may be the more able to finde the free passage of joy and the power of godlinesse in all your private or publique conversation Revel 13. the latter part of the 2 d. verse And the Dragon gave him his power and his seate and great authority THe next note is this That the Dragon that is Satan as he had the government of the Pagan Roman Empire so being cast out of it he gave or procured and obtained to the Roman Catholicke visible Church his power and seate or Throne and great authority For so it is plainly here said That the Dragon gave to the Beast his power and his seate and great authority The Dragon who is that You heard the Dragon is the old Serpent called the Devill and Satan but the Dragon considered as he sometimes swayed the Roman Pagan Empire as in Rev. 12. 3. There appeared a wonder in heaven a great red Dragon having seven heads and ten horns they are interpreted by the Angell Rev. 17. 3 4. 9 10. 12. 18. The seven heads to be the seven hills of Rome and the ten horns so many Kings that arose with the last head of the Beast Therefore he means the Dragon as he sometimes swayed the City of Rome and so the Seate and State of the Pagan Roman Empire And being now cast out and seeing he cannot maintaine his State and divine honour as before to whom doth he give his honour what to the Roman Christian Empire No his rage is against them and the Church amongst them Neither did he give them his Seate they sate not at Rome but at Constantinople Neither can he easily fasten upon the civill State such delusions as to cause the Christian Emperours to take to themselves divine honour though the Pagan Roman Emperours had so done But now hee doth choose to fasten them upon the Ecclesiasticall State and thinks he shall more prevaile with Church-men as I may speak to drinke in an inundation of Heresies in Doctrine and Tyranny in Government and Superstition in Worship he thinks he shall sooner prevaile with the Ecclesiasticall State then with the Civill Therefore upon this Beast which can neither be Roman Heathen nor Christian Empire but the Roman Church doth he fasten his power and seate and great authority His power A three-fold power did the Devill fasten upon the Roman Catholick visible Church 1. The power of signes and lying wonders Hee gave him great power to worke great wonders 2 Thes 2. 9. Of which there is more spoken in the sequell of the Chapter where some of his miracles are mentioned 2. He gave him the power of effectuall Sophistry or as the Scripture calls it 2 Thes 2 9 10. of deceit of unrighteousnesse partly in the Schoolmen and partly in their Votaries or Cloyster-men and partly in their Canonists By the efficacy of Sophistry in School-men he corrupted all Doctrine By the deceit of the Cloyster-men the Monkes he corrupted all their devotion and worship And by the policy of their Canonists he corrupted all Church-government and this was carryed with such efficacy of deceit that those School-Divines were accounted the most profound and the Monks most devout and the Canonists most judicious and exquisite Polititians Now these three did mightily deceive the Christian world by their power and all this power Satan gave to this Beast 3. He gave him the power also of making war for in vers 7. It was given him to make warre with the Saints and to overcome them putting into the hearts of christian Kings to give their power to the Beast and to wage all their Battels at their own charges whiles he sate still this was the power which was given him by the Dragon And for his seate what was it It was the City of Rome which ruled over the Kings of the earth Rev. 17. 18. And for that end he would not suffer Constantine nor other Emperors to dwell at Rome If they were in Italy they should dwell at Ravenna So that the Dragon granted his owne Seate or Throne not to the Emperors for they never cared for it but he reserved it for this Beast to be the center and chief Seate of the Roman Catholick Church And he gave him also great authority transcendently great indeed Great Authority 1. Over the Scriptures 2. Over the consciences of men 3. Over the treasury of the church Over Church-Rulers and Churches over the merits of Christ over Kingdoms and Common-wealths over Purgatory and for mitigating the paines of Hell All this he gave to the Roman Catholick visible Church 1. He gave him power over the Scriptures 1. As Judg of them The Church is the Judg of controversies and the head of that Church is the Judg of all places of Scripture by his authority it is authenticall This the Catholick Church doth challenge 2. He doth prefer the vulgar Latine before the Originall Scripture a transcendant power 3. It is in his power to make Apocrypha Scripture to be of like power with the canonicall Scripture 4. It is his power and authority that gives unwritten Traditions like power with the canonicall Scripture 5. He takes upon him to be the infallible Interpreter and Judge of the meaning of Scripture and that is Blasphemy 6. He takes upon him power to dispence with Scripture Hee hath power to dispence with the morall Law of God in point of Marriages even in incestuous Marriages this is a power beyond Scripture 2. He hath great authority over the consciences of men making Laws and Canons to bind the conscience and releasing and loosing them from the power of Gods Lawes either in point of Marriage or in point of Oaths and Covenants or in point of naturall relation He can dispence with children in respect of duty to Parents if they come into Monasteries and with duty which Subjects owe to Magistrates 3. They have power over the Church Treasury by which they meane the supererogation of the merits of Christ and of the Saints They say Christ merited for a thousand worlds and because he saved but a few it is free for the Pope to take the surplussage of merit He can take them and apply them by Indulgences for the pardoning of them that pay well for them And thus they who despise Gods imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ for justification they take upon them to impute it to themselves and to this and that notorious wicked man 4. They have power over Kingdomes and Common-wealths to depose Kings and to dispose of their Kingdoms as they please and to absolve Subjects from all Allegiance to civill power and for that end to nullifie their Oath for that end you know what the Pope sent to Henry the fourth Christ say they gave this power to Peter and Peter to the Pope and to that end abuse Jer. 1. 10. See I have this day set thee over the Nations to root cut and pull downe and to destroy and to throw downe to build and to plant 5. They
have power over the estate of the life to come 1. Over Heaven Hee claimes transcendent power in that and doth abuse that place in Mat. 16. 19. To thee will I give the keyes of the Kingdome of heaven that whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Therefore he can open the gates of Heaven to them that are dead 2. They have power over Purgatory Upon so much done and given they can help them out of Purgatory They make account the torments of Purgatory are equall to the paines of Hell but that Hell is for ever and Purgatory but till the last Judgment 3. They have power over Hell they have not absolute power to deliver out of Hell only Gregory is said to have delivered Trajans soul out of Hell but though they cannot deliver out of Hell yet they can ease the torment The witnesses of this will hardly owne it but it is the judgment of the most devout to that Sea So that he gave to the Catholick church his power of signs and lying wonders of all kinds of efficacy of delusions and power of making Warre and he gave him great authority over the Scriptures over mens Consciences over the treasures of the Church over Kingdomes and Princes and Powers of the world to come and over Purgatory and Hell And therefore consider if this be not a vast power which is here given and acknowledged to be given by himselfe to the Catholick visible Roman Church You must not wonder that the Catholick Church did not claim all this at first but came to this by degrees and more faster grew to this especially at that time when this second Beast that received in spiritualls his power speaking like a Dragon had got all this transcendant power In the mean time from the very first you shal find this power in the representative Catholick Church They quartered them into severall Jurisdictions into Bishopricks and when they had done that they rested not till they had set one over the rest and that was this of Rome And besides this was devillish Authority to make Laws to bind all Christian Congregations to take their Government from them 3ly In every Councell they devised some new Doctrine and some new form of worship and Government which was the seed out of which this transcendant power was hatched For the reason of the point you may aske how hee should give all this power which he never had himself how he should give that which never was his to a Beast so as to carry all things with that transcendant power for divine power he had not himself he was cast out from it how then could hee give this to any State in the world First from Gods divine Justice and heavy Judgment upon the unthankfull world That look as God in former times did give up the Roman Pagan world to be ruled by Satan as the god of it and therefore he is called in 2 Cor. 4. 4. the God of the world So now God gave up the Roman Christian world as he did the Pagan world before the Scripture tells us so 2 Thes 2. 8 9 10 11 12. Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved he gave them up to efficacy of delusions to believe lies That they all might be damned who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse They loved not the simplicity of the Apostles Institutions concerning Churches and Laws and Doctrine and Apostolick government but did affect high preferments and setled endowments and carnall excellency Now the Lord therefore gives Satan wonderfull power that as of old he was once the God of Pagan Rome so now in the Church he gives them Church-power that what he could not retaine in his owne hands that he substitutes and gives to the Roman Catholick Church to carry it along with great successe and that 's the first Reason the judgment of God upon the unthankfull world A second Reason is taken from the effectuall means which Satan used to advance the Roman Church by to exalt his Church above all others what were the means The means were these First Ignorance raising a smoak out of the bottomlesse Pit darkning all the light of the Church Rev. 9. 2. The Sun and the Aire were darkned by reason of it There was a mighty dark mist as it were They regarded not the love of the truth they studyed it not and so the Lord left them to palpable grosse ignorance in so much that at that time when the second beast arose had we seene any that lived in the former time of Religion and that lived now we would not have thought they had been the same men such palpable darkness were they left unto of ignorance Now palpable ignorance is the mother of all Superstition and Idolatry and the misguidance of all things in the Church A second means which he used was terror of Conscience which he set on effectually by the Locusts Rev. 9. 3 5. There came out of the smoak Locusts and unto them was given power as the scorpions of the Earth have power They had such a notable power to sting the Consciences of men that men would seek for death and could not finde it and take desperate courses drowning or hanging or any thing rather then to live in that terrour They that shall read Parsons Resolutions Granatensis shall find what terrible threats there are applyed to terrifie but never shewed them the way to come to Christ to binde up such broken souls Now the Conscience broken and not healed is fit to sow any superstition in A third means was the superstition and hypocrisie of the votaries and of all afflicted but unsetled consciences Terror of conscience makes them greatly devout They tell them of a state of perfection and that they shall shrowd themselves in such a Monastery and there they should live devoutly and be kept from the pollutions of the world Many Princes have been thus taken and have given large endowments to pray for their souls their consciences being wounded A fourth meanes was the subtilty and sophistry of the School-men suppressing the reading of the Scriptures and mixing Philosophy with Divinity that they might as well have studied a point of Aristotle as their divinity and make as good use of the one as of the other They left studying of Scriptures and read Peter Lombard which was mentioned in Latine and this was a notable meanes A fifth meanes was the policy of the Canonists who had gathered together all those Canons that tended to Christs powerfull Government and fastned them upon the Catholick Church and the Bishop of Rome being head he had it all committed to him a notable means to bring in Tyranny Last of all lying miracles 2 Thes 2. 9. Whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signes lying wonders Thus you see the means how the
Dragon gave him his power and Authority and such Authority that he exalts himself above all that is called God The use is thus much First it serves to shew the vanity of all that admiration of the Roman Catholick visible Church and devotion to that Church which hath so long for many Ages deluded the world and with which Jesuites and Seminaries doe to this day delude devout but carnall souls Here is great power given to them and great authority but whence hath the Church all this They pretend they have it all from Christ but they have it from the Dragon of the bottomlesse pit He gave him his power and seat and great authority It never came from Christ he never gave this power to any Church nor State in the world it is from the Dragon And whereas they plead it is the keys of the kingdome of Heaven Mat. 16. 19. It is verely as the Text calls it Rev. 9. 1. The key of the Bottomlesse pit There fell a star from Heaven to the Earth and to him was given the key of the Bottomlesse pit It is he that hath power to let out smoak out of the bottomlesse pit Not to let out men from thence as some have pretended or from Limbus which is the suburbs of Hell But to let out smoak damnable doctrine and false Government He hath power to open it but no power to shut it power to sting mens consciences but no power to heal them And therefore when Bellarmine makes the Roman Catholick visible Church to be the true Church he makes this the first note of a true Catholick Church whereas our Divines make Preaching of the word and administration of the Sacraments and holy Diâ—cipline he refutes them and sets down three other universall Catholick visible Church to be the true Church And the truth is it is the very Beast to which the Devill gave this great Authority and power Wherefore let not men be bewitched with them but let us know they are all but efficacies of delusions what ever have been in this kinde spoken If any man say shall we disclaim an Article of our Creed to despise the holy Catholick Church God forbid we doe believe the holy Catholick Church spread over all Nations But a Church Catholick that shall have one visible head and be the Mother Church verily we look at it as the greatest and ugliest beast that ever was raised in the world Take all other Monarchies that the Scripture describes the Leopard of Greece the Lyon of Babell and the Bear of Persiae and they are either of them but a beastly state but here all these Beasts are mingled and confounded in one And besides It hath seven heads and ten horns A Leopard a Lyon and a Beare they are orderly creatures according to some Institution But here is a Beast that runs besides all institution and description of Scripture and societies of men that ever was raised The Catholick visible Roman Church is the most monster God forbid we should blaspheme any Church but I do but speak Scripture Let the world be judg if the Scripture can be accommodated to any but to this Roman-Catholick mother Church It is evident in Scripture these seven heads and ten horns must be some Roman State the Roman Pagan State it cannot be nor yet the Roman Christian State and a Roman State it is but there hath been no other Roman State but the Roman-Catholick visible Church and that hath claimed such great power and authority which is doubtlesse as incompatible to Scripture as may be which by the wit of man hath not been invented but by the Dragon and yet so goodly in the eyes of the world which great Princes are deluded and besotted withall and happy they that can be reconciled to that State Secondly Learn we to magnifie the free rich grace of God that hath delivered us from this great Beast and the worship of it and hath restored us in a great measure to the government of primative simplicity that now we may meet every Lords day that all may heare and all may be edefied where every one may brign his offence if hee cannot be satisfied in private and may be heard and the case in due time searched into and healed according to God This is Primative simplicity and this is direct proceeding without Lordly Prelacy which overwhelms all the world like a great Sea And it i well called a Sea for it swallows up all like a vast Ocean And the more thankfull ought we to be that he hath delivered us from the Image of the Beast as well as from the beast it selfe A Catholick Church that beareth sway over so many hundred Churches and overwhelms them all Such Lawes they shall make as shall binde all Nations and whether they give consent or no they must subscribe to them in point of government Were we sensible how odious this Beast were in the sight of the holy Ghost and of the Apostle John it would affect us with strong thankfulnesse and hearty enlargednesse to God that hath delivered us from so great a beast and from any image and picture of it unto which all the world is subject unlesse in some few places Thirdly It may teach all Church Officers not to affect any Lordly pomp and state For Officers of a Church to take upon them any great State or to see a Church composed in any such form you see in the eyes of the holy Ghost it is a Beast There is nothing more disproportionable to us then for us to affect Supremacy for us to weare the hornes that might push Kings to throw downe any or to desire Magistrates to execute what we shall think fit verily it is not compatible to the simplicity of the Church of Christ Neither may they give their power to us nor may we take it from them That when an Excommunication passe in the Church then to leave it to the Magistrate that so a man being excommunicated is left Ipso facto to civill censure upon the Churches censure this will cause the Magistrates to submit their power to the Church unavoidably that if a Church censure the Magistrates must proceed against them Now it is good to have these two States so joyned together that the simplicity of the church may be maintained and upheld and strengthened by the civill State according to God but not by any simplicity further then according to the word Beware of all secular power and Lordly power of such vast inspection of one church over another Take heed of any such usurpation it will amount to some monstrous Beast Leave every church Independant not Independant from brotherly counsell God forbid that we should refuse that but when it comes to power that one Church shall have power over the rest then look for a Beast which the Lord would have all his people to abhor Fourthly let it be in the feare of God an use to beware how we take Satans offers This
is such power as is far above the reach of man None of them all have such power as he not those that are called Gods So they admire his power what he can do to inward or outward man to publique or private States And they do not only admire the Catholick Church and the head of it and adore them but in both these they adore the Dragon that gave all this power to the Beast The meaning may be exprest in two branches 1. The Dragon is expressed as animating heathen Rome for that hath seven heads and ten horns which are the armes both of heathen Rome and of this Beast Now he is called the Dragon as he acted heathen Rome and as he was Lord of heathen Rome he gave all this power to the Pope For they thought it meet since it was the Imperiall City when it was Pagan that therefore it should be the mother of all Churches And being the Imperial City it was the bloud-sucker of many millions of the souls of Gods servants that caused the Dragon to put that honour upon Rome 2. But that is not all There is another branch comes neerer the full meaning of the Text that was for the honouring of the Bishop of Rome and of the Catholick Church viz. taking another doctrine for the Gospell their Idolatry for pure worship their Government for the discipline of Christ their pardons for Justification of sinne by Christ In all this they doe indeed give true worship to the Dragon for what are all these but Images they are none of Gods Ordinances if you referre them to the heads of Scripture they are but Images of Christ In stead of the Ministery of Christ you have doctrines of men In stead of justification by the righteousnesse of Christ you have justification by works In stead of pardon of Sin from Christ you have it from the Pope All things are in another forme an Image of another forme set up devised contrary to what the word establisheth Now you shall finde this to be true if you doe vary from the kingdome of God and Christ then you worship the Dragon You read in 2 Chron. 11. 15. Jeroboam ordained him Priests for the high places and for the Devils and for the Calves which he had made he had no Preists but for the golden Calves and what were they they were but Images and his intendment was not to bring in another object of worship but another manner of worship Jeroboam worshiped Jehovah in Images which God had not appointed and so he worshipped the Divill and not God And you shall read when the Turke was brought in to revenge the Idolatry of Christendome Rev. 9. 20. It is said The people that were not cut off with the plague they repented not of the worke of their hands that they should not worship Devils and Idols of Gold and Silver and brasse and Stone and of wood which neither can see nor hear nor walk which shews that when men worship Images that is God in Images it is not God that is so worshipped but the Divill and all such worship doth not advance the kingdome of God but the kingdome of the Devill therefore it is reall honour to him and therefore this their taking all this vast honour all Churches receiving all from them is none of Gods Institution but the Devils practice for it was the Devill that gave him his power and great authority Therefore saith the holy Ghost they worshiped the Dragon who gave power unto the Beast and they worshipped the beast This worship of the beast they gave it all to him that gave this power to him which was to the Dragon and therfore you read that he had the key of the bottomlesse pit Rev. 9. 1 2. And he opened the bottomlesse pit and there arose a smoke out of the pit as the smoke of a great furnace and there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth There went out Monks Friars and a rabble of all superstition Now if you shall aske the reason why people upon the healing of this wound did so mightily admire both the visible Catholick Church and the head of it and adore both and Satan himselfe in both The reason was First from the wrong Interpretation of some Scriptures which were very frequent with them in those dayes and are still and that was that the Catholick Roman Church was builded upon a rock and that rock was the Bishop of Rome and into his hand the Lord Jesus by Peter had given the keys of the kingdome of Heaven and these keys had absolute universall power to binde on Earth and upon his binding on earth Christ would bind in heaven this was an error in judgment that did so possesse their hearts that upon the healing of this wounded head all the world did admire him Therefore Bellarmine makes a large discourse Behold I lay in Zion a chief corner stone and they that trust in him shall never be confounded and so never was there any man that was an enemy to the Catholick Church but was confounded nor never did any man stand for the Catholick Church but was preserved and so they did admire him A great inundation of barbarous Nations were all driven out by the piety of the Bishop of Rome they were able to overturn the Emperors of the East and it was overturned and bring them to his feet and all to be at his disposing This was some confirmation to them that he was the successor of Peter that now whoever is saved it must be by the power of this key or else never look for any saving in this world A second reason may be taken from the correspondency and plausablenesse of such a kinde of Religion and Government to carnall reason especially when it is subdued by any terrors of consceence for it was a season and that held many years together wherein the Priests Friers and Monks had marvellous power to sting the consciences of men with the loathsomnesse of their sinne in the sight of God and they had admirable dexterity therein These foure things were all the matter of their Sermons Vertue and vice Heaven and Hell If you be vertuous then you shall go to Heaven If you be vicious then you must go to Hell Now they would so convince mens consciences and upon conviction binde the conscience under terror as eternally shut out of Heaven for want of virtue which they had not that indeed when these mens consciences are thus perplexed and wounded here is a Religion that findes them so many salves and medicines as ease the power but not remove the cause of the disease that is they set men a course well though you be vicious and though Hell be dreadfull yet Purgatory may ease you by Prayer and you may be dispensed with from going to Hell especially by the Popes pardon or by your own workes by your confessions by selfe-whippings and scourgings or by going a Pilgrimage you may be
discharged of this burden This was very plausable to carnall reason especially if they gave so much to such a Monastery that they may offer so many Sacraments for them for they look at the bread in the Lords supper as a propiatory Sacrament here were so many means to satisfie the consciences of those that were superstitious as nothing could be devised to give better content to the spirits of men in those dayes any man that knowes it shall finde it true that when the conscience is terrified with the curse of Gods Law and never shewed the true way of fellowship with Christ no man is so tender and conscionable in the performance of all duties as they If you will have them kisse the Popes foot or give so much to a Monastery and by this means Hell shall be shut against them and Purgatory discharged But for assurance of Salvation in Christ they could not endure that they that stood for that they tell them what you will not have men doe good workes away with that faggot and halter for such Hereticks Thirdly there was a third Reason and that was from the great reverence of all Councells and Synods to the Sea of Rome The City of Rome had wont to be the imperiall City now in such a case as this they thought it but reasonable In heathenish Rome they gave all worship to them and so let Christian Rome give all their worship to the chief Head there and so to their mother Church all Catholicks would incourage others so to doe and so by this means there were such incouragements laid for admiration and adoration that you may not wonder at what the holy Ghost saith That when the wound was healed all the world wondred after the beast saying who is like unto the beast who is able to make war with him Not the Emperors of the East and West not the King of England France Spain nor all that have been of greatest force they were none of them able to hold up their heads against this great Beast The use of this point is thus much First you may observe from hence that Universality and Prosperity though they be given for two notes of a true Church by the Papists yet indeed they are but sopisticall deceitfull delusions They are not such marks of a Church as are peculiar to a true Church here is Universality All the world wondred after the beast and here is Prosperity all the world adore and admire the Beast Who is like unto the beast who is able to make war with him Not all the Princes of the world So that here is externall prosperity for so they call it here are both these concur and they doe indeed argue a Catholick Church as Bellarmine saith but note this that Catholick Church which is visible which is the Roman visible Catholick Church the Scripture holds it forth as a great and ugly and monstrous Beast look not therefore at these as any good marks and signes by which Jesuites and Seminaries are wont to draw to deep devotion to the Catholick Church for all the world have run this way there is but a handfull a few of such as are otherwise minded what is Genevah and some others to Rome what have they been able to doe in comparison of the Church of Rome which is the Church of Churches none have been able to doe as they Secondly we may see the danger of this admiration and adoration the deadly and desperate danger of adoring the Catholick visible Church and the Dragon It is the cunning of these Priests and Jesuites to draw men by all means to be at least devoted to the Catholick Church and to submit their power thereunto for they say there is no union with Christ the head unlesse you be united to the visible head on Earth this is their usuall plea Now marke what the holy Ghost speaks in this Text he doth say that all the worship of this mother Church is but the worship of the Dragon Men are devoutly adicted to give up their souls to the Devill when they give up themselves to the Catholicke visible Church the Lord professeth he is not honoured by them they professe honour to he-Saints and shee-Saints and dead Saints and to all relicks and remnants of them the honour of them is given unto the Devill and not to God That look what Paul saiâ—h of heathen Rome John speaks of christian Rome This I say saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 10. 20. That the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to Devils and not to God and I would not that ye should have fellowship with Devils And so this saith John the holy Apostle equall to the Apostle Paul or next him but here guided equally with Paul in the Authentical word of God he saith They that worship God according to the prescript of the Church of Rome they worship the Devils and not God they worship the Dragon the old Serpent So that it is not so light a matter as Gallants at Court and great Kings apprehend they will be reconciled to their mother Church they will goe a Pilgrimage that is devised by the Pope and perform duties as their ghostly Father directs them and have their bead-prayers In all this what do they doe This is a worship to the great beast but this is the issue and substance of it they doe indeed worship the Dragon It is not the Lord Jesus nor God the Father nor the blessed spirit that is thus worshipped but this is indeed the worship of the Devill Thirdly this may serve to teach us to blesse the name of the Lord that hath delivered us from this admiration and adoration from this wofull Captivity and Calamity whereto our Fathers have been enthralled All those of them whose names are not written in the Lambs book of life they were all led this way and it is a marvellous deliverance that God hath wrought for us in taking our Religion from universality and from outward prosperity It is sometimes a snare to Christians this kinde of Government that we have and they are apt to say what doe any of the great Nations of the world for worship and Government did you ever know any such thing authorised in any Kingdome There is an inward principle in us by nature to doe as all the world doe what are we more wise then they It is a great temptation but we have cause to blesse God that hath wrought deliverance for us But what if all the world did worship the Devill as time was when they did what if all the world worship the Beast and the Dragon that gave power to the Beast must we doe so And as they are not grounds of our worship so they are fit grounds of unfeigned thankfulnesse to God that hath delivered us from that Religion by which all the world was bewitched to give their Crownes Honours Bodies and States to the devotion of the visible Catholick Church and to the
put forth For so it is here said There was given him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies and he opened his mouth accordingly abundantly against God and against his name and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven Every thing of God he did with open mouth blaspheme Let me a little open the words and the Doctrine for the doctrine is in a manner the words of the Text. There was given him a mouth what mouth had he more then other men The meaning is he had such liberty of speech as no man had There was given him liberty and power and authority to speak great things Given him by whom 1. It was given him by God in his just judgment that gave up men to efficacy of delusions 2 Thes 2. 11. 2. It was given him by Satan in the efficacy of whose power Antichrist comes with all deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse 2 Thes 2. 9 10. 3. It was given him by the generall consent of Princes and States Ecclesiasticall and Civill In Ecclesiasticall Councels great was the authority that was given him none of all them thought themselves equall to him And for the Civill State God put it into their hearts to give their power and Throne unto the beast Rev. 17. 17. What power did they give him to speak great things and in particular blasphemies It is an allusion to the horn in Dan. 2. 8. There came up a little horne which had a mouth speaking great things whether it be the same Beast or a type of him I will not now stand to determine but great things he spoke as indeed this was a great thing that the Catholick Church had power to speak for he did open his mouth to speak great things that is such things as for other men to speake were too great arrogance and too much affectation of inordinate Vain-glory but for this Church or the head of it to speak they had a mouth given for the same purpose And Blasphemies They make many distinctions in Schools of Blasphemies which I will not trouble you with they may be brought to two heads either in attributing to God something unworthy of him things incompatible to his divine nature as in Acts 17. 29. It is blasphemy to ascribe to God likenesse of four-footed beasts or creeping things and the like Or otherwise if you attribute to the Creature that which properly doth belong to God you hurt the name of God and crush it when you so speak Now what is it for the Beast to open his mouth to speak great things and blasphemies The phrase is very significant in the Hebrew It implies three things 1. That a man speaks upon the meditation He opens his mouth to speak that is to say he hath something to say and power to deliver it and he sets himselfe of purpose to speak it I will open my mouth in wisdome and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding Psal 49. 3 4. He tells you of his meditation and then he will open his mouth and declare it 2. To open the mouth implies an audable and full and bold and confident expression of a mans minde that a man doth not whisper but lift up his voyce and declare with open mouth what he hath to deliver as in Exod. 3. 23. Open thy mouth and tell them that is speak boldly Though they be a rebellious People and will brow-beate thee yet open thy mouth and speake unto them speak boldly and confidently as one that goes not behind the door but speaks plainly And I put in plainly with boldnesse because they are ever concomitants If a man speak boldly he doth not extenuate what he hath to deliver but speaks it plainly 3. This opening of the mouth doth imply that hee speaks fully and abundantly his heart was full of it and he doth accordingly powr out that which he delivers As Elihu tells you in Job 32. 18 19 20. I am full of matter the spirit within me constraineth me Behold my belly is as wine which hath no vent it is ready to burst like new bottles c. So the meaning is this That as the Pope saw which was the head of this Beast that he had a mouth given him that is uncontrollable liberty to speak what he would He did not sodainly or rashly speake some inconsiderate or erroneous or arrogant speech which he did eate in againe but he spake advisedly in his grave and considerate Councell upon advised judgment he did speak great things and blasphemies And this he did plainly and boldly not in ambiguous or obscure phrases but plainly in such expressions as could beare no other meaning and that with such confidence that you may see he cared not who heard nor what Construction might be made of it And this he did not in a word or two that dropped from him but as flowing from him Hee was full of matter as 2 Cor. 6. 11. O ye Corinthians our mouth is open to you our heart is enlarged He did poure forth his matter with no little State it was stout matter that he did poure forth to the world What did hee speake that which was given him to speake What was that Great things As for instance to sum up the great things he speaks The Catholick Roman Church in Scripture is accounted the mother of Harlots and abomination of the earth Rev. 17. 5. There is not such an adulterous Church in the world 1. And yet is not this a great word and a great blasphmy for the mother of Harlots to hold forth her selfe as the only immaculate Spouse of Christ upon the face of the Earth Is not this a grand word for a common Harlot the mother of Harlots the lewdest Harlot that ever the earth bore for her to arrogate this stile as the only Church of Christ And that which is parallel to this that the Pope who is the head of this Beast is the head and Husband of this Church and is without controule He hath a mouth given him and he is not ashamed to speak great things and blasphemies 2. It is a great word to make himselfe the infallible Interpreter and absolute judge of Scriptures that cannot erre in derision or determination of any controversies of Religion nor may it be for any mortall man to controll his judgment nor practice In Judgment he cannot erre in practice though he may erre yet other men may be judged but God hath put such an uncontrollable power upon him as he thinks that none may meddle with him Though he should carry millions of soules to Hell yet no man must say Sir why do you so Councels may not judge Princes may not judge inferiour States may not judge him all the world may not judge him He stands and falls to the Canonists his owne well-studied Canonists have so determined it A great word to be infallible judge of Scripture and to be uncontrollable it is a great matter and greater then any man can reach unto Never
more and more after that time Rev. 13. 7. And it was given unto him to make warre with the Saints and to overcome them and power was given him over all Kindreds and Tongues and Nations WHen the Devill that is to say the Dragon could not find any longer resting place in heaven that is to say he could no longer enjoy Soveraign and divine worship as the great God Constantine and his Successors having brought in Christ and his worship alone instead of all the gods of the Gentiles He therefore to revenge himselfe makes warre against the Church that were the rooters out of Pagan Idolatry This warre because he could not manage by himselfe it being very strong he therefore raiseth two Beasts out of his power the first and second Beasts in this Chapter the first from vers 1. to the 10. The second from vers 10. to the end of the Chapter It was a third Roman State not Rome-Pagan nor Rome-Christian but Rome-antichristian that is to say the Roman visible Catholick Church This is described many wayes by a wound given him upon one of his heads for a season that when Rome was sacked he was almost in a forlorn estate and despairing of recovery but being healed the effects were 1. The worlds admiration after the Beast 2. Their worship both of the Beast and of the Dragon which is Satan himselfe The third event is Power or as the word signifies Authority ver 5 6 7. And this Power and Authority did stretch forth it selfe to three employments First He had power given him to speake great things and blasphemies He might speak blasphemy by authority The second power that was given him was to continue or to be doing to be acting and working all in all for the number of 42. moneths which in the former Chapter is described by dayes and the dayes meant years 1260. yeares which have been at large spoken to The third power and authority given him was To make warre with the Saints and that not a vain and loose war but an effectuall prevailing war a victorious war It was given him to make warre with the Saints and to overcome them There was also a fourth power given him and that was dominion over all the Kindreds Tongues and Nations All Christian Kingdomes they did all of them submit their Crowns and Scepters to this Beast the Roman Catholick visible Church whereof the Pope is the seventh head for he had seven heads and ten horns Five of them were fallen the sixth then which was the Caesars and the Pope he was the seventh Two of these Powers have been opened Power to blaspheme and Power to continue and be doing I come now to the third Power or Authority given to this Beast and that is to make war with the Saints and to overcome them The note then is shortly this The Roman visible Catholicke Church had power to make warre against the Saints yea and to overcome them They are in a manner the words of the Text explained in their true meaning The warre that he speaks of as I conceive in this place is not a spirituall warre though that also this beast did make for he caused all that dwelt upon the Earth to admire and adore him and that was spirituall war But he speaks of such a warre here the effect whereof is killing with the Sword Hee that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword vers 10. As if God would reward him in his owne kind He that slayes many thousands of Christians with the sword that is by the power of warre he himselfe shall at length be destroyed by warre also So that he speaks of a war fought by Arms by slaughter and blood-shed by open expedition of Military persons fighting in the quarrell of this beast against the Saints of God There is another warre mentioned in the 17. Chap. of this book where it is said this Beast and the ten Horns that is the Christian Kings that shall give their power and authority to this Beast shall make warre with the Lamb and they which are of the Lambs side are called and chosen and faithfull and here they are called Saints But there you shall see it is not the same kinde of warre but differing there from what is here for there it is sayd They shall make warre with the Lamb and the Lamb shall overcome them but here it is said He shall make warre with the Saints and overcome the Saints So that one of these warres he speaks of when he that hath smitten others he shall be smitten himselfe that is towards the end of his Authority then the Lamb shall make warre and overcome him but in the meane time he hath power to make warre and overcome them it is therefore a bloody warre And it is not said that he began this war as soon as he began to do for here are sundry acts and passages of Authority before he comes to this transcendant power to violent warre Hee was admired and adored in the consciences of all Roman Catholicks Hee had done many things spake great blasphemies many a day and yeare together And in the end he receives also this power to make warre with the Saints that he was able to muster up such an Army of his owne or his Horns that is those Princes that were obedient to him as he was able to make warr Now this Scripture I conceive was accomplished in his wars against the Waldenses and Albingenses in the 12. Century after Christ they held all things conformable to the Scriptures and the Fathers as they called them and every way Orthodoxall only they blasphemed the Church of Rome this Beast could not tell what he had against them otherwise but otherwise he commended them for their honesty piety and good dealing and there was nothing culpable in their doing but that they spake against the Church of Rome now against them did the Pope and the Catholick Church procure many expeditions of sore warre for many yeares together and in conclusion rooted them out of the Countrey and scattered them up and downe some to some part of France some to Bohemia some to Germany some to England and some to one place and some to another though the Papists did confesse that the people were not rooted out but scattered and where-ever they came they propagated their Religion that it was more and more spread where they came but they overcame them for they slew as stands upon Record about ten hundred thousands of them and did burn up their Cities and Cattell fel'd their wood that there might be no more Hereticks nestled in that wildernesse and they did take a course that Midwives and Mothers and Infants in the womb all should be slaughtered by fire and sword that there might be no more continuance of that Generation So that in this War the Pope did mightily prevaile and prospered so farre that he spread all Christendom and in one battle did overcome a great many
ten Kings that is to say the body of Christian Princes and all the Nations subject to them they all gave their power unto the Beast Rev. 17. 17. No nation professed Christianity but professed also subjection to the Sea of Rome that is to the Romon Catholick visible Church And the Papists are large in this Bellarmine makes it a 4 th note of the visible Church amplitude of power and he gives sundry instances Stories are evident that all Nations did professe this Religion specially after the subduing of the Waldences though they did before setting aside that remnant of the womans seed that were fled into the wildernesse Now no Nation in Christendid professe other Religion then Popery especially from the time of Charls the Great to Charles the fifth which was a matter of 720. years There was no visible profession open unlesse in some secret corners of the world no Nation held forth any other Religion then Popish nor professed subjection to any other Church Now in every Nation there are or may be divers Tongues as in England you have the English and Welsh and Cornish Tongues besides others that are discrepant from English But he saith not only every Nation but every Tongue that is every Language they all gave their power to the Beast And in every Tongue we have many Kindreds and there is no man that could ever say but some of his kindred have been Popish or are Popish to this day if not all yet some of the ancientest and those the greater part here is the universality of it And I say further he had ample and great power for to have power over all argues amplitude It is said in the beginning of the 8 vers which I will take in and open here it is said They shall worship him That 's a great power when it doth amount to inward worship not civill but divine worship It was divine worship that he challenged and all Nations gave him To give Laws of faith and worship and government to all Churches in Christendom that was divine power peculiar to the Lord Jesus It was divine power to challenge toihimselfe imposition of Kings and deposition of Kings without consent of the people To provoke the people to do it whether they liked their Prince or no this is transcendant above all created power Besides it was divine worship they gave in giving him power over their Consciences challenging to himself and they also yeelding freely a power to bind Conscience with the Laws he gave them to loose their consciences either from the Laws of God in matter of Oaths to loose them from guilt of sinne to loose their consciences from Contracts from Confederacies this is divine power They all worship him whose names are not written in the booke of the Lamb and some of them too for a season but they continue not God opens their eyes to repent of it and to rise from under it It was divine power to chalenge infalibility of Judgment to judg of Scripture out of the Oracle of his owne braines These were all divine worship they gave to the Catholick Church and to the head of it the Bishop of Rome So that marvayl not as the Text saith there was given Exasia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not a lame power but an unlimited power over all people in Church and Common-wealth and over conscience There is nothing wherein the Catholick Church had not power throughout all Christendome Now further the Text tells you All this power was given He did not wholly arrogate this power to him though he did so too but it was given him though he took it and took all advantages to get it No man can receive any thing except it be given him from above But he had it given him Given him by whom by God by the Devill and given him by Christian Kings Churches and Common-wealths and Families First it was given by God in his just judgment God gave them up to delusions to believe lyes 2 Thes 2. 11. And he gave two reasons why God gave them up to those delusions 1. To avenge their want of entertainment of the truth in love Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved vers 10. 12. Because they would not receive Christ nor the simplicity of his government and worship in Church-state therefore God gave them up to Satan and to the man of sinne and to the Catholicke visible Roman Church 2. That they all might be damned that have pleasure in unrighteousnesse in the same verse The Lord gave them up therefore to damnable distempers damnable usurpations and Ordnances the Lord gave them up for these two Reasons and they are one subordinate to another Secondly this power was given by Satan also For it is said The coming of Antichrist shall be after the working of Satan with all powers and signes and lying wonders and with all deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse 2 Thes 2. 9 10. By the efficacy of delusion which was by the jugling of those great men in those times for efficacy of delusion is by miracles so by deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse which is three-fold The sophistry of Schoolmen the policy of the Canonists that made their Laws out of the Popes decrees still advancing the Popish Church and the head thereof partly by the devotion of Monks and Fryars And if you aske why Satan did this there is a double reason of that First to revenge the injury which the Church did him by bringing forth a Man-child a Christian Emperour to depose him from his glory wherein he was worshipped as the great God of the world Now when hee sees hee is cast off from the honour he had and there was no more place left for him in heaven it comes to passe that he pours forth a flood of barbarous nations and damnable Heresies after the woman and makes war with the remnant of her seed Rev. 12. 13. 15. 2. A second Reason that stirred up Satan was out of the ancient enmity against Christ and the seed of Christ Gen. 3. 15. I will put enmity between thy seed and her seed which is Christ and all the seed of Christ which are both publique and private Christians he hath an inveterate enmity against them all and therefore he gives the Church of Rome all the power that Pagan Rome had The third sort of givers of this large power to this Beast and the head of it the Pope was The voluntary devotion of Christian Princes and States They did voluntarily resign themselves up and their Kingdoms and States and Churches and Common-wealth and Consciences and all to the obedience of the Sea of Rome Rev. 17. 17. They with one accord gave their Kingdomes to the Beast God put it into their hearts to do it that is true but they were left of God and acted by Satan and so were they brought about to give this power unto the Beast Some were brought unto this by the Popes
a kinde of sacred Authority in the consciences of men because he had this absolute power in Churches a great power for 1260. years together whether you reckon from Constantines time or Theodosius his time he had a marvellous power in Kingdomes Nations and Common-wealths But notwithstanding he had this power in those times yet Christ kept the interest in his own chosen as in Rev. 14. 1. where he had 144000. that were spotlesse virgins Answ â— The Lord Jesus will at length challenge all his own purchase them into his own hand when at the calling of the Jews all the Kingdomes of the world shall be given to the Saints of the most high Dan. 7. 26 27. The Lord will take them all into his own hand and power and jurisdiction but he must first throw down this enemy that hath usurped over his purchased possession But in the mean time this Beast swallows up all for so many Ages together For the use of the point First it may be to refute the Papists that give this as a true note of the Church namely amplitude of dominion as the Catholick Church had They give this for an infallible note of the Church now that note you see is here evidently ascribed to the people that worship the great Beast of whom the Lord saith here ver 8. their names are not written in the booke of the Lamb. So that this is a note not of an Apostolicall Church but it may be a note of an Apostaticall Church that is fallen away from the Apostles Doctrine It is a true description of that State of the Church You see here Power was given over to the Beast over all Kindreds Tongues and Nations And therefore amplitude of dominion is not an inseperable character of the Spouse of Christ for it may be given to those that are not the Church of Christ even to those that are but a Beast in the sight of God not his Spouse I may rather say the contrary that amplitude of Dominion was never a note of a Church of Christ since the world began For in the old Testament the State of the Church was Nationall and they had power over one Nation and sometimes conquered others as in David and Solomons time they conquered the Philistims Ammonites and Moabites and Edomites but it was never over all the whole world and that dominion which they had they did not challenge it by Church power but left them still to their own Religion for the Common-wealth propagated their power by arms having first occasion of warre given them by their arrogance to them In the dayes of the new Testament the Church that Christ instituted reacheth no further then to their own members and their own members reach no further then to one Congregation that all might hear and all might be edefied 1 Cor. 14. 23. So that if Church power extends no further then the bounds of one Congregation then that Church that swelleth and strecheth forth her power all the world over Kindreds and Tongues and Nations what an out-ragious swelling Beast is that that reacheth such vast dominion beyond the proportion that the Lord gave to his Church If you should see a body swell to such a vast bignesse that his armes shall reach from one end of the world to another would it not be counted a monster So in this case the Lord hath limited the power of the Church within it selfe it is a great power that they have but not so great as to binde conscience unless it be Ministerially and so they have power to binde Kings in chains and Nobles in lincks of Iron but to have power judiciary power over the Scriptures and over the conscience over and above the application of the word it is such as the Lord never gave to any Church but it is arrogated and usurped by the man of Sinne. Secondly it may serve to teach you the prouenesse of your natures to that which is evill above that which is savingly and spiritually good This power over all Kindreds and Tongues and Nations the Lord hath purchased by his death Rev. â— 9. He dyed and rose againe that he might be Lord both of quick and dead Rom. 14. 9. And upon his resurrection all power was given him in Heaven and Earth Mat. 28. 18. He prayed for this power and the Lord promised to give him it Psal â— 8. Aske of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the Earth for thy Possession This hath the Lord bought with his pretious bloud and paid for by the power of his eternall Spirit and yet never did the Lord Jesus enjoy this power to this day which the man of Sinne hath enjoyed for so many years together He will enjoy it at lenght when he shall call in the Jews and with them the fulnesse of the Gentiles and reigne in Soveraigne Authority both in Church and Common-wealth according to all the Councell of his word and will But yet it was never known to this day that so many Nations did submit their thrones to the Dominion and Government of Christ and to the Truth of Christ and to worship him with the servants of God notwithstanding the purchase which Christ hath made of this Soveraignty and notwithstanding the efficacy of his prayer for obtaining this power that hee might have dominion over all As soon as Constantine brought the world to become Christian the woman she fled into the Wildernesse The true worshippers of Christ were soon troden under the hatches a mountaine of corruption in Church Government overwhelmed them amain that you cannot set the time when so many Nations served him and were as ready to take up arms in his quarrell as they have done for the man of Sinne. You will say did they not for the recovery of the holy Land many Churches conspire and lay their heads together and engaged themselves for this Warre why when they they undertook that Warre was it Christ that commanded any such thing that Churches should engage themselves and their Estates and Lives and Souls and all for the recovery very of the holy City was it not meerly undertaken by the Bishop of Rome and by the motion of the Catholick Church in a Generall Councell The Roman Catholick Church met in a Generall Councell and they agreed to set about this expedition They promised pardon of Sinne to the people and in hope of that and such like things they went about it It was service to the Beast not to Christ God never acknowledgeth it as any service to Christs Kingdome It was for the advancement of the head of the catholick Church but as any grew more wise they grew more afraid of them So that it is a wonder to see never did the the Christian world give that Authority to Christ as they have done unto the Pope and his Institutions which are not Ordinances of Christ Yea let me say another word which is above
day by day were fashioned c. In the providence of God there was a deliniation of all creatures and actions that should come to passe There is truly also the booke of conscience for also in that God registers all our actions according to which we shall be judged the conscience bearing witnesse about our persons and actions so farre as they are enlightned by God And you read also of another booke The word that I have spoken that shall judge them at the last day John 12. 48. he shall judge all the world by it Rom. 2. 16. In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel These books will be opened the booke of Gods Providence the booke of the Scripture and the book of conscience by which we shall be judged But there is also the booke of Life by which wee shall be judged in Rev. 10. 12. Now for the book of life that hath a double exception in Scripture for sometimes it is put for the Church register in which all are registred as those that were the living in Jerusalem Isa 4. â— It is said Every one that remaineth in Hierusalem shall be called holy even every one that is written among the living in Hierusalem Or as the word is in the margent or bigger Bibles written To life in Hierusalem In the Originall it is capable of both constructions Every man capable of life is written in Hierusalem There is a book written of them that live there of which it is said Psal 87. 6. the Lord will recount when he writteth up the people that this or that man was born there Of this book also you read in Ezek. 13. 9. where the Lord doth threaten the false Prophets that his hand shall be upon them that see vanity and devine lyes they shall not be as members of my people nor shall they be written in the writing of the house oâ— Israel they shall neither have fellowship with Church nor Common-wealth There is a writing therefore a Register a Record of them which in the Old Testament were counted Geneologies and very carefully did they keep them that if they could not shew their pedigree from this Geneology they were as polluted Ezra 2. 59. as also vers 62. where he tells you of sundry that came in among the people of Israel but because they could not find their names in the Register they were left aside till they could finde further proof of their pedigree they might be received as other Proselytes but not as native Israelites who were counted of the Church from the line of their Parents and some of the sonnes of Barzilli some of the Priests they thought it more honour to fetch their pedigree from their father Barzilli whom David had advanced to sit at his Table and they thought it more honour to be counted of the house of Barzilli then of the order of Aaron And they when they would have presented themselves to the Priests office they were not received why because they were not found in the Churches Register and they had no direction from the Word to take Noble mens sons to be Priests but only of the sons of Aaron So this is the book of Life it is called The writing of the living in Hierusalem This is the book of life the Church-book it is nothing but a counterpane of the book of life but not exactly agreeing to it sometimes we put in more then God doth and sometimes lesse There be that belong to life whom we do not receive Others they do not present themselves or we do not receive through some failings in them or us but if they belong to life they are written in the Lambs book of life they may not be written in the Church book but this is not the book here spoken of the book of the life oâ— the Lamb The Church is the body of the Lamb but they cannot discern who are his The Lord knows who are his so do not we nor the members of the Church therefore you heare here of a distinct booke of the Lambs book of life of which book it is expresly written Rev. 20. 15. That whosoever was not found written in the Lambs book of life was cast into the lake of fire All men therefore that are written in the book of Life or in the book of the Lamb they are written to life Now this we cannot say of the Church-book for as hath been observed of ancient time there are many wolves within and many sheep without Sometimes the Church hath cast out her most precious members both Officers and Members sad experience hath made it true in our times therefore that is not a certaine rule that if a man be left out of the Church he is left everlastingly unlesse there be such contempt of means of grace as in those whom the Lord hath branded for such whom he takes no pleasure in to eternity For it is said whoever was not found written in the Lambs book of life was cast into the lake of fire Therefore this is some other then that booke of the Church What book is that no other but the eternall record and register of Gods election that is the Lambs book whoever is not found he is indeed cast out into the lake of fire being shut out from salvation by Christ and then what hope of salvation is there in himselfe Now of this book it is of which Moses speaks Exo. 32. 33. If thou wilt not forgive the sin of thy people then blot me out of the book which thou hast written not which the Church hath written but which thou hast written which the Lord hath written of life in Christ in which the Lord hath written all the names of his Elect This is the book out of which hee desires to be blotted out of such was the extasie I cannot say of his zeale but he was filled with such ardent zeale that rather then such a reproach should be cast upon God that he was not able to bring them to the Land of Canaan let him be blotted out of the book which he had written let damnation it selfe fall upon him rather then the name of the Lord should be reproached by the uncircumcised Heathens and in that sence Paul wisheth himselfe separate from Christ for his brethren his kinsmen according to the flesh Rom. 9. 3. He doth not say he would be cast out of the Church but he found that zeale for the whole Church and for the Lord Jesus that rather then the Gospel of Christ should be hindered if it may stand with Gods liking he could rather wish such a wretch as he should be cut off then that the whole body of his people should be cast off This is the Lambs book of Life called the book of Life not because the Lord stands in need of a book but because those whom in his eternall purpose he hath decreed to save his unchangeable purpose doth fixe them as
is the note The Bishop of Rome exerciseth all the Authority of the first Beast that is of the Roman visible Catholick Church he causeth all that dwell on the Earth to worship that Church he doth worke wonders even to the fetching of fire from Heaven and by his wonders procures all christian States to make an Image to the first Beast and gives such life and power to the Image of the Beast that it is able to speak and it shall cause such as do not worship it to be put to death and finally he leaves an impression or imprints a character upon all sorts of christians and will suffer none to enjoy spirituall or civill communion with them unlesse such as will receive either his marke or his name or the number of his name I put them into a doctrinall frame because they are the sum of the words of the Text. Let me breifly open them all First He doth exercise all the Authority of the first Beast Let all that are acquainted either with the writings of the Romanists or of our Divines that bear witnesse against Rome be testimonies in this case what is there that the Catholick Church claimes but the Pope can do it all There are six or seven trascendant â—cts of power which that Church claymes and the Pope familiarly exerciseth them all 1. The Pope hath power to convent generall Councels or if the Emperours will call a general Councel it shall not stand in â—oâ—ce unlesse the Catholick Church and the Bishops meet in a representative Synod it concludes with their determination this he pleads for to this day it belongs not to the Emperors nor to Christian Princes but to the Bishop of Rome It is one of Bellarmines affirmations that one Church shall have power to call all Churches be it to Florence or Basseil thether they must go whether he will 2. As the Catholick Roman Church did usurpe power to make Laws and Canons to binde all Churches So the Pope doth challenge the same power to make Laws to binde all Churches he pleads for it and will not be content without it 3. Look as the Catholick visible Roman Church doth claime Authority of ratifying Scriptures if they put in the Apocrypha it shall be good Scripture and if the Church do not approve the Gospel of Matthew in Greek but in Hebrew it shall be that or if they refuse both them and take the vulgar Latine that shall stand This power the Catholick Church challengeth power to do and the same doth the Pope 4. If the Roman Catholick visible Church challenge a power of interpreting Scripture and judging of controversies with infalibility of judgement The Pope challengeth that to himselfe when he interprets Scripture or decides controversies about Religion he cannot erre and so they make account he is a fit Judge therein 5. Look as you see the Roman Catholick visible Church had power of binding and loosing challengeth all applealâ— and great things they will do by that priveledge excommunicate some of many Churches that are absent some they excommunicate for seven years some to their death that the shall not be reconciled All this the Pope challengeth in a larger measure then the old Roman visible Church did challenge This the Roman Bishop challengeth to binde conscience to loose oathes and covenants between Prince and people between man and wife to loose vows and oaths and natural relations between parents and children if they will shrowd themselves in a Monastery and will dispence against the Apostle Paul in case of incest this is such a power to loose the bonds of Gods commandments and Gods oaths and relations to God and his servants it is such Transcendant power the Roman visible Catholick Church never challenged greater 6. The Roman visible Catholick Church never challenged so great power till it was animated and acknowledged by the Pope to take upon them to set up one King and to take down another King John in England Frederick the first and Frederick the second Henery the fourth and Henery the fifth he crowns and discrowns whom he will and this out of the plentitude of his power And lastly he doth challenge this beyond the Church it selfe Immunity and Impunity from all Civill and Ecclesiastical power and judicature The Church is above all jâ—dicial power and the Pope the head of it is above it and therefore may not be brought into order by any censure of any Church nor by the civil sword And therefore he 〈◊〉 well called one that exerciseth all the power of the first Beast and rather puts more power to it whatever the Catholick Church may do that he can do where they can dispence and make Laws where they can bind or loose c. So farre as they may go he can go and he doth all in the name and sight of the Church And he causeth all that dwell on the Earth That is carnal christians whose conversation is not in Heaven To worship the first Beast How to worship He speaks of divine worship not civil adoration This is an aberation from a Church but a beastly Church it is a monster The Church of the first institution was of one particular congregation and for all the Churches of the world to be subject to one Cathedral it is far beyond all comprehension of rule Now he causeth all that dwell on the Earth to worship that Beast Wherein are they to worship him 1. It is made a matter of necessity to salvation to be reconciled to that Church and more care is had of being reconciled to that Church then of being reconciled to God in Christ All pleas of being reconciled to Christ will not stand in their judgment unlesse you be reconciled to them 2. Except you be bound in conscience to that state he will allow you no communion he will have all the decrees of the Church as binding the conscience 3. This is divine worship you shall take no doctrine but that is of his stamp nor worship nor Government but of his acknowledgment nor no dispensation of them but according to his Canons And all that dwell on the Earth must worship him all run upon the Beast the Pope doth not so much challenge it to himselfe as to the Church and that which is given to the Church he takes to himselfe Thirdly He doth great wonders so that he makes fire come from Heaven on the Earth in the sight of men And it is said Antichrist shall come in all power of signes and lying wonders 2 Thes 2. 8 9. Their Legions are full of these wonders And in particular for this point of causing fire to come down from Heaven It is an allusion sure to the fire that the old Prophet fetched from Heaven As Eliah fetched fire from Heaven to consume the sacrifice 1 Kings 18. 38 39. And that was a fire that expressed Gods gracious acceptance that made all the people cry the Lord he is God But this the Pope did not fetch
they receive that who receive any orders from the Pope and are reconciled to the Roman Catholick visible Church This Beast causeth all to receive a marke that is they shall sweare fidelity and loyalty to the Roman Catholick visible Church this they make indelible wherever they come they are Priests for ever after the order of Melchesidech Or on their foreheads they have a marke answerable to their name their name what is that but Roman Catholicks or else there is no fellowship with them and all must at length have that name and go under the number of that name Roman Catholicks there is the number of that name but I leave that to the next time as being too large to enter into at present In the mean time you see these things thus opened touching the nature and character of this second Beast Now to make some use of all First it may be an evident conviction and demonstration and designation of this Beast who it is Is hath been much disputed but all the parts of this description doth directly fall upon the Bishop of Rome that if John had lived in these dayes he would have seene all this with his eyes which he saw in a vision No man can tell where to bestow all this description for 1260. years but upon the Bishop of Rome that is of such a wilde nature that no Church no law of God no society of men no Kings nor Princes can rule and all the world that knows this Beast knows this to be true of the Pope whose Original all Christians know springs from the Earth to keep men in unity and to preserve the Empire from inundations of Barbarians to keep Christian Princes closer together and in better order all carnall policy out of which he springs yet incensibly and slowly that he is not discerned for many years together And he hath horns like a Lamb that he pretends nothing but Saint Peter as they call it the Keys of the kingdom of Heaven But he speaks like a Dragon as if he had the Keys of the bottomlesse pit he thunders such sentences gives dispensations both against the lawes of Paul and Moses to dissolve oaths and covenants and relations they shall marry whom they will their own sisters he will venom with such noysome doctrine as the breath of them will stinke he will speak so terrible that time was when Princes were to tremble he hath spoken as a Dragon The Devil himselfe as he ruled the Roman Pagan Empire hath not spoken greater words then he Those that spake Whoever will not worship an Image set up shall be cast in a fiery furnace it is not a greater word then he speaks Secondly this doth justly reprove all the Popish admiring and adoring of the man of Sinne They look at him as their holy Father and Bishop of Christ and Vicar of God as one that hath an infallible judgment that cannot erre that he is above all power of censure If he should draw missions of soules to hell no man must say Sir why do you so they have this opinion of him No matter what they conceive he must be judged by the King of Kings and by the God of Gods and by the Saints of that God that judgeth according to the word and they look at this Father as a Monster as a wilde beast whom no Scripture no Church can keepe in awe but he is Lord paramount above them all they look at him as the Dragon of the bottomlesse pit as he that destroys the Christian world and however he may pretend as if he had nothing but Lamb-like power yet hee speakes like a Dragon thus John saw him Thirdly Observe from hence a reason of a note that troubles many Interpreters That if this beast have such power why doth he not cause the earth to worship himself why doth he not provide for his own honour but for the first beast The reason is plain the first Beast being the Roman Catholick Church and the head of that Beast all the honour that redounds to the beast falls upon the head of the beast and it is upon himselfe He exerciseth all that power that the first beast hath and therefore no marvell if he labour to draw all men what he can to worship not himselfe but the Roman Catholick Church to be reconciled to it and receive decrees from it and submit in conscience thereunto and receive no worship nor doctrine but from them nor government but established by them no Lawes to be enjoyned and transacted but by them for he knows that this honour will redound to him He knows all this power doth rest in his own breast and it is he that acts the Roman Catholick Church and he can do with a Councell and without a Councell what the Church can do and he failes not to do it from time to time Wonder not therefore that he puts off the honour to the first beast the old Roman Church there he layes all his devotion but in conclusion it is all for himselfe Fourthly you may see the corrupt Originall and dangerous State of corrupt religion and of such kind of Churches as are drawn out by the modell of the Roman Catholick visible Church any image of that beast I do not trouble you with what others think to be the image of the Beast I should but weary my selfe in so doing but if the first beast be the Roman Catholick Church as it must needs be then the image must be according to it though not of equall authority yet of the like frame whereas the Lord hath instituted no other but particular Congregations to bring in a whole Nation that may containe a thousand Congregations into one Church what an image is this of the Roman visible Catholick Church It is not Catholick indeed it is short of that but so large as it carries a Nation it exceeds Diocesan and Diocesan exceeds particular Congregations Now see the danger of this you see the first rise was from the power of this beast He causeth all the earth to make an Image of this Beast He did not bring them to make one in number but one in England and one in Scotland and one in France and one in Germany and in every Countrey according to their divisions and Princely Potentates that all that dwell in the limits of that Jurisdiction they have one Cathedral Church to which all other Parochiall Churches do belong this hee causeth them to do and when he hath done it giveth it the very like breath of the Roman Order though not in so vast a measure yet in a faire modell that they are like the image of this holy Father and so by this meanes it comes to passe by his Laws and Canons which he perswades all to receive and which is a wonder since they have cut him off from being head of the Church yet still they reteyn the life of Papacy in the State of such Chancellors and Parators and such
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now it is true in the Greek account they do reckon numbers by the letters of the Alphabet and from the first letter Alpha to Iota they are for singular units for Alpha is one and Beta is two c. and they put in Sigma and make that six Iota is the tenth letter and so is ten in number and from Iota to Rho they are reckoned by tens as Cappa is twenty Lambda thirty Mu fourty c. and so till you come to Rho and that is one hundred and then the rest that follow are so many multiplied as Sigma is two hundred Tau three hundred c. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 six hundred So that if these be understood as holding out the numbers as here the words expresse then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is six hundred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sixty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is six which being summed together they make up six hundred sixty six Now a man would wonder that the holy Ghost should delight in such Arithmetical riddles but since it pleaseth him thus to expresse himselfe we must not look at it as a cabalistical curiosity nor as an unsearchable mystery but they that labour herein shall finde that which may solace themselves and others For though by the arme of flesh no man shall be strong yet by the wisdome of God the servants of Christ shall see light and babes shall see the mystery of it Therefore to cleare up this point so far as God shall give light consider with me I pray you six or seven several observable passages of the holy story of the Revelâ—tâ—on that may hâ—lp us in some measure in enquiring and counting this sum of six hundred three score and six what it may point at Let it not be wearisome to you for though to us that are Ministers we think we are most properly in our element when we preack Christ and the need of Christ yet forasmuch as Antichrist is opposed to Christ and is an enemy to Christ the one contrary may be the better known by the other and no part of Scripture but is worthy our consideration we may not be so squemish as to neglect to seek what may be the councel of the holy Ghost in this point Observe therefore what the Scripture doth observe about this number First you shall observe this to finde out the meaning that such as have this number they all have liberty of commerce either in the Catholick Roman Church or in the Image of that Church they may trade with them whether in spiritual or temporal businesses they will not grudge you you are a currant market man among them you are a vendable commodity and you may passe with them and your mony is good silver as in Verse 16 17. But if you be not a Preist of their order nor a Roman Catholick nor have his number you may not buy nor sell that is something then Secondly Marke this that this number of the name is the degree of commerce with the Roman Catholick Church for so he doth discend Verse 17. No man may buy or sell but those that have the marke or the name of the Beast or the number of his name As who should say they were of the lowest they were the least sort of them yet to them it did pertaine that had the number of the name yet there is so much real difference between them that he saith plainly They that receive the mark or his name they shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation And they shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels and in presence of the Lamb And the smoak of their torment shall ascend up for ever and ever and they shall have no rest day nor night Rev. 14. 9 10 11. Which shews if they continue in it they cannot be saved There was a cry of the Angel with a loud voyce If any man worship the Beast and his Image and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand c. It shews the danger is very great to receive the mark of the Beast or the name of the Beast But the number of his name I do not read of any such judgement pronounced to be inflicted upon them though it be great wisdome to avoyd it and it will wonderfully advance their heavenly good to get free from it For wherein lies wisdome but in attaining our cheife good and to know the best means that leads to that good that is in communion with God in his Ordinances purely dispenced that is a second thing Thirdly there is this recorded of this number of the name that the choicest christians and the best christians they gave God thanks for victory over the number as well as over the Beast Rev. 15. 2. They got victory over the Beast and over his Image and over his marke and over the number of his name so that they sung the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb saying great and marvellous are thy works Lord God almighty c. They had got the victory over the number of the name of the Beast and they are more abundant in thanksgiving for deliverance then they that had onely victory over the marke and that is their Preistly order or profession of Roman Catholick Religion so that this will come neare some Churches conformed to the Image of the Beast that is National Diocesan or Cathedrall Churches but these have got victory over that not onely over the Beast and his Image and his mark and his name but also the number of his name The fourth observable thing in Scripture is I am occasioned to gather up little beaâ—s of wisdome which the holy Ghost hath scattred that so we may gather up this account that this number of his name is not said to be the number of his years It is neither the number of his years when he began nor the number of his years when he shall end They cannot make it the beginning of his years for though there be some that thought that Antichrist did first arise to a name in the year 606. yet they cannot cleare it by story It is 〈◊〉 in 606. or rather 604. Boniface took upon him the title of cheif Bishop that is spiritual advancing which was a part of Antichrist yet Antichrist was begun and 606 is not 666. there is 60. years difference and it is like the holy Ghost would not have varied so much in such an expresse number therefore this number is not for the time of the beginning of this beast Neither is it the end of his years for the beast continues still to this time which hath been almost a thousand years since 666. But some say in this round number something is omitted as when we say 88. we mean 1588. yet in Scripture phrase such small numbers are not