on their Forehead and the actions of one in their Hands This is what is meant by the Mark of the Beast and not some particular mark and one Properly so called Here is wisdom v. 18. let him that hath understanding count the number of the Beast for it is the number of a man and his number is six hundred threescore and six If so much had not been wrote about this here would be a subject to write a great deal upon But in a few words I can't doubt but that they who have reckoned the numeral power of the letters of the name of the Roman Church and of its Pope have hit upon the sense of the Prophecy 'T is the number of his name that is to say expressely contained in his name 'T is a number of a man that is to say 't is a number that must be understood according as men do count not in a prophetical and Mysterious style which oftentimes under one number hides another unknown number But in what language must we count the numeral letters of the name of the Beast 'T is easy to determin that The Prophecies must be explained according to the language of the Prophets There are two languages of the Prophets Hebrew and Greek Look for the name of the Roman Church in these two languages In Hebrew you will find Romiyth and in Greek Lateinos The first signifies the Roman Beast or the Roman Church The second signifies the Emperour or the Latin Pope And in the one and in the other there is exactly six hundred threescore and six Here I might stop with reference to the number 666. And 't is with some difficulty that I enter upon the depths of the interpretation of those Authors who would have this Number 666. respect not the Name of the Beast but of his Empire They pretend that as the Number 144. is consecrated to signify the Empire of J. Christ The number 144. denotes the whole Church because of twelve its square-root which appears by the 144. thousand Sealed ones pretty often mention'd in the Revelation in like manner the Number 666. mystically denotes the entire Empire of the Beast and its principal Characters They observe that the Number 144. hath for its square root the Number twelve For twelve multiplied by it self twelve times twelve makes 144. The Number of twelve is sacred because of the twelve Patriarchs of the ancient Israel and the twelve Apostles that are the Patriarchs of the new Israel So the Number 144. that mystically signifies the whole Church of I. Christ is founded on the Number twelve That is to say the whole Christian Church is founded on the Apostles who make one divine Hierarchy Wherefore the number twelve bears sway in all the parts of the description of the Jerusalem which we read of in the 21. Chap. of the Revelation She hath twelve Foundations twelve Gates twelve angells twelve Tribes twelve thousand Furlongs The Tree of Life which is in the midst of the place bears twelve Sorts of fruits every year and lastly the Wall is of 144. Cubits i.e. twelve times twelve So the Church which hath her root in the number twelve by the multiplication of this number twelve by it self makes 144. a sacred Number But the number 666. which is exorbitant and which exceeds the number of twelve and hath not this number twelve for its root is the emblem of the Antichristian Church which is not founded on the twelve Apostles which hath not twelve Articles of Faith but many more In a word as the Number 666. hath no relation to that of twelve so the Antichristian Church hath no relation to the Christian and Apostolical Church Potter's opinion of the number 666. An English Divine one Potter hath carried this notion further than others have done in an express treatise which he hath made about the mystery of the Number 666. He pretends that as the Number of 144. is not mystically designed to signify the Church and the Empire of I. Christ but for the sake of the Number 12 which is its square root and on which it is built in like manner also the Number 666. is not mystical but by reason of the square root on which it is raised so he would have it that we should extract the root of the Number 666. and believes 't is in this root that we must seek after the Mystery of the Empire of the Beast Arithmeticians call the square root of a Number given that number VVhat the square root is by which in multiplying it by it self the number given is produced whether there be any remainders or no. For instance 10 is the square root of an 100 because ten multiplied by it self 10 times 10 make a 100 without any remains The square root of 55. is seven because multiplying 7 by it self 7 times 7 make 49 and a remainder of 6 makes 55. According to this the square root of the number 666 is 25 25. Is the square root of 666. for 25 multiplied by it self makes 625. with a remainder of 41. which makes 666. This being supposed that 25 is the square root and the foundation of the Number 666 he pretends that as 144 founded upon 12 represents the whole Church founded upon the holy Hierarchy of the 12 Apostles in like manner 666 represents the whole Antichristian Empire of the Papism founded upon the Antichristian Hierarchy And to make appear how exact the opposition to the Christian Hierarchy is he shews that as the Number 12. bears sway in the whole composition of Ierusalem which is the Church and the holy City 12 Foundations 12 Gates 12 Angells 12 thousand Furlongs 12 forts of Fruits in like manner the number 25 bears sway in all the Popish Hierarchy The number 25. bears sway in the Papal hieraachy I. In the number of the Cardinals who according to their first institution were 25 wheras the Apostles were but 12. II. In regard to the number of Churches into which Rome Christian was at first divided which were 25. wheras the heavenly Jerusalem hath but 12 Gates The Churches in which they did baptize answering to the Gates of the City because Baptism is the entrance into the Church III. In the number of the Parishes or Tribes which in Rome were 25 wheras the Jerusalem that comes down from above hath but 12 Tribes as appears by the 21 of the Revelation IV. In the number of the Foundations of Rome which are 25 Cardinalls originally and anciently composing the sacred Colledg that is called the foundation of the Church wheras the Holy City hath but 12 foundations which are the 12 Apostles V. In the number of Angels i.e. Pastors who are in number 25 Pastors Cardinals Pastors of Pastors wheras the Jerusalem in the Revelation knows but 12 Angels 12 principall Pastors which are the 12 Apostles VI. In the number of the Gates of Rome which were 25. wheras Jerusalem hath but 12. VII In the extent
On the East three Gates on the North three Gates on the South three Gates and on the West three Gates In the description of this City we have every thing that is rich and precious all signifies its great Holiness excellent Vertues and perfect Peace for they are the substantial Goods and real Treasures of the Church It had a great high Wall by that is meant Divine Protection which shows also that 't is the Church upon Earth which is spoken of for the Church in Heaven hath no need of walls being out of the reach of Enemies And had twelve Gates We have observed before that the number Twelve is frequently to be met with in this description and that it is a sacred number because of the twelve Patriarchs the twelve Tribes and the twelve Apostles the Gates are the entries into this City and so denote the recalling of the Iews according to their twelve Tribes from that great dispersion they are now under The recalling of the Jews foretold That these twelve Gates have a particular relation to the People of the Iews is plain by what follows That on the twelve Gates were written the names of the twelve Tribes of Israel For by those Tribes of Israel we may not understand the Church of the converted Gentiles they have a distinct place in what remains of the description of the new Ierusalem So the twelve Gates at the four Cardinal points of the World East North South West are to the same effect as what God had said in another place I will call my Sons from far and my Daughters from the ends of the Earth I will say unto the North give up and to the South keep not back At every one of those twelve Gates are twelve Angels These are the twelve Apostles called Angels or Pastors who whether they shall be raised from the dead or no shall by their preaching and Doctrine guide the Iews to enter again into the Church and open the gate unto them For they are here described as Keepers of the Gates who both open and shut them V. 14. And the Wall of the City had twelve Foundations and in them the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. The protection safety and the Wall of the Church depends on the foundations whereon she shall be built Those foundations are Articles of Faith and Christian Verities according to the Idea of St. Paul who saith there is but one Foundation which is Jesus Christ but on this foundation some build Hay and Stubble but others Gold and precious Stones â— Cor. 3. These precious Stones and this Gold signify Pure Doctrine as the Apostle doth sufficiently explain it These are the foundations of the Church which is built upon Truth The Prophet gives twelve for the number of these foundations because of the twelve Articles of Faith contained in the Creed on these foundations were written the names of the twelve Apostles because they were the persons who publisht the Gospel and maintained those Articles of faith by their preaching and by their blood The Holy Ghost in what follows describes these foundations and assigns a precious Stone to each of ' em V. 19. And the foundations of the Wall of the City were garnished with all manner of precious Stones the first foundation was Iasper the second Saphire the third a Chalcedony the fourth and Emerald V. 20. The fifth a Sardonyx the sixth Sardius the seventh Chrysolite the eighth Beryl the ninth a Topaz the tenth a Chrysoprasus the eleventh a Iacinth the twelfth an Amethist If we had leasure and time to spare we might compare the twelve Articles of the Christian Creed to those twelve Stones and see wherein every Article of Faith might symbolize with every Stone Supposing that the Holy Spirit had regard to the order in which the Church hath plac't the twelve Articles But I fear lest we should herein go beyond the intention of the Holy Ghost and deliver things rather curious than solid for the true design and scope of Figures and Mysteries is lost by stretching them too far I suppose the design of the Holy Spirit is only to show us in general how valuable and precious are the Christian Verities They who let go those Truths unto Hereticks and reckon the Secinian Heresies to be tolerable are far from esteeming them thus precious and do not sufficiently understand the worth and excellence of Truth I now return-to the description of the Heavenly Ierusalem i. e. of the Church in its last Period here on Earth V. 15. And he that talked with me had a golden Reed to measure the City and the Gates thereof and the Wall thereof V. 16. And the City lyeth foursquare and the length is as large as the breadth and he measured the City with a Reed twelve thousand furlongs the length and the breadth and the height of it are equal V. 17. And he measured the Wall thereof 144 cubits according to the measure of a man that is of the Angel. V. 18. And the building of the Wall of it was of Iasper and the City was pure Gold like unto clear Glass What it is to measure in a prophetical sense To measure is to make account of to esteem to reckon among things that are considerable Wherefore in the eleventh Chapt. St. Iohn was ordered to measure only the Temple and the Altar and those who worshipped there Not to value or make account of any but true Believers But for the outer Court it was said unto him Measure it not I have left it unto the Gentiles As to the outward part of the Church make no account of it for the Paganism of Antichrist and Popery shall be there establisht and shall reign for the space of 42. Prophetic moneths i. e. 1260 years Here the H. Spirit measures the Holy Ierusalem throughout not only the Temple and the Altar but the Court that was before abandon'd to the New Pagans and not only the Court but the whole City to measure the City the Gates thereof and the wall thereof 'T is to signifie that in this last Christian Church of the last Period every thing therin shall be Great and Good worthy to be esteemed and measured and reckon'd as things of value and consideration Men do not measure waste and barren Heaths sands and rubbish 't is not worth the while but Palaces and fruitfull grounds vineyards and orchards and the buildings of a City This is the mystery of the measure But observe the difference between the Circumstances of the first measure in the 11th Chap. and those of this second here besides those we have already taken notice of 1. That the first measure reacheth only to the Court and the Altar that was the Christian Church for the 3 first ages as hath been said but here the measure extends to All and even to the City which denotes the Primitive Christian Church to be very inconsiderable compared with the Church of this last Period 2.
'T is S. Iohn that received the Reed in the 11th Chap. to measure the Temple and the Altar there was given me a Reed like unto a rod and the Angel stood and said rise and measure the Temple But here 't is an Angel that measureth an Agent of an higher order than the Apostle 3. Lastly S. Iohn hath only a rod given him a reed to measure with a weak Justrument and of little value but here the Angel measures with a Golden reed All which sets forth the great excellence of the Church in this last period that it should surpass even the Primitive Church as much as a city exceeds a Temple an Angel a man or a Golden Rod an ordinary cane or reed The city was built foursquare the square is an emblem of Rest because that figure of all others is most proper to keep firm which signifies the tranquility and immutable Peace of this Church The square also relates to the number Twelve which occurs so often in this description for 12 is a square number that shows three on all sides Three a number of perfection as well as seven to signifie that on what side soever you look upon this Church whether in regard of its Holiness or Knowledg or Peace or Glory she shall be every way perfect These are the four sides of the square Holiness Knowledg Peace and Glory and this Perfection she hath from the number Twelve viz. from the twelve Apostles He measured the City with the Reed 12 thousand Furlongs This is not to be understood of the circumference of her Walls or of their diameter or their Heighth but of the whole Body of the City taken together as a Cube that contains 12 thousand furlongs counting every thing There are 12 foundations which are the 12 Apostles or rather the 12 Articles of faith Every foundation answers to a thousand Cubits i. e. that every of the Apostles by his doctrine and preaching did increase the Church and contribute to its building and to the gathering of the saints in the same proportion which a foundation of one cubical foot or therabouts hath to a thousand furlongs This signifies the great Increase and multiplication of the Church The length the breadth the Heigth of the City were Equal that is it was in all accounts a perfect Cube throw a Die where you please it will alway find a place to rest So shall be the Church of the last period what ever Commotions may happen she shall not lose her rest nothing shall be able to destroy or hinder it Interpreters have no reason to make an objection here that a City that is as high as large would be a monstrous pile for every thing here is beyond the ordinary rules among men to signifie that this Holy Society shall not be governed as Humane societies now are Besides this the great Equality of this City in all its dimensions seems to me to denote that admirable Equality between all the Saints which shall take place in the seventh period of the Church not that all difference of Conditions shall be absolutely laid aside there shall still be superiors and Inferiors Rich and Poor some to Govern and others to obey but those great distances between mens conditions shall then be filled up by Charity and Love wheras now they are inlarged and widened by Pride and vanity Then he measured the Wall 144 Cubits Here is the number 144 which is sacred because of the number 12 which is its Root 't is easie to apprehend why the Wall is 144 Cubits 't is because it is raised upon 12 Foundations and the wall of the City had twelve Foundations Build upon twelve raise another number by multiplying this by it self and you make 144. for 12 is the square root of 144. Every building of the Church is raised upon the 12 Apostles and in its raising she is multiplied as in building upon 12 you make 144. and these 144 Cubits are not to be taken for the same thing with the 144 thousand who were marked which are the whole body of the Saints These 144 Cubits are in the walls of the City and not in the whole City This wall is that which gives protection to the City and the Church it is Truth and the Holy Ministry by whom that Truth is preached so that the 12 Foundations are the Principal Pastors with the Truths they teach viz. the 12 Apostles and the 144 Cubits are the whole Evangelical Ministry built upon the 12 Apostles as their first Teachers He measured the wall according to the measure of a man i. e. of the Angel that denotes that the Angel in giving to a wall one hundred forty four Cubits founded upon twelve hath therin followed the ordinary way of Computation among Arithmeticians who by multiplying twelve by it self make one hundred forty four And the building of the wall was of Iaspar and the City was of pure Gold like unto clear glass The distinction of men according to their different qualities is conveniently and commonly enough made by the Emblem of Metals men of low and base Spirits sunk into degeneracy and vice are well represented by Lead Iron is the Emblem of Cruel and hard-hearted persons who are void of Pity Brass doth well enough represent such as glitter and make a show of more than they are or have for Brass imitates the colour of gold but is short in value Silver is an Emblem of those who are in some sort vertuous but not in the first rank Lastly Gold is the Emblem of such spirits as are pure solid firm and truly vertuous This is that which the H. Ghost would teach us that the Church in this last Period shall be made up of such persons as are of sincere and approved piety of a vertue that is bright and solid therfore the City is said not only to be of Gold but of gold clear as Crystal Nevertheless as in every Church the Ministry ought to possess a more eminent degree of Christian vertues than others the wall which signifies the Ministry of the Church in the seventh Period is said to be of Iaspar and precious stones more valuable than gold V. 21. And the 12 Gates were of 12 Pearls every several gate was of one Pearl We have seen how the 12 Gates signifie the 12 Apostles the Guards Guides and Porters as it were of the Church we might easily discover a resemblance between the Apostles and Pearls but 't is sufficient to understand that the design of the H. Ghost is to show that these 12 Men are of an inestimable value All the riches of the world cannot be a sufficient price for 12 Pearls big enough to make 12 Gates of Cities and herewith we must know that when the spirit of God puts so high a price upon weak men like our selves when he calls them Iaspars and precious stones the Gates and Foundations of a City he doth not look upon 'em in themselves but considers them with that treasure
of the Gospell committed to their charge This Gospell is the Pearl of great Price which when one had found he went his way and sold all that he had to purchase it This is the Treasure of which S. Paul speaks when he saith we have this treasure in Earthen vessels The Apostles with Evangelical truth in their Breasts are the 12 foundations the 12 Gates and the walls of the City They are Every thing with this for Truth is every thing and without it they are nothing V. 22. And I saw no Temple therin for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its Temple This must be understood as the words of another Prophet who speaking of the Church in this period saith Every man shall not teach his Neighbour for they shall be all taught of God which doth not import that the Ministry shall be abolisht but that the increase of Knowledg shall be so great that ordinary men might rather be Teachers than need to be taught doubtless there shall be Temples to the end of the world and places set a part for publick worship But it shall hardly be necessary to distinguish places for divine service because God shall be every where served in perfection The Lord and the Lamb shall be its Temple God shall dwell in them and they in God the union of holy souls with God shall be most intimate and reciprocal V. 23. And the City had no need of the sun nor of the moon to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the light therof Here the sun and the Moon do signifie created lights which cause a succession of day and night and these Luminaries are Emblems of the manner wherin the light of Grace is now dispenst There is now a mixture of Light and Darkness of Day and Night in the same Church and in the same soul It shall no more be thus in the Church of the seventh Period The air of that Church shal be always full of Light. God shall abundantly impart knowledge to the Souls of the Saints in a more immediate manner without any created Luminary V. 24. And the Nations of them which are saved shall walk in the Light of it and the Kings of the Earth do bring their glory and honour into it V. 25. And its Gates shall not at all be shut by day for there shall be no night there V. 26. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the Nations into it V. 27. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth or that worketh abomination and a lie but they who are written in the Lamb's book of Life Here is the perfect and compleat calling of the Gentiles who shall joyn themselves with the converted Iews to compose this glorious Church The Holy Ghost seems to intimate as if there should be none but the Elect and no Reprobates At least if there be any Hypocrites that their number shall be so small as not worthy to be counted Then he shewed me a pure River of water of life clear as Chrystal proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb. 'T is so well known that water in the Scripture stile signifies grace and the Divine Spirit that 't is needless to remark it Ho every one that thirsts come to the waters out of his belly shall flow living waters but he spake of the Spirit which they should receive who believed on him So that the River which proceeds out of the Throne of God is that vital Spring of Spirit and Grace which God will most plentifully dispense to this Church It is the same River which the Prophet Ezekiel saw coming out of the Temple Chap. 47. at first it was no higher then the anckels but by little and little the increase was such that you must be obliged to swim to pass over it 'T is the Emblem of that measure of Grace which is always progressive and in theses last and happy days shall flow as the Sea. V. 2. In the midst of the street of it and of either side of the River was there the Tree of Life which bare twelve manner of fruits and yielded her fruit every moneth and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the Nations This is almost copied from Ezekiel so that we may see it describes the same thing Ezekiel said that on the bank of the River were very many trees on the one side and the other fruit trees whose leaves shall not fade neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed it shall bring forth new fruit every moneth This farther denotes Grace which is our meat and drink to satisfy our hunger and quench our thirst which is the Manna in the Wilderness and Water out of the Rock The fruits of this tree shall be for the healing of the Nations Ezekiel saith the leaf thereof shall be for medicine v. 12. That Grace which shall be our food shall also supply the use of Physick Every one may see here a manifest allusion to the Earthly Paradise to its Rivers and to the Tree of Life that was there To denote that the Church in this her last Period shall be a true Paradise where plenty and abundance of all blessings may be met with 'T is of this reign and of this last Period of the Church that the last part of the eleventh Chapter is to be understood We have already seen how that Chapter is an Epitome of what shall befall the Church In the first part we have a short account of the happy state of the Church during the time of its purity In the second the reign of Antichrist is described and the last persecution which the Church shall suffer And in the Third we have the glorious state of the Church after she hath subdued her enemies This is the Prophecy V. 15. Chap. 11. And the seventh Angel sounded and there were great voices in Heaven saying the Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever V. 16. And the four and twenty Elders who sat before God on their seats fell upon their faces and worshipped God. V. 17. Saying we give thee thanks O Lord God Almighty which art and wast and art to come because thou hast taken to thee thy great Power and hast reigned V. 18. And the Nations were angry and thy wrath is come and the Time of the dead that they should be judged and that thou shouldst give reward unto thy Servants the Prophets and to the Saints and them that fear thy name smal and Great and shouldst destroy them which destroy the Earth V. 19. And the Temple of God was open'd in Heaven and there was seen in his Temple the ark of his Testament and there were lightnings and voices and thundrings and an Earthquake and great Hail We have observed that the seven Trumpets followed upon the seven seals and were
The proofs of it may be seen in our just prejudices against Popery for there I have shewed these excesses that smell of the spirit of reprobation and that they have had for their authors a Saint Dominick and his Jacobins a Saint Francis and his Cordeliers and generally all the order of the Monks The Idolatry of the Papism was establisht by the Fables and fictions of the Monks By what means did these persons establish Idolatry by hypocrisy and lying by the hypocrisy of liars seared in their consciences Behold preciesely the very way by which the Roman Clergy and generally the Priests and Monks as well those of the East as of the West have establisht Idolatry by profound hypocrisy by lies and fables How many false visions were there to establish the invocation of Saints How may false miracles You should consult the Legends on this point and if any will not give himself that trouble let him read eleven Chapters of our prejudices in the second part from the 11th to the 23th We have given our selves the trouble to make a considerable collection of the horrid filthy shamefull falsities which the Papism its Priests and Monks have advanced to uphold the idolatrous worship of Saints Reliques and Images And it should be observ'd that this spirit of fables was introduced into the Church exactly at the same time that the Antichristian Idolatry began to enter into it The lives of the ancient Monks Paul Anthony Hilarion c. were written by St. Jerom without honesty and judgment The History of the Church from this very time begins to be a Romance where 't is extreme difficult to distinguish truth from lies Under Julian the Apostate Babylas the Martyr begins to work miracles by his Reliques For near 350. years there was not a miracle wrought by Reliques ever heard of But under the reign of Julian the Apostate who succeeded the children of Constantine Babylas the Martyr sometime Bishop of Antioch made a martyr in Decius's persecution interred in a Suburb of Antioch called Daphne more than a hundred years after his death thought of working the first miracles Julian the Apostate would consult the Oracle of Apollo of Daphne who not being willing to answer and conjured at least to tell the reason of his silence said it came from hence that the bones of the Martyr Babylas were interr'd near his Temple This is the most ancient History of a miracle wrought by Reliques that we have been able to discover So the corruption of Christianity began in the same place where the faithfull began to be called Christians It was not very long before miracles were seen wrought by other Reliques St. Ambrose was inform'd in a vision where the bones of the Martyrs Gervais and Protais were interred they went to seek them they carried them in great pomp to the Church and they did not fail immediately to work great miracles This was found so good and so proper to beat down the remainders of Heathenism that this torrent gained ground every where Miracles wrought by Reliques were look'd upon as new in the 4th Age. Orat. adversus Games But that which is highly observable is that the Authors who report these facts as true confess that this was new and had not been seen since the Apostles time St. Chrysostom speaking of Babylas saith if any one will not believe the things done by the Apostles let him mind those that are done in this age and cease impudently to deny the truth He doth not send them back to the times immediately fore-going he doth not say if any one will not believe the Miracles that are always wrought in the Church let him believe that which he sees at present But he sends them back to the Apostles as if nothing of the like nature had been seen since them St. Ambrose also saith it plainly enough speaking of the Miracles wrought by the Reliques of Gervais and Protais He reckons up the Miracles of these two Saints Epist and Marcell Soror l. 7. and finds nothing like it since the Apostles time Wherefore after he hath made an enumeration of the Miracles of these Saints he makes one of those of Jesus Christ and his Apostles which he sees renewed and saith nothing of any that were wrought in the ages immediately fore-going St. Austin that was very fond of the same superstition makes the same acknowledgement in the 8th Chapter of the 22th Book of the City of God whence the Papists pretend to draw so great advantage to themselves 'T is true he there makes a History of many Miracles wrought by Reliques but he acknowledgeth this is all new We have given order saith he for the making publick memoirs and books for the reading of these Miracles before the people seeing that in our time the signs and miracles of the ancient times were renewed It was therefore new and had not been since the ancient times Now it is certain that these pretend miracles had for their Author the Spirit of lying and for their spring the Hypocrisy of Lyars It was the Devil that abused these good men The fable of Protais and Gervais very plain in St. Ambrose to lead them to superstition and idolatry that which St. Ambrose himself saith of those Saints Gervais and St. Protais is very proper to make one suspect a cheat The inhabitants of Milane desire him to build in their City a Temple like that at Rome I Ubi supra will do it saith he provided I can but find some Reliques He had them not as yet he knew not where to find them but lo he is in quest of them and hereupon subiit veluti cujusdam ardor praesagii behold he was inflamed with a certain fire that savoured of presage and inspiration He makes them search in a certain place he there finds two bodies of Gyants We found two men of extraordinary bigness such as the ancient time did yield In-venimus mirae magnitudinis viros duos ut prisca aetas serebat Ossa integra sanguinis plurimum The bones were yet entire and there was a great deal of blood Would you not say that he speaks of the time wherein Polyphemus and the old Giants lived Men I warrant you were much bigger in the third Age under the Empire of Decius than under that of Gratian and Valentinian I don't know whether it be apparent that God chose martyrs from among the Giants They are a sort of people the enormous mass of whose bodies dies is usually a sign of the vices of their souls at is usually a sign of the vices of their souls at least of that fury and warlike heat which is not the Character of a Saint But it was necessary every thing in the fable should be great even to the bodies of those that were found This spirit of lying and fables increased and grew with the reign of Idolatry In the sixth Age the two Gregories one the Bishop of Rome the other
with blood even to the tops of the mountains The mountains shall be melted with their blood saith Isaiah 34.3 there must be rivers of blood to do this v. 5. And I heard the Angel of the waters say Thou art righteous O Lord which art and wast and shall be because thou hast judged thus v. 6. For they have shed the blood of Saints and Prophets and thou hast given them blood to drink for they are worthy There will not want some who from these words will object and say that untill this time there had been no persecution on the account of Religion and that the Popedom had in no wise shed the blood of Saints of Prophets To this I answer First 'T is not true that during the time of the Croisades Why God chargeth Antichristian Rome with the blood which she had not yet shed no blood had been shed on the account of Religion for it was exactly in the middle of the Croisades that that horrible barbarity was used against the Waldenses and Albingenses Innocent III. publisht the fifth Croisade at the end of the twelfth Century and at the same time gave sentence of death against the poor Albigenses But that which is especially to be observed in this matter is this that those who make this objection must make a stronger against those words of Jesus Christ Luc. 11.50 51. That the blood of all the Prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation From the blood of Abel c. verily I say it shall be required of this generation What reason to require of the Jews who lived in the times of Christ the blood of Abel and other holy men who were slain before the Flood what reason to require of them the righteous blood shed before Abraham Nay what reason to require of them the blood of the Prophets slain by their fathers since they disapproved the deeds of their fathers Why this is the reason God when he executes judgement ought to hear the cries of all the righteous blood that is shed for these cryes make up but one voyce and the race of murtherers makes up but one people on which God will charge that blood It matters not that it was shed by the Parents or the Children before the one were born or after the death of the others this makes no difference God looking upon this murthering race all in one body will charge the whole upon the whole in the lump Which evidently appears from that which God here speaks of this generation of Antichrist they have shed the blood of Prophets he saith not of Apostles he goes back as far as the Prophets and inflicts the punishment of the blood of the Prophets slain so many ages before upon the Antichristian Empire Rome hath always been a murthering City the holy Apostles Martyrs Doctors Confessors of the first ages of Christianity were slain by its orders and in its Dominions Modern Rome within the circuit of its Jurisdiction hath shed an infinite quantity of holy and faithfull blood The old and new Rome in the account of God and in the executing of his judgements make up but one body because God beholds the whole in one instant or point He looks upon her as one murthering tyrant as one race of manslayers It matters not that as to some particular persons and some particular ages she is not guilty of the blood of the Prophets she is guilty as to her whole in her beginning and her end now the beginning and the end do involve the middle But it will be objected Had not Rome Pagan been sufficiently punisht for the blood of Apostles and Maryrs which she had shed So many sackings and desolations as she had felt did not they suffice Must Antichristian Rome pay once more for that blood I will object on the same grounds Had not Jerusalem the mutherer of the Prophets suffer'd enough for her murthers by that dismal desolation made by the Chaldeans by the captivity of all her Inhabitants by the fire which consumed her Palaces Must God chastise her by the Romans for those crimes which had been punisht by the Babylonians Thus was it necessary that God should punish Rome Antichristian for the crimes committed by Rome Pagan or for the sins which were not committed till the following ages of this Antichristian Rome 'T is to this objection that the other Angel answers who speaks at V. 7. And I heard another out of the Altar say even so Lord God Almighty true and righteous are thy judgements That is though it seem unjust to give blood to drink unto new Rome on the account of the blood that was shed by old Rome or of that which shall be afterward shed by the new notwithstanding thy judgements are righteous and true Behold the three plagues which bring us down unto the thirteenth Age. The last Croisade was the second expedition of St. Lewis who carried out and lost 60000 men at Thunis in the year 1269. CHAP. VIII The fourth plague the encrease of the heat of the Sun denoting the encrease of the Papal Authority which had almost utterly ruin'd the World and the Church The fifth plague is the desolation of ROME when the Pope retreated to Avignon and the diminution of the papal Authority by the grand Schisme of the West v. 8. ANd the fourth Angel pour'd out his viol upon the Sun and power was given to him to scorchmen with fire v. 9. And men were scorched with great heat and blasphemed the name of God who hath power over those plagues and they repented not to give him glory This is the fourth plague in which we see the Sun. 'T is known and confess'd by all who know any thing of prophecies dreams and visions that the Heavens What is the Sun of the Antichristian Empire the Sun the constellations and the Stars are emblems of dignities and grandeurs on earth and the image does bear a lively resemblance for the Heavens are the superior region of the World from whence good and bad Influences do come and supream Authority is the heaven of the lower World from whence both good and evil proceed great dignities are like constellations in Societies The Sun always signifies the Soveraign and the Stars inferior Magistrates Before in the sixth Chapter the fall of the Empire of Rome Pagan and of the imperial dignity is represented to us by the same images Chap. 6 12 13. And the Sun became black as sackcloth of hair and the Moon became as blood and the Stars of heaven fell unto the earth This is a thing which admits not any dispute The Sun of the Antichristian Kingdom is the Pope That the Antichristian Kingdom is treated of here is generally agreed to therefore it cannot be doubted that the Sun is the Soveraign of this Kingdom The heat and beams are the instruments by which the Sun operates 'T is by his beams that he quickens warms
posterity disperst throughout the world and made the execration and contempt of mankind Thus the Messiah the glory of their Nation brings them nothing but shame desolation and infinite miseries which have no parallel in any other people All the advantage they have is that at the end of the world some thousand of Iews shall be converted and escape the being damn'd If this be so I confess that I understand nothing in the Providences and Oracles of God. There must therefore come a time that shall be the reign of the Messiah and the Iews in which this Nation shall be exalted as hath been promised them above all the Nations they must reign in their Saints Prophets and Apostles Otherwise I am bold to say that all the Oracles given to this people are cheats and were given only to be a snare to them But some will say all these glorious promises have been accomplisht in the Church These Oracles have not been accomplisht in the Church taken from among the Gentiles which hath been gather'd among the Gentiles 'T is she who hath enlarged the cords of her tents whose children have been called from all the parts of the World. To her must be applyed every thing which is said to make the Church great and glorious But do they no perceive that in the Oracles before us the Gentiles are evidently distinguisht from the people of Israel Israel rules over the Gentiles the Nations must rejoyce in her light All Nations must come day and night unto mount Sion and to the City of Jerusalem The Kings of the Gentiles must be her Protectors her nursing Fathers Sion must suck their milk Sion must be served the Gentiles must serve her In a word let all these Oracles be viewed and it will be seen that the people of Israel must be the ruling the chosen the Holy people and that the Gentiles must be made happy because they shall be incorporated into this Israel Besides this how can this thought be entertain'd that all the terrible threatnings that have been denounc't against the earthly Ierusalem and against the people of the Israel according to the flesh have been accomplisht in the literal and strict sense upon her and her children and that the promises of grace and glory have not must not be accomplisht but only typically in those forreign Nations with whom she hath really no communion I should as soon choose to say that some advantagious promises made to the French were fulfilled because they were made good to the Spaniards Iews and Gentiles have always been in a direct opposition the grace promised to the one is not the grace belonging to the other 'T was fore-told to Israel that God would scatter them in his anger and disperse them throughout the Earth that they should see sad days in which they should be without a King Hos 3.4 and without a Prince and without a Sacrifice and without an Image and without an Ephod and without Teraphim This hath been fulfilled in the letter and strictest sense At the foot of these threatnings which are in almost every page of the Prophets we like wise read of great and emphatical promises of resettling return of a glory a reign and of an Empire The threatnings have had their accomplishment upon the Iews and shall the promises have theirs only upon the Gentiles This is not probable at all And that certain calling of some Iews which they say must be at the end of the World is not sufficient to salve the veracity of God. We need only consult the 63 Chapter of Isaiah where the present State of the Iews in painted in such lively colours that 't is not possible to mistake But they rebelled and vexed his Holy Spirit Cha. 63.10 therefore he was turned to be their enemy and fought against them Behold their sin 't is the sin against the Holy Ghost this is to be well observed To vex the Holy Spirit to quench the spirit to sin against the Holy Ghost to do despite to the spirit of grace are the same thing in the style of the new Testament And here Isaiah fore-tells that this people in their Apostacy from God will vex his holy spirit i.e. will sin against the Holy Ghost This is exactly the sin with which our Saviour reproaches them in the 13th of Matthew 'T is an unpardonable sin that is not forgiven either in this World or in that which is to come That Generation which was contemporary with Iesus Christ hath been punish'd with eternal torments their crime was never pardon'd to them yea their children bear their iniquity in the wilderness for forty years See in what language the Prophet paints out the punishment which the Iews lie under at this day v. 17. Why hast thou made us to err from thy ways and hardned our heart from thy fear The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while our adversaries have trodden down thy Sanctuary We are thine thou never barest rule over them they were not called by thy name Here we have 1. The dismal hardning into which God suffer'd them to fall The present state of the Jews foretold in an admirable manner Why hast thou made us to err from thy ways 2. Their long expulsion and exile out of their own Land the people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while our adversaries have trodden down thy Sanctuary 3ly The total abandoning of this nation by God We are as those among whom thou bearest uo rule so the French version 4ly And lastly the continuing impiety of this Nation Thy name is not called upon by us so the French version Nothing of all this agrees to the Babylonish captivity it was not long it lasted but 59 years it was not attended with Induration on the contrary this people was so touched with this terrible correction that after that time they never returned to that Idolatry which had brought such great punishments upon them And those records which we have concerning their conversation in their captivity as the books of Ezra Nehemiah and Esther inform us that they repented very seriously and in their captivity did not partake of the impurities of the Gentiles It can't therefore be said that God did not bear rule over them and that his name was not call'd upon by them during this captivity 'T is therefore the present captivity of the Iews which the Prophet describes here But what saith the afterward and as a consequence of this captivity I will mention the loving kindnesses of the Lord and the praises of the Lord v. 7 8. After the present state of the Iews God promiseth them all glorious estate according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us and the great goodness toward the house of Israel which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies and according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses For he said surely they are my people Children that will not
of the City of Rome which was 25 thousand furlongs wheras the Jerusalem of St. John hath but 12 thousand furlongs VIII In the number of the fruits of the Tree of Life which are the Articles of faith because the just shall live by faith The fruits in the Ierusalem of St. Iohn are but 12. The Articles of the Christian faith are but 12 also but the Articles of the Popish faith are 25 in number He finds moreover The number of 25 is found in the dependencies of the Papism that the number 25 bears sway in all the dependances of the Empire of the Papism that in the greatest part of the Estates of the Papism they reckon 25 Provinces or principal dignities That upon the great Altar of St. Peter at Rome there is a golden Cross of 25 hands breadth Before the Church there are five Gates and one of them is not open'd but every 25 years In St. Mary Major there are 25 Altars The great Altar of the Church of St. Peters is 25 foot square one every side Besides all this the Popish Altar are marked with 25 Marks in honour of the 5 wounds of I. Christ 5 times redoubled The same number is consecrated in the Mass for the same reason because of the 5. wounds of our saviour He makes divers observations of this nature on the Number 25 bearing sway in all the Papism even in the Council of Trent which began by 25 Bishops had 25 Sessions was subscribed by 25 Arch-Bishops and made 25 Articles of faith And above all he observes that the Number 25 with its square root 5 25 a cursed number of an ill omen were considered by the Heathen as numbers of an ill omen See saith he the reason why the Number 666 represents the whole Antichristian Empire 't is because it hath for its square root the number 25 which is the prevailing number in the Papal Hierarchy Wherers the number 144. that signifies the Church hath for its square root the number 12 which is the sacred number of the Patriarchs and Apostles As for the remainder of 41 which is added to the number 625 arising from 25. multiplied by it self he gives many ingenious reasons for it and which do deserve to be consulted on the place Why God adds a remainder of 41 to 625. to make up 666. Ioseph Mede who is a great Master in these sorts of things gives a very authentique approbation of this discovery And it cannot be denied but that it is very ingenious But I confess I find it a little profound However I would not deny that it is the intention of the Holy Spirit And it may be this is the meaning of the Prophecy Here is wisdom let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast For understanding may signify the wisdom of this World i. e. Arithmetique which makes a part of humane sciences to signify that to penetrate into this mystery of the number 666. we must use the rules of Arithmetique and seek for the square root of this number 666. Besides though one should admit all the observations of Potter as solid this would not destroy the common hypothesis which is that the number 666. alludes to the names of Lateinos and Romiyth in which this number is so precisely found For the product of 25. multiplied by it self makes but 625. Why did the Holy Spirit add a remainder of 41 why did he not leave the round account of 625 the product of the square root 25 or why resolving to add a remainder did he not add 20 to make it 645 or 30 to make it 655 but adds precisely a remainder of 41 to make it 666 I am perswaded it was to make up the sum contained in the names Lateinos and Romiyth So that it is still true that the number 666 refers immediately to the name of the Antichristian Empire But I will not deny but that besides this there are other mysteries in it and those of Potter are very well contrived and very probable To strengthen them Two considerations to strengthen the opinion of Potter these two considerations may be added First That the number 12. signifying very naturally the whole Gospel ministry because of the twelve Apostles who are the first Ministers of the Gospel the number 144. must also naturally signify the body of the whole Church because as the number 144. is produced by the multiplication of 12 in like manner the body of the Church is formed by the multiplication which is produced by the Gospel ministry of which the twelve Apostles are the founders On the other hand as the number 666 is produced by the multiplication of 25 so the Empire of the Papism and of the Beast is produced by the multiplication caused by his false ministry and by his false Pastors who originally were 25. Seoond The other consideration is that the Holy Spirit signifies the Gospel ministry by 12 and the body of the Gospel Church by 144. And on the contrary the body of the Empire of the Papism by 666. to teach us the proportion that is between the false Church and the true 144 is but the fifth part of 666. The true Church in the time of the oppression and reign of Antichrist is almost nothing in comparison of the false Church CHAP. XVI The Explication of the seventeenth Chapter of the Revelation where the Empire of the Papism is plainly described IN pursuing the picture of Antichrist according to the Prophecies to shew that that Empire is found in the Papism we enter on the 17th Chap. of the Revelation which contains an explication of the 13th Chapter 'T is the same thing under less obscure aenigma's In the 13th Chapter we have seen two Beasts Here only one of them is seen but by way of amends for that here is a woman seen sitting on the beast So that here are two persons So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness v. 3. and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet-coloured beast full of names of blasphemy having seven heads and ten horns See here the first Beast of the 13th Chapter i. e. the Roman Empire The Beast is of a scarlet colour It was the colour of the Roman Empire Its Emperours its Senators and its Grandees were clothed with purple all the World knows that In the following Chapter it shall be proved that these two Beasts this here and that of the thirteenth Chapter are one and the same Beast On this Beast sits a woman See here a thing that speaks and that loudly A woman who doth not see that this signifies a Church Did any ever see in the Prophets an Empire as an Empire represented under the image of a woman Is not this the Emblem which the Holy Spirit useth every where to represent either the true Church the Spouse of Jesus Christ or the false Church that is become unfaithful to her Spouse A woman sitting on a Beast This is