helpers of God and the King therefore ye sonnes of men if ye would avoid the curse and inherit the blessing leave Neutrality and shew your selves men for God and the King especially you the inhabitants of the Metropolitan city Meroz Thus I have finished the literall sense The mysticall sense concerneth the King of kings whom we must admit to raign over us to whom we must pay Tribute in releiving his members to give honour to the King of kings Christ Jesus as supreame to yeild obedience to his Commandements to abhorre Neutrality to be zealous and repent of Lukewarmnesse to shake off the yoke of sinne and to receive upon us the yoke of Christ. And thus much of the crimes laid to the charge of these servants Now I come to their doome Bring them and slay them before me The iust reward of a Traitor is death as appeares in the examples of Ioab and Shimei 1 King 2. Thou knowest what Joab the son of Zerviah did to me Some say in revealing his letters about Uriah or rather in threatning to turne the hearts of his people from him saying As the Lord liveth not one shall stay with thee yet for this David on his death-bed chargeth his sonne to bring his hoary head with sorrow to the Grave So likewise Shimei who cursed David with a bitter curse If these were sons of death that threatned and reviled the King how much more such as plot mischief against him and doe steale away like Absolom the hearts of the kings subjects from him Bring them and slay them and the modus patiendi Before me for the greater shame and example to others that all Israel may heare and feare and doe no more so wickedly Let us feare the destruction from God and the king and yeild such subjection as belongs unto them both that we may flie from the wrath of the king here and the wrath of Jesus Christ by whom kings raign hereafter To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory for ever and ever AMEN FINIS THE GREAT ANTICHRIST 2 TIM 3. 1 2 3 4 5. Know this that in the last dayes shall come perillous times c. By J. V. Prisoner Printed in the Yeare of our Lord 1643. THE GREAT ANTICHRIST 2 TIM 3. 1 2 3 4 5. 1. Know this that in the last dayes shall come perillous times 2. For men shall be lovers of their owne selves covetous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to parents unthankfull unholy 3. Without naturall affection truce-breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good 4. Trayterous heady high minded lovers of pleasure more then lovers of God 5. Having a forme of godlinesse but denying the power thereof from such turne away IN the last dayes the Scripture foretells the coming continuance of The Antichrist the great Antichrist the man of sin whose members were many petite Antichrists that is the forerunning hereticks for in them the mystery of iniquity wrought in Saint Pauls time who said Ye know what withholdeth that he should he revaeled in his time that is the Roman Ethnick Empire which when it was removed then came in that Antichrist The Persians succeeded the Chaldeans the Grecians subdued the Persians the Romans followed the Grecians and after the Roman Monarchy ceased in Augustulus the Hesperian Caesar the Starre Absynthites that fell from Heaven about the yeare 666. Constans the Emperour gave the government of the City of Rome to the Pope Then was Antichrist the bestia bicornis the beast with two hornes his Ecclesiasticall and Temporall power whereas before he had onely the Spirituall power to bee Universalis Papa supreame over all so then Antichrist hath continued above a thousand yeares by consent of the foresaid writers Yet Andreas and Arethas upon the Apocalyps with other Fathers seeme to hold that Antichrist shall continue but three yeares and a halfe which is true in a sense for his three last yeares shall be most grievous to the persecuted Saints such tribulation as never was in mockings scourging bonds imprisonments warre bloodshed and he shall not suffer their bodies to be buryed These are the perillous times spoken of in this Text therefore have I made so large a preface to it wherein observe first a precept to get knowledge know this secondly the subject this in generall but in particular it is a prophecy of the perills of the last times thirdly the adjunct in the last dayes fourthly the causes 1. Opinions 2 ly Vices of men here particularized 1. For the first observe in generall Knowledge is a precious thing The preacher was wise and still taught the people Knowledge all men naturally desire to know knowledge of the Ancients is commended in Scripture David cites a Proverbe of the Ancients As saith the Proverb of the Ancient of the first that made it Wickednesse shall go forth from the wicked His sinne goeth forth from him willingly and his punishment goes after it his ruine comes from himselfe S Paul thrice cites the Poets which were Prophets among the Heathen First against Idolatry Acts 17. Wee are his off-spring therefore the Godhead is not like the worke of mans hand that hath neither reason sense or life Secondly against Atheisme denying the immorality of the Soule 1 Cor. 15. Let us eate and drinke for tomorrow wee shall dye be not deceived evill communication corrupts good manners Thirdly against Lying and Epicurisme Titus 1. the Cretians are alwayes lyers evill beasts slow bellyes Three mayne articles are confirmed by humane learning but there are in those dayes ignorant sectaries that oppose all learning pretending inspiration by the Holy Ghost as the Gnostikes of old yet it was the commendation of Timothy that of a child he knew the holy letters But why should I trouble your eares with invectives against r these I leave them to meditate on three Proverbs A wise man contending with a foole whether be rage or laugh he hath no rest A foole is wiser in his owne conceit then seven men that can render a reason Bray a foole in a morter and his foolishnesse will not depart from him 2. I proceed to the subject which is a prophecy of perillous times This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your eares animus meminisse horret My heart trembleth at this and is removed out of his place but you must know it and therfore I must speake it these are the perillous times or difficult all men are in such straits that they know not how to deliver themselves as Israel betweene the red Sea and the Aegyptians secondly hard times wherein men want food to eate and rayment to put on all men cry out O tempora O mores oh hard times and evill conditions of men Wee have heard of Germany and Ireland and would not believe now wee see and feele thirdly cruell times the Son
and dayly Ministers thirdly jealousie or distrust in the King because he preferred not them as well as others lesse deserving in their opinion so the City Jerusalem hated Christ without a cause and would not have him reigne over them out of envy and causlesse jealousies Eighthly an exaction of account of his domestick Servants and Officers and as the manner of Kings is rewards the faithfull and industrious in his service and punisheth the disloyall after the subduing of the Rebells he makes one governor of ten fortified Cities another over five who had no rule at all before a great encouragement to his faithfull servants in what low degree soever that feare God and honour his sacred Majesty so Christ the great King at the great day will call every man to give an account of the gifts bestowed on him how they are improved Ninthly the legall processe against his dayly Servants and Citizens and this is contained in my Text wherein first I shall speake of their persons secondly their crimes thirdly their doome bring them and slay them before mee amplified by modus patiendi manner of suffering before mee 1. The Delinquents are of two sorts Domestick Servants or Great Officers that deny to assist their Master against the Rebellion of the Citizens but out of avarice hide their money gotten in his service these like the wicked and slothfull servants lose their places and goods which are given to more deserving men If a King have but one of these evill Ministers it were sufferable but when many of these shall appeare and complayne that the King is a hard master an oppressour and exact our to reape where he had not sowen and to take more then his due what King can beare it If they durst not appeare in the Kings cause for feare of the rebellious Citizens why did they not give his money to the Exchangers Why did they not give the Kings due to others for his advantage Let such temporizing servants know that the King in his returne after he hath recovered and setled his Kingdome will judge them out of their owne mouth for if he were a hard master in the beginning of the Rebellion much more will he be to them of his owne house when he hath chastised the Rebells the wrath of a King is as the roaring of a Lyon Be afraid then evill servant and by seasonable submission seeke his grace and favour David the King was more grieved with Achitophels Rebellion then all the rest insomuch as he cryes out Fearefulnesse and trembling hath taken hold upon mee and horrour hath covered mee the horrour of sackcloth instead of princely robes He said Oh that I had the wing of a Dove to flye away he had the quill of a Dove wherewith he wrote this book and he wisheth but one wing for they that observe experiments write that a Dove wearyed will flie with one wing and he adds I would remove farre away wandring not knowing whither what is the cause of all this the conspiracy of Achitophel It was thou O Achitophel a man of my rank he was a privy Councellour the Kings Cousin and so in the Kings rank he was a guide to the King and of the same Religion for they tooke sweet councell together and went into the house of God with a pompous trayne This was so heynous a crime that the spirit of God by the pen of David pronounceth this fearfull imprecation against him Let death seize upon him and let him goe downe quick into Hell for he hath prophaned his covenant and oath of Allegiance to his sacred Majesty not that any private man may use such direfull imprecations yet it shews how worthy of such punishment is a servant of the King that becomes a Traytor so likewise in Psal. 41. David speakes against this Achitophel who insulted over the King in his affliction saying A thing of Beliall that is a devouring mischiefe cleaveth to him and now that he is fallen from his honour he shall never rise againe The man of his peace who did eate of his bread for Achitophel was a Courtier and had a table in Court and yet lift up his heele against his master to affront him to his face and lay in wait for him to take and destroy him But his sacred Majesty gives himselfe to prayer saying O Lord have mercy on me raise me up and I shall recompence him for though a private person may not avenge himselfe yet a King for the honour of God whose anoynted he is whose Vicegerent he is on earth and his image representing the one celestiall Monarch ought to be avenged on Rebells especially his domestick servants and officers that deale trecherously as Achitophel did to apply it mystically to Christ our King he had also one domestick servant that was a Traytor and a Devil who did eate of his bread and lift up his heele against him who was of the same rank and profession and the steward of his house and this Traytor drew away many others of Christs Disciples after him so that they were scandalized and walked no more with him Let us beware of such trecherous Hypocrisie considering the wofull end of Judas The second sort of delinquents are his Citizens his enemies that would not have him to reigne over them But who are these First such as will not give him the honour of a King to be supreame over all in all for they say the King is an ordinance of man and therefore may by man be removed their Sermons Pamphlets and Speeches are full of such and worse invectives against supremacy In 1 Pet. 2. 13. it is written Be subject to every humane Creature in the Syrian be subject to all the sonnes of men and who are these sonnes of men not all in generall but in particular The King as supreame Therefore the King is the highest of men and yet but a humane creature as it is in the Greek not a God nor a creature Angelicall Then he next commands to be subject to Judges that are sent by him for the Senators of the Grand Sanhedrim are called by him to consult of difficult matters and the King as supreame reserves to himselfe a further advise so the Emperour of whom Saint Peter speakes was supreame above the Senate and Moses who was king in Jesurun was above all the Captaines of thousands of hundreds of fiftyes of tens though the Captaines had a thousand Ministers under him as Abben Ezra expounds the place in Exod. 18. 25. and in all hard matters there was an appeale to Moses the King and Saint Pauls appeale to Caesar was justified by Festus and Agrippa And in Deut. 17. he saith If the matter be too hard for thee thou shalt go to the place which the Lord shall chuse where the high councell sate and whosoever shall not hearken to
dishonours his Father the Father riseth up against his Sonne to put him to death Brother robbs and kills his Brother This Civill Warre in the judgment of the Heathen is the punishment of rapine and fratricidy fourthly inexorable times they are for Warre when wee petition for Peace woe to me that I dwell with them that hate peace and breath out slaughters whose teeth are as speares and arrowes and their tongue a sharpe sword Lord deliver me from those foure generations of the last times Prov. 30. 11. There is a generation that curseth his Father and doth not blesse his Mother do not the Martialists of these times thinke it zeale to kill Father and Mother in this cause There is a generation pure in their owne eyes and not purged from their filthinesse Who are these but the impure Hypocrites in my Text There is a generation How lofty are their eyes and their eye-lids are lifted up are not these the proud Pharisees There is a generation their teeth are as swords that cry out Warre Warre and no Peace that devoure the poore and needy by rapine and imprisonment against reason and common rights I come now to the causes of these evill time which are two First the Opinions Secondly the Vices of men here mentioned not reduced to the head of prophanesse but Hypocrisy The Hypocrites reigne and the people are insnared Iob. 34. Antichrist is the great Hypocrite Heretickes and Sectaries of these times are limbes of Antichrist and make up Babel the Great which is the confusion of all sects First for their opinions it is said in my Text They are lovers of themselves of their owne wills and opinions for the time shall come saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 4. 3. that men will not endure sound doctrine enquire out of these two Epistles and the Epistle to the Romans and wee shall find what sound doctrine is First the doctrine of prayer for Kings 1 Tim. 2. 1. I exhort first of all that prayers be made for Kings but certaine Brownists of these times will not pray for the King but revile him in their prayers Secondly the doctrine against Women Preachers I suffer not a Woman to teach nor to usurpe authority but saith Isay Women rule over you Thirdly the doctrine of obedience to superiours but now Servants run away from their Masters without their consent and rise up against them in the publick cause doe these induce sound doctrine Fourthly the doctrine of justification by faith which Pelagians of old and the Papists now deny Fifthly sanctification Rom. 6. 1. which Gnostikes and Nicolaitans formerly now Familists and Antinomians deny Sixthly the doctrine of predestination without foresight Rom. 9. 1. which Papists and Arminians oppose Seventhly the doctrine of subjection to Kings though they be Heathens and Tyrants which Gnostikes of old and now Anabaptists and Brownists oppose they can live without a King though Saint Paul saith Rom. 13. 1. Let every soule be subject but these men thinke they have no soules because they would have no King in Israel that they may do that which is right in their owne eyes Iudges 21. ult The Christians of Rome paid tribute and custome to Nero and Trajan Tyrants but these rob the King of his due and yet they say pro Rege they say Kings of old were anoynted therefore the people was subject as to Gods ordinance but now it is not so To which I answer with the Jew no King the sonne of a King was anoynted except in case of division about the right as Solomon when Adoniah would be King but the Kingdome came by succession as every mans inheritance descends from his fathers Againe they say The Kings of Jury made no such covenant as our Kings do I answer with the same Jew the contrary appears in the example of Ioash and Iehoiada who made a covenant betweene the King and the people and though Ioash were an Apostate and a Tyrant yet the Traitours and murderers of the King were cut off by his sonne that reigned after him the King and Kings sonne will never forget to punish Traytours as appeares in the example of David on his death bed who forgot not Shimeie's curse Moreover they say a King is a humane creature and therefore may be removed by man I answer He is an ordinance humane that is taken out of Men not from Angells yet by Gods appointment he is Supreame 1 Pet. 2. 13. and all inferiours are appointed by him but the supreame powers as Kings and Emperors are appointed of God Roman 13. 1. The Jewes had a Grand Councell of seventy one Elders Numb 11. Gather to mee seventy men of the Elders and Moses who was King was above them all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Talmud Sanhed Perek 1. The lesser Sanhedrin was of two hundred and thirty sometimes they go not forth to warre nor gather the Councell of the Tribes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but by the Grand Councell of seventy one They judge not the King at all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he goeth not forth of his Palace to mourne for the dead c. in Deut. 17. thou shalt set a King over thee the King then is supreame they ride not on his Horse nor sit on his Throne to rule yet the booke of the Law is with him when he goes to warre or sits in judgment There were three companies of Iudges in Jerusalem at the doore of the mount of the House in the Court and in a paved Chamber where the Grand Councell sate of seventy and the King from whence was no appeale Deut. 17. Talmud Sanhed Perek 11. Lastly the doctrine of indifferent things they cannot indure no Ceremonies but their owne inventions yet the primitive Christians though differing in Ceremonies of meats and dayes lived in mutuall charity Rom. 14. 1. 2. The use of this is already made by the blessed Apostle Rom. 16. 17. I beseech you brethren marke them that cause divisions and scandalls to make many stumble and fall contrary to the sound doctrine yee have received and avoyd them for they serve not the Lord Iesus as they pretend but their owne bellyes what care they if they can eate and drinke and fare deliciously every day if flockes or heards of poore mens be driven away and they undone forever and by faire words they deceive the hearts of the simple not of the wise who see plainly their hypocrisie but like Absolom they steale away the hearts of the Kings well-minded Subjects by lyes But I would have you saith Saint Paul simple in evill and wise in that which is good to hold fast the poynts of sound doctrine forenamed and the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly who is Satan but he that will not endure sound doctrine as is plaine by the coherence who is all for Warre and bloud but the God of peace shall subdue these Satans and bruise