fully known for a necessity is laid upon me and wo is me if I do it not 1 Cor. 9. 15 16. Now I proceed further concerning the late Beast Parliament which though it be destroyed according to the word of God yet it liveth still in its Acts and the same One that did destroy it commanded to make a Representative or Image thereof And he the Lord General had power to give life to the Image of the Beast Parliament which Image is this present Parliament as they call themselves that the Image of the Beast should both speak and cause that as many as would not worship the Image of the Beast should be killed And if you look upon the manner of the dissolution of the late Parliament by the Lord General and his Councel and upon the continuing of their Acts still in force as they were before by which the late Parliament seemeth vet to live and upon the manner and calling of this present Representative or Image of them a Representative being but an Image like somthing that it doth represent as the Image of a Man Beast or whatsoever else as also upon the manner how these had their power from the Lord General as he gave them authority life or spirit to act and compare all these particulars with Rev 13. 3. 11 12 13 14 15. and you shall find that this Scripture was so really fulfilled both in the manner of the Lord Generals destroying of the late Parliament and his setting up of this as if he had purposely set this very Scripture before his eyes and taken it for his absolute direction therein he not erring one jot in the performance of the substance thereof Hence you see both what the Beast is and his Image in the next place I shall shew you what the mark of the Beast is and what is the name of the Beast and likewise the number of his name Rev. 13. 16 17 18. 1. Concerning the Mark of the Beast it is a word abused For they call as I proved before the height of wickedness godlyness and that is the mark For saith the Author of the Grand Politick Informer Upon the seventh of Iuly 1653. it was Resolved That no person should be employed or admitted to publike service but such as this Representative should be first satisfied of their real godlyness saith he This word Godliness will shortly become the mark of the Beast Indeed there is a god of this world 2 Cor. 4. 4. which many expound to be the Divel and there are those who account that godiyness which is most contrary thereunto 1 Tim. 6. 5. and such such as put light for darkness and darkness for light Isa. 5. 20. Now if we enquire who is a godly person after their account It will appear to be such an one as hath broken his faith to God and man or one that is a robber murtherer false swearer or hath been or is an approver of all the bloody Actions of the late Beast Parliament So that this sort of people are their godly persons and this pretended godlyness is the mark of the Beast as the Apostle describeth them sufficiently 1 Tim. 6. 3 4 5. 2 Tim. 3. 4 5. and bids every true Believer withdraw himself and turn away from such as from the most dangerous people to converse withall Whereby it is evident that this pretended godlinesse is the mark of the Beast which they that will be gainers in this Weal Publick of England must needs have else they shall not be preferred trade or prosper in these times Rev. 13. 16 17. And now having shewed you what the mark of the Beast is viz. a pretended godlinesse next in order I shall through Gods assistance shew you what the Name of the Beast is and the number of his Name Rev. 13. 16 17. He that will have any preferment from these people or gain by them must acknowledge them to be the States of England or the Commonwealth of England or the Weal publick of England for if he call this the Kingdom of England and stick to that ancient name he shall be cast off as one that hath not their stamp and have nothing to do in matter of office or way of profit from them Rev. 13. 16 17. And I find that it cannot bear the name of the Commonwealth of England since the Election of a Parliament was taken away from the Commonalty or generality of the People and that a publike Party excludes all the rest and sets up a Parliament But I find its proper name to be the Weal publike of England For the word Commonwealth is excluded long ago from a Weal Being so that none but those in publick places do prosper Therefore I say it is not the Commonweal but the Weal publick of England And I find the number of this name The VVeaL pVbLIke of EngLanD to be 666. for the numeral letters of it are these DLL 600. LVV 60. VI 6. so that in all they come to 666. There is also another name no less proper both to the late Beast Parliament and to this Representative which is its Image in regard the people did and do so much Idolize them by their petitions to them and their esteem of them otherwise more then ordinary Rev. 14. 11. so that they way be called Englands Idols which word Englands Idols in the ancient Welsh or Brittish language is Delwau Lloiger and I find the numoer of this name Delwau Lloiger to be 666. for the numeral letters of it also are these DLL 600 LVV 60. VI 6. so that in all they come likewise to 666. Now the words of the Scripture that declares the number of the Beast are these Rev 13. 18. Here is wisdom let him that hath understanding count the number of the Beast for it is the number of a man and his number is six hundred sixty and six Now it remaineth that I should speak somthing of this Man for it is the number of a man saith the Text This Title a Man is a note of Eminency which signisies a man of God 1 Sam. 2. 27. 1 Chron. 13. 1. or a man of a thousand Eccles. 7. 28. so that from Rev. 13. 18. mav be observed that the man expressed by these words for it is a man is such a man as carrieth a divine Majesty with him So that I must needs infer from those words that the Apostle John means here a justified man a man opposite to the Beast though in the number of their names they partly agree And know that in the new Testament none is called The man of God but only a Bishop 2 Tim. 3. 15 16 17. And we may gather also from the same Scripture and the scope of the Apostle Pauls words to Timothy when this Bishop and man of God is to appear which will be in the last days 2 Tim. 3. 1 2 3 4 5. 17. when men break forth into rebellion against God and his Church and certain it is That
and Josuah who were truely Noble and valiant yea and though the people saw what sudden judgements befell those Nobles that had perswaded them repented and mourned for their sins of murmuring and immediatly would needs have gone up and possessed the Land yet they found it was too late for the Lord was departed from them and had changed the time and given out a new decree Therefore those that went up presumptuously were smitten before their enemies as you may see all this passage Numb. 13. and 6. 14. Here was a heavy judgement upon Israel because they for their own good would not believe nor fulfill the Prophesies and promises of God but it was well for the Cananites for thereby they injoyed the Land fourty years longer And for certain there will be no peace to any in this Land untill the King come but fear upon the one and upon the other and their hearts shall tremble for fear one another yea men in Arms shall have trembling hearts and men in power shall have no rest Therefore I beseech you once more Noble Gentlemen to call him home and set him up ye have the power to do it and thereby to save a great deal of Christian bloud And they in whose power it is to save mens lives and will not do it must expect the like dealing from the Lord I could wish that such as sit at the Helm would consider the times Things strangely work that what a man may do to day he may want power to do tomorrow and what two Moneths time may bring to pass in such changing times as these may possibly amaze the world to behold Surely there will some strange news be abroad before the 20. of January 1654. be past Prov. 25. 1 5 6. Heb. 12. 16 17. Prov. 15. 23. Prov. 4. 18. Psal. 58. 3 4 5. I pray God it may be for the best and that some great person may escape the hands of his enemies It is true that fair opportunities misused or neglected often bring too late repentance and sometimes everlasting sorrow And who knoweth the value of a seasonable well spent day I hope that I do not speak this in the ear of deaf Adders neither do I doubt but these things are already thought upon by some yet as we say forewarning is half arming Therefore it is not hurtfull for any of whatsomever degree to have their dangers foretold But if like Cesar they will not believe then may such as be esteemed wise in many other things prove very unwise in the main thing as he did A Coveat for Astrologers but more especially to George Wharton Esq and concerning some passages in his Almanacks for the year 1654. MR. Wharton I perceive that there are two Almanacks come forth under your name for the year 1654. having two faces the one seems to be very much for the Romish Church and the other as much against it page 34. 35. you tell us that you believe the Romish Hierachy shall stand and do blame those that speaks against it And say that we of Brittain or England at first received the Christian Faith from Rome Also you blame such as apply the Prophesies in sacred write to this Mole-bill of England as you call it and to particular Persons therein who take upon them the name of Protestants and the rule and government as if this say you were the place and they forsooth the Persons onely aimed at by the Prophets Sir By this I finde you are more for Rome than England I wonder you know not better by Histories how that Joseph of Aremathea who was the most Honourable of CHRISTS Disciples Matth. 28. 57. 58. Mark 15. 43. Came hither and preached the Gospel before there was a Church of Christ at Rome and that he lieth buried at Glassenbury Besides him was not Thomas the Apostle sent hither about the same time who preached Christ to us as our ancient Chronicles declare And was not Lucius King of Brittain who builded St. Peters Church in Corn-hill London the first Christian King in all the World And was not Constantine King of great Brittain the first Christian Emperour in all the World Where is the like then unto this Mole-hill of England for had it not the Preheminence in regard of its first dominion above all the Christian World It may be in those times of the ten persecutions that some came from Rome hither for shelter and did preach but wee stood in no need of them for we then had preachers enough besides them onely in love we received them as Christian brethren And had nor CONSTANTINE by the providence of God gone over to Rome with an Army of CHRISTIAN BRITTAINS and CONQUERED the Tyrants there and elsewhere so far as the Citie of CONSTANTINOPLE which was built for the Honour of his Name else the Romish Church would not have had such esteem as it had by his means Therefore it is evident that the Romish Church was then beholding to England so that England may say to God and his Church I am like a green Fir-tree from me is thy fruit found Hosea 14. 8. and God say of England Vnto thee shall it come even the first dominion the Kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem Micah 4. 8. as if he should say to England Jerusalem hath brought thee forth thou art her onely daughter and her heir Thou art that new Jerusalem Rev. 21. 2. And hath God from this Mole-hill of England in those times sent such glorious instruments to comfort all that trusted in Christ and to settle them in peace And shall he not do the like now Or doth not the forementioned things predict that God hath a special regard to England and snew that it is the glorious holy mountain between the Seas And though Anti-Christ for the present plant his Tabernacles here yet he shall vanish speedily Dan. 11. 45. and shortly after from this Land the glorious presence of God shall go forth into all the world to settle them in everlasting peace and tranquility But Sir you wheel about in the second part of your Almanack 1654. as if you had met King Henry the eights Ghost in the way for it is reported that he at a certain time when his Parliament would not pass a bill which he would have done to extirpat Popery he came roughly among them into the Parliament house with his short dagger saying who is he that will not pass this bill and so examined them one by one till all said I to it thus did he awe them with his terrible presence and prevailed Then departing the house said unto them all good men all good men so it is like that you met with King Henry the eights Ghost which made you to change your note for in the last part of your Almanack pag 75. you say in brief from this Eclips the Pope and Hierarchy of Rome shall exceedingly suffer It is evident from holy write that a time shall come in which
the late Bishop of Canterbury was the same man for the number of his name as divers affirm that in all businesses which he subscribed he wrote only thus Will Laud And I find the number of this name VVILL LaVD to be 666. for the numeral letters are these and they be the very same that ye have in the other names before DLL 600. LVV 60. VI 6. so that in all they come to 666. But if we take notice of the name of this man of God as it is at large we shall find another mysterie therein For I find the number of this name VVILLIaM LaVD to be 1667. And the numeral letters are these M 1000. DLL 600. LVV 60. VII7 so that in all they come to 1667. and that is the yeer of rest for before it be Anno Dom. 1667. most of the world yea and Rome it self will acknowledge their error see the truth and submit to William Lauds rule in form of worship doctrine and discipline as the only way to salvation the most decent and agreeable to Gods word being without doubt the true way whereby to worship God long before preordained of God to abide for the direction of men for ever and ever which Rule was given in King Edw. 6. his days preserved and refined in Queen Elizabeth and King James their days sealed and perfected to the glory of Jesus Christ with the blood of his noble mattyrs chiefty of King Charls and Bishop William Laud who as the Scripture saith Heb. 11. 35. would not accept of deliverance when he was offered by the Parliament to go into New England with M. Peters but he chose rather to die that he might obtain a better Resurrection Therefore to conclude I say that the Book of Common Prayer as it was established in the Church of England is the only true way whereby to worship God as I have sufficiently proved by the Scripture in my Book called A Voice from Heaven and in my other Book called An Eccho to that Voice from Heaven written in the yeers 1651. and 1652. And as for your vain jangling God hath not any delight in it 1 Tim. 1. 6. 2 Tim. Titus 3. 9. for the coming neer unto God with the mouth and the worshipping of God according to the Commandments of private men is a vain thing Mat. 15. 5 6 7 8 9. that is when they command that every one may do in the worship of God what seemeth right in his own eyes Judg 17. 5 6. and 21 25. as Israel did when they had no King But the event of such a State was destructive to them as you may read and see Judg. 19. and 30. and 21. But for the Kings Command it is said Eccles. 1. 2. I charge thee to keep the Kings commandment and that in regard of the Oath of God thou hast sworn to obey him Again it s said Prov. 16. 10. A divine sentence is in the lips of the King his mouth erreth not in judgement Thus a true Christian King is endued with an infallible judgement and so is the sentences of K. Charls his mouth To this King the Apostle commands obedience in all things 1 Pet. 2 13 14. Submit your selves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as supreme or unto Governours as them that are sent by him For the Apostle foresaw by the Scripture Zach. 14. 2. Zeph. 3. 9. That the Lord would hold forth at last a King whose Laws in all things should be right of this you have more at large in my fore mentioned Books for there is no right nor peace to be had but where there is a King of righteousnes and a King of Peace That is when the King Comes in by the right way being the right Heir And though the title King be given by the Scripture somtimes to Usurpers set up by the peoples power and by money which is but a molten Calf God owns them not but calls them their Idols for saith he Hos. 8 4 5 6. They have set up Kings but not by me they have made Princes and I knew it not of their silver and their gold have they made them Idols that they may be cut off Thy Calf O Samaria c. And again saith he Eze. 43. 9. Let them put away their whordoms and the Carcasses of their Kings far from me and of such Kings he speaks Rev. 17 12 13 14 15 16 17. as you shall find it made Cleare at large in the postscript of my book called A Voice from Heaven And of such Kings the Lord saith that they had set their thresholds by his thresholds their post by his post Ezek. 43 8. for the Lord had a post by which his Kings of the seed of David stood 2 Kin. 11. 14. Ezek. 46. 2. according to Gods command it seems the usurping Idolatrous kings set up by the people presum'd to come there as our great Ones presume now to bury their friends in the Royal sepulchers at Westminster where none but the Kings Family was wont to be buried yet certainly their carcasses shall be removed as the Lord hath spoken Eze. 43 7 8 9. But the true King that cometh to judge the wicked ones is called the glory of the God of Israel that is the glory of Jesus Christ for he is the God of Israel And if we compare Scripture with Scripture we shall find it so for you shall fine Ezek. 43 1 2. That the King coming form the Eaâ—t with his Train and Armie is called the glory of the God of Israel and v. 3. he saith it was like the glory that he saw when he came to destroy the Citie That is like Nebachadnezzars coming in the head of his Army to destroy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and v. 5. he saith that the glory of the Lord filled the house v. 6. he tels us that this glory spake to him and it a man saith he the man stood by me and he said unto me c. v. 7 8. he tels you what this glorious king said to make it yet more clear observe v. 4. that this glory came into the house at the east gate And compare it with Eze. 44 1 2 3. and you shall find that the East gate must be shut that none must com in or out by that gate but the king Here M Aspinwall may see that the true Kings set up of God may come to the post and the threshold of that gate as their own place Ezek. 46 2 2 Chron. 23. 13. and that the usurping Kings set up by the people and called their Kings must be put away Ezek 43 9. And though Saul who indeed was the Lords Anointed 1 Sam. 24 6. 1 Sam. 8 4 5. 1 Sam. 12 13. 1 Sam. 13 13 14. yet for that the first moving cause for him was from the people his heart was not real to God Therefore Saul relying so much upon them tâ—â—â—ease the people disobeyed the command of God