of Expositors to make good their own conceits Esdras 14.41 to run unto tropes and figures when we may literally without tropes expound the same more agreeable unto the truth and without violence unto the Text therefore I conceive that the two Testaments cannot with any probability be understood by these two witnesses that are said to be killed by the beast and especially because they cannot be said to be the two Olive Trees or the anointed ones nor the two Candlesticks that hold up the light when as they are the light that these Candlesticks do hold nor to be confined to such a time as 1200 and 60 dayes when these two Testaments maugre all the malice of the Antichrist shall continue to the last day And therefore I do rather expound these two witnesses to be the preservers and the interpreters or preachers of these two Testaments that being living creatures Who are these two Witnesies that is 1. The King 2. The Bishop may be killed by this Beast and these are rightly termed the two Olive Trees or the two Sonnes of Oyl that is the anointed of God and the two Candlesticks that stand before the God of the Earth that is to hold up the light of the two Testaments to inlighten the Church of God with the truth of his holy word in despight of the Devill which is termed the God of the Earth And these preservers and Interpreters of these two Testaments are as E. H. truly observeth 1 Pet. 2.13 the civill Magistrates and the Ecclesiasticall Governours of Gods Church that is Moses and Aaron or the King as the supreme Magistrate and the Bishop as the chief Pastor that hath the oversight of the rest of the subordinate Ministers as St. Paul sheweth 1 Tim. 3. c. 4.1 for the King is custos utriusque tabulae the defender of the faith and obliged to take care as well of the Church and service of God as of the Commonwealth All good Kings took speciall care to have God truly served so Moses testifieth and so David Solomon Jehosophat Ezechias Josias and all the godly and good Kings of Israel and Judah had and so Constantine Theodosius and our own pious Princes Queen Elizabeth King James and King Charles and all other good Christian Kings shewed that they took speciall care to see the truth purely preached and the service of God duly and rightly executed and therefore may most truly and literally without any trope or figure be said to be one of these two witnesses of Jesus Christ and the Bishop is to take upon him curam animarum the speciall care and charge of souls and the charge of them that are under him Act. 20.18 and undertook the charge of souls to see that they do carefully feed the flock of Christ whereof the Holy ghost hath made them overseers and therefore also the Bishops and the Ministers of Gods word may be rightly said and none can deny it to be the other witnesses of Jesus Christ and so Christ saith unto his Apostles and in them to all the Bishops that were to succeed the Apostles that they were his Witnesses Act. 1.8 and they should testifie and bear witness of him in Hierusalem and unto the uttermost parts of the Earth which they themselves could not do but in and by those Bishops that succeeded them in all the ordinary duties of the Apostles and therefore no forehead were it of Brasse can deny these to be the witnesses of Christ without blushing when Christ himself doth affirm it And so you see plainly Zechary 4.14 that these two which are indeed the Sonnes of the Olive Tree the two onely Offices and Callings that are the annointed of God and the two Candlesticks that hold up the light of the two Testaments the King by the strength of his Sword and the Bishops by the faithfull preaching of Gods word are the two witnesses of Jesus Christ and therefore well may the King and the inferiour Magistrates under him and the Bishop with his subordinate Clergy like Moses and Aaron the supreme Magistrate and the High Priest be rightly termed the two Witnesses of Jesus Christ in every Kingdom and Commonwealth Then after that the Angell had intimated unto the Apostle c. 11. v. 4. who are to be understood by these two Witnesses by terming them the two Olive Trees that is the two annoynted Officers of Gods Church and the two Candlesticks that do beare and uphold the true light of the Gospel unto the people he proceeds to shew the Power and Abilities c. 11. v. 5. 6. the gifts and Endowments that God would bestow upon them both for to inable them to build up the Temple that was measured that is to edifie and to enlarge the Christian Church and also to protect themselves against their Enemies and to punish those that should be refractory and to shew for how long a time they should freely and fairely enjoy this power and liberty to build this Church for saith the Angel these two Witnesses shall have power to poewr out fire out of their mouth Numbers 16. 2 Reg. 1. Jerem. 5.14 Their power was the same as Christ gave to his Apostles and God to Moses to destroy their Enemies that go about to hurt them and they shall have power to shut the Heavens that it raine not in the dayes of their Prophesie and they shall have power over waters to turn them to blood and to smite the earth with all Plagues as often as they will And these powers and Abilities are the very same that Christ had formerly given unto his Apostles and their successors the Bishops and Governors of his Church and the very same powers and abilities that God long before had given and granted unto Moses and to all his successors that supply his place and office the Kings and cheif Magistrates that are as he was to rule over and to govern Gods people for our Saviour tells St. Peter that he will give to him the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven that is of the Church which is the way that brings us to the Kingdome of Heaven and whatsoever he shall bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever he shall leose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven and this power he gave not only to St. Peter but also to all the rest of the Apostles and their Successors for ever as you may see in Math. 18. v. 18. and John the 20. v. 23. Math. 16.19 so Mr. Mede part 2. pag 11. And so according to this power granted unto the Apostles and Bishops that are the Governours of the Church and have the Keyes thereof the sentence of Excommunication or the shutting out of the Church and the delivery of the lewd and wicked refractory person unto Satan as the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 5.5 The sentence of excommunication is the fire and the key is the fire that proceedeth out of the mouth of
as Thomson and some others think it should be understood or for the proper name of the man that should be the Antichrist it is more agreeable to that false Prophet than to the Pope or it may be to any of all the Popes that have been for Mahomet's rising against Christ to obscure the true light of his Gospel was in the sixt Century as divers Authors do affirm and Hierusalem was taken by Homar his Successor about the year 666. and the name of Mahomet written in Greek the Language in which S. John wrote his Revelation The name of Mahomet containeth the number of 666. doth make up the just number of 666. as 40. 1. 70. 40. 5. 300. 10. 200. μ α ο μ ε τ ι ς which is in all just 666. as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is so much insisted upon by them that make the Pope to be the Antichrist Reason 4 4. It is observed by the Learned in the Eastern Languages that the word Turca which is the name of the chief Prince of Gog and Magog doth signifie the same thing that Apollion and Abaddon doth which is a Destroyer and is a name ascribed to the King of those Locusts Revelat. 9.11 that came out of the bottomless pit and are interpreted by the best Authors to be the Arrabians that were the prime Subjects and the first setters up of Mahomet that great Impostor Reason 5 5. The Mahometans in these dayes and the Saracens of old are the grand professed enemies of the Christians qua tales as they are Christians and do call themselves Musulmans that is the right believers which I confess the Pope and Papists likewise do as indeed the Arians Donatists and all other Hereticks did Reason 6 6. That Deceiver and false Prophet Mahomet though he made a great shew of Sanctity and a strict holy life as all such Deceivers do yet personally as a private man he was a man of sin given up to all Licentiousness and in his Alcoran tolerating all prostitutions unto his Sectaries and promising unto them a Paradise of all carnal pleasures after death which as yet no Pope that we read of ever did Reason 7 7. That great Lyar Mahomet and his heir and successor the Turk literally exalteth himself above Christ above all the holy Prophets and Apostles of Christ and above all the Kings and Monarchs of the earth and as St. Paul saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above all that is called God and stileth himself the Lord of Lords and the God of the earth that hath the power and right to dispose all the things of this world at his pleasure as it is to be seen in divers of the Letters of Solyman Amurath and others And his Alchoran which is but a tyrotarichon an hotch-potch of lies and fables patched together by his Jew-Scribe and the Nestorian Sergius of Jewish paganish Manichaean and Arian Heresies and Superstition he commended as received from his friend and old familiar acquaintance the Angel Gabriel to his followers above the Law of Moses and above the Gospel of Jesus Christ and he promised his carnal Paradice to all the observers thereof and threatned eternal torments to all the despisers of it and I think no Pope exceeded this impiety Reason 8 8. The Heir and Successor of Mahomet the Turk is and hath been a long time possessed of Hierusalem the Temple of God and the land of Promise ever since Homar took it except some few years that the French held it from him after that in the Holly War Godfrey of Bulloigne took it and because that Mahomet was circumcised and the Turk and all his followers in like manner the Jews flocked unto this Conquerour when he wan the holy City as unto their Messias and advancing his Enterprise they paid him Tribute and assisted him in all his impiety and proceedings against the Christians which they never did in the like manner to any Pope whatsoever Reason 9 9. Having thus taken and possessed the holy City he now sitteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Temple or Church of God take the Church in what sense you will materially formally or figuratively for he was buried in the Church of God at Meca and they make Pilgrimages to his Sepulchre and adore his reliques to this very day and Homar his Successor having taken Hierusalem templum acquisivit quod Solomon extruxerat ad blasphemiae suae oratorium constituendum he made the Temple which Solomon first built and afterwards Zorobabel and Herod exceedingly beautified to be the oratory of his blasphemy saith Theophanes and Sophronius then Patriarch of Hierusalem cryed out in veritate ista est abominatio desolationis stans in loco sancto in very truth that is the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel and our Saviour standing in the holy place and afterwards when Mahomet the great took Constantinople he made his Pallace in the great cathedral Church of san Sophia and made the Bishops house and the Priests lodgings his serà glia to this very day And if you take the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Church or Temple for the living Temples of God and the faithfull servants of Christ he sitteth upon them and against them more than the Pope ever did for he hath brought into confusion many many Christian Churches and Congregations in Syria Palestina Egypt Persia Armenia Arabia Affrica Grecia Thracia and Asia the less and in many other Countryes besides whose candles he hath put out and removed their candlesticks out of their places and instead of the Gospel of Christ he hath taught them to blaspheme his name and hath set the mark of the beast upon those that were the servants of Christ by circumcising them in their flesh and renouncing their former Baptisme which is the marke and badg of the lambe and those that will not thus renounce their Saviour Christ though he suffereth them to live quietly so long as they pay him their allotted Contribution as I shewed to you before Yet he doth extreamly tyrannize over them in those taxes and contributions and especially in that barbarous tribute of the Christians children which every third year are to be taken away from their Parents from their Religion and from their God to become the worshippers of Mahomet and to be his seraglian Eunuchs Reason 10 10. He is seated in Constantinople which is new Rome and so termed by the old Writers ever since Constantine made it the Imperial throne of the Roman Emperors and is now made a greater Babylon and fuller of confusion than ever old Rome was since Constantines time And surely in my judgment these Reasons do sufficiently and demonstratively evince that the great Turk is a great and a very great Antichrist and indeed a far greater Antichrist than the Pope or any Pope that hath yet been take the very worst of them 3. 3. Others conceive that out of the Turkish and Pepish polity conjoyned together the Antichrist shall arise Some other
to betorn in pieces by them unless he means those locusts that assisted and adhered to the long Parliament but Mr Hall to make good his charge sets down the names of their Preachers in margine as Paul Hobson a Taylor and Rice a Tinker and Lambe a Soap-boyler and Symmes a Shoemaker and Oates a Weaver and Web a Souldier and Heath a Coller-maker and Field the bodies-maker and Green a Felt-maker and Potter the Smith and Spencer a Coach-man and Durance the Wash-ball-maker and Debner the Cooper that can neither write nor read besides many women-preachers and he quoteth Edwards Edwards in his gangraena part 2. pag. 81. another Presbyterian in his Gangraena part 2. page 81 and 88. and in the 1 page of his Book he nameth Lawrence Williams a Naylor publick Preacher Tho. Hinde a Plowright publick Preacher Tho. Palmer a Baker Preacher Sergeant Oakes a Weaver Preacher and Humfrey Rogers lately a Bakers boy publick Preacher and how many more such Preachers might he have found if he had further searched into Ingland and Ireland so many as I think would fill a Volume of no small size And if these brave Preachers be not the false-Prophet and the Preachers of the Antichrist I know not who shall be the Prophets of Christ so my good Presbyterian ex tuo ere out of thine own mouth and from your own books I believe it is apparent that these men sprung from the proceedings of the long Parliament and the Adherents of it and ch 19.20 are the false Prophet spoken of in the Revelat. 16.13 and the second Beast that the Apostle saw arising out of the earth and is as the soul and the very life of the Antichrist and of which Prophet the same Tho. Hall saith All their Preachers women boyes or men From Master Calamy to Mistress Venne Are perfect Popes in their own Parish grown For to out-goe the story of Pope Joan Their women preach too and are like to be The whores of Babylon as much as she And all the preaching of these men and these women Preachers is but a tyrotarichon and hotch-potch of all errors Heresies and Blaspemies as Alexander Ross in his Animadversions upon Mr Hobbs his Leviathan and Edwards in his Hell broke loose and his Gangraena do partly shew unto you what stuffe they bring and what manner of men they are how blinde and how ignorant and yet how impudent they be for who so bold as blinde bayard A Story shewing how an impudent preaching Trooper affronted and disturbed a reverend and learned Bishop in his Sermon And here I must crave leave to tell you a story and some doings belonging to this business quorum pars magna fui and an eye-witness of the same my self Not long ago a grave and a reverend Bishop that had been a Doctor of Divinity admitted in Cambridg Oxford and Dublin of above 40 years standing and well known for his learning and abilities in many Kingdomes travelling from Ireland towards London came on the Saturday night to a Gentlemans house of good quality and his special good friend which then told the Bishop how they had for their Parson and Preacher a man that as they were informed had been a Trooper in the Parliaments Army and he only preached unto them and received their Tythes but did neither baptize their children not bury their dead nor deliver the Sacrament of the Lords Supper nor let them have any other service of God but to preach or expound some Chapter and thus they had been for 7 or 8 years without any of these things but what they procured by some of their neighbour Ministers and he desired the Bishop that he would bestow a Sermon upon the Parishioners on the morrow which was the Lords day the Bishop answered that he loved not that any man should intrude himself into another mans charge but if they would send unto their Preacher and he gave way to it he would willingly preach the next day which the Gentleman did that night and the Preacher was contented the Bishop should have the place but when the Bishop had done his Prayer and read his Text in Nehem. 8.2 and 3. and divided the same and had past over the 1 part that the Preacher was Ezra the priest and thereupon shewed That none should prefume to intrude themselves to do the publick Offices of Gods service in the Church of God but they that were lawfully called as was Aaron and then had entred upon the 2. part the place were Ezra preached which was in the street before the water-gate and thereupon shewed that either in the time of plague or war or persecution or sailing at sea or demolition of Gods Temple as now the Temple of Solomon was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and was not as yet fully re-edifyed or the like just occasion the Preacher might pray and preach as Christ and his Apostles did in any place but when neither of these nor any other exigent like unto these did require it he said the Church that was appointed and consecrated as Solomon did the Temple for Gods publick service was the fittest and the enjoyned place for the Preacher to preach and pray and the people to come to hear and to do the service of God and as he was amplifying this point the more at large because on that very day the Preacher had moved the Parishioners according to a brief from the Lord Protector to a liberal contribution towards the repairing of a famous neighbour Church that was ruined by the warrs the Preacher steps out of his seat among the people and opening his book said The Bishop preached lies and false Doctrine unto them which he would prove to be so and read a place of Scripture that was nothing at all against the Bishops Doctrine and after he had for a good space stood in confuting the Bishop and the Bishop silent all that while and had made an end of his confutation the Bishop demanded if he would now give him leave quietly to go on and to make an end of his Sermon the Parson and his Disciples answered he had preached false Doctrine and lies enough already and therefore he must come down and proceed no further which the Bishop presently did and the Parson got up into the pulpit but thereupon the Gentlemen and the Parishioners on the one side and the Parsons Proselites and Disciples on the other side rose up in a tumult and very bitterly out-bearding and chiding one another so that the Bishop was mightily afraid they would have gone together by the ears and have done some great mischief and had much adoe for a very great while to perswade them and to entreat them for Gods sake on all sides to be quiet And this tumult ended the Gentlemen and the better sort of the Parishioners that were much offended and grieved for this affront that was done unto the Bishop resolved to prefer a Bill of inditement against the Parson and his
divisions corruptions and confusions that are now conceived to be in the Churches of these Dominions Donatist Cradokist Cerinthian Catharist Ebyonist Eutychian Familist Gnostick Hugonite Hussite Jesuit Libertine Lollard Marcionist Manichean Montanist Millenary Nestorian Nicholaitan Origenist Petagian Puritan Quaker Ranter Sadduce Socinian Seeker Tritheist Valentinian Winterist or if you will Atheist or Adamite or Independant From all these and from all other Seâ—â—â—â—d or new and have liberty of Conscience to profess and be of what Sect you 〈…〉 so you profess to believe in Jesus Christ as all the very worst hereticks did and 〈◊〉 and so you take the Oath of abjuration and renounce popery and 〈◊〉 which are the only men as I see that although they do believe in Jesus Christ as well if not better than any of the foresaid Hereticks are excluded from this benefit and excepted from this liberty of conscience to serve God as seemeth good in every mans eyes And though all these Sects differ one from another and are in confusion The common and joynt practise of all the Sectaries and execrating one another yet all of them do agree to dissociate themselves from the true Professors of the primitive Christianity to tear the Apocriphal Books out of our Bibles to cast away the service Book and to cashier the Articles of our Church and the Book of Homilies they are no Saints if they do not this But for the resolution of the foresaid Questions though I could say much therein Yet I will only refer the same to what you may read in a little Treatise intituled Hell broke loose that so as it seemeth the Antichrist might come forth out of the bottomless pit as S. John saith he should do and to a book of Mr. Edwards intituled Gangraena which is set out at large and three times printed where you may finde very orderly and methodically set down such a ferrago and hodg-podg of Heresies and such a multitude of most horrible blasphemies so odious and so hideous Mr. Alexander Ross in his animadversions upon Mr. Hobbes his Leviathan sheweth how the Leviathan blasphemeth 1. God 1 Errour that my hairs do stand and my heart doth tremble at the thought of them and my soul is very much afraid to name them least thereby the Devil should intice some wicked men that as yet know them not to embrace them and likewise to another book of Mr. Alexander Ross against Mr. Hobbs his Leviathan which Mr. Ross saith is like that beast in the Revelation cap. 13. and that is the Antichrist which opened his mouth into blasphemy against God and his Tabernacle and against them that dwell in Heaven 1. Against God himself and that many waies as specially 1. In saying that God made the world by nature and so by consequence of necessity according to the course of nature whereas indeed he did it voluntarily and freely and might have chosen whether he would have created any thing or nothing for he being liberrimum agens a most free and no waies necessitate agent whatsoever pleased the Lord that did he in heaven and in earth and in the Sea and in all deep places saith the Prophet Errour 2 2. In making the Three Persons of the Trinity the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost to be rather Names than Substances which is contrary to our very Creeds and the Faith that we do profess Errour 3 3. In making Christ only to personate God the Son as if he were not so indeed but takes upon him only that Office Place and Title Whereas in very truth Christ by reason of the Hypostatical union of his Manhood to the Godhead is rightly said to be as he is the Son of God Errour 4 4. In making God with the Manichees to be the author of sin and so unjust if he punisheth us for doing that whereof himself is the author when as the Scriptures tell us plainly he hateth all those that work vanity vide Hab. 1.13 1 John 1.5 much more them that work wickedness and that he is of pure eyes neither shall any evil dwell in his sight he being that light in whom is no darkness at all and that perfect order in whom is no Ataxie or disorder at all Errour 5 5. In making God to be corporeal and a part of the Universe when as Christ tels us plainly God is a Spirit and the Scripture tels us so in many places 2. Against Gods Tabernacle that is his Church 2. The Tabernacle by labouring to overthrow her Faith her Knowledge her Miracles and her Ordinances 3. 3. The Angels and the blessed souls of the Saints Against them that dwell in Heaven that is the Angels and separated Souls of the Saints in making the one but Fancies and dreams that are indeed created substances of a pure spiritual being and the other mortal and not capable of any other happiness than what is earthly which is the greatest discouragement that can be to all Christians 1 Cor. 15.19 and would make them if this were true of all men the most miserable and would be the very poyson of all Piety and vertue And besides all this he saith that the said Hobbes in his Leviathan affirmeth that Faith is not by inspiration or infusion but 〈…〉 and industry that to believe in God is not to trust in Gods Person 〈…〉 confess the Doctrine of the Scripture that our Belief is in the Church The manifold errours heresies and blasphemies that Ross collecteth out of the Leviathan that they â—â—e not Devils but mad men that confessed Christ in the Gospel that Covetousness Ambition and Injustice with Power able to uphold them are honourable that wicked Tyrants and good Princes are all one and no such difference betwixt them that a man may sin against his Conscience that is do the things which his own Conscience tels him he should not do that men should not render a reason or an account of their Faith that Kings and Princes are not subject to their own Lawes that private men have no propriety in their own Goods that our natural reason is the Word of God that divine dreams cannot win our Belief that it was but a wind and not the holy Spirit of God that moved on the waters in the Creation Gen. 1.2 that the Dove which lighted on Christ in his Baptisme and the fiery Tongues which sate upon the Apostles in the day of Pentecost may be called Angels that Christ hath no spiritual Kingdom here upon earth that Christ did not cast out Devils Mat. 3.16 Acts 2.3 but only cured Madness that Satan did not enter into Judas that we may dissemble in matters of Religion and that we may disobey both Christ and his Apostles without sin Such Job 41.20 and much more like stuffe and smoak saith Ross doth this Leviathan send out of his Nostrils as out of a boyling Cauldron and herein contrary to all truth and without shame he raked up the
on earth and he is still our King as the Prophet saith The Lord is King and hath put on glorious apparel Psal 93.1 and he placeth other Kings to be his Substitutes and Vicegerents to guide and to govern his people according as he doth command and therefore he saith By me Kings do raign Prov. 8.15 and as he is still our King so S. Peter saith He is still the Bishop of our souls 1. Pet. 2.25 and the Priest that maketh an atonement to God for us and he placeth other Bishops and other Priests under him to teach and to govern his Church in the truth of his Service and Religion And you know what Christ saith to these his Deputies and Vicegerents Luk. 10.16 He that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me So he that denieth and hindereth you to execute your Offices denieth me mine Offices to be both King and Priest and so denieth me to be the Christ and in denying me he denieth him that sent me Psal 2.8 and gave me the Gentiles for mine Inheritance and the uttermost part of the earth for my Possession and also Sware that I should be a Priest for ever Psal 110.4 after the Order of Melchizedech Therefore it is most plain and apparent that whosoever professeth himself a Christian and yet maliciously opposeth and trayterously denieth the execution of the Kingly and Priestly Offices of Christ to be performed by his Deputies Kings and Priests that he appointeth under him and so far denieth them to do it as utterly to destroy them and deny them to live as the Jews denied Christ before Pilate to be Kings and Priests in Christs stead to Govern and to Teach his Church is here meant by the Apostle to be the Grand Lyar and the Great Antichrist that denieth Jesus to be the Christ and so you have seen what is the meaning of denying Jesus to be the Christ 2. The other Point to be considered is to enquire and search if we can find 2. Whom can we find to have denied Jesus to be the Christ Neither Pope nor Turk who have thus as I shewed you denied Jesus to be the Christ and if you find who hath done so you shall find out the Antichrist and I beleeve we shall find him neither in Rome nor in Constantinople for the Pope I am sure of it denieth not the Bishops as Christs Depuâ—ies to execute their Priestly Office when he professeth himself to be Christs Deputy and Vicar to discharge that Office to instruct and to govern his Church and for the Turke he will not extirpate Monarchy nor cast down Kings when he professeth himself to be the chief Monarch of the earth and a King of Kings as his own Letters testifie But whether the Long Parliament and their adherents Let the Reader judge whether the long Parliament hath not fulfilled this saying of the Apostle that in words do constantly affirm and profess that Jesus is the Christ and themselves good if not the best Christians that are on earth have not by their deeds in opposing their King the Substitute and Vioeroy of Christ and denying him either to execute his Regal Office or to live and in suppressing all the Bishops and so many Orthodox Loyall Preachers so that they shall never as Bishops execute the Priestly Office of Christ denied Iesus to be Christ by denying those Substitute Officers of Christ to execute those Offices or to live in those Offices I leave it to them that can judge who is the Lyar and the Antichrist and that denieth Iesus to be the Christ Only I must say That if I were a Pagan and an Infidel and had seen no more of the Parliaments doings but these two things i.e. 1. Their words and great profession of holiness and Christianity And The two chiefest things that do most of all regret the mind of the Author 2. Their deeds in the cutting off of their own just and lawful Kings head and the head of their chief Priest and the suppression exclusion and extirpation of all the godly Bishops in these three Kingdoms and likewise the prohibition and sileneing of them and the rest of the Orthodox Preachers from preaching of the Gospel of Iesus Christ not for any supposed Errour in their Doctrine but for a suspition they had that those faithful men would publish the truth and villanies of their Acts and Proceedings unto the People I should beleeve none could be a greater Lyar or a greater Antichrist than they that did such things Being confident that neither Decius nor Dioclesian nor any other of the primitive Persecutors nor Pope nor Turk nor any later Tyrant hath ever done the like And yet herein That the Author can very well endure dissentients I am not so wedded to mine own opinion as that I cannot endure dissentients for I am not of their mindes that hold him not for their friend and will bear no correspondence with him that will not per omnia in omnibus in all things be of their minde neither do I propose my conceptions notions and Expositions as infallible Articles of faith for others sub paena to be believed but I only set down what I conceive and do verily believe to be true and my Reasons and Arguments that induce me thereunto leaving to all others the liberty of their own conscience to believe what they will and whom they will to be the Antichrist Pope or Turk or whomsoever they please 3. 3. That the Antichrist denying Jesus to be the Christ denieth the Father and the Son which may be done 2 waies 1. Way Mat. 10.40 Luc. 10.16 S. John proceedeth and saith that the Antichrist not only denyeth Jesus to be the Christ but also by this denial he denyeth the Father and the Son and this as I conceive may be done two manner of wayes 1. By separating himself from the rule Government and Ministry of Christ and maliciously suppressing the ordinances and the substitute Governors of Christ which is a most observable and inseparable mark of the Antichrist and of all his followers for thus our Saviour tells us that whosoever despiseth rejecteth and suppresseth the officers Embassadors and Ministers that Christ sendeth and setteth over us to ruâ—e us and to instruct us despiseth rejecteth and by as much as in him lieth suppresseth Christ himself and whosoever despiseth rejecteth and denyeth him despiseth and denieth God the Father that sent him and therefore you may plainly see hereby Vide R. W. in lib. The Doctrine of the Scripture touching the original of Government pag. 117. that the rebellious risers against their King Prince or any other their supream Governor that Christ placeth over them and the suppressors of the Apostles Bishops and Pastors of Gods Church the successors of the Apostles that Christ sends to teach and to govern his Church throughout all ages do rebell reject and deny Christ which is
evade and wash away these Characters of Sodom and Egypt and Hierusalem I will not accuse her let her excuse her self if she can howsoever when the slaughtered witnesses are cast forth into the streets of the great City they of the people and kindreds and tongues and Nations shall see their dead bodies three dayes and a half and shall not suffer their bodies to be put in graves Upon which words Junius in his notes annexed to Beza's Translation that understands this beast that slew the witnesses Juâ—ius in annot annex Bezae translat in apoc c. 11. Quia tres annos cum dimidio Juper vixit bon facius Jubilaeo suo ut ait Bergomensis that is the Protestant Preachers of his time to be Boniface the 8. who killed neither King nor Bishop and I am confident never did so much mischief to the Waldenses and fratricelli that were condemned for hair brain'd Hereticks as the long Parliament did to the Orthodox Bishops saith that these three dayes and a half do signifie those three years and a half that the said Boniface lived after his Jubilee as Bergomensis recordeth But I conceive rather that these three dayes and a half are not simply and properly to be taken strictly for the set and determinate time of 3 years and a half but for some certain short space or time thereabouts that for some reasons I shall shew hereafter the spirit of God is pleased to express by these three dayes and a half during all which time thus expressed the dead witnesses that are in some part actually killed and in the rest spiritually and civilly slain by the beast shall after the beast hath triumphed over them remain in the sight of the World in the streets that is in the common Roads and open places of every Town City and Village rejected despised and scorned for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the street of the great City signifieth as Mr. Mede proveth at large And being thus despised and scorned in every place the wicked limbs of the beast and the adherents to the Antichrist shall not suffer their carkasses to be put in graves that is they will strip them of all honour they will deprive them of all their just Titles and they will denie them all civill respects and esteem them no better then as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 4.17 Vergilius Aeneidos lib. 6. Plutarchus in vita Nicâ—ae p. 544. Quintus Curtius l. 5. the very filth and off-scouring of the Earth for this is the meaning and to be understood by the laying of them in their graves which the very Heathens reckon'd the last and not the least honour and respect that we owe and should shew unto our worthy friends and deceased Heroes as Virgil sheweth by the interring of Palinurus to whom he saith Et statuent tumulum tumulo solennia mittent And Plutarch sheweth that the same due respect ought to be observed as an honour that we owe unto all our worthy Heroes friends and benefactors And so Quintus Curtius saith that when Alexander lost so many men in the straights of Pila-Susida he would not depart thence and leave his slain Souldiers unburied Vide Tobit 1.17 18 19. and c. 2. 4. 7. untill they were interred because saith Curtius among all other Ceremonies observed in the Discipline of their Warres there was none more religiously kept then the burying of their dead and you may remember what great account Tobit made of this honour that is due unto the dead bodies of men and therefore especially of worthy men such as these witnesses of Christ were And whether the godly and Christian King the defender of the true Christian faith while he lived was according to the letter of the Text suffered to be put in his grave after the Christian form prescribed by the Church of Ingland or rather thrown like into a pit Mr Fuller in the Hist of the Church of the buriall of King Charles without the due honour that we owed him let the worthy Authour of the History of the Church of Ingland be consulted with I am sure the goodness vertue and piety of this gracious King and glorious Martyr deserved at the hands of his friends and subjects a far more glorious Tombe honour and solemnities of buriall then what Artemisia did for Mausolus or what was done for Alexander or any other Emperour or King whatsoever I will not except Constantine nor Theodosius who though they were most pious men yet did they not sacrifice their lives and suffer all their blood to be spilt rather then they would suffer Gods service to be any wayes defiled or his Servants to be destroyed as this glorious Martyr did therefore I wish he should And whether the Reverend Bishops the worthy Deanes the learned Doctors and abundance more of the faithfull witnesses of Jesus Christ do not thus lie neglected without honour without respect nay despised and scorned without meanes and without maintenance in the great Cities and in the little Villages Towns and Countrey throughout all Ingland Scotland and Ireland let those that see them be the Judges And let my Reader consider I beseech him if that learned and pious man Mr. Mede seemeth not to intimate that these two Witnesses of Christ shall be killed and rise againe in the reformed Churches for he saith who knoweth not Mr. Mede pag. 22. whether or no the reformed Churches shall not be deservedly punished for the reproach offered to Christ in this behalf by taking away the Witnesses for a time because they reverenced them not according to the dignity of their Embassage while they injoyed them for it is too well known A true conselsion of Mr. Mede what offence the reformed Churches have committed in this behalf that while the Prophets of Christ mightily bestirred themselves in reforming the Temple of God others in the meane while disgracing that most sacred work and especially the Workmen by pillaging the I reasure and interverting the oblations thereof not leaving in some places so much as foode to the great disgrace of the true Religion whereby the Ministers thereof That the Antichrist shall arise in the reformed Church and why might be ho nestly according to the dignity of their Calling sustained much less that any thing should abound which they might set aside for the enlarging of the Reformation the necessity of the Holy War the relief of the Afflicted Brethren and other pious uses and was not the prevarication of this kind for which the Jewish Temple that was the Type of the true Christian Church was given to Antiochus Epiphanes that was the Type of the great Antichrist to be prophaned and the true Religion of the true God to be troden down for the space of three years and a half for an Army saith Daniel shall be given to him against the daily Sacrifice Dan. 8.12 by reason of transgression and it shall cast down the truth to the ground and it shall do
come A speciall observation of the time of this rejoycing and not before because that till now the Church was exercised either with bloody persecutions from without or with intestine broyles and heresies from within but now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the accuser and false traducer of our Brethren the Holy Prophets and the Apostles of Christ by misapplying their sayings misconstring their words and perverting their meaning and making them to say that which they never thought as all Hereticks do being cast out of the Church and quite vanquished consuted and silenced 1. By the blood of the Lamb that is by the faith which the true Christians had in the death of Christ and by the patient sufferings of the Martyrs for the defence of that faith in the former persecutions both of the Pagans and Arians when they loved not their lives unto death but valued them as nothing and yielded them most freely for the maintenance of that Faith which they had in the blood of the Lamb. and 2. by the word of their Testimony that is the breif Articles of their faith and the uniforme rule of Serving God and by the constant firme and faithfull justifying and maintaining the truth of that Doctrine and Service which they professed and published unto the people against all Hereticks whatsoever Therefore now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 12. rejoyce you Heavens Use 12 1. The rejoycing of the Angels and Saints the Church tryumphant and militant for the suppression of the Hereticks and ye that dwell in them that is the highest Heavens and all you Blessed Spirits and Holy Angells that do rejoyce at the Conversion of one Sinner rejoyce now much more for these great Victories and especially for this last victory that Michael and his Angels hath obtained against the Dragon and his Angels and you the Metaphoricall Heavens the Churches of God wherein God resideth rejoyce you as you have most cause to rejoyce that the accuser of your brethren and the false traducer of the Apostles and Holy Fathers of the Church is cast out from amongst you and your Churches are purely reformed the doctrine of faith truely taught and the service of God righty administred and all errors heresies and superstitions swept out of the Church But woe to the Inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea v. 12. that is Who are meant by the inhabitants of the earth and of the Sea to the Worldlings Hypocrites bloody men and loose livers for the earth signifyeth earthly men and the Sea is a loose roaring and raging element cold and moyst and therefore signifieth the loose and dissolute livers roarers and furious men that have not any heat of Love and Charity in them and those also that for the love of gaine and profit only and not out of love to benefit their Countrey and their Neighbours and to shew the bountifull goodness of God to all places but onely out of a covetous desire to inrich themselves do passe all Seas into all forreign Lands woe woe unto all those because that he which could not and can not prevail against the true Christians that do so firmly stand and so stoutly oppose him will be sure to catch these soon enough within his net and hold them fast enough to make them pay for all because as the Holy Ghost saith he hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great wrath and is exceedingly troubled and vexed not onely for his former foyl and his casting out of Heaven but also most especially for that now after these victories he knoweth or as the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he seeth that he hath but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a short space to recruit and to see if he can revenge his former foyls and therefore 2. 2. The bloody and the most malicious persecution of the Dragon after the suppression of the Hereticks He goeth presently among the Inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea and perswades them to throw all the stones of the Earth and to stir up all the waves of the Sea and to use all possible arts to vex and oppress the woman and to overwhelm the Ship of Christ which is the Church in the Seas of all miseries and afflictions And so now the Dragon begins a fresh to rage and to persecute the woman saith the Holy Ghost v. 13. which brought forth the man-child and to vex and molest all her Children all the true and faithfull members of the Church whereof most of them especially her lay children were left prety quiet while the spirituall and dogmaticall warre lasted that raged most of all amongst the Clergy but now that warre being ended the Church reformed superstitions expunged and all the Heresies confuted the Dragon vanquished his Angels suppressed and the service of God purely and rightly discharged the true Church and all her members the corrupted unreformed Churches he hath them in his hands already so that he need not trouble himself to meddle with them are newly molested and exceedingly persecuted with great wrath saith the Angel and that is with a bloody warre and a greater warre and a far more unnaturall and unchristian warre and a more violent and more malicious prosecution of the warre and persecution of them that were quiet in the Land then ever was done by this Dragon at any time before this time And the reason of the exceeding greatness and sharpness of this persecution of the true Church The reason of the sharpness of this persecution shewed signified by this woman is not omitted to be set down by the Holy Ghost for the comfort and consolation of all the persecuted Saints and distressed members of Christ and for to incourage them with the more constancy to persist and to withstand the assaults of the Dragon unto the end and that is because the Dragon that in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had many hundred years to prosecute that heriticall and dogmaticall war yet now knoweth and seeth that he hath but a short time to rage and to wage this newly revived bloody war and therefore he must bestir himself or he shall lose his Harvest that hath but a short time to gather in his fruit and that time that he is permitted thus to rage against the woman as the spirit of God sets it down Cap. 12.14 c. 11 8 v. 11. c. 13 5. c. 11.2 is but a time and times and half a time which signifieth the three dayes and a half that the two witnesses of Christ shall lie unburied in the streets of the great City and the 42 moneths wherein the beast should prevail against Gods Servants and should tread the holy City that is the purest Church under feet for all these times thus exprest by severall termes and expressions The suppression of the witnesses and persecution of the Church the same time as of time times and half a time and three dayes and a half and 42 moneths and do synechronize and cohere for the
in the eares of the Lord from off the Earth And so all their Narratives of their extraordinary Victories and most fortunate successes in Ingland Ireland and Scotland do not prove them to be the Saints of God nor their doings acceptable in his sight but they do sufficiently prove that they have made Warre with the Saints and have overcome them and as the Prophet Daniel hath typically prophesied of the Beast The Parallel Dan. 7.25 2 Thes 2.3 have worn out the Saints of the most high and they may confirm the faith of those that believe them to be the Beast here spoken of and the great Antichrist that is prophefied of by the Apostle Yet to shew the weakness of flesh and blood and the blindness of frail man to understand and to judge of things the Holy Ghost saith v. 8. that the Victories and successes of the Beast do so far prevail with all that dwell upon the Earth that is all earthly and worldly minded men And as H. Grotius rightly saith morem ejus imitari that they are moved thereby to worship the Beast that is to admire him to adhere unto him and to assist him in all his projects and persecution of the Saints which is done as the spirit of God saith by all those whose names are not written in the Book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the World that is by all carnall and worldly men that are not inlightned with the truth of Gods spirit But I would advise both them and all men else seriously to consider how fearfull is the condition of those Worshipers and assistants of the Beast when as God himself doth testifie they are not in the Catalogue of Gods Children but are bletted out of his Book as Reprobates to be tormented with the Beast in the Lake of fire burning with brimstone for evermore And therefore our good God gives a Caveat to all the Servants of Christ in the next verse saying if any man have an ear to hear that is a will and desire to hear let him hear that is so attentively and considerately that he might rightly understand what he heareth for that is not a matter of small moment and slightly to be passed over but they that have any regard of their eternall salvation or desire to avoid everlasting destruction ought carefully to examine who are meant by the Beast and then seriously to weigh in what sad and lamentable condition the Worshippers and adherents of this Beast do remain in Then for the comfort of the persecuted distressed and subjugated banished Captives and for a just reward and retaliation to the oppressing Conquerours Of the end and downfall of the Beast that is the body of the Antichrist the spirit of God addeth v. 10. He that leadeth into Captivity shall go into Captivity and he that killeth with the Sword must be killed with the Sword for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth and you know the Proverb must is for the King truth it self hath spoken it that it must be so and he hath spoken it often therefore it shall undoubtedly be performed and the Beast shall not rule for ever Let my Reader judge if this Prophesie of the downfall of the Beast be not now fulfilled blessed be our good God for it nor the persecuted Saints be oppressed for ever but the Saints shall be delivered out of the hands of the Beast and the Beast shall be excluded out of his Dominion and shall receive his pay when God the just avenger of all wrongs and specially of all blood unjustly spilt shall render their due deserts unto all the members assistants and adherents of this outragious monstrous Beast in the time that they look not for it onely let the Saints with patience constantly expect it and with faith assuredly believe it even as the Holy Ghost hath said Here is the patience and the faith of the Saints i. e. patience quietly to suffer while they are under the rule and the rod of the Beast and faith undoubtedly to believe the dethroning and the downfall of the Beast which will be but the beginning of his sorrowes when as his greater punishment and destruction is still behind and I shall more fully declare it unto you hereafter Liber Tertius CHAP. I. Who is to be understood by this beast of the earth not Mahomet nor the Idolatrous Priests of the heathen Temple when S. John was banished into Patmos That the Preachers of the antichrist and not the Bishop of Rome and his Clergy but the assembly of Presbiters Independants and Lay Preachers are the Prophets of the first beast when the seed of this beast of the earth was first sown and when it became first apparant in these parts and that this beast of the earth is far worse then the first beast that arose out of the sea THen after that the Evangelist had exprest the forsaid particulars of the seven headed and ten horned beast 4. The vision of the second beast which is as the soul of the Antichrist he proceedeth verse 11. to tell us of another vision how he saw 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 another beast coming out of the earth where the holy Ghost followeth the same method as he did with the Prophet Ezechiel Ezech. 8.6.13 15. to shew him greater abomination then he had formerly seen in as much as the most opposite place to heaven is the earth and is farthest from it and a far baser Element then the Sea so is this beast that rose out of the earth far more wicked more odious and more abominable in the fight of God and all good men then the other that arose out of Sea as the Sequel of what we read in this thirteenth Chapter will make it plain unto you But first we are to inquire who is to be understood by this beast Who is to be understood by this beast of the earth that can be worst then that beast that ascended from the bottomlesse pit and is the same with the great Antichrist And I find some Divines as Rupertus and others that think this beast of the earth and the other beast of the sea to be the same beast that first rose out of the sea Not the same with the beast that rose out of the sea and then was seen again to spring out of the earth But the description of this beast and his actions likewise do so far differ from the first beast that it cannot be the same especially considering the Evangelist saith plainly it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 another beast therefore not the same with the former And yet as the soul and body that are not the same do notwithstanding constitute and make up one and the same man so doth this beast and the other former beast make up the same man of sin and the same great Antichrist this being as the form that as the matter this as the soul that as the body
and offences in our Church contrary to the Doctrine that we learned and contrary to all the established Lawes of this Land and they would never have disdained to be Canonically subject to their Diocessan Bishops and so make shipwrack of their faith and a good Conscience and through their pride that aspired to be free Masters and no lesse then a Pope in every Parish and through covetousness and hope to share the Episcopall Revenues among themselves so eagerly to have proceeded to deface the most Glorious Nationall Church that was on Earth And as the Apostle bids us to marke them that cause division and offences as he did himselfe by name marke and made known unto the people Hymeneus and Philetus and Alexander the copper smith and as St. John marked Diotrephes and our Saviour Christ the Scribes and Pharisees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let the Reader judge if this be not fulfilled in the Presbyters that the people might avoid them as they are commanded so I could name to you such Presbyterians that are so earthly so worldly so covetous and such extortioners if printed books say true of them as would make men wonder that any Christians should be such but I love not to throw dirt in any particular mans face onely I let you know that I conceive this to be the meaning of the rising of this beast out of the earth that he is earthly minded as in generall I say and am sure of it the Presbyterians are Then secondly it is said in the same v. 11. 2. What is meant by the two hornes of this beast that this Beast had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 two hornes like a Lambe or like unto the Lamb and that is the Lambe which was spoken of in the eighth v. And these two hornes saith Grotius do signifie the chastity and the abstinence of Apollonius and the rest of the Magicians by which vertues so greatly commended by the Christians they made themselves most acceptable unto them but while Grotius applyeth this Prophesie to Domitian and Apollonius as he doth the other of St. Paul 2 Thes 2. to Caius and to Simon Magus he makes the Apostles to Prophesie of things already done and extending themselves no further then their own time which is contrary to the sence of all Expositors and cannot properly be said to be Prophesies as I shewed to you before Mares p. 139. They that mistake this Beast and take him for the Pope do likewise mistake these hornes for the two fold sword the Temporall and the Spirituall Power of the Pope Acosta saith they are insignia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acosta de tempor nouis l. 2. p. 17. the ensignes of the Episcopall Dignity that was expressed by their Miter which seemed like Moses his hornes that were but the radiant beames of Glory which like the sun-beames reflected from his face and forehead when he descended from the Mountain where he had been in conference with Almighty God and this dignity this Beast assumed to himself which was onely peculiar to the Episcopall Function And did not the Assembly of Divines at Westminster The Parallele The Presbyter challenge the Episcopall Dignity and more and every one of the Presbyterians arrogate and challenge this Dignity unto himselfe when he refused to be subject and to be directed by his Diocessan and with the Heretick Aerius did stiffely maintain that there was no difference in Gods word betwixt a Presbyter and a Bishop yes their own writings and the whole Kingdom are sufficient witnesses of this truth yea they affected indeed far more then the Episcopall Power as it hath been fully shewed in the Diurnalls and the weekly intelligence of the Parliament and as King James found it in Scotland and the Independants and Lay-Preachers shall finde it to their cost if ever the Presbyterian Government should be established But Mr. Mede saith that by these two hornes Mr. Mede p 66. we may understand the Power of binding and loosing which Christ left to his Apostles and to their Successors here on earth and which this Beast doth assume unto himsef but if this Power had been here to be understood the Holy Ghost had not said these hornes were like the hornes of the Lambe but that this Beast had the two hornes of the Lamb because the Power of binding and loosing are the two right hornes of Christ Revelat. 3.7 that onely hath the Keyes of David which openeth and no man shutteth and again shutteth and no man openeth and this two-fold Power Christ hath given to his true and lawfull Ministers Cornelius a lapide in loc and they truly and rightly have the two bornes of the Lambe which this beast had not but had counterfeit hornes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like the hornes of the Lambe as Cornelius a Lapide well observeth therefore this two-fold Power cannot be here understood But because strength and Power is commonly understood by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the horne and our Saviour Christ that is here understood by the Lambe shewed his Power while he walked here on earth chiefly in two main things that is The 2 things that are fignified by the two hornes 1. In his Propheticall Office of foretelling things to come 2. In his Supernaturall working of wonders and miracles among the people So this beast pretendeth to be indued with the same double Power of the Lambe as The Paralele Let the reader judge if Presbyters do not arrogate them to themselves 1. Of Foretelling hidden and future things 2. Of Working strange miracles And Though I know the Presbyterians and their associates will deny that they challenge these hornes and the Power of doing these things unto themselves yet res ipsa loquitur let their doings be the Judges of this point 1. To foretell things to come For 1. Do they not presume but most impiously though not directly in words yet obliquely by their deedes to tell you who are Saints and who are sinners who are Elect and who are Reprobates who shall be the Heires of Heaven and who must be the fire-brands of hell not plainly it may be but by their deeds I say it is plainly seen they do it and such knowledge is too excellent for us we cannot attain unto it when the Apostle tells us in plain termes that the Lord 2 Tim. 2.19 and the Lord onely and not any man knoweth who are his that is his Elected Saints They are so well versed in the hearts of men and can so finely distinguish betwixt the Saint and the sinner the elect and the reprobate that herein no Tricotomist can be more acute that shall inherit his Kingdom and yet these wise eagle-sighted Presbyterians contrary to this Testimony of the Apostle when they Administer the Holy Eucharist besides other times at their pleasure can distinguish betwixt the sheepe and the goates and admitting the sheep to partake thereof they can exclude the goates from the
is above all Kings and above the Emperor and being so silled with herefies idolatries and blasphemies and such a cruel bloody tyrant and persecutor of Gods true servants as our Protestants have amply shewed in their books and the Turke directly and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thrusting himselfe into the place and office of Christ and exalting himselfe above Christ above the Prophets and above all the Apostles of Christ and challenging to himselfe and his successors absolute independant power over all the Kings and Monarchs of the earth and commanding his Alcoran which is made up of Paganish Jewish and Arian herefies and superstitions to be received and preferred before the Gospel of Jesus Christ and most cruelly tyrannizing over those poor Christians that are under him because they renounce not their Saviour Bishop Mountague in his Appello Casarem pag. and adore his false Prophet and that religion which directly leadeth them to perdition as learned Montague sheweth it is incredible and not possible to be beleeved that the Parliament and specially the Presbyterians that professe themselves to be regulated neither by Fathers nor Councils nor any other Canon or rule but onely by the pure Word of God and doe so indefatigably labour to bring men to Christ and to inlarge the kingdome of his Grace and have hazarded their fortunes and lost their blood and some their lives in the defence of Gods cause should be the great Antichrist and a greater Antichrist more batefull and a more abominable adversarie unto God and his Church then either the Pope or the Furke To this I answer that I never intended to excuse or to lessen Sol. The Aurhor excuseth neither Pope nor Turk the impieties of the Pope or the cruelties of the Turke or to denie them to be Antichrists and great adversaries both to Christ and to the Church of Christ I am no Proctor to plead for either of them especially against the truth but I say the neerer men are to God the more profession they make of faith and the better christians they think themselves to be the more faithfulness and the more holiness and sincerity is required at their hands for to whom much is given of them much shall be required saith our Saviour and it was wisely said of a fool that dying cried to God that he would require no more of him The wise prayer of a Fool. then what he gave him though wiser men must imploy their tallents to the best advantage of their master who expecteth a plentifull harvest of all good fruits where he hath plentifully sown his good seed of knowledg and of grace and so the sins of such men as should be Saints are far more heinous and more abominable in the fight of God then the sins of those that know not God yea sins less heinous in their own nature are more heinous in these offenders then other sins far more odious in themselves are in those that are further off from God and less acquainted with his lawes and therefore Act 17.30 Ps 106.21.22 Rom. 3.2 the Iodolatrie of the heathens that knew not the true God God winked at saith the Apostle and it was not neer so odious in Gods fight as the Idolatrie of the sons Israel that had seen his wonders in Egypt and had the heavenly Oracles delivered unto them and so though Pilate for condemning Christ to death is branded with great infamie by the mouth of everie christian that saith his Creed that Christ suffered under Pontius Pilate yet Annas John 19.11 and Caiphas that profest to know Gods will and thought themselves the chiefest of Gods people majus peccatum habuerunt sinned more by our Saviour's testimonie for delivering him unto Pilate then Pilate did in condemning him unto death so likewise though the sins of the Edomites were verie great when the Prophet saith thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Edom and for four Amos 1 11. I will not turn away the punishment thereof because he did pursue his brother that is the seed of Jacob that was Esaus brother which is Edom and did cast off all pittie and his anger did tear perpetually and kept his wrath for ever And so in like manner though the sins of Damascus and of Moah also were exceeding grievous v. 3. c. 2.1 c. 1.13 when the former threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of Iron and the others rage was so great that death could not satisfie his wrath but he must burn the bones of the King of Edom into lime How and whose sins doe become most odious and in like manner though the sins of the children of Ammon were no less grievous then the sins of Moab when they ript up the women with child of Gilead that they might inlarge their borders yet because these nations were not the peculiar people of God nor had received so many favours from God nor the knowledge of his lawes so as the Iewes had done these horrible sins and sins against nature seemed not so horrible and so offensive in Gods sight as Iudahs despising of his lawes and their lies which caused them to err and Israels selling of the righteous for Silver and the poor for a pair of Shoes c. 2. v. 4. and 6. which seem to be but veniall fins in respect of the other bloody murthers and inhumane cruelties because as I said before to whom God hath given much of them he requireth much and where he expecteth most holinesse there the fins are most sinful and as St. Bernard saith of the Priests and Ministers of Christ Quae in aliis nugae sunt in illis sunt blasphemia so the sins that are but trifles in the Pagans and Infidels are most odious in the Christians and therefore after that the Lord had recapitulated both the fins of those nations and the many favours he had heaped upon the Israelites with the rejectment of the Amorites and the rest of the foresaid nations for their former transgressions c. â—3 5 The sins of Israel more displeased God then the sins of the Amorites and why he addeth of the Israelites you onely have I chosen of all the Families of the earth that is for mine own peculiar people to serve me and to be protected and favoured by me therefore seeing you have done these things I will punish you for all your iniquities and when others that you think worse and greater finners then you be may have some savour yet you shall have none at all because these things in you offend me more and are more abominable in my fight then are all the abominations of the Amorites And so according to this determination of the Prophet though the sins of the publicans and harlots murderers and robbers and the like were more flagitious and more heinous in their owne nature then the sins and delinquencies of the Scribes and Pharisees that for the uprightness of their outward carriage were deemed the onely Saints among