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B09229 The apocalyps unveyl'd, or, A paraphrase on the Revelation of the holy apostle and evangelist John the Devine in which the syncronisms of Mr. Joseph Mede, and the expositions of other interpreters are called in question, and a new exposition given of the prophecies of the Revelation, never before extant in any author, from the 6th chapter to the 18th, with variety of reasons for the exposition / by An Orthodox Divine. Hayter, Richard, 1611?-1684.; Mede, Joseph, 1586-1638. Clavis apocalyptica. 1676 (1676) Wing H1224; ESTC R202384 176,063 254

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in all the Revelation Read the Commission and consider of it Come out of her my People he doth not say begin a War with her my People but come out of her my People that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues Rev. 18.4 12. And when the thousand years are expired Satan shall be loosed out of his Prison And shall go out to deceive the Nations which are in the four quarters of the Earth Gog and Magog to gather them together to Battle the number of whom is as the Sand of the Sea Revel 20.7 8. Therefore Satan is the procuring or fomenting cause of War and not the true Religion and sometimes he stirs up wicked men to begin a War against the Church as is evident in this place and in that other place Revel 16.13 14. And sometimes he excites the Church to begin a needless War against the enemies thereof as is plain in Ahabs Case 1 King 22.20 21 22 23. And which of these ways soever he takes his aim is to destroy the Church of God thereby And we may not think that God is the cause of War in any other sense then as he is the cause of death and that is only as the punishment or effect of sin and if there had been no sin there had been no death and because no Death no War for God made not death as the Wiseman saith Wisd 1.13 And Canonical Scripture saith so too Rom. 5.12 And because he made not death he made not War which brings death inevitable both on good and bad but ungodly men with their works and words have called it to them Here is the true cause of Death and of War too but God is the first original cause of neither but will destroy them both in his appointed time When Sin and Satan are destroyed then Death and War shall be destroyed together These are my Reasons for the Negative now let us see what may be said out of the Revelation for the Affirmative Object And I saw as it were a Sea of Glass mingled with fire and them that had gotten the victory over the Beast and over his Image and over his mark and over the number of his name stand on the Sea of Glass having the Harps of God And they sing the Song of Moses the servant of God and the Song of the Lamb c. Revel 15.2 3. Answ Suppose we that the Pope is the Beast which here is spoken of for so we must at this time yet this gratulation and rejoycing Song is not for the final overthrow of the Beast but for some particular victory which they obtained against him And this victory doth not import that they begun the War with him but that he begun with them and lost the day against them And so stands the case with us if the Papists begin a War with us we may defend our selves and if it please God to give us victory we may and must rejoyce and praise the Lord as these men did but to begin a War with them and expect to see an end of them and their Religion before the day of Judgment is more then can be gathered from this place Object And the sixth Angel poured out his Vial upon the great River Euphrates and the Water thereof was dried up that the way of the Kings of the East may be prepared Revel 16.12 Now what is meant by Euphrates But the Revenues of the Popedom And who be the Kings of the East but such Kings as God will stir up in these parts to be her ruine and overthrow the great defence which is in the River of worldly wealth being taken away as sometimes Euphrates was drained whereby Babylon was taken by Cyrus and Darius Eastern Kings And because the wealth of Spain is so great a means to strengthen this Kingdom yet I think it not amiss to bring that in also within the compass of this great River Dr. Mayer on the Revelation pag. 475. Answ Theologia symbolica non est argumentatio Mystical Theology is no sufficient argument for our faith and practice The literal sense of Scripture is That we must go and walk by that is the only rule both of faith and manners and it is the literal sense by which we must be judged at the last day Now what saith the literal sense of Scripture Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbors house thou shalt not covet thy Neighbors wife nor his man-servant nor his maid-servant nor his ox nor his ass nor any thing that is thy Neighbors Exod. 20.17 And who is our Neighbors Is not every man Though some be nearer Neighbors then other yet every man living is our Neighbor and we may not do wrong to any man whether he be within the Church or without 1 Thes 4.12 Yea Luk. 10.29 30 c. Christ shews by a Parable that a mans enemy is his neighbor 2. I say that by the River Euphrates is not meant the Revenues of the Popedom or the wealth of the King of Spain but by it is meant the River it self and by the Kings of the East is not meant the Kings in these Western parts but the Kings of the Earth spoken of Vers 14. which are beyond Euphrates They are much mistaken who think Euphrates was the strength of Old Babylon it was rather the nakedness of the City to have Euphrates pass through it then any way the strength thereof Cyrus found an easie way to drain away the Water and that being drained away he had an easie passage in whereby it doth appear that the Walls and Gates were the strength thereof and not the Water for the Walls and Gates kept him out but the Water being drained away let him have a passage in And the meaning of the Prophecy is that the Water of Euphrates shall be dried up by a special providence of God that the Kings which are beyond the River may pass over and help the Beast and False Prophet in their Wars So that here is no Commission for the Kings within the Church to begin a War with Papists and take away the Popes Revenues or the wealth of the King of Spain But here is a Prophecy That the Kings which are without the Church shall joyn with the Beast and False Prophet and war against the Church to their own undoing And this Church is not any Church in the Western parts but the Church of the Jews after their conversion So that this Prophecy shall be fulfilled then and not before Object And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the Beast these shall hate the Whore and shall make her desolate and naked and eat her flesh and burn her with fire Revel 17.16 Answ Suppose we the City of Rome to be the Whore that here is spoken of which is very uncertain as was said before yet we are to know that this destruction of the Whore who ever she be shall not come to pass in our days but in
of those signs unto the day of Judgment is but a short time as our Saviour also saith Mat. 24.33 therefore all the Prophecies in the Revelation from the sixth Seal to the nineteenth chapter v. 11. where the day of Judgment doth commence are to continue but a short time and consequently it is a long time before the four first Seals do end and for ought we know it is a long time before any of them shall begin 5. The opposition between the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things that must shortly come to pass Rev. 1. ● and the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things that must be done hereafter Rev. 4.1 intimate so much The first are a Preface to the things spoken of in the Epistles to the seven Churches and shew they were to begin shortly after Johns time the second are a Preface to the Prophecies in this chapter and in the chapters following and shew they were not to begin so soon but a long time after 6. The conjectural expositions of these Prophecies signifie as much for time is the best interpreter of Prophecies and if these Prophecies were fulfilled already men would not speak upon conjecture nor write so variously and uncertainly of the meaning of these Prophecies as they do CHAP. VII The Prophecy of the Sealed which were to be secured from suffering 1. ANd after these doleful sights were over I saw farther what should come to pass in the time of this Prophecy before the seventh Prophecy should begin to wit that four Angels should stand upon the four corners of the earth upon each corner one which should have power over the four winds that be in the earth to let them loose Mat. 24.31 or to keep them in that they should not blow upon the earth nor upon the Sea nor upon the Trees but as they pleased 2. And I saw that another Angel should then come with a Commission from the East and bring the Seal of the living God along with him and that he should cry with a loud voice to the four Angels which had power to hurt the earth and the Sea 3. Saying That they should not hurt the earth Ezeck 9.4 5 6. nor the Sea nor the Trees until we have sealed the Servants of God in their fore-heads 4. And I heard the number of them which were to be Sealed and they were a hundred and fourty and four thousand young men of the Iewish Nation which are to be reckoned in this manner 5. Of the young men of the tribe of Iuda shall be sealed twelve thousand of the young men of the tribe of Reuben shall be sealed twelve thousand of the young men of the tribe of Gad shall be sealed twelve thousand 6. Of the young men of the tribe of Aser shall be sealed twelve thousand of the young men of the tribe of Naphthali shall be sealed twelve thousand of the young men of the tribe of Manasse shall be sealed twelve thousand 7. Of the young men of the tribe of Simeon shall be sealed twelve thousand of the young men of the tribe of Levi shall be sealed twelve thousand of the young men of the tribe of Issachar shall be sealed twelve thousand 8. Of the young men of the tribe of Zabulon shall be sealed twelve thousand of the young men of the tribe of Ephraim shall be sealed twelve thousand of the young men of the tribe of Benjamin shall be sealed twelve thousand The Prophecy of the blessedness of the not sealed Martyrs after death 9. But lest any should be discouraged from suffering for the cause of Christ because they be not sealed and secured from suffering as the other were there was presented unto me the great felicity and transcendent bliss which the Martyrs should enjoy in Heaven at the same time that the sealed ones should be secured on earth and I saw they should be more in number than the other were to wit an exceeding great multitude which no man could number of all Nations and kindreds and people and tongues which should stand before t●e Throne of God and before the Lamb in white robes of Glory and Palms of triumph in their hands 10. Where they shall laud and praise the Lord for that Heavenly Glory and felicity which they shall be in at this time acknowledging and saying Salvation proceedeth from the Lord our God which sits upon the Throne and from Jesus Christ the Holy Lamb and to them be it ascribed for evermore 11. And not only they themselves but also all the Holy Angels which are in Heaven shall laud and praise the Lord for that Heavenly bliss and happiness which the Martyrs shall have in Heaven at that time when the sealed ones are sealed on earth 12. Saying Amen Blessing and Glory and Wisdom and Thanks and Honor and Power and Might be ascribed to the Lord our God for evermore 13. And that I might understand the meaning of the Vision one of the four and twenty Elders asked of me saying What be these comely persons whom thou seest arrayed in white robes of Glory and Palms of triumph in their hands and from whence came they to that blessed State and transcendent degree of happiness which thou seest them now to have 14. And I said Ah Sir thou knowest who they are and I would learn of thee who they be and from whence they came to that blessed State and transcendent degree of happiness which I see them in at this time and what it was that brought them hither Then he said unto me These be the Holy Martyrs of the Church which were in great affliction in the World and suffered death for the cause of Jesus Christ and shed their blood for professing of his Gospel for this cause it is that they be now in white robes of Glory which were made so by his blood and are given them as a reward for their suffering for him 15. For this cause it is that they be now before the Throne of God and serve him in the Church Triumphant as in their life-time they did in the Church Militant and God shall dwell with them and be their God 16. They suffered hunger heretofore but now they suffer it no more they suffered thirst heretofore but now they shall suffer it no more they suffered persecution heretofore but they shall suffer it no more 17. For Jesus Christ shall feed them with his Heavenly Food and give them drink of his Heavenly Well and God shall wipe all tears from off their eyes so that no sorrow shall come near them Disputation III. 1 Quest Whether the sealed ones be the Jews and they only Ans 1. The tribes of the Children of Israel be usually the Jews only as Gen. 49 16.28 Exed 24.4 and so in other places but the sealed ones here mentioned are one hundred fourty and four thousand of all the tribes of the Children of Israel v. 4. 2. Where the tribes of Israel are distinctly reckoned by their names there
Adrians time but we read in some Books of History that Adrian would have built a Church for Christians without Images if some about him had not told him that it would be dishonourable to all the rest of the Gods which was the cause he did it not See Prideaux History pag. 199. 2. The not measuring of the Court which is without the Temple doth imply the not building of it therefore the building of a new City at Jerusalem by Adrian in the place where the outer Court did stand cannot be meant thereby 3. After the building of the Temple and the Altar the outer Court shall be given to the Gentiles and the Holy City shall they tread under Foot 42 months after the Holy places be provided and no longer but since the time of Adrian to this day has been more than 42 months which way soever we take them and Jerusalem has been troden under foot by the Gentiles all this while 4. The two Witnesses be not two Bishops at Jerusalem the one of the Jewish the other of the Gentile Congregations for there was but one Bishop of Jerusalem at one time and there were but fifteen Bishops in all until the destruction of the Jews by Adrian and all of them were Jews whereof the first was James the Brother of the Lord and the last was Judas and after the City was destroyed by him there were no more Bishops of the Jews but of the Gentiles and the first of them was Marcus See Eusebius l. 4. c. 5. l. 5. c. 11. 5. The two witnesses be Prophets extraordinary as appears by their description v. 3 4. and by their miracles v. 5 6. now there were no Prophets extraordinary in the days of Adrian and there were not any that could do such miracles as these had power to do v. 5 6. in Adrians time nor in any time since 6. When the two Witnesses shall have finished their testimony the Beast that cometh out of the bottomless Pit shall make War against them and overcome them and slay them v. 7. Now there was no Beast in Adrians time except Adrian himself and he did not make War against the Christians in Judaea but against the wicked and Rebellious Jews only but they with whom I deal in this question will not allow Adrian to be the Beast here spoken of but one Barchocheba a Rebellious Captain of the Jews in Adrians time Now by the Beast is meant some potent King or other that had ten Kings under him or to joyn with him as appears Rev. 17.12 13.17 but Barchocheba was no King nor had any King under him or to joyn with him 7. After the two Witnesses had been dead three days and a half the Spirit of life from God entred into them and they stood upon their feet v. 11. but there were not any that were raised from death to life in the days of Adrian nor in any time since And if it be said that this is meant of their successours to this I answer 1. That the two Witnesses had no successours for there were no such Prophets in Adrians time nor at any time since and there were not any that could do such miracles as these had power to do v. 5 6. in Adrians time nor in any time since 2. The souls of men after they be dead do not enter into other mens bodies but into their own bodies only now 't is said the Spirit of life that is their Souls entred into them v. 11. therefore this is not meant of their successours but of their own bodies for if the Spirit of life did enter into their successours it did not enter into them but into others and they did not stand upon their feet that is their own feet but upon the feet of others 3. They heard a voice from Heaven saying unto them Come up hither and they ascended up to Heaven in a Cloud and their enemies beheld them v. 12. Now what man did ever ascend to Heaven in successours And what benefit were it to him if he did We read that Christ ascended thither and so did Enoch and Elias but of any that went to Heaven in successours we read not in all the Scripture And if these two Witnesses did ascend to Heaven as were made alive in successours what became of their dead bodies The Text saith they shall lye in the street of the great City and they shall see their dead bodies three days and a half and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in Graves v. 8 9. but if the Spirit of life did not enter into them what became of their dead bodies afterward Did they lye in the street still Or did the Ravens eat them or the Dogs devour them or were they buried in the earth-quake Or what became of them let them tell me if they can And let them tell me too whether Barchocheba and his complices whom they suppose to be the enemies of the Witnesses here spoken of were not dead before the Christians in Adrians time were advanced to peace and Halcyonian days in Iudaea And if they were how can it be said that their enemies did behold their ascension into Heaven seeing they were dead before And lastly if the Witnesses were made alive in successours why do they not also say that the Widows Son of Naim was made alive in a successour And if they ascended up to Heaven in successours why do they not also say that Enoch and Elias ascended thither in successours Yea why do they not say that Christ himself ascended thither in a successour And why do they not say that all the Texts of Scripture which speak of the Resurrection of the dead be meant of the rising of successours And if they can have Faith to believe that the Texts of Scripture which speak of the Resurrection of the dead be meant of the Resurrection of the same bodies that were dead why can they not have so much Faith as a grain of Mustard Seed to believe that the enlivening of the Witnesses is meant of the enlivening of the same bodies that were dead 8. The same hour that this was done there was a great earthquake v. 13. but we read not of any earth-quake at Ierusalem in Adrians time but in Iulians time there was 9. The tenth part of the City fell v. 13. Now in Adrians time the whole City was destroyed and the Plough passed over it and a new one built by Adrian on its ruines which he called Aelia after his own name Aelius And here we are to take notice that this new City was not built by Adrian before the Rebellion of the Iews began as the Temple and the Altar were v. 1. before the Witnesses began to Preach but this new City was built by him after the Rebellion of the Iews was over Eusebius l. 4. c. 6. Carion Chron. l. 3. p. 229. 10. And in the earth-quake were slain of men seven thousand v. 13. but the Iews that were slain in
Maton Mr. Mather and others have written of that subject See also Doctor Heilins Cosmography lib. 3. p. 95. it is not sense to say the end of the world shall be finished for then an end shall have an end but it is good sense to say the conversion of the Jews shall be finished or shall have an end that is an end of consummation not of annihilation as the world shall Rev. 20.11 CHAP. XIII The Prophecy of the first Beast and his rising and success against the Jewish Nation 1. THEN I saw a wild Beast representing a new Empire which shall be raised by the Devil out of the people and Nations of the world which shall be then in arms consisting of the same seven Kingly heads that the Dragon had Rev. 12.4 and the same ten horns but with Crowns added to them which they had not before 2. And this Empire shall be as cruel against the Christian Jews as ever the Greeks or Persian or Babylonian Empires were heretofore to that Nation and cannot sufficiently be deciphered by one cruel Beast alone but by variety of cruel Beasts made up together in one for it shall have the body of a speckled Leopard as the Greek Empire had and the feet of a cruel Bear as the Persian Empire had and the mouth of a devouring Lion as the Babylonian Empire had and to the making up of this Empire the Devil shall resign unto him his Militia his Imperial Throne and secular authority 3. But before he be established in his Throne there shall be some opposition made against the setling and uniting of this Empire and in the opposition one of his seven heads shall receive a wound by a sword to all mens thinking unto death but his deadly wound shall be healed and after that there shall be no more opposition but all the Country far and near shall admire at it and yield subjection to the Beast without resistance 4. And they shall worship the Beast as the substitute of the Dragon and in so doing they shall worship not the Beast only but the Dragon also and in worshipping of him they ascribe unto him titles of transcendent honour saying who is so potent as the Beast who is able to war with him 5. And he shall take upon him and it shall be permitted to him to speak great and proud things amounting to blasphemy Dan. 7.8.11.25 Dan. 11.36 and he shall have power to continue three years and a half in great prosperity and after they are past he shall decay from day to day and never come into prosperity any more 6. And he shall open his mouth wide unto blasphemy and shall not be afraid to blaspheme the God of Israel and his name and his Church and the Jewish Nation 7. And he shall be permitted by God to make War against the remnant of the Church of Israel that shall not flie into the Wilderness with their brethren and to overcome them in the War and he shall have power over all kindreds and tongues and nations far and near to make them joyn with him and assist him in this War 8. And all the Inhabitants of the Earth both far and near shall worship him and yield subjection to him and they that shall so do are such whose names were never written in the Book of life which Jesus Christ hath purchased by his Blood for all that believe in him 9. Let every man take heed how he joyneth with the Beast and taketh part with him against the Saints whom he warreth with 10. He that leadeth any of Gods Saints into captivity shall himself go into captivity he that slayeth any of his people with the sword shall himself be slain by the sword which maketh much for the patience and the Faith of the Saints and is a great encouragement thereunto and they need not use unlawful means for their deliverance or renounce their Faith to save their lives let them believe and trust in God and wait with patience for his help and he will surely visit them and work Deliverance for them The Prophecy of the second Beast and his Actings and Atchievements for the settling of the first Beast 11. And I saw another Beast which shall arise from among the people of the Earth which live a civil life as the other did from the men that were in Arms and he shall have but one Head and on that one Head but two Horns of no great strength and magnitude but very small short and feeble and can do no hurt therewith Act. 13.6 2 Pet. 2.16 but he shall speak like a Dragon and be a false Prophet or Magician as wicked Balaam was and shall do more Mischief by his Witch-craft than the other by his Arms. 12. And he shall be a chief Officer of the first Beast to manage his Affairs in his behalf and he shall execute all the secular or civil Power and Authority of the first Beast in his behalf and he shall cause the Inhabitants of the Earth where the Beast doth live to worship and yield Obeisance to the first Beast who received a deadly Wound at his first arising and was healed thereof 13. And he shall do great signs and wonders and one of those wonders is that he shall cause fire to come down from Heaven in the sight of men Exod. 7.11.22 Exod. 8.7 2 King 1.10.12 Rev. 11.5 Job 1.6 as the true Prophets of the Lord have done and as the Devil himself hath also done 14. And he shall deceive the Inhabitants of the earth through the signs and wonders which shall be given him to do in behalf of the other Beast and one of these wonders whereby he shall deceive them shall be this that he shall say to the Inhabitants of the earth where the Beast doth live that they should make a Molten or a Carved Image in honor of the Beast which had the mortal wound of a Sword and did live 15. And he shall have power to give not life Dan. 3.5 6 7. 10 11 12.14 15.18 but breath to the graven or molten Image of the Beast in so much that the Molten or Graven Image of the Beast shall speak and cause and appoint and command that as many as will not fall down and worship it shall be killed 16. And he shall cause all both small and great rich and poor bond and free to take an engagement or an oath to be true and faithful to the other Beast and receive a visible mark in their right hand or in their foreheads whereby it may be known that they have so done 17. And he shall take special order with the Inhabitants of the earth that no man shall buy or sell any victuals or commodities save he that hath taken the engagement or the oath to be true and faithful to the first Beast and hath received a visible mark in his right hand or in his forehead in token that he hath so done and this mark which he
as makes the City desolate and never to be Inhabited any more Rev. 17.16 Rev. 18.2.8.21 22 23. but in the time of the Heathen Emperours the City was Inhabited by Pagans and since that time it hath been Inhabited by Christians and remains a stately City to this day Lastly no destruction of any City is like the destruction of this City and the wrath of God is not so heavy upon any City as on this Rev. 18.18 Rev. 16.19 therefore the destruction here spoken of is not a partial destruction of the third part of the City only nor a temporal destruction for a time only but a total destruction and a final which is not yet come to pass Ob. The ancient Fathers by Babylon understand Heathen Rome Aug. de civ Dei lib. 18. c. 2. Tertul. adversus Mar. 1.3 c. 13. Jerom ad Algas q. 11. and Ep. 47. ad Marcellam Ans They that lived in the time of Heathen Rome before the Emperous were Christians might perhaps so understand it but they that lived since and saw the Emperours become Christians their own eyes might teach them to understand it otherwise 2. But what of all this The Jesuites by Babylon understand Heathen Rome yet withal they hold that the destruction here spoken of is yet to be expected Ob. St. Peter by Babylon means Heathen Rome 1 Pet. 5.13 Ans It is not likely that St. Peter speaks of the same Babylon that St. John doth seeing he writ his Epistle before the Revelation was revealed to John and therefore there want not some which say that St. Peter speaks literally and St. John mystically Certain it is that St. Peter speaks of that Babylon which the Church was acquainted with when he wrote his Epistle but neither he nor John nor any other knew what mystical Babylon meant at that time Rev. 17.6.7 but there were two other Babylons in the World which the Church was acquainted with the one in Chaldaea the other in Aegypt from either of which St. Peter might write his Epistle and not from Rome as is pretended and we have cause to think that he writ it from Babylon in Aegypt because St. Mark who was then Bishop of Alexandria in Aegypt is joined with him in the Salutation 1 Pet. 5.13 Ob. The seven heads be seven Kings of Heathen Rome which are to be counted in this manner Claudius Nero Galba Otho Vitellius be the five that were fallen Vespasian in whose time these Visions were committed unto writing is the sixth and Titus the seventh that was to stay but a little while reigning but two years and two months and the Beast which was and is not and is the eighth is Domitian who exercised the office of the Emperour and was called Emperour at Rome when Vespasian was gone into Judaea and after his return became a private man again delivered up the Empire to him and so was and is not and is the eighth Ans This were something to the purpose if these were all the Emperours that Heathen Rome had but we find that Julius Caesar Augustus Tiberius Caligula were Emperours of Rome before Claudius and therefore Claudius was not the first and if it be said that they had not to do with Christians and upon that account are left out to this I answer that Galba Otho and Vitellius had not to do with Christians neither and should be left out upon the same account too which we see they are not 2. Nerva Traian Adrian and others down to Constantine were Emperours of Heathen Rome after Domitian and therefore he was not the last and if it be said that St. John reckons only those that had to do with Christians to this I answer that Traian Adrian and others of the persecuting Emperours had to do with Christians as well as Domitian or any other that went before him and therefore he was not the last on that account neither 3. These Visions were not committed unto Writing in the time of Vespasian as hath been proved before Disp 1. q. 1. and therefore he is not the sixth or the One that is 4. Galba reigned but seven months Otho but three months Vitellius but eight months and therefore Titus who reigned two years and two months cannot be the seventh King who was to stay but a little while in respect of the other Kings seeing he reigned longer then three of the former though we put them altogether 5. Titus the elder Son was saluted Emperour after his Victory in Judaea as Suetonius reporteth in his life yet this made him not Emperour at that time and so though Domitian were called Emperour at Rome upon Vitellius death yet this made him not Emperour at that time and if it did Vespasian was not the next Emperour to Vitellius as the objection makes him and all authors say he was 6. If Domitian did exercise the Office of the Emperour upon Vitellius death yet this doth not argue that he was the Emperour at that time it argues rather that the place was void and undetermined and it argues too that Domitian was an arrogant and ambitious man and did usurp the Office and took upon him more then became him or was allowed him to do to which may be added that the objection makes Vespasian the next Emperour to Vitellius and not Domitian Now Domitian did not usurp the Office of the Emperour after his Father was setled in the Empire but before as may be gathered out of Tacitus lib. 3. c. 15. lib. 4. c. 1. and c. 16. but be it before or afterward the objection makes Vespasian the sixth head and not Domitian and if he were not the sixth head he is not the eighth for the sixth head and the eighth head are both one 7. When 't is said v. 8. The Beast was and is not 〈◊〉 shall ascend out of the bottomless Pit this doth imply some extraordinary way or means whereby he came unto the Empire after he had lost it but Domitian came unto it but once and that was in an ordinary way upon his Brother Titus death and as his Brother Titus did 8. For the Beast to fall and rise again to be and not to be and after that to be again was a matter of admiration and astonishment and indeed a miracle v 8. but for a man to be saluted Emperour and exercise the Office of the Emperour in the inter regnum or time of vacancy and yet to miss of the place for that bout and be made Emperour twelve years afterward or thereabout is no matter of admiration but may come to pass by ordinary means and no other is the case here Vitellius being dead and a successour not chosen in his room Domitian is saluted Emperour at Rome and executes many things belonging to the Emperours Office as Mutianus and Antonius Primus also did until Vespasian was come home and chosen Emperour indeed some nine years after this Vespasian dies and Titus is made Emperour in his room and reigneth two years and two