He said i. e. by this Eternal Word by his infinite Wisdom by the fruit of this understanding that God manifested to Adam and Abraham this Light to conduct and guide them 3. This Light preceded the Creation of the Sun. This knowledge of a Redeemer was given to the first World before the Messiah its Sun was produc't before the Word was incarnate 4. The Light which appeared on the first day is originally the same with that which was put into the Sun The seed of the woman revealed to Adam is the same with the word made flesh many ages after 5. The Light of the first day was doubtless obscure its seat in the illuminated Waters was not yet well prepared the Earthly parts were not separated and the Light could not have a very free passage through that thick matter In the first Period of the Church knowledge was but dim People were not yet well disposed to receive it it had not yet entred into them 6. After all to what purpose was the Light of the first day to enlighten a Chaos The Church before Abraham was without form and an unformed Mass To what end also was the Knowledge of the first Period from Adam untill Abraham to inlighten a Chaos and that Chaos was not only in the World but in the Church it self for then the Church had no form she had no Pastors no Priests no Flocks no Assemblies no Solemn days appointed no Sacraments no Holy Scripture no Discipline no Censures Every head of a family was both Prophet and Priest of his own house Here was an Idolatrous family there just by was another family where God was worshipt It was a true Chaos so the Iews say well that the Church was two thousand years be thohou in the Chaos and two thousand years under the Law. The Patriarchs made their Feasts as they thought fit on what day they pleased and invited whom they pleased 7. God made the distinction between the Night and the Day He separated the Light from the Darkness for he is the Author of that distinction that is between the World and the Church between the good and bad yet 't is not said that he made the night because God is not the Author of Evil. 8. He made this distinction from the first day because from the beginning of the World and in all ages there is a separation between those who are of God and those who are of the Devil 9. He made that separation of that Light and Darkness of the Night and the Day but he blessed it not he saith not and He saw that it was good In like manner God doth not bless and approve the separation of the World from the Church tho he hath made that distinction because it carries with it in respect of the World curses crimes and miseries 10. He began with the Evening which belongs to the Night and is apart of it because he draws light out of darkness begins the composition of the Church by some degrees of imperfection The Mysteries of the second days the first division of the People In the second day God made the Firmament or Expansum that it might separate the waters from the waters Here begins the second Period of the Church which lasted from Abraham untill Moses let it be remembered that Waters alway signify People 't is necessary it should be so that the Spirit of God may be uniform and like unto it self If the Waters are People the work of separating the Waters must signify the division of the People 1. In the first day the Waters were mixt and confounded both among themselves and with the Earth so in the first Period from Adam untill Abraham the People were confused and mixt one with another God had not yet made choice of any certain peculiar People Among all Nations there were some Holy and some who were Enemies of God were to be found every where 2. But in the second day God began the work of the separation of the Waters i. e. that in the second Period should begin the distinction of the People He took Abraham drew him out of his own Country set him apart and gave him the seal of his Covenant 3. But this work of the division of the waters was effected in two days this work of the division of the People is also accomplisht in two Periods from Abraham unto Moses from Moses unto Christ 4. The separation of the Waters made on the second day was but imperfect God only separated the Waters which were above i. e. the Clouds from the Waters which were beneath i. e. the Seas The distinction of People in the second Period from Abraham unto Moses was but imperfect for we must not imagine but that God did preserve some Elect from Abraham unto Moses besides those in the family of the Patriarchs to think he did not is injurious to the mercy and wisdom of God. There were then at that time some of the faithfull scattered in all places But as the family of Iacob became a great People so by little and little the Spirit of God withdrew from other Nations From the time of Moses there was yet some little remainder of that Spirit among other Nations as is evident by Balaam who was 't is true a very wicked man but yet was not a false Prophet But when the race of Abraham became a great People and had a Country apart to themselves then the Spirit of God withdrew altogether from the other Nations and then was made a perfect division of the People 5. In the separation of the Waters that was made on the second day the Waters which were above i. e. the Clouds were nothing in comparison with those beneath i. e. the Seas So in the second Period wherein was a division of the People the
and his followers The other sort of Creatures are Fishes Creatures that make their abode in the waters that swim and descend into the Deep Creatures among whom there are some of a monstrous bigness Creatures that live upon filth and mud and are the lively image of the second sort of People to be seen in the fifth Period which is that of Antichrist rising and growing to perfection We there see the great Leviathan of the Abyss Antichrist himself the Monster of the great waters who devours all the other Fish and subjects them to his Government There we see all the followers of Antichrist Fishes of the second order All these Creatures i. e. all these men 1. Have their abode in the waters which denotes a Collection of much People they have the multitude on their side they reckon it their honour they glory in it 2. They descend into dark Abysses for whereas the Doctors of the fourth and fifth Century would be too knowing those of the following ages fell into a most stupid Ignorance They descend into the darkness of superstition and as for the most part Fishes adhere to the rocks or to the mud so those false Doctors addict themselves to Creatures and rise not towards Heaven where is the Creator In those times sprung up the adoration of Reliques the invocation of Saints the worship of Images and even the sublime wits who are the Birds of the fifth Period who flie so high by their lofty speculations as did Gregory of Nazianzen and Ambrose of Milan do sometimes fall from their elevation into the mire of a carnal and superstitious worship as Eagles after a flight into the highest regions of the Air fall down as it were in a moment to fix upon Carrion Lastly Fishes puddle and roll themselves in the mud and slime a good Emblem of that dreadful corruption into which the last ages of this fifth Period were plunged viz. the nineth and tenth we have already spoken of that corruption and you need but look back to what hath been said to perceive how justly we may compare the men of those Times to Fishes that live in mire and dirt Some will doubtless make an objection here on this account that God is said to be the Author of these Birds and Fishes Which there is no reason for in the thing represented by the Type because God is not to be lookt upon as the Author of the Heresies Idolatries and corruption of the Papacy I might reply that no Typical relations ought to hinder but that God may be said the Author of and give his blessing to those Creatures which were good in respect of their natural being he did not bless the Chaos 't is true but it was because that in its natural being it was neither fair nor good no more than in its typical relation But if any will that the mystery be carried farther it may be observed that God saith Let the waters bring forth every moving Creature c. 'T is the waters that immediately produce'em To the same effect as he said before Let the Earth bring forth Plants For this end that God would our works should be reckon'd as our own that we might receive the rewards of 'em So the waters i. e. the multitude of degenerate mankind are said to produce those corruptions and false Doctrines that they might suffer the punishments annexed to 'em and that it might not be imputed unto God. But it will be said that God blessed these works He saw that it was good Once more I may ask why should not God approve those Creatures which in their own natures were good and which were typically to represent such Events as the Providence of God would appoint for his own glory For doubtless the false Teachers who corrupted the Christian Religion in the fifth Century must come within the decree of God as such things whereby he would glorify himself Mysteries of the sixth day In the sixth day God made two works 1. Insects creeping things and four-footed Beasts 2. The Man and the Woman This sixth day answers to the sixth Period of the Church from the tenth Century to the Period of the Reign of Antichrist These four-footed Beasts Insects and Creeping things cannot be thought to signify any thing that is good under Creeping things are comprehended Serpents venemous and the most accursed Creatures among Insects are Caterpillers and a thousand other hurtfull Creatures among four-footed Beasts are Wolves Lions Tygers Leopards and Bears all cruel and bloody Creatures which live upon prey This is the true Character of the Men who lived in the sixth Period of the Church which is the second of the Antichristian Empire There we meet with Men like Bloodsuckers Caterpillers Worms devouring Insects that ravage and consume and destroy and gratify their Covetousness by a cursed Simony There we meet with Doctors like Serpents and Basilicks who poison by their very breath and spread the venom of their false Doctrines with piercing sharpened tongues I mean the Schoolmen who with subtile Arguments whetted and set in order as so many darts and spears diffuse Heresy Impurity Poison and Idolatry Moreover we there meet with wild Beasts bloody and cruel Men who delight in blood and slaughter and glut themselves therewith as so many Lions and Tygers We may there see multitudes ingaged in an Holy war against Infidels who went to the Holy Land to conquer it but carried with them the Lions Tooth for they rent and devoured every thing which came in their way Especially may we there take notice of those cruel Persecutors of the Church killing burning and committing outrage and massacres in all places This should be carefully observed that we meet with Birds and Fishes in the fifth day answering to the first Period of Antichrist or the fifth of the Church and some of those Creatures live upon the spoil but do not prey upon Man. We do not see that Birds and Fishes go out of their own Element to fall upon men and destroy them So in the fifth Period there were 't is true some Hereticks and a great corruption but there was not much persecution little blood spilt at that time upon the account of Religion That sort of rage began not to be much imployed but since the eleventh Century in the sixth Period Mysteries of the creation of the Man and Woman In the same day God created the Man and the Woman who are the Images of Christ and of the Church his Spouse The Parrallel between the first and second Adam and between the Woman and the Church hath been made so often and is so easy to make that I need not dwell upon it and therefore shall only take notice that the Type doth exactly correspond with the Mystery At the end of the sixth day God finisht his work he then gave the last stroke to it by the Creation of the Man and the Woman an Emblem of Christ and his Church and of their Union
prove our notion of the Reign of Christ for a thousand years and the Triumphant state of the Church upon Earth before its final glorious Triumph in Heaven we might be furnisht from these last Chapters For they are not as is commonly supposed a description of the Church in Heaven The Prophecy of the nine last Chapters of Ezekiel is the same with that of the last Chapt. of the Apocalypse They exactly answer to the nine last Chapters of the Prophecy of Ezekiel That Prophet in those nine last Chapters sets forth in a figurative manner the condition of the Church of Israel after its restoration their glorious Kingdom and the wonderful Peace they should injoy after their return which return or recalling was to be after the fall of Antichrist St. John gives an account what the Church shall be after with relation to that Fall after it shall have bin accomplisht so that both these Prophets describe the Church as to the same Period and the same condition This will easily appear if we briefly run over that which remains of the Apocalypse It cannot be questioned but that our Prophet concludes the 20th Chapter with a description of the last day of Judgement The war of Gog and Magog follows upon the reign of a thousand years to the revolt of Gog and Magog succeeds their defeat after their defeat there is nothing but the last day which shall come and surprize the World in the twinkling of an eye This is signified by those words V. 11. Chap. 20. Then I saw a great white Throne and him that sat on it from whose face the Earth and Heaven fled way and there was found no place for them White as well as Purple is a Royal colour and withal a Priestly for the Priests were clothed in white The Holy Priest's garments on the day of Expiation according to the tradition of the Iews were called Bigdei Lavan white garments In like manner he that sat upon the Throne is our King and Priest The Earth and the Heaven fled from his face for they shall be burnt that they may be renewed V. 12. And I saw the dead small and great stand before God c. 'T is a description of the last Judgement to the end of the Chapter all this is plain The 21. v. 1. Chapter begins with these words And I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth for the first Heaven and the first Earth were passed away The first Vision of 21 Chapt. to the 9th V. respects that which follows the end of the world These words do evidently allude to what he had said just before and the Heaven and the Earth fled away As that was interpreted of what should happen at the last day of Judgement it is clear that these new Heavens and this new Earth must be understood in a literal and not a figurative sense for the new World after it hath been refined by fire And so the description we read of here even to the ninth Verse is that of eternal Rewards and Punishments 'T is true that which is spoken of the H. City v. 3 4. of the new Ierusalem coming down from Heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband of the Tabernacle of God with men of his dwelling with them and they with him and that God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and that there shall be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain All this I say might very well be applied to the Church as victorious upon Earth but this description is determin'd by what precedes and by what follows to Eternal Glory by that which precedes which is the description of the last day of Judgement and by that which follows which is the description of everlasting Punishment but the fearful and unbelieving c. v. 8. shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone which is the second death The 9th v. begins a new Vision The ninth Verse begins a new Vision and a more perticular description of the blessed Reign of Christ upon Earth In the same manner as the H. Spirit after he had in the 13th Chapter given an enigmatical and general description of the Antichristian Empire under the image of the two Beasts gives a more ample account of it in the 17th Chapt. So having in the 20th Chapt. described the reign of Christ though in few words he set forth that reign more at length afterwards that state of the delivered Church under the image of a great City called Ierusalem as after having set out the Antichristian Church under the image of a Beast and of an Empire he represents it under the Emblem of a great City called Babylon V. 9. And there came unto me one of the seven Angels which had the seven Viols full of the seven last plagues and talked with me saying come hither I will show thee the Bride the Lambs wife 'T is in all likelyhood the last of those seven Angels who had poured out the Viols and the same who show'd unto the Prophet the great City the mother of Fornications Cha. 17.1 Then came one of the seven Angels unto me which had the seven Viols and talked with me saying Come hither I will show thee the Judgement of the great Whore that sitteth on many Waters As it was this seventh and last Angel who had the Viols by whom the ruin of Antichrist was effected it doth most properly belong to him to show Babylon faln and Ierusalem rebuilt V. 10. And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high Mountain and showed me that great City the Holy Jerusalem descending out of Heaven from God. This is somewhat like what the Devil did unto Jesus Christ when he carried him up into an high Mountain and shows him all the Kingdoms of the world what the Devil makes appear by illusion St. Iohn sees by vision That he was carried or seemed to be carried up into an high Mountain makes it plain that the Ierusalem he was to be made see from thence was here upon Earth and not the Triumphant Church in Heaven though it be called the Holy Jerusalem descending out of Heaven from God. She shall be descended from Heaven because she shall abound in Graces which come from thence she is called the great City and 't is the first time she is so called 'T is a detestable name which in all the preceding Prophecy is given only to Spiritual Babylon But 't is on this account that then the Church shall possess the multitude of the Nations as Antichristianism doth at present V. 11. Having the Glory of God and her Light wus like unto a stone most precious even like a Iasper stone clear as Cristal V. 12. And had a Wall great and high and had twelve Gates and at the Gates twelve Angels and names written thereon which are the names of the twelve Tribes of the children of Israel V. 13.
Christ unto the birth of Antichrist i. e. till the middle of the fifth Century In this Period we have the Sun of Righteousness so Jesus Christ is called by the Prophets and Evangelists John c. 1. The Light which inlightens every man that comes into the world So by the Apostles The Father of Lights in whom is no shadow of change James 1. i. e. a Sun that hath no Tropicks The Parrallel of the Moon with the Church The Parrallel between Iesus Christ and the Sun is too manifest and easy to make to be long insisted on I will rather speak somewhat of the Moon which is an admirable Emblem of the Church 1. The Moon hath all her Light from the Sun The Church hath all her Beauty Holiness Vertue and Glory from I. Christ 2. The Moon retains some spots and those considerable ones in her borrowed Light the Church hath many great and plain defects in her vertues 3. The Moon hath no fixed Light she often changeth and is sometimes more and sometimes less inlightned The Church remains not long in one state she is always rising or falling she looseth some of her Light and then receiveth more she defiles herself and then is cleansed and hath Periods almost as regular as those of the Moon 4. The Moon besides her constant and periodical decrease suffers Ecclipses and sometimes total ones The Church besides her ordinary declensions is sometimes so Ecclipst as not to appear which is more or less according to the inundations of Herely or the corruption of manners 5. 'T is not the fault of the Sun but of the Moon it self that these Ecclipses happen she plungeth herself in the shadow of the Earth and so deprives herself of the Sun. The Ecclipses of the Church by the loss of Truth or vertue happen in like manner because she falls into sin and falshood which is shadow and darkness the product of Earth and Hell. Your sins have separated between God and you 6. When the Moon is Ecclipst she becomes black and puts on a frightfull Aspect when the Church suffers herself to lose the Light of the Sun her visage becomes deformed by her disorders and crimes Why doth not the Church appear but in this fourth Period since she was created from the beginning of the World so the Moon which was a figure of the Church should have been created on the first day I answer that the Church may also be found in the three preceding Periods but in the first and second day 't is a Land covered with waters The Church is mixt and confounded with the People of the World and even covered and hidden among 'em In the third she appears as a dry Land that is visible but as yet it is but Earth producing Plants and Fruits In our fourth Period she is advanc't from the quality of Earth to the dignity of the Stars she becomes a Moon a luminous body which may be seen afar off which spreads its rays throughout all the world Stars of six magnitudes images of the six orders of Teachers In the fourth day there were also Stars which are of six different magnitudes from the first to the sixth In our fourth Period we have several Teachers as shining Stars but they lessen by degrees The Apostles are the Stars of the first magnitude Apostolick Persons were Stars of the second magnitude their Disciples who lived in the second Century were Stars of the third the Doctors of the Church in the third Century were Stars of the fourth magnitude Those of the fourth Century were of the fifth magnitude Lastly in the fifth Century when the good days of the Church ended there were more Teachers more Stars in number but they were but of the sixth magnitude their Light began to be obscured by mixing with the darkness of Superstition and Heresy After them in the following Ages we see no Stars but under a Cloud the witnesses covered with sackcloth Christians concealed and hidden among the multitude of those who were sunk into error and Idolatry In this Period there is also another sort of Stars viz. Confessors and Martyrs who shined as Stars of the first magnitude and the common sort of the Faithful who are truly Stars though but of the sixth magnitude Lastly in the fourth Period we find Planets wandring Stars Apostates Iudas's and such as Hymenaeus and Philetus who concerning the Faith made shipwrack Mysteries of the 5th day We proceed to the fifth day of the Creation The fifth Period is that from the rise of Antichrist to his Completion from the fifth Century to the eleventh In the fifth day God said Let the waters bring forth Fishes abundantly or moving Creatures which have life and Fowl that may flie above the Earth in the open firmament of Heaven Behold two sorts of Creatures Birds and Fishes and they are to be Emblems of men who should rule in the fifth Period of the Church It may be the name of Bird may prove a good Omen to some one would think we should find something of good there because Birds are a kind of Coelestial Creatures but we must remember that in the two following Periods we shall meet with nothing that is good because they belong to Antichrist If there be any thing good in these two Periods 't is the remnant of the fourth for all is evil that belongs to their perticular Character So that by Birds we understand men of rash and daring spirits who would pierce beyond the Clouds attempting to reach unto God himself and have done violence to his Holy Mysteries by their bold Inquiries Such was Arrius who would dive into the mystery of the Eternal generation of the Son and was there stumbled Such was Macedonius who would fathom the Mysteries of the Procession of the Holy Spirit and not being able to effect it made him a Creature as Arius did the Son. Such was Eutyches who not being able to fathom the Mysteries of the union of the two natures in Christ did confound them Such was Nestorius who lost himself in searching into the manner of the Vnion of the humane Nature with the Divine Person and so establisht two Persons in Christ and I know not how many more such Birds there were men of bold and daring spirits who did great mischief to the Church We need but consult History to be informed 'T is true among those Birds there were some whose flight was happy enough The fourth and fifth Centuries produced some Eminent Doctors in comparison of the preceding The first Doctors of the Christian Church after the Apostles were but poor Divines they could flye but a little way There is more Divinity in one piece of St. Austin then in all the three first Centuries Origen excepted who was the Eagle of his Age. But those Birds who made some happy flights were yet guilty of great faults and often lost themselves by endeavouring to go too far The Fish of the fifth day are Antichrist