like a Leopard c. By the resemblance and likenesse of a Leopard was signified that this Beast should be foule and full of spots as is shewed in the 18. Chapter Babylon is become the habitation of Diuels and the hold of fowle spirits and the cage of every vncleane and hatefull Bird. The filthinesse of this Beast is apparant in that he doth by force and Armes compell all sorts of wicked and ungodly people to be of his societie and refuseth none but the godly therefore fitly was he thus prefigured Secondly by the qualitie and disposition of the Leopard was signified that this generation should bee subtill and craftie in getting their prey They boast themselues to bee the Church and Spouse of Christ but if it be so whence then had they that infinite store and aboundance of worldly wealth and riches wherewith they exceed in deliciousnesse of liuing This was not the condition of Christ and his Disciples the Lord himselfe had not whereon to lay his head but in that respect was more destitute then Foxes which haue holes and then Birds which haue nests his Disciples wanted gold and silver and had no certaine dwelling place whence therefore had this generation their lands liuings and Lordships Their Castles Mannors Houses and Princely Palaces It will bee said of the donation and gift of Emperours Kings and other great States and of the charitable deuotion of all sorts of people But how were people brought to bee so full handed to this generation To bring this about much slight craft and nimblenesse of wit was vsed first people were made to beleeue that what they gaue to the Church was to the maintenance of the Ministerie of the Gospell and for the comfort and reliefe of the poore and therefore should be a sacrifice so well pleasing to God and meritorious as that it should receiue great reward at his hands herewith the mindes of religious and devout people were so much moued that they thought nothing too much to giue to the Church by meanes whereof Churches began to grow rich Secondly people were made to beleeue that the worshipping of Images and relickes of Saints and building of Churches Chappels Oratories c. and endowing them with Lands Tenements Parsonage and Vicarage houses c. was an effectuall way to haue favour with the Saints and to procure their prayers and intercession for them By these and such like meanes this wylie and crafty generation deluded the people and made themselues rich and robbed Christ of his honour who onely is our Advocate to God And furthermore they gathered in heapes of wealth by Masses Pilgrimages Pursse-pennance Offerings and such like Marchandises wherein their subtilty and craft was prefigured by a Leopard a beast subtill by nature whose propertie is to lie in waite for her prey and slylie to catch it as the Cat doth the Mouse and in that respect doth well resemble the Antichristian Clergie that subtill generation But further it is added that the feete of this Beast were as the feete of a Beare The Leopard is more nimble to catch then the Beare but the Beare is more strong and eager to hold fast that which hee hath seased vpon then is the Leopard both these properties this generation hath nimble to catch and greedy to hold they catch by slight but hold by force and therefore in catching resemble the Leopard but in fast holding the feete of a Beare To this it is added that the mouth of this Beast was as the mouth of a Lyon And by this another property of the Antichristian Clergie was foreshewed for as the Lyon when hee hath taken his prey roareth upon it at whose roaring the beasts tremble So this Generation being thus exalted and made rich and hauing gotten their prey they terrifie the small Beasts of their Forrest roaring with curses and excommunications against any be he Prince or Pesant that shall presume to part stakes with them or meddle with their prey or diminish their portion but an Egge or an Onion That these be the properties of this Generation needs no proofe it is manifest by daily experience Here therefore wee may learne what to esteeme and iudge of the Antichristian Clergie together with those Multitudes People Nations and Tongues out of which they haue sprung and over which they are set and supported namely that they are a monstrous and beastly generation excelling in craft covetousnesse pride crueltie and all iniquity and therefore not to be esteemed as they boast themselues to be a holy Catholick Church and Spouse of Christ which cannot erre c. And by this wee may see how lamentably the Nations haue beene deluded and led into errour and vngodlinesse by their Guides and Leaders Now it followeth that unto this Monster the Dragon gaue his power and his Throne and great authoritie Here is declared of whom the Prelates and Clergie haue received their spirituall Lordships power authoritie and iurisdiction to devise and make spirituall Lawes and Canons to erect spirituall Courts and create Officers to beare rule and exercise dominion over the Nations euen from the diuell they haue not any lawfull authoritie from God but an vsurped authority from the diuell whose instruments they are to advance his kingdome and to persecute the Saints which obey God rather then men And here wee may obserue that they are rightly called spirituall Lords because originally they proceed from that Prince that ruleth in the aire the spirit that worketh in the children of vnbeleefe but withall in stead of spirituall Lords Lawes Courts and Officers call them spirituall wickednesses and so wee giue them their right title and being such if we will fight the good fight of faith wee must by witnessing what they bee wrastle against them and not submit vnto them but stand fast in that liberty wherewith Christ hath made vs free and not be intangled with any yoke of bondage and that we may wrastle and prevaile we must take vnto vs the whole Armour of God Ephes 6. Further Iohn saith that he saw one of the heads of the Beast as it were Ver. 3. wounded to death and his deadly wound was healed and all the world wondered after the Beast By this Head which was as it were wounded to death was signified the reviving of Priesthood the mysterie whereof in few words is this The workers of iniquitie in this Antichristian Kingdome having ordained this order of ministery called Priesthood whether it were in imitation of the Iewes or Heathen it is doubtfull but certaine it is that because it wanted externall sacrifices it came short both of the Iewish Priesthood and also of the Heathen so that it was a lame and wounded Priesthood and was not respected In time it came to passe that they found out a sacrifice as is to bee seene in their Masse-booke which was the transubstantiating of bread and wine into the very Bodie and Bloud of Christ really and substantially as they vse to speake and teach
thorough Gods helpe shall make manifest and apparant But before I doe proceed I desire the Reader to observe that I doe not condemne all use of Counsells or Synods but doe hold that diverse men of divers churches may lawfully be assembled together to consult and advise of matters concerning Religion and the worship of God for their instruction and better information of their Iudgments and so a good holy use may be thereof But that any counsells have such power over the churches of Christ as to impose upon them thrir commaundements for doctrine and to vsurp the goverment of the Churches and to rule and reigne over them by their lawes and canons and prescribe rules and formes how God wil be worshipped as these generall counsells have done that I doe deny as being contrary to the perfection of the holy * 2 Tim. 3. 17. Deut. 4. 2. Revel 22. 18. Scriptures and the practise of the Apostles and Elders of the Church of Ierusalem who being assembled togither did professe it to be †Act. 15. 10. a tempting of God to lay such a yoke on the disciples necks as the observing of the Iewish ceremonies which being unlawfull to doe it is much more unlawfull to devise and impose any other and therfore the said assembly of the Apostles and Elders concluded to lay no greater burden vpon the disciples then to absteyne from such necessary things as either were simply evill in themselves as fornication or els evill in respect of Act. 15. 18. 19. c. offence as meats offred to Idols blood and things strangled Now to proceed First it is sayd of this Beast That he did rise up out of the sea By his rising up was foreshewed that the Antichristian policie should arise from a poore and meane estate to great riches and honour in the world which we and former generations have seene to the vttermost fulfilled For dayes there were when the Churches of Christ both Ministers and people were hated despised and persecuted in the world syoyled of their goods made gazingstocks and wonders and afflicted with all kinde of crueltie as histories both sacred and humane doe abundantly specifie and declare The Apostle Paul saith of himself his fellow brethren the Ministers of the Gospel that they were as men appointed to death and in the account of the world as the filth refuse ofscouring of all things But since this beastly generation hath succeeded the church and under the titles of Ministers of the Gospell and the Bishops over Gods people have found meanes by little and little to rise up and to exalt themselves over the Nations and to bring the multitudes and peoples and Nations and Tounges under their Iurisdiction rule and Reu 18. 3. 2. Thes 2. 7. Dominion and they have so risen up that they are become the great men of the earth and are waxed rich through the abundance of their delicacies This mistery of iniquitie was working in the Apostles tyme for there were then crept into the church those that desired worldly pompe and promotion and were not contented with the portion of the Lordes heritage but their ambicious desires could not then be satisfied there was a lett in the way that hindered it which lett being removed their purposes soone after tooke effect fitly therefore is this generation said to rise up in respect of those whose successors they boast themselues to be The former hold no certaine dwelling places but were exposed to hunger thirst cold nakednesse buffetings c. But these latter have their Lordly Houses warrelike Castles Prince like Pallaces they have their rents revenues and abundance of riches in great excesse they are pompously arayed in stately robes and rich apparell they rule like lords over the people have power to afflict all that will not beare the yoke of their Dominion thus is this generation risen up and exalted as all may see that list to minde it The place from whence this Beast is sayd to rise up is the sea The Naturall Sea we know is the gathering togither of many waters Gen. 1. 9. 10. A like thing must that be out of which this Beast was to rise But in the 17. chapter Multitudes and nations peoples and Toungs are resembled by waters therfore the gathering together of such into one body politike may rightly be resembled by the Sea Thus then the trueth standeth By the rising up of this beast out of the Sea was foreshewed That those many waters that is the people and multitudes and Nations and Toungs not onely under the Romane Empire but most nations and people of the world being gathered into one sea or ecclesiasticall State should breed and bring forth this Monster For they being of two contrary sorts the seed of the Serpent the seed of the Woman children of the kingdome and children of the wicked vnto the one sort the word of God in the administration therof is the savour of life unto life unto the other sort it is the savour of death unto death The one sort feare God and wil obey him rather then man The other feare and reverence the arme of flesh more then they doe the living God These as light and darknesse being contrary one to another the one being of Christ the other of Belial how therfore should they in things concerning God and Christ Faith and Religion agree together Those which be of God cannot but witnesse against those that be of the world because their deeds are evill Those which are of the world are heady high minded proud boasters wise in their owne conceit and therfore scorne to be rebuked and hate to be reformed These being together in the world as Wheate and Tares in one Field and as Sheep and goates in one Flocke the true end of the administration of the word of God had beene to call and separate the one from the other the precious from the vile beleevers from insidells But notwithstanding this generation thought it to be wisedome to take a contrary course namely to bring all people of all sorts to be one Church and likewise unto vniformitie in Religion And because it could not be effected by the power of the Word of God that sword of the spirit they procured the helpe of worldly governours to bring it to passe by their power and cōmaund By which devise and policie these many waters that is the Nations and people have beene gathered into one Church and eccleasticall body politike here represented by the Sea and have been brought to use all one order of worship service and government But this conformitie not being procured thorough love but constrayned by feare was but an humane devise and worldly policie and no divine Institution And therfore could not be upholden maynteyned and continued by the word of God and the administration of a serviceable Ministerie but by the over-ruling power of a Lordly Prelacie whereupon it was thought meet that Synods or Counsells of
they shal be therefore indited araigned judged and condemned to death as being in their estimation Hereticks Schismatickes disobedient and rebellious persons contemners of God and of the Church yea as the filth and ofscowring of the world and unworthy of the societie of men And he causeth all both small and great rich and poore free and bond to receive a marke in their right hand and in their foreheads This Image challenging worship to be performed unto him of all people of all sorts and degrees according to the authoritie given him by the Pope was by some contradicted and despised wherfore the Image in policie for the better triall of those that were his trustie subjects and slaves ordeyned that all his Ministers should receive a marke at the receiving whereof they should vowe and sweare to be of his dominion under his Banner to fight against Christ and his Saincts What this marke is and what is the manner of giving and receiving of it is now to be declared The ‡ For proofe of this looke no further then in the 36. Canon of the Church of Eng. made An. 1603. Prelacye and Clergy being as hath been before shewed assembled with authority to make lawes did ordeyne that every Bishop in his diocesse should carefully observe that none should preach or execute the function of a parish Parson Vicar or Curat in any parish but he that would sweare to observe their Lawes Canons and thereupon should receive the Letters of Orders of the Bishop of the Diocesse which Letters of Orders signed and sealed by the Bishop is the Marke of the Beast here mentioned and doth testify in the behalfe of the Bearer therof that he is their sworne servant under holy orders either a Priest a Deacon or half Preist c and that he is a man found capable meete for the cure and charge of soules and therfore to what parish soever these tryed Lads are sent to doe service upon sight of this Marke they must be received without any opposition upon penaltie of the Law upon those that shall refuse them Here may be objected that this Marke is onely received by the Clergie and not by the people of all sorts rich and poore bond and free according to the Text. I answer that all persons which receiue these false Priests doe likewise receiue and submit to that authority which sent them and also the Marke by which they are sent as is evident when a Priest commeth to take possession of a Parish to which he is by the Bishop appointed he is not received upon his word nor because he tolleth the Bell and putteth on the Surplice and useth other Ceremonies inioyned him by the Prelate But shewing the fore-said Marke of the Beast they receiue both him and it and communicate with him Thus all both small and great rich and poore bond and free that receiue and submit unto their appointed Priest receiue a marke in their foreheads or in their right hands by receiving and submitting to him For as our Saviour Christ saith of his Apostles and Ministers He that receiveth you receiveth me he that heareth you heareth me Luk. 10. 16. Joh. 13. 20. So those that receiue heare and ioyne in fellowship with these false Ministers doe heare receiue and ioyne to the false power which sent them and the marke by which they are sent Whereas it is said that they received this marke in their foreheads or right hand thereby was shewed that this marke should be an apparant testimony that they were servants of the Beast and that they were of that Band which had ioyned hands and made a league to walke in the wayes of destruction Further it is said Vers 17. And that no man might buy or sell saue he that had the marke of the Beast or the name of the Beast or the number of his name Here are propounded three conditions and whosoever had not one of them thereby to be knowne to bee of that Kingdome might not buy or sell or haue any thing to doe amongst them For the better understanding hereof let us minde that although these three Beasts in respect of their severall power and jurisdiction did differ one from another The Catholike Church being the chiefe and the Pope inferiour to her and the Image of the Beast as it were a servant or handmaid inferiour to them both yet notwithstanding they were one body being ioyned and knit together by the power of the Dragon and haue so farr prevailed over the Nations as that they haue brought all both small and great rich and poore bond and free to be in subiection to their kingdom which beareth the name of the holy Catholike Church or Sea of Rome but the Holy Ghost calleth it * Reu. 14. 8. Babylon the great Citie for as the materiall Babylon was a Citie which dwelled †Esa 51. 13. upon many waters which caused her to abound in riches and treasure so this mysticall Babylon this great Citie of Rome I meane the Ecclesiasticall State is said also to sit upon many waters which the Holy Ghost expoundeth to be People and Nations as in the 17. Chapter and 15. verse The waters on which the Where sitteth are Peoples and Multitudes and Nations and Tongues And these waters haue been the meanes of the flowing and increasing of the wealth and riches of this Citie so that their Marchants that is the Prelates haue grown rich and become the great men of the earth by traficking in them also the Ship-masters which are the Parish Priests and all Ship men and Marriners which are the inferiour guides and Ecclesiasticall Officers haue gathered crummes and waxed rich thereby and therefore at the destruction of this great Citie shall stand a farre off and howle to see the desolation thereof and their owne gaine taken away for from thence-forth no man will buy their commodities any more Here note that these foresaid spirituall prrsons are the sellers and the Lay-people are the buyers and the wares which are bought and sold in this kingdom are all called spirituall as pardons for sinne and indulgences of divers sorts which is a speciall commoditie and bringeth in aboundance of treasure also their Pistling Gospeling Canting Homeling Massing which must bee maintained with the Tithes or Tenth of all things which they usually call the maintenance of the Ministery also the Sacrifices unacceptable to God and well-pleasing to the divell which are dayly offered at their Altars and at divers Images of Saints also the body of their Maker and Saviour besides Marrying Baptizing of children Churching of women Houseling the sick burying the dead these and many such like are the spirituall wares sold in this kingdom which haue particular prizes set on them Now so it is that these wares are priviledged that none may either buy or sell them saue he that hath the marke of the Beast or the name of the Beast or the number of his name What the Marke of