God answers with good words and comfortable v. 13. to wit v. 21. that his hamers shall 1 fray the Beasts horns 2. cast them down 3. cast them out as Gentiles 4. cast them away as a stone out of a sling 1 Sam. 25.29 God will give them scattering for scattering 1 Sam. 2.3,13 Luk. 1.51,52 1 Kin. 14.10 In the mean time our work is Waiting and Watching which is 1. Angelical Dan. 4.10,13 and 2. Evangelical Work Mat. 24.42 25.13 Mark 13. last No Watchman can tell us what time of Night it is Isa 21.12,13 onely that the Sun-set to our Antipodes or Antichrist is Sun-rise to us untill the Day dawn and the shadows flee away the Church saith I will get me up to the mountains of Myrrh and hills of Frankincense Can. 4.6 This holds out 1. our Repenting which is as bitter as myrrh Lam. 3.19 2. our Praying-work which comes up as Incense Ps 141.2 Oh that we may be found so doing til the sun of right arise with healing in his wings then shall we go forth from the bondage of Babylon and grow up as calves of the stall Mal. 4.2 FINIS THE TABLE CHap. 1. The Preamble Antichrist in his Resemblances and Realities signified by names and titles Proper and Appelative p. 1. to 6. many Antichrists but one The Antichrist p. 7. he is one contrary to Christ in his Humility in his Holiness and in his Truth pag. 8. Ch. 2. Shews 1. Negatively who is not the Antichrist not Simon Magus as Grotius nor a Jew of the Tribe of Dan as Bellarmin p. 9. to 14. nor Mahomet p. 15. to p. 21. Ch. 3. Shews 2. Positively who is the Antichrist t is the Pope p. 22. what is the Scripture-definition of Antichrist the 12. branches of that Definition p. 23. Ch. 4. Proves first that he is an Apostate from p. 31. to 37. 2 ly That he is Christs Enemy p. 28. 3 ly Stirr'd up by Satan p. 39. to 41. 4 ly That he hath a Monarchy in the Church p. 42. 5 ly In the great City p. 44. Ch. 5. Proves 6 ly That he exalts himself as God to 47. 7 ly Seducing with lying wonders to 54. 8 ly He hath a 3 fold brand to 59. 9 ly His 4 fold Adjuncts to 62. 10 ly That he is Revealed in 6 Periods Nascent Crescent Regnant Triumphant Cadent and Morient to p. 66. Ch. 6. Answers the Romanists objections 1 st That Antichrist must be a single Person 2 ly That he must Reign but 3. Years and half 3 ly That Christs Vicar cannot be Antichrist 4 ly That his Seat must be Rome Heathen to p. 70. 5 ly That the Gospel must be Preach'd in all the World before Antichrist Rise 6 ly That Antichrist must slay Enoch and Elias the 2 Witnesses to p. 75. Ch. 7. Holds out Antichrists Morient Period in the 11 th and 12 th Characters the 11 th is he must have a lingring Consumption 1 st The manner of it described to p. 80. Ch. 8. Holds out 2 ly The means of pulling down Antichrist which are two 1 st Persons who are Three 1. Powerful Preachers 2. Profound Writers and 3. Potent Pious Princes to p. 91. 2 ly Things which are 4. Spiritual practicing 2. Unanimous Praying 3. Publick Printing and 4. Powerful Preaching to 102. Ch. 9. Shews the 12 th Character that Antichrist must be destroyed by Christs Comming that this Comming of Christ cannot be meant the day of Judgment to p. 110. Antichrist shall be Destroyed as well as Consumed p. 111. Ch. 10. Enquires after the time of the fall of Antichrist Conjectures 1 st From Daniels Number 2. From Johns distinctly 3. From both joyntly to p. 119. from the 42. Months or from 666. to p. 125. various opinions about the term of Antichrist to p. 131. Ch. 11. Contains Mr. Foxes and Dr. Beards Opinions differing from all others about the term of Antichrist to p. 134. my own Opinion laid down 1. Negatively against Mr. Foxes and Dr. Beards Reasons why to p. 142. a 3 d Opinion that the number of 42. Months must not be taken definitly but indefinitly refuted to p. 145. Ch. 12. Refutes the whole Computation of the Learned Men aforesaid both from Daniel and Johns Number to 1666. The grand Salvo's for their Vindication as 1 st Uncertainty of Chronologies 2. Variety of Computations 3. The difficulty of computing the bondage of Egypt and the Captivity of Babylon to p. 154. 2 ly My positive Opinion paragr 348. how grounded to wit upon sundry Scripture Hints and Intimations to p. 157. Ch. 13. Holds out the 1 st Scripture-Hint from the rising of the 10. Kingdoms to p. 160. the 2 d. is the removal of the Roman Empire from the Seat of the Beast to p. 163. the 3 d. hint is from the healing of the deadly wound to p. 165. a Digression proving the 1 st Beast to relate to Antichrist to p. 168. when the wound was healed to p. 162. the 4 th hint is the Beasts War with the Saints to p. 172. the 5 th hint is the Womans dwelling in the Wilderness to p. 176. the 6 th hint is the treading under the Outer Court to p. 178. Ch. 14. Contains the 7 th Scripture-hint to wit the Sackcloth-Prophecy of the 2 Witnesses to p. 180. the Witnesses described by 1. Their Names 2. Number 3. Condition 4. Action 5. Death 6. Resurrection to p. 184. of the time when the place where and the manner how the Witnesses are to be Slaughter'd to p. 186. Reasons why this Slaughter is not yet over to p. 189. what the Street is to p. 129. the manner how Slain whether Civilly or Naturally the 1 st hoped the 2 d. feared to p. 200. Ch. 15. The Rising of the Witnesses is the Fall of the Beast Mr. Burroughs is Cautelous in his Conjectures to p. 202. an account of the several Computations paragr 443. the precise time is known to God only not to Man p. 204. a paralell betwixt Ish-bosheth and Antichrists Kingdom Antichrists last outburst is as Sheba's Rebellion p. 205. Satan tempts Christ to make him Pope or Antichrist p. 206. Refer the timing of Antichrist to God to p. 208. Ch. 16. Of the Witnesses not People but Pastors p. 210. their first appearing p. 225. Antichrists Conception Birth and Craddling p. 226. the Kingd of the Beast Whore Dragon Locusts and its Decay p. 227. Antichrists Infancy Childhood Youth Middle and Old Age p. 228. the soonest time of his fall Y. 1710. the 4 Leo's terminates him p. 233. the precise day referr'd to God p. 236.
beast excercises all the power of the first beast Rev. 13.12 that is takes on him Civil Authority and using a Secular as well as an Ecclesiastical Sword he must sit in the same Seat where the Imperial civil Courts hath been kept and there set up his own Courts that as a compleat Plenipotentiary he may hear all causes Civil aswel as Sacred Rev. 13.2 52. That he must 5ly exercise this his Monarchy and Kingdom in the great City that Rules over the Nations appears from Rev. 13.2 The Dragon gives to the beast not only his power but also his Seat where his Throne had been and the woman that Rides upon the beast is call'd plainly the great City which then had the Empire and Reigned over the Kings of the Earth Rev. 17.18 call'd the great whore Sitting upon many waters to wit many Nations of sundry languages Rev. 17.1,15 which shows not onely the largeness of Antichrists Territories but also the Instability of his Kingdom which hath no better a foundation than as built upon Unconstant-waters 52. That he must carry himself 6ly in the Church of God as if he were God is expresly declared in 2 Thess 2.4 Antichrist must exalt himself above all that is called God or worshipped 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either with Civil or Religious worship There are that are called Gods 1 Cor. 8.5 to wit Magistrates Psal 82.6 Those he exalts himself above in deposing Kings and disposing Kingdoms yea not only above those titular gods but also above the true God In ambitione plus-quà m Luciferianâ beyond Lucifer himself for he said only I will be like the most High Esa 14.14 But Antichrist will be above the most High not only in dispensing with but also in contradicting his Laws 53. Antichrist must 7ly Seduce with lying wonders this is proved from 2 Thess 2.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To astonish his beholders and to maintain his Reputation he should come with signs and wonders wrought by the power of Satan Those should be the means of his advancement he doth great wonders Rev. 13.13 calling fire down from heaven as if another Elijah the spirits of devils issuing out of the mouth of this Antichrist works wonders Cap. 16.14 54. Antichrist must have 8ly a threefold brand put upon him as appears from 2 Thess 2.3,8 1st a man of Sin 2ly a Son of perdition 3ly a wicked one all those Epithets to shew what a notoriously Sinfull lost lawless one he should be the 1st 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denotes him the eldest Son of all the children of Belial a Superlative Sinner the worst of men as Christ to whom he is contrary was the best the 2d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 describes him a man of destruction actively a destroying Son call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 9.11 So he is to the Church of God and for destruction passively to be cast into Hell Rev. 19.20 the 3d. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as above fig. 13. deciphers him one that neither fears God not reverences man as Luke 18.2 for the Laws of neither can keep him within compass 55. That he must be further Stigmatiz'd 9ly for being Idolatrous the first Adjunct is manifest from Rev. 17.2 not onely in his own person but like another Jeroboam making others to sin with his Intoxicating cup of Fornication thus is Idolatry termed by the Holy Ghost Ezek. 16.17 the 2d adjunct is Ambitious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one advancing himself above every Monarch on earth and more than equalling himself with the great God of heaven as above fig. 52. 2 Thess 2.4 his 3d. Title Cruel is Represented by the woman made drunk with the blood of the Saints Rev. 17.6 and by the name of a devouring beast so oft put upon him as before in fig. 7. his 4th Title Unclean is shadowed out by those names of Sodom and Egypt Rev. 11.8 and by those names of great whore and mother of fornication 56. 10ly Antichrist is one to be revealed in those last times appears plainly from 2 Thess 2.7,8 he must be in the world along time before he be Revealed while he remains a mystery of iniquity or iniquity in a mystery he is under a vail The depths of Satan Rev. 2.24 Unknown Unrevealed This mystery was working out of sight in persons as Diotrephes and in Doctrines as touch not tast not c. forbidding Meats and Marriages betimes but his Revealing is an Antecedent of Christs coming 2 Thess 2.3 57. The 11th clause in the Definition of Antichrist is he must be consumed with the Spirit of Christs mouth 2 Thess 2.8 The manner 1st it must be gradual not all at once but a lingring death this the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a wasting a little and little till he be Annihilated and 2ly the means of his consuming the spirit or breath of Christs mouth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wit by the preaching of the Gospel whereby the Spirit of Christ works powerfully yet gradually in the hearts of men to bring them off from supporting Antichrists Kingdom This is call'd by the Prophet the Rod of his mouth and the breath of his lips Esa 11.4 and the Sword of his mouth Rev. 2.16 1 Kin. 19.17 58. The 12th Clause is Antichrist is one that must be destroyed with the brightness of Christs coming 2 Thess 2.8 wherein 1st the manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be brought to nought and utterly abolished though he Seat himself among the Stars yet from thence the Lord will bring him down Obad. v. 4. even into utter destruction 2ly The means 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may not be taken strictly for that precise point of time wherein Christ shall come personally to judge the world See infrá 227 Paragraph as Estiâ—… observes on the place but largely for the Spiritual manifestation of Christs presence in his Church before which this Antichrist shall melt away as dew before the Sun even to an utter extirpation 59. Thus in those 12 clauses I have shewn the Scriptural marks and definition of Antichrist which are beyond Controversie and Undeniable these are the claws of the beast Ex ungue leonem A Lion is known by his paw my Assumption now is that this difinition doth quadrare cum Papâ suits with the Pope hoc restat ad probandum I Argue thus Hypothetically If the Pope have those marks and this definition of Antichrist then he is the thing defined but the Antecedent is true ergo the Consequent or Categorically thus whoever hath those marks and this definition is the Antichrist but the Pope has them ergo this is to be proved by an Induction CHAP. IV. 60. THe 1st part of the Induction The first thing to be now demonstrated for clearing my assumption is that the Pope and his Church hath apostatized from the Faith which is evidenced thus the Church of Rome with her Pastors in the primitive Apostolical times was a beloved Spouse of Christ as that famous Epistle of the
360. The 2d Hint or Intimation the Holy Ghost gives to us to guide our reckoning herein is in 2 Thess 2.5,6,7 the removal of the Roman Empire from the Seat of the Beast that was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hindred his Revelation though the Apostle doth not specifie it for exasperating the persecuting Emperors who promis'd to themselves aeterna Romae or eternity of Imperial Rule against the poor Christians as Austin Jerom c. very probably affirm now as the rising of the 10 Horns is contemporary with Antichrist so is the removal of this Impediment of his Revelation as the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 time and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then here do plainly intimate 361. This is such an undeniable Argument that the Romanists themselves not only acknowledge it but makes it also a ground of their Objection against us that Antichrist is not yet come which hath been answered in Paragraph 154 155. suprà 185. together with the 10th Clause of the Induction 56. 130. to 138. The time of this removal therefore must be the very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or point of time wherein this term of 1260 Y. must be footed because it is the time wherein he was revealed and the Computation must be not from his 1st Rising to be but from that Rising which was his Revelation 362. Hierome who lived in the times of the first Incursion of the barbarous Nations into Italy c. and wrote so complainingly of it dying in the Y. 420. he when he saw Rome taken and those Barbarians rending in pieces the Western Empire said then in those times in his Epistle ad Ageruch qui tenebat de medio sublaturus est non intelligimus Antichristum appropinquare he seeing the Empire breaking said that Antichrist must needs be at hand our work then is to find out the time when Rome was relinquished by the Emperours in point of Government and seized on by the Pope that must be the head of the Accompt 363. Now in this Enquiry we may observe first that Antichrist rose up to a manifestation upon the ruines of the Roman Empire this is prov'd not only from this 2 Thess 2.6,7 he that letteth must be taken away but from Rev. 13.1,11 the Beast arises not till the Dragon be cast down Rev. 12. and the Dragons seat is resigned to him Rev. 13.2 Yea and from Rev. 17.9,10,11 five are faln and one is to wit the Caesars in Johns time the falling of one Head was the rising of another till the last 2ly Observe the Roman Empire began its ruine after the death of Theodosius the first when it was rent in twain betwixt his two Sons the Eastern part to Arcadius and the Western to Honorius who was socordis ingenii of a slothfull disposition under whom Rome was taken by the Barbarians 364. Observe 3ly that the Western Caesar which was the 6. Head as to Rome did fall down in that fatal diminutive name of Augustulus whom Petavius calls Momyllus in the Y. of Christ 476. then saith the Jesuit Imperium Occidentale desitum est this Western Empire was forsaken which after molder'd into an ignoble Exarchate whose Seat was not Rome but Ravenna See for this Petavius Rationarii Temporum pars 1. lib. 6. pag. 304. lib. 7. pag. 346. that is good Proof which is fetched from an Adversary and Alsted Eucuclop lib. 20. cap. 22. pag. 3012. Thus the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or let being removed and the Seat as it were resigned Antichrist had a fair opportunity to reveal himself to be the seventh Head 365. And whereas it may be said here that the Pope of Rome for many Years after that this Roman Hesperus was set in Augustulus did surrogate the Kings of France who were afterwards of Germany into the name and title of Caesars I answer in usurping his Authority of surrogating and deputing of Caesars he revealed himself to be Antichrist besides the Mystery of keeping up the name of the Caesars was to gull the world that the 6. Head was still standing and that he might not appear to be the last Head Now if we take this hint and reckon as high as we can from Augustulus as some do 476. added to 1260. make 1736. a Date longer then before This account of 1736. cùm exibunt tempora Bestiae si ducantur ab Augustulo Mr. Mede was much taken with See his Letter to the Bishop of Armagh in Diatribe 4. pag. 334. he shews that the Chronology of the Samaritan Pentateuch set out by Dr. Usher makes that year 1736. to make up the 6000. year of the World and then the Sabbatical 1000. or Millenary to begin 366. The 3d Intimation the Holy Ghost gives us for a right Computing the time of Antichrist is in Rev. 12.3 from the healing of the deadly wound the Beast had 7 heads which are explained to be 7 Hills or 7 Kings and Monarchies Rev. 17.9,10 for his extraordinary Soveraignty now the wound that was given him was by a Sword Rev. 13.14 which could not be made in any of the Hills whereon the Beast was placed but in one of those Monarchies and it cannot be meant that the wound was made in the 6. Head either Pagan or Christian Emperours as before Parag. 314. for that wound was never healed again as the Jesuit Petavius and others unanimously acknowledge 267. It follows then that this wound must be found in the 7th Head this Pontifex Maximus that makes himself the Head of the Church which the Caesars Constantine and Theodosius utterly disclaim'd yea and the wound seem'd mortal and incurable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if wounded to death which Alaricus in the 19. Y. of Caesar Honorius gave this Head insomuch that the Beast locked up himself in his den at Ravenna the Church was then beheaded and yet the wound was made deeper and more desperate by Ataulphus who would have changed the name of Rome into his own name Ataulphas and by Gensericus Odoacer Theoderick and Totilas As Rome began in a diminutive name to wit Romulus which would not be call'd Romula from her Founder for the fatality of that name but Roma so her Empire ended in another diminutive in Augustulus by Odoacer and made wholly desolate by Totilas 367. This was such a Wound that this 7th Head which had been long striving for universal Supremacy and to be Lord Paramount in the World was under an universal Neglect and himself utterly discourag'd for the Eastern Emperor with whom he had faln out before about Images though invited refused to be an healer of his Wound and all Nations began to despise this Head that was now become a servant to Barbarians 369. Thus we see the wounded Head here to be no other then the 7th Government to wit the Pope which makes up the first Argument against those Opinions forecited that the 1st Beast hath relation to Antichrist in this