DANIEL revealing the Man of Sinne And the Morning Starre before the comming of the Day IN the Visions of this Prophet are revealed the same things contained in the Revelatiō which GOD gaue to Iesus Christ to shew vnto his Servants things which must shortly come to passe things that are not to bring to nought things that are And as he signified to his beloved Servant IOHN the Contents of the secret Booke by his Angell Even so the Lambe slaine by the eternall Decree purposed from the foundation of the world Declared the same things to the man greatly beloved his servant DANIEL vnfolded in this present exposition drawing the juice of many sorts wanting roome and leasure to lay things in order wherein the Scripture will repaire the want of methode Being not willing for the lighting of a Match to make a fire when the stroke of a Flint is of more facilitie Speaking not to a People of a strange Speech and of a hard Language but to the House of Israell Avoyding mans enticing words things without life giue no life that revealeth not the testimony of IESUS at whose Name a name aboue every name Let every knee bowe Heare all yee Children of my people harken O Earth The first vision of this holy Prophet was in the I. yeare of the raigne of BELSHAZZER King of Babilon from which spirituall Babilon takes the denomination One and Twentie hundred yeares since Wherein he saw the foure Windes of Heaven or the losed Angels bound in the great River Euphrates the auntient bounds of the great Roman Empire that stroue vpon the great Sea and the foure great Beasts that came vp from the Sea diuers one from another These blowing Windes had no power to hurt till the servants of God were Sealed in the foreheads at what time that Cōmon-wealth became a Monarchy persecuting the Church of God being then with Child Trauailing in birth crying and pained to be deliuered of the man Childe roaring like a Lyon the whole Forrest ringing ruling all Nations with a Rod of Iron that breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things He is Alpha and Omega so haue the servants of God a Two-fold sence Besides man including some other of his Creatures bearing the names of men yet being neither Man nor Beast Praise yee him Sun and Moone c. I heard the number of them And here ended the Sealing of the first Covenant a yoake which our Fathers were not able to beare to establish the second which is Spirituall to put his Lawes in their mindes with the Pensell of his Grace to write them in their hard harts a light Burthen for the letter of the Law graven in stone is the sentence of death But the Spirit giveth life to stony harts that were dead in trespasses and sinnes yea the whole valley of dead Bodies turn'd into Stones and Earth from ABELL the first Borne to the last man taken vp in the Field they are all holy vnto the Lord their iniquitie is forgiven and forgotten as a Father hee remembreth their sinne no more Of these were Sealed to bee of the seed of ABRAHAM one hundred forty and foure Thousand twelue times twelue Thousand Of which faithfull Number IESVS CHRIST the Saviour of the world the only begotten Sonne of the living GOD in the likenesse of sinfull Flesh without Sinne the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah was sealed on the Eight day of his Nativitie The Lyonesse bringing but one and but once in her life That with the sprinckling and shedding of his Blood both Covenants might be sealed These were the first Fruits vnto God and to the Lambe hauing the Token of the everlasting Covenant of the great mysterie in those times concerning CHRIST and his Church put in the Flesh a Figure of the Heart Which first Covenant remaines to vs a Patterne of tendernes not made with hands the Heart by a mutuall respect being now the Closet or secret part whereby wee Gentiles are made the tender Spouse the habitation of God fellow heires of the vnsearchable Riches joyned to Christ the head that in times past were the Children of disobedience and wrath Aliens from the common-wealth of Israell Strangers from the Covenants of promise having no hope without God in the world are now who were somtimes farre off of all Nations Kindreds and Tongues vncircumcised Philistines not of his Brethren not of the House of his Father By the blood of IESUS CHRIST made nigh members of his Body of his Flesh and of his Bones greater loue and felicitie can none expresse Of which great mysterie Hipocrites next Harlots whose counterfeit beautie deceiues not him whose praise is of men and not of God false Gods are no partakers the outward Token being common to both To assure vs of which receiving the earnest of his Spirit that abideth not crying Master Carest thou not that wee perish but Abba Father Thus our tackling lost without Anchor to repayre the ruines and weaknesse of these decayed sunke weather-tempest driven bottomes such Treasures of Millions expended and bestowed what burthen what prizes what things God hath prepared to bee the lading of these vessels of honour Eye hath not seene eare hath not heard neither hath entred into the hart of man To which all the Transported affections felt or fained injoyed without paines or feare may seeme but light dotage as Light and Darknesse compared compared with the Crowne and weight of that Eternall blisse The Foure windes prepared for an houre and a day and a moneth and a yeare are the powers of these foure great Beasts shewing their degrees of residence also the finall Blast is included The Sea are the Nations of the Earth The beginning and the ending thus saith hee to the Sea Waues drowning one another swelling into Mountaines for glory foaming out your owne shame Saying haile to the Wood awake according to your owne vnderstanding you haue made Idols and Images not by my direction but after the invention of the Craftsman and haue exalted your hearts and forgotten mee giving my Praise to graven Images and my glory to another for your God not setting me before your eyes you haue gotten a Divell a false Prophet whom I sent to proue you that takes my lawes in his mouth not of loue but for strife and envie Thinkes he to say Lord Lord in thy Name wee haue cast out Divels Preached and Baptized my answer is not vnknowne to you both though you thinke to plead ignorance persecuting and dispising the number of my little ones You onely haue I knowne of all the Families of the Earth whose transgressions doe hasten your Iudgement Therefore I will punish you for your iniquities you shall bee like the Morning Cloud and the early dew that passeth away as the Chaffe that is driven with a scattering whirle-winde out of the Flower as smoake out of a Chimney vanishing away And I will bee like a Lyon as a Leopard by the way I will wayte and obserue you and as a
behalfe rather then the honour of God of a happy daring shall cause the reproach offered to cease without his owne reproach hee caused the shame to turne vpon him that opposeth and exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God The Lord sometimes providing the remedy before the sore as carefull Physitians haue Drugs in store for all diseases preparing the disobedience of VASTHI and the vnlawfull divorce for the preservation of the Iewes to hang proud HAMMON and all his wicked Sonnes so this Prince throwing vnder foote his Cappe of Maintenance whose visage was vnmask'd by a Munke not long before those Babel Monasteries vnmeete Cages for such Craignes Ostriges and chanting Owles digesting not only all the thorney Choaking Heresie of false Prophets but the rusty Purgatory fictions of Heathen Poets The doings of these vncleane and hatefull birds Though as the eating of doung I loathe them in my Mouth yet since our Saviour and Lord himselfe vouchsafed to cast his Eye towards those secret privie places bidding vs take heed of their Deserts I may not stop my Nose or Mouth for nicenesse but rather thinke it my part to empty such houses of office it weakenesse did not prevent and hinder my willingnesse Yet with mine owne hand according to my might God willing I will throw one stone at this Thracian Witch the wicked Prophet If I cannot breake his head I will breake his Harpe if I can before hee passe headlong downe to Hell the streame Neither will omit her Holinesse though her natiue Soile and Sex may challenge some fauour how they shall walke then Inseparably hand in hand togither And as certaine of their owne Poets mention her vntimely Death stung by the false Scorpion that lurk'd so close in the grasse of his gamesome villany This Beast or rather Divell for so hee seemes by his description by the stamping of his Oxe feete Long teeth of Iron nayles of Brasse and ten Hornes or at least some horrible Monster in his likenesse takes vpon him to giue by his Marke to all the world most cursed Dispensations To please HEROD it shall be lawfull to Marry his Daughter to her Husbands owne Brother the Vncle to his Neece Thus vnnaturall he is not satisfied in most prodigious manner to abuse himselfe but others must doe Incestuously by his Example These vomited things are now savory meate neither can Sathan cast out Sathan Then it is granted they can Erre which Cunning lesson had he not learned of his lying Father his Kingdome long since had beene divided and broken in pieces Bee it never so vnlawfull like the Law of the Medes and Persians the Decree may not be changed Thus out of the sentences of the holy Scripture this Spider sucks somtimes his poyson saying in his Hart All the Kingdoms of the Earth are mine My Father the Divell hath given them vnto me and rather of my Estate then abate a button I will teach men as many lyes to damne them as wee can both inuent that with the breath of my Mouth I blow in and out the fire of Purgatory where People beleeue some Soules are blood-raw others rosted to death that I make the Creator sacrifice and sell their Saviour which puts me in minde of Iudas my Brother whose hanging I could heartily lament had hee not like a passionate foole so ill playd his last part Admit of his weaknesse he did repent is a wise man the Trumpet of his owne shame to say he had Err'd to be his owne accuser what did he gaine by this some say forsooth This Confession of friends and foes might be to leaue the subtill Elders and their generation the Iewes without excuse though wee eate both of one Sop I like not the Example I meane the manner It is olde and weake and lame Arguments will follow fast enough Idle Confessions are no secrets to me I like not his tragicall speech it was timorous had it beene by boasting scoffing or to advance his service as it proued carnest more might bee said in his defence I doe the same my selfe but let it passe my plot was no pen to blot his name and had it prevailed the fire is witnesse his frailtie had never flowne so farre When I call to minde my predecessors no small puffe can blow my pride downe shall I degenerate or not follow their steps IUDAS the Apostle and IULIANUS the Emperour no Ring-leaders of that Nazaren poore Sect that leaue the certaine Blisse of this world to beleeue 0253 200 Scripture promises made to the Fathers had I beene in their dayes though they were couragious both faithlesse and false enough I can lift my heele as high as theirs I had gone before them in their owne craft Yet since it was not remorce of Conscience but the vngratefull answer of the chiefe Priests and all his hopes frustrate this cast the Man away my Pardon as beneficiall to him as to others shall cost him nothing this accident vpon that ill advised answer WHAT IS THAT TO us LOOKE THOU TO THAT was the first motiue that made me coine Absolution which passeth now for currant Silver being all the Fees the desperate Traitors get of mee towards their hanging this ditch-water I giue the poore soules for Aqua-vitae when they goe to the Gallowes If some will say this stone is cast too far I say but a Dreame of like or lesse horror would haue started or as throughly awakened themselues to behold so great a Tyrant a Prince so gratious good his Kingdome with so much pride and spitefully invaded All his naturall Subiects become disobedient Rebells except a Remnant of some few forsaking their liues that lou'd not their liues to the Second Death suffering for their loyalty loue vnexpressable fiery exquisite bloody torments his Cittizens amongst whom hee Inhabited with one voyce Crying out all at once Away with this Man saying we will not haue this Man to raigne over vs himselfe ô gentle Doue dumbe as a Sheepe before the sheerer hanged by the hands as an off-scouring set vp like a Marke for an Arrow reviled made a derision as their Musicke to his People sweating drops of blood downe to the ground the barres of sorrow preventing the passage of Teares all in vaine in so strong and Agony more for griefe and anguish of them and their Children then his owne feare of those vnspeakable paines and torments Crying with a lowde voice vnable to conceale that passion MY GOD MY GOD VVHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN MEE my tongue cleaveth to my jawes thou hast brought me into the dust of death through his tender Mercy shedding from his pierced side blood from the wound for a sensible Testimony of a true Sacrifice and water to Baptise and wash them whose hard hearts could not weepe for themselues He wiste the Spirit of the Lord was departed from him Stones rent the Earth quaking not Ghosts walking but Graues opening and dead Bodyes amazed and awaking The whole Globe Mourning in Sable blacknesse except Man
keepe backe so much as the least whose names are written in the Booke of life And lastly Viper seed of the olde Serpent thy sentence is for that bold attempt Fuller of malice then hurt thy house shall be burned with vnquenchable Fire the Place sowne with vnsauory poysoned Salt and thy Carrion-carkasse swallowed vp of thine owne Brood the second Death All which mysticall Weeke or Seaven Moneths formerly mentioned as it is spoken by the Prophet EZECHIEL The Land of Israell shal be burying of Gog that Sathan that the Land may be cleansed Hitherto are the matters talked of between the man GABRIEL and the Prophet DANIEL CHAP. X. IN the third yeare of CYRVS King of Persia a thing was revealed to DANIEL whose name was called BELTESHAZZER and the thing was true but the time appointed was long These are the things not only come to passe in this latter age of the world but at this time and in this day signified by the Son of God to the Prophet PRINCE OF PERSIA I CAN POPE FRIERS Divell I can Pope Friers Man hold vp my Traine Pope Kings I Depose and all their Race to Raigne Divell And Popes to Friers I can turne againe The Prince of the Kingdome of Persia that Lord by whom the Lord of Lords was withstood is Sathan the Divell MICHAEL one of the first Princes that came then to helpe him This is IAMES King of Great Britaine and the man who is raised on high The one and Twenty dayes the Lord making no forfeiture are so many Hundred yeares beginning at the Vision and ending this present 1600. And so long the words of this Vision haue been closed sealed vp Even till now the time of the end This most Blessed person the Saviour of the world remained with the Kings of Persia the Roman Emperors signified so vnto DANIEL being the present Monarchy till there arose vp a new King in Egipt which knew not IOSEPH and said vnto his People Behold the People of the Children of Israell are more and mightier then wee Therfore set over thē Taskmasters to afflict them with Burthens but the more they did afflict them the more they multiplied and grew These Kings placed in the highest Thrones to walke in his Statutes to execute his Iudgements but because they gaue more Eare and harkened rather to false Prophets then to ELIAS and MOSES for severitie and meeknesse Representing the Law and the Gospell suffering their Bodies to lye dead in the streets in an vnknowne Tongue even hee the Lord departed from them and with the sword of his Mouth will fight with their Prince Sathan renewing alwayes his old quarrell against the Church of God And here these Kings forsaken of IESVS CHRIST for one secret friend which is the Divell they haue two open Enemies the Turke and the Pope making their Crownes his footstoole this did not CAESAR by these Three the Empire being devided what can remaine but the bare Image or the Image of the Picture of him whose deadly wound was healed Bearing at this day as Thunder goes before Lightning for their fatall device the sad Fowle blazoned with the ominous Colours of the blacke Horse for feare but halfe displaying her wings in stead of her beake shee casts her heads the Eagle hath Mued her Feathers Though thou exalt thy selfe as the Eagle and though thou set thy neast amongst the Starres thence will I bring thee downe saith the Lord. These things hitherto mentioned concerning the last Vision is the preamble for this that followeth for here the Sonne of God whose eyes were like a flame of fire and his feet like fine brasse saith he will shew vnto the man greatly beloued that which is noted in the Scripture of truth which is the Reuelation the sayings of which are faithfull and true that there is none or but one that holdeth with him in these things which is the true Interpretation of the Scripture but MICHAEL our Prince of Great Britaine and Ireland that fights and contends with the Enemies of the Lord about his Body disputing with them haue transubstantiated changed the truth of God into a lye worshipping and serving the Creature more then the Creator for which cause God gaue them vp c. Now followeth that that is noted in the Scripture of that Prince After the Temple of God was opened in Heaven wherein was seene the Arke of his Testament overlaid round about with gold wherein was the golden Pot that had Manna and ARONS Rodde that budded and the Tables of the Covenant And over it the Cherubins of glory covering the Mercy-Seate and Lightnings and voyces and Thunders c. This is the Millitant Church that brought foorth the Man-childe the word of God caught vp vnto God and to his Throne after which the Woman fled into the Wildernesse where shee was fed A thousand two hundred and threescore dayes which are so many yeares The first accompt beginneth from the destruction of Ierusalem when the abomination of desolation did stand in the Holy place the yeares being the same spoken in the last Vision of the Prophet DANIEL though thirty yeares be taken away because the Court without the Temple was left out given vnto the Gentiles for the Raigne of the first Christian Emperour These yeares doe reach to the dayes of those blessed Men when the light of the Gospell did first begin to shine after the great Mist lasting a Thousand two hundred and ninetie yeares dayes of darknesse and gloominesse of Cloudes and thicke Mists when the third part of the Sunne was smitten and the third part of the Moone and the third part of the Starres which are innumerable After these dayes were past there was warre in Heaven MICHAEL and his Angells fought against the Dragon and the Dragon fought and his Angells the Iesuites and prevailed not neither was their place found any more in Heaven Heaven is here taken in this place for the Church of God the fray is fought by seconds by MICHAEL is meant King IAMES The Dragon needs little exposition It is the Pope for MICHAEL overcame by the blood of the Lambe and by the testimony of so many Bishops and other faithfull crowned with the Glory of Martyrdome Therefore reioyce yee Church of God yee Congregations of the faithfull and ye Professors that dwell amongst them and woe to the Earth and to the Sea the Congregation of that Sinagogue the Sea of Rome Sathans seate where Sathan dwelleth for the Pope the Dragon the Divell is amongst you having great wrath because he knoweth he hath but a short time two woes are past and behold the third woe commeth shortly Blessed are the Dead that dye in the Lord for they rest from their labours and their works follow them and this is the truth noted in the Scripture of Truth of MICHAEL And God make the name and Throne of the King his Sonne better and greater then his Though I owe no defence for the name of an
at the dreadfull Funerall of this most mighty Prince The Sonne as Chiefe covering and hiding his astonished face with hideous Cloudes as blacke as Sackcloth of haire to vtter the height and depth of silent speaking sorrow by whose darke vaile and traine the shadow of Death turning the Day to Night wherein all Creatures are a Corps and the world but a Tombe detesting and abhorring his Beames of light should beare witnesse the true light of Men by mankinde was so vngratefully and vnkindely extinguished the expresse Pure Image of the Maker the Prince of life The Person of God not made turn'd to a lumpe of Clay by a shamelesse accusation an vnjust sentence and a cursed Executoner To Slay these Lords that haue dominion over vs hee pulled the house downe vpon his owne head the mightie deliverer of Israel His God head and death being Incompatible choosing rather to forgoe and forsake the one then forget his promise leaue the will of his Father vndone or his worke vnfinished His sufferings being by a vacancy of Power as sometimes cold may abate and abolish the sense of feeling yet retayned by the vitall parts the losse is not irrecoverable Whose Hart would not melt Haire stare and Hands become faint to write or heare such a story Yet here is not an end what shall he doe now chased as a Bird betweene Heaven and Earth since his resurrection pull'd by Bitts to peeces throwne to hungry Hell hounds the Divells Dogs Caniballs did not his power to deliver his Darling surmount the greedy arrogant policie of these Barbarians spoken without aggravation both one Spaune acting in their Copes I might say party coloured fooles Coates like painted Peacocks the part of HECUBA the franticke Troyan Wiues and POLLIXINA Such pompe and gaudinesse of Masking garments being fitter for the Theator then the Temple the state thereof requiring rather Mourners with all their BACCUS Savage Ceremonies apish and affected Fashions No Vice on a Stage with senselesse jests to moue the vulgars laughter good folkes ashamed So rediculous without vnderstanding babling like Parrots or Children a Tongue they know not yet no Babes or Children in Mallice Pyping without distinction Pricketh not this the hearts of the hearers twanging vpon a Harpe Instead of an Egge asking a Scorpion and saying Amen to any Pater-Noster Is there any sorrow like this whose Mirth is so great whose heart so hard as not to be greeved for this affliction can wee forbeare to bow our selues and not to Travell for these paines To heare the Arke not only is taken but helpe Lord alas to see the Heire apparant of the living God so dishonoured and mangled amongst his Enemies O the wonder of wonders a lying Wonder to see creatures endued with sense and reason beleeue a senslesse Miracle here is the Doctrine or spirits of Divells three uncleane spirits Three Frogs forg'd one like another or a false lye spit vp by the Divell the Beast and the false Prophet from their vncleane slimy Mouthes Into the Ovens and kneading Troughs of the Kings of the Earth and of the whole world to gather them to the Battell of the great Day of God Almighty Also to decide the question with full consent when this doctrine working miracles was coniured vp When Transgressors are come to the full the water dried vp that the way of the Kings of the East might bee prepared The Tartars whose looke is more stout then his fellowes Righteous art thou ô Lord which art which wast and shall be because thou hast iudged thus for they haue shed the Blood of Saints and Prophets and thou hast given them vp to blaspheme the God of Heaven to beleeue a lye false teachers that teach thou hast given them Blood to drinke the Blood of the living God as it were the Blood of a Dead man here is a sore lye a grievous Soare well may such mad Dogs gnaw their Blistered Tongues Then shall stand vp in his estate a raiser of Taxes in the glory of the Kingdome but in few dayes hee shall bee destroyed in the strength of his Age neither in anger nor in Battaile but in a sport of Tilting by a splinter in his Eye And in his estate shall stand vp a vilde person or a Luxurious to whom they shall not giue the honour of the Kingdome but he shall come in peaceably and obtayne the Kingdome by Flatterie and with the Armes of a Flood or as the sodaine inundation of Nilus so shall the Faithfull people be overflowne from before him they shall bee broken by a cruell Massacre yea also the Prince of the Covenant and after the league made with him even the Great King of the North hee shall worke deceitfully with the holy people for hee shall come vp and shall become strong with a small people he shall enter peaceably even vpon the fattest places of the Province for he shall doe that which his Fathers haue not done nor his Fathers Fathers he shall scatter among them the prey spoyle and riches of the wicked yea and he shall fore-cast his devices against the strong Holds of Sathan for a time not to the End And he shall stir vp his Power and his great Courage against the King of the South with a great Army the King of the South shall be stirred vp to Battell with a very great and mightie Army but hee shall not stand for they shall fore-cast devices against him yea his owne Dogs stiled Gods that feed of the Portion of his meate shall destroy him After whose decease his Army shall overflow and many of the righteous shall fall downe slaine and both these Kings hearts shal be to doe mischiefe and they shall speake lies against the knowne truth both at one Table but it shall not prosper for yet the end of all things shall be at the time appointed Then shall hee returne into his owne Land with great riches and little profit and his hart shall be against the holy Covenant therefore the next blow was at the hart And he shall doe exploits and returne to his own Land At the time appointed hee shall returne even the King of the North spoken of before that should certainly come after certaine yeares with a great Army and a multitude greater then the former with much riches and shall come towards the South but it shal not be as the former or as the latter for hee shall wound as it were his owne sides The Ships of Shittim shall come against him therefore he shall be grieved and returne against his owne strength and haue indignation against the holy Covenants So he shall doe he shall returne and haue intelligence with them that forsake the holy Covenant these Ships built with pretious Wood whose Anchor is the Lord tossed too and fro with flouds of vngodly men in the Sea of Babilon and compassed with the Waues of death but when they cry vnto the Lord and are at their wits end Hee who walketh vpon the Sea