conceiving any such sense in any passages of Daniel as may be inconsistent with the genuine meaning of the Apocalypse Which was one reason amongst the rest that invited me to this task But now for the Performance of the Task itself the manner and nature thereof it is muchwhat like that of my Apocalypsis Apocalypseos an Exposition homogeneous and coherent and as it were of one thread though I have been here and there ever and anon assisted by several Interpreters such as Cornelius à Lapide Gaspar Sanctius John Calvin Hugo Grotius and Joseph Mede the two first of the Church of Rome and high Papists the third as high an Anti-papist the fourth a Cassandrian Protestant and the fifth a sound Christian and the glory indeed of our English Church Something out of all these Authours besides what is spun of mine own makes one continued Contexture and closely coherent Exposition of these six Visions or Prophecies of Daniel which I have undertaken to Interpret But as for those parts of any of the Visions which synchronize with the Times of the Apostasie of the Church or the duration of the Beast with ten Horns as I had least need of it the understanding the Apocalypse being a sufficient key for the opening those parts of the Visions so I had least help from either Cornelius à Lapide Gaspar Sanctius Grotius or Calvin himself who is more out in his Interpretation of those parts of the Visions touching the little Horn rising amongst the ten Horns and the King of Pride than those two Iesuits who with the ancient Fathers ingenuously confess that Antichrist is prefigured in those parts of the Visions though they with the ancient Fathers rest in ignorance who this Antichrist is But Calvin not allowing so much as that they are Predictions of Antichrist but bounding the Vision in the seventh Chapter and also that in the eleventh upon the first coming of Christ and interpreting things concerning the Pagan Roman Empire his Expositions are so childishly argute and whisling so dilute shallow and slubbering so preposterous forced and confused and so devoid of that strength and nervosity he shews in other things where he is unprejudiced nor is it prejudice I dare say here for he holds expresly and zealously that the Pope is Antichrist but mere defect of skill and judgment that Calvin is not at all like Calvin in this performance And no wonder he venturing to interpret those parts of the Visions which are not to be unlocked without the key of the Apocalypse which he neglected to get the understanding of or despaired ever to attain to the understanding of it by reason of the seeming obscurity thereof And I wish there were not so many in the Reformed Churches that in this point Calvinize also as there are But yet to give him his due he is much more tolerable than Grotius forasmuch as he expresly declares the fourth beast with the ten Horns to be the Roman Empire though he does not improve that light to the due advantage he might But Grotius on the other side was so nasute on the behalf of the Church of Rome that foreseeing if the fourth Beast were the Roman Empire it would infallibly fall to the share of the Pope to be the little Horn with eyes and a mouth speaking great things that is to say to be Antichrist he to befriend the Papacy denies against the authority of all Antiquity and against the Roman Interpreters themselves that the fourth Beast is the Roman Empire but that it is the Kingdome of the Lagidae and Seleucidae having yet no better Authour for his opinion than Porphyrius a Pagan philosopher and professed enemy to Christians But how foully he and Porphyrius are out I have abundantly demonstrated partly in my Exposition itself and more fully in my Confutation of Grotius â—â—â—exed at the end of my Exposition Amongst all these Interpreters there is onely Mr. Mede that I have found to have a right sense of things in those parts of the Visions I now speak of But as for the Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks he missing of the right Epocha of the reckoning and having indeed taken two Epocha's the one from the third or sixth of Darius Nothus for the whole entire Seventy Weeks the other from the seventh of Artaxerxes Mnemon for the Sixty two Weeks not well knowing in the mean time what to do with or in what sense to understand the seven weeks antecedent to the sixty two Weeks and interpreting the odd week or last week of things appertaining to the week in which Christ suffered as well as to that in which the City was taken by Titus and Temple demolished I say though he hath shewn good learning and skill in the managing his Hypothesis yet it looking so like a Labyrinth and seeming not so easy and natural a sense of things I have declined this otherwise excellent Interpreter in this point and have taken the Epocha of Thomas Lydiat that other singular ornament of our English Church namely the twentieth of Artaxerxes Longimanus and in my Notes briefly opened his chief arguments for that Epocha And therefore this way being most simple plain and natural I preferred it before what was more operose intricate and labyrinthical And I believe Mr. Mede's main confidence in his own Interpretation as to these Epocha's was this in that he followed the footsteps of Joseph Scaliger in the main of whom through his innate modesty he might have an overweening opinion and that he saw it was not charged with those inconveniences which Funccius his Epocha was which is the seventh of Artaxerxes Longimanus from which inconveniences this of Thomas Lydiat is free Thus have I with all freeness and impartiality imaginable dealt as one of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Laertius calls them I have I say like a Philosopher of the Elective Sect addicting my self to no persons nor parties chosen what is most sound and unexceptionable in any and so out of diverse writers with what I have interwoven of my own made one uniform and strongly coherent contexture of things and such as I hope will bear the Test of the most accurate and freest judgment Nor have I concealed the names of those whom I have made use of doing right as I conceive thereby both to them and to the Truth Which thing I intimate that no mans ears may be offended by my so frequent citing ever and anon some or other of the above named Authours or whatever others come in by the bye I must confess Hugo Grotius took another course in his Exposition of the Evangelists and did designedly suppress the names of those writers he made use of in his Annotations of which he renders this reason Quod ea videam saith he factioso hoc seculo magis ad oblimandum quà m ad defaecandum judicium valere Because if Authours were named it would in this factious Age saith he conduce more to the muddying or
loathsomly besmeared with Idolatry and bloud and that those that shut their eyes from seeing and their mouths from professing so plain a truth are but dough-baked Protestants and in great peril if occasion offer itself to be amassed and kned again into the old soure lump of Popery worse than the very Leaven of the Pharisees which Christ advised his Disciples to beware of Moreover That the Rising of the Witnesses was fulfilled in the late Blessed Reformation and that as the Popedome is the Kingdome of Antichrist so Reformed Christendome the Kingdome of Christ in opposition thereunto and a more visible emersion of the Fifth-Monarchy ever distinct from the four Monarchies so much guilty of Idolatry and bloud And that as the many Sects in the Primitive times more in number and more hainous in quality as you may see in Epiphanius than have appeared since the Reformation did not hinder but the Christian Church was then the real Kingdome of Christ no more do those Sects that appear in the Reformed Churches but are disallowed by them hinder at all but they are the true Kingdome of Christ also and rightfully oppose the Kingdome of Antichrist as the Primitive Christians did the Kingdome of the Dragon And that Reformed Christendome being in truth the Kingdome of Christ our inference therefrom is very sound that we ought from the very heart to give all Reverence and obedience in things indifferent to the Magistrates thereof a duty which is owing even to Pagan Magistrates from Christians much more one would think to Christian Magistrates from those that pretend to be Christians themselves This is a Truth so firm and sure that I have placed it amongst my eight Principles for the support and enlargement of the Kingdome of Christ in my Divine Dialogues in these express words The fifth Document or Instruction should be to all the Members of Christs Kingdome wherever their abode is that they do not suffer themselves to be stain'd with the least blemish or taint of Disloyalty to their lawful Sovereign upon any account whatsoever but especially upon a Religious one there being no greater disinterest to the true Religion than to appear to be promoted or maintained by so gross an Immorality as Disloyalty nor any greater advantage than through Faith and Patience to bear all tryals and hardships as the old Primitive Christians did whose eyes being lift up Heavenward and their feet wholly in that path by Providence stumbled on the Imperial Crown the Emperour at last becoming a professed Christian. Furthermore The Rising of the Witnesses and the Sardian Period commencing together That they of the Reformed Churches are bound in the fear of God with all attentiveness to read Christ's Epistle to the Church in Sardis and especially we of the Church of England and to impress those weighty words on our minds Remember how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and repent as of our carnal and sensual lives so of our wantonness and stipperiness in matters of Doctrine as those two great points attested by the Witnesses of Christ That the Popedome is the Kingdome of Antichrist and the Papal Hierarchy the mother of Spiritual fornication or Idolatry That we are to remember what we have heard and received and hold fast and repent us of either our coldness in or Apostasie from the profession of so grand concerning Truths as also of our Schismaticalness and Rebelliousness That we remember I say what we have received and may still read in that excellent Book of Homilies of our English Church touching these main points of the Pope being Antichrist the Papal Church Idolatrous and of that hainous wickedness of Rebellion against our lawful Sovereign and of mingling any Righteousnesses or Satisfactions and Penances of humane invention with our Justification and Remission of sins in the bloud of Christ. The profession of the Risen Witnesses in the Book of Homilies is so sincere savoury and genuinely Christian in this point without the least leaning towards Libertinism and Antinomianism that I do not doubt but this profession of the Reformed Churches is alluded to Apoc. 15. in the placing those Harpers that sing the Song of Moses and the Lamb upon the Sea of glass mingled with fire namely upon the shore of the Red Sea for what reason so called it matters not in which Pharaoh and his Host was overthrown as the Pope and his Pontifician Clergy defeated by the Witnesses professing That a true and living faith in the bloud of Christ which the Title of the Red Sea is a Symbol of for remission of sins does alone justify us before God Whereby they flung off a load of trumperies and tedious impositions of humane invention by which they were kept in a worse than Aegyptian servitude under the Pope and Pontifician Clergy And therefore the Reformed Churches are brought in in the above-cited place of the Apocalypse in imitation of the Israelites that had escaped the thraldome of Pharaoh singing a triumphal song on the shore as it were of the mystical Red Sea where the Roman Pharaoh and his tyrannical Hierarchy were overthrown and that wretched bondage which those true Israelites had been kept in for filthy lucre's sake and gain of the Church cast off utterly and quite escaped For all that sweet alluring power and genuine comfort from the Gospel and wonderfull efficacy to make men truly good they hid from the eyes of the people and whenas the very specifick nature and essence of the Christian Religion is a sincere and vehement Love of our Saviours person and peaceful repose of our Souls in his Passion and Merits we in the mean time acting sincerely as our Homilies require in this Covenant of grace this high honour and affection we bear to Christ this repose and peace of mind we have in the merits of his most precious bloud and passion those supplies by his promised Spirit of illumination comfort and direction all this is so miserably and perfidiously squander'd away or sold if you will for the gain of the Church by multiplying of false Patrons and the vain worshippings of Saints and their images by making men to depend on the Infallibility of the Pope and his Priests and by stifling all hopes of illumination and direction from the blessed Spirit of Christ that the members of that Church are made not onely so many slaves bereft of their Christian liberty and enjoyment of the love of Christ that procured it but so many senseless stocks or stones as to Divine matters and are taught to transfer all that recumbency that every true Christian has on the person of our faithful High Priest upon the persons of these unskilful and which is worse unfaithful Tamperers with the Souls of men Whose Salvation consisting in a lively faith and sincere love honour and dependance on the person of our Blessed Saviour and doing the things that He commands these deceitful Emissaries of Rome O Detestable Treachery carry on such a Religion or
presented him as a Candidate for the designed Kingdom 14. And there was given him Dominion and Glory and a Kingdom that all People and Nations and Languages should serve him that is That some of all People should serve him in the pure Apostolick way of Doctrine and Worship and indeed the whole Roman Empire in a manner did so for a while after Constantine's time till the Apostasie came in Which small Interval of time in this Vision is not taken notice of as being inconsiderable But in the mean time it may be here seasonable to note that this Right of the Kingdom being given to the Son of man answers to the first Vision of the Seals the Vision of the Heros on the white Horse with a bow in his hand and who had a Crown given unto him Apoc. 6. 2. the right of the Imperial Crown So that this part of Daniel's Vision here commences with the Epocha of the Apocalypse or the beginning of Christianity For there seems Four Sentences to have been represented in this Iudicial Session of the Ancient of Days besides that touching the Three Beasts Ver. 12. one assigning the Kingdom in general to the Son of man the other the Judgment of the little Horn the third the giving of the more inlarged Kingdom to the Son of man upon the destruction of the little Horn and the fourth the final Doom of all at the day of Judgment properly so called But the first and the last there is only a slight perstriction or brief intimation of them but that of the little Horn is insisted on the abolishing of his power and the giving the great enlargement of the Kingdom the Regnum Montis to the Saints of the most High His Dominion is an everlasting Dominion which shall not pass away and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed The true Church which is the genuine Kingdom of Christ and of which he alone is the Head as being Universal never yet from the beginning thereof has failed nor ever will fail to the end of the World 15. I Daniel was grieved in my Spirit in the midst of my body and the Uisions of my head upon my Bed troubled me that is I was very anxious to know what the meaning of this Vision might be And methought 16. I came near to one of them that stood by to one of the Assistant Angels in this great Session not to those that were placed on Thrones And asked him the truth of all this that is The plain meaning of this Prophetick Parable So he told me and made me know the Interpretation of things namely as follows and first in general 17. These great Beasts which are Four are Four Kings with their Kingdoms or Empires viz. the Babylonian Medo-Persian Greek and Roman which shall arise out of the Earth And therefore be but Earthly Kingdoms minding Earthly Things here below 18. But the Saints of the most High of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the most High God or of Christ who is called in the Apocalypse King of Kings and Lord of Lords Shall take the Kingdom of the Stone Regnum Lapidis from the first planting of the Gospel but Regnum Montis the Kingdom of the Mountain upon the destruction of the little Horn. And possess the Kingdom for ever even for ever and ever that is The true Church of Christ shall never fail till the end of the World as was intimated above And thus far in general touching the Vision but he holds on 19. Then I would know the truth the true meaning of the Fourth Beast which was divers from all others And in what regard we have above declared as also why so Excéeding â—â—â—adfull whose 〈◊〉 were of Iron and his Nails of Brass which 〈◊〉 brake in pieces and stamped the residue with his 〈◊〉 that also we have above explained 20. And of the Ten Horns that were in his Head And of the other especially which came up For the Interpretation is spent most in describing it Ver. 24 25. And before whom 〈◊〉 fell those three I above named Even of that Horn that had Eyes and would admit no other Horn to have Eyes besides it self especially in Spirituals And a Mouth that spoke 〈◊〉 great things both against the Law of God which this Horn the Papal Power pretends to have a right to dispense with and act contrary to and against the right of Kings and Emperours whom he pretends a Power of excommunicating and deposing and absolving their Subjects from their Oath of Allegiance if they submit not to the Decrees of his infallible Mouth which will be sure to pronounce nothing that is not agreeable to the worldly Interest of Holy Church For this Horn has the eyes of a man merely and directs all by the measure of humane Policy let him pretend never so much to inspired Infallibility Whose look was more stout than his 〈◊〉 That is that has a bold assured look affecting the greatest Grandeur imaginable as pretending to be Lord of the whole World in whose presence his Fellow Horns did but sneak as whose stirrop they are â—…ain to hold even Emperours themselves as well as Kings and other Princes when this little Horn is to ride on Horseback and to bear on their Shoulders his Chair when he will be carried in State to hold the Bason and Towel when he washes his hands and in publick Assemblies to sit at his Feet and if they will not be dutifull enough to be trod upon by his Feet as Frederick Barbarossa was served by Pope Alexander the Third who treading upon his Neck in conspectu populi with a bigg look and loud voice abused that of the Psalmist to his barbarous insulting over the Emperour Super aspidem leonem ambulabis c. Thou shalt tread upon the Lion and Adder c. These hints are enough to shew how fully this part of the Prophecy is accomplished whose look was more stout than his Fellows 21. I beheld and the same Horn namely the little Horn made war with the Saints and prevailed against them that is The Papal Power by using the forces of the Ten Horns or Secular Power makes war against the Saints the true Apostolick Church that stand out and cannot admit the gross corruptions and Idolatrous usages of the little Horn. This answers to that of the Apocalypse Ch. 13. v. 7. And it was given unto him to make war with the Saints and to overcome them It is spoken there of the Ten-horned Beast as the Executioner of the War but in Daniel of the little Horn as the Instigator or Authorizer of the War But this in the mean time is no small indication that the times of the little Horn belong to the times of the Ten-horned Beast healed which are the times of the Apostasie of the Church 22. Until the Ancient of Days came viz. Till he proceeded to that part of the Doom that pronounced Sentence against the little Horn. And Iudgment was given to the
solicitude being not so much for the gratifying of their bodies as the safely bringing back their Souls out of this Region of Mortality and Corruption as a glorious spoil snatcht out of the hands of Satan and Antichrist to present to God his Father in those higher Regions of Immortality and Bliss And certainly so dear and tender as well as so potent a Patron as the Messias would never have permitted his best Clients to suffer such grievous things for his sake had there not been a certain reward in the other world for the Souls of them that so suffered and that been true which he told his Disciples after he was come in the flesh Joh. 14. In my fathers house there are many mansions I go to prepare a place for you Whence these things add a mighty weight to our faith and assurance of the Immortality of the Soul and of an unexpressible happiness to be enjoyed after we have left this body These considerations I think must bring abundance of pleasure to them that have an heart to believe them And yet I will add one thing more which I have observed that cannot but be taking with the judicious That as the miracles of our Saviour Christ here upon earth were never done out of any vanity or ostentation of his wonder-working faculty but as the principle of goodness and needfull beneficency directed him and limited him so likewise the same Christ has behaved himself in like manner in the communication of these Prophecies Wherein there is not the least shew of affectation of foretelling future things as future but merely as they are in subserviency to the most certain information of his Church whether Iewish or Christian concerning their own state and condition what it would be This is more largely insisted upon if the Prophecies be rightly understood but the Pagan Concerns more sparingly and in subordination onely to the affairs of the Church which is a thing methinks very gracefull and becoming the weightiness and authentickness of these Prophecies And this shall briefly serve to intimate what Pleasure the pious soul may reap from the reading and rightly understanding these Divine Visions of Daniel as well as what other fruit or profit he may have thereby The more particular usefulness of which it was less needfull for me to insist upon here they being muchwhat the same with those I have noted in my Preface to my Apocalypsis Apocalypseos to which the Reader may have recourse I shall onely give an account of my adding The Threefold Appendage to this my â—…xposition of the Visions of Daniel and then conclude And the reason of my adding the first part thereof viz. The Confutation of Grotius his opinion who makes the Kingdome of the Lagidae and Seleucidae the fourth Kingdome in Daniel is this It being the constant tradition of the Church and opinion of the Primitive Fathers besides other Interpreters it would make too great a rattle or noise to rehearse the names of them you may see them in Cornelius à Lapide and Ribera that the times of the ten-horned Beast and two-horned Beast Apoc. 13. and also of the Beast that was is not and yet is Apoc. 17. are the times of Antichrist and Ribera expresly says of this last viz. the Beast that is said to ascend out of the bottomless pit that Antichrist ascends with him and that the other Beast Chap. 13. with ten Horns is Antichrist from the authority of the Fathers and the two-horned Beast his Armour-bearer or Squire of his body though more properly the two-horned Beast is to be called Antichrist and the ten-horned his Squire I wish he had had a better office and not been debased to so mean and unbecoming a ministry by the Imposture of the two-horned Beast I say it being according to the common stream of Antiquity and Interpreters that those times of the ten-horned Beast are the times of Antichrist and the same being founded mainly upon that which is unexceptionably sound viz. That the times of these Apocalyptick Beasts and of that in Daniel with ten Horns amongst which appears that little Horn with eyes which the ancient Tradition of the Church and all the Primitive Fathers with one consent declare to be the formidable Antichrist then to come that those times I say do synchronize or are the very same times and both necessarily conceived in the latter time of the Roman Empire Grotius discerning that unless Porphyrius his opinion may be admitted viz. That the Kingdome of the Lagidae and Seleucidae not the Roman is the fourth Kingdome in Daniel and having so much wit and perspicacity of Iudgment as to perceive that the Papistical notion and declaration touching Antichrist is such a Romance so incredible and ridiculous you may have it pretty well at large in Cornelius à Lapide upon 2 Thess. 2. that it is more fit for old wives and children to listen to than any one that can pretend to have the understanding of a man he and as it seems to me partly out of the distaste he had taken against the Reformed Church of Holland for their usage of him and partly to glaver and curry favour with the Pontifician party that he might make all sure in the behalf of the Pope and his Hierarchy rejects the Primitive Orthodox opinion of the Church who ever made the fourth Kingdome in Daniel the Roman and strikes in with Porphyrius a mere Pagan who conceited the fourth Kingdome to be that of the Lagidae and Seleucidae By which device Grotius forsooth would excuse the Pope from being the little Horn with eyes and consequently Antichrist and cast it upon Antiochus Epiphanes the little Horn according to him not belonging to the times of the Roman Empire but to the times of the Kings of Syria and Aegypt Wherefore I thought it a business of no small importance to shew the shamefull groundlesness of Grotius his opinion and to restore truth to her due possession and place But in the mean time it is worth our observation that Grotius being ashamed of that Romish or rather Romantick fable which that Church entertains of Antichrist as that he shall be born of a Iewish Female of the â—…ribe of Dan and be begotten by an Incubus or at least that he shall be of the abovesaid 〈◊〉 and make himself the Messias of the Jews shall doe strange miracles to deceive them shall make mountains seem to remove out of their place shall raise himself or some other mortally wounded Prince from the dead shall bring fire from Heaven and like the story of Frier Bacons brazen Head his statue shall be made to speak He shall fly in the air the Devils in the appearance of Angels doing homage to him He shall rebuild the Temple at Jerusalem and there require to be honoured as the sole God of the Vniverse and in the mean time Enoch and Elias appearing again in the Flesh shall Prophesy against him whom he shall slay and their
I have demonstrated the Rising of the Witnesses to be in this second part of my Appendage And they that have applied the late Blessed Reformation to the second Vial as Mr. Mede and after him Peganius has done it was from this errour that they took it for granted that most of the Vials preceeded the Rising of the Witnesses And such is the humour fansifulness and partiality of many that they can hardly believe of themselves that the Witnesses are risen till Kingdomes Nations and Principalities of their own party rise into Political power namely all Episcopal all Presbyterian all Calvinists all Arminians all Socinians and so of Anabaptists Quakers and Famulists But they erre knowing not the Scriptures or the true meaning of them nor rightly considering the Records of History where they may find what was the testimony of these Witnesses who are predicted to rise in the Reformation and to be warred against before by the Beast and cruelly persecuted As there was nothing to alledge against the Apostolicalness of their faith they professing the Triunity of the Godhead and Divinity of Christ and such like Articles of the Christian belief and living accordingly whereby they became idoneous Witnesses so their plain and simple testimony against the Church of Rome was this That the Pope was that Man of sin or Antichrist and their Church Idolatrous by reason of their adoration of the Host invocation of Saints and worshipping of Images and their Religion otherwise also grosly corrupt in seeking to propitiate God by their adhering to the multifarious vain and wicked inventions of men excogitated onely for the gain of the Priest and the keeping the people in blindness and ignorance This was the tenour of the Testimony of the Witnesses both in the Pergamenian and the Thyatirian Interval of the Church which they witnessed with great favouriness and assurance in virtue of the Spirit of life and holiness in them And persons innumerable that bore the same testimony and were of the same sentiments instead of being still mournfull Witnesses in sackcloth or lying dead in a Political sense in the streets of the Mystical Prophet-murdering Jerusalem the same with Babylon or Aegypt which signify the large jurisdiction of the Pope of Rome at the Reformation had a reviving into Political Power again and ascended in several Kingdomes to the highest Honours Dignities and Employments in Church and State Which therefore as I have proved in this part of my Appendage must needs be the Rising of the Witnesses they being of the same mind and profession with those that were so grievously persecuted and kept out of all power nay burnt at the stake murdered and massacred God knows how many hundred thousands of them And at this very day our own Church of England partly in her Homilies partly in her Articles and Liturgy gives the same testimony of the Church of Rome even that she is that old painted harlot of Babylon with her cup of fornication that is of Idolatry and that the Pope is Antichrist as I have shewn in my Synopsis Prophetica Book 2. Ch. 21. Which whenas our own Church which seems most moderate does so plainly attest we may be sure the rest of the chiefest writers of the Reformation do not mince the matter at all And if there be any persons in the Reformation any where that at all recoyl from this testimony it is because the Spirit of life and holiness is decayed in them and the gross Spirit of this world has blinded their eyes and darkened their understandings and hardened their hearts against the truth they preferring worldly power pomp and riches before the purity of Gods worship Wherefore I say this is one great usefulness of my demonstrating the Vials to follow the Rising of the Witnesses in that it is thence manifest that the Vision of the Rising of the Witnesses was fulfilled in the late Blessed Reformation there being thus no other Vision to predict it but this Which conclusion contains a manifold usefulness in it For first that acclamation in Heaven upon the Rising of the Witnesses That the Kingdomes of the world were become the Kingdomes of the Lord and of his Christ namely after so many Principalities Provinces and Kingdomes had cast off the Pope in the late Blessed Reformation what does this imply but that they were before in the hands of Antichrist and that were the Pope has any Dominion it is ipso facto Antichrists Kingdome and on the contrary that all the Reformed parts of Christendome are the Kingdome of Christ and indeed the fifth Monarchy begun Which ought to stop the mouths and carrears of an ignorant and Fanatical sort of men that cannot see wood for trees and seek for a fifth Monarchy in a fifth Monarchy whenas so considerable a part of it is erected before their eyes already But as I noted above such is the folly and freakishness of ignorant and conceited men that they would not willingly acknowledge the Witnesses to be risen till those of the same crotchets with themselves whole Kingdomes and Nations of them have got into power But it is very true and extremely worth our nothing that as in the times of the old Roman Paganism all those that professed Christ according to the tenour of what we call the Apostles Creed though in the mean time they had several different conceits about things that appertained to the Christian Religion were notwithstanding lookt upon as the Kingdome of Christ in opposition to the Kingdome of the red Dragon the Pagan persecutive Roman Empire so all the Reformed Churches States and Kingdomes though some Lutherans others Calvinists some of one opinion others of another yet they keeping to the old Orthodox Faith of the Triunity of the Godhead and Divinity of Christ acknowledged by the Church in the Symmetral times thereof and renouncing the Communion of the Roman Church for her gross Idolatries and wretched and intolerable Superstitions and humane inventions whereby she has so notoriously adulterated the purity and simplicity of the Christian Faith and worship all these I say are justly deemed the Kingdome of Christ in opposition to the Dominion of the Pope or Kingdome of Antichrist Whence as I was a going to say a second special use of this our demonstration that the late Blessed Reformation was the fulfilling of the Vision of the Rising of the Witnesses is the undeceiving of those they call the Fifth-monarchy men who would pretend to begin the fifth Monarchy and upon that account raise commotions and tumults whenas it is so stupendiously and surprisingly by the special providence of God begun already And let a third usefulness be to reprove them that out of rashness and conceitedness or any other worse principle vilify and contemn this great work of God the late happy Reformation whether it be those that think there is too much done already they having an hankering again after the Flesh-pots of Aegypt the worldly bigness and downbearing
I look upon to be the more likely reading and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which bears the same sense comes so presently after Loveth all things that is to say is a sincere lover and hearty imbracer of the whole Creation of God and a rejoycer in his works Believeth all things that is All the Fundamentals at least of the truly ancient and Apostolick Faith in vertue of that purification of the Soul whereby she has arrived to this transcendent state of Divine Love Hopeth all things namely firmly expecteth all those great and gracious promises of a Blessed Immortality after this life and the Glories and Enjoyments thereof in which hope she is so fixt and stedfast by reason of the purity of the Soul and presence of the Divine Spirit in her that as it follows buoyed up by this full persuasion and chiefly in assurance it is for the glory of God and the good of his people she Endureth all things being assured that God whom St. John calls Love and with whom she is united by faith and love can carry her through a thousand persecutions and deaths and yet repose her safe at last in his own bosome Which is according to that couragious profession of the same blessed Apostle Rom. 8. Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ shall Tribulation or Distress or Persecution or Famine or Nakedness or Peril or Sword Nay in all these things we are more than Conquerours in him that loved us For I am persuaded that neither Death nor Life the fear of the one or the love of the other nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor Height nor Depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ our Lord. This is that most excellent glorious and salutiferous Idea or Character of the Philadelphian state of the Church which is immediately to succeed the Sardian and in which alone the Reformed Churches must hope to be in safe Harbour indeed But in the mean time the nearer we compose our selves to this great Pattern in the greater safety and better condition shall we be If we will lay aside all our Dissentions and Animosities all our Factions and Schisms and remember that for all the stir and noise we make about Opinions and Ceremonies and Forms of Government in the esteem of our Lord Christ we are but dead bodies for so he declares to the Church in Sardis being destitute of the life of Christ which is the Spirit of Love whose fruits and effects I have above described out of St. Paul If we could but have so much zeal and ardour of mind to promote the Indispensables of Christian Religion as every Sect has to promote such Forms or Opinions as Christianity can well want and yet be most effectual for the Salvation of Souls which is the end of our Religion it would be a wholsome symptome or sign of our Recovery For this undoubtedly would bring along with it all Decency and Order and Morigerousness to the Magistrate whether Ecclesiastical or Civil in things indifferent and cement us together and consolidate us into one inexpugnable Temple of Christ able to bear off all the assaults of the Emissaries of Antichrist whereas now Divisions and Factions Animosity and Discord amongst our selves is like to make us a prey to the common Enemy These things are lively represented to us in those two Epistles the one to the Church of Sardis the other to the Church of Philadelphia which therefore made me so solicitous to confirm to all the World that Truth and here again repeatedly to declare it That the Vision of the Seven Churches is a Prophecy of the State of the Church from the beginning thereof to the end of the world To which I will onely cast in this third reason That it makes much for the Gracefulness and Elegancy and Enravishing Artifice of this Divine Volume of Prophecies the Apocalypse that the Vision of the Seven Churches be acknowledged such a Prophecy as I have described especially if we consider how the order of the Intervals agree with the order of the Synchronals of the Sealed and Opened Book-Prophecies and particularly how the Church of Sardis falls in with the Rising of the Witnesses on which things it is needless here to enlarge any further and not at all convenient my Preface having already swelled so exceeding much beyond my expectation Onely I will remind the Reader that I am not alone in this my confidence of the Vision of the Seven Churches being such a Prophecy those two eminent Theologers Ludovicus Crocius and Balthasar Willius an Authour that was very lately sent me by a Reverend and Learned Friend discovering the same truth before me and the latter so well assured of it that he makes it the ground of his Exposition of a considerable part of the Prophecy of Zachary as I have intimated above and the more of us hitting upon and approving the same Notion unknown to one another it ought to be the greater confirmation to others that the Notion is natural sound and true Thus have I with all imaginable sincerity and freeness given an account of this my Exposition of the Divine Visions of Daniel and of my annexing the Threefold Appendage thereto And now that this my just zeal for the truth may not seem to any one either unseasonable immoderate or extravagant That it is not unseasonable I think is over apparent there being that strong Effort by the Popish Party to bring their Religion again here into England and therefore it is the duty of every one of my Calling as he finds himself tolerably appointed for it to instruct the people touching the Solidity of our Reformed Religion and of the Detestableness of Popery such as it may be made out to be either from Reason or the Divine Oracles For for a Nation Priest and People to turn in a moment from one Religion to another as contrary to one another as Light is to Darkness and Christ to Antichrist surely must be the greatest slur that ever was put on the Profession of true Religion since the world stood and the greatest gratification and Triumph which that Triumvirate of pestilent Wits ever yet have had I mean the Atheist Antichrist and the Devil And verily there being that vast difference betwixt the Reformed Religion and Popery this consideration alone one would think should put an effectual stop to any ones revolt that is not an Infidel and believes nothing of a life to come viz. That if he does not stand his ground in this assault nor be driven off by the terrour and affright of men he cannot assure himself but if the like threatnings of death and cruelty were used to him to renounce all Christianity whatsoever that he might be an utter Apostate from Christ pass over to Turcism nay Paganism and at last be persuaded humbly to
salute not the cloven toe but the hairy backside of the black Goat in a Nocturnal conventicle of Witches The Consciousness of which baseness and impiety of spirit to him that has any sense of Religion left in him one would think should be more affrightful to him than the menaces of the most cruel Tyrant or the very flames of Hell Wherefore there being so strong an Effort and tugg to debauch a Nation on this manner how can it be unseasonable by all honest means to endeavour to keep them sound that God be not dishonoured nor Religion slurred before the eyes of this Atheistical world by so foul an Apostasie Nor is there any thing of Immoderateness or Extravagancy in this my zeal for so good a cause For I herein offend neither the Law of God nor man And I doe but that duty I owe to my Prince Church and Country in defending the established Religion of the Land against all Opposers or Vnderminers of it and being what I defend is true I have the Apostles warrant if not command to be zealous in it who tells us It is good to be zealously affected always in a good matter It is not onely asserted by our Church but it is irrefutably proved by able writers of our Church that the Church of Rome is Idolatrous And the most horrid murders they have committed upon innocent souls hundred thousands of them because they would not commit Idolatry with their Church all Histories ring thereof Wherefore our Church in her Homilies does not stick to intimate this bloudy Idolatrous Church to be that Harlot in the Apocalypse upon the Seven Hills as also that the Pope of Rome is the Antichrist And Bishop Jewel in his Volume against Harding appointed by authority to be in every Church expounds the Man of sin 2 Thess. 2. whom all the Ancients understood of Antichrist of the Bishop of Rome making the Antichrist predicted there to be the Pope And indeed what Protestant writer before Grotius ever expounded that Prophecy of any other than the Pope But how absurd and ridiculous Grotius his Interpretation is I have abundantly shewn in my Synopsis Prophetica Now what extravagance is it in me who further confirm what our Church holds to say nothing of other Churches by a more perfect and accurate account of the Prophecies of St. John and Daniel Wherein I shew all those Prophecies that the Ancient Fathers interpreted of the times of Antichrist himself necessarily to belong to the Papal Hierarchy And for Antiochus Epiphanes whom they lookt upon as a Type of Antichrist I have further shewed how lively a Type he also is of the Pope So fitly do things agree and cohere all along in every place And verily I am so well assured of the truth of the Expositions I have exhibited of Daniel and St. John those parts especially that appertain to the deciding of those grand Controversies betwixt the Church of Rome and the Protestant Churches viz. whether that Church be Idolatrous and the Pope Antichrist that I dare in an humble confidence spread them in the sight of Heaven before God and his Holy Angels and the Blessed Spirits of the Saints departed and particularly St. John and Daniel the two inspired Pen-men of those Divine Visions which the special Providence of God has left to the comfort and direction of his Church and appeal unto them whether the Expositions be not true Not that I expect any miraculous voice from Heaven in attestation to the truth of the said Expositions but to signify thus to all the world with what sincerity and assurance I have written them Which I would have chiefly understood of the abovesaid Controversies and of my Applications of things past But as for what is to come that of the Poet may here take place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he is the best Hariolus that guesses well so he the best Interpreter of Divine Prophecies that gives a rational account whatever the Event may prove touching such passages of them as concern things yet future Which I speak in reference to my Expounding Dan. Ch. II. vers 45. of the taking of Rome by the Turk which I heartily wish the Papal Hierarchy may prevent by a timely repentance of their Idolatry and bloud But the like fears and jealousies of holy men in former time touching the Turks over-running the West for their Idolatry are expressed in our Churches Homily upon that subject to which I refer the Reader But as for the truth of my Expositions which reach the main points whether the Church of Rome be not that Babylon the great the mother of Harlots with the golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of Fornication the woman on the Seven Hills that is drunk with the bloud of the Saints and the bloud of the Martyrs of Iesus and whether the Pope be not the Antichrist and the Papal Hierarchy understood in all those Prophecies in John and Daniel which the Ancient Fathers and Primitive Writers understood of Antichrist whence it is manifest that the Pope with his Hierarchy is he these things I profess are as clear to me as any point in all Theology and Philosophy Geometry itself being not excepted But as for those that answer this our well-grounded confidence of the truth of our Expositions instead of endeavouring a solid confutation of them which they are conscious to themselves they can never perform and therefore have discreetly declined the taking notice of my Joynt-Exposition of the seventeenth and thirteenth Chapters of the Apocalypse in my Synopsis Prophetica published at least fifteen years agoe which alone would make good the conclusions aimed at of the Antichristianity and Idolatry of the Church of Rome for those I say which answer this well grounded confidence of mine with mocks and mowes with distorted drollery and course buffoonry I have no other Reply to give to them but that I heartily pity them and that I humbly conceive if there were any remainders of a mans heart left in them they would pity themselves could they but once consider what a few hairs breadths their souls are elevated above those of Monkeys or Baboons and would sadly sit down on their breech with their arms or rather forelegs if you will across and sigh deeply to the Maker and Former of all things that he would vouchsafe to transform them into the shape and state of men And I in the mean time it being something doubtfull how much the braying of their brutish nature may prevail shall desire all good people to pray for them But for those to whom is given a more sober and understanding heart and capable of the mysteries of God I hope by perusing the Expositions which I have written upon the Prophet Daniel and the Apocalypse they will not stick to acknowledge with our own Church and other Reformed Churches that the Popedome is the Kingdome of Antichrist and the Roman Church most foully and
For as the Stone was cut out without hands so it will be carried without hands to smite the Image on the Feet namely by the power and conduct of the Spirit of Christ who will then open a door of success that no man shall be able to shut as it is said to the Church of Philadelphia considering I say that Omnipotency it self is the Spring of this motion and that it does not depend on the humours and purposes of men I can of a truth declare unto the King that The Great God hath made known to the King what shall come to pass hereafter or after this namely after the demolition of all these Four Empires the Vision reaching to the end of the World which that expected glorious State of the true Church will precede when the Kingdom of the Stone cut out of the Mountain that is out of the Roman Empire shall it self become the Kingdom of the Mountain and fill the whole Earth that is when that State of the glorious and pure Church shall spread over all And the Dream is certain and the Interpretation thereof sure and more particularly touching that excellent State of the Church concerning which it is said Apoc. 21. 5. And he that sate upon the Throne said Behold I make all things new And he saith unto me Write For these words are true and faithfull And he said unto me It is done I am Alpha and Omega the Beginning and the End The Dream that he has interpreted is certain especially the most concerning part thereof the Glory and Prosperity of the true Church of Christ it being to be atchieved by the irresistible power of the Lord Jesus NOTES upon VISION I. Ver. 43. * Alliance by Marriages whereby one Kingdom c. That this is not the sense of the place viz. The Marriages of those of great rank in these Principalities mutually with one another thereby to bind these distinct Kingdoms in peace and amity besides the reasons alledged in my Exposition this may be one also that the words which seem to import it are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a very improper word to signifie that Noble Princely Royal sort of Men or Women who matching with one another of several Kingdoms might tie those Kingdoms in the bonds of unity and friendship It would then have been said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they shall mingle themselves with the seed of Nobles or Men of great power and interest or at least 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the seed of Men in a common or indifferent sense But here it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the seed of mean abject weak despised Men such at least in appearance as Cornelius à Lapide very well Comments upon those words Dan. 7. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est saith he alluding to the Roots 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi filius hominis miseri aerumnosi mox morituri obliviosi oblivioni tradendi haec enim omnia significat Enos from the Two Roots above named the one whereof signifies to be sickly the other to be oblivioâ—…s Whence he makes Enos which is the same with the Chaldee Ansa to denote a wretched weakly sickly contemptible Wight and at least seemingly dull and oblivious and whose Name is quickly to be drowned in oblivion Which certainly is a very unmeet Character for the Princes and Great ones of Kingdoms But may very well decipher those of the Papal Seminaries Covents or Monasteries those Monks and Fries mob'd in their Cools and long Coats and making a shew of great mortification and despicableness as if they were altogether dead to the world and the vigour of nature were quite extinct in them they pretending to nothing but holiness and interest of Holy Church whether in these mob'd habits or got into a more brisk dress to carry on affairs in the behalf of the Papal Dominion either in their own Country or other Nations The very propriety of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I say intimates that this mingling with the seed of Men does not signifie matches of Great persons of several Kingdoms and that therefore it will naturally point to that sense I have pitch'd upon in my Exposition And how hugely applicable this is to History see that Excellent English Gentleman Sir Edwin Sandys his Speculum Europae Which shews what fast hold the Pope takes on the Secular party by the activity and fedulity of the Monks and Friers and other Emissaries that are sent out of their Seminaries for the purpose For the Religion that is taught in those Seminaries being framed more for the Power of the Pope and worldly interest of Holy Church than for safe guidance to the Eternal salvation of Souls those that come out of these Seminaries to instruct the people do reaâ—…ly the work of the Papacy that is bind the Laick party to obedience to the Pope and so make the Iron stick to the Clay VISION II. The Vision of the Four Beasts rising out of the Sea whereby the Four above-named Empires are prefigured Dan. 7. AS by the Statue consisting of Four Metals those Four Empires the Babyloâ—…ian Medo-Persian Greek and Roman from their beginning to their ending were represented so they are here in the very same extent of time notwithstanding this Vision was seen towards the end of the first of these Empires namely the Babylonian Which manner of representing in Prophetical Type part of time past in a Set of Visions is made use of also in the Apocalypse the greatest part of the time of the first of the Six Visions in the First Six Seals being expir'd when S. Iohn saw them And there is the same reason of the Set of Visions of the seven Churches which begin as that of the Seals from the first Epocha of Christianity as does also the Vision of the measuring the Inner and Outer Court and the Woman clothed with the Sun with Twelve Stars upon her head c. There was about Sixty years from the Epocha of S. Iohn's Visions to the time he saw them and less from the beginning of the Babylonian Empire till Daniel's seeing of this Vision of the Four Beasts So that this is no obstacle but that the Babylonian Empire may be here represented from its beginning though Daniel saw this Vision toward the end thereof But because that in a Set of Prophetical Visions a little snip of time in comparison of what the whole Set of Visions takes in may be set out by some inconsiderable part of that Set of Visions to take the liberty of interpreting a whole Set of Visions viz. all the Six Seals nay Two whole Sets of Visions succeeding one another viz. all the Six Trumpets succeeding the Six Seals of things past when S. Iohn saw those Visions as Grotius does is so wild and extravagant that it may well astonish any sober man
or above him by decreeing things contrary to the Laws of God as if he were supremum Numen in terris as his Flatterers call him for who can null or abrogate the Law of God but that God that made it or some God if there be any higher than he What Antiochus did to the Iews in commanding them point-blank to transgress the Laws of the God of Israel and in making them conform to the Idolatrous Laws of the Gentiles the Samaritans those false Brethren writing in the mean time to Antiochus in this style 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the glorious God King Antiochus the same does Antichrist in his forcing the true Servants of the living God and faithfull Members of Christ against the express Word of God to worship Idols of his own setting up and so to pollute the Church with Gentilism his Flatterers in the mean time crying out Dominus Deus noster Papa and that all is right that he commands and no man must disobey him as I have noted above These are great examples of boldness in the Antitype as well as the Type who yet was never so bold as to avow that a piece of Bread such certainly examined by the indubitable Test of Sense Scripture and Reason was either a Man or God and miserably to kill men if they would not yield to this bold obtrusion Now for the understanding dark Sentences as this passage in some sense respects Antiochus Epiphanes so it does Antichrist and is it may be more eminently fulfilled in the later than in the former The Hebrew word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chidah which most usually signifies a Parable or Riddle but it signifies also at large any hard question Such as the Queen of Sheba is said to propound to King Solomon the word Chidah is there used 2 Chron. 9. where she is said to commune with him of all that was in her heart and that Solomon told her all her questions c. Which two great persons surely spent not their time in Riddle me Riddle me what 's this as Children sometimes do but the Queen of Sheba put hard and weighty questions to him in points of State Religion and Philosophy And in the two former Antiochus might be pretty well versed and would not stick when the question was put whether the pure worship of the God of Israel such as himself had appointed was to be kept or the Rites of the Gentiles and their Idolatry to be brought in amongst the Iews to make all his people of one Religion and so the more to strengthen his Kingdom he would not stick I say to pronounce having an equal share of boldness as of wit that the pure worship of the God of Israel must stoop to the Reason of State And whether Antichrist has not horribly defiled the Ancient pure Christian Religion with gross Gentilism and Idolatry to support the wealth and greatness of his Antichristian Kingdom let all indifferent men judge These things are so plain and open that they are unknown to none but those that wilfully shut their eyes But besides this the Papal Hierarchy is a most notorious understander of hard questions in matters of Religion especially and of State so far forth as Religion or Holy Church is therein concerned as assuming to themselves the privilege of Infallibility So that the Pope with his Hierarchy at least is the infallible oracle of Christendom to solve hard questions Which makes me conceive that this passage and understanding dark Sentences and hard Questions was put in by the Spirit of Prophecy with a more peculiar respect to Antichrist himself than to Antiochus his Type And indeed that Church would make every Sentence in Scripture a Riddle or dark Sentence that the Pope may have the pretence of interpreting it who will be sure never to interpret it inconsistently to his own corrupt Interest 24. And his power shall be mighty but not by his own power The Power of Antiochus over the Iews was caused by some mistaken or ill-minded Iews themselves And as for Antichrist or the Head of the healed Beast or of the Beast that was and is not and yet is it is plain Apoc. 17. 13. that the Ten Kings give their power to him Thus plainly is his power mighty but not by his own power And he shall destroy wonderfully But whether Antiochus destroyed more Iews or Antichrist more Christians let any one that reads History compute and tell which of them is the more wonderfull destroyer For not only the bloud of Saints and Prophets but the bloud of all the slain upon Earth is laid to the charge of the Papal Hierarchy Apoc. 18. 24. And shall prosper and practise Antiochus against the Iews and Antichrist against the true Christians Apoc. 13. 7. And shall destroy the mighty and the holy people The mighty the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Azumim the Septuagint render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vatablus and the vulgar Latin Robustos It signifies those that were strong in Faith and stout and couragious in professing the truth whether in the times of Antiochus or Antichrist These may be those which the Apocalypse calls the Prophets and the holy people are those that are instructed by them which are called Saints Apoc. 18. 24. What a destroyer Antiochus was and how much greater a destroyer of these Antichrist has been all History rings of it What Antiochus was to the sincere Iews the same was Antichrist and much more to the sincere Apostolick Christians 25. And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand and he shall magnifie himself in his heart that is Applaud himself as all Politicians do when things succeed for his own great Policy that he has brought things to pass as they are This History testifies to be true as in Antiochus so much more in Antichrist or the Papal Hierarchy there never having been a more cunning Polity in the world as all Historians and Politicians are agreed Which perspicacity of theirs in Politicks is set out by the little Horn with eyes Chap. 7. amongst the Ten Horns as I have noted above on that Chapter And by peace shall he destroy many The Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in peace out of time of war he shall destroy many Multos pacificos innoxios occidet says à Lapide and Grotius understands it of the Iews persecuted for their Religion by Antiochus But what is this to the bloudy Massacres that Antichrist has made upon the peaceable and innocent Protestants and to the burning God knows how many beside with Fire and Fagot The examples are more fresh than that they need to be named He shall also stand up against the Prince of Princes The Hebrew has it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where Grotius says that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is attributed to the Chiefs of all the Families of the Priesthood Ezr. 8. 24. and Ch. 10. v. 5. Wherefore the chief Priests being called Princes
the High Priest must be the Prince of Princes here meant And let that be one sense though Calvin says it is nimis argutum infirmum But this sense of the Prophecy is fulfilled in Antiochus his setting up and pulling down the High Priests at his own pleasure against the Law of God as you may see in the Books of the Maccabees But is there nothing in Antichrist that answers this presumption in Antiochus his standing up against the Prince of Princes Surely yes What think you of the Emperour Has not Antichrist stood up against him with a witness and that many a time as Historians record and sometimes stood with his Foot upon his neck singing Super aspidem Leonem ambulabis as I noted above And other sometime has humbled him so as to make him be content to receive the Imperial Crown in the submissest manner imaginable the Pope crowning him with his Feet and when the Crown was on kicking it off again as Spoâ—…danus records of Pope Celestine the third But the full sense of the Prophecy in this passage I think is not yet exhausted but by the Prince of Princes is also understood the God of Israel in reference to Antiochus whose Temple he prophaned and robbed affected himself the Title of God and was so saluted by the Samaritans and at last brought in the Abomination of Desolation the Statue of Iupiter Olympius in more full contempt of the God of Israel This is Antiochus his standing up against the Prince of Princes as Gasper Sanctius comments upon the place and I think not without judgment But you will say how is this fulfilled in Antichrist or the Pope How has he prophaned God's Temple or robbed it or brought in the Idol of Iupiter Olympius c. Answ. It is manifest that he has prophaned Gods Temple I mean the Church of Christ by bringing in Heathenish customs and Idolatrous practices into it as is abundantly known and as for robbery or sacrilege the most precious treasure the Church has he despoils them of viz. the Word of God or the Law of God of which the Psalmist says they are more precious to him than thousands of Gold and Silver To say nothing of what are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Apocalypse Ch. 9. v. 21. and depriving the living Temple of God of their livelihoods upon pretence of their Heresie not permitting them to buy and fell that receive not the mark of the Beast And that the Popes have affected the title of God has been also above noted they accepting of it by not reproving their Flatterers as neither did Antiochus when they called him God Qui non vetat peccare cum possit jubet And that nothing may be wanting to compleat the Parallelism he when he brings himself into the Temple of God and behaves himself as to absolute Power as if he were God as it is said in the Epistle to the Thessalonians he being but a man what can this man be but an Idol the fulminant Iupiter of Mount Coelius for that Mountain is appropriate to the Pope of Rome upon account of the Lateran there his Palace as that Idol Antiochus brought into the Temple of the Iews was Iupiter of Mount Olympus by which the Poets understand Heaven Coelum from whence Mount Coelius is so called that the Names may have also some little correspondency as well as the things But if this seem too quaint and operose let the intelligent consider whether the bringing one Idol into the Temple of the Iews or the filling of the Christian Church with thousands of Idols and requiring the people to worship them which the Papal Hierarchy does be the greater affront to the Prince of Princes to God and Christ who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and has expresly commanded Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image Thou shalt not bow down to them nor worship them But he shall be broken without hand Morbo divinitus immisso says Grotius God inflicting a sore disease upon him For to be done without hand in Scripture phrase signifies to be done not by humane but by divine power as the Stone cut out without hands Ch. 4. And Cornelius à Lapide upon this passage but he shall be broken without hand Sic Antichristum Christus says he occidet spiritu oris sui 2 Thess. 2. 8. For he had said before upon Ver. 23. That Antiochus in many things was the Type of Antichrist following the opinion of the Ancient Fathers therein Irenaeus Origen and others And Gasper Sanctius acknowledges that Antiochus was viva quaedam Imago Antichristi a lively image of Antichrist and is so throughout to the very last stroke according to that intimation of Cornelius And the very circumstances of Antiochus his death as it is described will notably sute with the circumstances of the extinction of the Papal Hierarchy 2 Maccab. 9. 9. The worms rose up out of the body of this wicked man Antiochus and whilest he lived in sorrow and pain his flesh fell away and the filthiness of his smell was noisome to all his Army But thus he died percussus faetore vermibus as Cornelius phrases it upon the place And as Antiochus went out thus with a stink so in all likelihood the exstinction of the Papal Hierarchy will leave no good favour behind it but end in wretched contempt according as it is predicted touching the King of Babylon no doubt a Type of the Pope or Papal Hierarchy Isa. 14. 18. All the Kings of the Nations even all of them lie in glory every one of them in his House But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch as a carcase troden under foot Thou shalt not be joyned with them in burial because thou hast destroyed thy land and slain thy people massacred killed consumed in Prison and burnt at the Stake many Hundred thousands of Apostolick Christians for not complying with the worship of those Idols which this King of Babylon had set up and also filled all Christendom with bloud upon other squables Let that be for one instance amongst the rest which I above-named That those Two Emperours Henry the Fourth and Frederick the First fought above Threescore Battles in defence of their own Right against the enemies of the Empire stirred up to Arms by the Popes of Rome See my Exposition of that Prophecy of Isaiah in my Synopsis Prophetica Book 2. Ch. 17. But enough has been said to shew how lively an Image Antiochus Epiphanes was of Antichrist viz. of the Pope or Papacy and how much the Church of God as well Christians as Iews are concerned in this Vision 26. And the Uision of the Evening and Morning which was told is true Explicatio visi says Grotius exponens numerum dierum 2300 nihil habet obscuri 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verum says he hîc est clarum apertum Wherefore is true here signifies is not aenigmatical or symbolical the 2300
his Doctrine drawn the eyes of all so upon him and got such an authority with the Iews and esteem that they began to think with themselves that he might be the very Messias so great an opinion could not be raised in them from one years experience but from many and that it is rashly gathered from Christ's Baptism being named so soon in the same Chapter that it should be in the very first year of Iohn's Ministry viz. in the fifteenth of Tiberius things of far greater distance of time being spoken of within less compass of lines and no intimation given of the times distance a thing frequent in Scripture So that the time of Christ's Baptism by Iohn is to be defined from other considerations And therefore The second Reason is That this nineteenth year of Tiberius exactly complies with the age of Christ at the time of his Baptism Luke Ch. 3. ver 2. And Iesus began to be about thirty years of age c. The Greek has it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is And Iesus himself was about thirty years of age namely the age in which the Levites began their service Numb Ch. 4. beginning his Function which he was initiated into by this Baptism of Iohn the Holy Ghost also then descending upon him Now from the year of Aelius Lamia and Servilius Geminus Consuls to the nineteenth of Tiberius are thirty years as you may see in Chronologers So plain an Argument is this for Christ's being Baptized in the nineteenth year of Tiberius as Lydiat would have it Thirdly From the twentieth year of Artaxerxes Longimanus to this time of the manifestation of Christ in his Baptism and Ministry are precisely 483 years or Sixty nine Weeks according as it said in the very Prophecy That from the abovesaid Decree to Messiah the Prince viz. to his manifestation should be seven Weeks and threescore and two Weeks that is sixty nine Weeks And thus is there left one intire Week to confirm aâ—… covenant with many first by his own Preaching the first half of the Week and after by his Apostles after he had sent down the Holy Ghost upon them And let these three first reasons serve for a tast but there are more than thrice as many congruencies with historical passages that Lydiat notes in several succeeding years that do notably confirm this Hypothesis of his touching our Saviour's Baptism falling on the nineteenth year of Tiberius which I must omit that the Notes upon this Vision run not out too far Now the time of Christ's Baptism is setled the time of his Suffering will be determined with ease and fall in right whether we will or no taking but what the generality of Expositors have concluded on whom Funccius declares to have been of opinion that Christ was between thirty three and thirty four years old when he suffered whence of necessity his Death falls upon the fourth year of the last Week and about the middle of that year And that he did not exceed that age is further confirmed by Thomas Lydiat in his Canones Chronici p. 93. out of Theodoret who expresly says When our Lord for about three years and an half had preached and had confirmed his Disciples by his Doctrine and Miracles he suffered To all which you may add that there being from Christ's Baptism to his suffering but four Passovers as is apparent out of S. Iohn's Gospel who writing to make a supply to the omissions of the other Evangelists who scarce take notice of any Passover but that wherein Christ suffered would be sure to omit none from the time of his Baptism to his Suffering and Christ being Baptized in the beginning of the eighth natural month that is of the Jewish Marchesvan or Roman November as Thomas â—…ydiat notes out of Epiphanius Christ's Passion will necessarily run into the middle year of the last Week and near upon into the middle of that year there being nigh six months space betwixt the beginning of Marchesvan and the middle of Abib or Nisan when the Passover was kept So handsomely do all things fall in and agree together And though I have been very brief in opening the grounds of Thomas Lydiat's Chronological account of this Prophecy yet I hope it is so plain at least so considerable that it may excite the Reader to seek further satisfaction if he need it from Thomas Lydiat himself and admire with all true Christians the stupendious providence of God who has left such clear and wonderfull testimonies thereof unto his Church in these Books of Daniel and the Apocalypse for our certain assurance who is the Christ and who is the Antichrist And those certain Revelations touching Antichrist are also as effectual Corroboratives of our Faith in Christ to as many as are unprejudiâ—…ed and set themselves seriously to understand them VISION V. Which is the Vision of an Angel in human shape clothed in Linen with his Loins girt with the fine gold of Uphaz Ch. 10. and is a Prooeme or Introduction to the Vision of the Scripture of Truth which takes up the other two whole Chapters in Daniel THat the same times are run over again as in the Apocalypse so in this Book of Daniel and things more fully explained in the repetition of the same times I have noted above But what is most remarkable in this present introductory Vision is this That the vision of the Scripture of Truth which follows and is a description of Affairs from the times of the Persian Monarchy to the end of the world being of such great importance the Affairs of the Church not only Jewish but Christian being so lively described therein that which is most remarkable I say is that as in the Apocalypse to Visions of like great comprehension and compass so here to this Vision of so vast extent of time is there prefâ—…xt a very pompous introductory Vision as there is before the Prophecy of the Seals which reaches from the beginning of the Christian Church to the end of the World the representation of the throne of God prefixed and of the Four Beasts and the Four and twenty Elders Before the Prophecy of the opened Boâ—…k which reaches also from the beginning of the Church to the Conflagration there is a Vision of a mighty strong Angel clothed with a Cloud and a Rain-bow about his Head his face as the Sun and his Feet as pillars of Fire c. And lastly before the Prophecy of the Seven Churches which is of the same extent with the forenamed Prophecies there is seen in the midst of the Seven Golden Candlesticks One like unto the Son of Man clothed with a garment down to the foot and girt about the paps with a golden girdle His Head and his Hair was white like Wool as white as Snow and his Eyes were as a flame of Fire and his Feet like unto fine Brass and his Voice as the sound of many Waters Which is a representation of Christ
dazling brightness in it like that of the Lightning which is also a white splendour not red like Fire nor is the flashing motion of it necessarily implied but only the bright colour so that the Snow and it may signify the same thing a mature clearness and serenity of mind But now they agree again in the very words Here it is said And his Eyes as lamps of fire and there And his Eyes were as a flame of Fire Here And his Arms and his Féet like in colour to polished Brass there And his Feet like unto fine Brass as if they burned in a Furnance And lastly here it is said And the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude and there likewise And his Voice as the sound of many Waters and Waters unquestionably are a Prophetical Symbol of a multitude Whence I say Christ is described in both places together with his Church the Iewish in Daniel and the Christian in the Apocalypse And the Prophetick Symbols signify much-what the same things in them both The greatest difference is in that the mention of the Beryl or Tharsis is left out but it only signifying a multitude the multitude is expressly put in in the close of the Apocalyptick description to supply its place And Brass brightened by Rubbing or Polishing and Purified by the Fire will signify the same things the tryal of Affliction and the being bettered by it But it is not necessary to insist over minutely on these things it is evident enough from what so easily offers it self that this Angel is that very Palmoni that appeared to Daniel Ch. 8. 13. as they both being the same Christ bestirring himself in the behalf of his Afflicted people the Iews and the latter having the same representation with that of him in the Apocalypse Ch. 1. 9. And I Daniel alone saw the Uision for the men that were with me saw not the Uision At least they saw nothing but a Glorious light as St. Paul's fellow-travellers did when Christ appeared unto him going to Damascus and yet they are said to see no body because they saw not the distinct shape of the appearance as here Daniel and it's likely there Saul did But that Daniel's Companions saw something is evident from what follows But a a great quaking fell upon them so that they fled to hide themseâ—…ves Which implies they saw something whereby they were thus terrified and that therefore this of Daniel's was a real 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Day-Vision and that he was in the place truly which he mentions namely by the great River the River Hiddekel or Tigris in Susiana 8. Therefore I was left alone and saw this great Uision As being better fitted for such Divine Communion by his Three Weeks preparation of Fasting and Devotion * But how an Angel can make himself seen of one and yet not of others present or whether the difference lie meerly in the predisposedness of the persons that are to see is a subtile piece of Philosophy not requisite to enter upon in this place But well may this Vision be called great it being the sensible and distinct Presence of the Lord Christ. And there remained no strength in me Being overcome and stounded at the Presence of so Glorious a Personage as it follows For my comeliness was turned in me into corruption and I retained no strength 9. Yet heard I the voice of his words Though he was half dead in this strange consternation of mind yet he heard the voice of this Illustious Angel that was present with him And when I heard the voyce of his words that is to say But at the hearing the Voice of his Words Then was I in a déep sléep on my Face and my Face toward the ground The like passage is there Ch. 8. 18. and therefore the like interpretation is to be given namely that he was so overcome and astonished at the Voice of this Angel as well as before at his sight that it made him fall down into a soporiferous swound with his face towards the Earth his spirits did so fail him or quite retire through fear Thus were the natural or carnal powers abolished in a manner and annihilated turned into a present Chaos and Death before he could be raised up into a capacity to receive supernatural Illuminations And it is the Fate of those that have a strong robustious carnal mind or wit as they gladly would have it called to be as uncapable of understanding these Prophecies of Daniel or any of the like nature as he was before his humiliation and concidency of Spirit of receiving them I cannot forbear to bring in here that description of the Method of Divine Wisdome Siracid Ch. 4. 17. At the first she will walk with him by crooked ways and bring fear and dread upon him and torment him with her discipline until she may trust his Soul and try him by her Laws Then will she return the streight way unto him and comfort him and shew him her Secrets A figure whereof we have here in this Communication betwixt Palmoni and Daniel 10. And behold an Hand touched me When he was fallen thus to nothing in himself through perfect humiliation and contrition then an hand from without toucheth him supernaturall power then is conveyed unto him by due degrees not all at once nor per saltum such inordinate motion having no harmony in it nor soundness or safety neither in things natural nor Divine They goe from strength to strength saith the Psalmist though their beginning be but small as a mustard-seed But we must first learn to creep and then goe according as we may observe in the following words Which set me upon my â—…nées and upon the palms of my Hands But this however was a good hopefull beginning it being in vertue not of our own strength but of that which is supernatural which will carry us out to the end if we be faithfull 11. And he said unto me O Daniel a man greatly beloved I have noted above that the original has it A man of desires and so may signify a man of great love towards God and his people or a man greatly beloved of God and all good men Understand the words which I speak unto thée and stand upright Thus was Daniel rouzed up and enabled to hear understand and to take perfect notice of what was to be delivered unto him for the information of Posterity For unto thée am I now sent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word is the same from whence Shilo the name of the Messias is derived Whence his being sent hinders nothing but that he may be Christ who is said in severall places to be sent in the Gospel And when he had spoken this word unto me I stood trembling i.e. by the vertue of his saying unto me stand upright I stood upon my legs but I trembled withall as yet being not so throughly strengthened or fearing what tidings this Angel might bring unto me
the Coincidence of time with the Paganoâ—…Christian Empire and the long continuance as also the difference of this Kingdome from the other ten is more than a strong suspicion that it is part of the succession of a Kingdome Ecclesiastick which is necessarily to run along with the Empire professing Christianity But if the question be whether this part of this Ecclesiastick Kingdome be the uncorrupted Kingdome of Christ or the Reign of Antichrist the solution is not difficult For that it is not the Kingdome of Christ is plain in that Christ is said to come to burn and consume it Whence it is manifest that the Church has not been out in their Conjecture in deeming this little Horn to be Antichrist and therefore say I the same with the two-horned Beast and the Whore who is plainly Isochronal and I doubt not but Synchronal to this little Horn and is adjudged to be burnt in the Apocalypse as this little Horn is here in Daniel 15. To speak briefly therefore This little Horn is the Idolatrizing Clergy of the Empire but more chiefly and particularly that great and notorious part thereof under the Bishop of Rome who has been a more than ordinary stickler for both the obtaining this degenerate Ecclesiastick Empire in the Roman Empire and in lapsing and keeping down the Empire in Superstition and Idolatry and therefore is rightly said to be an Horn growing out of this Beast the Symbol Beast it self according to Grotius his own Confession intimating Idolatry 16. And if exquisite fitness of Application will assure us of the right sense of a Prophecy we cannot fail in this examining every character of this little Horn. For as it is little so is the Original of the Popes mean and obscure and their Secular Principality small in comparison of those Princes they have contested with Again As this Horn had the Eyes of a man so it is well known that for politick quick-sightedness there has not been any Body of men comparable to the Roman Hierarchy insomuch that it is Proverbial to say That the Roman Religion is nothing else but a mere trick of Policy to increase and keep up the honour power and wealth of the Pope and his Clergy See Sir Edwyn Sandys his Speculum Europae and you shall find this part of the Prophecy fulfilled to admiration and that it is not for nothing that this little Horn is said to have the Eyes of a man in it which is said of no Horn in all the Prophecies besides this Thirdly As this Horn is said to have a mouth speaking great things whether you mean thereby boasting of its own Sovereignty or Blaspheming it is well known that from this Horn are uttered such words as imply the Pope greater than all Princes and Emperours nay that he is not onely said to be Infallible * but styled God and declared worthy of Divine Worship Fourthly For the humbling and subduing three Kings which this Horn is foretold to doe is it not long since performed by the Pope of Rome in his usage of Leo Isaurus in his ruining the Kingdome of the Lombards to get to himself the Exarchate of Ravenna And in tormenting and disquieting Henry the Fourth and his Successours with his Thunder-claps and mischievous Political Plots till he wrested from them all their Right and Jurisdiction in Italy 17. Fifthly and to come nearer to our purpose in hand Whereas it is said that he shall speak great words against the most High and shall wear out the Saints of the most High and think to change Times and Laws and they shall be given into his hand for a Time and Times and half a Time I say This Idolatrous Clergy has bid fair towards the fulfilling this Period of times already the Degeneracy of the Church beginning about four hundred years after Christ and which is more considerable they having received so notorious a Check in the Decursion of this Half-Time which is elsewhere called a Half-Day in which his swaggering is pretty well diminished and chastised Sixthly And for his wearing out and consuming the Saints of the most High he has done it even more bloudily and cruelly than the very Pagans on the Primitive Christians which is the most furious Opposition against the Regality of Christ that can be imagined thus to waste and destroy his true Subjects Seventhly And for his speaking great words against the most High that is against the Divine Sovereignty is it not plainly done in the Pope's pretences of having power to dispense with or lay aside the Laws and Injunctions of Christ of which we have given several Instances in our Idea of Antichristianism and such as are notoriously well known to appertain to that Church Besides that he is Reus laesae Divinae Majestatis in appointing Religious worship to his canonized Saints which is an Honour due to God alone Lastly In that he is said to change Times and Laws what innumerable Institutes are there of the Pope's injoyning of which may be truly said what our Saviour told the Scribes and Pharisees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From the beginning it was not so And what is this therefore but to change Times and Laws and in many of them in a most perfect Opposition to the Laws of God and Christ as I have already noted in its place Whence we see plainly that this Antichristian Opposition against the Regal Office of Christ is very expresly foretold in this Vision of the little Hornâ—… which rose up with the ten Horns in the Roman Empire and did fabricate Imperium in Imperio as some phrase it and became a Two-horned Beast in the Ten-horned Beast erecting an Ecclesiastick Antichristian Empire within the Civil in opposition to the true Empire or Kingdome of Christ and in defeatment of his Power and Laws in the Church nay in opposition to those Immutable Laws of the Eternal Logos that enlightens every man that comes into the world NOTES Upon the Confutation Sect. 2. Was neither greater more excellent nor a more viâ—…torious Kingdome c. For they both viz. the Kingdomes of the Lagidae and Seleucidae put together were yet but part of Alexander's Kingdome And for their victories and spoils they were of one against another which was a farther weakning of this but part of the Kingdome of Alexander which still argues the less excellency of the said part Sect. 4. For Antiochus Epiphanes was dead almost two hundred years before Christ so much as c. And yet Grotius would have Antiochus Epiphanes the little Horn upon whose destruction notwithstanding the Ancient of days gives the Kingdome to the Son of man Dan. 2. 44. In the days of these Kingdomes the fourth and last of which is according to Grotius that of the. Lagidae and Seleucidae shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdome which is the Kingdome of the Gospel of Christ whenas the Kingdomes of the Lagidae and Seleucidae were both of them utterly vanquished and abolished by the Romans before
I say and a self-favouring conceitedness they presently fancie it as well more excellent and more true as different Others out of a fondness towards themselves presume they have a more peculiar gift that way and by strong prepossession of their private conceits deeply impressed upon their melancholy Imagination render themselves incorrigible and uncapable of the most evident and most solid information from others And others given up to a Fanatick Spirit do not stick to presume themselves in an extraordinary manner inspired and upon that account heed not what others have writ before them and so comparing themselves onely with themselves prove themselves as the Apostle speaks unwise And lastly there are those who to serve an Interest have quite left the rode of other Expositours who had according to their measure of light expounded things bonâ fide and have most lamentably and shamefully perverted and distorted the genuine meaning of both Daniel and the Apocalypse the former in the most concerning parts thereof and the latter in a manner all over But I can appeal to God and my own conscience that I have framed no interpretations to serve any Interest but that of Truth and the Church or Kingdome of Christ. Nor have I out of any curiosity of prying into hard and obscure things medled with either the Apocalypse or Daniel but merely for more full satisfaction in the great Controversy betwixt us and the Papists who leave no stone unmoved to pervert Souls and to bring them over to their Idolatrous Church Wherefore for my own more full satisfaction and for the service of the true Church of Christ and for nothing else that I know of have I taken these pains to make a continued Exposition of all the Prophecies as well of Daniel as the Apocalypse Wherein if I have deviated from the footsteps of others amongst whom I account Mr. Ioseph Mede absolutely the chief and than whom I conceive no writer of that kind has deserved better of the Church of God yet I can aver it with all faithfulness that it is not out of a desire of seeming to have found out something better than his that I have dissented from him but because I am driven thereto by meer force of Reason Otherwise having no design but assisting the Truth I hold it absolutely my duty not to deviate or vary from such pious and able Interpreters where I find their interpretation sound Truth being thus the better recommended by the witness of two or many than if I stood single by my self And therefore I always covet if I can find them to have companions if they be companions in the Truth otherwise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one man to me is as much as three Myriads and three Myriads not so much as one man But now that it is mere Reason not any vain humour in me such as I have specified above which makes me contrary to the sense of Mr. Mede place the Vials in the seventh Trumpet after the Rising of the Witnesses and interpret the three Days and an half wherein the Witnesses lie slain of three Times and an half I hope I shall make clear by the Account following First then we are to take notice of the Method or Genius if you will of both Daniel and the Apocalypse that after two Prophecies suppose of the same extent of time and of the same things which are of a more large and reaching compass there comes a Prophecy or Vision concerning onely part of that larger compass of time wherein some part onely of the foregoing Vision is more copiously enlarged upon As for example After the Vision of the Statue of four Metals and that other of the four Beasts both which Visions reach from the beginnnig of the Babylonian Empire to the ending of the Roman or speaking in the Apocalyptick phrase to the end of the last Vial there comes next the Vision of the Ram and He-Goat which takes in onely the time of the Persian and Greek Empire and enlarges on the affairs of the Greek Empire onely and especially on the times of Antiochus Epiphanes So likewise in the Apocalypse in the Opened Book-Prophecies after the two Visions or Prophecies of the same extent of time viz. from the beginning of the Church to the end of the seventh or last Vial the former of which two Prophecies is contained in the Eleventh Chapter the latter in the three following Chapters namely the twelfth thirteenth and fourteenth there follows then the Vision of the seven Vials which run over but part of that extent of time which each of the two foregoing Prophecies do comprise Now as there are three conspicuous Ioynts of a more universal consideration in the compages of the two abovesaid Prophecies in Daniel namely those in which are held the Ending of the Babylonian Monarchy and Beginning of the Pesiran the Ending of the Persian and the Beginning of the Grecian the Ending of the Grecian and the Beginning of the Roman so there are two manifest Ioynts likewise and of a more universal consideration in the two abovesaid Prophecies in the Apocalypse the one contained in the eleventh Chapter and the other in the twelfth thirteenth and fourteenth namely the time wherein as in a communis terminus the end of the Symmetral Ages of the Church and the beginning of the Asymmetral or of the Apostasy are held together and the Time wherein the Ending of the Entireness of the Apostasie and the Beginning of the Restitution or first Emergency out of it are held together The former Ioynt is the Time wherein the Ending of the Sixth Seal and Beginning of the First Trumpet are held together the latter Ioynt wherein the ending of the Sixth Trumpet and the beginning of the seventh Trumpet are held together where according to the Vision Ch. 11. is the Rising of the Witnesses But now the question is sith we see in Daniel the Vision of the Ram and He-Goat placed so as it begins with the first Ioynt of the two foregoing Prophecies and ends with the third Ioynt that is begins with the Persian Monarchy and ends with the Grecian the question I say is where the Vision of the Vials that is to what Ioynt of those two more comprehensive Visions Ch. 11. and Ch. 12 13 and 14. the beginning of the said partial Vision is to be affixed whether to the first or to the second Ioynt to the beginning of the first Trumpet or to the beginning of the seventh immediately after the Rising of the Witnesses with those Acclamations in Heaven and Doxology of the Elders Ch. 11. 15 16. Or which is the same Ioynt of Time to that joyfull Annunciation of the happy news of Babylons being faln whose Fall must needs be the Rising of the Witnesses told by the second Angel Ch. 14. 8. the question is to which of these two more universal or notable Ioynts for other Ioynts betwixt Trumpet and Trumpet they being so many are more inconsiderable the beginning of
by an Henopaeia the succession of these two sorts of men thus kept out of power are turned into two single persons called two Witnesses Then they are clothed in sack-cloth as well as made to Prophesie to shew their low condition in the World Thirdly it being incredible that two single persons should each of them live 1260 years they are said by an Antichronismus to Prophesie onely 1260 Days namely the days of their deprivation of all power in Church or State wherein they lay like dead carcases as to any Political Power or Influence upon the World though they were yet in Being then as being the woman in the Wilderness as it is expressed by another Symbol But this dead condition of theirs representable by an unburied carcase that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Cortex might be observed is not to expatiate unto 1260 days much less to so many years but by another Antichrenismus though the same time is signified is to be contracted into three days and an half For who could endure that two carcases should lye stinking in the streets of the City suppose 1260 days or three years and an half Besides the incredibility of their being raised to life after so long a time And though these three days and an half be set at the end of the 1260 days yet by a Lemmatosynechia a figure usual in the Apocalypse they are easily understood to belong to the antecedent time and to Synchronize with it See my Synopsis Prophetica Book 1. Ch. 4. in Antichronismus Therefore this is the external Decorum observed in the outward Cortex of the Vision that their Political Death which is exactly Synchronal to the time of their mourning in sackcloth which is said to be 1260 days is contracted into three days and an half signifying there Daniels three times and an half as Day and Time sometimes signify the same thing This Parabolical Prophecy of the two Witnesses thus understood has a most enravishing festivity and elegancy in it and is one of the choicest examples of that Divine wit and Artifice of Concealment as well as Revealment that occurr in the whole Apocalypse Nor does that expression ver 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put a bar to the supposed Lemmatosynechia and hinder their Political Death from running back into the same time with their mournfull Witnessing For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here is a word which the Spirit of Prophecy has made choice of to serve as well the sense of the Pith of the Parable as of the Cortex thereof But our English Translation has pitched upon that sense which onely comports with the Cortex of the Parable while it renders it And when they shall have finished their Testimony as if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were Futurum exactum which it is not and besides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies as well agere or peragere as finire And so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will easily and naturally signify While they shall be performing or declaring their Testimony the Beast shall make war against them and kill them that is the successive body of them kill them all successively in that Political sense or keep them successively dead from the first suppression of them and kill some of this successive body according to a natural death even many Myriads of them as History can witness So easily is the difficulty of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 removed Where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 has two senses the one serving the Pith the other the Cortex of the Parable as Day has two senses vers 9. and relating to the Cortex signifies a natural day but to the Pith it signifies Time in such a sense as Time is taken in Daniel Ch. 7. vers 25. And now I hope I have made it abundantly plain that there is no Incongruity in this Opinion of Peganius and mine in making the three days and an half the same with Daniel's Time and Times and half a Time or 1260 days Prophetically understood Nothing hinders but this may be the sense But now I shall produce reasons to prove that it really is so As first It being a Number consisting of three Integrums and an Half as Daniels three Times and an half is and the 42 Months and 1260 Days being but the varying of the phrase for the Three Times and an Half if a man have but any competency of Apocalyptick Nasuteness or Sagacity in him he will easily smell out the high probability of these three days and an half being the same with the three Times and an half in Daniel and consequently the same with the 1260 Days of the mournfull Prophecy of the Witnesses Secondly There being no example in all the Apocalypse at least and I think no where else of the affectation of predicting things to the curiosity of half a year it is plainly incredible that there should be any such affectation here Thirdly If the condition of the Apostolick Church be ever brought to so sad a condition again as is represented by the carcases of the two Witnesses lying dead in the streets of the great City it is incredible that they should recover again within the space of three years and an half The conceit looks almost as Romantickly or fabulously and out of the same ignorance of the Apocalyptick Antichronisme as that of the Romanists who tell us what strange feats Antichrist shall do in the same space of Time namely within the space of three years and an half when an age would scarce be sufficient to compass such Atchievements Fourthly If we restrain the lying dead of the Witnesses to the three years and an half at the end of their Prophesying there is nothing in the Vision to represent their Political Death to which their Resurrection relates before that time though they have been dead in that sense at least 1260 years already Which is exceeding absurd Fifthly Being that the witnesses have lyen slain in a Political sense and have been so often slain many hundred thousands of them in a Natural sense before the end of their mournfull witnessing it is unconceivable what persecution or oppression in these last three years and an half different from what they had endured before should â—…efall them or more worthy of taking notice that the former should be omitted and these by the carcases lying three days and an half in the street be represented Sixthly and lastly Whereas it is said v. 7. And when they shall have finished their Testimony the Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them and shall overcome them and kill them unless my sense be admitted Till the end of their Prophesying there is neither any war nor any overcoming nor any killing of the Witnesses which is point-blank against the Truth of History This which I have produced as it does fully satisfy my self that the three days and an half are the same with Daniel's three Times and an half so I hope that other will also
be satisfied if not of the Truth of the thing yet at least that I have not rashly dissented from Mr. Mede therein We having thus solidly stated the sense of this Vision of the Death and Resurrection of the Witnesses which was the true sense thereof many hundred years ago and ever will be we may now the more seasonably enquire whether the Prophecy be yet fulfilled or no. Which if it be not and the Witnesses be not risen it is evident from what we have proved above viz. That the Vials follow the Rising of the Witnesses that there is not yet one Vial poured out But there is no Protestant Interpreter that I know but will allow that some of the Vials are already poured out Wherefore unless they will shamefully recoil they must of necessity acknowledg that the Witnesses are already risen But I shall use but one Argument for all to prove that this Vision or Prophecy of the Rising of the Witnesses is already fulfilled What a remarkable Providence as touching the Church of God and what a vast change of affairs there was in the Papacy at the late Reformation is notorious and what an innumerable company of people were delivered out of that worse than Aegyptian Bondage of the Pope and multitudes who because of their supposed Hereticalness lay dead useless and unactive to all Political Power whether in Church or State being excluded therefrom for their falsly suspected Heresy got into the most honourable employments at the Reformation both in Church and State Nay that the highest honours were in the hands of the Protestants in many intire Kingdomes and Principalities which had been under the Papacy before What a marvellous nay stupendious change this was no man can but be sensible of and therefore that it must be and that in no slight manner predicted in the Apocalypse Now it cannot be predicted in any of those Visions that in order of time follow the Vision of the Rising of the Witnesses as the Vials do because this notable and stupendious mutation of things has happened already and as those of the adverse party would have it before the Rising of the Witnesses Wherefore I demand of them in what Vision which is antecedent to the Vision of the Rising of the Witnesses is this so remarkable and marvellous a piece of Providence predicted or prefigured I am confident they cannot find any before this of the Rising of the Witnesses Wherefore it must be this Vision of the Rising of the Witnesses which prefigured this stupendious piece of Providence in the Reformation or else none at all Which were an absurdity intolerable and utterly incredible Wherefore it is even Mathe matically evident that the Vision of the Rising of the Witnesses is a Prophecy of the late Reformation and that it is fulfilled therein And this it would be though it were less significative of that marvellous passage of Providence than it is But that it is most fitly and fully significative thereof as if made on purpose for it my Exposition of it in my Apocalypsis Apocalypseos and elsewhere will I hope abundantly make good which is needless here to repeat as also how naturally the Song of Moses the Servant of God and of the Lamb follows the Rising of the Witnesses which contains a deliverance of the Servants of God from that worse than Aegyptian Bondage of that Mystical Pharaoh the Pope and how the Sardian Interval of the Church which signifies a Song of Ioy commences at the same time Which things fall in with that Congruity and Harmony that he must be something more than ordinary stupid that is not enravished therewith But in the mean time having observed that neither the Messias who is called the Christ when he was come though predicted plainly enough by the Prophecies was taken notice of as such by them that were concerned to take notice of him nor yet Antichrist as fully nay more fully and repeatedly predicted and prefigured was taken notice of by them who were sufficiently concerned so to do I less wonder that the Prophecy of the Rising of the Witnesses so punctually predicted and manifestly fulfilled in the Reformation should be so little taken notice of as it is but that several men as the Iews expect a Messias to come and the Romanists an Antichrist so they a Rising of the Witnesses to come when the impletion of that Prophecy is so evidently already past Wherefore it was the duty of some or other to remind them of it The Authours twenty Arguments whereby he does prove that the seven Epistles to the seven Churches are a Prophecy of the state of the Church cast into seven Intervals from the beginning thereof to the last Iudgment out of his Exposition of the seven Churches Chapter X. 1. AS in Natural Hypotheses those are accounted truest that solve the Phaenomena of Nature the most naturally and easily and especially if such as are no otherwise solvible than upon the proposed Hypothesis so that meaning of Scripture I mean especially of any considerable portion thereof ought to be esteemed truest that can solve the most Difficulties that may be raised concerning the same or the Contexts precedent or subsequent thereto and if all still the more certain and if unsolvible otherwise there is still the more assurance of undeniable Demonstration Now how near this Mystical or Propheticall Exposition of these Epistles approaches to the clearness of this case I will leave to the Reader to judge after he has considered the Solutions of the questions easily raised out of the Epistles themselves or the precedent Chapter and not easily answered nor at all satisfactorily at least most of them but upon the Hypothesis we have gone 2. As first If a man enquire why the Spirit of Prophecy after he has so expresly given notice that this Book of the Apocalypse is to shew unto his servants things that are to come and called it plainly a Book of Prophecies should start so unexpectedly from the Title and intended Subject as to write no less than seven Epistles to certain Churches that have nothing considerable of Prophecy in them before he deliver any Prophecies properly so called but onely Promises and Comminations and that he should do this * with as great Pomp and as high a Preamble as he does when he begins so famous Prophecies as those of the seven Seals and the opened Book But according to our Hypothesis the Answer is easie viz. That though these seven Epistles to the seven Churches of Asia have a Literal sense yet they are also a Parable or Prophecy and of as high concern for both matter and extent of Time they reaching from the beginning of the Church to the end of the world as the Prophecy of the Seals and Opened Book and that they are ushered in with this great Pomp on purpose to give us notice thereof Secondly A man would be prone to enquire why the Spirit dictates Letters unto the Churches in Asia and not rather
Intervals of the Church of Pergamus and of Thyatira must come after Ephesus and Smyrna because till the expiration of those two Intervals Idolatry had not again reentred the Apostatizing Church And the three following intervals of Sardis Philadelphia and Laodicea are the Intervals of the true Church elapsed out of the hands of domineering Idolatry and therefore we hear no more in them of things sacrificed unto Idols nor of any Iezahel And Philadelphia which is the most holy and the most glorious Interval of the Church that is to appear on the face of the Earth is not to be named accoâ—…ding to her Dignity but according to her Succeâ—â—ion in time toward the latter end of the World as she is here ranged But of this more than enough because we had touched of it in the general before 5. Tenthly Why is Christ in his Description before the Epistle to the Church in Pergamus set out by a two edged Sword coming suppose out of his mouth according to the Ellipticalness of the Apocalyptick style what reason in the Letter can be given of that for especially if this Supplement be made it cannot respect the slaying of Antipas with the sword What peculiar thing then in this Church of Pergamus is there to require this Description Truly nothing at all appears in the Letter but in the Prophetical sense it is very proper The Waldenses and Albigenses in this Interval assaulting the Church of Rome or at least defending themselves and their pure Faith so signally by this Weapon I mean by the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God though themselves died so many thousands of them in the field by the sword for the Faith they thus defended And in the Eleventh place The description of Christ before the Epistle to the Church in Thyatira And his Feet like fine Brass as if they burned in a Furnace for that Supplement is to be understood out of his Description in the first Chapter as before But now what peculiar significancy has this description or what congruity to any thing in the Church of Thyatira Literally understood surely none But in the Prophetical sense it is very expressive of those lower members of Christ's Body his Church here on Earth of their invincible Zeal and Patience and Sincerity of Affection such as did abide the most fiery Tryals that could be put upon them and made them stand at the Stake amongst burning Faggots with the Flames about their ears and never flinch for it As has been noted in the Interpretation of that Epistle This was the state of that Interval of the Church Twelfthly In a Book that is so full of Aenigmatical Involutions and coverings upon coverings where he calls the Churches Golden Candlesticks and the Bishops or Pastours Stars and Angels even then when he interprets and offers to be more plain that the same Authour should so openly and plainly mention any one by name as he does the Martyr Antipas if there were not some farther Mystery in it would be a great Difficulty and hardly to be digested by the more sagacious and curious I must confess I have often wondred at this naming Antipas by name till I understood a further sense thereof such as we have rendred in the Exposition of that Epistle 6. In the thirteenth place One might well demand why Christ expresses a greater disgust against the Church of Laodicea than that of Sardis For though the former is said to be luke-warm yet the other making a great shew of life is notwithstanding declared to be dead That Christ should be more inraged against Luke-warmness than Hypocrisie and threaten it more deeply than the other I will spew thee out of my mouth which is quite to cast a thing away never to be resumed again must seem marvellous to the onsiderate Certainly if there were not some greater matter in it the Spirit of Christ would not speak so severely onely to follow a Metaphor But in the Prophetical sense the solution is easy that passage being predictive of the Extermination of the Church from the face of the earth at the close of the world as I have expounded it In the fourteenth place it may be demanded why so affectedly and repeatedly in every Epistle that Phrase is used I know thy works without any variation or omission Which seems a thing but of-small importance in the Literal sense of these Epistles but in the Prophetical it seems on purpose so repeated to intimate an Allusion in Asia to the Hebrew word * as if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was intended on purpose to answer to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * that Asia may also be significant as well as the names of the Seven Churches which they all being it is a shrewd presumption this repetition was for some such design as has been declared Whereas the Literal sense can give no account thereof Fifteenthly Alcazar himself is much stumbled that the Spirit of God should be thought to take notice of any one particular Woman in the Church of Thyatira and so call her by the name of Iezabel as is ordinarily supposed And indeed these things are too little for the Majesty of this Writing of the Apocalypse But how can we help it in the Literal sense if we will interpret with constancy and coherency But in the Prophetical sense there is no such incongruity The Object is worth the Spirits taking notice of in this kind this Iezabel being that painted Woman of Rome intoxicating the Kings of the Earth with the Cup of her Spiritual Fornications as has been shewn upon the Text. 7. Sixteenthly It seems very strange that that Promise of ruling over the Nations and receiving the Morning Star which doubtless are Political Promises should be made to the Church in Thyatira more than to that in Pergamus or Ephesus and others What Victories or Dominion did the Church in Thyatira in Asia get over the Nations more than other Churches This is an hard knot in the Literal sense But in the Prophetical it is loosened at the first sight For the Closure of the Interval of the Church of Thyatira brings in the time wherein whole Nations revolted from the Pope and his Idolatrous Church and professed the Reformed Religion and so in these parts got the Pontifician party under them Seventeenthly In the Epistle to the Church in Philadelphia there is mention made of a mighty Temptation that is to come upon all the World to try them that dwell upon the Earth touching which he saith Behold I come quickly Why should this be said to the Church of Philadelphia more than to any other of the Churches here specified There are not the least footsteps of reason to be found in the Literal sense But in the Prophetical sense the thing is plain For the Interval of Philadelphia beginning in the last Vial wherein that mighty and terrible Earthquake is to happen the great Temptation what it is is plainly thence understood and how in
respect of this Philadelphian Church it will come quickly she commencing but in the very same Vial that this is to happen under Eighteenthly Why upon this Philadelphia a private Asiatick Church should the name of the City of God the new Ierusalem which cometh down out of Heaven from God the very same that is expressed Apoc. 21. be said to be written This Title were too big and turgent for any private Church were it not a Type or Symbol of some greater matter But by the Prophetical interpretation this difficulty is quite removed For the Interval of the Philadelphian Church is coincident with the times of the new Ierusalem mentioned at the end of the Apocalypse and of the Millennial Empire of Christ upon Earth 8. Nineteenthly The Curious may be prone to enquire why the Church of Laodicea in those times should account her self so hugely and extraordinarily rich encreased in goods and to have no want of any thing And truly why this should be her estate rather than any of the Churches specified from the Literal ground we can fetch no reason But admitting the Prophetical sense and that this is the last Interval of the Church of Christ it will naturally so come to pass For this Laodicea will be left Heir to all the Riches of her Sister Philadelphia to Peace Prosperity Purity in Worship abundance of natural Knowledge universal skill in the Interpretations of the Prophecies and whatever good thing there is belonging to the Church saving the Life and Spirit which Philadelphia carried along with her into the other World How easily then and naturally or rather necessarily does this Description of the Church of Laodicea fall upon the last Interval And Lastly It is a Question extremely obvious to demand Why that phrase * He that hath an ear to hear let him hear which our Saviour so often is found to adde at the end of his Parables to the People should be used here so repeatedly in every Epistle they being no Parables but Epistles sent to each of those Seven Churches in Asia respectively And then why this Epiphonema is sometimes the last close of the Epistle sometimes not To which Problem there is no tolerable Solution in the Literal sense of these Epistles But supposing a Mystical or Prophetical sense there was a necessity of affixing this Epiphonema to shew there was a farther sense intended than that of the Letter and also that sometimes this Epiphonema should come last of all as in the four last Epistles that the Promise to the Conquerour to him that overcomes might be more certainly understood to be of a proper Prophetical or Political sense not merely Theological Moral or Spiritual as has been abundantly declared in the Exposition 9. We might have drawn many more Questions and Solutions from the consideration of the Letter and of this Hypothesis we go upon to shew its solidity and fitness but that we hold it needless having produced so many already which jointly considered with the perpetual easiness and naturalness of the whole Exposition of all the Epistles * and the exact Correspondency of the Names of the Churches to the Events of the successive Intervals of the true Catholick Church which they represent one would think they should not fail fully to satisfy any unprejudiced Peruser of our Exposition of these Epistles touching the truth thereof But I am abundantly taught by Experience that both the finding out and receiving of Divine Truths found out by others is a special gift of God And therefore to him alone be the Glory for ever and ever Amen NOTES Upon the Twenty Arguments Sect. 2. With as great Pomp and as high a Preamble as he does where he begins so famous Prophecies as those of the Seven Seals c. You may adde to this of the Seven Seals and that of the Opened Book the Prophecy of the Scripture of Truth in Daniel To which Prophecy the Vision Chap. 10. vers 5 6 c. is a Preamble as this Vision is to this Prophecy of the Seven Churches and which is yet more remarkable the Person represented in the Vision the same Person in the like attire and other circumstances as here And there set before the most concerning Prophecy in all Daniel which reaches from the Persian Monarchy to the end of the World Whence it is the more â—…rigid and absurd not to make these Epistles of the Seven Churches a Prophecy as well as those three other are that reaches to the end of the World as they do That for the significancy of the word Asia to comport also with the significancy of the Names of the Seven Churches c. And there is one significancy more in this Name Asia than I was aware of when I wrote my Exposition of the Seven Epistles to the Seven Churches For besides that Allusion to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fundamentum and to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies operari to work from whence I know thy works is so often repeated there may be also a further Allusion to the Cabbalistical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies as they call it Mundus Asiathicus of which the Earth is the lowest Region So that the Churches in Asia will sâ—…gnify according to this Cabbalistical Notion the Churches dispersed over the whole Earth Because a Letter-carrier going from Patmos his first journey will be to Ephesus c. This is Alcazar his conceit and yet as Literâ—â— as it is it will not hold For he must be an unskilfull and indisâ—…reet Letter-carrier that setting out from Patmos to Ephesus will pass to Smyrna and to Pergamus if he intend what he ought to doe the delivering most of his Letters in the shortest time he may For then if we consult Ptolemies Mapps in Asiae Tabula 1 he being to deliver the most of his Letters in the shortest time is not to go from Ephesus to Smyrna and so to Pergamus but from Ephesus to Laodicea from Laodicea to Philadelphia from Philadelphia to Sardis from Sardis to Thyatira and from Thyatira to Pergamus and then from Pergamus to Smyrna from whence he may take shipping to Patmos again to give Saint Iohn an account of the delivery of his Letters This is very evident out of Ptolemie's Geographical Table especially if we understand by Laodicea that Laodicea which is situated betwixt the Rivers Meander and Lycus which questionless Alcazar understands And that Laodicea is near to Philadelphia and Philadelphia to Sardis and Sardis not far off from Thyatira But there is a Laodicea at a great distance from them all that lies a good deal East of the Mountain or Valley Aulocrene from whence the River Meander runs which Ptolemy calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laodiceam combustam which were it understood would alter the account And yet for ought I know it may be chiefly alluded to in the Prophetical sense of the Epistles to these Churches the Laodicean Interval in a manner conterminating with the Conflagration of the World
So that not onely the Notation of the Name of Laodicea intimates that to be the Interval of the Church that reaches till the last Judgment but that Epithete also of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or combusta that it is the Interval next to the Conflagration of the Earth Sect. 4. That places the Ephesine Interval within the Apostles times c. For the Ephesine Interval terminates in the tenth year of Nero as I have shewn in my Exposition In which Interval all the Apostles were living Saint Iohn long after But another Character of this Interval is that the Nicolaitan Sect appeared not till presently after it Whence they are commended that they hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans that is such deeds as the Nicolaitans after were found guilty of And Spondanus places the Sect of the Nicolaitans some two or three years after the tenth of Nero. The Church hitherto had kept free from such wretched Debauchery as that Sect. 6. As if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was intended on purpose to answer to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Though there be two other Paronomastical Allusions in the word Asia besides this yet I do not doubt but this is also intended and the rather from the repeating so perpetually 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I know thy works and it is the most usefull and the most accommodate to vulgar capacity That Allusion to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Mundus Asiathicus lies more deep and is less intelligible to the vulgar Sect. 8. He that hath an ear to hear let him hear c. namely what the Spirit saith unto the Churches This Additional put to that excitation to attention to what the Spirit saith unto the Churches shews that all these seeming private Epistles to particular Churches are indeed one Sett or Compages of Epistles which concern the succeeding Intervals of the Universal Church from the beginning to the end of the World Whence the Epiphonema of each Epistle to every Church is so framed as if it were directed to all the Churches that is to every Interval thereof The whole being a Representation of the State of the Church Universal according to several Intervals from the beginning to the end which they are bound to take notice of and consider and compare together for the better understanding of the whole Sect. 9. And the exact correspondency of the Names of the Churches to the Events c. And not onely of the Names of the Churches but of whatsoever Names of Persons are mentioned in any of the Epistles to the Churches there is a correspondency of these with the state or affairs of that Interval of the Church whereever they occur It may be that some strong Spirits as they are called or high and hard lofty Wits will overlook these Paronomastical Correspondencies or Allusions in words or names as Trifles But the great Hugo Grotius himself does not that makes the Names of every one of the Seven Churches to be significant Nor does Peganius that incomparably learned as well as singularly pious German who knowing nothing of my Exposition of the Seven Churches nor I of his gave about the same time muchwhat the same Prophetical Exposition with Allusions to the Words or Names that I have done Which shews the obviousness and naturalness of this way of opening the Prophetical sense of these Epistles to them whose Judgments are free And though I knew none when I set my self to the Prophetical Exposition of the Seven Churches that held it a Prophecy of the State of the Church distinguished into so many Intervals from the beginning to the end unless he that put me upon it might surmise some such thing yet after the publishing my Exposition I met with one who was something a curious enquirer after Expositours of the Prophecies of Scripture that named to me at least half a dozen that held the Seven Churches to be such a Prophecy reaching from the beginning of the Church to the end thereof and I have had some such like information since But none of these that were of this Opinion had attempted to make the thing out as I was informed from the same hands And very lately by chance looking again into Mr. Mede I find him also explicitly to declare his opinion that the Vision of the Seven Churches is a Prophecy touching the Church Universal à principâ—…o ad finem setting out the different states of the Church in several Intervals in that order that the Seven Churches are ranged in the Apocalypse which I have noted in my Preface to the Exposition And he gives two reasons for it The one that the Number Seven is a Number of entire Revolution of Time to which I would adde expresly that As the Seven Seals reach from the beginning to the end of the entire Apocalyptick Period whose Epocha is the beginning of the Christian Church and Exitus in the end of the World so doth also the Vision of the Seven Churches and that for that reason they are likewise exhibited under the Number of Seven His other reason is That if this Prophetick sense was not intended the Spirit of Prophecy would not have pitched upon these Seven Churches in Asia but the Letters would have been directed either to all the Churches or the most famous such as the Church at Antioch at Alexandria and Rome and many others and such as no doubt says he had need of instruction as well as those named in the Apocalypse These are his two Arguments which I have not missed in my twenty though I never met with them before that in Mr. Mede And these two Arguments were sufficient to perswade that Person of so excellent a wit and judgment of the truth of the thing in general Into how deep a sopor therefore or lethargy is their wit and judgment cast whom twenty Arguments of like nature will not awake But now for a further assurance upon a more particular account Which is briefly this I first considered the Integrum which was to be distributed into these seven parts Which is the true Apostolick Church not contaminated with either Pagan or Pagano Christian Idolatry though living in various circumstances from the beginning to the end Now there being a complaint of eating things sacrificed unto Idols under the third and fourth Intervals and none in the two first and three last made me conceive that those middle Intervals both put together did comprehend no less space than the times of the Apostasy of the Church before whole Kingdomes and Nations had emerged out of it as it happened at the blessed reformation This is the first fast hold I seemed to have of things viz. that the Pergamenian and Thyatirian Intervals included the times of the Apostasy of the Church till the Time of Reformation came The Time antecedent to this was all that Time before the Apostasy or at least which I look upon as the more probable before the Roman Empire became Christian by the Conversion of Constantine Now this antecedent
Time is naturally divided into two parts The Time before the beginning of the ten persecutions which began in the tenth of Nero and the Time from thence to Constantine when the Pagan Persecutions ceased The former is the Ephesiâ—…e Interval the latter the Smyrnean The Persecutions are threatned in the former executed in the latter So we see the order of these four Churches placed according to the order of Time and known History And the Sardian Interval naturally follows where there is no complaint of eating things offered unto Idols as in the two former the Pergamenian and Thyatirian Intervals which intimates that the true non-Idolatrizing Church had now whenas before she was but the Woman in the Wilderness become according to Promise in the Thyatirian Interval a visible conspicuous Church and Polity of her self got from under the Pagano-Christian Yoke as well as the Primitive Church before had got from under the Pagan Not that this is the best constitution of the Church that ever will be though incomparably or if you will infinitely better than Popery but that it is introductory to the Blessed Millennial State when the New Ierusalem descends upon Earth according to the Prophecies in the Opened Book For now Prophecy shews the order of these latter Intervals not History as being things to come And it is said expresly to the Church of Philadelphia I will write upon thee the name of the city of my God even of the New Ierusalem c. But now as in the Visions of the Opened Book Prophecy after the thousand years Satan is let loose and Gog and Magog besieges the Holy City so after this excellent Philadelphian Interval succeeds the Laodicean who by their laziness and their luke-warmness will permit Gog and Magog to grow upon them and as Fire from Heaven puts an end to that Siege so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laodicea combusta puts a Period to this Stage of the Earth together with the Church So that the account of the placing of the Seven Churches without any respect to Paronomastical Allusions you see is steady and orderly and according to Time and History for what is past and according to the Prophecies in the other part of the Apocalypse for what is to come Which ordering of them who can be so stupid as not to acknowledg to be done by design From whence again it will follow that this Vision of the Seven Churches is a Prophecy properly so called of the Condition of the Church from the beginning to the end And the same will be still more particularly and exquisitely proved by the Paronomastical Allusions of the Names of these Churches and other Names that occurr in the Epistles to the Churches But as the former way of Proof I have pursued but sparingly so I must let this alone altogether both because it would take up too much space whenas my Notes are swollen to too great a bigness already and because the Reader may peruse what I have copiously enough writ in my Exposition it self I will onely here take notice that if the Paronomastical Allusions all along from the beginning to the end suit exquisitely to the order of Time and Things as I am well assured they do they are also a notable confirmation or demonstration of the Visâ—…on of the Sevâ—â— Churches being a Prophecy properly so called of the state of the Church from the beginning to the end that it was as ceâ—â—ainly intended a Prophecy by the Spirit of God as the skilfull Structure of the Bodies of Animals are an assured Argument of his Providence or that Flower-work or Imagery in Carpets or Clothes made of variously coloured Feathers which are things light and slight enough one would think are an argument of the Art of the Indians that are said to make them And for my part I look upon this Paronomastical way let others make as light and slight of it as they will to be made use of on purpose because as it is where seriously taken notice of a sufficient key of Revealment so it is here as pleasant a pieâ—…e of the Artifice of Concealment from high and lofty Wits that would be likely to stalk over such Allusions with a disdainfull gate and overlook them There being more ways than one wherein that of the Apostle may be verified That God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty and chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise THE END Errata sic corrige PAge 60. l. 8. For is rightly r. is rightly p. 96. 〈◊〉 r. Geniconâ—â—a ibid. r. Idiconâ—â—a p. 105. l. 11. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 114. l. 11. r. good p. 116. l. 7. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 117. l. 15. r. retracting ibid. r. â—… p. 119. l. 1. r. Mithridath p. 121. l. 5. r. 202 We. p. 122. l. 6. r. Pamphylia p. 152. l. 32. r. from uttering p. 176. l. 31. r. called in p. 228. l. 4. r. therein accordingly p. 257. l. 19. r. Ioint-Exposition Books Printed for Walter Kettilby at the Bishop's Head in St. Paul's Church-yard HEnrici Mori Cantabrigiensis Opera omnia tum quae Latinè tum quae Anglicè scripta sunt nunc verò Latinitate donata Fol. 3 Voll Apocalypsis Apocalypseos Or The Revelation of Saint Iohn Unveiled Quarto His Tetractys Anti-Astrologica A Confutation of Judiciary Astrology in Answer to Iohn Butâ—…er B. D. Quarto His Remarks on Judge Hales's Treatise of Fluid Bodies Octavo Answers and Replies in Defence of his Antidote against Idolatry Octavo T. Burneti Telluris Theoria Sacra Orbis Nostri Originem Mutationes Generales quas aut jam subiit aut olim subiturus est complectens Figuris Aeneis Quarto 1681. Dr. Falkner's Libertas Ecclesiastica Octavo Christian Loyalty Octavo Vindication of Liturgies Octavo Dr. Sherlock's Discourse of the Knowledg of Iesus Christ with a Defence and Continuation Octavo A Reply to a Pamphet called The Mischief of Impositions which pretends to answer the Dean of St. Paul's Sermon concerning the Mischief of Separation Quarto 1681. N. Resbury's Sermon Preached at the Anniversary Meeting of the Charter-House Scholars On Monday December 13. 1680. Quarto His Sermon at the Funeral of Sir Alan Broderick Kt. November 25. 1680. Mr. Long 's History of the Donatists Octavo His Character of a Separatist Octavo The Nonformists Plea for Peace impleaded against Baxter Octavo Against Hales of Schism with Mr. Baxter's Arguments for Conformity Octavo The Spirit of Enthusiasm Exorcised in a Sermon before the University of Oxford on Act-Sunday Iuly the 11 th 1680. By G. Hicks D. D. Quarto The Spirit of Popery speaking out of the Mouths of Faâ—…atical Protestants Grovâ—…i Responsio ad nuperum Libellum qui inscribitur Celeusma seu Clamor ad Theologos Hierarchiae Anglicanoe c. Quarto Mr. Grove's Vindication of the Conforming Clergy Quarto A Farewell to Popery to Dr. Nichols Vice-Chancellour of Oxford and Warden of New Colledge from Walter
Harris M. D. lately Fellow of the same Colledg A True and lively Representation of Popery shewing that Popery is onely new-modelled Paganism Quarto The Reasons for Nonconformity Examined and Refuted Quarto Mr. Lamb's Stop to the Course of Separation Octavo Fresh Suit against Independency Octavo Allen's Works Octavo 2 Vol. R. Kidder ' s Christian Sufferer supported Or A Discourse of Christian Fortitude Octavo The extent of the Authours Exposition of the Prophecies of Daniel The change of Nebuchadnezzar by the decree of the Watchchers and Holy Ones into the condition of an Oxe how to be understood * Dan. 4. 33. Of the Hand seen writing on the wall by Belshazzar and of the Chaldeans Soothsayers c. being not able to read it The Interpretation of the said Writing by Daniel * Part. â—… Cap. 38. Two things most to be noted in the 〈…〉 shazzar and Daniels Interpretation * Ezech. 7. 17. Ch. 21. 7. * Part. 2. Cap. 43. Why the Authour did not undertake the whole Exposition of Daniel Why he undertook the Prophetical parts What the manner and nature of his performance therein And how grosly Calvin is mistaken in interpreting Daniel in those parts of the Visions that fall in with the Apocalypse That yet Grotius is far more intolerable and in what regard Whythe Authour has preferred 〈…〉 Epochâ—… of the seventy Weeks before Ioseph Mede's Why he so often names the writers he makes use of contrary to the professed purpose of Grotius who suppresses their Names Of the usefulness of faithfull Expositions of the Divine Prophecies and the Requisiâ—…eness of the reading the same * Chap. 39. The feigned and Hypocritical Modesty of such as pretend inability of studying Daniel and the Apocalypse What is at the bottom of this Hypocritical modesty or shieness Clear proofs that the Prophecies of Daniel and the Apocalypse are intelligible and what a touchstone they are to try a true Christian. Dan. Ch. 12. ver 10. The enravishing pleasure in reading and rightly understanding the Visions of Daniel The vast comprehensiveness of Christs care over his Church discovered in them Why Christ did not prevent rather than predict the persecution of his Saints The manner of Christs working Miracles and his communicating Prophecies compared one with another The reason of the Authour his adding the first part of his threefold Appendage The Popish fabulous notion of Antichrist and how it drove Grotius to embrace Porphyriuâ—… his opinion touching the fourth Kingdome in Daniel in favour of the Pope and why he rejected the conceit of Mahomet's being Antichrist The great importance of proving the fourth Kingdome in Daniel to be the Roman for making good the opinion of the ancient Fathers that the times of the little Horn with eyes are the times of Antichrist c. and consequently the Times of Antichrist the Times of the Papacy How manifest it is out of the 〈◊〉 that the Pope is the very 〈◊〉 That thâ—◠〈…〉 Representation Antichrist and false Notion of Idolatry to shelter their Church from seeming Idolatrous and the Pope from appearing to be Antichrist is indeed an acknowledging the Pope to be Antichrist and their Church guilty of Idolatry The second part of the Appendage the usefulness thereof in setling the Table of Synchronisms and discovering the vain conceits of men about the â—…ising of the Witnesses The main Testimony of the persecuted Witnesses what it was and that there was a Resurrection of these Witnesses in the Reformation A sevenfold usefulness of proving the late Reformation from the Vials following the Rising of the Witnesses to be the Rising of the same The first usefulness viz. The discovery of the Popedome to be the Kingdom of Antichrist and Reformed Christendom the Kingdom of Christ. The second Usefulness against the Fifth-monarchy men The third usefulness against the Contemners and Despisers of the Reformation or unjust censurers of it 〈◊〉 5. 22. Galat. 5. 19. The fourth usefulness The Conciliation of due Reverence and Obedience to all the Magistrates as well Spiritual as Temporal in Reformed Christendome The fifth usefulness For the justifying the Reformation from all imputation of injury or Heâ—… resie in casting off the Pope The sixth usefulness to show the â—…wrodâ—… of either publick or private persons Revolts from the Reformed Religion to Popery The last usefulness for the freeing mens minds from the vain fear of the Witnesses being to be slain and as idle hopes when they are slain that they will rise within three years and an half * Galat. 5. 15. Reasons why he added the third part of his Appendage as first from the Sardian Church its being so plain a Representation of the Reformed Churches as Balthasar Willius and Ludovicus Crocius had noted before him The sâ—…ules of the Reformed Churches laid before them with Comminations from Christ in his Epistle to the Church in Sardis Apoc. 3. 2. Ephes. 5. 14. The second reason why he added the third part of his Appendage viz. For the Description sake of the Philadelphian Interval which is to succeed the Sardian St. Paul's description of Charity with a brief explication thereof and consequently of the state of the Philadelphian Church Matt. 5. 6. 1 Cor. 13. 4. That the Sardian Church the nearer she makes towards the Pattern of the Philadelphian the greater will be her safety but that her slackness there may hazard all The third and last reason of his adding the third part of his Appendage The Authour's Justification of his Zeal for the truth of the Reformed Religion from the seasonableness thereof left men dishonour God and the profession of true Religion by their foul Apostasie That there is no Immoderateness nor Extravagancy in his zeal for the Reformed Religion Gal. 4. 18. * Book 2. Chap. 19. With what great sincerity and assurance the Authour has writ his Expositions of Daniel and the Apocalypse especially in those parts that concern the grand points betwixt us and the Church of Rome A brief Reply to the Contemners of his well-grounded Confidence What effect his Expositions are like to have with the more sober minded Protestants particularly in reference to loyalty to their Prince and seemly behaviour to other Magistrates Dialog 5. Sect. 29. How the Reformed Churches are boâ—…nd with all attentiveness to read Christ's Epistle to the Church in Sardis And of the sound and â—…avoury Doctrine in the Book of Homilies of the Church of England Several weighty Reasons why no Protestant should change his Religion upon the solicitation of the Emissaries of Rome 2 Cor. 11. 2. Apoc. 20. * Apoc. 19. 〈…〉 Chap. 11. â—… * 2 Macc. 6. 1. * Isai. 8. 20. â—… Sam. 9. 9. Apoc. 1. 1 3. Apoc. 2. 10 11. Apoc. 20. 6. Apoc. 2. 12. Apoc. 2. 18.