Church that being raised from the Dead he dieth no more Death hath no more Dominion over him If it be said That the Church of England is too small and inconsiderable for the Accomplishment of the things spoken of the fifth Monarchy I answer the fifth Monarchy is compar'd but to a Stone cut out of a Mountain Dan. ii 34 45. and such is the Stone of the Church of England to the Mountain of the Church of Rome out of which it was cut and that without Hands too So that if the Church of England in the beginning of its Reformation had been vast and mighty in Extent and Numbers it could not possibly have been the fifth Monarchy but being but a Stone to a Mountain it may very well be it which shall become it self in time a great Mountain and shall fill the whole Earth Dan. ii 35. The like is foretold of this State of the Church Isa lx 22. A little one shall become a thousand and a small one a strong Nation I the Lord will hasten it in its time Since therefore there is no question but the fifth Monarchy was to begin in a small People and as little that God can bring his Purposes to pass whenever he pleases the Littleness the Smallness the Inconsiderableness of the Church of England can be no just Prejudice against its being the fifth Monarchy but is rather an Argument to evince it But enough of this and perhaps too much For what will it all signify I cannot believe it says one it is impossible says another To these I say I cannot help their not believing it and we know with God nothing shall be impossible But if any one of them will give himself the trouble of a diligent and serious search into the Business to such a one I dare aver that he will find it a far more easy and compendious way to disbelieve than to disprove it May the God and Father of Lights so illuminate all our Minds and sanctify all our Hearts with his holy Spirit that both the erroneous may come over to the Communion of this excellent Church the wavering may be establish'd in it and the stedfast may walk worthy of it Amen FINIS SOLI TRIUNI GLORIA * Thus our Common-Prayer-Books are called Rev. v. 8. * See Resol of three Questions pag. 15 16 17 c. * Pag. 4. of the Preface before cited * Thus the seven Seals of the Book Chap. V. 1 c. are but one continued Seal or Mystery running through the whole Book And this Seal is called seven Seals only in respect of the Division of the Book into seven Parts For if the Spirit had been pleas'd to consider the Book without respect to any division he would have mention'd but one Seal And again if he had pleas'd to divide the Book into seven times seven Parts he would have made so many Seals The like may be understood of the seven Lamps here and the seven Horns of the Lamb Chap. V. 6. denoting the Church consider'd as divided into seven Intervals and of the seven Lights in the Lamps here and the seven Eyes of the Lamb there denoting the seven Spirits of God that is Angels or Ministers of his Church or the Holy Ghost that influences and inspires them For one Spirit or Angel of a Church signifies the whole Succession of its Pastors during any one Interval And again one Holy Ghost is call'd seven Spirits with respect to the seven Intervals of the Church that he presides in †Rev. iv 5. * That by Spirits in this Prophecy are meant Ministers appears from Rev. xvi 13 14. where the Spirits of Devils working Miracles must needs be the Ministers of Anti-Christ Consequently the Spirits of God must needs signify the Ministers of Christ 1 Holy 1 Lord 2 Holy 2 God 3 Holy 3 Almighty 4 which was 5 and is 6 and is to come †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if it had been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus the Prepositive Article is expounded Joh. xi 51 52. 2 Cor. v. 4. vii 11. Gal. v. 8. 1 Thess v. 27. 2 Thess i. 11. iii. 14. 1 Tim. vi 14. Col. iii. 8. Rev. xix 20. Heb. v. 4. ‖ Isa xli 20. xlv 8. lxv 17 18 19 20 c. Eph. ii 10. iv 24. 2 Cor. v. 17. Gal. vi 15. * It is usual for the Prophets Actions to represent the Peoples For which see the whole fourth Chapter os Ezekiel Also Chap. xxiv from ver 15 many other places of that Prophecy Also Isa xx 2 3 c. xxii 4. Jer. iv 19 31. †Accomplishment of Scripture-Prophecies Par. I. Chap. 8. * So Liv. v. 28. 1. triumphantem albi per urbem vexerant equi Ovid. de Ponto II. 8. 49. Claudian de bello Getico v. 127. Plin. Paneg. 22. 1. And Apuleius in his Apologia Peram Baculum Philosophis exprobrares Igitur triumphantibus quadrigas albas c. †Dan. vii 27. Rev. xi 15. ‖ Proaem ad lib. 1. * So the Author himself dates his Episte to the Reader †Rev. xvii 14. ‖ Rev. xvi 1 c. * See 2 Sam. ii 4 7 8 9 10 c. xv 10 13. xviii 6 7. xix 9 10 41 42 43 1 King xii 16 17 18 19 20. †2 Sam. vi 17. * So just before in this very Verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Lamb which had been slain but is now revived †They are the same Spirits i. e. Ministers of the same Church which was establish'd by Qu. Eliz. that are spoken of here and in Rev. iv 5. only here they are said to have been sent forth or driven from their Residencies in the Sectarian Persecution which had never happen'd before to the Church by her establish'd And note that as the Lamb signifies Christ or his Church so the seven Spirits signify the Holy Ghost or his Ministers indifferently as the Sense requires * See the Resol of three Quest †Rev. iv 9 10. v. 14. * Rev. v. 6 7.
AN ESSAY UPON THE Fourth and Fifth Chapters OF THE REVELATION SHEWING That the Church of ENGLAND B. L. E. Is particularly describ'd in those Chapters By WALTER GARRETT Vicar of Titchfield in Hampshire sometimes Fellow of Trinity-Colledg in Cambridg LONDON Printed for the Author and sold by Israel Harrison at Lincolns-Inn-Gate in Chancery-Lane 1690. To their Most Excellent Majesties WILLIAM and MARY Our most Gracious King and Queen May it please your Majesties THese Papers are not prostrate at your Royal Feet for Patrociny they beg nothing of your Majesties but Pardon and Acceptance They need no Shelter the Winds never hurt such Shrubs as these but if they need it they deserve none This Address therefore is purely the Result of a certain rapturous Excess of Joy and Gratitude for that late wonderful Deliverance of this Church and Nation which it has pleas'd Almighty God to give us by your Sacred Majesties unparallel'd Vertue and Conduct Such elevated Affections will be offering something even tho they have nothing fit to offer I only say that my Design is good which is to make it evident to your Majesties and to all the World in my way that is by Scripture-Prophecy what a Heavenly Church even in the Esteem of God himself your Majesties have sav'd from Ruin May your Reign be made as glorious and as prosperous in protecting it And let it not be imputed to me as a Crime if in my Zeal for my Holy Mother I assume the Freedom for this once to declare to your Majesties what I seem to have learn'd from the Word of God That in covering the establish'd Church your Reign will be truly glorious and prosperous Your Majesties may also have the satisfaction here to see how highly God has own'd your Royal Protestant-Predecessors and Progenitors And as my Method leads me to it I doubt not but by God's Assistance to shew as great Things of your Majesties when once I have prepar'd the way for it In the mean time the whole World is Witness that You are the chosen Servants of Jesus Christ Chosen I mean not by Man but by God only For how can that Act of Man be call'd a Choice that was so apparently over-rul'd by an Almighty Hand justified by so unquestionable a Right extorted by so irresistible a Merit I conclude with my hearty Prayers for the best of Princes in the best of words which are those of our common-prayer-Common-Prayer-Books so We call them but God calls them Golden Vials full of Odors which are the Prayers of the Saints That the King of kings and Lord of lords the only Ruler of Princes would so replenish You with the Grace of his Holy Spirit that You may always incline to his Will and walk in his way Endue You plenteously with Heavenly Gifts grant You in Health and Wealth long to live strengthen You that You may vanquish and overcome all Your Enemies and finally after this Life grant that You may attain Everlasting Ioy and Felicity through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen I am Your Majesties most Obedient Subject and Servant in the Lord WAL GARRETT An ESSAY upon the Fourth and Fifth Chapters of the Revelation shewing from the principal Characters of the Vision that the Church of ENGLAND B. L. E. is particularly described therein MY Design at present is not to give an Explication of this Vision 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they call it but only to represent the main Strokes of it And because I intend to be very short I shall forbear all prefacing and content my self with only minding the Reader That in a late Book entitled A Resolution of three Questions c. I have clearly prov'd for ought I find to the contrary 1. That the fourth and fifth Chapters of the Revelation are properly a Prophecy of things to come to pass after St. John 's receiving the Vision of them 2. That by Opening the sealed Book Rev. v. is meant or prefigur'd the Explaining of it 3. That by the Throne in both those Chapters is meant a Throne of God on Earth and not his Throne in the highest Heaven From these Principles which I take to be evidently and demonstrably certain for which I refer my self to the afore-said Book I now come to give some general Account of the meaning of the Vision And since it appears that the said Chapters are a continued orderly Relation of Things seen by St. John as Types of Things to come to pass after and which were not in being at the time of his receiving the Vision if in looking forward from that time we could but pitch upon any one remarkable Passage in the Vision and apply it certainly to its proper Event we should be in a very fair way of expounding the whole Prophecy so far as it is fulfilled it being no very hard matter for those that have any skill in the Prophetic Stile to apply Prophecy to History when they know whereabouts to seek for it Now if I be not very much mistaken the second Verse of Rev. v. is of that Nature I mean such as may certainly and irrefragably be applied to its proper Event Here therefore we must fix our Engine to wit upon the Point of Time referr'd to in that Passage if e're we hope to move this dark Prophetic World which like the Natural one consists of Heaven Earth Sea and Creatures in them into some better Light than it has yet been view'd in The words of Rev. v. 2. are these And I saw a strong Angel proclaiming with a loud Voice Who is worthy to open the Book and to loose the Seals of it That by Angels in the Vision are meant Men in the Completion there needs no other proof than the unanimous Consent of all Interpreters whatsoever who thus expound the Angels of the seven Churches But I have more particularly prov'd as to the Prophecy we are now upon that it concerns only things that were to come to pass on Earth and consequently this Angel must be some mortal Man But it cannot be any Man of an ordinary Character forasmuch as he is set forth to be a strong Angel and said to have proclaim'd with a loud Voice The Substance of his Proclamation we have in these words Who is worthy to open the Book and to loose the Seals of it The Book is the same which the Lamb takes out of the Hand of the Sitter on the Throne Rev. v. 7. and opens Rev. vi 2 c. where also we have the Contents of each Seal set down in order By Opening its Seals is meant Explaining it and by being worthy to open them is meant being able to do it as it is expounded in the very next Verse viz. Rev. v. 3. Let us see now if we can find in all the time from St. John's receiving this Vision downwards any such Person being a Man of extraordinary Quality to have made a publick and solemn Proclamation in the hearing of the whole World as it were
to the aforesaid purpose and we may certainly perswade our selves that He is that very Person referr'd to in the Prophecy One I know that fully answers every one of these Particulars and I believe the whole Series of History from St. John's time to ours affords no other Instance I mean King James of famous Memory in his Preface to his Apology for the Oath of Allegiance pag. 108. lin 1 2 c. It cannot be denied but K. James was a strong Angel as being Soveraign Monarch of three flourishing and potent Kingdoms And it is as evident that he spake in that Preface with a very loud Voice for he inscribes it himself expresly To all Christian Monarchs Free Princes and States So that he must needs have been heard far and near If therefore his Proclamation be for Substance the very same with that in the Prophecy what doubt can remain but that the Prophecy is to be expounded of it and that its Author the King is that strong Angel there spoken of We must know then that this good King after having given his Conjectures as himself calls them upon several Passages in the sealed-SEALED-BOOK endeavouring to find the Antichrist in them as may be seen in pag. 84 85 6 7 8. c. concludes that discourse in these words p. 108. lin 1. My only Wish shall be That if any Man shall have a fancy to refute this my Conjecture of the Antichrist that he answer me orderly to every part of my Discourse not contenting him to disprove my Opinion except he set down some other Method after his Form for Interpretation of that BOOK OF THE APOCALYPS which may not contradict no part of the Text nor contain no Absurdities Otherwise it is an easy thing for Momus to pick quarrels in another Man's tale and tell it worse himself it being a more easy practice to find Faults than to amend them These are the King 's own words so plain and applicable of themselves that without troubling the Reader with any Remarks upon them I appeal to his Judgment and Conscience whether he do not think them to be the same for substance with the Proclamation in the Vision Who is worthy to open the Book and to loose the Seals thereof Since therefore every Particular answers so exactly to the Vision and the Case is so uncommon and extraordinary that nothing like it can be produc'd from the beginning of the World to this Time we must never hope to attain the sense of any Prophecy if we cannot see a Truth so manifest as this is viz. That in our Gracious Soveraign King James the first was fulfilled that which is foretold Rev. v. 2. of the strong Angel proclaiming with a loud Voice Who is worthy to open the Book and to loose the Seals thereof And though this Truth as many other things may seem so strange at first that we shall hardly trust our very senses in attesting it yet being grounded on so certain Evidence I make no doubt but when a little thinking shall have rendred it familiar we shall easily acknowledg it Taking therefore this so unquestionable a Truth for our Key to the whole Prophecy let us try if we can penetrate any further into the Recesses of it by taking a general view of some of the most remarkable Passages that precede and some others that succede this of the strong Angel proclaiming If we look backward we find in the Verse next before viz. Rev. v. 1. The Sitter on the Throne represented with the sealed Book in his Right Hand Can any thing be conceiv'd a more lively and natural Resemblance of THE DEFENDER OF THE FAITH the peculiar Title of our Kings than this Who knows not that the right Hand is both the Instrument and the Symbol of powerful protection And as for the Book it is manifestly a part of that Sacred Volume wherein the whole Faith of a Christian is comprehended And it is withal such a part of it as perhaps no King in the whole World has ever taken in hand to that purpose as the King we speak of did who is as zealous in expounding it as any Interpreter we shall meet with From hence therefore there ariseth another great assurance to us that the former part of Rev. v. is a Prophecy relating to the Person of that excellent Monarch Obj. But how comes the King to be represented as God fitting in a Throne Rev. v. 1. and in the very next Verse only as as a strong Angel i. e. a Minister of God I answer Because in DEFENDING the FAITH of that Book with his right Hand he did the part of a King or earthly God but in shewing himself so sollicitous for the understanding of it he appear'd but like a Minister or Divine or in the phrase of the Apocalyps an Angel of the Church It is the King 's own distinction I thought it says he not comely for me being a King to put my Name to Books concerning scholastic Disputations whose Calling is to set forth Decrees in the Imperative Mood c. Whence you see how fitly even according to the sense of the King himself he is set forth in the first Verse as God in the next but as an Angel Tho even in that his Character is observ'd in a great measure he being represented not as an ordinary Angel but as a strong One with a loud Voice In like manner and for a like reason the same Person who is call'd at Vers 5. a LION is in the very next exhibited as a LAMB From hence I shall deduce this Corollary which also every Particular hereafter to be discuss'd will confirm That by the Sitter on the Throne is meant the Kings of ENGLAND or else how comes King James to be found upon it For it is evident that he wrote the Book afore-quoted after he was come to the English Throne I must desire it also to be observ'd That in Scripture-Prophecy one King or Sitter on a Throne is set to signify a whole Succession of them Which is so well known to all the Candidates of Prophecy that I must not waste my time in the proof of it Let us therefore look back to the IVth Chapter where from what has been said any one would expect to find some mention of the great Atchievements of the Glorious and Renowned Queen Elizabeth immediate Predecessor to King James Accordingly we find the Sitter on the Throne to be describ'd there vers 3. as looking like a Jasper and a Sardine Stone iâ—eâ— glittering with Jewels the peculiar Ornament of Great Ladies The Rainbow round about her Throne in sight like an Emerald is her excellent Parliament the best Jewel in her Crown by whose Concurrence the Church describ'd in the next Verses was establish'd For Waters in this Prophecy are expresly said to signify People Rev. xvii 15. And therefore the Waters that are above the Earth in which the Rainbow is always painted must signify People of the highest Quality
of which our Parliaments consist And it is further observable that a great many Witnesses of the Truth such as the Parliament we speak of was are remarkably call'd a Cloud Heb. xii 1. So that the Rain-bow here may very well be expounded of the Parliament in the first of Queen Elizabeth For that incomparable Princess coming after the Deluge of Popery that her Sister had brought upon the Church and like the Sun in the Firmament darting her bright Beams of Gospel-Light upon her Parliament that attended on her Throne how could it more fitly be represented than by a Rainbow Which also is a happy Omen that our Church should never more be drown'd in Popish Superstitions The 24 Elders sitting on so many Thrones or Seats and crowned are the inferior Clergy by whom the Reformation was begun while the Bishops all of them almost adher'd to Popery These Elders therefore now as having obtain'd so signal a Victory are represented with golden Crowns and white Robes the constant Emblems of Success to the Evangelical Party The Thunders Lightnings and Voices from the Throne are the Laws then made for dispossessing the Romanists The seven Lamps of Fire are a Type of the Church divided according to the solemn use of this Prophecy into seven Intervals the Lamps answerable to the Candlesticks Rev. i. 20. denoting the Church consider'd as seven Churches with respect to the said Intervals and the Fires in the Lamps resembling the Spirits Angels or Ministers of the Church as the seven Stars are expounded in the place just now quoted The Sea of Glass ver 6. is a Type of the People for so the Sea almost always signifies in this Prophecy and this Sea is said to be of Glass like Crystal to denote at once their Clarity in respect of their abhorrence of Popish Superstition and their Brittleness in respect of their proneness to Faction By the living Creatures are meant the Protestant Bishops soon after the first sitting of this happy Parliament consecrated and settled in their respective Sees These are said not to rest day and night saying Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come Whereby is intimated that a pure Liturgy was now establish'd in honour only of the Holy Trinity and not as formerly of Saints and Angels whose constant Morning and Evening-Services are full of Doxology to the blessed Trinity like that in the Prophecy And such is ours exactly Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost as it was is now and ever shall be I know Interpreters are wont to content themselves with expounding this Doxology Holy holy holy c. in general terms of the Honour that is given by the Church to the blessed Trinity But I desire it may be consider'd that no account can be given in this way of the Addition of those words which was and is and is to come This Passage whoever rightly weighs will easily conclude with me that since it is no where found in Scripture but only in the Revelation it is us'd here with particular respect to that celebrated Form of Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be The Church and constant Liturgy being thus establish'd they all joyn in solemn Thanksgiving prescrib'd by the living Creatures or Bishops for so great a Blessing ver 9 10 11. in these words Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and Honour and Power for thou hast created all these things and for thy Pleasure they are and were created They who think the Creation of the World 4000 Years before and for which the whole Church hath ever since given Glory and Praise to the great Creator is here the thing the Church gives Thanks for must needs be guilty of a very great Impertinence for no such thing is once hinted in the whole Relation This therefore is a Thanksgiving for a New Creation as the Scripture is wont to call it that is a Restitution or Reformation And yet not that Reformation neither which was made in the World by the first preaching of the Gospel which may be gathered from the very Title in ver 1. where these things are all call'd Things that must be hereafter So that it cannot possibly be the Church that was establish'd in St. John's time but must be that which was reform'd according to the Primitive Patern afterwards Thanks therefore is here given to God for bringing in the Reformation by Queen Elizabeth Which Exposition is exactly answerable to that which has been given at first of Rev. v. 1 2. where it appear'd that the Sitter on the Throne and the strong Angel proclaiming was King James the First For if that be granted as it needs must be who can his Predecessor be that establish'd the Reformation but Queen Elizabeth And thus much of Things before Let us now see what follows upon the Angel 's proclaiming The next Verses tell us that No Man was found viz. in K. James's Reign able to open the Book to the great grief of the People of God sollicitous of these Mysteries whose Person in this St. John himself sustains ver 4. At length to wit Anno 1632 appears Mr. Mede being one of the Elders of this Church with an admirable Explication of the Book And he is the first that ever hit upon the way of it Which as it is easily defended and is actually done by Dr. H. More in a little Treatise he calls Appendicula Apocalyptica so is it openly confess'd by Mr. Jurieux a learned Writer of the French Church in these words Joseph Mede in my Opinion is the first that understood any thing of the Sealed Book And it is evident that Mr. Mede has got the Name of expounding the sealed Book from all Interpreters whatsoever there being no Man that has expounded any one Seal to purpose but he is a professed Follower that I may not say Admirer of Mr. Mede Insomuch that even those Judicious and Learned Divines for in this Stile their Title-page speaks them the Continuators of Mr. Pool's Work tho they shew themselves very loth to follow him as being perhaps of a different Communion yet are they forc'd to do it almost all along with frequent Elogies of his Fame and Learning And where they venture to dissent from him they are very unhappy of which this Paper will admit of but one Instance which is this Mr. Mede expounds the first Seal containing a Vision of a White Horse whose Rider went forth conquering and to conquer of the wonderful success of the Preachers of the Gospel This the Divines think to mend by expounding it of the Victories of the Roman Heathen Emperors But they consider not that Whiteness tho it be used in the Revelation twenty times if I have rightly computed them yet it is never
upon the Throne ver 7. that is he came and took the Regal Power to which it peculiarly belongs to DEFEND the FAITH of that Book out of the Hand of him or them who at that time were in Possession of it And it evidently appears yet further that this Lamb cannot be Christ in Person taking any Book out of the Father's right Hand 1. Because St. John did not see him all the while till now 2. Because it is expresly said that he CAME and took the Book whereas if he had been all the while at the Sitter's right Hand before it could not have been said that he CAME and took the Book out of it 3. Because upon the Lamb 's taking the Book the Elders who are certainly Mortals upon Earth the word never having been us'd to express any other sung a new Song ver 8 9. which shews that they saw the doing of it and consequently that it was done on Earth and therefore not by Christ in Person All which I here offer besides eight Arguments in my Resolution c. to prove the Throne to be an Earthly Throne It remains therefore that all these things were suffer'd and done by Christ in King Charles the First and Second and in the Church in their times since every thing agrees thereto so exactly and is not applicable to any other King and Church in the whole World I have here given only a taste of my intended Exposition but such a one as is sufficient to convince any Man that is not hardned against Conviction For he that can think so many wonderful things to have happen'd by chance and in such order too as to favour my Hypothesis but not at all respected by the Spirit in the Prophecy is in a very hopeful way of believing the World it self to have been made by a fortuitous concourse of Atoms and that it is not rather the Contrivance of an Infinite Wisdom and the Workmanship of an Almighty Hand Altho to note this also by the by the Hypothesis I have here laid down leads me not only through the Chapters now before us as shall be seen hereafter if God will but as easily and as certainly through the whole Book of the Apocalyps In fine I crave no favour for this Notion if it be false let it not want the Censure it deserves but if true as I am certainly perswaded and as he will find that gives himself the trouble to consider it it must needs be joyful News both to the Church of ENGLAND and to all others that she holds Communion with For in a word the Church and Kingdom describ'd in the fourth and fifth Chapters of the Revelation since it is certain that they are a Body or Society of Believers Militant in this World and not Triumphant in the other must needs be that Church or rather State of the Church which was to succeed the fourth Monarchy and is commonly known by the Name of the Fifth Because the supream visible Head of it is likened to God not at large or with respect only to his Power Goodness Wisdom Majesty and the like but with particular relation to his living for ever and ever And so likewise when the King and Church restor'd are set forth by that glorious Type of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lamb looking as if he had been slain and were reviv'd again and exalted to the right Hand of the Throne of the Majesty on high the very same thing is intimated to wit that the Kingdom and Church signified by the revived Lamb should never die Death should no more have Dominion over them like as it is noted of the true Lamb after his Resurrection Rom. vi 9. For this Reason I say the Kingdom of the fourth and fifth Chapters of the Revelation must needs be the fifth Monarchy because the King thereof is likened to God and the Lamb with particular respect to their living for ever and ever For as every King resembles God in his Power so none resembles God in his Truth but a Lover and Defender of the Truth none in his Mercy and Goodness but a Merciful and Good King none in his Immortality but a King or which is all one in Prophecy a Succession of Kings that shall never have an end Now there never was nor ever will be any such Succession but only that of the fifth Monarchy And this is call'd a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed neither shall it be left to other People but it shall break in pieces and consume all the other Kingdoms and it shall stand for ever Dan. ii 44. The like is said Dan. vii 27. And the Kingdom and Dominion and the Greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the People of the Saints of the Most High whose Kingdom is an Everlasting Kingdom and all Dominions shall serve and obey him If it be said That the Kingdom of England was destroy'd by the Rebellious Parliament in Forty Eight I answer A Kingdom is not said in Scripture to be destroy'd unless it be seiz'd by another People And this is abundantly evident in the Roman Kingdom which running through so many Changes of Kings Consuls Decemvirs Tribunes Dictators Emperors and Popes is yet reckoned but as one and the same Kingdom as will not be denied by any Man The Church indeed is not like a Kingdom in this respect for even English-Men if of a different Communion may destroy the Church of England For in spiritual things there is as much difference and more between an Orthodox English-man and an English-man that is an Heretick or a Schismatick as there is in Civil Matters between a Native of England and of another Country And as no Man would say that the Church of England was destroy'd when only some Members of that Church are remov'd and others of the same Communion put in their places which yet I pray God may never be so the Scriptures do not reckon a Kingdom to be destroy'd no not altho the very Form of Government be subverted the Case of Kingdoms being not so tender in this Point as that of Churches whose Government seems to be unalterable as being of Divine Appointment while it continuces in the hands of the same People And therefore the Perpetuity of the fifth Monarchy is remarkably describ'd in these words amongst others afore-quoted that it shall not be left to other People as all the other Monarchies were to be And then as for the Church of England tho that was to die together with the Person of the King that was then Head of it yet since the King together with the Church restor'd again in 1660 is compar'd to the Lamb slain and risen again and exalted to the right Hand of God Rev. v. 6 7. there seems to be no fear that the Church of England should ever be destroy'd another time since it is so remarkably said of Christ himself who in this is made a Figure of his
applied but only to the Saints Besides particularly as to Horses of a white Colour a Type which tho perhaps translated from the Romans as some others are observ'd to be whose Triumphs us'd to be perform'd with white Horses yet in this Prophecy they are so appropriated to the successes of the Gospel that let any Man read but Rev. xix 11 14. and he will be afraid to interpret them to any other purpose than Mr. Mede has done For it is a very dangerous thing to give away the peculiar Badg and Livery of the Servants of Jesus Christ to Pagans tho Emperors For indeed the Colour of the Roman Conquerors was not White but Red that is bloody and expresly so call'd Rev. xii 3. as the Divines aforesaid own upon the place But if any Conquests were of a deep Crimson they were the Victories they atchieved over the Saints of which yet the Divines do not blush to expound the White Horse and his Rider as the more probable Opinion Lastly it ought also to be consider'd that the Rider in the first Seal went forth CONQVERING AND TO CONQVER which is no Tautology tho the Divines are pleas'd to over-look it nor is the like Expression us'd that I remember any other where But it is very apposite to express the going forth of Jesus Christ in his blessed Apostles to establish such a Kingdom as should never be destroy'd but should subdue all other Kingdoms to it self for ever Whereas if we apply it to the Roman Emperors it is both frivolous and false The former because the Conquests of Rome were in a manner finished before the Times there referr'd to It was Senectus Imperii the old-Age of the Empire as Florus calls it And the latter because Rome never could be said to go forth CONQVERING AND TO CONQVER unless we will make the Repetition to signify just nothing but rather conquering for a while that afterwards she might tumble down and break in pieces with her own weight Thus much I thought good to say upon this occasion in Vindication of Mr. Mede that it might not appear strange if we fix upon him for the Elder predicted in Rev. v. 5. that gave the first notice to the Church of Christ's having prevail'd to expound the sealed Book for Christ was pleas'd to use him as his Instrument in expounding it And this Exposition was set forth Anno 1632 that is in the Reign of King Charles the First of blessed Memory which is signified by that Elder 's being here made to give Christ the Title of the Lion of the Tribe of Juda the Root of David For Christ is set forth according as he appears in his Church sometimes as a Great Conqueror otherwhiles in great Distress Now in King Charles the First Christ appear'd as the Lion of the Tribe of Juda the Root of David For by the Tribe of Juda so famous in the Scripture for their Loyalty and constant adhering to David and his House when the rest of the Tribes rejected him are signified the Loyal Party in King Charles his time that serv'd him faithfully and followed his Fortunes These own'd him when the rest made it their constant business to oppose him and at last depriv'd him not of his Kingdom only but his Life Well therefore is he likened to the Lion of the Tribe of Juda. And he is call'd the Root of David as being when Mr. Mede put forth his Exposition the Father of that afterwards so Glorious Monarch K. Charles the Second who carried in his Life and Reign so intimate a Resemblance to the Patriarch David For which it may suffice to refer the Reader to the Service of the Church set-forth upon Occasion of his Majesty's most happy Restauration for there the Parallel is conspicuous Only one thing may yet further be observed that as David so K. Charles II. also brought in again the Ark of the Lord and set it in its place Which is a thing so remarkable that it might justly prejudice the whole Hypothesis I here proceed upon if after the said Year 1632 wherein came forth Mr. Mede's Exposition there be no notice taken of the various fortunes of the Church of England which happened to her to the amazement of the World within the space of eight and twenty Years extfollowing For any one will be apt to think that the subverting of the Church and killing of the King for standing by it and usurping his Son's throne for twelve Years time on the one side and then the wonderful Work of God in restoring both King and Church in the Year 1660 on the other side are things as worthy to be made the subject of this Prophecy as any thing that has or can be said of any of the former Princes Let us therefore see what follows in the Prophecy Vers 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And I looked and lo a Preface which is never us'd to any ordinary matter in the midst of the Throne and of the four 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in the midst of the Elders a Lamb standing as if it had bin slain i. e. a Lamb revived after having been slain having seven horns and seven Eyes which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which had been sent forth tho now returned into all the Earth That by this Lamb is meant the Church appears not only by his Horns which constantly in Daniel and in this Prophecy signify Kingdoms and we know the Kingdom of the Lamb is his Church and by his Eyes which are expounded the Spirits Angels or Ministers of God that had been sent forth into all the Earth or expos'd as we say to the wide World during the King's exile but were now restor'd to their rights again but also from an unquestionable place in Rev. xvii 14. where it is said of Antichrist and his Complices that they should make War with the Lamb and the Lamb should overcome them for he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings c. Now it is evident that Antichrist neither did nor could make War against the Person of Christ but only against his Church whence it undeniably follows that by the Lamb is meant the Church of Christ or rather Christ victorious in his Church for it could not else be said of the Lamb that he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings Let us therefore in the Verse we are upon understand by the Lamb slain Christ in the Church of England naturally slain in the Person of his Representative King Charles I and politically slain in the King his Son and in the Church which ran the same fate with them and then by the Lamb looking as if it had been slain that is revived after Slaughter and standing in the midst of the Throne c. must needs be signified the Restauration of the King and Church who came and took the Book out of the right Hand of him that sat