belongeth the first Resurrection accordingly as here followeth 6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second death hath no power Namely the Lake of Fire vers 14. into which Hades or the whole Region of Mortality is cast the Earth being all on fire But they that have obtained their glorified body as the Martyrs do in the first Resurrection they are sped already and are safe from this fate But they shall be Priests of God and of Christ that is Holy and Divine Souls cloathed in glorified bodies serving God in his Heavenly Temple And shall reign with him viz. with Christ in the Kingdom of his Father not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the thousand years of the Millennium but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a thousand years symbolically understood which being the Cube of Ten which comprehends all number signifies a steady permanent Reign even to all Eternity 7. But when the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the thousand years of the Millennium are expired that is at the expiration of the Philadelphian Interval and the beginning of the Laodicean Satan shall be loosed out of his prison that is to say the ancient zeal of the Philadelphian Church and strictness of Discipline will be much relaxated and wickedness will get head again namely under the fourth Thunder 8. And he shall go out to deceive the Nations which are in the four quarters of the Earth Gog and Magog that is the whole rabble of men that are disposed to wickedness and have an enmity against the Holy and Just which are the true Israelites indeed in whom there is no guile And Gog and Magog are those notorious enemies of the People of Israel Ezech. Cap. 38. and 39. who therefore here typifie the enemies of the Holy Christian and Apostolick Church of which Israel was a type To gather them together to battel to fight against Israel the true Church of Christ The number of whom is as the sand of the sea So much had wickedness increased by the not still endeavouring with that wonted vigour the amplification of Christs Kingdom and by relaxation of Discipline in the Laodicean State of the Church though purity of external worship was still retained among them neither had they contaminated themselves with course Superstitions and Idolatries 9. And they went up on the breadth of the Earth which indicates the swarming and the spreading of their Forces and compassed the Camp of the Saints about The Camp wherein there were many Saints and right Philadelphian Spirits but all Saints as to the purity of external worship And the beloved City The mystical Ierusalem or pure Church of Christ and beloved of him for the reasons even now intimated Here is an attempt of bringing again the Righteous under the Power and Tyranny of the wicked which attempts are made toward the latter end of the Laodicean Interval under the fifth Thunder But before they could effect their wicked enterprise the Day of judgement overtakes them And fire came down from God out of Heaven and devoured them 10. And the Devil that deceived them was cast together with them into the lake of fire and brimstone even that Lake which is afterwards called the second death where the Beast and the false Prophet the whole Antichristian Rabble shall be and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever 11. For I saw a great white Throne for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And does ordinarily signifie for as the sense may require and him that sate on it namely Christ coming to judgement at the end of the Laodicean Interval in the sixth Thunder from whence the Church of Laodicea also has its name From whose face the Earth and the Heaven fled away and there was found no place for them that is the Glory of his Majesty was so great that Heaven and Earth seemed to vanish before him the eyes of the spectators at first being so wholly filled with the brightness of the presence of his Glory 12. And I saw the dead small and great good and bad stand before God This is the General Resurrection which is not till the thousand years of the Millennium be expired but a good while after it though but a little time compared with the thousand years in the latitude of the sense thereof And the Books were opened the Rolls and Records of their actions this is spoken in allusion to Law-proceedings in Courts of Judicature amongst men And another Book was opened which is the Book of Life An auspicious Title signifying that they whose names were found there should be sentenced worthy of Eternal Life and escape the second death And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their Works As is done in Righteous Courts of Judicature where the Judge gives Sentence according to what is alledged and proved And so it is in this General Assizes none shall be condemned for what he is not guilty of but be judged according to his works 13. And the Sea gave up the dead which were in it The Souls here appear of them that were drown'd in the Sea as being not extinct thereby as some fondly imagine and actuate their bodies And death or pestilence all manner of death by diseases is intimated by it and briefly Hell that is Hades the whole Region of deceased Souls or this sphere of Mortality into which they are congregated at this General Assizes delivered up the dead that were in them that is exhibited them to the view of all And they were judged every man according to their works The Divine Nemesis proportioned punishments or rewards to every one according to their doings Hitherto are the transactions of this General Assizes and the passing of judgement on those that were called to the Bar which takes up the sixth Thunder But in the seventh there is Thundering and Lightening properly so called as is intimated vers 9. And fire came down from God out of Heaven and devoured them So here 14. And Death and Hell were cast into the lake of fire that is this whole Region of Mortality above which the Spirits of Devils and damned Souls cannot emerge but are chained and confined to this caliginous Atmosphere will be set on fire at the last Thunder which together with eruptions from beneath will cause a dreadful Conflagration and turn the Earth as it were into one great lake of fire This is the sense of these words And Death and Hell were cast into the lake of fire Which is a very figurative expression First by a Prosopopoeia making Death and Hell as it were two persons as in Chap. 6. vers 8. and then by an Hypallage casting them into the fire when as the fire is rather cast into them it occupying all this Region of Mortality and putting an end to dying by consuming all the species of mortal Creatures and giving a stop to their propagation This is the second Death As the first
Book what acclamations in Heaven were there thereupon For the four Beasts and four and twenty Elders fell down before the Lamb having every one of them harps and golden vials full of odours which are the prayers of the Saints And they sung a new Song saying Thou art worthy to take the Book and open the Seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood As if this priviledge of obtaining such a wonderful power of predicting things to come and communicating such a Book as this of the Apocalypse unto his Church were one special fruit of his Passion and the shedding his most precious blood upon the Cross. And therefore let them take heed that despise this Book of the Apocalypse so much and all endeavours to understand it aright that they be not found in the number of them that tread under-foot the Son of God even in those things for which he is the most highly admired and extolled by the blessed Saints and Angels which is the greatest slight and affront of him imaginable and count his precious blood shed upon the Cross whereby he procured this transcendent priviledge to himself and them of fore-knowing things that concern all Ages of his Church an unholy thing and do despite to the Spirit of Prophecy In the mean time this may at least excuse them that seriously and soberly endeavour rightly to understand the Visions of this Book from being reputed men less judicious or else very unfortunate to spend their time and labour on so mean and obscure an argument as this Book of the Apocalypse as some for want of judgement or good will have perstringed that excellently learned and pious person M r Joseph Mede But what a vast difference is there betwixt the Spirit of the holy Evangelist John and the great Spirits or Wits as they would be accounted of this Age He wept out of an eager desire of understanding the Prophecies of this Book they laugh at any one for a fool that pretends the endeavouring to understand them or thinks they are to be understood But I hope that will be found true that Solomon sayes Prov. chap. 14. vers 6. A scorner seeketh wisdom and findeth it not but knowledge is easie to him that understandeth Which I distrust not but will be made good in any intelligent Reader of my Exposition of this Book It will prove easie to him upon his taking notice of the meaning of the Prophetick stile and supposing the grounds I go upon which are but few and allowed generally by all Protestant Churches that I know of viz. That the Church of Rome is Idolatrous which will imply that the Greek Church also was so as is plain from the second Nicene Council which the Romanists alledge That the said Church is murderous as having put to death many and many thousands of innocent Souls because their consciences would not allow them to joyn with this Church in their Idolatrous Worship And lastly that she is Imposturous in pretending to many miraculous Acts that exceed the power of Nature or the faculties of any ordinary men As changing the Elements as they call it of Bread into real Flesh and of Wine into real Blood by saying certain words over it In exorcising or enchanting of Statues or Images and of Water Oyl and other things by certain words into a power of keeping off Enemies repelling Diseases ceasing Thunder and Lightening and driving away the Devil nay in pretending to a Power of thunder-striking men down into hell which is only in the hand of God Almighty to do at his pleasure and not for men to do at their pleasures because others will not joyn with them in their gross Doctrines and Idolatrous Worship This if it were true were a stupendious Miracle indeed thus to bring fire from heaven to thunder-strike innocent men into the pit of hell But such pretended feats as these this Book elegantly expresses by the phrase of Sorcery or Magick as it may be called as being an imitation of the pretences of Magicians thus to act above Nature by words and charms These are the main things that are supposed concerning the Church of Rome which if they be admitted the sense of the Apocalypse will run as glib as may be upon a little knowledge of the Prophetick stile And I shall wonder at any one that is satisfied concerning these that shall stick at the truth of our Interpretation which as touching this part is so throughly demonstrated in my Joynt-Exposition or rather in the eight last Chapters of the first Book of my Synopsis Prophetica that I cannot tell what can be more fully evidenced to the reason of a man namely That the Beast that was and is not and yet is is the Roman Empire and the Woman that rides him the Roman Hierarchy after the times of the seventh King that was to stay but a little while which are the pure Christian Caesars Wherefore the Roman Hierarchy after that time being set out by the symbol of a Whore for so that Woman is called viz. the Whore of Babylon and the Beast she rides on said to be full of Names of Blasphemy it is manifest that both the Empire and Hierarchy are become Idolatrous Besides that if the Apocalypse were silent in this matter of their being Idolatrous the Writers of the Protestants have over and over again demonstrated them to be so and for them that are so perswaded not to acknowledge their condition to be predicted in the Apocalypse but to conceit it silent therein is to envy God and Christ the Glory of foretelling things to come and the Church the priviledge of having them foretold her and the advantage of confounding her enemies thereby And now for the state of the Reformed Church that it will be at last so well Reformed and so largely amplified that Peace Truth and Righteousness shall at last over-spread as it were the face of the earth and that herewith the Iews will be called and make one part of the Catholick Church this is a thing both believed and hoped for by all good men and expresly pointed at in several places of Scripture as well as in the Apocalypse And lastly for the first Resurrection the proper priviledge of the Martyrs at the entrance of the Millennial Reign of Christ upon Earth that this was the general Opinion of the Primitive Church is made out notably by M r J. Mede in sundry places of his Writings And that way that I have explained it here in my Exposition it cannot have the least scandal or offence the Martyrs according to my Explication not living upon Earth but being revivificated into their Glorious Bodies reign with Christ in Heaven Wherefore the things that I suppose being so certain or unexceptionable and my Exposition consequential to these and perpetually made out according to the known meaning of the Prophetick stile and agreeably to the truth of History without any violence done to either
a foresight of things communicated to him from God as to endite such a Book of Prophecies as this 3. And no man in Heaven nor in Earth neither under the Earth was able to open the Book neither to look thereon And this proclamation being made there was none found neither of the Angels in Heaven or Men upon Earth or Infernal Spirits under the Earth who are vulgarly accounted so wise and cunning and in whom Witches and Wizards so confide for the knowledge of things to come that were able to open the Book or look thereon i. e. That had so reaching a foresight as to pierce through such a large series of future things as is contained in this Book which intimates that nothing but the holy Power of God could be the Author thereof 4. And I wept much because no man was found worthy to open and to read the Book neither to look thereon That is to say I was sorely grieved that there was none found meet or worthy to have imparted to him so stupendious a faculty of foretelling things to come in such a manner as they are in this Book So useful a gift of Prophecy Where Iohn personates every good Christian that is solicitous for the affairs of the Church and thoughtfull what will become of her 5. And one of the Elders saith to me wéep not Cease to be so grieved and troubled in spirit Behold the Lyon of the Tribe of Iuda the root of David hath prevailed to open the Book and to loose the seven Seals thereof Christ hath by his courageously fulfilling the will of his Father obtained this priviledge That he may open the Book and loose the Seals thereof that is to have so wonderfull a comprehension of future things and piercing foresight by the gift of his Father as to foresee all that is contained in this Book and to communicate it to his Church 6. And I beheld and lo in the midst of the Throne and of the four Beasts and in the midst of the Elders That is betwixt God the Father and the Church stood a Lamb as it had been slain and with bleeding wounds upon him the blessed Jesus Mediator betwixt God and Man as he is here placed betwixt the Throne and the four Beasts Having seven horns which are the Emblems of Power as being he to whom All Power is given in Heaven and in Earth And seven Eyes All manner of Wisdom and Counsel and all the Angels of God at his beck to execute his Counsel and his Will which is implied in what follows which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth unto all the Earth 7. And he came and took the Book out of the right hand of him that sate upon the Throne That is it was given to him of his Father to have so vast a foresight of things to come from the beginning of the Church even to the end of the World and Power to effect what was foreknown according to the beginning of this Book of the Apocalypse The Revelation of Iesus Christ which God gave unto him c. which shews that the whole Book of the Apocalypse the Epistles to the seven Churches as well as the Visions that follow is a Prophetical Revelation of things to come 8. The consideration of which wonderful Gift and Power signified by this receiving of the Book being made so exceeding manifest in the times of the Spiritual Reign of Christ in the New Ierusalem which Times this pompous Introduction to the Prophecy of the sealed Book does typifie For the four and twenty Elders belong to that state of the Church will raise a wonderful strain of Faith and Devotion in them and admiration of the stupendious Providence of Christ over his Church as it is signified by what follows And when he had taken the Book the four Beasts and four and twenty Elders fell down before the Lamb having every one of them Harps and golden Uials full of Odours which are the praises and prayers of the Saints 9. And they sing a new Song saying And then will they sing a new Song namely they will then praise their Creator and Redeemer for that new constitution of things in the Reign of the Spirit as it is written Chap. 21. And he that sate upon the Throne said Behold I make all things new And he said straightway to Iohn It is done I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end I will give him that is a thirst of the fountain of life freely that is I will communicate unto him my Spirit here and make him partaker of Eternal Life hereafter in my heavenly Kingdom and they will say as follows Thou O Christ wert worthy to take the Book and open the seals thereof that is to have communicated unto thee so vast a comprehension of the futurity of things as is contained in this Book of Prophecies and Power to carry on things as they are predicted For thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation This is but a just reward of thy endearing sufferings upon the Cross for the salvation of Mankind 10. And hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall reign upon Earth In this blessed Millennium which thou hast long ago shown to thy Church in that admirable Book of Prophecies which by the Ministry of an Angel thou communicatest to thy beloved Disciple Iohn 11. And to show further how holy heavenly and Angelical those Times will be and what an Union and Agreement betwixt the Church of Christ and the Angelical Hosts it is further added And I beheld and I heard the voice of many Angels round about the Throne and the Beasts and the Elders which Beasts and Elders signifie the Church of Christ consisting of men upon the Earth And the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands 12. These innumerable companies of Angels joyn themselves to the Quire of the Church saying with a loud voice Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing as by whom the State of the Church is brought to such a blessed condition upon Earth according to the predictions of this Book of Prophecies Let all therefore be ascribed to him 13. Nay the completion of this Book of Prophecies in those Times will be such an Universal conviction of the Divinity and Sonship of Christ that he was really and in truth the foretold Messias the Beginner and Finisher of the Works of God to his Church that that will come to pass that follows And every Creature which is in Heaven and on the Earth and under the Earth and such as are in the Sea and all that are in them heard I saying Blessing Honour Glory and Power be unto him that sitteth on the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever All intelligent Beings and Spirits whether belonging
to Heaven Earth or Sea even the Infernal Spirits themselves shall in the inward powers of their minds and consciences be forced to break out and confess upon the completion of this Book of Prophecies That all Blessing and Honour and Glory and Power is due unto him that sits on the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever 14. And the four Beasts said Amen Unto this the four Beasts that is the Church of Christ here upon Earth we may be sure will say Amen that is consent to such a doxologie And the four and twenty Elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever that is All the Kings and Princes of this truly Catholick and Apostolick Church will fall down and worship him that was dead but is now alive and behold he liveth for evermore that is they will devotionally adhere to him serve him and obey him who according to the promise made to his Church has brought things at last to such an Admirable Heavenly Holy Righteous and Peaceful Constitution So Glorious an Effect will there be of the completion of the Prophecies of this Book both as to Christ and also as to his Church Which shows how detestable the ingratitude is of such either shallow and frivolous or prophane Spirits or cunning obdurate Politicians that phancying it not to sute with their worldly Interest vilifie and decry it when as indeed this Book of Prophecies will prove the most effectual instrument in the hand of Providence that may be for the rooting all Atheism and Infidelity out of the world and Converting all the Kingdoms of the Earth to the Faith and Profession of our Lord Jesus Christ. CHAPTER VI. 1. HItherto the Introduction to the Prophecies of the Sealed Book we come now to the Prophecies themselves And I saw says Iohn when the Lamb opened one of the Seals that is the first Seal And I heard as it were the noise of thunder one of the four Beasts that is the first of the four Beasts the Lion whose place is towards the East saying Come and see Where we may observe how some parts of the Introductory Representation are made use of in this following Vision as some parts of the description of him that was seen amongst the golden Candlesticks are made use of in the Prefaces of the Epistles to the Churches 2. And I saw and behold a white Horse and he that sate on him had a Bow Which Heros on horseback and on a white Horse signifies a great Commander or Emperour Righteous Prosperous and Glorious in his undertaking And in that he is said to appear upon the first Beast the Lion placed on the East side his saying Come and see it is a sign that he is an Emperour from the East part of the World and in a word it is the Lion of the Tribe of Iuda that Captain of our Salvation Jesus Christ who being ascended into Glory was yet present with his Church affording them all succours to carry on their Spiritual Warfare And these Gospel-soldiers came from Iudea in the East And in that he is said to have a Bow it denotes that he aimed at something of no mean importance And this Heros on Horseback with his Bow answers to the Ephesine succession of the Church whose name imports earnest purpose or desire but the thing aimed at or designed is specified in the following words And a Crown was given unto him to wit the right of it even the Roman Imperial Crown and this Bow-man hat the mark when the Emperour Constantine turned Christian This is also the Crown promised to the Church in the Smyrnean succession Be thou faithfull unto death and I will give thee the Crown of Life the Crown of security from Pagan persecution And he went forth conquering and to conquer This Heros on the white Horse went forth conquering and to conquer till he obtained this Crown under the sixth Seal 3. And when he had opened the second Seal I heard the second Beast that is the Calf or Oxe say Come and sée 4. And there went out another Horse that was red a colour significant enough of the effusion of blood as the Oxe also of the great slaughter that was to be under this Seal and what follows plainly implies so much And power was given to him that sate thereon to take peace from the Earth and that they should kill one another and there was given to him a great Sword as a token of exceeding much blood-shed on the Earth under the second Seal This Seal therefore begins with Trajan a Spaniard and therefore an Emperour from the West In his Reign and Adrian's his successor there were so great commotions in the Empire that there were slain in those Tumults and Rebellions at least fifteen hundred thousand men 5. And when he had opened the third Seal I heard the third Beast that had a face like a man and was placed on the South say Come and see And I beheld and lo a black Horse and he that sate on him had a pair of balances in his hand The black colour betokens Gravity Severity Justice which Justice also is intimated by the face of a Man this third Beast is said to have Prudence and Justice being the proper characters of a Man Which sutes well with the last part of the description the pair of Balances in the Riders hand which argues him Severe Just Frugal and Provident 6. Which accordingly is exprest by that voice in the midst of the four Beasts And I heard a voice in the midst of the four Beasts say A measure of wheat for a penny and three measures of barley for a penny and see thou hurt not the oyl and wine that is the Rider of the black Horse will take special care 1. That if one Choenix of wheat be sold for a penny that three of barley shall be sold for a penny 2. That men shall live by their honest labours not by theft or rapine For Choenix signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the food for a day and Denarius the wages for a days labour 3. There shall be no stealing nor robbing but buying by measure though it should prove so hard a time that their dayes labour will but find them food 4. He will provide that they shall have a Choenix for a penny viz. that the price of bread-corn and necessary victuals shall not exceed a dayes wages And so of Wine and Oyl he will take care that there be no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no fraud in buying and selling there neither nor spoil and wast by unruly Soldiers Which prediction was egregiously fulfilled in Septimius Severus an African and therefore an Emperour from the South and in Alexander the Son of Mammea both of them notorious lovers of Justice and severe punishers of Thieves and Robbers To the latter the sight of an unjust Judge was so nauseous that he was ready to vomit at him and he was famous for that Christian Motto Do as
shall come to pass in order as they are revealed and such are the Prophecies of the Revelation says he no instance can be given of any Prophecy that comes to pass before or after the order of its Revelation And therefore they shall come to pass Prophecy after Prophecy as they were revealed and presented unto Iohn in Vision 1. But to the first I answer The argument will not hold good there if at all where there are special Notes given of a new beginning of prophesying For that is as much if not more than if the Visions had been exhibited to Iohn at several distant times or days And that there are such Notes it is plain namely of a new beginning of prophesying For as the Prophecy of the Seven Churches was ushered in with a sound of a Trumpet so is the Prophecy of the Sealed Book betwixt which two Prophecies there was an intermission of Iohn's Ecstasy as you may see Chap. 4. vers 2. And then before the Prophecy of the Opened Book besides other certain indications of the beginning of a new Prophecy as I have above shewed there is again that voice like a Trumpet that talked with him at the beginning of the Sealed Book-Prophecy which is a greater assurance that there are three distinct Prophecies than if they had been revealed to him at three distinct times or days 2. To the second I answer That there is no harshness at all to conceive two Prophecies beginning at the same Epocha to be writ in the same Book one after another it being impossible according to the usual writing of Books that they should be written together no more harshness I say than to conceive that an Historian in one Volume may write the lives of all the Secular Governours and Bishops of a City from the first times thereof to his own times Is it any thing harsh or rather not necessary when he has gone through all the times of the Governours that he begin at the first Epocha to write the lives of the Bishops of the said City 3. To the third I answer That the argument proves only that the Seals and Trumpets are to be fulfilled in that order they are mentioned and the Trumpets after the six first Seals they being the parts of the seventh Seal But this does not at all hinder but that the Seven Churches in that order they are set may commence with the Seven Seals as also the measuring the Inner Court and the fight of Michael and the Dragon as is plain to any one that attends to what is said 4. And lastly to the fourth and last I answer That it is demonstrable by vertue of M r Mede's Synchronisms that there are many instances of things coming to pass not in the order they are revealed but before and after This is most evidently true if M r Mede's Synchronisms be true as most certainly they are and I have mentioned them to be so against all the pretended cavils of R. H. IV. As for his last Position all the proof it has is from the arguments of the three former which being so false and weak and this last Paradox but a Consectary of them it is manifest it falls to the ground with them if they be sufficiently confuted as they will all without question be deemed to be after I have perfected my answer to the first argument for the second paradox and shown what is the Clavis to the Apocalyptical Steganography which is such a mystical or occult way of Revelation I briefly therefore here answer Those two places R. H. himself notes viz. Rev. 1. vers 20. and Rev. 17. vers 8 9 c. are the two keys the one of the Prophecy of the Seven Churches the other of the Prophecies of the Sealed Book and Opened Book in vertue whereof we may come to a clear and certain knowledge of this Steganographical Revelation called the Apocalypse For as for the first that is the Interpretation of the Mystery of the Seven Stars and of the seven Golden Candlesticks it is a plain intimation to any one that is not stupid that there is something more meant by these Seven Churches in Asia than seven particular Churches in Asia minor at that time and that indeed the Vision of the Seven Churches represented by the seven Golden Candlesticks is a Prophecy concerning the whole Succession of the Church to the end of the world divided into seven Intervals For if it were not so what needed all the pomp of this Vision and the explication of it if concerning the seven particular Churches in Asia whenas Chap. 1. vers 4. there was mention of the seven Churches in Asia and after seven Epistles writ to them by name Wherefore he must be exceeding stupid and slow-witted or of a course perverse Spirit that cannot at least being advertised of it discern the scope of the Spirit in this Vision of the Seven Stars and Seven Golden Candlesticks and the Interpretation thereof that it is a Prophecy in so large a sense as I have shown in my Exposition and proved that it is such a Prophecy by twenty solid Arguments in the tenth Chapter thereof Such intimations suffice to the pious free and sagacious Reader But for profane Drolls carnal Politicians or prejudiced Superstitionists if seeing they see not and hearing they understand not the fault lies at their own doors Now for the Key of the other two Prophecies of the Sealed Book and of the Opened Book let us briefly observe the use thereof and how effectual it is for the purpose intended and what the clear result thereof will be Revel Chap. 17. vers 8. there begins the Interpretation of the Vision of the Whore of Babylon and the Beast with seven Heads and ten Horns ridden by her The Beast that thou sawest saith the Angel was and is not and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit and go into perdition And here it is remarkable how the Angel does not go about to explain what a Beast is it being so well known that according to the Prophetick stile it is a Kingdom State or Empire Cruel and Idolatrous such as they were that are described in Daniel and called there by the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as this Beast is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is as much as to say a Cruel wild Beast Wherefore the Angels Interpretation plainly imports thus much That the Beast which Iohn saw denotes a Kingdom State or Empire Cruel and Idolatrous and withall whose condition is such that at some time it might be said of it truly that it was a Cruel Idolatrous Kingdom State or Empire but is not but will be again a Cruel Idolatrous Kingdom State or Empire and then afterwards quite perish at least as to its Cruelty and Idolatry that is the Bestiality of it shall perish This is the name or nature of this Beast in general And though it may already very well be
Apocalypsis Apocalypseos OR THE REVELATION OF S t JOHN the Divine unveiled CONTAINING A Brief but perspicuous and continued EXPOSITION From Chapter to Chapter and from Verse to Verse of the whole Book of the APOCALYPSE By HENRY MORE D. D. Ecclesiastic Chap. 39. He that giveth his mind to the Law of the most High and is occupied in the Meditation thereof will seek out the Wisdom of all the Ancient and be occupied in Prophecies Ezech. Chap. 43. vers 10. Thou Son of Man shew the House to the house of Israel that they may be ashamed of their Iniquities and let them measure the pattern LONDON Printed by I. M. for I. Martyn and W. Kettilby at the Bell and the Bishops-Head in S t Paul's Church-yard 1680. THE PREFACE TO THE READER READER THat thou mayest with better acceptance peruse my Exposition of this Book of Prophecies the Apocalypse I thought fit to say something by way of Preface First concerning the Book it self not only the Authentickness and Intelligibleness but also concerning the Excellency thereof Secondly concerning the grounds I go upon and the Truth of my Exposition And thirdly and lastly concerning the great Usefulness thereof That this Book is Canonical and of Divine Inspiration is confirmed by the Authority and Suffrage of the Church Universal both Roman and Reformed And though it had no external Confirmation the truth of Predictions in that large comprehension of things that it reacheth to and the holiness of that Spirit that breaths in it to any intelligent Reader will certainly prove it to be a Book Divinely inspired Not to add that the very Wit as I may so say and Artifice in it seems not to be Humane but Angelical It was indeed doubted of at first and the Authority thereof called into question but the occasion of questioning it was because it was in the hands of very few it being dangerous for the Christians to let this Book of the Apocalypse that does plainly predict as it might seem the burning of the City of Rome situated on seven Hills and having Rule then over the whole Earth so freely to go about as those others of the New Testament did And therefore this Book being so generally unknown when they began to determine what Books were Authentick and what not they might very well be at a loss concerning it Besides that Cerinthus and others overmuch Judaizing Christians who drew those things written of the first and second Resurrection and the New Jerusalem and the thousand years Reign of Christ to their Carnal Iudaical conceits made them more shie how they admitted this Book for Authentick Nay some as Gaius an ancient Author in Eusebius relate that Cerinthus the Chiliast was the writer of it Others who yet thought well of the Book that John the Presbyter a Disciple of the Apostle not John himself was the Author thereof The occasion of which might be as Grotius ingeniously conjectures because that John the Presbyter had the Book in his custody whence some out of mistake might deem him the Author thereof But by the Authority of the chiefest Fathers and upon a more narrow search and examination of the business it is now out of question with all Christian Churches that this Book of the Apocalypse is Authentick and Canonical and writ by John the Evangelist and Divine so called for his more plainly and peculiarly declaring the Divinity of Christ beyond any other of the Evangelists Now for the Intelligibleness of the Book Though there is a marvellous artifice of Concealment in it yet there is as sure an artifice of Revealment as I hope will appear by this our Exposition And why Prophecies should be obscurely writ and in what this obscurity consists I have sufficiently elsewhere declared The chief obscurity is in the Prophetick stile which when it is opened to a Man the sense will run clear As he that understands any other Language different from the Vulgar if the Book it is writ in be good sense he without difficulty will find it out And as it would be absurd in him that understands not that language to complain of the obscurity of the Book so it is as childish for him that will not take the pains which is not much to understand the Prophetick stile to complain of the obscurity of the Apocalypse But that it is intelligible all sorts of Christians Reformed and Unreformed have given their suffrage thereto in writing Commentaries upon it And it is no less than blasphemy against the Holy Ghost that inspired this Prophecy to say it is simply unintelligible as if Christ trifled with his Church in a thing so exceeding serious as this Book of Prophecies seems to be The Excellency whereof is notably set out if not also the necessity of reading and understanding it chap. 1. vers 3. Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this Prophecy and keep those things that are written therein which they cannot do unless they understand them And so chap. 22. vers 7. Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the Prophecy of this Book Which is chiefly performed by Faith and Constancy to the True Church of Christ against either the Dragon or Antichrist which he cannot do if these Prophecies were unintelligible nor can there any blessedness accrue to a man from reading a Book he understands not But the sayings thereof understood and kept being so effectual a way to blessedness it must needs argue the excellency of the Book But there is yet a further illustration of the Excellency thereof from what occurrs chap. 5. vers 2. which concerns the greatest part by far of this Book and that which some phansie the only Prophetical part thereof namely the Visions of the Sealed Book and of the Opened Book For what was contained in the Opened Book lay open by virtue of the breaking up of the Seals In that Chapter is the highest Encomium of this Book of Prophecies that the Wit and Rhetorick of men or Angels can invent or utter For first it is said vers 2. And I saw a strong Angel proclaiming with a loud voice Who is worthy to open the Book and to loose the Seals thereof And no man in Heaven nor in Earth neither under the Earth was able to open the Book neither to look thereon This therefore must be a most excellent and transcendent Book of Secrets and Predictions that neither Angels Men nor Infernal Spirits can reach to the knowledge of by virtue of their own faculties And then it follows And I wept much because no man was found worthy to open and read the Book and to look thereon Which further argues that it is a Book not only of rare secrets and vast comprehensive Predictions but more than ordinary desirable if not necessary to be known And lastly when the Lion of the Tribe of Judah that is Christ the Lamb under another expression and figuration was found worthy and had taken the
Since this Book of the Apocalypse is so Excellent and transcendant a Book as well as Authentick and Intelligible and our Exposition thereof so sound and assured and the use of it so manifold and so great I hope that every Intelligent Man that is a Well-willer to the Truth and a sincere Lover of the Church of Christ will allow of my design of publishing it as a thing laudable at least if not indispensable For though in things of mere speculation it is a piece of prudence for a man to seem no wiser than others can bear lest instead of being admired he be looked upon for a fool or a man of extravagant conceits yet in such points of knowledge as we are assured of and as assured of their manifold usefulness for the Church and the good of mankind it is a piece of Conscience that we communicate them to the world it being a Depositum we are intrusted with from God and of which we must give an account to him at that great day And thus much I think is competently well for a Preface What may further occurr I shall reserve for an Epilogue Where amongst other things I shall exhibit to thy view the Ichnography of the Temple with the Inner and Outer Court for the better understanding of the eleventh Chapter of the Apocalypse as also a Table of Synchronismes with a Defence of them Which will both refresh thy memory after thy reading my Exposition and the more fully assure thee of the truth thereof As will also that admirable Key of the Visions of the Sealed and Opened Book Prophecies viz. the Angels Interpretation of the Beast Chap. 17. and the Woman that rides him And lastly the wonderfull Harmony that is to be observed of the Antemedial Medial and Postmedial Synchronals the Harmony of all of them in each Order amongst themselves and with the Times to which in virtue of the Interpretation of the Angel they are necessarily affixed so far namely as the Prophecies have been already fulfilled or are in fulfilling which is a pledge of the Truth or Credibility of our Exposition touching what is to come This Harmony I say is so admirable and surprizing that unless thou hast a Genius dead or stupid to matters of this nature thou canst not fail to be enravished with the consideration thereof as also with the Divine Artifice of the whole Book of the Apocalypse Much whereof is opened in the said Epilogue So that it may go for a kind of Technology to our Exposition In the mean time I will only advertise thee That I have taken care that the entire Text of the Apocalypse go along with my Interpretation printed in a black English Letter the more easily to be distinguished from the Comment that thou having it so entirely in thy sight and continuedly with the Comment thou mayest with the more ease and assuredness judge of the Faithfulness and Agreeableness of our Exposition ERRATA sic corrige PReface Page xviii Line 21. read His Passion Page 10. l. 11. r. Spondanus p. 26. l. 9. r. Sardian p. 30. l. 9. r. Churches especially let p. 40. l. 17. r. Paronomastical p. 41. l. 14. dele the. p. 47. l. 20. r. him Sealed with seven Seals p. 67. l. 34. r. comes p. 77. l. 12. r. Narses p. 81. l. 29. r. Scorpio-locusts p. 86. l. 2. r. a voice l. 21. r. and Iconium p. 93. l. 11. r. good p. 98. l. 9. r. Trumpet suppose as p. 108. l. 16. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 122. l. 7. r. Cruelty p. 128. l. 24. r. Lolhards p. 140. l. 8. r. decrees l. 11. r. Iconomachus p. 147. l. 18. r. Lineaments p. 152. l. 11. r. enlargment p. 200. l. 24. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 211. l. 26. r. and briefly p. 227. l. 1. r. Topazos p. 257. l. 4. r. Antemedial p. 260. l. 12. r. Assenter p. 270. l. 2. r. he p. 272. l. 1. p. 283. l. 2. r. Antemedial p. 293. l. 24. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 298. l. 3. r. R. H. Ch. 9. p. 315. l. 4. r. Hills p. 331. l. 7. r. with these p. 346. l. 5. r. that is One APOCALYPSIS APOCALYPSEOS OR THE Revelation of S t John UNVEILED CHAPTER I. 1. THe Revelation of Iesus Christ which God gave unto him to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass Not therefore the Revelation of things * manifestly foreshewn by him already or that are already past so that any entire Visions or Prefigurations should be here expected of them which would but make them more obscure but of things which are to come some sooner and some later but all of them shortly in respect of some successions of Ages in the Church or other that they may perpetually be advertised of their concerns and stand upon their guard And he sent and signified it by his Angel unto his servant Iohn This Revelation I say was made to Jesus Christ by God that he might communicate it to his servants for which end he sent his holy Angel by whose ministry these things through prophetick Visions and Prefigurations wrought and impressed upon his Inward Man were conveyed to Iohn 2. Who bare record of the Word of God and of the testimony of Iesus Christ and of all things that he saw This is he who is usually called Iohn the Divine for giving that Record of the Word of God in the beginning of his Gospel and of the Divinity of Jesus and who declared that which was from the beginning which he had heard seen and handled of the Word of Life and did testifie in writing the Actions of Jesus and all things that he faw 3. Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things that are written therein That are written in the volume of these Prophecies consisting chiefly of three parts the Vision of the Seven Churches the Vision of the Seven Seals the seventh whereof contains the seven Trumpets all which belong to the sealed Book and the Visions that appertain to the opened Book amongst which are the seven Vials and all the rest of the Visions of this Volume that some way or other are reducible to these Blessed is he that observes the things written in this Book of Prophecies that he may order his life accordingly and alwayes approve himself such as he is by these Visions admonished to be and adhere to Christ sincerely and to his True Church in all conditions For the time is at hand namely for the fulfilling of such Vision as appertain to the earlier Scene of the Affairs of the Church and will ever be at hand to the end of the world for the fulfilling of some Visions of this Book or other 4. Iohn to the seven Churches which are in Asia To the * truly Catholick and Apostolick Church distinguished into seven successions reaching from the beginning of the Church to the end of the world * and dispensed on
the Church in the state of the New Jerusalem of which it is said There shall be no night there and they need no candle nor the light of the Sun For the Lord God giveth them light and they shall reign for ever and ever 17. And when I saw him I fell at his feet as dead as being exceedingly afraid that this fight might portend some great evil to the people of God And he laid his right hand upon me saying unto me Fear not I am the First and the Last And though there may be some great Afflictions and Tryals of my Church represented to thee in what thou seest yet thou must remember nothing shall come to pass without my Providence who am the First and the Last and will carry you through all Persecutions and Deaths and make you at length more than Conquerours 18. I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Amen and have the Keys of Hell and of Death as if he should say For I am now alive though I was my self dead once and crucified but behold I am alive for Ever Amen This is most certainly true of him whom this Vision represents and that he has the Keys of Hell and Death And therefore no man need fear to undergo martyrdom for his Cause who will certainly make him partaker of a Blessed Immortality and plunge his barbarous persecutors into everlasting perdition Wherefore after this encouragement to Iohn he sayes 19. Write the things which thou hast seen and the things which are and the things which shall be hereafter that is write the things which thou hast seen and known already as being past and the things that are present and the things that are to come after viz. The affairs of the first succession of the Church which is the Ephesine succession the affairs of the present succession of the Church in which S t Iohn wrote these Visions which is the Smyrnean and of the rest of the successions of the Church which are to come afterwards 20. Which affairs thus distributed into seven successions or intervals are indeed the mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand and the seven golden candlesticks For the seven stars are the Angels of the seven Churches that is the seven successions of Bishops and Pastors that are to shine forth in the brightness and purity of their Life and Doctrine in the seven successions of the Churches And the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven successions of the Apostolick Church here called seven Churches NOTES CHAPTER I. Vers. 1. Manifestly shewn already by him or that are past c. This is spoken in reference to the absurd Interpretations of Grotius in the first six Seals and the first six Trumpets who fixes the Scene of all those Visions in Judea and ends them with the sacking of the City which was before S t John wrote the Apocalypse for he wrote it in Domitian's time But what will not prejudiced Wits imagine rather than stoop to the Truth See my Mystery of Godliness Book 5. chap. 16. And Synops. Prophetic Book 2. chap. 2. sect 4 5 c. Vers. 4. Truly Catholick and Apostolick Church c. This I conceive to be comprehended in the name Asia in allusion to the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Asia signifying Fundamentum as if he should say To all the Churches that keep the Apostolical Foundation in Doctrine and Practice that keep in it and swerve not from it by admitting any thing contrary thereto And dispersed on the face of the earth c. This also is comprised in the word Asia by allusion to another Hebrew word of a like nearness of sound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Asia again and is the lowest of those four Worlds notoriously known amongst the Cabbalists Aziluth Briah Jetzirah Asia of which last the lowest part is this Earth we tread upon So evidently is the allusion to the nearness of sound in words made use of in this Book of the Apocalypse See another reason from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in my Exposition of the seven Churches Vers. 19. The affairs of the first succession of the Church which is the Ephesine succession the affairs of the present c. That the affairs of the Ephesine succession were past when S t John received those Visions in Patmos is plain from hence because he received them about the end of Domitians Reign But the beginning of the Smyrnean succession is in the tenth of Nero or not long before which is about thirty years before S t John received the Visions in Patmos Besides that the Ephesine succession is described amongst other characters as not yet being stained with the doctrine and deeds of the Nicolaitans But the Nicolaitans appeared in the twelfth year of Nero as you may see in Spandanus the Epitomizer of Baronius Therefore the Ephesine succession was to expire before that time So plain is it that it was past when S t John was in Patmos But hence emerges a difficulty that well may stumble some viz. Being the Ephesine succession was then past why should there be an Epistle directed to it which is as if one should write to the deceased To which I answer That this Book of Prophecies being designed a Representation of the State of the Church or of the Empire in reference to the Church from the very beginning of the Church that the Representation might be the more compleat by not leaving out that little Time that was then past to the end of the world in that way I say it is comprized whether Epistolar or other it is to be begun and continued throughout And therefore in the Prophetical Vision of the Seals as the first Seal is rather an History than a Prophecy though disguised under Prophetick Iconismes For the time of the thing signified there by the Rider of the White Horse which the whole stream of Interpreters understand of Christ guiding and assisting the Apostles and his Church in the Apostolick times was in a manner quite expired when John wrote the Apocalypse So this Epistle to the Ephesine succession of the Church is to be conceived an Historical Description of that State of the Church rather than an Epistle though for conformity-sake it is put into this Epistolar disguise And since it is not so proper to write Epistles to any but those who are in present Being surely they who are satisfied there is no absurdity in writing in this Epistolar way to the successions of the Church not yet come ought to think the using this Epistolar form to a succession already past the more tolerable But supposing the Apocalypse a designed Representation as I hinted above of the affairs or state of the Church set out by a triple Prophecy this of the Seven Churches the second of the Sealed Book and the last of the Opened Book and that the Prophecy of the Sealed Book and of the Opened Book each
come for the better managing the Affairs of Christs Kingdome 7. And the first Beast was like a Lion which was the Standard of Iuda on the East side of the Camp The second Beast like a Calf which was the Standard of Ephraim on the West side of the Camp The third Beast had the face of a man which was the Standard of Reuben on the South side And the fourth Beast was like a flying Eagele which was the Standard of Dan on the North. And note that these four Beasts were thus situated in the Vision of Ezechiel And that this only is a Type of that Church that shall be cast thus into four parts the Spiritual Kingdom of Christ signified in both Visions 8. And the four Beasts had each of them six wings about him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is but hard sense if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it must signifie in a circle about him And therefore Grotius judiciously joyns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 together And so the Text runs thus Had each of them six wings And they were full of eyes without and within And they rest not day and night saying Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come Now that the four Beasts are said each of them to have six wings as the Beasts in Ezechiel's Vision also have undoubtedly they have them for that use the Seraphims are said to make of them in the Prophet Esay With twain to cover their faces with twain to cover their feet and with twain to fly Which implies a Reverence of the Divine Majesty an activity and readiness in his Service and a carefulness over our Affections that we walk in clean paths And whereas they are presently said to be full of eyes without and within it implies that with one eye regarding outward objects and the other their own nature and so comparing them together they will ever behave themselves decorously and becomingly with due reverence to that which is above them in dignity and excellency and at a due distance from those things that are unworthy of them and beneath them And therefore if any such thing be offered them from without as is repugnant to the innate Light and immutable Principles of an Intellectual Creature their eyes within will easily discern the Proposer to be either a Fool or an Impostor This is the state even of the whole People of God in those dayes But as for their Reverence and devotional sense of their Maker and Redeemer it is in a manner perpetual they rest not day and night saying Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come who fills all things and times with his Presence and Providence And as the People are so are their Priest-like Princes and Rulers For it follows immediately in the next Verses 9. And when those Beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the Throne who liveth for ever and ever 12. The four and twenty Elders also Prince and People being of one heart and mind fall down before him that sat on the Throne and worship him that liveth for ever and ever and tast their Crowns before the Throne in humble acknowledgment from whom and for whom they Reign even for the manifesting of the Glory and Honour and Power of God in the Kingdom of his Saints And therefore they are introduced Saying 11. Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and Honour and Power for thou hast Created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were Created NOTES CHAPTER IV. Vers. 5. All the Ministring Angels or all the Living c. For Seven we substitute All in this place the Septenary Number with the Cabbalists signifying Universality whence of the Pythagoreans it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the full comprehension of the numbers of sundry things in this Book of the Apocalypse is terminated in Seven Vers. 6. In the midst of the Throne and round about the Throne c. The Beasts seem to have been placed to S t John 's sight so as that one appeared just in the midst before the Throne and the spectacle being exhibited to him shelvingly another appeared beyond the Throne in the same line and two other the one on this side and the other on that side in a line cutting that other in right Angles so that they at due distances encompassed the Throne in a Circle exteriour to the twenty four Elders And in that they were not only seen as it were in the middle of the Throne in the sense abovesaid but on each side also and so encompassed the Throne placed in the common sections or conterminations of the four quadrants of the Circle drawn about it they are said to be not only in the midst of the Throne but about the Throne in a Circle at equal distances Or else in the midst that is within the Circle of the Throne which is thus conceived to be drawn about it but so near that the Beasts supposed like those in Ezechiel will have the same faces appear within the verges of the Throne that appeared without but in opposite places But then the Elders must be placed in a Circle without the Beasts which will make these Priestly Kings less answer to the Levites But thereby we are the better assured that they are Kings and not Priests It 's possible both these wayes may be glanced at in the Vision and that it may reflect both on the Camp of Israel and Vision of Ezechiel at once CHAPTER V. 1. ANd I saw in the right hand of him that sate on the Throne that is in the hand of God a Book written within and on the backside viz. A Book that had a more outward sense in the meer Letter which consists of Representations Symbolical or Hieroglyphical of Iconismes or Images of things future and a more inward sense which is the sense of the future things themselves thus represented in Symbols or Images This Book of Prophecies was in the hand of God the Father in his power to impart it to whom he pleased as it is intimated in the beginning of the Apocalypse which is said to be the Revelation of Jesus Christ but that God gave it unto him sealed with seven seals And in that this Book is said to be sealed with seven seals it shews what a great Arcanum or Secret it was it being a Representation of a Scene of Affairs reaching from the beginning of the Church to the end of the world 2. And I saw a strong Angel proclaiming with a loud voice Who is worthy to open the Book and to loose the Seats thereof And that the inestimable worth of this Book of Prophecies which sottish and prophane Spirits so much slight and vilifie and crafty Politicians so much harden themselves against may appear here is proclamation made by a strong Angel with a loud voice Who is worthy to open c. that is Who is worthy to have so vast
you would be done to Quod tibi fieri non vis alteri ne feceris which he caused to be set up in his Palace and other publick places They are both taken notice of for their care and provision in Bread-corn and other necessaries of life 7. And when he had opened the fourth Seal I heard the fourth Beast that was like a flying Eagle and was placed on the North say Come and sée 8. And I looked and behold a pale Horse which colour of the Horse is very sutable to the Name of the Rider For it follows And his name that sate on him was Death And Hell followed him that is the Grave which is made a person here as Death is and as it were his Lackey to follow him And Power was given unto them over the fourth part of the Earth that is over almost all the Roman Empire which upon due compute was then a third part of the Earth as if this Power reached three fourths of the Empire To kill with the Sword and with Hunger and with Death that is with Famine and Pestilence and with the Beasts of the Earth Which ordinarily invade the Land in those Eastern and Southern parts in extream Famines and Pestilences to increase the mortality The beginning of this Seal is from Maximinus the Thracian and consequently an Emperour from the North as the place of the flying Eagle denotes that notable bird of prey and feeder on dead carcasses and therefore significant of the condition of this Seal under which concur so various modes of vast Mortality the Sword Famine Pestilence and wild Beasts Which Pestilence raging and over-running in a manner the whole Empire for the space of fifteen years and ending Anno CCLXIII from Maximinus to this year is the extent of this Seal And now for the Sword in the Interval of this Seal besides that in the Reign of Gallus and Volusianus Emperours the whole Empire in a manner was exhausted with rapine and slaughters by the Barbarians and consequently Tillage did fail and Famine ensue there were not two more bloody Beasts in the world than Maximinus and Gallienus the former for his cruelty being called Cyclops Busiris Phalaris and what not who without accusers or defence caused to be killed and spoiled of their goods no less than four thousand men and the latter his cruelty was such that he killed all the Male Sex of whole Cities and made nothing of slaying three or four thousand of his Soldiers in a day And there are many more examples of horrid cruelty by the Sword under this Seal according to the prediction thereof So admirably fully was accomplished what was predicted by these four Seals of which it is to be noted that not only parts of the Introductory Vision are made use of namely the four Beasts which usher in each Seal I mean the Visions thereof as parts of the description of him that appeared in the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks in the salutation of each Epistle are again made use of but as those parts of his description were sutable to the things signified concerning the Church the Epistle was wrote to so each Beast is sutable to the things predicted in each Seal in these four first Seals which strengthens the certainty of the Epistles being a Prophecy reaching from the beginning of the Church to the end of the World as well as this of the Sealed Book 9. And when he had opened the fifth Seal I saw under the Altar the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God and for the Testimony which they held that is he saw them lye at the foot of the Altar as Sacrifices that are slain use to do slaughtered or martyred for their couragiously professing Christianity For by Faith and an invincible Firmness of mind and unspeakable Patience they had made themselves an Oblation or Sacrifice for the carrying on the Affairs of the Kingdom of Christ. Here is predicted the bloody ten years persecution begun by Dioclesian and continued by his successor which was the most terrible that befell the Church of God This is the dregs of bitterness in the Smyrnean succession of the Church where by the ten days of Tribulation this persecution may be more particularly glanced at as well as all the Ten Persecutions usually so called 10. And they cryed with a loud voice saying How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the Earth that is the Persecution of the Church under this Seal was so exceeding grievous that they called aloud for Divine Vengeance on this persecuting Empire 11. And white Robes were given to every one of them and they were adopted into the Society of the Blessed which white Robes allude to the custome under the Jewish Temple Where after a due search into their Pedigree and the unblemishedness of their body by giving them or putting on them a white Vesture they were admitted into the Court of Priests as these to serve God in Heaven And it was said unto them that they should rest yet for a little season untill their fellow-servants also and their brethren that should be killed as they were should be fulfilled that is till their fellow-Christians under Licinius Iulian and under the Arians should be slain after which due vengeance should be taken of the bloody Empire under the time of the Trumpets 12. And I beheld when he had opened the sixth Seal and lo there was a great Earthquake The Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and may have a more general signification and denote a concussion shaking and commotion of the frame of things which things are here the constitution of the Pagan Hierarchy as I may so call it or Gentilism the Religion of the Roman Empire as Pagan And the Sun became black as sack-cloath of hair and the Moon became as blood that is they were both eclipsed both the Dragon himself the Sun as Head of that Religion and the Office of their Pontifex Maximus which is next to the Draconick Majesty and there intimated by the Moon These plainly suffered an Eclipse when the Roman Emperours by professing Christianity renounced Satan with all the wicked crew of evil Spirits under him and would serve him no more nor exercise the Office of his Pontifex Maximus as is recorded of Constantine Constantius Valentinianus and Valens and Gratian would not so much as retain the name of Pontifex Maximus 13. And the stars of Heaven fell unto the Earth even as a Fig-trée casteth her untimely figs when she is shaken with a mighty wind that is all the false gods of this Diabolical Polity the frame of the Pagan Religion they fell from that Religious Honour and Worship which was given them and were trampled under-foot by the prevailing Christians as also their Priests that served them 14. And the Heaven departed as a scrowl when it is rolled together that is this Pagan Hierarchy shrivelled
For that this belongs to Rome the wonted character Third plainly shews Therefore under this Trumpet there is no longer at last any King of Rome denoted by the Sun nor Consular Power nor Senatorian nor the Power of other known Ancient Magistrates of Rome denoted by the Moon and Stars but the City at last namely after that from the year 542 in the Ostrogothick War by Belisarius and Narsus Iustinian's Generals it was deprived of the Consular Power and after taken twice by Totilas and burnt and retaken by Narses and a little after struck to the ground by thunder and lightning and tempest being despoiled of all Ancient Ranks of Roman Magistracy sunk to that ignoble and obscure Title of the Dutchy of Rome and after was forced to pay Tribute to Ravenna under the Exarchate a City that before had been subject to her In which inglorious state she continued till the year 750 Which year is the Epocha of that notable Interval of the Kingdom of the Saracens from the beginning of the Caliphate of the Abasidae who first made Bagdad their Imperial Seat to the taking of the said Bagdad by Togrulbeck King of the Turks which was in the year 1055. And this is the easie and natural sense of the fourth Trumpet and perfectly fills up the scope thereof 13. And I beheld and heard an Angel flying through the midst of Heaven saying with a loud voice Wo wo wo to the Inhabiters of the Earth by reason of the other voices of the Trumpet of the three Angels which are yet to sound These Woes are denounced against the Roman Empire who by this time besides the guilt of the blood of the Primitive Martyrs had in a gross manner lapsed into a kind of Paganochristian Idolatry which they would be found in under these following Trumpets and in cruel persecutions of the Apostolick Members of the Church that would not submit to their Idolatrous Paganochristianisme Wherefore vengeance proportionable to their redoubled wickedness shall be poured down upon them under the voices of the Trumpet of the three Angels that are to come NOTES CHAPTER VIII Vers. 7. As a character of the Roman Empire c. That the third part or subtriple proportion is a character of the Roman Empire will appear from Chap. 12. vers 4. where the Dragon with seven Heads and ten Horns which is undoubtedly the Roman Empire Pagan is said with his taile to have drawn the third part of the Stars of Heaven and cast them to the Earth Which in the Prophetick stile is as much as to say that he had brought down a third part of the Princes or Rulers of the known world in that time and subjected them to himself that is that the Roman Power had subdued a third part of the Powers and Principalities of the World to her self For Heaven and Earth are the parts of a Political World as well as of a Natural And the Stars of the Political World are the several Princes or Rulers thereof But when they are subjected to some other great Potentate then they cease to be fixed Stars but fall to the Earth that is to the low estate of subjection or are utterly extinct And in that they are said to be cast down by the taile of the Dragon by his taile is understood his Retinue his Train Military especially his Armies and Forces whether by Land or by Sea This is a most assured sense of the Prophetick stile and that therefore the amplitude of the Roman Dominion is hinted by the third part of Stars cast down to the Earth by the Dragons Taile as if it were about the third part of the known world in S t John 's time And that consequently this subtriple proportion is an intended character of the Roman Empire whereby we may know that such or such a Vision belongs to it And thus to give characters from Numbers and Proportions is according to the Cabbalistical mode and the very Genius of this Book which is Cabbalistical And it is absurd to think there should be so repeated a mention of a third part so perpetually of things as if Divine Providence had a peculiar pique against the third part of things or persons more than any other part as it may seem in at beast a dozen places in the Apocalypse were it not there were this mystery under it CHAPTER IX 1. ANd the filth Angel sounded and I saw a Star * fallen from Heaven to Earth that is a lapsed Spirit or Angel a Devil if you will For as a Star signifies an Angel so a fallen Star a lapsed Angel And to him was given the Key of the bottomless pit That is he had great Power in the Kingdom of darkness of which a Key is a Symbol 2. And he opened the bottomless Pit and there rose a smoke out of the Pit as the smoke of a great furnace That is there arose a hot and hellish zeal conjoyned with dark Ignorance for the Imposturous Religion of Mahomet And the Sun and the Air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the Pit That is the Gospel of the Sun of Righteousness was endeavoured to be clouded and eclipsed by the over-running force and false pretenses of Monotheisme and of a more pure worship in Mahometisme 2. And there came out of the smoke Locusts upon the Earth That is under this dark ignorant and false pretense the Saracens professors of the Mahometan Religion spread themselves over the Earth And unto them was given power as the scorpions of the Earth have power to have their sting and poison in their taile which deadly sting and poison in the Saracens was the falseness of their Religion which they transfused at the end of their conquests That was the poisonous sting to all conscientious Christians and to others it was at least poison if not a sting 4. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the Earth neither any green thing neither any tree Which here in Analogie stand for several orders of Men as the Locusts for the Saracens But only those men that have not the seal of God in their foreheads which intimates that notwithstanding the grassations of these Impostors the truly Apostolick Church would be kept safe And there is mention made of Men to insinuate that these Locusts were also men not mere insects For Locusts do not fall upon Men but upon Grass and Trees 5. And to them it was given that they should not kill them That is that these Saracens should indeed infest the Roman Empire sore but not destroy it quite as after happened by the Euphratean Horsemen But that they should be tormented five months that is during their time of lying upon it called here five months in allusion to the time of Locusts who live about that space of time as Naturalists relate But their continuance in vexing Italy was not much above five months of years if that may be particularly glanced at And their torment was as
also upon a pretense then too lamentably true because they had so wretchedly corrupted the Ancient Apostolick Christianity with many intolerable Superstitions and gross Idolatries adding the persecution of all those that would not submit to them and their wicked Inventions For which gross degeneracy of the Church this scourge of the Turks especially was sent in upon them as is plainly implyed in what follows 20. And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues that is of the Scorpio-Locusts and Euphratean Centaures as I may so speak but were only vexed with them by which is plainly meant the Western part of the Roman Empire which the Turk could never possess himself of yet as he has of the Eastern Yet for all this sad Example of Gods severity for the like crimes this Western part of the Empire repented not of the works of their hands their wicked and impious Inventions whereby they corrupted the Ancient Apostolick Christianity That they should not worship Devils * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Original has it that is Demons or middle invisible Powers betwixt God and Men whether Angels or Souls of men departed And in reference to these Idols of gold and silver and brass and stone and of wood which neither can see nor hear nor walk and yet they lift up their eyes and hands to them and pray before them as if they could see their posture hear what they said and were able to go and bestir themselves to accomplish their requests But in that the mode of their Idolatry here is by Statues not by Pictures this is another insinuation that the Western Church is here understood 21. Neither repented they of their murthers that is of their murtherous persecution of innocent Souls for not submitting to their Idolatrous Rites and Customs nor of their sorceries their imposturous exorcismes and enchantments of several things to holy pretended uses nor of their fornication their unnatural uncleannesses of all sorts upon an Hypocritical profession of a single life nor of their thefts their cunning tricks of cheating the people of their money by setting up Images for them to bring Oblations to their merchandises of hallowed Crosses Beads Medals and the like trumperies and deceits For such like wickednesses as these was the wrath of God poured down upon the Eastern part of the Empire by letting loose the Euphratean Horsemen upon them so as to quite over-run them and vanquish them and yet the Western Church the more the pity did not lay it at all to heart while those Judgments were thundring against the Eastern and these Euphratean Horsemen were let loose upon them Which happened a little before the year 1300 after the Caliphate of Bagdad with which the first Wo expired had in the year 1258 been abolished by the Tartars and the Remainder of the Turks who had Reigned in Persia on the other side of Euphrates were cast out as out of a sling into the parts of the Roman Empire on this side Euphrates by the said Tartars namely in the year 1289 who winning Syria and Palestine and dividing amongst themselves the greater part of Asia minor at last joyning in one Othoman Empire broke also into Europe nor ceased till they took Constantinople and quite abolished the Constantinopolitan Empire and made themselves fully Masters thereof But as for the close of this second Wo-trumpet the most natural extent I discern thereof is the Universal Impenitency of the Western parts of the Roman Empire till some Country or Kingdom appeared converted from such Crimes as the Eastern Empire was destroyed for by these Euphratean Horsemen And so we shall clearly observe with what succession of the Churches this sixth Trumpet or second Wo-Trumpet expires namely it ends with the Thyatirian succession The six Trumpets added to the six Seals reach just so far and no further So that the seventh Trumpet must be contemporary with the Sardian Philadelphian and Laodicean successions and equalize the succession of them all which is worth the remembring for the better understanding what follows NOTES CHAPTER IX Vers. 1. Fallen from Heaven to the Earth c. The Original has it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which though our English Translation renders I saw a Star fall from Heaven as if it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then falling yet I have made bold to translate it according to Grammatical truth fallen from Heaven But I understand it of a fallen Angel according to the warrantable sense of the Cabbalists See my Synopsis Prophetica Book 1. ch 8. sect 14. Vers. 5. The nature of the Scorpion perpetually to attempt to sting c. Semper cauda in ictu est nulloque momento meditari cessat ne quando desit occasioni Plin. Histor. Natur. lib. 11. c. 25. Her taile is alwayes a striking nor ceases she any one moment to endeavour to sting that she may be sure to miss no opportunity Vers. 14. Four Turkish Sultanies or Tetrarchies c. These four Sultanies their number is learnedly and ingeniously made out by M r J. Mede on this Text But besides this if they were not just four and the business is not their Number but their Office what they are to do and when yet by a Prophetick Diorisme they might be called four Four standing for a note of Vniversality in the Cabbalistick Mysteries And D r Hammond on this place would have Four not to signifie just four but indefinitely to be put for the number of the Angels concerned in this affair Which he might the better have adventured on if he had been acquainted with the Cabbalistick stile Vers. 17. Belongs to the times since the Invention of Gunpowder and the use of Guns in War Which Berchtoldus Niger a Franciscan Monk and Alchymist is said first to have divulged to the world about the year 1380 which was after the plague of the Saracens upon the Empire And shews also how vain the attempts of those are who would draw back these Visions to the times of Titus and the besieging of Jerusalem by the Roman Armies Vers. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Original has it c. And this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 has the same signification that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Spirits whether the Souls of Men or Angels and that either good or bad This is certainly the sense of the word in the Greek Language And therefore it is not so justifiably and fitly translated here Devils which none amongst the Pagans themselves are said to worship unless Witches and Magicians and therefore it had been more safe to have retained the Greek word which also the Latines use and called them Demons which signifies as well goods Angels and the souls of good men departed this life as bad Angels or bad Souls or if you will Devils which in all Idolatrous worship are in all likelihood busie Assistants and several times make a show of Miracles and so attract the worship of Idolaters to themselves they worshipping
them that do these miraculous feats when any are done so that the sense is easie enough either way Not to add that by a just reproach to their worshipping of Saints and Angels they are said to worship Devils For who but a Devil would receive Religious Worship or at least to worship false Objects according to that of Psalm 98. v. 5. All the Gods of the Heathen are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the very word here in this verse And the Hebrew word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no gods but vain objects of worship called in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there being no true objects of worship but he that made the Heavens See my Synopsis Prophetica Book 2. cap. 10. And M r Mede 's Apostasie of the latter Times ch 3 and 4 CHAPTER X. THe Euphratean Horsemen having over-run and destroyed and fully seized on the Eastern part of the Roman Empire natural method will prompt us to expect that what follows in this Prophecy of the sealed Book should refer to the Western parts of the Empire and concern the highest Dominion there to wit the Bloody Idolatrous Papal Hierarchy that Antichrist that exalts himself above all that is called God or worshipped the Prophet Balaam Lord of the People and who had made the Secular Power a Balak an empty cypher or an Ahab that is wholly guided or directed by the Prophetess Iezebel So that this Papal Hierarchy in the West being in reality the Highest Power by Usurpation and the Antichrist exalting himself against Christ and above him we may rationally expect that the last Wo-trumpet which contains the residue of the Sealed-Book-Prophecy carries in it such things or alterations as tend to the downfall of Antichrist and restoring and enlarging the Kingdom of Christ in these parts of the Roman Empire and over the whole Earth And therefore accordingly it is said 1. And I saw another mighty Angel come down from Heaven one distinct from the seven Trumpet-Angels cloathed with a cloud that is clouds and darkness were round about him a thick cloud charged with thunder And a Rain-bow was on his head which betokens he came in the Glory of the Divinity even in the Glory of God the Father for the Rainbow in the Vision of Ezechiel so signifies And therefore this mighty and victorious Angel must be Christ and a further intimation hereof is from what follows And his face was as it were the Sun For so he appeared to Saul when he cryed out to him Saul Saul why persecutest thou me and such was his description when he appeared in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks And his feet as Pillars of fire as it were coming out of the cloud and reaching to the Earth which are tokens of the great wrath of the Son of God or Christ and his coming to judge and take vengeance of his Enemies His feet was as fine Brass in the Thyatirian Interval here they are like a Pillar of fire 2. And he had in his hand a little book open which contains all the Visions of the Prophecy of the opened Book as we at first noted And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the earth standing in that Majestick manner and laying claim to or seizing himself as it were on his right by Sea and Land See ch 12.9 ch 13.11 3. And cryed with a loud voice as when a Lion roareth which is another intimation that it is Christ the Lion of the Tribe of Iudah And who in this majestick posture and terrible roaring could so well be said to set himself against Antichrist or the Papal Hierarchy as Christ The Roman Empire Eastern and Western too was sorely vext and scourged by the Scorpio-Locusts the Saracens and Eastern quite destroyed after by those Euphratean Centaures the Turks But the Papal Empire or Hierarchy here in the West Christ himself with his Apostolical Legions of Reformed Christians will utterly demolish and destroy as it is elsewhere said of the Ten Horns or Kings that at last they shall hate the Whore make her desolate eat her flesh and burn her with fire This loud roaring therefore of this Lion of the Tribe of Iudah sets off in general the anger and victorious terrour of Christ in assaulting and overcoming the Kingdom of Antichrist or the Papal Hierarchy and glorious Erection of his own Kingdom These in general are the affairs of this last space of the Sealed-Book-Prophecy And whereas it is said when he cryed or while he cryed seven thunders uttered their voices This is a distribution of the aforesaid space into seven parts which will be very serviceable for the orderly disposing of the Visions of the Opened-Book-Prophecy These seven Thunders may be seven Bath-Cols that is seven Oracles or Voices delivered in the midst of a Thunder and the last Thunder which betokens the turning of the Earth into a Lake of Fire by thundering and Lightning might happily send out some such voice as this Go ye accursed into everlasting fire This is the doom of them that adhere to the bloody imposturous and Idolatrous Papal Hierarchy 4. And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices I was about to write namely what they said And I heard a voice from Heaven saying unto me Seal up those things that the seven thunders uttered with an allusion to this Sealed Book of Prophecies as if he should say Though the seventh Seal be opened yet as to this part thereof let it be as sealed again for it is needless here so particularly to declare things touching the destruction of the Papal Hierarchy which agrees very well with what follows according to the reading of the Biblia Regia Andreas and others And thou shalt write them hereafter not And write them not namely in the Opened-Book-Prophecies where these affairs of the destruction of Antichrist and of the advancement of Christs Kingdom shall be more fully and particularly delivered which is a marvellous manner of transition from the Sealed-Book-Prophecy to the Opened-Book-Prophecy and sutable to the usual majestickness of this Book of the Apocalypse 5. And the Angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven as using that usual Ceremony of posture in swearing 6. And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever who created heaven and the things that therein are and the earth and the things that therein are and the sea and the things that are therein This is a mighty and vehement asseveration but it is concerning a thing that sunk flesh and blood are too too incredulous of which makes Christ in his Epistle to the Church of the Laodicean Interval which includes his coming to judgment and his putting an end to the Scene of things here on Earth use as vehement asseveration as might be by calling himself the Amen the faithful and true Witness
and the beginning of the Creation of God and therefore he who could also put an end to it And so here there is the like vehement asseveration that the stage of the Earth must have an end at the last Thunder which will bring upon it the Conflagration For so he saith That there should be time no longer that is That there shall be here no more time upon Earth 7. Saving in the dayes of the voice of the seventh Angel when he shall sound and the mystery of God be finished as he has declared to his servants the Prophets that is Those predictions be fulfilled which in such a mystical and symbolical stile God hath foretold by his Prophets Isaiah Daniel and Ezechiel and others which reach to the very end of the world or of the stage of things on this Earth And this is the first part of this marvellous Transition from the Prophecy of the Sealed Book to that of the Opened Book 8. And the voice which I heard from Heaven namely at the beginning of the Sealed-Book-Prophecy spake unto me again in the tone of a Trumpet suppose as it did before And said Go and take the little Book which is open in the hand of the Angel which standeth upon the Sea and upon the Earth Namely in the hand of Christ now in the form of an Angel as before in the form of a Lamb but the same person still under another form as it is the same Book though opened now when sealed before But this new change in both denotes a new series of Prophecies from the beginning of the Church to the end of the world as those of the Sealed Book were 9. And I went unto the Angel and said unto him Give me the little Book And he said unto me Take it and eat it up and it shall make thy belly bitter but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey that is Though the knowledge of future things may be pleasant and tempting to the curious Reader of this Book yet when he shall throughly digest it or understand it it will be bitter by reason of the several sad and bitter things contained in it As the sad persecution of the Primitive Christians in the Smyrnean succession of the Church and the foul Apostasie of the Church into gross Idolatry under the Reign of Antichrist or the Whore of Babylon and the most barbarous persecutions of them that will not submit to her wicked and Idolatrous Tyranny And there is bitterness enough for her too at the last which makes her paramours so loth to understand this Book of Prophecies aright 10. And I took the little Book out of the Angels hand and ate it up and it was in my mouth sweet as honey and as soon as I had eaten it my belly was bitter that is my stomach was bitter which is a prefiguration of the condition of those that shall read this Book and rightly digest it that is truly understand it Though there be pleasure in the understanding it yet when these sad things touching the Church were to come it could not but be bitterness to them that is the Book is of that nature that it would so affect a Christian. 11. And he said unto me Thou must prophecy again that is Thou must run over again from the same Epocha of time this race of prophecying that is foretell as before the fate or state of the Empire so now the fate or state of the Christian Church from the beginning thereof to the end of the world Before many Peoples and Nations and Tongues and Kings that is to their faces so that they may all understand how they are concerned in this Prophecy of the opened Book And thus is the Transition from the Sealed-Book-Prophecy to the Opened-Book-Prophecy in both the parts thereof fully finished Now follow the Visions themselves of the Opened-Book-Prophecy and that in a sufficiently natural and rational order those Visions that reach from the beginning of the Church being placed first NOTES Chapter X. Vers. 7. Saving in the dayes of the voice of the seventh Angel when he shall sound c. Instead of But in the dayes I have rendered it Saving in the dayes the sense of this verse in the Original being exceeding imperfect and ungrammatical unless 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be supposed to be put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saving or except And that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies so sometimes is abundantly plain out of several instances in the New Testament Mat. 20.22 But to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 except to those for whom it is prepared of my Father And Mat. 7.8 compared with Mark 9.8 where the former has it And when they lift up their eyes they saw no man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 save Jesus only the latter has it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is plainly put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and our English Translation renders it save Jesus only These and other such like places has Grotius himself noted to our hand which makes it manifest that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes signifies as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 except or saving And being the sense is maimed in this place of the Apocalypse unless 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be so rendred it is plain that it is the sense of this particle here And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have rendred when he shall sound not when he shall begin to sound as if it were restrained to the beginning of the sounding because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implies no such thing See my Ratio Synchronistica cap. 2. sect 3. Wherefore it is plain that the Angel swears there shall be no more Time on Earth saving in the space of the seventh Trumpet and that therefore there will be an end of this terrestrial Scene of things contrary to the confident conceit of those scoffing Atheists 2 Peter 3.3 And moreover that since we are at the end of all in this seventh Verse that there is a beginning of a new series of Prophecies from the first Epocha afterwards CHAPTER XI 1. ANd there was given to me a réed like unto a Rod and the Angel stood saying Rise and measure the Temple of God and the Altar and those that worship therein That is all that space that is contained within the inward Court. In the first part whereof is the Temple which consists of the Sanctum and Sanctum Sanctorum and in the latter part thereof stands the Altar of Holocausts which whole space therefore is Thysiasterion or the place of sacrificing and was not to be rendred Altar but the place where the Altar stands For the Priests did not worship in the Altar but in the place where the Altar was erected Which place the Greek Text calls Thysiasterion And in that it is said Measure them that worship therein it
is a manifest commendation of the order of Episcopacy rather than any reproach thereto as Cornelius à Lapide himself has observed upon the place And as for the sharpness of stile in my Exposition against the Idolatry and blood-thirstiness of the Roman Hierarchy I am satisfyed in my self that I have not the least ill will to the persons of any Romanists though I utterly abhor their Religion and I had not been a faithful Interpreter of the Apocalypse which in a great part of it is a very keen but just Satyr against the gross wickednesses of the Roman Church if my Exposition had not had also a due keenness and sharpness with it to awaken them if it were possible out of their errours into the acknowledgment of the truth And that a main body of them will continue obdurate even to the effusion of the last Vial the clearness of the Vision has driven me to acknowledge such a comminatory prediction too likely to come to pass unless a timely and sincere Repentance open a way to them for the embracing of the truth These few things I thought not amiss to take notice of Christian Reader that thou mayst take no offence at any thing nor be entangled Now according to my promise at the end of my Preface I will present to thy view my general Table of Synchronisms wherewith thou mayst refresh thy memory as to the right order of the Visions whose Interpretation thou hast perused In the Table therefore presented to thy sight let there be noted that principal Line of the whole Apocalyptick Scheme AD. divided into three parts AB BC. CD and let the whole Semicircle AZD. contain the Prophecy of the Sealed Book but the Semicircle AND. the Prophecy of the Opened Book But of those two particular Semicircles ALB. and BRD the former contains the first six Seals the latter the seventh which comprehends the seven Trumpets The six first of which Trumpets the Semicircle BMC includes and the Semicircle CND. the seventh distributed into seven Thunders orderly distinguished by numbers I. II. III. IV c. as is done in the Seals and Trumpets And to this Line or row of Seals Trumpets and Thunders all the rest of the Visions not only of the Opened Book but of the Seven Churches may some way be annected and applyed by Synchronismes either proper and perfect or by imperfect and partial as we shall advertise as we go through them We shall begin with the Antimedial Visions where AEB is the Woman in travail cloathed with the Sun and Crowned with twelve Stars Rev. Chap. 12. vers 1. AFB the Court of the Temple and Altar Commensurate or Symmetral Chap. 11. vers 1. AGB the fight of Michael with the Dragon about the Woman in travail Chap. 12. vers 4 7 8. AIR the Church of Ephesus or the Ephesine Interval contemporizing in part with the first Seal Chap. 2. v. 1. RHK. the Smyrnean Interval which contemporizes with the latter part of the first Seal and with the second third fourth and fifth Seal and with the forepart of the sixth Chap. 2. vers 8. The Medial Visions now follow where BC. is the company of the 144000. Servants of God sealed with the Seal of the living God in their foreheads Chap. 7. vers 3. BDC the outward Court incommensurate or asymmetral troden down of the Gentiles for forty two months Chap. 11. BEC the two witnesses clad in Sackcloth and mournfully prophesying for 1260. days Chap. 11. B e C. the same witnesses slain and lying in the street of the great City for three days and an half BFC the Woman in the Wilderness there to be nourished for 1260. days or for a time and times and half a time Chap. 12. vers 6 and 14. BGC the seven-headed Beasts with ten Horns whose deadly wound is healed Chap. 13. vers 3. BHC the two-horned Beast or false Prophet the restorer or healer of the Beast Chap. 13. vers 11. BIC the Virgin Company of the 144000. Sealed of the Lamb Chap. 14. vers 1. BKC that great City the Whore of Babylon sitting upon the seven-headed Beast with ten Horns which was and is not and yet is Chap. 17. vers 3.8 KPR. the Pergamenian Interval contemporizing with the latter part of the sixth Seal and with the five first Trumpets RQC. the Thyatirian Interval Synchronizing with some small part of the fifth and with the whole sixth Trumpet As for LNC and MC in these Visions and CEH and gH. in the following they respecting the voices of the three Angels and Anapleroses of them I shall take no notice of them here nor is their placing nor Anaplerosis so sound as what I have intimated in this my present Exposition of the Apocalypse where these three Angels Chap. 14. the first is assigned to the times of the Turks taking Constantinople the second to the appearing of the Reformation and the third to about the times of the fourth Vial which being a more simple way to me seems more assured But we proceed to the Postmedial Visions Where CAH HYP. PZQ QqR. RrS. SpT. and ToD. are the seven Antisynchronals of the seven Thunders CAH the Interval of the seven Vials Chap. 16. CFH. the compendium of the Vials Chap. 11. vers 16. to the end of the Chapter CBO the Interval of the Sardian Church contemporizing with the Interval of the six first Vials Chap. 3. vers 1. GH comprehends three Combinations of Synchronal Visions the Vision of the Harvest and the Winepress Chap. 14. vers 15 18. The Vision of the sixth and seventh Vial Chap. 16. vers 12. and the Vision of the preparation of the Bride and of the Battle of the Rider of the white horse Chap. 19. vers 7 11. VISIONVM APOCALYPTICARVM TABVLA GENERALIS This is the description of all my Synchronisms belonging to the Apocalyptick Visions which differ from the Synchronisms of M r Mede only in this that I place all the Vials after the middle Synchronals under the first Thunder of the seventh Trumpet he six of them before the seventh Trumpet and that he does not distinguish the seventh Trumpet into seven Thunders in his Table as I have done and therefore makes the binding of Satan and Millennial Reign of Christ c. to commence immediately and consequently the Raign of the Beast quite to expire at the beginning of that Trumpet when as in truth the Entireness of his Kingdom only then expires But being that else the main of the Synchronisms of M r Mede so far as he has gone for he never medled with the seven Churches nor was aware that the three days and an half the Witnesses lye slain are the same with 1260 days of their Prophesying agree with this description I have proposed I will vindicate the truth of his Synchronisms so far as they agree with the said description against the cavils of a late writer R. H. of Salisbury Because some men phansie though his Interpretations of the
but those Visions which M r Mede would have Synchronize with the seventh Trumpet are all within the seventh Trumpet and commencing at the final destruction of the Beast Synchronize one with another sufficiently Which is as much for the main scope and use of the Apocalypse as if they had adequately Synchronized with the seventh Trumpet And yet R. H. thinks so goodly well of his confutation of M r Mede's Synchronisms that for a conclusion of all he professedly persists in that obdurate conceit of his own That the Prophecies succeed one another and shall come to pass in that order in which they are written and were revealed Which gross opinion of his though it be confuted over and over again by my maintaining M r Mede's Synchronisms against all his cavils yet for a fuller conviction I will make good against him on M r Mede's behalf that main point That a new set of Prophecies begins at Chap. 11. whereof some commence from the same Epocha that the Prophecy of the Seals does And to disarm my Antagonist of several arguments that he clicks up upon a false Supposition I shall grant nay prove that the Book whose Seals the Lamb opened and the Opened Book which Iohn took from the hand of the Angel is one and the same Book first unsealed by the Lamb by which is denoted Christs assistance in discovering the Prophecies of the Sealed Book and then delivered by the Angel which is Christ again in another form as appears by his description to Iohn to eat Where again Christ's assistance is denoted and that this whole Book of Prophecies is from him namely the Opened Book-Prophecies as well as those of the Sealed Book Which Opened Book is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Sealed one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both of them diminutives so that the Sealed Book might have been called a little Book as well as the Opened Book and the vulgar Latine translates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 simply librum But if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be a more lessening Diminutive than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is made use of in respect of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the cortex that it may be the more easily eaten up by S t Iohn and also in respect of the Prophecies themselves that are signified by this Book For when all of them together was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so many namely those of the Seals being already dispatcht the other that remain being less than the whole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Prophecies are duly and proportionately called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the former Libellus this latter Libellulus But to conceive this Libellulus a Scrowle in which nothing was written is a very vain and empty conceit and such as is inconsistent with the drift of the Vision which entitles Christ to the whole Book of Prophecies to those of the Sealed Book by his opening of the Seals to those of the Opened Book by giving Iohn the Opened Book to eat it which if it contained nothing nothing was given him to eat But now that the Sealed Book and Opened Book be one and the same Book I briefly prove by these two arguments First from the intertexture of the Visions or dependance one of another so that one could not be well understood without the other which is a plain argument that they all belong to one Volume But that they cannot be well understood one without the other is admirably made out by M r Mede's Synchronisms And there is apertly mention made of the sixth and seventh Trumpet which belong to the Prophecies of the Sealed Book in the Prophecies of the Opened Book Chap. 11. vers 14 15. The other argument is That whereas there are such high Encomiums of the Sealed Book Chap. 5. unless the Sealed Book and the Opened Book be all one the Opened Book will have none of those Encomiums though it contains the more concerning Prophecies of the two But now lastly That notwithstanding the Sealed Book Prophecies and the Opened Book Prophecies make but one Volume yet at Chap. 11. there begins a new set of Prophecies commencing from the same Epocha that the Seals do M r Mede's arguments to me seem sufficiently solid The first whereof is his Synchronisms which if true as I have maintained they are plainly prove that the Prophecies of the Opened Book contemporize with the Visions of the Sealed Book Prophecies The second That there is a light touch Chap. 10. vers 7. upon the seventh Trumpet And the seven Thunders immediately succeeding the sixth Trumpet are in all reason to be conceived to fill the space of the seventh Trumpet as the seven Trumpets fill up the space of the seventh Seal Wherefore unless we will fancy the Prophecies of the Opened Book to run beyond the Goal of the Apocalypse after this they are to begin from the same lists of the race again that is to commence from the same Epocha that the Prophecy of the Seals did The third is taken from Chap. 10. vers 11. where upon Iohn's swallowing down the Opened Book it is said to him Thou must prophesy again before many peoples and Nations and tongues and Kings which seems to import that he was to run over the same space of time again and that his Visions would be of the like large extent as before The fourth and last is taken from vers 8. And the voice which I heard from Heaven viz. as of a Trumpet spake unto me again which being an introduction to the Prophecy of the Seven Churches Chap. 1. vers 10. and to the Prophecy of the Sealed Book Chap. 4. vers 1. and being set here again before the Prophecy of the Opened Book it is a sign that the Prophecy of the Opened Book is a new System of Prophecies beginning from the same Epocha with the former Now to the first R. H. his answer is very obvious That he has confuted M r Mede's Synchronisms But what a nothing it is which he has alledged against them let any impartial Reader judge To the second I do not see what material answer he does direct unless it be that the sixth Trumpet is continued to Chap. 11. vers 14. where it is said The second wo is past Which arguments is repeated again with a pretense of five more Disp. VII Quaes 1. but they being so lax and tautological I will comprise the strength of them that pretend to have any in these two The first therefore is That the close of the sixth Trumpet is not set down at the end of the ninth Chapter nor at vers 6 or 7. of the tenth but at vers 14. of the eleventh Nor are there in the other Trumpets any heterogeneous Visions interserted besides the Visum belonging to each Trumpet Therefore all from the beginning of the sixth Trumpet Chap. 9. v. 13. to the close thereof Chap. 11. vers 14. is the Visum of the sixth Trumpet it not being there said the first Vision of
Reader for the taking notice of it by makeing use of it here as a Note of the ending of the time of the first wo-Trumpet Wherefore the sense is Chap. 11. vers 14. of The second wo is past Here ends the time of the second wo-Trumpet or sixth Trumpet namely with the Rising of the witnesses or inchoative destruction of the Beast or expiration of his 42. Months Whence this Note is plainly intended for a Note Synchronistical to show that the end of the fourty two Months of the Beast and the end of the sixth Trumpet do Synchronize Which therefore is a thing of admirable importance For the Beast and 144000 sealed Virgins Synchronizing Synch 4. Part. 1. and the commencing of the sealed ones being just at the beginning of the first Trumpet Chap. 7. the Beast also begins and ends with the six first Trumpets whence the time of the sealing of these Virgins and this Note The second wo is past are as it were the two hinges on which all the middle Synchronals hang as M r Mede has very well observed And this I think is a sufficient answer to R. H. his question wherefore were those remarkable closes added to the fifth and sixth Trumpets But the ends he would have them added for I have demonstrated cannot be Which is the greater confirmation they were added for this which is a most worthy and admirable end and becoming the stupendious artifice of this Book To the third argument of M r Mede he answers Admit that passage Thou must prophesie again c. to emply two main Prophecies one of the Sealed Book the other of the Opened Book or that the Book maybe divided into two Tomes and the second begin at Chap. 10. vers 8. yet it does not follow that the second part must begin ab ovo or from the same Epocha with the former But I answer the Vision reaching to the very utmost Goal of the Apocalyptick race from such a time before we come at the eighth verse as I have clearly proved there is all the reason in the world S. Iohn being bid to prophesie again that his prophesying should commence from the same Epocha As if one should intend to write two Tomes of the affairs of any Kingdom the one Secular the other Ecclesiastical and that in his first Tome he had deduced his secular History to the last year it is impossible to imagin but in his next Tome he would begin his Ecclesiastick story from the same Epocha that the secular began from To the fourth and last he answers not unappositely We read not saith he that the voice Chap. 10. vers 8. was as the sound of a Trumpet and therefore not likely to relate to the voice Chap. 4. vers 1. but rather to the voice Chap. 10. vers 4. For that voice Chap. 4. vers 1. is said to be as the sound of a Trumpet but this not This is the first part of his answer but he proceeds But to what purpose he would have the Reader saith he to take notice of this I cannot tell Is this an Index that the Prophecy of the little Book as he calls it doth contemporate with the Prophecie of the Seals No more than the voice Chap. 4. vers 1. is an Index that the Prophecy of the Seals doth contemporate with the Vision of the Seven Churches c. But I briefly reply to the first That seeing Ellipses are so usual in the Apocalypse that the sense may not lye over bare M r Mede has with judgment made this supplement as of a Trumpet it being in all likelihood the same voice that spoke to him at the beginning of the Vision of the seven Churches and of the Prophecy of the Seals Chap. 4. v. 1. Nor is it said here not to be as the sound of a Trumpet but only that qualification is not mentioned for the reason abovesaid But that it should be the voice mentioned vers 4. of this tenth Chapter is not at all likely First because then it would have been only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. And the voice which I heard from Heaven said unto me and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 would be superfluous But then in the second place it being added there ought to be understood something more or different in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 than simply in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and methinks it is very obvious to conceive what it is if we recur to Chap. 1. vers 10. where Iohn is said to hear behind him a great voice as the sound of a Trumpet that is a loud sonorous or canorous voice And then to Chap. 4. v. 1. where the voice he there hears from Heaven is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as of a Trumpet talking loudly or canorously with him Here the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to speak aloud is put instead of the great voice Chap. 1. vers 10. and that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 has sometimes this peculiar signification not to speak simply but to speak aloud is observable in that verse of the Poet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is loudly speak out thy letters as the following words also imply And let the inscription on thy leaves be more than ordinary express But what is yet more to the purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which besides the usual signification is very often by the Seventy rendred by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He cryed also in my ears with a loud voice Ezek. 9.1 so is it also in the same sense rendred by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proclaim in the ears of the people saying Judg. 7.3 And so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which has no other signification but of loud clamour or vociferation yet by the Seventy Esa. 58.9 it is rendred by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clamabis dicet Thou shalt cry and he shall say Here am I. And to come nearer to the present Chapter vers 3. The voices of Thunder I think are loud and sonorous enough and yet the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The seven Thunders uttered their voices From whence we see plainly that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 8. is not there prefixed for nought but that it signifies a speaking to Iohn with a loud and sonorous voice such as was the voice Chap. 1. vers 10. and Chap. 4. ver 1. expressed by a Trumpet Now therefore being it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which implies a speaking thus sonorously to him again and that voice vers 4. of this Chapter is not said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it cannot be said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to speak in such a loud tone again it having not done so yet once and therefore of necessity it must be referred to Chap. 4. vers 1. From whence it is evident that that supplement of
Earth with her cup of Fornication the Temple will be rebuilt and the Inner Court at Ierusalem and there will then appear two inspired Witnesses doing such Miracles as Moses and Elias did and after three years and an half they will be slain by the Scarlet Beast and their dead bodies lye three days and a half in the open streets of Ierusalem and at the half days end they will be revived again stand upon their feet and ascend visibly in a cloud to Heaven their enemies beholding them Chap. 11. The Jews also before that time shall be converted to Christianity in despight of the Devil who will persecute them so that part of them will fly into the wilderness and the Devil send a great flood of water after them Chap. 12. There will also appear before the time of the said Whore a two-horned beast like a Lamb and that speaks like a Dragon who besides that he will do strange miracles as being a Magician or Witch and make a molten Image to the ten-horned Beast which shall breath and speak he will cause also his subjects to be marked in their right hands or in their foreheads with the capital or Acrostick letters of his name and the letters of that mark shall contain the value of 25. the root of 666. Chap. 13. And when this Queen of Babylon shall be in being that she may sit secure and at ease like a Queen and never dream of any sorrow she is not concerned in any one of the Vials but the seventh which are all litterally to be understood nor any of the Vials to be poured out till there be such a slaughter of the people of the Beast in Iudaea without Ierusalem that the blood shall reach even to the horses bridles in height for the space of a thousand six hundred furlongs in length Chap. 14. v. 20. and Chap. 15. So tender and dear a friend does this R. H. approve himself to this Whore of Babylon if she be already in being to shelter her thus from all suspicion from all peril of both dammage and disgrace This it is to have a friend in a corner to help at a dead lift And when both her own proper Champions and Grotius himself fails to take up the buckler so dexterously for her But certainly you will say It is either a piece of madness or a piece of Drollery in him to comment in this sort on the Apocalypse Whether it be a piece of Drollery in him to jear and insult over the desperateness of the Romish cause as to this point that have no safer Sanctuary at last than this to betake themselves to to free themselves from that grand accusation of Idolatry and Murder that is so plainly cast upon them by the true and genuine meaning of the Apocalypse he himself best knows But if he be mad he pretends cum ratione insanire he offering his reasons for all those extravagant positions he goes upon The first whereof is That the scene of the affairs of the Apocalypse is not in Europe but in Asia The second That the Visions are to be fulfilled not in a Mystical but in a bare Litteral sense The third That the Visions are to be fulfilled in such order as they lye in the Apocalypse The fourth and last is That none of the Visions of the Sealed Book nor Opened Book are yet fulfilled Which is a necessary Consectary from the second and third position We shall now examine the reasons he builds these Positions upon so many and so far as is requisite I. The reasons that he alledges for his first Position occurr Disp. 1. Quest. 3. And the chief of them are these two 1. The Prophecies saith he were written unto Asia and not unto Europe Rev. 1. vers 4. Iohn to the seven Churches in Asia and vers 11. What thou seest write in a Book and send it to the Seven Churches in Asia 2. His second argument is taken from Chap. 22. vers 16. I Iesus have sent mine Angel to testify unto you these things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concerning the Churches saith he and Grotius himself expounds it ecclesiarum bono in the behalf or for the good of the Churches And saith R. H. what is meant by the Chuches but the Churches of Asia Rev. 1. vers 4. And therefore Asia is the scene of the Visions of the Apocalypse I confess comparing the citations of the first Chapter with that of the last and which to me is highly probable allowing that the same Churches are meant in both Chapters these two arguments of his make a fair show But those that expound the Vision of the Seven Churches litterally will deny that the same Churches are understood in the last Chapter but that that passage signifies indefinitely all or any of the Christian Churches for whose use this Book of Prophecies was writ But I will easily allow R. H. this liberty to expound it of the same Churches in my Prophetical sense and of the same Churches of Asia too in the Cabbalistical sense of that word which signifies this lower region of the world or terrestrial Globe containing not only Asia but Europe and Africk and America too if need were Which spoils the conceit of his making Asia only in the usual sense the scene of the Apocalyptick Visions though his conceit in the mean time gives countenance to my understanding the Churches Chap. 22. to be the very Churches in Asia in my sense and to my making the Epistles to the Seven Churches to be a Prophecy II. The reasons for his second Position the principal of them are these 1. A Revelation cannot be a Mystery nor a Mystery a Revelation They are as contrary each to other saith he as light is to darkness Wherefore the whole Book of the Apocalypse being a Revelation it cannot be a Mystery or be expounded in a Mystical sense but only in a litteral unless where the Spirit of God himself tells us it is a Mystery and renders to us the mystical sense of the Letter To this effect is his first argument Disp. 1. Quest. 4. and Disp. 11. Quest. 2. 2. The second Where things are mystically to be understod they are afterwards interpreted in the Apocalypse or in other Texts of Scripture which speak of the same or the like matter As Rev. Chap. 1. vers 20. Rev. Chap. 17. vers 7 8 9. c. Dan. Chap. 7. vers 17 23 24. Wherefore when there is no such interpretation the Text is litterally to be understood Ibid. 3. His third is No Scripture is mystically to be understood without evident necessity but there is no necessity much less any evident necessity of understanding those things in a mystical sense which himself has interpreted in a litteral Wherefore the things above mentioned and all the rest where the Spirit or Angel does not interpret them to a mystical sense ought to be understood in a litteral Ibid. 4. The fourth and last This mystical way of interpreting
understood of that time of the succession of this Beast which followed after it had ceased to be yet for sureness that you may not mistake the Angel calls him at the latter end of this Verse The Beast that was and is not and yet is Which therefore is necessarily understood of the latter part of his time after he once ceased to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Beast that is after this Empire had ceased to be a Cruel Idolatrous Empire but had become a Cruel Idolatrous Empire again though not perfectly the same Idolatrous Empire it was before which is the natural and necessary meaning of is not and yet is But yet we are never the wiser what Empire certainly to pitch upon if the Angel stick here and therefore he holds on vers 9. The seven Heads are seven Mountains on which the Woman sitteth who is also said to sit upon the Beast Now he comes up closer to the business which plainly showes this Empire to be the Roman Empire whether you understand the seven Hills of Rome or Constantinople or both they both belonging to the Roman Empire Wherefore it is manifest the Roman Empire is here meant in that succession of Time after it had ceased to be an Idolatrous Empire which it did for a Time while pure Christianity prevailed and till the Apostasie came in After which it became the Beast that was and is not and yet is It was of old the Pagan Idolatrous Empire but is not so now and yet it is in a very considerable sense it being a Pagan-like or a Paganochristian Idolatrous Empire and cruelly persecutive of the pure Christians And that you may still be the better assured that this latter part of the succession of the Empire namely after it had become Christian and Apostatized again into Idolatry was aimed at the Angel holds on vers 10. And there are seven Kings namely which are the heads of the Beast and must take up the entire Times of the being of the Beast both the former and latter part thereof unless we will admit of a living Beast without an head Five are fallen and one is Now let any man living show five Heads that is five Supreme Governours to be fallen or past in S t Iohn's time unless they be those five sorts of Governours of the Roman State or Empire Kings Consuls Decemviri Consular Tribunes and Dictators No five single Emperours can fill up that space of time and therefore it must be understood of sorts of Governours whereof five had ceased in S t Iohn's time and one is that is was in his time viz. the Pagan Caesars or Emperours What can be more plain and assured But the other is not yet come namely the Christian Caesars or Emperours For the Emperours were Pagans in S t Iohn's time And when he cometh he must continue a short space that is the pure Christian Caesars Reign would be short the Apostasie into an Idolatrous Paganochristianism being so quickly to prevail in the Empire And the Beast that was and is not that is to say the Paganochristian Head be they Paganochristian Emperours or Popes that get the Soveraignty it is all one they make still or continue the Paganochristian Head of that Beast For that Beast is the Empire not the Head of the Empire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is both the eighth and one of the seven that is he is both the eighth King and seventh head of the Beast For the Beast is the Empire quatenus Idolatrous and so has but seven heads though there be eight Kings the seventh of them being King over the Empire while it ceased to be a Beast or Idolatrous or while the publick Religion of the Empire was purely Christian. And the ten horns which thou sawest namely on the seventh head are ten Kings which have received no Kingdom as yet viz. in S t Iohn's time but receive Power as Kings one hour with the Beast This also plainly denotes the time of the Beast commencing with the discerption of the Roman Empire into many Kingdoms which happened not while the Religion of the Empire was purely Pagan but when it was Apostatizing again into a kind of Paganochristian and Idolatrous condition The Empire therefore debauched again with Superstition and Pagan-like Idolatry and Cruelty after the expiration of the pure Christian Caesars or seventh King who was to continue but a short space is the Beast upon which the Woman rides And who this Woman is is plainly indigitated again and more precisely than in the ninth Verse viz. vers 18. And the Woman which thou sawest is that great City which reigneth over the Kings of the Earth In the ninth Verse the seat of the Woman are Seven Hills and here in this Verse She is that great City that in Saint Iohn's time is said to reign over the Kings of the Earth which no City on seven Hills then did besides Rome But the Walls and Houses of Rome did not then Reign over the Kings of the Earth but the Roman Polity here signified by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a City did then Rule over the Kings of the Earth And therefore the Roman Polity it must be that rides the Beast that was is not and yet is but not the Roman Polity Pagan For that Beast which is here ridden is after the expiration of Paganism properly so called and therefore it must be the Roman Polity Paganochristian that is the Roman Hierarchy which rides this Beast Which Roman Hierarchy the Spirit of God here calls the Whore of Babylon Quod oportebat demonstrare And what more assured demonstration of any thing can R. H. or any man living else desire than of this so concerning a truth And what a notable Key this is to unlock the sense of the Prophecies of the Sealed Book and Opened Book I will briefly show after I have smoothed the flawes and wiped off the rust that R. H. seems to fancy to stick on it I will produce his most material Cavils that by them you may judge of the rest 1. The first is touching the Hills of Rome which though at first they were seven three were after added while Rome was Pagan and that Papal Rome stands but upon two and no more 2. That Kings Dictators and Emperours being but one kind of Governours we shall fall short in our account of making up seven Heads of the Beast 3. That when it is said Five are fallen the meaning is not that Five are fallen in S t Iohn's time but that Five are fallen that is shall fall before the seventh Vial. Forasmuch as the Apostle writes a Prophecy not an History And therefore it must be understood of things to come 4. And the like he objecteth concerning the 18 th Verse That it does not speak of a City which raigned over the Kings of the Earth in Iohn's time but which is to raign in the time of the seventh Vial because the Apostle writes not an History but
Condensationis Examinatio cum Responsione ad ejusdem Objectiones Quaestionésve circa Principium Hylarchicum sive Spiritum Naturae quae est prior Enchiridii Metaphysici Appendix Adnotamenta in duas ingeniosas Dissertationes alteram Tentamen de Gravitatione Non-gravitatione corporum Fluidorum alteram Observationes circa Experimentum Torricellianum quae est Enchiridii Metaphysici Appendix posterior Ad clarissimum eruditissimum virum Christianum Knorrium de usu decem Sephirotharum c. Epistola Trium Tabularum Cabbalisticarum decem Sephirothas sive Numerationes exhibentium viz. Tabulae Iudaicae vulgaris Tabulae Knorrianae vel Lorianae in sublimioris Cabbalae Clavem Zoaristicam destinatae Tabulae Sephirotharum Graecanicae sive Pythagoricae ab H. M. restitutae Descriptio Expositio Quaestiones Considerationes paucae brevésque in Tractatum primum Libri Druschim quibus accessit ad Cl. eruditissimum virum Christianum Knorrium de rebus in Amica sua Responsione ad dictas Quaestiones c. contentis ulterior Disquisitio Visionis Ezechielis sive Mercavae Expositio ex Principiis Philosophiae Pythagoricae praecipuÃsque Theosophiae Iudaicae Reliquiis concinnata mirâque cum locis quibusdam S. Scripturae hactenus obscuris luculentâque congruitate consolidata Catechismus Cabbalisticus sive Mercavaeus quo in Divinis Mysteriis Mercavae Ezechielis explicandis memoriâ retinendis decem Sephirotharum usus egregiè illustratur Fundamenta Philosophiae sive Cabbalae Aeto-paedo-melissaeae quae omnem Creationem propriè dictam negat Essentiámque supponit Divinam quasi Corporeo-spiritualem Mundúmque Materialem aliquo modo Spiritum cum brevi ac luculenta praedictorum Fundamentorum Confutatione Philosophiae Teutonicae Censura sive Epistola ad Amicum quae Responsum complectitur ad Quaestiones quinque de Philosopho Teutonico I. B. illiúsque Philosophia Ad V. â— Epistola altera quae brevem Tractatûs Theologico-politici Confutationem complectitur paucáque sub finem annexa habet de libri Francisci Cuperi scopo cui Titulus est Arcana Atheismi revelata Demonstrationis duarum Propositionum viz. Ad substantiam quatenus substantia est necessariam Existentiam pertinere Vnicam in mundo substantiam esse quae praecipuae apud Spinozium Atheismi sunt Columnae brevis solidáque Confutatio Divinorum Dialogorum tres priores qui de Attributis Dei tractant ejúsque Providentia in genere Rerum ac verborum locorúmque Scripturae in hoc primo Tomo Voluminis Philosophici occurrentium Index Collectio Philosophica in qua continentur Praefatio generalis Antidotum adversùs Atheismum Appendix ad dictum Antidotum Enthusiasmus Triumphatus sive de Natura Causis Generibus Curatione Enthusiasmi brevis Dissertatio Immortalitas Animae Conjectura Cabbalistica sive Mentis Mosaicae in tribus primis capitibus Geneseos secundùm triplicem Cabbalam Literalem Philosophicam Divino-moralem Interpretatio cum singularum Cabbalarum Defensione Ad Defensionem Cabbalae Philosophicae Appendix Scholiis multùm aucta ubi inter alia Examini respondetur Cl. viri S. Andreae S. S. Theologiae Doctoris Philosophiae Professoris Herbornensis Divinorum Dialogorum duo posteriores qui de Regno Dei tractant de speciali illius Providentia per Christum super Ecclesiam à principio ad finem seculorum Rerum ac verborum locorúmque Scripturae in hoc altero Voluminis Philosophici Tomo contentorum Index Praefatio ad Lectorem Visionum Apocalypticarum Ratio Synchronistica Magni Mysterii Pietatis Explanatio sive Vera ac fidelis Repraesentatio Aeterni Evangelii Domini ac Servatoris nostri Jesu Christi Dei Filii unigeniti Hominúmque Principis ac Angelorum Mysterii Iniquitatis Pars prior sive Diligens justáque Delineatio verae Ideae Antichristianismi in Realibus genuinÃsque illius membris Mysterii Iniquitatis Pars posterior sive Synopsis Prophetica compendiosum continens Prospectum in illa sacrae Scripturae Vaticinia quibus Regnum Antichristi insignÃsve lapsus seu Degeneratio Ecclesiae in eis rebus omnibus quae in Idea Antichristianismi comprehenduntur praefiguratur vel praedicitur Expositio Prophetica septem Epistolarum ad septem Ecclesias Asiaticas De veris Rationibus sive Fundamentis Certitudinis Fidei in rebus Religionis brevis Dissertatio Antidotus adversùs Idololatriam sive Dissertatio brevis multa complectens Theoremata ad dignoscendum quid sit haberÃve debeat Idololatria apud Christianos apprimè utilia cum Applicatione ad doctrinam Concilii Tridentini Antidoti Appendix in qua vera adaequata Notio seu Definitio Idololatriae communiter sic dictae proponitur Exempla plurima istiusmodi Idololatriae in Romana Ecclesia per propositam Definitionem examinantur Consuetudines quaedam in Ecclesia Anglicana vindicantur seriaeque aliquot Monitiones de Idololatria Spirituali demum annectuntur Divinorum Hymnorum Heptachordon Carmina quaedam in Scriptis Philosophicis Anglicè occurrentia Latinè hîc per Authorem reddita Rerum ac Verborum locorúmque Scripturae in hoc Volumine Theologico explicatorum Index locupletissimus Praecipuorum Membrorum Antichristianismi Descriptionum simul Praedictionum eisdem respondentium Index particularis FINIS 1 The Authentickness of the Apocalypse II The Intelligibleness of the Apocalypse * Synops. Prophet Book 1. chap. 2. III The Excellency of the Book of the Apocalypse IV The peril of slighting the Apocalypse and the study of understanding it V The grounds the Authour goes upon in his Exposition of the Apocalypse how assured they be VI How grosly Grotius has overshot himself in his Interpreting the Apocalypse VII The Usefulness of the Authors Exposition against Atheism and for the defence of Natural Religion VIII The usefulness of it for the confirming of Christianity IX And for the justifying the Reformed Churches from all imputation of Schism X And for moving them to repentance and amendment of their lives XI The Usefulness of his Exposition in reference to the Jews XII A particular usefulness for the undeceiving the Fifth-Monarchy-men XIII The usefulness of it in the behalf of the Pontifician Party XIV The Conclusion XV Of his Epilogue to be annexed at the end of his Exposition * See Notes vers 4. Eph. 5.30 * Chap. 1. Sect. 6. * Chap. 10. Matt. 16.23 John 14.20 23. Cap. 6. vers 2. 2 Esdr. 13.38 * See Synops Prophetic Book 2. c. 12. sect 3. Dan. 9.24 Jer. 10.11 Acts 4.19 Dan. 7.14 Joh. 4.35 2 Corinth 7.11 1 Sam. 16.14 Esai 25.7 2 Esdr. 13.38 Mat. 21.13 Rom. 11.15 1 Corinth 12.3 Isai. 63.1 Matt. 10.28 Jude 13. 1 Corinth 6.19 Rom. 8.17 Joh. 5.44 Acts 10.47 * See Mr. Potters Interpretation of the Number 666 cap. 21. * See Mystery of Godliness lib. 5. cap. 16. sect 8. * Chap. 5. vers 24. I Of what Writers and in what way the Author has made use of in his Exposition of the Apocalypse with a Monition not rashly to attempt the expounding of that Book without consulting former Writers II The repeated Testimony of the Spirit of God in the Apocalypse against the Idolatry of the Church of Rome III The Authors Answer to certain invidious Cavils against the Protestant Exposition of the seven Heads of the Beast IV His Answer touching his interpreting the two Horns of the Beast of the Episcopal Mitre and his sharpness of stile in his Exposition V The Authors Table of Synchronisms proposed and explained VI The main difference betwixt M r Mede 's Table of Synchronisms and the Authors VII The Authors Defense of M r Mede ' s Synchronisms against R.H. so far as they agree with his own VIII The Authors Defence of Mr. Mede ' s opinion that a new set of Prophecies begins Rev. 11. whereof some commence from the same Epocha the Prophecy of the Seals does IX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no arguments that the Vision of the Seven Churches the Prophecy of the Seven Seals do not Synchronize X No good sense to be made of the Apocalypse but Mr. Mede 's way The ridiculousness of R. H. his way whereby he would gratify the Church of Rome XI R. H. his extravagant Positions touching the Interpretation of the Apocalypse together with his Reasons of them and their Confutation XII The Key of the Prophecy of the Seven Churches XIII The Key of the Sealed Book and Opened Book Prophecies which is the Angels Interpretation of the Beast and the Woman sitting on him Revel chap. 17. XIV R. H. his Objections against this Key proposed and answered XV The admirable usefulness of the abovesaid Key for the certain unlocking of the Sealed and Opened Book Prophecies XVI The Cognation and Identity or correspondent Opposition of the Middle Synchronals XVII The Antemedial Synchronals how well they sute with the Times they run into XVIII The Post-medial Visions their Order and the Congruity of those that are made to Synchronize one with another XIX R. H. his groundless drolling against the Mystical sense of the Apocalypse with an Answer to some chief Objections of his against Mr. Medes Expositions XX What the Motives were that drove R. H. to reject the Mystical way of Interpreting the Apocalypse and embrace the Litteral and how insufficient XXI That Mr. Mede never disapproved or was out of conceit with his own Synchronisms XXII A confutation of a novel conceit of R. F. that the Number of the Beast is not 666. but 42. XXIII The number twenty five in what regard a character of the Roman Hierarchy or Church of Rome XXV What a true and clear Looking-glass of Providence the Apocalypse is and of what great consequence it is for all Christians high and low to have a right understanding thereof XXVI Of Heresie and of the secularity of the Roman Hierarchy and how they that suffer for that Church are no Christian Martyrs XXVII That they that suffer for conscience sake by the Church of Rome are Christian Martyrs and how much their sufferings are against the Interest of the Secular Powers And what a weight of guilt lies upon them that have gratified the Papal Hierarchy by such persecutions of the conscientious XXVIII What assurance the Author himself has and others also may have concerning him that nothing but the meer Evidence of Truth has cast him upon such sentiments touching the Church of Rome Vol. Philosop Tom. 1. Vol. Philosop Tom. 2. Volum Theologic
Grammatical Criticisme or the Rules of Rhetorick and observable Genius of the very stile of this Book of the Apocalypse it self if such an Exposition for so far as the time of Prophecies is already past be not true what Exposition of any Prophecy or of any thing else can be thought to be true And the things that are to come as the Calling of the Jews and the utter breaking in pieces of the Roman Idolatrous Hierarchy sore against their will considering the sweet relish of domineering and imposing upon the world and their obdurate pretence of Infallibility it were a Miracle indeed to think they will ever confesse themselves convinced of those enormous Errours and Crimes that are so justly laid to their charge And being they would fall of themselves did not some Secular Power support them it therefore is rational to conceive that some Remnant of the Roman Empire may stick to them to the last Vial So solid is our Exposition in that part also And concerning the Calling of the Jews I have noted already how generally the Opinion is allowed of and how often intimated in the Scriptures To which I may add that it does not seem probable that they are preserved a distinct People from the rest of the world all this time for nought And then for the flourishing of Peace and Truth and Righteousness in the times of the New Jerusalem so universally over the face of the Earth It is a thing that has been so little done already and so fully and repeatedly inculcated by the ancient Prophets as well as set down so exactly in the Apocalypse that unless a man will question the Truth of Scripture he cannot but admit it to be true From which considerations I hope it will appear that our Exposition of the Apocalypse is throughout true and that I have not rashly called it Apocalypsis Apocalypseos it being a plain and true unveiling of the Apocalypse or stripping it of all those coverings and disguisings contained in the Prophetick stile and whatever other Artifices of Concealment and laying the sense bare and open to the eyes of all that will not wilfully wink that they may not see the Truth And that there may be no distrust of the assuredness of our Interpretation by pretending that others have interpreted the Apocalypse another way I shall give notice here by the bye that I have with all care and diligence perused other Interpreters and the very best of them Grotius and Ribera for as for some Modern Buffoones rather and abusers of the Apocalypse than serious Interpreters of it no sober man will think-himself obliged to take notice of them and in those two chefest Chapters as to the Controversie betwixt the Church of Rome and us whether they are not to be proved from thence Idolaters I mean the thirteenth and seventeenth Chapters of which I have made a Joynt-Exposition in my Synopsis Prophetica I have shewed how absurd and impossible both Ribera's and Grotius his Interpretations of those Chapters are And in Grotius his Exposition of them who yet is now accounted the Chiefest Interpreter and most accommodate to baffle the true and genuine meaning of those Prophecies I have noted near fourscore such flawes as I should be loth any one should be able to find one in my whole Exposition of the Apocalypse besides his absurd mis-timing of the Visions which would show though otherwise his Expositions were more tolerable that they were nothing to the purpose And that they are mis-timed I have abundantly demonstrated in my Synopsis Prophetica Book II. Chap. 2. So that there is the greatest assurance imaginable of my Exposition of the thirteenth and seventeeth Chapters of the Apocalypse as you may be fully satisfied by the reading of my Joynt-Exposition of them Synops. Prophet Book I. Chap. 12 13 14 15. And if this Bulwark of my Joynt-Exposition stand impregnable as most certainly it will none that perceives the force thereof but will easily admit of the rest of our Interpretations as solid and true And thus much briefly of the Truth of our Exposition of the Apocalypse Now the usefulness thereof which I proposed in the third and last place it is exceeding considerable First against Atheists and those that believe neither Angel nor Spirit for there being a deduction of things foretold from the beginning of the Church to the end of all so natural so solid and so true and every way unexceptionable to any Rational Man this is the greatest Evidence desirable to evince a Divine Providence over the Church and the Affairs of Mankind and consequently the existence of a God as also of Angels the Ministers of his Providence which is all along inculcated in this Book of the Apocalypse And particularly it is asserted in the beginning of the Book that this Revelation was made to S t John by the Ministry of an Angel And that this can be no imagination of S t John 's as the prophane Hobbians and Spinozians would be ready to suggest out of the Principles of their stupid and incredulous minds but a real thing the Book it self is an ample Testimony and plain demonstration it being out of the reach of any man by his own natural wit or fore-sight to write a Book of such comprehensive Prophecies and so continuedly true to say nothing of the manner of writing it the very Wit and Artifice thereof which seems to imply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Stile and Wit is not the Stile and Wit of a Man but certainly of an Angel Nor does the Apocalypse only support the truth of Natural Religion which is the belief of the Existence of a God and of Spirits or Angels good and bad and of a Blessed Immortality after this life but it is a most special and extraordinary confirmation of the truth of the Revealed Religion of Christianity and the most assured Argument and most lasting and satisfactory of the Apotheosis of Christ that the Wit of Man can excogitate or his heart desire For reading this Book and comparing it with the History of the Affairs of the Church and of the Nations so far forth as they have had any thing to do with the Church or the Church with them he may as it were see with his own eyes and feel with his hands the Truth of our Religion in the veracity of our Great Prophet and Saviour and in the exact completion of the Predictions he has communicated to his Church as hitherto Which standing Miracle is of as much weight with the Intelligent for the confirmation of their Faith in Christ if not more than if they lived in our Saviours time to see his Miracles or conferr with the eye-witnesses of them And it is an extraordinary glorious priviledge of the Christian Church to have such a Book of Prophecies as these and peculiar to her above all Religions else in the world that ever was and so easie and naturally applicable to the events predicted And