the Beast is hath been before shewed Secondly the name of the Beast is to be considered For the manifestation whereof let us consider and minde that those which did preach and professe Christ and his doctrine are said to haue and to beare his name The Lord Christ Iesus said unto Ananias in a Vision concerning Paul That hee was a chosen Vessell to Acts 9. 15. beare his Name before the Gentiles and Kings and the children of Israel By the name of the Lord here was meant that Paul should preach the doctrine of Christ and those that beleeved by his Preaching were said to beleeue in the name of Christ and were therefore baptized into his name and called Christians †Acts 11. 26. The Disciples were first called Christians in Antioch Also the disciples and followers of Christ are said to haue the Lambs Fathers name written in their forehead According to this is the meaning of the name of this Beast which the Holy Ghost setteth down in a mysterie in the 17. chapter and 5. verse Babylon the great the mother of Harlots and abominations of the earth But the Papists call it not Babylon the great but the great universall or Catholick Church not the mother of Harlots but the mother of all true Beleevers not the mother of all abominations of the earth but the Pillar and ground of Truth that cannot erre This is the difference betwixt the name which God giveth them and which they take and attribute unto themselues But let them speak the best of themselues and let us consider and answer them in their own language they call themselues the Catholick Church and their professed vassals and subiects are therfore called Catholicks and whatsoever they bee that do either preach or professe the Catholick faith that is beleeue as this Catholick Church beleeveth that it is mother of all true Beleevers that it cannot erre c. they are Catholicks such persons wheresoever they liue if they thus beleeue although they never receiued the marke of the Beast nor can receiue it yet this profession is enough to entitle them in the right of buying or selling these foresaid wares such persons haue the name of the Beast and therefore they may buy pardons of the forgiuenesse of part or all their sinnes and use any of these things which they suppose necessary for their soules health but indeed destruction yea after their death they may for a summe of mony given to the foresaid Marchants by their charitable successors be released out of Purgatorie thus by their owne description wee haue found out the name of the Beast and who they are that haue received it The third condition is the number of his name as the Beast had one generall name which the Catholick Church whereby he was known from all other States and Kingdomes in the world so it hath a number of names belonging to the particular parts and members thereof to distinguish one from another as in the 17. Chap. and third verse The Beast was full of names of blasphemy As the true Church which is that body whereof Christ Iesus onely is the Head is compleate and furnished when it is coupled and knit together by every ioynt and member which Christ Iesus hath given for the furniture thereof namely Apostles Prophets 1. Cor. 12. Ephe. 4. 11. Evangelists Pastors and Teachers So this false Church being furnished with those parts and members which that great red Dragon hath invented and set up under the title of Ministers of Christ to worke upon the children of disobedience namely the Pope Patriarches Cardinalls Arch-bishops Bishops Deanes Arch-deacons Abbots Priors Prebends Canons Chancellors Commissaries Registers Doctors with the rest of the selected Synode or Councell so I say this Church or Beast being furnished with these his parts and members is an intire body and these members are the full number of his name that is they are the number of whom the Catholick Church consisteth and from them all inferiour power and offices of Ministerie as Monkes Fryars Parsons Vicars Curats and Iesuits are derived This I understand to be the number of his name and this exposition agreeth with that in the verse following where it is said let him that hath understanding count the Number of the Beast By the number of the Beast what can bee understood but the Number of the particular parts whereof he consisteth And where it is said For it is the number of a man What can bee understood but that it beareth the resemblance and likenesse of a man as followeth to be declared Thus wee see who may buy and sell in this Kingdom and who may not Here is wisedome let him that hath understanding count the number of the Vers 18. Beast for it is the number of a man and his number is 666. Here is shewed first what is required in searching out this mysterie and that is wisedom and understanding not such as is from beneath but from aboue which commeth down from the Father of lights from whom commeth every good and perfect gift hee it is that giveth wisedome to the simple and the understanding of his secrets to those that feare him which should teach those that desire to know the Mysteries of his will to labour to be such as to whom he hath promised to reveale them then whatsoever we aske we shall receiue of him for to such hee giveth liberally and upbraideth not Secondly here is shewed a direction how to imploy a mans wisedom in finding out this Mysterie and that is by counting or reckoning the number of this Beast Thirdly a reason why the number of the Beast is to be counted Because it is the number of a man that is it agreeth with and is answerable to the parts of a man and so is the more easily to be found for as wee know the true Church of Christ is compared in the Scriptures to the naturall body of a man as in 1. Cor. 12. 12. For as the body is one and hath many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body so also is Christ Jesus And in the 27. verse the Apostle speaking of the church of Corinth hee saith Yee are the body of Christ and members in particular c. So in the Ephes 1. 22. 23. Christ is given to be head ouer all things to the Church which is his Body Thus as the true Church is called and compared to a body so the catholicks affirme that they onely are that church and that body and that the particular parts and members of their church are the full number thereof Now whereas they say they are the church let us say they are the Beast and whereas they say their particular parts and members make up the number of the Church let us say their particular parts and members make up the number of the Beast and so we finde the true interpretation of this Scripture Further here is set downe the number
AN EXPOSITION OF THE 13. CHAPTER OF THE REVELATION OF IESVS CHRIST By Iohn Wilkinson Revelation 14. 9. ANd the 3. Angel followed them saying with a lowd voice If any man worship the beast and his image and receive his marke in his forehead or in his hand V. 10. The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is powred out without mixture into the cup of his indignation and he shal be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb V. 11. And the smoake of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever Imprinted in the yere 1619. IT was the purpose and desire of the Authour of this Treatise to haue published his Iudgment of the whole booke of the Revelation But through the malice of the Prelates who divers times spoyled him of his goods and kept him many yeres in prison he was prevented of his purpose After his death some of his labours comming to the hands of his friends in scattred and unperfect papers they laboured with the help of others that heard him declare his judgement herein to set forth this little treatise wherin they have not varied from the Authours Iudgement but onely in one opint in the 3. verse which is concerning the wounded head wherein for the clearing of the matter they have added the lines thus marked Which a litle differeth from the Authours understanding of it the which should not haue been altered if the worke had been left perfect AN INTERPRETATION OF THE 13. CHAPTER OF THE REVELATION OF IESVS CHRIST THE Eternall whose power is over all from the beginning hath put enmitie between the Serpent the Gen. 3. 15. Woman and between the seede of the Woman and the seed of the Serpent whereupon it hath come to passe in all ages that the seed of the woman hath laboured to break the serpents head that is to destroy his workes tread him under foot and triumph in victory over him He on the contrarie hath laboured as earnestly to resist God to deceive the Nations and to bring all into condemnation and destruction with himself And amongst the manifold wayes meanes which Satan hath devised and practised to manifest his malice against God and his Saincts none hath been more dangerous nor more availeable to further iniquitie and cause destruction then the Antichristian generation which under the title of the Church and Spowse of Christ and Ministers of the Gospell have corrupted the earth and brought the Nations into miserable bondage and slaverie In this 13. chapter is declared the state policy and proceeding of the Antichristian Dominion and Kingdome as the same was signified and foreshewed to Iohn the servant of Iesus Christ in a threefold forme First by a beast rising up out of the sea having 7. heads 10. hornes verses 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Secondly by a beast coming up out of the earth having two hornes like the lambe but spake like the dragon verses 11. 12. 13. 14. Thirdly by an image of the first beast which the second beast caused them that dwelt on the earth to make as in vers 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. As the Dominion of the Medes Persians and Grecians which persecuted Dan. 8. and destroyed the holy people of God the Iewes were signified and foreshewed to Daniel in a vision vnder the formes of severall beasts according to the qualities of those dominions so here the Antichristian dominion which persecuted the Churches and people of Christ was foreshewed to Iohn under the formes of such beasts as are here described whereby we may learne that as reason and judgment is not to be expected in a beast so equitie and right is not to be expected in this dominion but the contrarie Concerning the first of these beasts Iohn sayth That as I stood upon the sea sand I saw a Beast rise up out of the sea having 7. heads and 10. hornes and upon his hornes 10. Crownes and upon his heads the names of Blasphemy And the Beast which I saw was like unto a Leopard and his feet as the feet of a Beare and his mouth as the mouth of a Lyon and the Dragon gave him his power and his seate and great authoritie That by this first Beast was signified and represented some state of people and body politique I presume no reasonable man exercised in the Scriptures will deny because as it hath been sayd it is there to be seene that such States and Dominions as God hath used as rodds and scourges to chastise correct his Church and people withall have been represented by beasts States and Dominions they are of two sorts eyther Ecclesiastical or Civil but of which sort the State here ment is there hath been and is great opposition Many understand it to be the Romane Empire to which I cannot consent because the Romane Empire is ordeyned of God and is therefore a lawfull Dominion But the Dominion here represented is sayd to be from the Dragon that old Serpent the Divell who is sayd to give his power and his throne and great authoritie unto it and therefore unlawfull neither can I conceive it to be any other civil dominion for the same reason But to be short I understand it to be an Ecclesiasticall Sate or Dominion and in particular that dominion which is called The Catholike Church representative consisting of the Prelacy and Preisthood of many Nations as Patriarches Cardinalls Archbishops Bishops with divers other elected persons who being called and gathered into counsells or synodes usually called generall Counsells did usurpe and take on them the office of Christ Iesus in making Lawes and Canons erecting Courts instituting offices and officers in matters of Religion as for the goverment of the Church and for the worship of God to be of all men observed obeyed These generall counsells or as the Catholicks call it the catholike Church representative have challenged and exercised spirituall authoritie and dominion according to the text over all kinreds toungs and Nations By their lawes canons they have guided and governed them as one vniversall or Catholick Church and made them also to observe their decrees and commaundements for doctrine This they have doen both before and also since the Pope was exalted to his dignitie as all histories of the Church doe testify So that it hath been and is a great question among the Catholicks whether the authoritie of the Pope or the Catholick Church in cases of Religion be the greater And whereas it is sayd in the 12. vers that the second Beast exercised all the power of the first Beast before him therby is confirmed the trueth of this exposition For the second Beast being the Pope as hereafter is shewed hath exercised the whole power of the Catholick church or generall counsells and not of any other State or Dominion Further that this is the first beast here presented that which followeth
considered vvho vvas the giver Not Christ hee gaue his Disciples no power to make lawes but gaue them charge to teach beleevers to obserue all things vvhatsoever he had commanded them it is certain therfore that this power vvas given them not by God but by men namely by Kings Princes for the states degrees of men considered it is plaine that none can giue power to make lawes but such as be Soveraignes by such therefore this power to make lawes vvas given unto this Beast But vvhat should moue Soveraignes to giue power to Bishops Ministers to make lawes for the Church Nothing verily but blind devotion for they being ignorant of God of his Word thought it the best vvay to keep peace unity in the Church vvheras indeed it vvas the cause of strife dissention at length by that meanes iniquity vvas established for a law Gods Word vvholly reiected cast aside as unmeet for Lay-men to use Now as in all lavvfull proceedings Princes are Gods ministers in Gods stead unto their subiects and people so in giving this povver to this Beast they are the Dragons ministers and instrumēts Wheras it is said that power was givē unto the Beast to make but it is not noted what should be made it argueth that the things made are of that nature and qualitie that they are not worthy of any name the makers themselues use to call their Acts Canons Constitutions and Lawes but falsly for if they were such indeed then men might haue some good use of them but that no man can haue therefore it is but falshood and deceit so to name them It is like the calling of one carved Image S. Peter another S. Paul another S. Iohn c. that is to name things that which they be not and that is to lie In that it is sayd that power was given unto the Beast to make 42. Monethes It sheweth that the beasts time is limited And seing that the time is limited we must finde that the time of making of the Catholick church agreeth with this stint before we can be sure that it is the Beast here represented wherefore consider that the ecclesiasticall state began to make about the yere of our Lord 304. the Ancyran counsell being the first whose constitutions took the effect and force of lawe And made not an end of making untill the yere 1564. the Counsell of Trent being the last wherin the beast acted the last act of this making and fulfilled the measure of that iniquitie and therfore is now to receive judgment and condemnation from the Lord as is hereafter in this prophesie declared So that if we account a yeare for a day and thirtie dayes for a moneth it will amount to 1260. dayes which is the just some of 42. moneths that this beast was a making which is a strong argument that by this beast was signified the ecclesiasticall estate or Catholick church as is shewed before page 1. Further it is sayd of this Beast that he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God to blaspheme his name and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven In that this Beast by the ministerie of false Prophets and Teachers as by her mouth hath seduced the Nations and made them beleeve That God by the Ministerie of his holy Apostles and Prophets hath not left us a sure and sufficient rule of faith in the holy Scriptures but that the want therof must be supplied with unwritten verities the writings of auncient fathers determinations of counsells and the Popes decretals otherweise all people would runne into confusion it may truely be sayd that she hath opened her mouth unto blasphemie against God First it maketh the eternall who hath created all things and for whose wills sake all things are and were created To be but a rude and grosse beginner of a work which he hath left and given up for vayne man to finish make perfect Secondly if there be particular lawes left out of the Scriptures for want of which all people would runne into confusion then God hath not shewed himself to be a God of order Thirdly the word of God is not sufficient to make the man of God perfect in every good worke as the Apostles sayth But thus to think is a horrible errour Thus to speake is wicked blasphemy and thus to teach is hellish iniquitie For how wil it stand with the glory of God and of our Lord Iesus Christ not to give unto his people a perfect Law and sure Testimonie whereunto they might trust and wherin they might rest and live by faith but must depend upon other men to see as it were with their eyes and not with their owne and so to hold their faith in respect of other mens persons to beleeve as they beleeve c as though Gods people their leaders excepted were not reasonable creatures but as beasts without understanding But blessed be our God wee have a sure word of the Prophets which is as a light shining in a dark place wherunto we shall do well if wee take heed Gods people haue no need of unwritten verities mens precepts and traditions They have surer lights to walk by then the writings of the Schoole men and other writers of auntient times They haue surer Rules and righter Testimonies wherby to decide and end controversies and doubts then the determinations of counsells and Popes decrees and they which speake to the contrary open their mouth to blaspheme against God Concerning blaspheming the name of God amongst other attributes or titles whereby he is sett forth unto us he is called the Holy one of Israel and the high Priest in Israel did beare this inscription upon his forehead graven in gold Holynesse to the Lord. First therfore we may truely and boldly say of the Lord that Holy is his name Secondly we may likewise truely and boldly affirme that to give the title of Holynesse unto any unholy prophane and abhominable thing is to blaspheme the name of God But thus the Beast hath done many and sundrie wayes They ascribe Holynes unto their Antichristian orders and preisthood to their Idolatrous Masse to their exorcised or conjured Bread Water Oyle Tapers Ashes Vestures Vessells and many other implements in and by all which they blaspheme the name of God And as they blaspheme the name of God So likewise they blaspheme his Tabernacle That is to say the true visible Church of Christ vnder the Gospel which is the place of Gods presence which he hath chosen to put his name there * Math. 18. where two or three or more are gathered together in the name of Christ there is Christ present and where Christ is present there hath God put his name there he is to be sought and there hee may bee found and there is his Tabernacle To come together in the name of Christ is when Gods people ioyne themselues together in a spirituall body politicke separated from the common multitudes of
in his Testament wherein is set downe the Ministers which hee hath set in the Church namely Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and 1. Cor. 12. Ephes 4. 11. Teachers and also their office and administration But in all the new Testament no Arch-bishops nor Lord-bishops no Deanes nor Arch-deacons Prebends Priests nor canons no chancellors nor commissaries and other their court officers nor any such administration as they challenge and execute can there be found they are a strange generation that is risen up out of the earth for earthly-minded and vaine men haue invented them and therefore the body which consisteth of them cannot of right be acknowledged to be the Body of Christ whose Ministers in respect that they are called according to the commandement of Christ are from heaven But it is indeed the Image of the first Beast whose mouth was as the mouth of a Lyon his body like a Leopard and his feete as the feete of a Beare an ougly compounded and deformed monster And as their names are strange and different from the Ministers of Christ so is their practise contrary they are not servants to the Flock and Church of Christ and helpers of their ioy but they are authors of their woe challenging and exercising Lordship and dominion over their faith for in stead of a due administration of the word of God they haue mingled a cup of fornication for the people to drinke that is devised a forme of booke-worship with orders rites and ceremonies which they haue imposed on the people under the title of Divine Service and which they must obserue without adding thereto or taking any thing from it as in the 4. 6. 7. 8. and 14. canons Further they are not painefull preachers but lazy Lords they are not followers of Christ and of his word but are contemners thereof casting it behind their backs and will not be reformed nor ruled by it they are Lawmakers much like Nebuchadnezar for as he would destroy all that would not worship his golden Image So whosoever doth refuse to yeild obedience to their Lawes shal be most severely punished as is playne by diverse penalties annexed unto their Cannons In consecrating and ordeyning Preists they are like to Ieroboam for as he consecrated whome he would of the basest of the people to be the Preists of the high places which he had set up so doe they ordeyne for the most part ignorant fellowes to be their parish priests and inferior Ministers wherein though they doe most absurdly yet will they not be contradicted as we may see by the 57. Canon where it is sayd whosoever shall refuse to comunicate with a dumbe and unpreaching Minister Let him be excommunicated And although their owne Doctors complayne and cry out against it yet they will not amend amongst the rest it is worthy to be observed what their owne great Champion profound Mr. Hooper sayth viz. That both Arguments from light of nature Lawes and Statutes of scripture the Canons that are taken out of auncyent Synodes the decrees and constitutions of sincerest tymes the sentences of all antiquitte and in a word every mans consent and conscience is against ignorance in them that have the cure and charge of soules If it be so how unreasonable and beastly is it for the Prelats to ordeyne allowe and approve of such for the Ministers of Christ of which there are many hundreds in the land whome the Prelats are not ashamed to forbid to expound the Scriptures as in the 49. Canon where it is sayd that some of their parish priests shall not take upon them to expound in their cure or elswhere any Scripture or matter or doctrine but shall onely study to reade c. It is greatly to be wondered at that so many grave heads as were gathered together and sate consulting about these matters should breed and bring forth such absurd and impious Canons If there were nothing else this allowance of dumbe Ministers is sufficient to shew the vanitie of their mindes and the darknesse of their foolish hearts So that we may truely say of them that when they professed themselves to be most wise by exalting and making themselves equall with God in making lawes for the government of his house the Church even then they became most foolish and void of judgment As for the best sort of their parish Preists which are men of learing and gifts they must also be confined within their limitts they must worship God according to the rules prescribed them by these their spirituall Fathers as in the 38. Canon If any minister shall omitt to use the forme of Prayer or any of the orders or Ceremonies prescribed in the Communion Booke let him be suspended and if he doe not conforme within the space of a moueth let him be deposed The absurdities and blasphemies conteyned in that Comon prayer Booke are many which having been discovered and layd open by divers treatises already published in print I will omit onely this I will add that in the imposing of that service Booke or any other this great iniquitie is committed by the imposers therof That they doe exalt themselves both against Christ who is ascended into heaven †Ephes 4. 8. 11. 12. and hath given gifts to his Ministers for the gathering together of the Saincts for the worke of the ministery and for the edification of the Church his body and also they exalt themselves against the holy Ghost who onely hath power ‡ Rom. 8. 26. to helpe our infirmities to furnish men with gifts to worship God aright Further their preachers may not teach against their corrupt Church state and Ministrie though they know it to be Antichristian nor against the forme of worship prescribed in the said comon prayer Booke nor against the ceremonies nor the government of the church of England by Archbishops Bishops Deanes Archdeacons and the rest that beare office in the same nor against the manner and forme of making and consecrating Bishops Preists or Deacons nor against the Lawes and Ordinances Ecclesiasticall established in the sayd Church whosoever transgresseth in these things shal be excommunicated ipso facto as is playne in the 4. 6. 7. 8. 54. Canons Thus by excommunicating and cursing they labour to mainteine and defend their corruptions but not one iote of Scripture dare they shew and no marvell seeing the whole scriptures are against mens inventions and traditions of which nature these abuses are being left here by the Pope and reteyned and renewed by his Prelates As they may not teach against these things so on the contrarie they may not teach the true and right way which Christ hath prescribed in his Testament how we must worship God nor how the true Church of Christ ought to be gathered and constituted the Ministers thereof ordained nor the manner how it ought to bee governed as appeareth in the 9. 10. 11. and 12. Canons By which we may see in what bondage their Preachers are