make a Province of it In the dayes of Antiochus Epiphanes who began to raign about the year 579 after Rome was built who was he that commanded Swines flesh to be offered on severall Altars in the Temple at Ierusalem the Romans have increased their Dominions so largely as that they take upon them as to command him to depart out of Egypt who had almost subdued that Country and he obeyes In the dayes of Demetrius the Son of Seleucus Philopater elder Brother to Antiochus Epiphanes Iudas Macabeus sends Embassadors to Rome who make a League with the Iewes Macabeus 8. who at that time saith Iosephus f. 315. had conquered Gaule or France Spain Carthage and Greece whose power and dominion from that time groweth up mightily for in the dayes of Pompey all Syria was subdued and he himself gone up into Armenia in pursuit of the warre betwixt the Romans and Tygranes Iosephus lib. 14. ch 4. And in the dayes of Augustus Cesar there came forth a decree that all the world should be taxed Luke 2. 1. which the Author of the Notes in the Bible of the Geneva Translation saith that it was so far as the Empire of the Romans did extend which was of a far greater extent than all the precedent Monarchies did contain especially towards the South and the North West from Babylon and Ierusalem And this was agreeable to Daniels Prophesie chap. 2. 4. who saith that the fourth Kingdome from Nebuchadnesser should be strong as Iron for as Iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things and as Iron bruisetb all those things so shall it break in pieces and bruise it And in his Vision in the first year of Belshazar he seeth these four Kingdomes under severall Types of Beasts but the fourth was different from or unlike to all the rest verse 7. And in the interpretation it is said it shall be unlike to all the Kingdomes and shall devoure the whole earth and shall tread it down and break it in pieces verse 23. And out of this must arise ten hornes which are ten Kings and another shall arise after them and he shall be unlike to the first and subdue three Kings and shall speak words against the most High verse 24 25. So that we find Daniels Prophesie concerning this fourth Kingdome or sixth King in the Apostle Iohns Revelations chap. 17. 10. to have been fulfilled in the time of Christ and his Apostles it then being in its heighth For Master Edward Grimstone in his Emperiall Hystory in the life of Augustus folio 37. saith that the Subjects of the Empire were very obedient unto him and all others sent him Embassadors seeking his favour and friendship offering him their service yea the Indians a people of the remotest parts of the East and also the Scythians which inhabit in the North and the Parthians a people most feirce and untamed sent their Embassodors to him giving security to keep the peace and delivered the Standerds and Eagles taken â—n battell when Marcus Crassus was slain There came also Kings Friends and Subjects to the Empire to Rome to doe him honour as his familiar Friends leying aside their Ensignes and Rovall Robes and many of them built Cities to his Name â—or hâ—s â—onour calling them Cesareas in remembrance of him 〈◊〉 whose time the Temple of Ianus was thrice shut up which never waâ— but twice before from Romes foundation So that his Dominion must needs be of a large extent Rome still being the apitall City or Imperiall Seat and continued so till Constantine removed it who made Byzantium in Thracia scituated between the two Seas viz. the Euxine and the Mediteranean his Emperiall City which was afterward by him and to his Honour called Constantine the Noble and by contraction Constantinople this being done about the year o our Lord Christ 332. Now though Constantine by reason of his removing of his Imperiall Seat from Rome out of the West to Constantinople in the East did much weaken the Imperiall Power yet the Empire was not fully divided in many yeares after but some partings there were before as in the Raign of the Emperour Iovinianus the Successor of Iulian the Apostate about the year of Christ 366. who reigned but seven months he was compelled to make peace with Sapores the King of Persia for thirty yeares leaving unto the said Persian King all the Provinces belonging unto the Romane Empire lying beyond the River Tygris as also some Cities in Armenia and he was not to aid or assist Arsaces King of Armenia And about the year of our Lord 420. the Gaules or French in the West in the dayes of the Emperours Honorius and Arcadius Sons of Theodosius the Great fell off from the Empire and set up Pharamond the Son of Marcomir for their King About which time did the Gothes who possessed a great part of Spain and some part of that Country which is now under the Dominion of the Frâ—nch set up Vallia their first King whose Royall Seats were Narbonâ— and Tholouse Also in the year 440. Hermerick King of the Sueves a little before his death had so pacified the people of Galicia as he raigned over them And about the year 447. in the Raign of Theodosius the second and Valentinianus Emperours the Brittaines in this Island being sorsaken of the Roman aid which they expected against the Picts chose Vorâ—iger for their King About which time Alaricus King of the Gotheâ— came into Italy and took and destroyed the City of Rome 1160 yeares after it was built Honorius the Emperour with his Brother Arcadius living at Ravenna which in those dayes was a great and principall City But the great division of the Empire was in the dayes of Constanstine the sixth and his Mother Irene Lâ—o the third being Pope of Rome who at a solemn Mâ—sse being assisted by his Cardinals Crowned Charles the Great King of France born in Germany Emperour of Rome on the 25. of December in the year of our Lord 800 about 468. yeares after Constantine the Great removed his Emperiall Seat out of the West into the East Which division some doe apprehend to be the time that Daniel's Vision of the Image which Nebuchadnezar saw did hold forth as consisting of two legs that were of Iron which implieth strength But how could that be for this division of the Empire instead of strengthning of it made it weaker daily as the that will take a little paines to search in Grimstones Imperiall Hystory from and after this time shall find for the Western Empire is afterwards divided into severall Kingdomes and Governments and the Eastern is quite devoured by the Turks in the year of our Lord 1453. Constantine Paleologus being the last Emperour and slain in the City of Constantinople when it was taken by that famous Turk Mahomet the Great the first of that name and with it the whole Grecian or Eastern Empiâ—e about 1121 yeares after it had been the
Ages were subdued 2 Kings 16 9 Also by Shalmanessâ—r his Successor if not Son the rest of the ten â—ribes in the dayes of Hoshea King of Israel are carried captive 2 Kings 17. 3 and 6. These are carried captive into the â—and of Assyria it is not said Calâ—ea not but that Caldea and Babylon were under the Assyrian Monaâ—chy 2 Kings 8 11. Then 〈◊〉 the â—uccessor if not Son of Shalmâ—nessâ—r in the fourteenth yeer of King Hâ—zekiah comes up with a great Army against the fenced Cities of Iudah and takes them to whom Hezekiah is willing to submit and therefore sends him great presents and for want of his own borrowes from the Temple But the King of Assyria is not content therewith and therefore sends an Army under the Command of his Captaines Tartan Rabsaris Rabshakeh to Ierusalem to take it either by words or deeds 2 Kings 18. 17. to the end But these not being able to prevail return to their Master the King of Assyria who was warring against Libnah from whence he sends Messengers with a blasphemous Letter to King Hezekiah with which he goeth up to the House of the Lord and prayeth the efficacy whereof was such that that night the Angel of the Lord destroyes 185000. men in the Assyrian Host who returning with the remaining number to his own Land and City Nineveh is there slain â—y two of his own Sons as he is worshipping in the Temple of Nisroch his God and Ezrahaddon his Son reigneth in his stead verse 36 37. Now that the Assyrian alone was the next great Monarch or chief Government of Note in the world to the Assyrian and Babylonian together we doe prove not onely by what hath been related as to what four of those Kings did but also for these insuing reasons grounded upon History and Scripture First from History Pull whom the Scripture mentions 1 Chron. 5. 26. who was but Sardanapulus Lieutenant in Babylon and conspiring with Arbaces another of his Lieutenants in Media who was incited thereunto partly by the Prediction of this Pull and partly by his own in that having had a sight of the Person of his King found him disguised in womans apparel striving to counterfeit an Harlot these two after several battels overthrew him and beseiging him in this great City Niniveh by the overflowing of the River Tysris whereby twenty furlongs of that great wall was overthrown they take the City but not their Master for he finding himself in a lost condition shuts up himâ—â—lf in his Pallace with his Wives Eunuches and all his Treasures and sets fire thereunto whereby both he and they were all consumed After which the Median is content with his own Government of Media but Pull and his Posterity are not with theirs till they get possession of that great City Nineveh which they make the Seat of their Monarchy and therefore is called the Assyrian alone to distinguish it from the First whose chief City in Nimrods time was Babylon Second Reason Because the Scripture mentions a larger extent of dominion to this second Monarchy then unto the first For we doe not find that Nimrods dominion did extend Westward from the River Euphrates that is into Syria if it did it was but of short continuance but this of Pulls doth and that very farre even to the Land of Israel and Iudah whose Lot was bounded by the Mediteranean Sea Ioshua 15. 12. called the great Sea And we find that Media that was under Nimrods posterity and after usurped by Arbacâ—s is a great part if not all brought under by the Assyrian For Shalmanessar who carries the remaining part of the ten Tribes captive placeth some of them in the Cities of the Medes 2 Kings 17. 6 And the Prophet Ezekiel speaking unto Pharaoh in the Name of the Lord maketh mention of the greatnesse of the Assyrian Ezek. 31. 2. to the 10 verse as also of his fall and ruine by the Caldean chap. 32. 11 12. which makes way for the third Head or Monarchy The third Head of the Beast is the Caldean Monarchy whose foundation was laid in the dayes of Berodach Baladan the Son of Balladan who sent unto Hezekiah King of Iudah both Letters and a Present 2 King 20. 12. which was in or about the fifteenth year of Hezekiah's raign for in his fourteen year Sennacherib the King of Assyria invades Iudea 2 Kings 18. 13. And after the great losse of 185000. he returnes into his own Land In those dayes Hezekiah falls sick 2 Kings 20 1. upon whose earnest prayer and the Promise of God to David for Hezekiah had no Son as yet that the Scripture mentions and Manasseh his Successor was not born in three yeares after for he was but twelve yeers old when he began to raign 2 Kings 21. 1. the Lord â—nds him a Message by the Prophet Esay that he would adde fifteen yeares to his dayes and a sign for his recovery is that the Sun should goe ten degrees backward by which it had gone down in the Dyall of Ahaz 2 Kings 20. 6 11. and the whole raign of Hezekiah was but twenty nine yeers 2 Kings 18. 2. Now though the Scripture be silent as to inform us how Berodash Baladan came to be King of Babylon yet we find that both he and the Caldeans take notice of Hezekiahs sicknesse and recovery with that great sign in the Heaven of the Suns going backward the Caldeans being famous in Astronimie and naturall Astrologie as well as infamous for their divellish Astrologie which was in or about the fifteenth year of his raign which as it was the last of Sennacheribs so it was the first of Berodash for we read in the Scripture of no King of Babylon since Nimrod to this time not but that Babylon was a famous City all along And if we may give credit to Sir Walter Rawleigh of whose extraordinary travell in searching of Histories of all Ages past to the finishing of that excellent piece of his called the Hystory of the World that this Berodash or as he cass him as also the Geneva Translation Merodash took time by the foretop and laid hold on the present opportunity that offered it self which was this Merodash was Lieutenant in Babylon under Sennacherib whose head City was Niniveh who having warres in Syria and Aegypt had levied a very great Army and having been forced to raise his Seige from before Pelusium in Aegypt and that not without some losse and more disgrace through the coming of Tirhaba King of Ethiopia or Arabia to the aid of the Aegyptian he was the more desirous to have had possession of Ierusalem to have retreated unto with his Army but failing of his purpose sends a great part thereof to beseige it with the rest he beseigeth Lachish and afterwards Libâ—ah 2 Kings 19. 8. of which Army presently after the Angell of the Lord destroyes in one night 185000. verse 35 upon which he returnes with the remaining
she is the discription of her you will find in 17. Rev. 3 4 5. verses 2. The place of her abode see the 18. verse of that 17. Chapter where the holy Spirit unfolding unto Iohn the mystery of those things mentioned in that Chapter tells him And the Woman which thou sawest saith the Angel is that great City which reigneth over the Kings of the Earth Which City comparing Scripture and History together we shall find to be and it could be none other but Rome the chief Seat of the sixth Head or Roman Monarchy as we shall more fully clear hereafter the Lord assisting us 3. What she would doe consider what the Apostle Paul did by the Spirit foretell what should fall out in the latter times in his second Epistle to Timothy Chap. 4. 1 2 3. whose words are these Now the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the Faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils speaking lies in hypocrisie having their Consciences seared with a hot Iron Forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth Which words spoken of some in the Plurall Number cannot more properly be applied to any then to the Popes of Rome typified by the Woman setting upon a scarlet coloured Beast Râ—vel 17. 3. And we may appeal to the hearts and consciences of all true Christian Readeis hereof whether that which the Apostle wrote in those three verses to Timothy hath not been fulfilled by the Papall Power of Rome Again let us see and consider one other Prophesie concerning her acting which the Angell shewed unto the Apostle Iohn and which he saw Revel. 17. 6. And I saw the Woman drunken with the bloud of the Saints and with the bloud of the Martyrs of Iesus and when I saw hâ—r I wondred with great admiration Now if we may give any credit to Mr. Fox his History of the Martyrs of Jesus which we shall not question that Prophesie hath been fulfilled to the purpose of which many of the poor Saints in this Island in the dayes of Henry the eighth and Queen Maries time were witnesses thereof 4. Her Judgement with the Persons oâ— Powers that shall execute it take one clear Scripture for it in the 17. Revel. 16. And the ten Hornes saith the Angel unto Iohn which thou sawest upon the Beast these shall hate the Whore and shall make hâ—r desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burn â—er with fire Object But some may say how can this Scripture clear or prove that which you bring it for it speaking concerning the hating of the Whore not of the Woman therefore this verse may rather seem to have relation to the first verse of that 17. Chapter where the Angel tells Iohn He will shew him the Iudgement of the great Whore thâ—t sitteth upon many Waters and in the 15. verse of that chapter the Angel tells him that the Waters whiâ—h thou sawest where the Whore sitteth are Peoples and Multitudâ—s and Nations and Tongues Answ. The Book of the Revelations is full of Mysteries and Prophecies and not easily to be understood not onely upon the first but also not upon many readings thereof for if it had how comes it to passe that those Interpreters thereof whose writings are extant are so dark in those things that they undertook to open and clear as in this Age we find some that have contradicted others that went before them in the unfolding of these Mysteries and we question not but the Lord will give a clearer light to others to make more clear those things which in this short Treatise we have in some measure though darkly unfolded But as to the Objection we say that by comparing one place in this chapter with another and by clearing some improbabilities if not impossibilities in it that which we have affirmed concerning the Judgement of the Woman or Whore will evidently appear to be truth First consider whether the Title Whore be not proper to this Woman in the 4. verse of that 17. chapter she is said to have a golden Cup in her hand full of the abominations and filthinesse of her fornication Now judge whether she that hath committed Fornication doth not justly deserve the Title of Whore to be given her Secondly for the improbability of it consider whether its likely that the beast unto whom these ten Hornes give their Kingdome would be acceptable unto him when as they had destroyed the Seat of his Empire Babylon if so be that the word Whore in the sixteenth verse had relation to the word great Whore in the first verse or Whore in the fifteenth verse 5. The fifth thing to be considered of and that will fall out before the taking up of the Saints is the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdome Math. 24 14. The Lord Jesus speaking to his Disciples in answer to the three questions propounded by them to him in the third verse begins with the first telling them what should fall out in after times and amongst other things tells them That this Gospel of the Kingdome shall be preached in all the world for a witnâ—sse unto all Nations and then shall the end come This Gospel of the Kingdome was begun to be preached by the Lord Jesus himself as the said Evangelist Mathewâ—ath recorded in the 4. chapter 23. And Iesus went about all Galilee teaching in their Synagâ—gues and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdome also in Mathew 9. 35. you have it there recorded again of his so doing And this he doth not onely make a part of his own work but also when he sends forth his twelve Apostles he commands them saying As ye gâ—e preach saying the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand Mathew 10. 7. Which also Phillip one of the seven Deacons preacheth up as appeares in Acts 8. 12. And that chosen vessell of the Lord the Apostle Paul he declares and preacheth the same And now behold I know that yee all among whâ—m I have gone preaching the Kingdome of God shall see my face no more Act. 20. 25. Yea the last words and actions that are recorded of him in the 28. Acts 30 and 31 verses doth declare as much the words are these And Paul dwelt two whâ—le years in his own hired house and received all that came in unto him preaching the Kingdome of God and teaching those things which concern the Lord Iesus Christ with all confidence no man forbidding him Now this Gospel of the Kingdome ceased to be preached after the falling away of the Churches and hath continued so for many Ages but the time drawing nigh of the coming of that Kingdome it is begun to be held forth again and must be preached in all Nations before that time come which was not done in the primative times by reason a great part of the now known world was not then discovered
according to what we have already declared from the mouth of the Lord Jesus Math. 24 14. Sixthly When the Gospel or glad tidings of the Kingdome is begun to be preached in the last Age of the world which is a sign of the near approach of that Kingdome then will follow the calling of the two Tribes of Iudah and Benjamin to Ierusalem See what the Lord declares by the Prophet Ieremy concerning this Thus saith the Lord behold I will bring again the Captivity of Jacobs Tents and have mercy on his dwelling Places And the City shall be builded upon her own heaps and the Pallace shall remain after the manner 〈◊〉 So that comparing the latter part of the verse with the former part it will plainly appear that by Iacobs Tents cannot be meant the whole twelve Tribes or the ten Tribes but the two Tribes onely not but that there may be some of every Tribe amongst the two Tribes as there was some did cleave to the house of David when it s said the ten Tribes fell away for these here that shall be brought back are said to be first brought back and then the City is built which bringing back of the ten Trâ—bes wâ—â—l not be compleated till aâ—ter the Saints are taken up when as before that time both Ierusalem and the Temple will be built and Sacrifices offered of which we shall have â—ccasion to inlarge upon hereafter Consider of â—nother Prophesie concerning this in the 12 Zachâ—râ— 6 7 In that day I will make the Governours of Judâ—h likâ— a haâ—th oâ— fiâ—e among the wâ—od and like a torch of 〈…〉 shall devour all the people round about on the 〈…〉 and on the left And Jerusalem shall be inhabited 〈…〉 own place even in Jerusalem The Lord also shall save the Tâ—nâ—s of Judah first Seventhly After the calling of the two Tribes for to build and inhabite Ierusalem the next remarkable thing that will in those dayes fall out to be is the rising or manifesting of the Beast and ten Hornes or Kings mentioned by the Apostle Iohn in his 17. Chapter of the Revelations In which these following particulers will be worthy of our consideration in the opening of them 1. Who the Beast is and secondly Who the ten Kings are 2. The place from whence they and he will arise 3. What they and he are to doe when risen viz. First before the Saints are taken up and secondly after they are taken up 4. His reign viz. how long time 5. His ruine and how farre they suffer in it For the first the Beast who he is He is that Beast that was shewn to the Apostle Iohn which he describes in his 17. Chapter of the Revelations and 3. verse having seven heads and ten hornes which compared with other Scriptures we shall find him to have several titles or denominations 〈◊〉 which he is discovered viz. he is called the little Horn Dan. 7 8. The vile Person Dan. 11. 21. The Man of Sin 2 Thes. 2. 3. In Iohns description befoâ—e quoted he hath seven Heads as well as ten Hornes Now that â—e may know who or â—hat these seven heads are if we coâ—sider well of the Angels interpretation to Iohn Chap. 17 10. and upon search of other Scriptures we shall find that they are seven Governments that should be Supream in the severall Ages of the world from the dayes of Noah after the Floud till the rise of the ten Hornes Five of which Heads or Governments had been before Iohn saw this Vision the sixth was then in being and is now towards its period and the seventh was not then come but is now arising The first Head or Government was the Assyrian and Babylonian Monarchy joyned under one head viz. Nimrod compare the Writings of Moses concerning this Person Government and Country with that of the Prophet Esay and consider how they prove our assertion Moses giving us some account of Noahs Posterity and speaking of that of his Son Ham saith Ham begat Cush and Cush begat Nimrod He began to be a mighty one in the Earth He was a mighty Hunter before the Lord Wherefore it is said even as Nimrod the mighty Hunter before the Lord And the beginning of his Kingdome was Babell and Eresh and Achad and Caâ—neh in the Land of Shinar Out of that Land went forth Ashur and builded Niniveh and the City Reho both and Calah Also the same Moses speaketh farther concerning Noahs Posterity And the whole earth was of one language and of one speech And it came to passe as they journeyed from the East that they found a Plain in the Land of Shinar and they dwelt there Now take what Esay writeth concerning this Bâ—hold the Land of the Caldeans this People was not till the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the Wilderness They set up the Towers thereof thâ—y raised up the Pallaces thereof and he brought it to ruine So that Moses gives us to understand thus much that Nimrod was the first mighty One upon the earth whose â—â—â—gdome was Babell and Ashur went out from thence and built Niniveh which Ashur could be no other then this Nimrod for when he came or journeyed out of the East he came into the Land of Shinar and dwelt there which Land of Shinar must needs be Caldea Babell being built in it as we have now related out of Moses which the Prophet Esay calls Câ—ldea as you have his words also In brief thus much Nimrod an Assyrian by birth or habitation or both comes into Shinar or Caldea sets up his Kingdome builds Babell his chief Seat and other Cities afterwards goeth out thence into Assyria again and builds Niniveh and other Cities which is the ground of our stiling him by the title of the Assyâ—ian and Babylonian Monarch And he is the first after the Floud that the Scripture mentioneth but of his continuance or length of his raign it is silent Some Historians doe give some account thereof but with diversity of Opinions concerning it therefore leave the curious therein to search them The second Head is the Assyrian alone under another Family the Line of Nimrod being extinct in Sardanapulus as Sir Walter Rawleigh in his History of the World the first Impression the first part folio 482. doth at large relate whose first King that the Scripture mentioneth was Pull or Phull by whom and Tiglath Pilessar his Successor if not Son the two Tribes and half were first carried away captive See a proof for this out of the Scripture in the 1 Chron. 5. 26. And the God of Israel stirred up the Spirit of Pull King of Assyria and the Spirit of Tiglath-Pilnesar King of Assyria and he carried them away even the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half Tribe of Manassah and brought them unto Halath and Habor and Hara and to the River Gosâ—n unto this day By whom also the Syrians the great oppressors of Israel in several
part thereof to Niniveh and not to Babylon though much the nearer not daring to trust to Mâ—rodash as having had some inckling of his Ambition if not of his Treason then a hatching as is supposed and within a short time after Tobit saith five and fifty dayes chap. 1. 21. is slain by two of his Sons the reason supposed is that they being the Eldest were disinherited by their Father and the younger Brother appointed to be his Successor which they could not prevent with their Paracide and Asâ—rhaddon being but weak in himself though strong in Friends and Souldiers for he held Merodâ—sh hard to it all his dayes which was eleven yeares he supposeth it no difficulter a peice of work to gain the Kingdome of Babylon unto himself then Pull found who joyned with Arbacâ—s the Median to unthrone Sardanapulus the last of Nimrods Race whose Posterity became eminent afterwards especially Sennacherib who is called the great King of Assyria 2 Kings 18. 19. And therefore upon Sennacheribs death breaks out into open Rebellion and stiles himself King of Babylon and is so called in Scripture 2 Kings 20. 12. Whose Posterity is not spoken of in Sacred Writ till Nebuchadnessar But our afore quoted Author faith his Son Ben Merodach raigned after him and then Nebulassar his Son the last year of whose raign was the third year of Iehoiakim King of Iudah Dan. 1. 1. For the Prophet Ieremy in his 25. chap. 1. saith that the first yeer of Nebuchadnessar's raign was the fourth year of Iehoiakim's raign which may seem to be some contradiction in the Prophets but both Scripture and History will help us to clear this for it was the usuall custome of those Eastern Kings to appoint their Successors in their life time and to admit them to have a share in the managing of the Affaires of the Kingdome as David doth Solomon Vzâ—iah or Azariah doth Iotham and Iehoiakim doth his Son which latter seemes something difficult to be apprehended at the first view and therefore shall clear it before we passe any farther Iehoiakim the Son of Iosiah being made King in the room of Iehoahaz by Pharaâ—h Necho raigneth eleven yeares and is bound to be carried captive to Babylon but is slain and had the buriall of an Asse according to Ieremies Prophesie chap. 22 18 19. and his Son Iehoiakim reigneth in his stead who was eight yeares old when he began to raign and raigned three months in Ierusalem 2 Chron 36. 4 5 6 7 8 9. And in the 2 Kings 24. 8. it is said that Iehoiakim was eighteen yeares old when he began to raign and reigned three months in Ierusalem so that to reconcile these two places it doth appear that Iâ—hoiakim the Son was but eight yeeres old when he began to raign with his Father and reigned with him ten yeares and he was eighteen yeares old when he began to reign alone and reigned three months So that although the Scripture doth not so fully clear it to us that Nebuchadnessar was the great Grand-child of Merodash Baladan King of Babylon yet the two Prophets Daniel and Ieremy cannot be reconciled without admitting Nebuchadnessar to reign some time with his Predecessor one year at the least besides the Scriptures doe mention some distance of time between the first year of Merodash and the first year of Nebuchadnessar for Hezekiah reigned about fifteen yeares after the death of Sennacherib Manasseh reigned fifty five yeares Ammon two yeares Iosiah thirty one yeares and in the fourth year of Iehoiakim doth Nebuchadnessar begin to raign Ieremy 25 1. So that there iâ— about 107. yeares which must â—â—eds admit of some Successors to Merodash before Nebuchadnessar Object But how comes it to passe that we have no more concerning the Kings of Babylon from Merodash's time till Nebuchadnessar or the last year of his Predecessor Answ. Merodash had but laid the foundation of his Kingdome in the fifteenth year of Hezekiah and Sir Walter Rawleigh saith that he had eleven yeares contention with Asarhaddon even till his death which gave Merodash a little better assurance of what he then had and some hopes to inlarge his Dominion especially towards Assyria As for Syria he had no fear from thence having as may be apprehended made a League with Hezekiah and therefore did chuse rather to inlarge his Dominion Eastward and Northward agreeable to what the Prophet Ezekiel had prophesied though not upon that account where the Prophet speakes concerning the destruction of Ashur and other Nations by the Babylonians Ezek. 32. 22. to the 31 verse And for what the other two Successors of Merodash did seeing the Scripture is silent and Historians speak but little onely their taking the great City Niniveh and bringing the whole Dominion of Assyria under the Cald an or Babylonian yoak which was not accomplished in or near 100. yeares time we shall treat concerning him whom the Scripture doth mention that is Nebuchadnessar or as he is called in some places of the Scriptures Nebuchadressar The first year of whose raign was the fourth year of Iehoiakim King of Iudah as we have formerly mentioned in which year he smiteth the Army of Pharaoh Necho King of Aegypt by the River Perah or Euphrates in Carchemish Ierem. 46 2. In the second year of his raign he hath a dream which he forgets and Daniel declares to him with the interpretation thereof Daniel 2. the whole chapter About his seventh year he takes Iehoiakim and binds him to carry him to Babell at which time or a little before he began the famous seige of Tyrus which lasted thirteen yeares but causeth him to be slain and gives him the burial of an Asse according to the Prophet Ieremies prophesie for his burning of the Roll Ierem. 22 18 19. compared with the 36. chapter 29 30. And for his Son Iehoiakim he raigned but three months alone and was carried captive to Babylon with his Mother as the same Prophet prophesied chap. 22 24 25 26. compared with 2 Kings 24. 15 which was done in the eighth year of Nebuchadnessar's raign verse 12. Who set up Zedekias his Uncle King in his room who about the nineteenth year of his raign which was the eleventh year of Zedekias raign takes Ierusalem and the King and destroyes the City and the Temple and carries the remnant of them that escaped the sword captive to Babylon 2 Kings 25. About which time the famous City oâ—Tyrus was taken also by him after which he destroyed Edem and the Zydonians and several other Nations according to Ezâ—kiels prophesie chap. 32. 17. to the end In the three and twentieth year of his raign Nebusaradon the Captain of his Guard comes up to Ierusalem again and carries away 745. Iewes captive Ierem. 52. 30. After which when be hath subdued all the Nations about him he sets up his golden Image for all People Nations and Languages to fall down and worship it Daniel 3. 7. Which when Shadrech Meshach and Abednego refuse so
to do they are cast into the hot fiery Furnace verse 21. and delivered from the danger thereof verse 25. 27. After which he destroyes Aegypt as Sir Walter Rawleigh saith but the Scripture is silent as to the time of the destruction of that rich Country onely Ezekiel in his 29 chapter 17. saith in the twenty seven year the Word of the Lord came to him but whether it were the twenty seven year of his Captivity or of Iehoiakim's Captivity or of Nebuchadnâ—ssars raign is questionable however so it was that Aegypt was destroyed according to the prophesies of Ezekiel and Ieremy chap. 44 30. and chap. 43. 8. to the end Afterwards Daniel tells him the interpretation of his dream concerning the Tree Dan. 4 19 to the 28. and about a year after the same is fulfilled for his not bearkening to the Counsell of the Prophet and is cast out for seven yeares which is towards the end of his raign for neither Scripture nor History maketh any mention of any Acts of his after his Restauration The length of whose raign was about 43. or 44. yeares for the fourth year of Iehoiakin was the first year of his raign and the thirty seventh year of Iehoiakim's Captivity is the first year of Evilmerodach King of Babylon Successor if not Son to Nebuchadnessar 2 Kings 25. 17. Evilmerodach in the first year of his raign lifteth up the head of Iehoiachin King of Iudah and brought him out of Prison the 52. Ieremy 31. to the end What other thing of note he did or how long he reigned the Scripture is altogether silent History saith he lost some part of his Dominions and lost his Successor imbroyld in a dangerous Warre against the Meades but whether Balthazar was his immediate Successor or no we cannot positively conclude from the Scriptures onely we find him the next to Evilmerodach that the Scriptures doe mention and cannot but conclude him to be of Nebuchadnessars Race because of Ieremies Prophesie chap 27. 7. where it is said All Nations shall serve him and his Son and his Sons Son untill the very time of his Land come and then many Nations and great King's shall serve themselves of him In the first year of this Balthazar Daniel sees the Vision of four Beasts chap. 7. 1. In his third year Daniel sees the Vision of the Ram and of the Hee-Goat chap. 8. 1. And in his last year the last day thereof Daniel read the hand writing on the wall and tells him the interpretation thereof chap. 5. 25 26 27 28. and verse 30. in that night was Balthazar the King of the Caldeans slain and Darius the Median took the Kingdom verse 31. Now how long these two last Successors of Nebuchadnessar reigned the Scripture doth not mention in particular onely between them two is spent either thirty and three yeares or fourty and four yeares The ground of our apprehension as to this is the seventy yeares of the Iewes Captivity which began either in the first year of Iehoiachin's Captivity or the last year of Zedekiah when the City was taken and the Temple was buâ—nt if it began at the first then the Scripture tells us that Evilmerodach King of Babylon lifted up the head of Iehoiachin and brought him out of Prison in the seven and thirtieth year of his Captivity and first year of his Raign Ierem. 52. 31. so that adding thirty and three yeares to thirty and seven and then the seventy yeares is fulfilled but if the Captivity began not till Zedekiah's death then there must be added eleven yeares more for he raigned eleven yeares after Iehoiachin was carried Captive to thirty and three yeares which is fourty and four and then Iehoiachin was carried Captive to Babylon eleven yeares before the seventy yeares began which were to be fulfilled before they were to return out of Captivity And that the seventy yeares were fulfilled at the death of Belshazar Daniel tells us that in the first year of Darius the Mede which was made King over the Realm of the Caldeans Dan. 9. 1 2 3. that after he had fasted and prayed that the Man Gabriel or Angel of the Lord revealed the same to him take his words at large And whiles I was speaking and praying and confâ—ssing my sin and the sin of my People Israel and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy Mountain of my God yea whiles I was speaking in Prayer even the Man Gabriel whom I had seen in the Vision at the beginning being caused to fly swiftly touched me about the time of the evening Oblation And he informed me and talked with me and said O Daniel I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding At the beginning of thy supplication the Commandement came forth and I am come to shew thee for thou art greatly beloved therefore understand the matter and consider the Vision Seventy weeks are determined upon thy People and upon thy holy City to finish the transgression and make an end of sinnes and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousnesse and to seal up the Vision and Prophesie and to annoint the most Holy verse 20 21 22 23 24. Whichleads us to the fourth Head the Meades and Persians The Caldean ending in Belshazar as we said before Darius the Mede being made King over the Realm of Caldea Dan. 9. 1. In the first year of whose Raign who raigned about two yeares saith Sir Walter Rawleigh Daniel by the searching of Books and by the Man Gabriel attaines to the knowledge of knowing the seventy weeks are expired that the Iewes were to be in Captivity In the first year of Cyrus the Persian the Iewes are permitted to return to their own Land and that openly by way of Proclamation 2 Chron. 36. 22 23. and Ezra 1. 1 2 3 4. Who also delivers the Vessels of the House of the Lord to Sheshbazzer the Prince of Iudah verse 7 8. And this was according to what was foretold by the Prophets concerning their seventy yeares Captivity Ier. 25. 12. and chap. 29. 10. And Cyrus to be the Man to deliver Gods People Esay 44. last and chap. 45. 1 2 3 4 13. In the third year of Cyrus Daniel sees a Vision chap. 10. 1. and talketh with one like the similitude of the Son of Man whom he calls my Lord verse 16 17. And is made acquainted by revelation what Governments should succeed in the world till the coming of the Lord Iesus to Raign on the earth chap. 11. 2. to the beginning of the 12. chapter Concerning the remainder of the yeares of Cyrus Raign how long or what he did the Scriptures are silent Onely the Apocripha mentions some obstruction in the building of the Temple during the Raign of Cyrus by his Son Cambyseâ— whom he made his Lieutenant in all his Dominions while himself followeth the Wars and this was not onely done by him during his Fathers Raign but also
during his own and that out of Naturall and politique ends The first in that he was a cruell Tyrant whose will was a law and his Flatterers told him that all things were lawfull for the Kings of Persia upon which he married two of his Sisters against the Lawes of his Kingdome And for the second he had an intention to invade Aegypt and feared least the Iewes should prove such as his Provintiall Governours had written to him under the name of Artaxerxes of Ezra 4. 7. to the 23. that the Iewes and Inhabitants of Ierusalem were a rebellious people and thaâ— it was a common Opinion that the Iewes descended of those Nations because they issued thence under Moses when they conquered Iudea and that if their City were repaired and fortified they might give some disturbance to his intended Conquest of that Country as they had done in Hâ—zekiah's dayes to Sennacherib when he went to invade Aegypt Wherefore he commanded them to be hindred in that work of the building of the Temple and City Which hindrance continued till the second year of Darius King of Persia Ezra 4. 24. the Successor of Cambyses or as the Scripture calls him Artaxerxes how he came to the Kingdome read Sir Walt. Rawleigh 3. book 4 chapter 4. paragraph who in that yeer gave order for the building of the Temple of Ierusalem at his own charge Ezra 6 7 8 9 10 11 The Iewes being incouraged unto this by the Prophets Haggai and Zacheriah Ezra 5. 1. which work was finished in the sixth year of the Raign of Darius Ezra 6. 15. though not fulâ—y because in the fourteenth verse he saith they builded and finished it according to the Commandement of Cyrus Darius and Artaxerxes Kings of Persia In the dayes of Artaxerxes the Successor if not Son of Darius in the seventh year of his Raign Ezra and his Company goe from Babylon to Ierusalem Ezra 7. 7 8 9. In the twentieth year Nehemiah obtaines leave to goe and build the walls of Ierusalem Nehem. 2. 1. who sets the King a time for his return verse 6. And in the two and thirtieth year he obtaines leave the second time to goe to Ierusalem again chap. 13. 6 Concerning what is spoken about Esther in the dayes of Ahashueresh who he was whether this King Artaxerxes or any other the Scripture is silent much might be said that he was or was not the same Person but it would be found a very difficult thing to make an agreement in severall Scriptures concerning the same Who were the succeeding Kings of Persia till the coming of Alexander the Macedonian the Scripture mentioneth not onely Daniel is shewd in a vision in the third year of Cyrus chap. 10. 1. what Kings there should be after him in Persia whose words are these And now I will shew thee the Truth Behold there shall stand up yet three Kings in Persia and the fourth shall be farre richer than they all and by his strength through his riches he shall stirre up all against the Realm of Grecia Dan. 11. 2. Now if we may give credit to Historians concerning whom this last rich King was they say he was Darius the Son of Arsames who was subdued by Alexander the Grecian or Macedonian which brings us to the fifth Head or Monarchy The fifth Head was the Grecian revealed to Daniel in a Vision of a He Goat or Rough Goat chap. 8. 5 21. as the Meades and Persians was a Ram with two hornes Dan. 8 3. 20. What this Grecian did we must be beholding to Historians for our knowledge the Scriptures Canonicall not mentioning any the Apocripha but a little that which is may be found in the first book of the Maccabees chap. 1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 verses which as he did much in regard he came to be a third of Daniels Beasts or Monarchies therefore it is said he carried his Victories with wings who from a small Kingdome extended it to a very great distance Eastward and Southward and Northward but withall it was but of short continuance as all violent things and motions are but twelve yeares being poysoned by the conspiracy of his Servants who stood in fear of his cruelty Upon whose death his large Dominions was divided though not presently among four of his great Captaines according to Daniels Vision chap. 8. 8 and interpretation verse 22. Iosephus names five viz. Antigonus was Lord of Asia whose Dominion being lost there his Posterity injoyed Macedon Seleucus Nicator of Babylon and the bordering Nations Lysymachus had Hellespont Cassander had Macedon whose Dominion ended with him his Sons being slain not long after his death And Ptolemy the Son of Lagus had Aegypt All which took the Titles of Kings on them in a short time onely Cassander whose Successor did take the same also though with ill successe Seleucus Nicator was the first that took the Title of King of Babylon and the bordering Nations his Son Antiochus Soter succeeds him and raignes nineteen yeares after him his Son Antiochus Theos raignes fifteen yeares his Son Seleuchus Callinicus twenty yeares and left two Sons viz. Seleucus Ceraunus who raigned three yeares and Antiochus the Great thirty six yeares who left Seleucus Philopater who raigned twelve yeares saith Eusebius seven yeares saith Iosephus and Antiochus Epiphanes which was he that commanded Swines flesh to be offered on severall Alters in the Temple at Ierusalem which caused much affliction and misery to the Iewes being a Type of that which Daniel Prophesied in his eighth chapter but cannot be the same as is apprehended by some because the Lord Jesus would not have told his Disciples by way of Prophesie what had been past but rather he told them what should be hereafter Mathew 24. 15. What the Successors of Alexanders Captaines did who had divided his large Dominions among themselves History doth declare This may be noted concerning them which is Sir Walter Rawleigs observation of them f. 555. that the Successors of Ptolemey were the first that made a League with the Romans and the last that were subdued by them Which brings us to the sixth Head Government or Monarchy viz. the Romans whose chief City was Rome which was built in or about the year of the world 3280. and after the building of the Temple of Salomon 287. and before the birth of our Lord Christ 684. whose greatnesse began to appear out of its infancy in the time of Pyrrus King of Epirus Successor to Cassander in half the Kingdome of Macedon taken from Cassanders Children by him and Lysimachus King of Thracia he being a powerfull Prince viz. Pyrrhus and they viz. the Romans but few yeares before freed themselves from the Gaules who had taken all from them yea Rome it self the Capitoll excepted and drove him out of Italy in or about 487. yeares after Rome was built and about 107. yeares after they take the whole Kingdome of Macedon with Perseus the last King thereof and
head City of that Empire So that the decay of one of these Iron legs of the Image viz. the Roman Empire makes way for the other Iron leg upon which the whole Body is supported which is the seventh Head or King in Iohns Revelation chap 17. 10. And there are seven Kings and they are seven Kings saith the Geneva Translation five are fallen one is and the other is not yet come and when he cometh he must continue a short space which compared with the 11. Daniel 20. and you shall find him there stiled a Raiser of Taxes Then shall stand up in his Estate a Raiser of Taxes in the Glory of the Kingdome but within few dayes he shall be destroyed neither in anger nor in battel Object In the 2. Daniel 33. verse the two Iron legs in the Vision are called but one Kingdome in the interpretation verse 40. Answ. That many times the Lord is pleased in the Visions of the Prophets to wrap up many things in one As for instance in the 8. Daniel in the Vision of the Rough Goat upon whose fall four Hornes or Kingdomes arise and out of them came forth a little Horn which waxed exceeding great c. verse 8 9 10 11 12. which compared with the interpretation thereof verse 22 23 24 25. it will evidently appear that this little Horn must be the same with the vile Person Man of Sin and Beast that Iohn speaks of in the 17. Revelations because his power is mighty but not by his own power he getting the Dominion by flattery Dan. 11. 21 And he shall stand up against the Prince of Princes which Antiochus never did as some say who imagine him to be this little Horn and be broken without hands which cannot have relation to his Person onely but to his Power also which Antiochus power was not though he himself were consumed by Wormes But this vile Person little Horn Man of Sin or Beast his Army is destroyed and himself taken alive and cast into a Lake of fire Revel. 19 19 20 21. Which if so then is not onely the fourth Kingdome left out in the 2. Dan. 40. but also that Raiser of Taxes Daniel 11. 20. Another instance in the 11. Daniel in that Vision he having spoken of the Persian and Grecian Dominion and the ruine of the last and rise of the four Kingdomes out of it there is declared what shall fall out between the two Dominions of the North and the South viz. the Seleucides and Ptolomeys but nothing at all of the fourth Beast or Kingdom and sixth Head or Kingdome in Iohns Revelation And then comes to mention the Successor of the King of the North whom he calls a Raiser of Taxes verse 20. where it is said Then shall stand up in his Estate a Raiser of Taxes in the glory of the Kingdome but within few dayes he shall be destroyed neither in anger or in Battell and verse the 21. And in his Estate shall stand up a vile Person c. One instance more in the 7. Daniel where the Prophet sees the Vision of four Monarchies typified by four Beasts and the fourth Beast to have ten Hornes verse 7. where is left out the Raiser of Taxes that is to arise before the ten Hornes as will plainly appear in the 17 chapter of Iohn's Revelations The seventh Head must arise before the Beast and the ten Hornes are to have power one hour with the Beast verse 12. So that these three instances doe make it evidently appear that the Lord in His Visions to his Prophet doth not at one time shew all things that should be or fall out but in some more in some lesse as we see here in these instances in the first is left out the fourth Kingdome or sixth Head and the Raiser of Taxes or seventh Head In the second is left out the fourth Kingdom or sixth Head onely And in the last is left out the Raiser of Taxes or seventh Head onely Now concerning this seventh Head in Iohns Revelations chapter 17. according to the Geneva Translation it is rendred thus Here is the mind that hath Wisdome the seven Heads are seven Mountaines whereon the Woman sitteth they are also seven Kings verse 10. Five are fallen and one is and another is not yet come and when he cometh he must continue a short space and verse 11. And the Beast that was and is not is even the eighth and is one of the seven and shall goe into destruction which compared with the 11. Daniel 20 21. we shall find that the Raiser of Taxes which by what we have already proved â—ust needs be this seventh Head doth arise the next before the vile Person Then shall stand up in his place in the Glory of the Kingdome c. yet he viz. the vile Person shall come to his end and none shall help him verse 45. Object But may we not question the Geneva Translation as to this particular seeing all our common Translations render it in another sense as thus And there are seven Kings not They are seven Kings Answ. We doe not onely find it in our English Bibles of the Geneva Translation and that of Tindals Translation but also the Italian and ancient French Bibles printed near one hundred yeares since at Lyâ—ns however the current of the Scriptures will clear it to be so as that Mountaines doe imply Persons and Powers or Persons in power look upon and consider well of that expression of the Prophet Ieremy in his 51. chapter 25. Behold I am against thee O destroying Mountain saith the Lord speaking of Babylon in the foregoing verse which destroyeth all the Earth and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee and roll the down from the Rocks and will make thee a burnt Mountain Also that of the Prophet Zachery in his 4. chapter 7. Who art thou O great Mountain speaking of the Persian Monarch before Zerubbabell thou shalt become a Plain And if that we should say that this seventh Head is now arising for we have already shewed that the sixth Head is so farre decayed that there is little of it now appeares in comparison of what it was I hope we should not be found to be in an error And we shall lay down some grounds for what we hope or in this thing should seem to maintain 1. First we are to observe that the rise of one Head was the ruine of that which was before it or the decay of the one made way for the rise of the other as we have already proved 2. That this seventh Head or Government according to Daniels Prophesie chap. 11. 20. is stiled a Raiser of Taxes that is a Government which is upheld by Taxes not a Government that hath a vast Treasure hoorded up as was in the Capitall at Rome nor that hath a great Revenue of Lands or Tribute as Kingly and Monarchicall Governments in these Ages have and in particular this Nation had when under such a Government but
it is a Government that is wholly supported and upheld by Taxes as this Nation wherein we live is and this Nation in respect of Government would not be able to subsist were it not for this supportation for now here is no Treasure to be found nor Revenue left to defray the ordinary Charges incident thereunto much lesse for the maintenance of an Army in the three quondam Kingdomes and a Navy near ten times as great as was ordinarily maintained under the Royall Government Object But was not Augustus Cesar this Person or Government which did subsist in this way for the Evangelist Luke in his 2. chapter 1. saith And it came to passe in those dayes that there came a Decree from Augustus Cesar that all the world should be taxed Answ. It could not be for these Reasons First that Government by Taxes must immediately precede the vile Person and that Government of Augustus was that which Iohn calls the sixth Head five are fallen one is which is this under which Iohn lived and was banished by into the Isle of Patmos and the other is not yet come which then was not and is that we now write of that of Taxes Secondly that Government of Augustus continued some hundred of yeares in its height and was many ages in declining this Government by Taxes shall continue a short space comparatively with the other So that we may safely conclude that this Government which is to be supported by Taxes cannot properly be said to have been in any Nation that was under any of the other six Heads or Governments if not in this Common-wealth of England Scotland and Ireland 3. Ground of our apprehending that the seventh Head is arising and that among us which is to be maintained by Taxes is the Liberty of Conscience or Freedome to exercise that knowledge which is communicated to any in spirituall things agreeable to the Word of God or not repugnant to it that is granted here whereby the Gospel of the Kingdome or Personall Raign of Christ on Earth may be freely preached among us and so shall passe into all the world afterwards the Sword making way for this Liberty which Freedome or Liberty is granted in no Nation especially upon that account as here In France there is some tolleration but of necessity those that they call Protestants there being a considerable powerful party and so not easily to be suppressed In the United Provinces the Liberty granted proves very advantaglous to them by drawing others that cannot have that liberty in their own Country thither who bring with them Estates but whether poor or rich they doe contribute little or much towards the charge of maintaining them in their civill Liberties But in England it is otherwise the Liberty that is granted and enjoyed is meerly upon the account that light is broke forth and since this Liberty hath been granted and upon this account all eyes that are not wilfully shut from beholding the same have seen that no Nation hath prospered or hath had the like successe that we have had against all our Enemies in so much that the neighbour Nations stand in admiration at it if not tremble to God onely be all the Glory as they have good cause if at any time they shall combine against us for the seventh Head must have as large Dominions as any if not as all the precedent had Now concerning the Lords work which he will doe under this seventh Head we shall find it to be twofold and that in a way of Mercy as he permitted a twofold work to be done under the sixth Head in a way of affliction or persecution The first of which under the sixth Head was the ten persecutions of the Saints which could not be the ten Hornes as some have imagined and the Whore of Rome to be the Beast in the first three hundred yeares after Christ who then suffered under the litterall Babylonish Whore in respect of Worship because they would not sacrifice to Idols whose judgement viz. the litterall Babylonish Whore in respect of Worship was shewn to Iohn in his 17. Revelations 1 2. And that by the rise of another Whore or whorish or false Worship in the 3. verse Iohn being carried by the Spirit into the wildernesse where he saw a Woman that sat upon a skarlet coloured Beast full of names of blasphemy having seven Heads and ten Hornes Whose rise of Worship viz. the spirituall Babylonish or Romish is and hath been the ruine of the first and her practise is by her Emissaries in respect of doctrine to cry down all litterall Sacrifices as killing of Beasts and Fowles c. onâ—ly a spirituall Sacrifice that they bring instead there of by offering up their Wafer God so called in the hands of their Priests by whom also that absurd doctrine and bloudy to those poor Saints in the Marian dayes that would not believe a lie of Transubstantiation was brought in In opposing of her spirituall whorish Worship how many Saints since her rise hath she made the Martyrs of Jesus being drunken with their bloud at which the Apostle Iohn wondred with great admiration verse 6. And this was the second work that should be brought to passe under the sixth Head in respect of affliction or persecution which power of hers in respect of Worship will continue in the time of the seventh Head for she is to sit upon the Beast with seven Heads and ten Hornes so that she is to have a being after the rise of the ten Hornes who arise not till the seventh Head hath raigned and she shall afterwards be destroyed by them in respect of place or Seat viz. Rome it self if not of worship also verse 16 17 18. Now the Lords work that is to be done under this seventh Head is as we said twofold First the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdome Math. 24. 14. Secondly the calling home of the Iewes into their own Land viz. the two Tribes Iudah and Benjamiâ— to build the City of Ierusalem and the Temple Object Concerning the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdome some it may be will say it hath been preached already in the dayes of the Apostles who went about into all parts of the world according to their Masters Commission in Math. 28. Goe ye into all the world preach the Gospel to every Creature c. and the Apostle Paul in the 10. Romans 18. saith Their sound went into all the Earth which say some is the Gospel spoken of in the 16. verse of that chapter but they have not all obeyed the Gospel Answ. To which we answer That the Gospel of the Kingdome could not possibly have been preached in all the earth in the Apostles time for if it had so been the end of it had been presently that is it would not have been any more preached 2. It could not have been so preached then because a large part of the now known world was not then known or discovered nor in
his royal Seats of which more hereafter Secondly concerning the place from whence the Beast and ten Kings are to arise it will evidently appear to be out of the Dominion that the seventh Head is to have though Daniel seemeth to say that they shall arise out of the sixth Head or fourth Beast in his 7. chapter 23 24 yet compared with other Scriptures it will plainly appear that they will arise out of the seventh Head see the 17. Revelations 11 12. and Daniel 11. 21. but they must arise out of that part of the Dominion that was under the sixth Head or Romane Monarchy in Iohns time for the Dominion of the seventh Head will be of a farre larger extent than ever the sixth was in Iohns dayes in regard of that large part of the world that was unknown and undiscovered in those dayes but now is and shall be brought under the power and government of the seventh Head And in particular the Beast that was and is not which is the Beast compleat with seven Heads and ten Hornes and which yet shall be he is the eight and is of the seven his rise will be in that part of the world that it was at the first viz. in Assyria and in that part thereof which was called Caldea whose chief City shall be Babylon as it was at the first for Iohn saith The Beast that thou sawest was and is not and shall ascend out of the bottomlesse Pit chap. 17. 8. Not that it was then so made manifest or known for Iohn saw not things as they then were apparent to the world but what should be in its time nor that it should be made manifest when the Beast did arise but what it should be afterwards So that his rise is out of that part of the world that should in its time be made manifest to be the bottomlesse Pit out of which Pit the Locusts shall arise that shall plague or sting the Inhabitants of the Earth which have not the Seal of God in their foreheads Revel. 9. 3 4. and in which place the Devill shall be chained up for a thousand yeares Revel. 20. 1 2 3. Now that the bottomlesse Pit shall be in Caldea see what the same Apostle Iohn heard as concerning Babylon what it should be viz The habitation of Devils and the hold of every foul Spirit and a cage of every unclean and hatefull Bird Revel. 18. 2. which compared with the 13. Isaiah 19 20. 21 22. and chap. 14. 22 23. you will find how they agree in their Prophesies and Visions concerning the desolation and destruction of that place I shall to conclude as concerning the bottomlesse Pit which shall be in Caldea and chiefly in Babylon relate a little at large what the Prophet Ieremy hath foretold concerning it whose words are these Therefore the wild Beasts of the Desert with the wild Beasts of the Islands shall dwell there and the Owles shall dwell therein and it shall be no more inhabited for ever neither shall it be dwelt in from Generation to Generation As God overthrew Sodome and Gomorha and the neighbor Cities thereof saith the Lord so shall no man abide there neither shall any son of man dwell therein The third thing to be considered of is what the ten Horns and Beast will doe before and after the taking up of the Saints First before the taking up of the Saints the ten Hornes will arise and hate the Whore and make her desolate c. Revel. 17. 16. and this Whore or Woman is that great City which raigneth over the Kings of the Earth verse 18. viz. in that time that Iohn saw the Vision and wrote this Book and God hath put into their hearts to fulfill his will and to agree with one consent to give their Kingdome unto the Beast untill the words of God be fulfilled verse 17. So that they must first hate the Whore and destroy her before they give up their power unto the Beast Secondly As to the Beast what he will doe First Before the Saints are taken up we find much in the 21. chapter of Daniels Prophesie after his rise As that Armes shall be overthrown with a floud before him and shall be broken and also the Prince of the Covenant or chief of those who had joyned in a League to oppose him and after the League made with him he having obtained his power and dominion at the first by flatteries he shall work deceitfully for he shall come up and overcome with a small people in regard the Nations had no thoughts of a Warre a League being lately made before between them and he shall enter into the quiet and plentifull Province that is into the Land of Canaan whose barrennesse shall then be healed as severall of the Prophets have foretold Esay 32. 15. and in his 51. chapter 3. he faith For the Lord shall comfort Sion he will comfort all her wast places and he will make her Wildernesse like Eden and her Desert like the Garden of the Lord Ioy and gladnesse shall be found therein thanksgiving and the voyce of melody Also the 30. Ieremiah 17. and chap. 33. 6. to the 14. verse Ezekiel 38. 12. and Ioell 2. 19 22 23 24. and he shall doe that which his Fathers have not done nor his Fathers Fathers he shall divide among them the prey and the spoil and the substance a thing which his Fathers nor none of his Predecessors ever did for they took all from the people of the Iewes never divided any among them which he shall doe yea he shall forecast his devises against the strong holds even for a time verse 24. although at that time he doth doe much for them onely to put them into a secure condition In the 25. and 26. verses it is said he shall make warre with the King of the South the Aegyptdan Prince and he shall be betrayed to the vile Person by those that feed of the Portion of his meat but afterwards they shall be reconciled seemingly for they shall talk of deceit or speak lies at one Table verse 27. and both set their hearts to doe mischief but it shall not avail for yet the end shall be at the time appointed and verse 28. He shall return into his own Land with great substance or Riches and his heart shall be against the holy Covenant or people of the Iowes with whom he had before made a League and divided his spoll among them so shall he doe and return to his own Land that is his evill thoughts will then begin to work against them according to Ezâ—kiels Prophesie in his 38. chapter 10 11 13. for this Gog or Prince of Meshech and Tuball will evidently appear to be be this vile Person or Iohns Beast if we compare Ezok. 38. 18. to the 23. and 39. chapter 17 18 19 20 with the 19. Revel. 17 18. And at the time appointed he shall return and come toward the South at which return of