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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	dead_a	great_a	open_v	5,672	5	8.2508	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33243	The time of the end shewing first, until the three years and an half are come (which are the last of the 1260 dayes) the prophecies of the Scripture will not be understood, concerning the duration and period of the fourth monarchy and kingdom of the beast : then secondly, when that time shall come ... the knowledge of the end ... will be revealed, by the rise of a little horn, the last apostacy, and the beast slaying the witnesses ... / by John Canne.	Canne, John, d. 1667?	1657 (1657)	Wing C443; ESTC R6596	111,358	318

can serve two Masters He that acknowledgeth the Government and Power of the Beast to be Lawfull cannot bear a faithfull Testimony to the present Cause and Interest of Christ For to have now the Testimony of Jesus is to bear a witnes against the Beast 2. That he slayes the Testimony of Jesus by preferment in many great Professours such as formerly asserted what they now either deny or are silent in By this means the common people ignorant of the mystery of iniquity working in the last dayes following the others example have their Testimony kil'd likewise Gal. 2. 13. Secondly Another way is by his hypocrisie and dissimulation in religion As David said of Goliahs sword there is none to that give it me So I think there is no weapon or crafty course which this Beast will use like to his hypocrisie in the things of God as his fasting weeping praying honouring Ministers Sermons c The report and noise of this will ring far and neer and by the simple who believe every thing so believ'd and he taken for such a Saint that now he may do what he will For though he have all the Characters of the little Horn and do whatsoever is foretold of the Beast yet his hypocrisie will cover all and hence slaves the Generation Testimony Thirdly When Christ was put to death by the Jewes though they could prove nothing against him neither indeed had any thing to lay justly to his charge yet they pretended great matters and would have men believe what they did in the killing of him they had cause and reason enough for it So will this Beast slay Jesus Christ in his Testimony Hence it is said Where our Lord also was crucified Howsoever he hath nothing against the present Generation Truth born Witnesse to For what can he have Seeing nothing is Asserted by them but what the Scriptures plainly declare nor is he able to resist the Wisdome and the Spirit by which they speak yet will he pretend high things against them As Nero when his Mastives would not destroy the Christians clad them in Bear-skins So will this Beast doe that his Dogs may rent and tear the Testimonie of Jesus He will cloth it with reproachfull names as Blasphemy Errour Madnesse Faction Treason Sedition c. And by this trick the sooner effect his purpose So that howsoever it be the Testimonie of Jesus that he kills yet he will kill it under pretence that it is the doctrine of Devills blasphemie the delusion of Satan c. Fourthly This Testimony is to be slain by War He shall make war against them Howsoever I have shewed my opinion already yet the matter being considerable I would have the Reader observe 1. This Beast whosoever he be shall trust in the arme of slesh by this he will seek to strengthen his Government and Greatnesse and to reach his ends and designes every way 2. His Army will be so corrupt that whatsoever he shall bid them doe against the Testimonie of Jesus they will doe it right or wrong For they will be men not having principles of honesty or conscience And by this meanes likewise he will prevaile very far over the Witnesses viz. by his Soldiers For those men if he command them will banish and imprison any of the Lords faithfull Servants that they may not Witnesse for Christ against the Beast Fifthly No sooner is this Beast ascended out of the bottomlesse pit but doubtlesse he will enact some Law against the Testimonie of Jesus As for Example That it shall be Treason for men to speak or act any thing against his Person promise to live quietly under his Government not call him the little Horn and Beast And what is the meaning of all this But to require all men upon pain of death to deny Christ before men For if it be the Government of the little Horne and Beast in the three years and halfe Not to Witnesse then against it much more to promise not to Act any thing against it is no other then to deny Christ so far as concernes a Generation-Testimonie But howsoever this be so yet the dread and terrour of such an Edict will so seaze upon people of low and poor spirits as they will chuse rather to have the Witnesse of Christ kild in them then be persecuted by the Beast for bearing any publick Witnesse against him Thus I have shewed Who the Beast is and the Witnesses and how they are kild Our Third Point is How it doth appear their lying three dayes and an halfe unburied contemporizes with the last Apostacie and the little Horn. And after three dayes and an halfe I shall speak the lesse of these three dayes and an halfe because it is not questioned scarce by any one neither indeed rationally can it But here is meant either the last three years and an halfe which close the number 1260. Or so much time following immediately upon it Indeed there are some few whose opinion is the terme here is the same with the 1260 years But 1. This is plainly against the Text. For the Witnesses are not slaine till about the finishing of their Testimony that is when the 1260 years are almost expired 2. To take dayes for years and then againe to reckon so many years by dayes I see no ground for this in Scripture to cast up Prophetical numbers This Point needs no further enlargement 3. The Apostacy is to be in the last days Now if we consider Times and seasons by their appointments and periods No Days can be said to be last but the distinct time closing the 1260 years in which Time is the little Horne and Beast And therefore necessarily they must contemporize But there are some other things which need Explanation First What the Street is in which ly the dead bodies of the Witnesses Answ Where they were slaine there doubtlesse they ly The Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is well observed by many signifying a broad and spacious place cannot be taken for any street within the walls of the great City For 1. Our Lord was slaine in no street of Rome or Jerusalem but without the gate in Golgotha 2. Men seldome make war within the City walls but in open fields 3. In Cities are many Streets but this is expressed in the singular number neither is the word properly a street 4. That their dead bodies lie visible and obvious to all Nations kindreds peoples c. it must be without the City and not within the walls By the great City I understand here and so alwayes in this Book the Dominion and Jurisdiction of the Papal Beast not onely the Ecclesiasticall kingdome but all Civill States and Governments under the Sea of Rome acknowledging the Pope head of the Church This is the Great City often mentioned in the Revelation It is said And the same houre was there a great earthquake and the tenth part of the City fell v. 13. Here it is not the great City

continue by the Lords sufferance to exercise the cruelty and wickednesse mentioned in the Vision That the meaning is so appears by the Question and Answer Dan. 12. 6 7. How long shall it be to the end of these wonders for a time times and an half As if hee should say For the vision of the little Horn it shall bee for a time times and an half so long hee is to continue to scatter the power of the Holy People and when that time shall bee expired the words of the Prophesy are fulfilled concerning him For soon after the judgement shall sit and they shall take away his Dominion c. Qu. But by a time and times and dividing of time what time is there meant or how much is this time The common received opinion is three years and an half These persecutions saith Diodate shall last one year two years and halfe one year that is to say three years and half I confesse in the application I finde few to agree with me yet for the time tobee three years and an half neither more nor lesse few writers which I have seen but take it so as I do And for these few which understand it otherwise as making first a time times and dividing of time to bee three years and an half and then out of the three years and half to reckon each day for a year this I conceive neither agrees with Daniels manner of reckoning the time nor with other Prophets That three daies and an half should be taken for three years and an half So forty two months for so many years as there are dayes in the months Again One thousand two hundred and threescore dayes for so many years this is right and according to the Scriptures Numb 14. 34. Ezek. 4. 5. But by a time to understand a year by times two years and dividing of time an half year and afterward from these three years and an half to number years by daies There is not for this I think any ground in the word of God Besides why should not Daniel when hee useth words and terms alike be alike understood in chap. 4 25. it is said seven times shall passe over ●hee here it is not questioned but by seven times seven years are meant no raising of another number from daies to years Now I see no reason why the Prophet in one place should bee understood by Time strictly a year and in another as many years as a year hath daves especially seeing it is familiar with Daniel to set down his account in this manner as ch 11. 13. in the end Haghi●tim shan●m of the times of years see chap. 7. 12. and 8. 17. and 11. 14 35 40. and 12. 4 9. I might add how three years and half was the term of Christs persecution in the flesh the which being expired immediately begunne upon his resurrection the setting up of his spiritual kingdome all the world over So three years and an half is the time of the sufferings of his witnesses under the little Horn the which being ended they shall rise and stand upon their feet again and then beginnes that which you have Rev. 11. 13 14. the great earth-quake and the sounding of the seventh Trumpet and the kingdomes of this world becomming the kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ Quest But how doth it appear if by time and times and dividing of time three years and half are meant that these are the three years and half which period the number of one thousand two hundred and threescore years and contemporises with the latter Apostacy and slaying of the witnesses Answ 1 Graserns against Junius gives many reasons that the Vision shewed Daniel concerning the Little Horn is to have its accomplishment in Novissim diebus in the very last times toward the end of the world and judgement shall not passe upon him usque ad consummationem irae untill the indignation bee accomplished Dan. 11. 36. that is unt ill the forty two months are expired Histor Antichrist pag. 115. 119. c. If this bee so as I see nothing against it then must this little Horn be before the rise of the witnesses and the forty two months are expired for hee shall have no Dominion or Power after that time 2 Upon the destruction of the Little Horn the Saints possesse the kingdome but this they do not neither is the Kingdome theirs till the witnesses rise and the time of the Beasts Tyranny is expired Hence I gather that the three years and an half allowed the Little Horn and the three years and an half in which the witnesses lye slain must needs contemporise I would have the reader observe this for I think there is some weight in it If the taking of the kingdom by the Saints bee upon the ruine of the Little Horn and the rising of the witnesses as clearly it is so to me then it must follow necessarily that the three years and half given to the Little Horn and the three years and half spoken of the slain witnesses are all one see Dan. 7. 25 26 27. compare Rev. 11. 8. 11 12 13 15 c. 3 Another Argument I lay down thus the book is not to bee opened untill the time of the end which is in the three years and half and the understanding of it will bee partly by the Characters of a little Horn. Now it is the Lords usual manner not to lead his people back to things past but to teach them the understanding of Prophesies by what is present and doing in their own time when yee shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet stand in the holy place c. Again when yee shall see all these things c. Mat. 24. 15. 33. So the little Horn must be seen before the wise will understand the end and this is proper to the three years and half 4 It seems by Daniel that the cause and ground of the Little Horns making warre against the Saints wearying them out and scattering their power will bee for bearing witnesse to Christs visible and glorious kingdome so that the controversy now will not bee as formerly it was about the Church Ministery worship and discipline but about the whole Rule Dominion and government under the Sunne that is whether the kingdoms of the world shall continue as they are in the hands of Tyrants and oppressors or they shall bee Christs and the Saints of the most high according to that promise And there was given him dominion and glory and a kingdome that all People Nations and Languages should serve him and his Dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not passe away and his kingdom that which shall not bee destroyed Again 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 kingdome and all power shall serve and obey it Dan.