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
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
therefore they deserve very ill of the Christian Church who either rashly or out of design instead of the true and genuine meaning of the Visions of the Apocalypse give unnatural forced senses of them disterting them from their intended scope applying mean sapless insignificant useless and inept meanings to them instead of those that are proper and adequate Which not to dissemble the Truth Grotius though otherwise a Learned Writer has most wretchedly done For this makes the very pretense of understanding Prophecies ridiculous and deprives Christ of his Glory and of one of the most Illustrious Fruits of the Passion and Apotheosis and the Church of her so Eminent Priviledge above all other Religions For such meager dry distorted and contradictions Expositions as Grotius has given of the Apocalypse if there were no other to be had than those would never argue it a Book Divinely Inspired but to be rather a confused heaping up of vagrant thoughts and fortuitous imaginations And yet these fond conceits of Grotius forsooth must stifle the genuine meaning and due efficacy of the Apocalypse that is We must rob Christ of his Glory and the Christian Church of her high peculiar Priviledge above any other Churches or Religions nay take take away that extraordinary support which not only Christianity but even Natural Religion it self has from this Book of the Apocalypse in a meer Complement to the Church of Rome that she may not seem as well by Divine Testimony as by Humane Reason guilty of Idolatry See my Synopsis Prophetica Book II. Chap. 2 3 4. and my Mystery of Godliness Book V. Chap. 16. Which Chapters if you attentively read though with the Favourers of Rome and Grotius you may think me not over-civil yet you will certainly conclude me very true and just in this my censure This I thought fit though it is against my Genius to lessen any ones performances plainly to declare that no man may be fobbed off from embracing the Truth by the specious name of Hugo Grotius prefixed to such weak and imperfect Essayes upon the Book of the Apocalypse where amongst other things it is to be noted that the six first Seals and the six first Trumpets which are indeed all the Visions of the Sealed Book he interprets of things which were transacted before the Prophecy was writ than which nothing can be more wild and preposterous A third considerable Usefulness of our Exposition is that it is a plain justification of all Reformed Churches Prince and People for their having left the Communion of the Church of Rome and a discharging of them of that perverse and unjust imputation of Schism which the Church of Rome would fain cast upon them For though they do loudly miscall them by the name of Hereticks yet they have nothing to lay to their charge but the disowning those things which it were Heresie for them to embrace and are nothing but unsound Doctrines and foul Trumperies and Principles of Idolatry which pretended Holy Church holds up for her unholy and secular ends or worldly interest For the main Body of Protestants hold all that were accounted Articles of Faith in the first Ages of the Church about the first four hundred years while the Church was deemed Symmetral as is intimated in the Apocalypse Chap. 11. whence it is impossible they should be Hereticks And that neither Prince nor People in the Reformed Churches are guilty of Schism besides the nature of the thing it self that no man is bound to disobey God under pretence of obeying a Church that is Idolatrous there is not only a Commission but a Command to all to leave her Communion Apoc. Chap. 2. ver 20. and Chap. 18. vers 4. And I heard a voice from Heaven saying Come out of her my people c. So that both Prince and People every where have a Commission from Heaven to leave her Communion so far are they from being Schismaticks for leaving it A fourth Usefulness may be and that again to the Reformed Churches which are the Church in Sardis who are reprehended by Christ in his Epistle to that Church for having a name of living as having a zeal one against another about things of smaller consequence and from thence making Schisms and Dissentions in the Reformed Churches but being even dead otherwise to that which is the onely Life of a True Christian which is Charity or Love the character of the Philadelphian Church Which the Sardian Church is heartily to breath after that all their breaches may be healed and defects made up and that Peace and Truth and Righteousness may flourish amongst them But as yet it is too true that her works are not found perfect before God as Christ complains of her in his Epistle Which Epistle of Christ to the Church in Sardis I wish all the Reformed Churches would seriously peruse and take notice of the heavy Commination against them If they do not watch and stand upon their guard and endeavour to strengthen the things that are ready to dye namely true Faith in God and in Jesus Christ and the promised asssistances of his Holy Spirit to subdue our Corruptions to the Scepter of his Kingdom and a sincere Zeal against all scandal and debauchery of Life and gross Superstition and Idolatry and against hankering after the Flesh-pots of Aegypt as thé Israelites did when God had brought them out of the House of Bondage into the Wilderness Which state is something analogous to the Sardian Interval in respect of the Philadelphian which is as it were the taking possesssion of the Holy Land and more analogous than we could wish in murmuring against their Governours and that Government which obtained in the Church even in those times which by the Spirit of God were accounted Symmetral Apoc. cap. 11.1 If they do not remember how they have received and heard and hold fast and repent namely how they have received from the Apostles themselves by their Writings and from Apostolick men raised up in the late Reformation who generally declared against the Idolatries of the Church of Rome and declared the Pope with his Hierarchy to be that Man of Sin the Antichrist even those that professed themselves not to know what to make of the Book of the Apocalypse as Luther and Calvin whom Cornelius à Lapide affirms to have cast it out of the Canon which is a sign that the Idolatry and Antichristianisme of the Roman Church was to their judgements so gross that they wanted no such helps to assure them thereof How they have received from S t Paul Children obey your Parents in the Lord as well as Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath Ephes. 6.4 And that Love is the fulfilling of the Law Galat. 5.14 For all the Law is fullfilled in one word even in this Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self but if ye bite and devour one another take heed that ye be not consumed one of another These and the like sins is
who is the Authour of the Prophecy and revealed it to John would reveal the Truth to him as if the Reader was to find it in this his new and rare Litteral way But to examine now as briefly as we may the three grand causes or grounds of his betaking himself to this new Invention never yet met with in any other Writer whatsoever as he but truly and justly boasts of himself in the beginning of his Preface Concerning the first therefore I answer That I commend Civility and fair Language so far as is consistent with Truth But if by the Interpretation of the Angel the Whore of Babylon that rides the Beast Chap. 17. is necessarily and inevitably the Roman Hierarchy debauching the Empire with Idolatry I will ask R. H. whether he takes himself to be a more wise and just Nomenclator than the Holy Ghost speaking by the voice of an Angel and whether we have not sufficient warrant to call Rome or the Roman Hierarchy the Whore of Babylon we having the Example of such an infallible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or imposer of names and whether he himself is not to take the less offence at it he expresly declaring at the end of his Book that God may permit the Turk for the punishment of Idolatry to take the City of Rome and possess himself of it To the second I answer That I dearly embrace that Christian good Nature in him and great abhorrence from War and Blood-shed especially upon account of Religion but withall I affirm that with this Christian temper my Exposition of the Apocalypse though I follow M r Medes Synchronisms for the main and interpret it Mystically better agrees than R. H. his Litteral Interpretation which seems framed in a tenderness to the worldly peace of the Church of Rome only but mine tends to a peace and cessation of Wars and Persecution in all Christendom Let R. H. read my Preface Sect. 12. and then tell me whether his Litteral sense or my Mystical sense is more abhorrent from persecution war and bloodshed and better consists with Christian peace and charity But he while he seems so solicitous for the Church of Rome in his Litteral Interpretation of the Apocalypse cares not to disarm all the Reformed Churches of that just defence which apparently they have out of the Apocalypse rightly understood for their separation from Rome whereby they can demonstrate themselves neither Schismaticks nor Hereticks nor ought to have been massacred and burnt for such to the exhausting of the lives of several hundred thousand innocent Souls that could not stoop to their Idolatries What a preposterous piece of Charity therefore is it in R. H. that in a tenderness to the peace of the Church of Rome he will despoil his own Church and all the Reformed Churches of their just and most effectual defence against that blood-thirsty Hierarchy who have drunk the blood of so many hundred thousands of innocent dissenters and if their Interest require it and opportunity give leave are it is to be feared ready to drink as much more But for my own part I am against all War upon account of Religion and all bloody Persecutions of one Party or other nor doth my Interpretation of the Apocalypse require any such thing But that they that are unjustly assaulted may defend themselves R. H. himself allows against the Papists in the Conclusion of his Book in these express words And so stands the Case betwixt Vs and Rome if they assault us we may assault them if they begin with us we may defend our selves and offend our foes until they be minded to be quiet and agree on peace upon safe terms and firm foundation And the Mystical Interpretation of the Apocalypse implyes no more against the persons of the Romanists than thus But that their Policy quatenus Idolatrous and persecutive will be confounded methinks R. H. should conceive there is no inconvenience in that unless he were a lover of Idolatry and Persecution more than of the purity of Gods Worship Goodness Equity and Truth Therefore the second cause of his adhering to a Litteral Exposition of the Apocalypse is thus quite blown away And for his third and last though the Church of England cannot but take in good part his kindness and well-meaning in her behalf against such phancy-full Sectaries as would prove her Antichristian out of the Mystical Interpretation of the Apocalypse yet the most Orthodox the most Pious and the most Learned Clergy-men of the Church of England to whom he dedicates his meaning of the Revelation will easily understand that he does our Church a great disservice by exploding all Mystical Interpretations of the Apocalypse the true Mystical Explication thereof such as I have pitched upon and such as I challenge R. H. or any man else living to show any flaw of moment therein excusing our English Church from all suspicion of that Antichristianism which is deciphered in the Apocalypse as doth appear by the second Consectary of my Ioynt-Exposition Synops. Prophet Book 2. Chap. 5. Besides what occurrs in my Preface to my Synopsis Sect. 17. of a peculiar Attestation to the Church of England from the completion of the Prophecy of the rising of the Witnesses Not to omit also that according to our mystical Interpretation Episcopacy was in the Church in the Symmetral times thereof And that there is no warrant for separation from the Church of England it being so considerable a part of the Reformed Church or the Church of Sardis So plain is it that R. H. doth disservice to our Church by decrying all Mystical Interpretations of the Apocalypse In the mean time I have abundantly shown how altogether groundless as well as how extravagant R. H. his Hypothesis is who would have the Apocalypse expounded in a litteral sense and supposeth the visions must be fulfilled in the same order they occurr in the Text And how weak his objections have proved against M r Mede's Synchronisms But as weak as they are they were the best his cause could afford him and his way more laudable thus to combate with his adversary in the open field to try if he could vanquish him than to use those small arts and petty tricks that is usual with a party of men that think any thing just that is for their Interest and stick not to report of men when they are dead that they had changed their opinions whom they being fixed upon firm grounds they could never move when they were alive And thus as I have heard has M r Mede been served His singular Learning and Piety being a great countenance to what tenents he held and therefore the most plausible as well as the most compendious confutation being his own disapproving of them upon better thoughts there has been a report raised that himself before he died was out of conceit with his own Synchronisms Which that it is a meer figment any unprejudiced man may be satisfied from these brief
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
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
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
is plain that the measuring belongs to the men not to the place This space therefore of ground answers to that space of time which is comprehended in the Ephesine and Smyrnean succession of the Church And the correspondence is admirable betwixt the Smyrnean succession and the Thysiasterion when so many Martyrs as so many Holocausts were sacrificed in testimony of the Truth of the Christian Religion the space where the Altar of Holocausts stands falling in with the space of Time of the Smyrnean persecutions 2. But the Court which is without the Temple leave out and measure it not For it is not commensurable to the Rule of Gods Word and the Apostolick Faith and Practice but contrary or repugnant namely that time of the Church which is comprised in far the greatest part of the Pergamenian succession and all the Thyatirian in which they are said to offer things sacrificed to Idols and were in some kind or other become Idolatrous never go about therefore to measure them for they are incommensurate to the Rule and point-blank contrary thereto such is the outward Court. For it is given unto the Gentiles and the holy City shall they tread under foot forty and two months that is a kind of Paganochristianity instead of pure Christianity shall visibly domineer for forty and two months of years that is 1260 years which is the same proportion of Time to the commensurate Time of the Church under the Ephesine and Smyrnean succession and a little further that the proportion of the outward Court has to the inward Court which proportion is as 1260 to 360 that is the outward Court contained the inward three times and an half in quantity 3. And I will give power unto my two Witnesses and they shall prophecy a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes cloathed in sackcloth The works of darkness were numbred by months the Moon being Ruler of the night but the works of Righteousness by dayes of which the Sun is moderator But by dayes are understood Prophetick dayes here that is years a thing known and usual in Prophecies By these Two Witnesses are understood all that bore witness against the Idolatries and disorders of this time of Apostasie and they are said to be cloathed in sackcloth to denote both the sadness of heart they are in to see such times and also to signifie the low and mean condition of such Holy and Apostolick men in this wicked time of Apostasie But all these mournful Witnesses are said to be two though never so many partly by reason of the Types in the Old Testament to which they allude Moses and Aaron Elias and Elisha Zorobabel and Ieshuah who show'd their Zeal for the purity of Gods Worship against the Idolatry in the Wilderness in the Baalitish Idolatry and in the Captivity of Babylon There may be also an allusion to things in this Division into two viz. to Magistracy and Ministry to the Old Testament and the New or else to the People of the Iews such as are kept out from our Religion by the gross Adulterations of it and to the Virgin Company of Christians 4. Those are the two Olive Trées and the two Candlesticks standing before the God of the Earth A description of the two Witnesses in the sense above declared with a particular allusion to that in Zachary chap. 4.11 where by the two Olive Trees upon the right side of the Candlestick and the left is understood Zorobabel and Ieshuah those faithful Servants in the Babylonish Captivity and the time of the mournfull Witnesses is the very time of the Whore of Babylon 5. And if any man will hurt them fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their Enemies The allusion is to Moses and Elias who did really bring down fire upon their Enemies but here it is to be understood Mystically of the fire of the Spirit Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts It was the Word of the Lord to Zorobabel who was a Type of these Witnesses and an helper of Gods People in the Babylonish Captivity And it is said of the Man in Esdras coming out of the Sea And he shall destroy them without labour by the Law which is like unto fire In which sense I would understand that which followes And if any man will hurt them he must in this manner be killed by the power of the Spirit in conviction and prayer these are the weapons of their warfare 6. These have power to shut heaven that it rain not in the dayes of their Prophecies namely in the dayes of their mournful Prophecy their prophecying in sackcloth This is figuratively spoken by a Prophetical Metalepsis or Zoopoeia of the second kind attributing that to their activity or it may be oral denunciation which is only a consequence of their condition they being put out of power and place in Church and State The allusion is to Elias his hindering it from raining three years and six months in Ahab's time which time exactly answers to 1260 dayes the time of these mournfull Witnesses But the rain that is here hindred is the sound Apostolick Doctrine and Heavenly influence thereof which hinderance is a consequence of these mournfull Witnesses being put out of power and place And have power over waters to turn them to blood because their Apostolick preaching of the Gospel of meekness and peace does not take place And to smite the earth with all plagues as often as they will that is as often as occasions offer themselves * For particular occasions answer in analogie to particular acts of will in this Prophetick Zoopoeia and indeed all the ten plagues of Aegypt came upon the Roman Empire because these Witnesses to the Apostolick Truth are not heard it having become a Land of Aegypt to the true Israelites the pure and Apostolick Christians How the plague of Frogs of Lice of swarms of Gnats and Flyes murrain of Beasts Boyles and Ulcers Hail and Locusts in a mystical sense interpreted fell upon this mystical Aegypt as it is called in this Book of Prophecies as a necessary consequence of these Witnesses disgrace affliction and deprivation of power and office were easie here to show if it were not too long for this short Explication we are upon 7. And when they shall be * a finishing their Testimony that is performing their witnessing to the Truth against all the Impostures and Idolatries of this Spiritual Aegypt The Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit that is either out of a pit of the Earth or the abysse of the Sea and so it will signifie either the two-horned or the ten-horned Beast shall make war against them and shall overcome them and kill them shall oppose them and overcome as to the power of this world and kill them so that they shall be politically dead all of them and some as it happened to the Waldenses and Albigenses and others be slain in a natural sense
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
as of a Trumpet made by M r Mede is added with judgment and truth To the second part of his objection I answer briefly and confess that this canorous voice like a Trumpet in this Chapter vers 8. is no more an index that the Prophecy of the little Book doth contemporate with the Prophecy of the Seals 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 But withal I affirm that the voice Chap. 4. vers 1. is an Index that the Prophecy of the Seals does contemporate with the Vision of the seven Churches and that the Vision of the seven Churches is a Prophecy commencing with the beginning of the Church and reaching to the end of the world as I have made good by no less than twenty firm arguments in the last Chapter of my Exposition of the Vision of the seven Churches So fitly do all things fall in together M r Mede's way But no sense to be made of them any other way Nor is that which R. H. takes notice of Disp. II. Ques 5. that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Preface to the Vision of the Seven Churches Rev. 1. but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Preface to the Prophecy of the Seven Seals Chap. 4. vers 1. as if the events of the Seals should be after the events of the Vision of the Seven Churches and begin a good while after them of any validity against the contemporizing of the Vision of the Seven Churches with the Prophecy of the Seven Seals For this is but another notable example of which I have given several in my Notes of that Apocalyptick figure which we call Lemmatosynechia or the holding together of the external cortex of the Apocalyptick narrations But according to the sense of all Interpreters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 has no reference here to the things of the Seven Churches but only signifies things which shall be hereafter which hinders not but that they may contemporize with the future things of the Seven Churches All take it in that sense which Beza translates it in Quae oportet fieri posthac which must be hereafter as our English rightly renders it Which had been good sense though it had been said in the very beginning of the Apocalypse according to Ribera his own interpretation who without any reference to what belongs to the Seven Churches understands by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things which must be hereafter Decursum Ecclesiae à tempore Iohannis ad finem seculi Aperit saith he argumentum sequentis Prophetiae To which I may add that it is a mistake in R. H. that he makes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a proper Preface to the Vision of the Seven Churches whenas it is rather a general Preface to all the three Prophecies of this Book and true of them all that they contained some things that were then to come to pass quickly as it is true of them all that they are the Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him c. And what I was a going to say That there can be no sense made of the Apocalypse but M r Mede's way a notable pledge of the truth thereof is in that that egregious learned writer Hugo Grotius who so humanely when he saw the Romish Interpreters so foully stick in the mire and make such pitiful sense of things offered his helping hand in their behalf but with so little success that R. H. himself to give him his due has all along notably well confuted the Grotian way though to enemy at all to the Romanists but out of like kindness to them that Grotius seems to have born he to wipe off that charge from the Church of Rome that she might not be taken for the Whore of Babylon by a marvellous invention makes her as innocent and clear of that fault as the Child yet unborn namely by laying the Scene of the affairs of the Apocalypse not in Europe no by no means but in Asia and by affirming that all the Visions are to be fulfilled in their litteral sense and that there is no mystical meaning of them in any place but where they are explained and acknowledged to be such in the very Book it self and consequently that none of these Visions are yet fulfill'd and he adds not to be fulfilled but in such order as they are set And therefore no Whore of Babylon to appear upon the stage no not so much as in Asia it self much less in Europe at Rome in Italy till there be a great shaking and concussion in the Heavens and the Sun it self become as black as Sackcloth made of Goats Hair and the Moon as red as blood and the Stars fall from Heaven in clusters to the Earth and that there be such great Earthquakes that every Mountain in the Earth shall be moved out of its place and every Island in the Sea also which be the events of the sixth Seal Rev. Chap. 6. vers 12. And that there be just 12000. young men of every Tribe of Israel sealed with the Seal of God in their foreheads Chap. 7. Moreover it must rain hail and fire and blood upon the land of Asia and a sulphureous mountain burning with fire must be cast into the Asiatick Sea and the third part of that Sea be turned into blood And a great blazing Star fall from Heaven burning and flaming like a torch which shall break asunder and fall into the third part of rivers and into the third part of the springs of waters throughout the land of Asia And the third part of the Sun shall be smitten with darkness and the third part of the Moon and the third part of the Stars Chap. 8. There shall be also a bottomless Pit opened out of which such a smoke shall arise that men shall not see the light of the Sun in the land of Asia And strange kind of Locusts with tayls of Scorpions heads with crowns of gold on them faces like men and hair like women and with wings that make such a dreadful noise as if it were the noise of Chariots drawn with horses running furiously to battle these shall swarm in the land of Asia and sting and vex men very sore There will also appear in the said Land an innumerable number of strange kind of Horses with their Riders upon them The heads of the Horses in shape like the heads of Lyons and out of the mouths of every one of them shall come forth fire smoak and brimston Their tayls also shall be like Serpents with heads and mouths and by the fire smoak and brimston coming out of their mouths and by the Serpents heads and mouths at the end of their tayls shall the third part of men be slain in Asia about the river Euphrates Paraph. R. H. 9. Furthermore before the Whore of Babylon be in being that Emperess of the World and debaucher of the Kings of the
earnest for the conversion of the Jews though he is utterly mistaken in the application of the Apocalyptick Visions to that event With the Seventh Vial synchronizeth the Treading of the Wine-press and also the Battle of the Rider of the White Horse and how necessarily these three Visions are tied together in one time my Exposition of the Apocalypse does clearly demonstrate that the fulfilling of all these three Visions are an utter destruction of Babylon the Roman Hierarchy and as it were an universal conversion of the heathenish Unbelievers to the Faith of the Gospel Wherefore the City Babylon being thus destroyed with the Second Thunder naturally synchronizeth the Descent of the New Ierusalem that City or Polity coming down from Heaven and quite contrary to the carnal and tyrannical City or Polity of Babylon Under the Second Thunder therefore is the constitution of Laws for universal Christendom by a truly holy and truly Oecumenical Council really inspired from Heaven With which time therefore naturally synchronizeth the Laying hold of Satan And this City or Polity the New Ierusalem thus constituted being the Kingdom of Christ the duration thereof does of necessity immediately follow under the next that is the Third Thunder and is that Millennial Reign of Christ properly so called wherein his Laws and Discipline are vigorously and faithfully executed and observed Whence with this Millennial Reign the close Imprisoning of Satan for a thousand years is rightly conceived to synchronize Which time of his Imprisonment his letting loose again immediately following it is evident that his letting loose synchronizeth with the Fourth Thunder And the besieging the Holy City by Gog and Magog as an effect of this with the Fifth And the coming of Christ to judgment to defeat the Besiegers with the Sixth Thunder From whence it follows that the New Ierusalem or Holy City continues all the time of the Third Fourth Fifth and Sixth Thunders though the Millennial Reign of Christ properly so called is contained within the space of the Third Thunder and the Palm-bearing Company within the space of the Second and Third For when the Devil has got loose again their Palms may be justly conceived to wither in their hands and yet considering they are still in their hands you may phansy if you will that they reach from the Second Thunder to the Seventh as the Exclusion of the Wicked Rabble out of the Holy City reaches through the Third Fourth Fifth and Sixth Thunders And lastly with the Seventh Thunder synchronizeth the Conflagration of the Earth by Thundering and Lightning properly so called as also the consummate Salvation of the Saints or their transvection into those eternal Mansions of glory These are the main Postmedial Visions of the Opened Book-Prophecy and you see how natural their order is thus disposed under the Seven Thunders which fill the Seventh Trumpet of the Sealed Book and what cognation there is betwixt those Visions that are made to synchronize one with another We will only add how they correspond with the Intervals of the Churches And it is observable that as the Ephesine and Smyrnean Interval did totally symbolize with the Antemedial Visions and eight of nine parts of the Pergamenian and the whole Thyatirian Interval with the Medial so the Sardian Philadelphian and Laodicean Intervals do most conspicuously symbolize will these Postmedial Visions For as the effusion of the Vials is ushered in with Musick Chap. 15. so the very name of Sardis is as much as Canticum laetitiae a Song of joy And as the state of the first Six Vials is but an unsetled imperfect state in comparison of what is to come so the Interval of the Church of Sardis whose Works are said not to be perfect before God is terminated with the Sixth Vial. But Philadelphia that excellent state of the Church that Interval reaches through the Seventh Vial and the Second and Third Thunder it being the Philadelphian Army which Christ so commends in his Epistle to that Church that atchieves that notable victory under the Seventh Vial and it being expresly said to that Church That the name of the City New Ierusalem should be writ upon her which cometh down from Heaven which cometh to pass under the Second Thunder And lastly The Interval of Laodicea synchronizing with the Fourth Fifth and Sixth Thunders The First whereof is the loosing of Satan The next the Siege by Gog and Magog and the last The coming of Christ to Iudgment how congenerous this is to the remisness of Laodicea who brought this Siege upon her self by her lukewarmness and laziness is obvious to observe And also how well the name of Laodicea which signifies the Iudging of the People agrees with Christs coming to judge the people under the Sixth Thunder Wherefore in virtue of the Angels Interpretation Chap. 17. that Royal Key of the Apocalypse with the addition of irrefutable Synchronisms there being given such a coherent Mystical sense throughout all parts so wonderfully harmonizing one with another And according to the Angels Interpretation a litteral sense being impossible in the middle Synchronals whereby we are assured also of the mystical sense of the Antemedial and Postmedial Visions I dare appeal even to R. H. himself if there be not more rhythme than Reason in those drolling Verses of his made in imitation of Martials upon Sabidius O litteral sense I love thee not the cause I cannot tell This only I can say of thee I love thee not farewel And whether it had not been more advisable for him to have abstained from medling with these holy and mysterious Oracles of God than to have rushed upon them with so little reverence and fear and to have bethought himself that a person so Learned and Pious as M r Mede and pursuing these studies with that Care and Devotion could not easily be mistaken in the main Nor has R. H. produced any thing material against any part of M r Medes Interpretations no more nor so much as against his Synchronisms I will only give a taste of one or two of his best Objections that you may judge thereby of the rest For my Epilogue is swollen too big already Against the Rider of the White Horse in the first Seal his being Christ miraculously assisting his Church in the Apostles Times he objects That it is Christ viz. the Lamb that showeth the Rider of the White Horse by opening this Seal and the Revealer and the Revealed cannot be the same As if a man could not show himself in person if he will and so be both the Revealer and the Revealed much more in representation or Image Not to add that it is the Angel that is the shower of the whole Scene of this Vision and makes a double representation of Christ here the one as he is the chief Revealer of the Vision the other as a Principal Person beginning that Scene that the Vision of the Seals represents That Objection is more material touching the first Trumpet