hatred as we see and find a Remnant do at this day p. 55. The Lord will use and engage his people to act in and perform such a destroying work upon the world as this work of the stone is namely the total commotion and dissolution of the old Heavens and old Earth and all the created powers ruling therein because it is the decree determination promise and appointment of the Father p. 56. The Lord by these figurative expressions holds forth the dissolution of all old things formal Antichristian Church-state Ordinances Worship Discipline and Doctrine all beast-like wordly Governments Institutions Laws politick Constitutions Powers c. In a word the Heavens and the Earth of all the Nations Isai. 5. 30. p. 57. So that Jesus Christ will admit of no competitors but will have the sole legislative power and exercise of the chief Magistracy and be Lord Paramount over the whole Earth and therefore God is engaged to appear with his smiting Stone to make way for this glorious Mountain of peace p. 59. That all the blood of Gods people is found in Babylon For they i. e. her Civil powers Revel 16. 6 7. have shed the blood of the Saints and Prophets Revel 17. 6. ch 18. 24. 19. 1. Jer. 50. 14. now therefore God by way of recompence retaliation hath ordained that the Saints shall be his instruments by which he will execute his vengeance upon the powers of the World who are all of them Murtherers accordingly God commands his people 't is their duty to obey to reward Babylon double as she rewarded them Revel 18. 6. and they shall give her blood to drink p. 62. The call which the stone shall have to act in its smiting work is for the greatest part thereof now pertinent and fitly applicable to a faithful remnant now extant in England and fulfilled in and upon them and also seeing that the signes laid down in the word of God for the time of the end are in a grâ—at measure now fulfilled and accomplished in Englands Remnant therefore we conclude and assert that 't is lawful and warrantable and is a duty incumbent for captivated Sion and oppressed Saints to stand up in Gods name and fear and deliver themselves and that glorious Gospel of the Kingdom now by them declared to the world from persecution oppression and that long Captivity and Bondage which she hath remained in and to break the Yoak of the oppressor which is now upon her Neck according to the word commandment of the Lord. Zach. 2. 7. Isai. 52. 2. We are perswaded that the work of the Stone is the present work of this generation and our present work and do accordingly exhort the Saints to arise to fall upon the enemy p. 63. The Saints in order to this smiting work shall be converted from all the Civil power and Rule of Antichrist and the ten Horned Beast upon which the mystery harlot sitteth p. 65. That it is their duty to withdraw their Hands Hearts Affections Purses and prayers from the Civil power or power of the Beast that they shall quit all their interest and claim in and to the old Heavens and Earth and state of things shall forsake Father Mother c. And shall convert Houses Lands Possessions and Enjoyments commanded to be prudently beat into Swords and Spears into one common stock to be consecrated for the management of this great Affair p. 66. And in such a practise they shall be no loosers Christ will give them an hundred fold even the spoile of all their great and rich Enemies who are his opposers and in the end an eternal Crown The Saints are with Moses to refuse Court Honour and favor and preferment Egyptians wisdom Learning Revenues and great Riches with David to leave their common duties as matters of small value and little concernment in comparison of this noble and worthy imployment to fight against the Philistines so are the Civil powers or common Enemy to the Common-wealth of Israel p. 71 We do profess we cannot be content or satisfied until Christs Kingdom flourish but will in Gods name and strength press forward till we come to the mark which is the state of the true rest so we call that Kingdom and power where the Saints shall cease from all their labours in and with Christ. p. 69. Doth not the Lord call the Saints to arise also unto the prey p. 71. The work of God against Nations Provinces Universities Corporations Cities Townes Kings Rulers chief Captains mighty Men in Church and Common-wealth Enemies of Christ's Kingly Office shall be the lesson of faithful Saints the true way will be discovered and made plain all Rebels and Traitors open and prophane more close pretenders and formally Godly discovered hatred in and among his Saints against those several parts forms powers of Babylon doleful howling and mourning among the Merchants of Babylon who are the great and rich men whose hearts dwell on the Earth p. 75. The Saints must separate not only from the Romish Universal National Provincial and Diocesan Church-state of Babylon and Antichrist together with their Discipline Doctrine Worship and Ceremonies But also and more particularly which is most properly a work precedent to be done by the Saints in order to the smiting work of the Stone from the national and parochial Parish Church State and assemblies forms and classes of this and other Antichristian Nations which we call the Politick and no more than Civil Stratagem and cunning invention of Antichrist to divide unto himself the whole Land for gain whereby all men to the lowest ranck are compelled forcibly to contribute to the maintenance of his false Prophet and so wickedness is established by a Law Again further from those Churches that are select more pure as being seemingly refined which are the gathered in a pastoral way reducing things to primitive practise so far as they are corrupted and adulterated and found opposers of the Kingly Office of Jesus Christ in and over the whole world and more especial in the Administration of this part or dispensation of that Kingdom to wit that of the Stone or War against his Enemies for even in this generation there be a sort of people and those we hope godly that do acknowledge and wait in the expectation of the later yea and hold forth the personal appearance of our Lord as King yet nevertheless oppose and deny and quite leap over this Stone and its work thereby endeavouring to render the Saints useless and uncapable of destroying Babylon which must make â—way and without which we cannot attain to the peaceable and more glorious Administration of this Kingdom by removing those Mountains Hils and powers of darkness which do oppose and hinder it p. 76. And from those humane heathenish and Antichristian wayes means and helps for the attainment whereof men study which they practise in the Schools and Universities of these Nations as things necessary for the Fitting Preparing
they say 't is to be desired from good and sound grounds that they would exercise that royal authority which God has given unto them and invested them with as they are Saints by calling which is to defend themselves and offend their enemies and to contend against those that do or shall oppose them in their work and businesse which is to smite powers and to take the Kingdoms of the world into their own possession the glass of the Beasts power being almost run out in these Nations p. 27. the call which the stone shall have to act in its smiting work is for the greatest part thereof now pertinent and fitly applicable to a faithful remnant now extant in England and fulfilled in and upon them and also seeing that the signs laid down in the word of God for the time of the end are in a great measure now fulfilled and accomplished in England's remnant therefore we conclude and assert that 't is lawful and warrantable and is a duty incumbent for captivated Sion and oppressed Saints to stand up in Gods name and fear and deliver themselves and that glorious Gospel of the Kingdom now by them declared to the world from persecution oppression and that long captivity and bondage which she hath remained in and to break the yoke of the Oppressor which is now upon her neck according to the word and Commandment of the Lord Zech. 2. 7. Isa. 52. 2. we are perswaded that the work of the stone is the present work of this generation and our present work and do accordingly exhort the Saints to arise to fall upon the enemy p. 62. Now these positions conceits and exhortations are impious and vain For 1. it is proved before that their separation from their brethren deserting their Superiors to whom they owe subjection their reviling and speaking evil of powers their taking up arms against them are not honest and just means 2. It is not proved that the smiting work Dan. 2. 34 35. is that work which they exhort to 3. Nor is it proved to be the work of Saints as Saints 4. Nor is there any thing they produce that shews it to be the work of this generation 5. Nor any thing that shews that it is pertinent and fitly applicable to a faithful remnant now extant in England 6. Nor can any thing be deduced from the signs laid down in the word of God which they only say are in a great measure fulfilled and accomplished in England 's remnant for the time of the end to warrant their acting sith no signs are sufficient for acting against plain precepts without a clear Commission by extraordinary revelation or miraculous power much lesse when they are not wholly fulfilled and that accomplishment they are encouraged by is taken either from conjectural calculations of mystical numbers or from the heat of some perhaps real Saints excited by the oratory and confidence of their magnified Teachers and Leaders opposed by other sober and considerate persons as godly though not so hot-spirited as themselves which heat hath cooled much and many have been withdrawn from them as themselves complain and experience shews which also hath proved that they have much deluded themselves and others who have rested upon their calculation of mystical numbers 7. Nor is there any thing deprehended in those whom they call the faithful remnant in England why they should be called to this work rather than others of former time or in other Countries For though they magnify them that are of their party as pretious Saints publick-spirited self-deniers illuminated disparaging others as formal professors leavers of their first love and the like yet experience hath proved them to be but as other men or rather many of them to have been worse than others far from Saints and a faithful remnant and by their uncharitablenesse rashnesse cruelty contempt of and disobedience to their Governors to have been more like Divels than Saints 8. The falling off of many who perhaps inclined to them and favoured their design apprehending it to have been at first out of good meaning and to a good end but since finding it to have been out of a factious spirit and tending to blood and rapin likely to beget when the rabble of loose persons agents for Rome and men of desperate fortunes should with a shew of sanctity and zeal for Christ join with them an horrible wasting and depraedation of mens estates which these men as holy as they would be taken to be its likely aimed at when they used those words p. 66. In such a practise they shall be no losers Christ will give them an hundred fold even the spoil of their great and rich enemies who are his opposers and in the end an eternal Crown together with an universal enmity and dreadful anarchy have deserted them is a good evidence of the madnesse and impiety of their assertion and exhortation 9. It is evident that they have been deluded in their conceits and their wild positions and attempts by the want of power and authority which are necessary for that work which they imagined the faithful remnant in England called to For as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 4. 20. the Kingdom of God is not in word but in power and therefore there being no such power of calling down fire from Heaven of smiting the earth with plagues or any other extraordinary power such as is foretold of the two witnesses Rev. 11. or in the Prophets Judges or Apostles sent by God we cannot take their attempts or call to be any other than heady rash not from Gods spirit but fond opinion of the power of their prayers because of their vehemency as Hackets was in Q. Elizabeths daies and Satans delusion of them 10. It is a very great delusion they are transported with which makes them imagin they shall by their arms subdue all the enemies of Christ make them the footstool of Christ and take the Kingdom which is made the work of God when he sends the rod of his strength in the day of his power in the day of his wrath Psal. 110. 1 2 3 5 6. which to attempt by themselves is a most monstrous giant-like enterprise 11. Nor is it a small vanity and folly in them to presume to antedate the Saints exaltation afore Christs appearing which is to be accomplished at his coming and in his Kingdom 12. It shews the want of sobriety in these men that they abuse holy scriptures and scripture expressions altogether impertinent to their purpose for so evil purposes as they alledge them As for instance in applying those words Zech. 2. 7. Isa. 52. 2. which are spoken of the people of the Jews and their delivery from the captivity of Babylon in Chaldaea or some other dispersion proper to them to the people of England which were never under such captivity making their subjection to civil Rulers Babylon which is Gods Ordinance and exhorting them to deliver themselves by arms in the imitation
Champney the validity of their succession by the ancient Canons which the Papists allow nor are the Ministers ordained by the Bishops Priests to offer sacrifice for the quick and dead as Popish Priests nor hath the Common prayer Book the Sacrifice properly so called the adoration of the host invocation of Saints and other rites which make the Masse abominable nor is the Church of England made national as subject to the Pope or communicating with the Roman Church in the Trent doctrine and therefore are not chargeable with the Antichristian forms Church state and worship of Babylon nor the civil powers which require conformity thereto to be judged to compel mens persons to Antichristianism But perhaps we shall find Mr. Tillinghast arguing to better purpose That which I meet with as tending to the justifying of the Quinto-Monarchians way is in the 3. of the 8. sermons published since his death p. 57. of the 3. edition in which he tels his auditors that he did conceive it to be one great article of his and their faith that the work that God doth call his Children to at this day and he calls upon them from Heaven to attend to had been the work of Christs visible Kingdom over the world which he takes for granted nor in that do I at present oppose him though I do not assert such a visible Kingdom as he believes nor do I gainsay his distinction p. 59. Of two parts of Christs Kingdom one of the Stone the other of the Mountain used before by Mr. Mede but deny that in the Kingdom of the Stone the Saints are imployed in a glorious work for Christ to pluck down all that Jesus Christ when he comes may have his enemies his footstool and that the command is beat your Plow-shares into Swords intimating that in the time of this Kingdom there shall be wonderful use of Swords Weapons of War p. 60. But that which I oppose is his speech p. 63. And though this Stone Dan. 2. 34. fundamentally is Christ himself yet considered as smiting the great Image it can be no other but Christ mystical in his members and the cutting out of this Stone cannot be meant as some would have it of Christs first coming for these reasons first because the Kingdom of the Stone it doth arise in the dayes of the ten Antichristian Kings And in the dayes of these Kings shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdom What Kings are these These Kings are not the Four Monarchies for the Kingdom of God was not set up in the time of those Monarchies but in the fourth and last only and here is spoken of Kings in the plural Number those Kings therefore are the ten Antichristian Kings which are set forth by ten toes where the work begins and the first stroak is struck and are called the ten Horns in another place and in Dan. 7. Those ten Horns are interpreted ten Kings and in the time of those Kings the Stone is cut out they are the ten Antichristian Kings and if so the Stone cannot be so early cut out as the birth of Christ for that was long before the ten Antichristian Kings had being or existence in the world therefore the Kingdom of the stone must be cut out later Answ These Kings cannot be meant of any other than the Kings and Kingdoms which the Kingdom of the Stone shall break in pieces which are v. 45. the Iron the Brass the Clay the Silver and the Gold and not the toes only and therefore must be meant of the four Monarchies and not only of the ten Antichristian Kings And in the days must be understood Synecdochically one of them as when Jephthab is said Judg. 12. to be buried in the Cities of Gilead that is in one of them Jonah was gon down into the sides of the Ship Jonah 1. 5. that is one of the sides and of which Mr. Mede in his answer to Mr. Hayn hath given more instances and proved it to be meant of the last of those Kings which he determines to be the Roman against Mr. Haynes holding it to be the Kings of Alexanders Successors and that it must needs be referred to Christs incarnation or preaching which he shewes in his exercitation on Mark 1. 15. to have been by Christ himself signifyed when he said the time is fulfilled that is the time foretold Dan. 2. 44. And the Kingdom of God is at hand which the God of Heaven will set up The plural Number notes not the ten Horns for these Kings can be meant of no other than the four Monarchies or Kings which are mentioned in the plural Number not because the Kingdom was set up in all their dayes but in the dayes of the last into which the power of the rest came and by smiting of it they were all broken to pieces Secondly Saith he Because Daniel doth not see the Stone to smite until such time as he had a view and representation of the great Image in all the parts of it before him He saw it all come forth and exist in its state before the Stone smites therefore I conclude that the cutting out of the Stone was not until every part of it was come forth and was in being in the world But if so be we conceive the cutting out of the Stone to be as high as Christs coming then was the Stone cut out long before the last part of the great Image the Iron and the Clay was in being and if the Stone was cut out so long before then did the Stone lye still and not do its work for many hundred years for the very first stroke the Stone strikes is upon the feet of Iron and Clay which it could not do before they were in being Answ If the argument be good from the seeing together of all the parts of the Image to the coexistence of the things represented then all the four Monarchies should exist together because they were represented and viewed together which is absurd 'T is true the Stone was not cut out till all the Monarchies were in being yet it was cut out afore every state of the last Monarchy was in being The Stone is said to smite the Image in the feet not because it began not to smite till the last state and period of the fourth-Monarchy But because the former Monarchies were brought under the power of the fourth and rested upon the fourth as the head and other parts of the body do upon the feet and so by smiting it the Whore is cast down If this reason were good Christs Kingdom should not begin till every part or state of the fourth-Monarchy were existent and then the Saints should not begin to smite till the existence of the last of the ten Kings which is unknown to them and then he could not conclude it must be the work of this generation Thirdly saith he because Daniels smiting stone that he speaks of in the 2. ch and his Ancient of daies siting that
called ch 8. 10. The host of Heaven v. 24. The holy People or People of the holy ones ch 9. 15 16 19 24. Gods People and their City Jerusalem called by Gods name his Sanctuary the holy City ch 11. 28. 30. The holy Covenant ch 12. 7. the holy People Yea sundry of those that are much followed in this argument as Mr. Mede Comment on Revel 16. 12. do conceive that by the Kings of the East who shall have their way prepared for expedition against the Beast are meant the Jews And sundry Prophecies there are in the Old and New Testament which do seem to foretel the Kingdom to be restored to Israel according to the question Acts 1. 6. And therefore the more likely when they are converted to Christ if any Saints on Earth to be chief instruments of destroying Babylon which hath oppressed them Or that fourth Kingdom which hath been as strong as Iron and broken in pieces and subdued all 9. It is supposed that this smiting work is the work of this generation and to be begun by the pretended publick spirited Saints of this Nation Whereas Mr. Tillinghast himself Serm. 1. p. 25. saith the work of Christs Kingdom the glorious beginning of it it shall be about the time of the Jews coming in And indeed the coming in of the Jews shall be a very great advancement of this Kingdom I omit what Mr. Parker conceives of the Waldenses and others as long since beginning and carrying it on There is nothing yet appears but a violent heady presumptuous spirit in those persons who have thought themselves fit to begin the work nor in the times but the commotions that have been which gives colour to this supposition § 6. Quinto-Monarchians Hypotheses about the Civil Governments being from the Fourth Monarchy Rome and the Dragon are shewed to be groundless 10. IT is supposed That the Civil Powers that be are of old Rome or the Fourth Monarchy or as they speak growing upon the old Root of wickednesse and bitternesse or being a remnant of the old foundation which is their expressions in the Banner displayd p. 1. There will be no rest till the fourth Kingdom which divides it self into two iron legs ten toes and a little horn be wholly destroyed in all the laws constitutions Governments and reliques thereof p. 29. The fifth Kingdom which is Christs with its holy just and righteous Laws and Officers must arise with destruction to and stand up in the place of the fourth Kingdom and the Laws and Officers thereof shew to be the Laws Constitutions Governments and orders of the Roman Empire and they assert a Legislative Power to make Laws to govern the Nations only in Christ and his Laws and Officers only are to have place and in the Book entituled The Standard set up Printed 1657. p. 15. they say That the Scriptures being given by Inspiration of God with his Holy Spirit are the revealed will and Rule of this Legislator to be constantly owned and submitted unto in times of War and Peace as a constant standing Rule for the inward and outward man wherein are Laws Statues Precepts and Judgments for all cases conditions and actions of Civil Military and Spiritual concerns either in particular or more general terms For so they were to the Common-wealth of Israel the only type of the Lambs Government But these suppositions in a great part are notoriously false For the Government by King Lords and Commons as it is constituted in England is quite different from old Rome whether under the Caesars or Popes not derived from them but from the Saxons of Normans or some other of the ancient Rulers of this Island nor are the Laws of England by which it is governed in civil Affairs the Laws of the Emperors which are that which we call the Civil Law consisting of the Edicts and constitution of Roman emperors nor the Canon Law consisting of Popes Decrees and Decretals but the Common and Statute Laws of these Nations which he that reads the Chronicles of England the Writings of Sir Thomas Smith of the Common-wealth of England Mr. Cambdens Britannia Sir Edward Cookes Institutes the Preface of Sir John Davis to his Irish Reports the Book of Statutes may easily perceive to have another original and to be much different from them If there were no more but the daily practice of the Courts of Justice and the manner of choosing making Judges and Officers to refute this Calumny it were enough to shew the grosse falshood of this supposition And yet were the Laws and form of Government the same with old Rome they were not therefore Antichristian and we released from obedience to them For not only Christ and his Apostles required obedience to them but also S. Paul both made use of them and commended them Acts 16. 37. and 22. 25. and 25. 10 11 16. which if they had been Antichristian as they give out clamorously but ignorantly and to be opposed with greatest hatred doubtlesse they would not have done As for the other part of the supposition though we grant that our Lord Christ is the supreme Legislator and wherein he hath determined any thing his Laws are to stand in force above and against all constitutions and Laws of men yet we find not that Christ did or intended to make any particular Laws for thousands of things which pertain to Civil Government no nor for many things pertaining to Gods worship and Church-Government which yet require a determination by some Laws or Rules for good order to be kept thereabout When one of the company said unto him Master speak to my Brother that he divide the inheritance with me he said unto him man who made me a Judge or divider over you Luk. 12. 13 14. Nor did the Apostles or the Governors after them or Christians as such intermeddle with making laws or judging civil Affairs any farther than they were intrusted either by the Roman Governors or according to Christs appointment Matth. 18. 15 16 17. or the Apostles directions about composing differences between Christians 1 Cor. 6. 1. c. or the exercise of Ecclesiastical censure or miraculous power did require Though it is not to be denied that in aftertimes too much of this work was either commited by Christian Emperors or assumed by the Rulers and Governors of Christian Churches especially by Popes of Rome to the great detriment of Christianity As for the holy Scriptures though we acknowledge their sufficiency for a rule in matters of Faith and holy life in order to the end wherefore they were inspired of God to wit the honouring and serving of God and our own salvation yet we do not find in them sufficient Laws in particular for the governing of all civill Commonwealths but that Judges and Officers notwithstanding what we find in the books of Mâ—ses and the Prophets and other holy writings would be to seek how to pass sentence and to administer Justice in thousands of cases that