〈◊〉 〈◊〉 192 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 109 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 218 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 226 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 262 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 283 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 324 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 343 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 389 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 410 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 412 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 416 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉   Anni Phil. Alâ—…x Nabonass 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  424 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7 431 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 19 443 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 39 463 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 77 501 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 102 526 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 119 543 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 143 567 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 178 602 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 207 631 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 243 667 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 272 696 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 294 718 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 337 761 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  359 783 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 363 789 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 377 801 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 391 815 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 401 825 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 404 828 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 419 843 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 420 844 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 439 863 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 460 864 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 483 907 Here it is clear That Ptolomy doth set down particularly how long each King did Reign in the four great Empires and he doth also Collect the whole Number of yeares the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the beginning of Nabonassar Some Ecclesiastical Writers as Panadorus and others do frequently mention this Canon with whom Ioseph Scaliger did finde it but very corrupt who also did insert it in the third Book of his Isagogicall Canons But Calvisius doth represent it more pure and uncorrupt out of the Greek Manuscript And for the testimony which he doth give he doth not shun to call it more precious then any Gold and that had it been sooner published the matters of Chronologie would have been in a far better condition Calv. Isag. pag. 102. And for my part if I might cast in my Miâ—…e I may say also That I have been greatly delighted with this excellent Monument of Antiquity but for this reason more especially From the Creation of the world to the times of the Persian Monarchy we have a plain Scripture-Chronologie but from the times of the Persians to the coming of Christ for the space of 500 years or thereabouts for this whole interval of time set the Prophecy of Daniel aside we have no continued History in the Canonical Scriptures Many things have been foretold by Isaiah â—…eremiah and other Prophets and we finde also all along in the Stories of the Scripture how the Prophecies have been fulfilled Now it is not so with those things that are foretold in the Prophecy of Daniel there is no Story in the Old Testament that doth shew the truth of his Predictions Now I say What must be done in this case It is the minde of God that we should go to the Civil Stories to Herodotus Xenophon Diodorus Siculus Appianus Iosephus and others For these have left upon record the truth of that which Daniel long before did foretel concerning the Persian and the Graecian Empires And for his Prophetical Chronologie of the 70 weeks this Number of time may fitly be expounded by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Collection of years in the Canon aforementioned And for the certainty of the Computation we may believe That Ptolomy so exact an Artist could not easily be mistaken seeing he lived near the times of the Apostles at Alexandria in Egypt the chiefest School of Learning in all the East The like may be said of the whole Book of the Revelation for though many things are recorded in the Evangelists and the Acts of the Apostles concerning the fulfilling of the old Prophecies yet the Predictions in the Book of the Revelation which contain many an hundred years from the first to the second coming of Christ are declared in no Story of the New or Old Testament What must then be done in such a case as this It is the minde of God that we should reade the Stories of the Church and so accordingly by the order of the Story expound the Prophecy These things I thought good to note for their sakes who are the Enemies of Humaâ—…e Learning in these times Now let us return again to that Point from which we have made so necessary a Digression I say then if we peruse the aforementioned Canon we may see how Governments and the Changes of Government may be numbred by the Characters of the Greek Alphabet Let us take Nebuchadnezzar for instance the Root of the Babylonian Monarchy he is called in the Canon by the Name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Number of his Government from the beginning of Nabonassar is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 144 for in that year of Nabonassar he began to Reign So Darius the Mede who is called in the Canon by the Title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
the other side I conceive That it is too high to call Hen. 8. or any other Supreme Magistrate an Head much more a good Head of the Church the eminency transcendency and sublimity of that Prerogative belonging to Christ alone Our Princes have used such a Title and in the sense of the Statute in a moderate way the people have ascribed it to them to wit a Spiritual Power Authority and Jurisdiction that ever have belonged to Kings and Princes which David Solomon the Kings of Iudah and Christian Emperours have ever exercised in their respective Dominions This no doubt hath been the sense of well-meaning men and so Mr. Bedel doth expound it in the forementioned place and pag. 56. But for my part being inlightned and better informed I pray God such Titles be no more used and let that passage Next under thee and thy Christ in all Causes Ecclesiastical in these His Majesties Dominions Supreme Head and Governour Let the exuberancy of such a Title pass among the iniquity of our holy things Our godly Friends have been offended at it our Enemies have insulted Experience hath shewed much danger in the use of it and the present Treatise I doubt not will shew what an evil thing it is to take away the Prerogative of Christ and to make other Heads of the Church in his room Of all men living the Erastians have greatest cause to look to this For let Princes be once told That there is no Church-Government in the Word of God and that they themselves are the sole Fountains of Church-Power By this means it will be effected That the Name and Power of Christ over his own Church will be plucked down and the Name and Headship of Princes will be onely set up In matters of this nature if you give an Inch men will take an Ell. Rather for acts past we should often think upon that expression of the Prophet I will pour upon the House of David and the inhabitants of Ierusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication and they shall look to him whom they have pierced Zach. 12. 10. Christ is not onely pierced in a literal sense when his body is run thorow with a Spear but he is pierced also when his Name and Headship is taken away from him and given to another So far as a whole Nation have been mediately or immediately directly or indirectly implicated and involved in such a sin so far I believe they ought to mourn If this be not done God perhaps may rebuke us when our Armies go forth against those that Worship the Beast and uphold his Name and Headship in enmity to the Government of Christ. Though not in the favour of the enemy yet we may be chastised for our own faults and the Lord may be provoked to appear against us When the Lamb went forth on his white Horse against the Beast and his Armies the Armies that followed were upon white Horses cloathed in fine linen white and clean Rev. 19. 14. Further also by the process of this Discourse information may be given to certain in these Times who being led by the meer shew and colour of some passages in the Prophesies do think it a part of their duty to level Magistracy abolish Laws and to turn all things up-side down in Church and Common-wealth Of such I may say That they mingle the precious Truths of God with Fables of their own commenting In the Metamorphosis of Ovid we reade of the Beginning of the World of the Chaos of the Giants heaping of Pelion upon Ossa of Deucalions Flood of the Four Ages of the Golden the Silver the Brazen and the Iron Age. These things are not all Fictions because they have some ground of truth in the Scripture neither are they all truths because they are mingled with Fictions of the invention of man Of the same kinde are some Authors who are for the Fifth Monarchy they think that the setting up of the Kingdome of Christ will be the Dissolution of all Earthly Kingdomes But by the purport and whole drift of the present Discourse they may understand That the Kingdome of Christ is not contrary to Governments Powers and Authorities purely as such but onely to Governments as Idolatrous as Tyrannical as contrary to the Laws of Christ and of his Church In the Prophecy of Daniel the Empire of Babel is resembled to a Lyon of Persia to a Bear of Greece to a Leopard of Rome to a Beast of divers shapes All these Monarchies erected and set up on the ruines of the Davidical Kingdome are parallell'd to so many Beasts Buâ—… to what Beast shall we resemble in its right constitution the Davidical Kingdome it self In the Book of the Revelation the Angel doth expresly say That there were eight Kings and yet the Beast had but seven Heads Chap. 17. How can this be I have fully proved That the Dynasty Race and Succession of the Christian Caesars do make the seventh Roman King but no Head of the Beast Therefore the Mediatoriâ—…n Kingdom of Christ is not contrary to Governments as such neither is nor ever shall be built upon the ruines of Governments as Governments but upon the ruines of Governments onely as Tyrannical and opposite to the Laws of the Gospel There is no such cause then why solid and judicious men in these dayes should set aside this kinde of Learning which is so much for the Credit Authority of the Christian Magistrate And for the Government of the Church in some Points if I am not mistaken there is in this Prophecy as strong if not stronger proof then in any other Book of the New Testament As for Example Though Bishops are put down the Service-Book taken away the Ordination of Ministers brought neerer the Rule all this being done men are not pleased What is the cause of the Difference The difficulty lies in the Church-state Robinson and others of that way do plead That we have no Example for a National Church in the New Testament and the bringing in of whole Nations by the power of the Magistrate this is the principal Rock of Offence I confess it is true that we have no Example of a National Church in the Apostles time For how could all Nations come in at that particular instant when the greater part of them did still remain in their Idolatries and the Emperors themselves were the greatest Enemies of the Church Now if we apply our selves to the Book of the Revelation we shall plainly see how the Spirit doth foretel That after the Preaching of the Gospel the Church should fall under grievous Persecutions in all the times of the Pagan Caesars when that time is ended the Empire it self shall become Christian. What else should be the meaning of that expression Now is come Salvation and Strength and the Kingdome of our God and the Power of his Christ Rev. 12. 10. This doth note no other but the setting up of the Gospel in the Throne in the times of
up to attention to look after the Messiah of whom so much was sooken in the Prophecies So in the like case many things being foretold in the writings of the Apostles concerning the coming of Antichrist when that time should begin to draw near the Lord was pleased to suffer such a dust to be raised between Constantinople and Rome to rouze up the spirits of men to examine those things which were foretold in the Scriptures In the Book of the Revelation there is much spoken concerning the Name of the Beast and the Mark of the Name Now when this Name or Headship was come to the beginning thereof Gregory did plainly declare That the formality of Antichristianism did consist in this Title and that the Man of sin was then at the doors And I wish one day his sayings do not strongly witness against all his Successors who with one joynt consent down from the year of our Lord 606 have appropriated this Title to themselves to the great dishonour of Christ the true Head of the Church But if they alledge That the Bishop of Rome is only a Ministerial head as Christ's Vicar To this I Answer However they may evade by subtilty of words indeed and in truth they have taken for many Ages together the Dignity of Christ and have made him only the titular Head of the Church For is it not clear by the Stories That all doth depend upon the Authority of the Romane See The credit of Scripture the interpretation of Scripture the making of Laws the abrogation of divine Laws and all things in a manner have depended upon the Authority of the Roman Bishop What he would he hath set up what he would he hath plucked down And when all this is done is he only a titular Head Indeed and in â—…uth the Headship of Christ hath been made but a cypher and the words of Gregory have been found too true in the event But for the passages out of him two things are briefly to be observed First If we go to the 600 years immediately after the birth of Christ there was then no Oecumenical Bishop For though the Man of sin had gone very far and had made many progressions in the Mysterie of Iniquity yet the Authority it self was not publickly established in all that time If it were so we may believe that Gregory would not have inveighed against that Headship as he did Secondly In the year of the Lord 606 the Decree was Enacted That the Bishop of Rome should be Head over all Churches which Dignity the whole Succession have enjoyed now above this 1000 years And that which Gregory did call Antichristian in others that all his followers have assumed to this very day Therefore Thuanus in his 67 Book doth speak very pithily Phocas Bonifacio tertio insignes Episcopi Universalis titulos quos nuper Gregorius in Iohanne Constantinopolitano improbaverat prolixè attribuit Phocas did largely ascribe to Boniface the third those eminent titles of Universal Bishop which Gregory did lately inveigh against in Iohn of Constantinople Now then to gather all into one sum we may see how the Prophecies and the Stories of the Church do agree First That the two-horned Beast had a determinate time when he rose up out of the Earth Secondly That this time is after the rising of the ten-horned Beast or the ten Kings out of the ruines of the Empire Thirdly It is to be applied to such a time only when the Name and the Universal Headship of the Bishop of Rome began publickly to be set up All these three laid together do necessarily bring us to the Decree of the Headship under the Emperor Phocas And so we do Conclude that this is the Number of the Name of the Beast as it is mentioned in the Prophecie Now by what Accompt the Number is 666 we will shew in the Two Chapters following CHAP. V. That the Roman is the Fourth and Last Metal-Kingdom in Daniels Image and the truth of this is proved against the Positions of Junius Broughton Piscator Dr. Willet and others FOr the carrying on of our matter we need not imbark in that great Question Whether the Roman be the Fourth Metal-Kingdom Or Whether the Opinion of Junius and his followers be received We are sure both wayes to make the Accompt good That the Name or Universal Headship of the Bishop of Rome is 666. The matter is so firmly grounded upon the event Let us then proceed according to Iunius his Method let us say that the Babylonian is the first Metal-Kingdom that the Mede-Persian is the second that the Macedonian in Alexander is the third that the Seleucian is the fourth Here according to this Analogie there must be an end of all the four Metal-Kingdoms at the destruction of the Seleucian when Syria Iudaea and all that Oriental tract came under the Obedience of the People of Rome Now then if you reckon from the final Conclusion of all the four persecuting Empires and from the beginning of the Roman as that Nation did succeed in the Rule over the Church there will be an exact period of 666 years to the setting up of the Name or Universal Headship of the Bishop of Rome And so we do concord with the Principles of Iunius But we do not say That there was a dissolution of all four Metal-Kingdoms but only a dissolution of the third and a beginning of the fourth Now from the beginning of the Roman or the fourth Kingdom we make the accompt And for the clearer manifestation of the truth we will Debate this Point more fully for it is a ruled case in Daniel and the Revelation That one and the same thing is variously repeated for clearer explication As for ensample The Antichristian Kingdom is more obscurely delivered Revel 11. Now if we compare it with the description chap. 13 and chap. 17. all three Scriptures will exceedingly illustrate one and the same truth And so in the present case if it can be solidly proved that the fourth Beast in Daniel is the Roman Kingdom we may safely conclude that the same matter is repeated more largely in the Book of the Revelation Mr Medâ—… speaketh to very good purpose concerning the description of the ten-horn'd Beast Rev. 13. These are his words Toâ—…a autem haec descriptio petita est ex Propheâ—…iâ Danielis cap. 7. ubi de eâdem agitur quâ hic Bestiâ Romanâ status novissimi sed quae ibi Danieli ab Angelo succinctius narrantur ea hîc Iohanni interjectâ quasi explicatione fusius deducuntur Comment Apocal. pag. 190. From which words of his it is clear that one and the same Roman Dominion in the last and Antichristian State thereof is the subject matter of both Scriptures And so we have a certain and a demonstrative Principle to build upon For not only the Book of the Revelation it self will be cleared by comparing one part with another that which is more dark with that which is more
the Church To let pass the ambiguity of the phrase let us seriously ponder the circumstances of the text The Lord did reveal to Nebuchadnezzar things that should come to pass in the latter times But the great Question is in specie What latter times are here intended It is confessed by all That the Monarchical Kingdoms were to continue to the Coming of Christ and the words of the text are clear that the Kingdom of Christ shall begin in the times of these Kingdoms Now our Saviour was born his Gospel was preached and his Kingdom began when the Earth and particularly that part of the Earth was under the Sovereign Dominion of the Romans To me therefore it is an infallible Reason That the Roman must be one of the Monarchical Kingdoms and the Fourth in particular because the Kingdom of Christ did then begin when the Earth was under the Authority and Dominion of that People But let us go on Junius They which follow the latter Opinion do well to end Daniel's Prophecie at Christ. But this they ought to consider that the Lord doth not declare the State of the world universally but only so far as it concerneth the Iewes and the People of God And therefore in our judgement we cannot approve it that the Roman is the Fourth Kingdom Answer For the Maxime That the Four Monarchies are described only in relation to the Iewes I do yield it to be a truth so far as the Jewes were the only people of God But when the Gentiles also became his people the Monarchies are described in relation to them So then the Metal-Kingdoms are not related to the Jewes only nor to the Gentiles only but to the People of God both of Jewes and Gentiles Among many this one Argument may be sufficient to clear the Truth of that which we affirm At the end of these Kingdoms it is mentioned That the Kingdom and the Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most High chap. 7. vers 27. Who are they that are the People of the Saints of the most High Shall we say That they are only the People of the Jewes Then it will follow That the People of the Jewes only shall Constitute and make up the Kingdom of Christ and his Saints And how contrary is this to all colour and shew of truth Secondly Admit it should be granted that in the description of the Metal-Kingdoms the Lord should only have respect to the People of the Jewes this doth not exclude the Roman from being one of the Four Kingdoms For as the Jewes were somtimes under the Babylonians somtimes under the Persians somtimes under the Graecians so sixty years before the Birth of our Lord they came under the Dominion of the People of Rome who were the particular Nation and State of whom the Prophet speaketh The people of the Prince that shall come shall destroy the City and Sanctuary Dan. 9. 26. If you Number the times from that instant when the Dominion of the Romans began you shall finde that there were 130 years to the destruction of Ierusalem by Titus and Vespasian So long the Jewish Church and Nation were under the Roman Obedience So then we Conclude If the Monarchies be Numbred only in relation to the Jewes the Roman may be one of the Four as well as the Babylonian Persian oâ—… Graecian what should hinder Junius They that so Number must of necessity confound the popular State with the Sovereign Command of one which is here only mentioned Neither did the Romans any wayes afflict the Iewes till the times of Cleopatra or Herod Answer This is most true That the Jewes came under the Dominion of the Romans in the times of their Free-State And therefore in these times we begin the Roman as the Fourth Kingdom Now whereas it is alledged that in so doing we do confound the Popular State and the Government by One To this I Answer We are not here so much to look after the several forms of Roman Dominion as upon one whole Roman Kingdom opposed to one Babylonian to one Persian to one Graecian going before The Scripture looketh to Four kinds of People who in their respective Seasons and Successions should have absolute Dominion over the Earth and specially about the Confines of the Church according to this Difference we ought to distinguish each Monarchy as the Dominion pass'd from one people to another and not by the particular forms of Government observed by one people Therefore it doth fully Answer our purpose That the Church of the Jewes came under the Dominion and Lordship of the people of Rome 60 years before the Birth of the Lord. Now what Form of Dominion the Romans then had is not to our purpose Further Whereas it is said That the Romans did not afflict the Church of the Jewes till the times of Herod Give me leave to Argue after the same manner Cyrus did not afflict the People of the Jewes Therefore the Persian tyranny did not then begin Alexander the Great did not persecute the Jewes Therefore the Graecian Monarchy did not begin in his times This way of Reasoning is contrary to Scripture and Experience For to speak positively Though Cyrus did not afflict the Church of the Jewes yet he brought that Church and People within the Verge of the Persian Dominion which in all its times was a Tyrannical State So Alexander the Great did not persecute the Church yet he was the Founder of the Graecian Empire which in the whole time thereof did more or less afflict the Saints of the Jewish Church The like may be said of the Romans though there was no eminent Persecution in the time of their Free-State yet then the Church was brought within the compass of that Kingdom in which under which and by which there were the sorest Persecutions that ever were as appeareth by the Stories of the Evangelâ—…sts the Acts of the Apostles and the whole Book of the Revelation Now let us Consider what is spoken by Mr Broughton Mr Broughton The Book of Daniel handleth principal points of the Iewes thraldom in Babylon for 70 years and seven times that space unto Christ's Ascention and the destruction of the City and Temple So that Ierusalem surprized by the Chaldâ—…an and razed by the Roman is the limit of the Story Answer If it could be proved That Ierusalem seized by the Chaldaean and razed by the Roman that this is the limit of some of Daniel's Visions and namely of the 70 weeks it doth not follow that this is the boundary of all his Visions and particularly of all the Four Kingdoms typed in the Metals of the Image I shall endeavour in the process of this Discourse to make it appear that these Kingdoms do continue to the time of the glorious Kingdom of the Saints Rev. 20. But let us go on Mr Broughton The Kingdom of Babel is figured by a Tree touching in
Graecian nor the Roman can be set forth by this Character sith the Graecian is described in the Scripture in the nature of a Tetrarchy or a Kingdom divided into Four parts and the Roman in the nature of a Decarchy or a Kingdom divided into ten inferiour Realms These are the Three False Principles on which Interpreters do usually build and therefore the interpretation cannot be good that standeth upon such a sandy foundation For the mixture of Marriages which Piscator calleth Evidentem collationem an evident collation I do acknowledge that the mixture of Marriages mentioned chap. 2. is again repeated chap. 11. In the one text it is said That they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men And in the other That there is an interchangeable Marriage one or two betwixt the Seleucidae and the Lagidae But what of all this They that are like in some things are not altogether the same If that general rule Omne simile non est idem were observed in the Exposition of Daniel and the Revelation we should have a cleerer sense of some Visions then now we have But this great Fallacy hath imposed upon Interpreters they have taken that for the same which is parallel in some things only There are some that have gone so far in these times as that they have taken the little Horn for some late Princes some for Mahomet and some for this and some for that Here I confess there may be a similitude in some particulars and the Allusion may hold in some few Circumstances But if you go to the whole Body of the notes of the little Horn and to the scope of the text here it will be very hard to make good the Assertion There is a resemblance only between the Marriages mentioned chap. 2. and chap. 11. But if we go to the main scope the whole carriage of the text doth plainly shew That the Roman is the Fourth Kingdom and so consequeâ—…ly the mixture of Marriages and the mingling 〈◊〉 the seed of men must necessarily be in the Roman Kingdom And yet further To satisfie the doubt They who do look more diligently into the sense of the Prophecie they find many things in the Graecian which are but as Types and Figures of some notable events in the Roman Kingdom Let us take for Instance the little Horn mentioned in the Eighth of Daniel Now here all do agree That Antiochus Epiphanes is the little Horn meant in this Chapter yet whosoever he is that diligently readeth the words of St. Paul in 2 Thess. 2. he shall find that the Apostle doth apply many things to the Roman Antichrist and so doth Iohn in the Revelation that are here ascribed to Antiochus Epiphanes To salve the matter Interpreters tell us That Antiochus is the Figure of the Antichrist to come We may proceed in the same Method and so we may say That the interchangeable Marriages between the Seleucâ—…dae and the Lagidae are but Figures of the future mingling with the seed of men and of all other means that shall be used to the keeping up of the Roman Kingdom in the last and Antichristian State thereof But let us proceed Piscator The same thing also may be cleerly demonstrated from the words vers 34 35. where Daniel among many other things doth speak unto the King Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands which smote the Image upon the Feet that were part of Iron and part of Clay and brake them to pieces And the stone which smote the Image became a great Mountain and filled the whole Earth This Stone Daniel doth expound vers 44. to be the Kingdom that never shall be destroyed and is the Kingdom of Christ for the Kingdom of Christ began then to fill the whole Earth by the preaching of the Gospel after the overthrow of those Four Kingdoms as it is evident from the text And truly about the beginning of the Roman Empire Christ was Born when Augustus did bear Rule c. In the 35 year from his Birth he sent the holy Spirit from Heaven into the Apostles with whose Power they being endued did Preach the Gospel first at Ierusalem to the Iews and then afterward everywhere in the whole world to the Gentiles as the Book of the Acts doth testifie Therefore sith at the Rising of the Kingdom of Christ and at his filling the whole Earth the Fourth Kingdom prefigured by this Image was already destroyed and seeing also that the Roman Empire did continue at that time it doth necessarily follow That that Fourth Kingdom cannot any way be understood of the Empire of the Romans Answer That the Stone cut out of the Mountain is the Kingdom of Christ to this we freely Assent But whereas Piscator doth alledge That all the Four Metal-Kingdoms did expire at the beginning of Christ's Kingdom this we Deny Let us consider the words of the text for they must govern in this case First It is said concerning the Kingdom represented by the Stone cut out of the Mountain That in the dayes of these Kingdoms will the God of Heaven raise up a Kingdom that never shall be destroyed If this be so it will necessarily follow That the Roman must be one of the Four Metal-Kingdoms because our Saviour was Born his Gospel was Preached the Gentiles were brought to the Faith in those times when the Romans had the Sovereign Dominion over the Earth and particularly over those parts where the Church was seated The Seleucian Kingdom was destroyed and all that tract of Land from Euphrates to the Border of Egypt was wholly brought under the power of the Romans Therefore sith the Kingdom of Christ began in the times of the Roman the Roman must necessarily be the Fourth and the last Kingdom Secondlâ—… It is said That the Stone became a great Mâ—…untain and filled the whole Earth Now when did thiâ—… come to pass The Kingdom of Christ was weak and small at his Inâ—…arnation and in the times immediately following But after that the Stone smote the Image upon the Feet and Toes after that he had broken the Roman Kingdom in the last and Antichristian state thereof then and not till then it became a Mountain and filled the whole Earth Now this was not at the Incarnatioâ—… but we look for the performance thereof at the setting up of the Majestical Kingdom of Christ as it is plainly discovered in the whole Book of the Revelation Thirdly It is said That the Stone smote the Image upon the Feet and Toes that were part of Iron and part of Clay This sheweth plainly That the Seleucidae and the Lagidae cannot be the Fourth and the last Metal-Kingdom For the Kingdom of Christ did never so much as touch these Kingdoms They were all utterly destroyed by the power of the Romans before the Coming of Christ in the Flesh. Now if you apply this to the Roman as to the last of the Four Persecuting Empires the Kingdom of Christ in these last
in pieces like a Potters vessel The scope of the Text is chiefly concerning the exorbitancy and exaltation of Earthly Powers against Christ. And these we say do more nearly and immediately symbolize with the Great Antichrist Secondly they come also in the nearest resemblance to Antichrist and to that which is truly Antichristian who forsake the Scriptures to hang meerly upon Dreams and Revelations For as the true Believers who take Christ for the Head of the Church have the Word of the Gospel applied to their hearts and sealed to their Consciences by the inward working of the Spirit So on the contrary they who mis-believe and take Antichrist for the Head of the Church have his Superstitions Laws and Decrees rooted and grounded in them by Visions Dreams and Apocryphal Revelations This is clear from the scope of the Scripture And here is the esâ—…igies and lively pourtraicture of Antichrists Kingdome But before I come to the point it is necessary that I should premise one Caution in the beginning And here let it be noted That I do not speak of Revelations absolutely and in their full extent but of Revelations restrictively and in a sense onely If we take Revelations in the first sense I do easily agree That not onely in the first 2000 years from Adam to Abraham but also in the last dispensation since the coming of Christ God hath wonderfully revealed himself to his People as it is clear by the Scriptures and by the Stories of the Church And in my own experience I can avouch it to be true as I have had occasion to converse in several places so I have met with some good Christianâ—… whom it hath pleased the Lord to bring home by an admirable way of Conversion And some select persons also I know whom it hath pleased the Lord to chuse out for himself to bear witness to his Truth both in dark and troublesome times I have found that they have spoken great things concerning the last troubles and divers events thereof which experience hath confirmed to be true But concerning this kinde of people that a distinction may be made between true and Apocryphal Revelations I have ever noted three things in them First they have diligently waited upon the publick Ordinances of God and have broke through all difficulties through perswasions of Friends through oppositions of Enemies through threatnings of Tyrannical Courts that they might enjoy the means of their Salvation Secondly I have observed that they have always adhered to the written Word and have spent very much time in the meditation of the Promises Commands and other Passages desiring nothing more in all the world then that they might know the minde of God that they might save their own the Souls of other people Thirdly I have observed this in them That though they have been under extraordinary teachings yet they have had great darknesses in which they have always begged of the Lord that he would not leave them so and that he would carry them on further Now in praying waiting and using the means they have first or last had assured help from the Lord by the immediate supply of his Spirit There is much spoken by the School-men concerning the harmony betwixt the Grace of God and Endeavor of Man Suarez hath his way Alvarez bath his Penottus seemeth to draw a threed betwixt both and Cajetan saith In hoc ego non possum quietare intellectum meum In this I cannot satisfie my understanding But for my part I never found better grounds of resolution any-where then from the experiences of some Christians whom it hath pleased the Lord a long time to exercise in the Schoole of Temptation As they have had sundry changes of trouble and fear so they have had interchangable supply of Spirit and of auxiliary Grace to direct help and comfort them in all their fears There hath been a sweet parallel betwixt Gods grace and their endeavor as they did work under the grace and by the help of grace received By their experiences I do finde That it is the manner of God in dealing with a Soul to break it all to pieces and then wholly to make it up by the continual help of his Spirit Now this doth not any way drown the endeavor of man but doth onely put him upon the work of his Salvation with fear and trembling and upon an humble dependance upon the Lord for the supply of his grace This I have found from the experiences of such as have lived by Faith in the Promises and have prayed much by Faith in the Promises With some of these the Lord hath dealt by peculiar Revelations But these are particular priviledges which he doth vouchsafe to certain persons extraordinarily whom he doth set apart for special services either to himself or to his Church I do acknowledge That some Believers in this last dispensation may be partakers of such extraordinary workings of the Spirit therefore I will not absolutely and peremptorily conclude against all Dreams Visions and Revelations in these last Times And I think it very expedient that men should be moderate in their censure But yet for the ordinary course of Visions and Revelations which men do make boast of in these days it is very much to be suspected that they do proceed from no good Spirit Especially when they are carried so high as to live above Ordinances and to slight the Scriptures which God hath appointed as the way and means to Salvation Nay when they shall go further and maintain things apparently contrary to Scripture and the analogie of Faith and rest wholly upon the proof of extraordinary Revelation there is great cause why we should have this way in deep suspition that the power and working of Satan is here And they who call every thing Antichristian in the Ministery in the Ordinances in the Worship in the literal expressions of Scripture if they would be pleased to examine themselves and lay their hands upon their own hearts they would finde That by their slighting of the Scripture by their hanging upon extraordinary Revelations in matters contrary to Scripture they themselves are the most Antichristian men and do come in the nearest resemblance to the Great Antichrist as he is described by the Apostle in the Epistle to the Thessalonians and by Iohn in the Book of the Revelation But let us come to particulars these are the words of the Apostle Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with miracles signs and lying wonders and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they did not receive the truth in the love of it that they might be saved Chap. 2. ver 9 10. In which words the Apostle doth plainly shew and foretell That not onely at the coming of Antichrist but also in all the time of his Kingdome the Devil shall have power given him to do great things to deceive the world that they may believe the lies of Antichrist