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
the chiefest of the Prelates and Clergie of diverse dominions should be gathered togither to make lawes and canons which all men should be constreyned by penall lawes to observe and yeild obedience unto that so peace and vnitie might be preserved and kept amongst them And in short time it came to passe that whatsoever these Synods or Counsells did agree upon and set downe how false soever was to be held canonicall and those that contradicted the same were therfore cast out and condemned as Heretickes This was the manner the occasion of the rising of this Beast out of this turbulent Sea And here by the way observe That * Every good giving and perfect gift is from above Iames 1. 17. from the father of lightes But this beast is from the Sea beneath not from above and therfore not belonging to the kingdome of Christ but an adversary and enemie thereof Of this Beast it is sayd that he had 7. heads a thing which is monstrous in nature And therfore by this was foreshewed that the dominion represented by this Beast should be a monstrous dominion Concerning these heads let this be considered That the whole state or societie of the Antichristian Sea is of two sorts of people the one sort they call the Clergie the other sort the Layetie Of these the Clergie are as heads and guides to direct and goe before And the Layetie as the body or rather the tayle to follow after Agayne by the same policie their clergy are sorted into 7. orders or degrees namely to speak in their language 1. Ianitores seu ostiarij 2. Lectores 3. Exorcistae 4. Acolithi 5. Subdraconi 6. Diaconi 7. sacerdotes These are the 7. orders of the Antichristian Clergy As for Popes Cardinalls Patriarchs Arch Bishops Bishops Arch deacons c. they are titles of dignitie and not of orders For the Pope is but a Preist concerning his orders and when he stands at the Altar and sayth Masse he doth that as a Preist and not as a Pope and so of all other degrees This considered it way well be saide of the Antichristian Sinagogue and State that it is as a Monster with 7. heads As for the Ministers which God hath ordeyned to be in his Church they are first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly Teachers c. 1 Cor. 12. 28. c. See also Rom. 12. 6. 7. 8. Ephes 4. 11. 12. 13. And these onely were given for the gathering together of the Saincts for the work of the Ministery and for the edification of the body of Christ Not some to have a bunch of keys with a charge of the doores of this or that Temple or Cathedrall Church Another to have a booke to read to the people things which neither he nor they did understand A third to have a booke of Coniurations or Charmes with charge to read them or say by heart to such as were distracted of their witts or possessed with divills and to put their hands vpon them A fourth to have a Taper or wax candle with a candlestick to carry before the preists and deacons in doeing their service A fift to receive of the people oblations and offrings and to deliver them to the Deacon to carry to the Altar To reade the Epistle and to stand by the Preist while he was saying the Masse A sixth to be the Bishops spye and intelligencer to informe him of such as be irregular and observe not their orders To read the Gospell attend the preist at the Altar c. A seventh to consecrate the Hoast as they call it and then to offer it as a sacrifice propitiatory for the quick and dead These are not they which God hath given to be in the Church But these are they wherof the Antichristian clergy consisteth for whosoever is one of that clergy is one of these 7. orders be he Pope Prelate or els whatsoever and to note and foreshewe this point of policie this Beast which Iohn saw had seven heads If any shall think this to be a vaine frivolous and straunge interpretation to understand by the 7. heads of the beast these 7. orders of the Clergie as thinking those heades to betoken things of greater note and importance Let such consider what account and reckoning is made of such persons as have received the Sacrament of Orders and holy tonsure in the kingdome of the Beast and they shall find the interpretation not impertinent but very agreable For a time there was since the writing of this prophecy * when the meanest shrimpe that was within these holy orders as they call them was held to be of that dignitie that Vide Concil Matisconen secundum Canon 9. 10. the chiefest and worthiest secular Iudge in a kingdome was held vnworthie to judge or censure them for any trespasse or fact how notorious wicked and manifest soever because they had received holy Tonsure were therby consecrated and set a part unto God to be his portion and heritage to pray for the people and therfore were exempted from all secular jurisdiction and power such was their dignitie accounted to be and still is where that kingdome prevayleth and hath the dominion yea even in this land that quarrell hath cost the King his Crowne as is to be seen in the Historyes of the Reigne of King Iohn and not his Crowne onely but his life also Now if the meanest of them be above the dominion of any King or secular Iudge and secular Iudges be the heads of the people whome God hath appointed to beare rule over them well may these be said to be as heads in the kingdome of the Beast wherin these shavelings are holden to be so holy and high in dignitie and degree As this Beast which Iohn saw had 7. heads so likewise it had 10. hornes whereby was foreshewed that as the kings of the Medes and Persians were shewed and represented to Daniel by the 2. hornes of the Beast which he saw in his vision so the kings of many kingdomes should be as guarders and defenders of the Antichristian kingdome and state And that this scripture hath beene fulfilled to the vttermost by the kings of the Nations is so manifest that none can be ignorant of it that are of judgment and experience And it was just with the Lord to make the Kings of the earth vassels to this Beast because they received not the love of the truth but tooke pleasure in unrighteousnesse they would not forsake their sinnes to liue godlily righteously and soberly as all must doe that will attaine salvation but they would liue after their lusts and for their sinnes they would make satisfaction by building of Churches and Monasteries c. and endowing them with lands rents and other revenewes by meanes whereof those which traded like Marchants in those many waters the kingdome of the Beast grew rich and wealthy and became the great men of the earth Furthermore Iohn saith of the Beast which hee saw that it was
are * Psal 82. 6. called Gods and their seats as the Throne of God in heauen should bee so corrupted by the Pope as that they should beleeue the Saints and Servants of God which refused to obey the Pope and his Lawes to be therefore Hereticks Schismaticks refractarie rebellious and disobedient persons and therefore should condemne them to be burnt to death This they haue done thinking they did God therein good service and that it was the iust iudgement of God upon them Thus he made fire to come downe from heaven For true it is that the iudgements rightly pronounced by the lawfull Magistrates are the iudgements of God and their punishments Gods punishments and therefore it is that Maigistrates are called Gods but seeing Magistrates haue beene thus corrupted by the Pope and made to pronounce unrighteous and unjust judgements wee are to esteeme them as the judgements of the Dragon and yet neverthelesse their authority and power lawfull and ordained of God Thus the Beast deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by meanes of those Miracles falsly so called which he had power to doe in the sight of the Beast as is shewed in the verse following And he deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the meanes of those miracles Vers 14. which he had power to doe in the sight of the Beast Those which the Beast deceiveth are sayd to dwell on the earth that is haue their affections fet upon earthly things and not upon heavenly so that they will not for loue of the truth forsake their earthly possessions and pleasures these are they which are deceived by these lying wonders of this Beast but those that are strangers and pilgrimes in this world whose affections are set upon heavenly things and not upon earthly these are not deceived nor deluded by him these making tryall of him by Gods word haue found him to be a lyer and a deceiver and beleeue him not but taking their liues in their hands witnes against him to the death that his power and working is of Satan and that his wonders are lyes And whereas it is sayd that he had power to doe these miracles in the sight of the Beast therby is confirmed made manifest that which before is shewed page 23 that this sonne of perdition the chief darling of his holy catholick Mother is present with her and in her bosome and for her sake and in her behalf exerciseth his power shee retayning still her former authoritie without any diminishing thereof as is evident unto all that are acquainted with the acts of that Church Thus much for the second parte of this chapter The 3. part of the 13. Chapter of the Revelation Wherin is foreshewed a third Beast which was set up by the commaundement of this second Beast the Pope who sayd to them that dwelt on the earth that they should make an Image to the Beast which had the wound with a sword and did live HEre we may see that the Pope by his commanding power was the cause of setting up this Image and for the better and more cleare understanding what this Image is Let us consider a little the patterne whose image and likenes it beareth namely the first Beast The first Beast as hath beene shewed was the representative body of the Catholicke Church Militant consisting of the selected Prelacy and Preisthood of sundry Nations gathered together into one Councell or Synode with authoritie to make lawes and canons for the universall Church to be observed uniformely of all Nations under pretence of the insufficiency of the Scripture for the government of the Church and the worship of God In like manner the Pope in his wisedome seeing it necessary for the good government maintenance and upholding of his kingdome and the rooting out of Heretickes and seditious persons as they call them which daylie increased in every Countrie did ordeyne and command | Vide conciliū Lateran secundum Can. 6. that in every Province there should yerely be held and kept a Provinciall counsel or Synode consisting of the Prelats and divers other selected persons which should look to those matters to which Synode he also gave power to make lawes and ordinances to which the people should be conformable and obedient This is the Image which he caused the dwellers on the earth to make of the Beast which had the wound with a sword and did live Further it is sayd Vers 15. And power was given him to giue life unto the Image of the Beast that the Image of the Beast should both speake and Ver. 15. cause that as many as would not worship the Image of the Beast should bee killed In this verse wee may obserue first that a gift was given to the Pope to bestow upon this Image secondly what this gift was viz. to giue life or breath to the Image thirdly the end and effects of the gift which was that the Beast should speake and cause that as many as would not worship the Beast should be killed As there was given by the Dragon to the first Beast great power and authoritie and also a mouth to speake blasphemies and to make warre with the Saints in like manner by the same Dragon was this gift given to the Pope to giue life or breathe to this Image By life is here meant authoritie which is the life of a Synode without which it is of no force and so this Image should haue been no more then a very image or picture and set up to no purpose but the Pope having received it gaue authority to the Image that he should speake that is make and set forth Canons and Lawes for to speake is so understood as for example A King is said to speake to his subiects when he setteth forth his Lawes and Proclamations so this Beast having made Canons and Decrees speaketh to her vassals and subjects by them Moreover the Image caused that as many as would not worship him should be killed Here the pride and cruelty of this Image is set forth to be answerable to the first Beast and therefore rightly is he called her Image for as the first Beast made wart with the Saints and overcame them and all that dwelled on the earth worshiped him c. so whosoever would not worship this Image that is heare his voyce and keep his commandements there was no way for him but death All the worship that the Lord requireth of his servants is * That they feare him walke in all his wayes loue him and serue him with all their Deu. 10. 12. 13. hearts and with all their soules to keep the commandements of the Lord and his ordinances And this is indeed the true worship of God In like manner this Image wil be worshiped his lawes must be observed his canons obeyed without examining and trying of them be they never so unholy and unjust They that do not observe and obey them be they never so upright and holy men
they shal be therefore indited araigned judged and condemned to death as being in their estimation Hereticks Schismatickes disobedient and rebellious persons contemners of God and of the Church yea as the filth and ofscowring of the world and unworthy of the societie of men And he causeth all both small and great rich and poore free and bond to receive a marke in their right hand and in their foreheads This Image challenging worship to be performed unto him of all people of all sorts and degrees according to the authoritie given him by the Pope was by some contradicted and despised wherfore the Image in policie for the better triall of those that were his trustie subjects and slaves ordeyned that all his Ministers should receive a marke at the receiving whereof they should vowe and sweare to be of his dominion under his Banner to fight against Christ and his Saincts What this marke is and what is the manner of giving and receiving of it is now to be declared The ‡ For proofe of this looke no further then in the 36. Canon of the Church of Eng. made An. 1603. Prelacye and Clergy being as hath been before shewed assembled with authority to make lawes did ordeyne that every Bishop in his diocesse should carefully observe that none should preach or execute the function of a parish Parson Vicar or Curat in any parish but he that would sweare to observe their Lawes Canons and thereupon should receive the Letters of Orders of the Bishop of the Diocesse which Letters of Orders signed and sealed by the Bishop is the Marke of the Beast here mentioned and doth testify in the behalfe of the Bearer therof that he is their sworne servant under holy orders either a Priest a Deacon or half Preist c and that he is a man found capable meete for the cure and charge of soules and therfore to what parish soever these tryed Lads are sent to doe service upon sight of this Marke they must be received without any opposition upon penaltie of the Law upon those that shall refuse them Here may be objected that this Marke is onely received by the Clergie and not by the people of all sorts rich and poore bond and free according to the Text. I answer that all persons which receiue these false Priests doe likewise receiue and submit to that authority which sent them and also the Marke by which they are sent as is evident when a Priest commeth to take possession of a Parish to which he is by the Bishop appointed he is not received upon his word nor because he tolleth the Bell and putteth on the Surplice and useth other Ceremonies inioyned him by the Prelate But shewing the fore-said Marke of the Beast they receiue both him and it and communicate with him Thus all both small and great rich and poore bond and free that receiue and submit unto their appointed Priest receiue a marke in their foreheads or in their right hands by receiving and submitting to him For as our Saviour Christ saith of his Apostles and Ministers He that receiveth you receiveth me he that heareth you heareth me Luk. 10. 16. Joh. 13. 20. So those that receiue heare and ioyne in fellowship with these false Ministers doe heare receiue and ioyne to the false power which sent them and the marke by which they are sent Whereas it is said that they received this marke in their foreheads or right hand thereby was shewed that this marke should be an apparant testimony that they were servants of the Beast and that they were of that Band which had ioyned hands and made a league to walke in the wayes of destruction Further it is said Vers 17. And that no man might buy or sell saue he that had the marke of the Beast or the name of the Beast or the number of his name Here are propounded three conditions and whosoever had not one of them thereby to be knowne to bee of that Kingdome might not buy or sell or haue any thing to doe amongst them For the better understanding hereof let us minde that although these three Beasts in respect of their severall power and jurisdiction did differ one from another The Catholike Church being the chiefe and the Pope inferiour to her and the Image of the Beast as it were a servant or handmaid inferiour to them both yet notwithstanding they were one body being ioyned and knit together by the power of the Dragon and haue so farr prevailed over the Nations as that they haue brought all both small and great rich and poore bond and free to be in subiection to their kingdom which beareth the name of the holy Catholike Church or Sea of Rome but the Holy Ghost calleth it * Reu. 14. 8. Babylon the great Citie for as the materiall Babylon was a Citie which dwelled †Esa 51. 13. upon many waters which caused her to abound in riches and treasure so this mysticall Babylon this great Citie of Rome I meane the Ecclesiasticall State is said also to sit upon many waters which the Holy Ghost expoundeth to be People and Nations as in the 17. Chapter and 15. verse The waters on which the Where sitteth are Peoples and Multitudes and Nations and Tongues And these waters haue been the meanes of the flowing and increasing of the wealth and riches of this Citie so that their Marchants that is the Prelates haue grown rich and become the great men of the earth by traficking in them also the Ship-masters which are the Parish Priests and all Ship men and Marriners which are the inferiour guides and Ecclesiasticall Officers haue gathered crummes and waxed rich thereby and therefore at the destruction of this great Citie shall stand a farre off and howle to see the desolation thereof and their owne gaine taken away for from thence-forth no man will buy their commodities any more Here note that these foresaid spirituall prrsons are the sellers and the Lay-people are the buyers and the wares which are bought and sold in this kingdom are all called spirituall as pardons for sinne and indulgences of divers sorts which is a speciall commoditie and bringeth in aboundance of treasure also their Pistling Gospeling Canting Homeling Massing which must bee maintained with the Tithes or Tenth of all things which they usually call the maintenance of the Ministery also the Sacrifices unacceptable to God and well-pleasing to the divell which are dayly offered at their Altars and at divers Images of Saints also the body of their Maker and Saviour besides Marrying Baptizing of children Churching of women Houseling the sick burying the dead these and many such like are the spirituall wares sold in this kingdom which haue particular prizes set on them Now so it is that these wares are priviledged that none may either buy or sell them saue he that hath the marke of the Beast or the name of the Beast or the number of his name What the Marke of
of the Beast which is 666. By this number I do not understand any set number and that the parts and members of the Beast are no more nor lesse but thereby I understand is meant a full and compleate number as before was shewed As all the parts and members of a man ioyned together make a whole perfect man so doe the particular parts and members of the Beast make a perfect and entire Beast Thus briefly according to the ability which God hath given me I haue gone over this chapter wherein is briefly set forth the workers of iniquitie which haue and yet still doe prevaile over Gods people under the title of Ministers of the Gospell and Church of Christ as they were represented under the forme of three severall Beasts The first Beast representing the Generall Councells or as the Papists call it the Catholick Church The second Beast representing the Pope And the third Beast the Provinciall Councels which were established by the Pope The which three Beasts bearing rule and dominion in these times whereinto wee are fallen and being enemies and opposers of Christ and his Kingdome it doth behooue us to know them to end that wee may eschew them and their evill wayes and seek after the truth making straight steps unto the Kingdome of God Now that we our selues may make particular use hereof it is necessarie for us to examine the Nationall Synode or Convocation confisting of the Prelacy and clergie of this Land who whilst they remained under the yoke and bondage of the church of Rome and whilst they exercised their power which was first given them by the Pope for and in the behalfe of that church and dominion they were they very Image of the first Beast before mentioned But being now separated from the Pope and Church of Rome they thinke as it should seeme that their spirituall Pontificall power and authority which they exercise is lawfull and warrantable and to bee submitted unto They being gathered together boast themselues to bee the representatiue body of the Church of England and the true Church of Christ and that they haue power to make Lawes and Canons for governement thereof and for the worship of God which all men ought to yeeld obedience unto as appeareth by divers of their books of Canons But wee are not to take this upon their word but to make triall thereof by the word of God whether it be true or false If the word of God did giue them such power and authority then indeed wee were bound in conscience to yeeld all ready obedience to their Lawes and Canons But the most wise God and disposer of all things who knoweth the vanity of mens mindes would not haue his people to hold their faith in respect of mens persons and at their pleasure to alter and change the same and therefore did not giue to any of his Ministers power to make Lawes in matters of Religion and for the worship of God but gaue them power onely to teach the Nations to obserue the things which hee had commanded them as in the eight and twentieth chapter of Mathew the nineteenth twentieth verses And the Apostle Paul biddeth the Corinthians 1. Cor. 11. 1. to bee followers of him as hee followed Christ And in the same Chapter hee also saith That which hee had received of the Lord hee delivered unto them Acts 15. Also the Assembly of the Apostles and Elders of the Church of Ierusalem they would not impose any yoke of bondage upon the Churches of Christ but held it to be a tempting of God so to doe as before hath been shewed And this agreeth with that in Deutr. 12. 32. Whatsoever I command you take heed you doe it Thou shalt put nothing thereto nor take ought therefrom By which Scriptures it is plaine that the chiefest Ministers of the Gospell had no such power as these Prelates presume to haue as we shall finde by examining their particular Canons and Constitutions of which for examples I will onely note some few of their late and best reformed Book made An. 1603. in the first yeere of the Kings Maiesties raigne by which it will be apparant that they passe the bounds of the subjects of Christ and that they haue no power from him to make such lawes but by so doing they usurp the place of God to reigne in mens consciences for unto him onely it doth belong to make Lawes in matters of Religion and for the worship of God to which men are onely bound to yeeld obedience without adding or detracting and that for this their presumption they are liable to the curse of God being indeed the Image of the Beast here spoken of that is originally sprung from the Dragon and hath received power of Law-making from him Concerning the first and second Canons wherein they pretend their zeale for the abolishing of all forrein power repugnant to the jurisdiction of the Kings Majestie over the Ecclesiasticall estate he being the highest power under God to whom all men owe most loyall obedience and that his Maiesty hath the like authority in Causes Ecclesiasticall as the godly Kings had amongst the Iewes To these I doâ— most willingly assent and agree And further doe desire that as the Pope so the Prelacie with all their Antichristian Adherents which usurp spirituall power and superiority aboue the Maiesty of Christ Iesus being a strange and forraine generation brought in and established in this Land by the Pope of Rome may also bee abolished and cast out after him for by them the Pope liues in hope hereafter to be served as he hath been heretofore to the great vexation of the Kings and Princes of this Land yea to the losse of their Crowne and liues But to be short I will proceed to mention some few of their canons whereby iniquity is established for a Law and their beastlinesse discovered In the third canon it is enacted that whosoever shall affirme the Church of England by Law established not to be a true and Apostolicall Church teaching and maintaining the doctrine of the Apostles that person shall be excommunicated ipso facto That there are some yea many doctrines of the Apostles maintained in the Church of England I do not deny so there are in the Church of Rome But that the Ecclesiasticall state or spirituall body politick which is called the Church of England which consisteth of Arch bishops Diocesan Lord Bishops Suffragans Deanes Arch-deacons Prehends Canons Chancellors Commissaries with the rest of the Clergie as heads and guides of that body to go before and the whole multitude of the Layitie as they call it which is as the Tayle to follow those Heads that this politicall Body is the Spouse and church of Christ as they affirme in their seuenth eigth and ninth canons that I do deny For first if it were true that they are the Ministers of Christ and members of the Body of Christ which is his Church we should finde warrant for them
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
kept they must hide their Talent in the earth and put their candle under a Bushell lest men by the light thereof should come to the knowledge of the truth and beleeue it Also it is to be observed as a generall rule that none good or bad learned or unlearned can be suffered to receiue their Orders of Priesthood or Deaconship or be admitted to preach or execute a Ministerie in their Parish Churches unlesse they sweare to conforme to the worship and ceremonies prescribed by these Prelates and also submit to their Antichristian rule and governement which they challenge to themselues as being Lords over all Thus by swearing they make their inferiour Priests to sell themselues to work wickednesse which trick they haue cunningly devised to bring the Land in subjection to their Antichristian yoke And upon the taking of this Oath they receiue the Prelates Marke which is called in this Chapter the Marke of the Beast which is understood to be the Letters of Orders under the Prelates hand and seale to testifie that they are made Priests or Deacons according to the order and canons prescribed in that behalfe in this their Convocation as wee may see in the 36. 48. and 50. Canons And for refusing to worship them in these things many are put back and those that formerly haue been ordeyned for refusing so to doe which they call revolting haue had their penall Lawes executed upon them which is Suspension Degradation and Excommunication and after these many other afflictions in body goods and name being accounted factious and seditious persons that haue no right to buy or sell their wares Concerning the people whereof the Church of England consisteth it is necessary that wee finde them such as the Scriptures doe require otherwise they cannot be accounted the Church of Christ and to this end obserue these few places following Ezeckiel 44. 19. Thus saith the Lord no stranger uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh shall enter into my Sanctuarie And the people of Israel for suffering such uncircumcised strangers to enter into the Sanctuary of the Lord hee calleth them a rebellious people that had polluted his Sanctuarie and broken his Covenant And in the 23. verse The Lord teacheth his Ministers to put difference betweene the holy and prophane the cleane and uncleane And according to this was the practise of the Apostles in the primitiue Age who by preaching the Word gathered none but such as beleeved and voluntarily submitted themselues to walke according to the profession of the Gospell and if any did cunningly creepe into the fellowship of the Saints and not walk accordingly they were to bee cast out by the Church as in the 1. Cor. 5. Likewise the Apostle Paul hee separated the Disciples of Ephesus from those that beleeved not so the Apostle Acts 19. 9. taught the Corinthians 1. Cor. 6. 14. 15. c. Bee not unequally yoked together with unbeleevers for what fellowship hath righteousnesse with unrighteousnesse And what communion hath light with darknesse And what concord hath Christ with Belial Or what part hath hee that beleeveth with an Infidell And what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols For yee are the Temple of the living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walke in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people Wherefore come out from amongst them and bee yee separate saith the Lord and touch not the uncleane thing and I will receiue you Now if we compare the Church of England with these Scriptures we shall finde that the practise and proceedings thereof hath been and is contrary The people thereof for the most part are such as visibly and apparantly liue in all kinde of licentiousnesse and in their workes deny God being abominable and disobedient For these Lordly Prelates being armed with the sword of Civill authority and having the Law of their side they haue not laboured by painefull preaching to draw men to the obedience of the faith and to the fellowship of the Gospell apart from the prophane and wicked that speake evill of the wayes of the Lord but they haue compelled and inforced all sorts of people both religious and prophane not onely such as feare God but also such as feare him not by bodily punishments to be conformable to the profession which is by their Canon Law established in this Church As if the Word of God that sword of the Spirit were not mighty enough in operation for the gathering together of the Saints That this is their practise is plaine by the 90. and 114. Canons where it is said that Ministers and Church-wardens must present all persons aboue the age of 13. yeeres that come not to the Church and receiue the Sacraments after which presentation if they doe not conforme they shall bee excommunicated imprisoned and haue their goods attached This is the meanes which hath been used for the gathering of this Church of England whereby they haue confounded and mingled them together whom God hath commanded to be separated wherein what do they lesse then thinke themselues wiser and stronger then God The Word of God is the seed whereby the Church of God is begotten and those that are begotten by any other meanes are bastards and not sonnes for as that woman is an Harlot which hath children by any but her lawfull Husband so that Church whose members are gathered by any other way or meanes then by the Word of God perswading and mouing their hearts the same is not the Church of Christ But this hath been the manner of gathering the Church of England and therefore it is unworthy to be adorned with the title of the Church of Christ but ought to be accounted the Image of the first Beast before spoken of that is of great Babylon which is an habitation of divells an hold of sowle spirits and a cage of every uncleane and hatefull Bird. And for confirmation hereof by the testimonie of their own mouthes let us but consider the estimation which the members of this Church haue one of another Some there are amongst them who for making more conscience of their waies then the rest are in derision called Puritans or Precisians these on the contrary seeing the ungodly conversation of the rest of their brethren esteeme them as wicked prophane carnall and unregenerate men such as for the most part are mockers contemners and evill speakers of the Truth and in whom is no appearance of Religion and the feare of God and therefore they distinguish the better sort from these prophane persons by the name of Professors This is the estimation which they haue one of another which is a manifest note that they are not come into the order of the Church of Christ I deny not but there are many amongst them that are the Saints and Servants of Christ that are godly and zealous people which so farre as they know they labour to yeeld obedience to the commandements of Christ
and although by meanes of their Guides which make them to erre and goe astray keeping them in ignorance of this doctrine yet it shall go well with them Such persons I say are fit stones for the building of the Church of Christ but so long as they remaine in this confusion they can no more bee said to be the true visible Church of Christ then a heape of stones fitted for a building can bee said to be a house therefore they must be separated from the wicked and placed together according to the order prescribed by Christ Iesus and practised by his Apostles as in the new Testament before they can be so esteemed As these Prelates will haue this Church of England to be accounted the true Church of Christ so they will haue the true Church of Christ to be accounted false schismaticall and hereticall as in the 9. 10. and 11. Canons by which it doth appeare that if any people separate from this corrupt Church state and ioyne together apart from the wicked and prophane to walke in all the wayes and ordinances of Christ prescribed in his Testament acknowledging Christ Iesus to be the onely King Lord and Law-giver in matters of Religion and the worship of God which is the true and right rule whereby Gods people ought to walke and by so doing they become indeed the true Church of Christ to whom hee hath promised his presence and blessing yet notwithstanding such persons are for this to be accounted Schismaticks and to be excommunicated ipso facto as holding wicked errours Thus they open their mouthes wide to speake evill of the waies of God whereby also they appeare to be the very Image of the Beast that blasphemed the Tabernacle of God as is shewed before upon the sixth verse Further whereas the Apostles did ordaine divers Elders in every Church to whom they gaue charge to feede the Flock of Christ whereof the Holy Ghost had made them Overseers On the contrary these Prelates in stead of Elders to feed one Flock they do ordaine one idle Priest to be fed of divers Flocks that is some to haue two some three and some foure Benefices and this they are not ashamed to publish as appeareth in the 41. Canon by which it is allowed that Licences and Dispensations shall be granted to Masters of Arts and other Graduates to haue pluralitie of Benefices so that they be within the compasse of 30. miles Concerning their Copes Surplices Crossing in Baptisme and other their foolish ceremonies which they themselues acknowledge to bee things indifferent yet those that refuse to use them through the tendernesse of their consciences are therefore greatly afflicted and persecuted so farre are they unlike the Apostle who would not use * 1. Cor. 8. 13. necessarie things that were offensiue to his brethren as that they themselues will not onely use those things which are unnecessarie but also in their use iustly scandalous and offensiue yea and compell their brethren also to use them which if they refuse they shall enjoy neither liberty nor worldly possessions How unworthy this their practise is for those that would bee accounted Christians let the world iudge certainely it is so contrary to Christian Charitie as that it is to be accounted Heathenish impiety and beastly cruelty and it is as a Marke in their foreheads to testifie unto the world that they are those which our Saviour Christ speaketh of that should come in sheepes cloathing that is pretending themselues to bee the Ministers of the Gospell and such as desire peace and unity but inwardly are ravening Wolues such as do sow strife and contention and by this meanes they grow rich filling themselues with the spoyle of their brethren whom they persecute as Lyons Beares and Leopards fill themselues with their prey These and many other evils by their Canon Law established and to the dishonour of God and vexation of his people daily practised haue been much opposed and the iniquity of them sufficiently manifested but as yet it remaineth like unto the Decrees of the Medes and Persians that may not bee changed yea they boast and say like their old Mother that without their Lawes the Church of Christ would run into confusion as if the Testament and Lawes of Christ were not sufficient for the governement of his Church and Kingdome Thus they open their mouthes and reproach the Almightie But hee who sitteth in the heavens laugheth them to scorne and will vexe them in his sore displeasure if they repent not By these few examples of their wicked practises I haue briefly shewed that this Church of England still remaineth under the bondage of Antichrist and is ruled and governed by the Image of the Beast mentioned in this 13. chapter which usurpeth that power which is onely proper to Christ Iesus And whereas it is objected in the behalf of the Church of England that it is fallen and separated from Babylon the universall Church of Rome and therfore it is the true Church of Christ and needs no other separation To this I answere that true it is that that great Citie is now divided into three parts as was foreshewed in the 16. chapter of this prophecie and the cities of the Nations that is the Nationall churches wherof the church of England is one are fallen from it but this is no argument that therfore they are the true churches of Christ that are divided from Rome unlesse they be united and joyned to Christ and framed and built together according to the patterne prescribed in his Testament It is indeed an argument that their kingdome shall not long stand as our Saviour Christ teacheth Mat. 12. Every kingdome divided against it self is brought to desolation and every Citie or House divided against it self shall not stand And if Satan cast out Satan he is divided against himselfe how shall then his kingdome stand Thus by the division of this great Citie Gods people may receive comfort and rejoyce in assured hope that the fall and destruction of Babylon is neere and that the Lord will shortly be avenged of their iniquities which should teach us to come out from amongst them that we partake not of their synns and so receive of their plagues and to have no fellowship with their unfruitfull workes of darknesse but rather reproove them and stedfastly resist and fight against them So shall we receive the crowne of righteousnesse which God the righteous Judge shall give at his appearing To whome be glory and Dominion for ever ever Amen Revel 20. 4. And I saw the soules of them that were beheaded for the witnes of Iesus and for the word of God and which had not worshipped the beast neither his image neither had received his marke upon their foreheads or in their hands and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand yeares