Emperors and their Images as well as the Pagans It is manifest that there must be something more here meant than a bare external Civil Veneration of the higher Powers as the Ordinance of God It must be something very much like the Worshipping of Nebuchadnezzar's Image and of those Babylonian Kings in such a manner as not to be allowed the exercise of the true Religion And nothing less than this can answer the Character of the man of sin 2 Thes 2. 4. who is said to exalt himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped So that be as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God And by the consent of all Interpreters that Prophecy does certainly belong to that state of things that is represented by the Beast and his Image By this then it appears that by the Worship here mentioned must be understood the giving of Divine honours or the peculiar Prerogatives of God or Christ to the Beast or his Image that is to the Civil and Ecclesiastical Authority of the Romans after the Restauration of the Imperial Roman Government in the West The unquestionable way to effect this would be to make * Grot. Responsde Antichristo pag. 77. I detest every thing that belongs to the Spirit of Antichrist that is the imposing persecuting Spirit And that has appeared not only near the Tyber but about the Lake Lemanus and in other places the Arbitrary will and pleasure of the Supreme Authority of the Roman State or the Church to be acknowledged for the Law of God Divinely inspired or to be publickly obeyed as such by outward compliance with it This is certainly to set up ones own will for the will of God and so to stand ones self in the place of God to the World And if this be exercised with an irresistible power over the Universal Church of Christ upon Earth it is plainly the showing ones self to be a God in the Temple of God For there could nothing else be understood by the Temple of God after the Destruction of Jerusalem but the Christian Church which also has that name in several places of the same Apostle's Writings A still much higher improvement of this Worship is it if it be enjoined as necessary to Salvation to believe these Arbitrary Decrees to be the Inspirations of God and to obey them But especially if these Decrees be not only about things left indifferent by the Word of God but are also Injunctions contrary to the Will and Word of God For this is to oppose and exalt ones self above God in the Temple of God And if this be done with the shew of the Authority of God himself in it this is to oppose all that is called God shewing himself to be God For he does certainly make himself very near as absolute a Sovereign of a Nation who does unjustly exercise all the Acts of the Sovereign Power of it against the will of the undoubted Prince of it but yet under the name of his Authority as he that does it by an open Usurpation of the Title of the Sovereign Power This Power and Authority is carried on with a still greater arrogance and claim of divinity in it if it pretends to a Title of Infallibility in all that it can enjoin For as this Divine Attribute is the fundamental ground of all the highest Acts of Faith in God so is it a claim of an infinite power in men and does give b Thomas de Albiis in his Tabulae Suffragiales does the best lay open the dreadful Consequences of establishing Infallibility in any Head of the Church or any where where it really is not Tab. 20 21. This Claim in reference to the Pope he proves there to be the Mother of all Heresies and the worst of all sins because if those who claim it should err it would lead all the Church into the same without any possibility of remedy There is the same reason for that Claim in any Governing-part of the Church where that Privilege really is not Authority to all the Acts of their own Will frees them from See References all Bounds and Measures or Rules to distinguish betwixt Truth and Falshood sets them out of the reach of all humane Judicature and makes their Will and Pleasure the last Appeal for all Controversies and their Arbitrary Decisions to be the Oracles of God How inconsiderable does the Worship of Nebuchadnezzar's Image appear to be in comparison with this profound Veneration of the Soul and Conscience given to the arbitrary false and wicked Decrees of either ignorant or designing Men under the Character of the Word and Will of God And all these particulars are made good in the matter before us by the Imperial Laws and their Sanctions and Edicts to force their own Faith in indifferent things And the Errors of General Councils upon the Consciences of the whole Christian Church Catholick to be assented to as c It had been the common stile of Councils ever since the Council of Nice to publish their Decrees under the Title of Things Divinely Inspired Thus does Socrates shew lib. 1. cap. 6. Ep. That Constantine there says of the Decree of the 300 Bishops at Nice That it was to be looked upon as the Sentence of God himself And ibid. Ep. 4. To the Churches he says of all Councils That whatsoever is decreed in the Holy Councils of Bishops the same is to be attributed to the will of God Cardinal Julian's Harangue to the Deputies of the Bohemians in the Council of Basil tells them That the Decrees of Councils are not less to be believed than the Gospel because it is THEY that give AUTHORITY to the Scriptures Divine Truth See References and many times as necessary to Salvation and the giving of the Secular Arm to execute the like Injunctions of the Roman Church Of this kind also are the unwarrantable Acts of Councils and the unlawful Canons of the Roman Church inforced by the d By vertue of such Orders from that Power as these Determinations in the Decretals and Glosses do authorize viz. That the Pope of Rome is by the Order of God set over the Nations and Kingdoms That it belongs to the Pope to depose the Emperour and all other Kings and States and to assign them Deputies That the Pope is to be esteemed the Vicar of Jesus Christ for all things here upon Earth in Heaven and Hell That he can make that which is square to be round Injustice to be Justice that which is nothing to be something That he has an Absolute Power of Judging and that justly Against the Law of Nature Nations and of particular Countreys Human and Divine above and against Right against all Decrees and Orders of Council That he can dispense with the Injunctions of the Apostles And these Glosses the Popes do recommend to the Publick as AUTHENTICK See Jus Canonic Gregor 13. Aventin lib. 6. Histor Boior
the great difficulty here is to get any Readers at all and to prevent the being sentenc'd without a Tryal That which does so affright the World from these things is the usual fancifulness and looseness of Discourses of this nature and their great Confidence and Assurance with little or no care to make sure of their foundation I do therefore think it requisite to assure all those that look upon this That the whole aim of my Endeavours here is to restrain all kind of Liberty of Imagination and to force an Assent by close and clear proof instead of surprizing it by an Ingenious Scheme and by the tempting agreements and lucky likenesses of Characters My great fear indeed is that the dry strictness of the Reasonings in it will turn away more from perusing it than the strength and cautiousness of it will please But that will still the more clear my Attempt from the common Prejudice It may be some motive to the belief of this That the only end of this Vndertaking was to find out a more satisfactory foundation for what the Excellent Mr. Mede has endeavoured to demonstrate in this way Whose known Reputation for his impartial and cautious Judgment in the interpretation of other parts of Scripture is sufficient to silence all inconsiderate Prejudices against his Performances of this kind There have indeed been some very great Names of late Grotius Dr. Hammond c. amongst our selves who have excused the Church of Rome from any concern in the Judgments of this Prophecy and that only by laying down another Scheme of Interpretation without any tolerable proof of it But it is a sufficient prejudice against their Authority that they are forced to such shifts for their foundation as the most Judicious and the most skilful of the Romish Interpreters themselves do cry See the Preface to my former Treatise out against as things that none but Men out of their Wits would own and such as they affirm to be contrary to the general sense of all kinds of Interpreters Jews and Christians Ancient and Modern And when they come to speak of the like kind of Phrases do declare that sense of them which these New Men account monstrous in the Interpretations of their Brethren to be so clear that all but those that are blind may easily see it Or such as is agreeable both to the usage of common Speech and to the usage of Scripture Or such as must necessarily be allowed Which is a sufficient Vindication of those Learned Interpreters of our own who have brought the same Charge against these Ingenious Innovators It would at the first much surprize any man to see these Learned Protestants so busie to ease the Church of Rome of this trouble from their Brethren when all the thanks that they can get for it from the most Judicious of those whose Cause they oblige by it is to be called Madmen and fools for their pains But in this they themselves do satisfy us They acknowledge that they came to the Interpretation of the Revelations with a design to serve by it It was more to answer Objections against some singular Notions than to unfold the Mystery of that Prophecy They came to force their way through the Difficulties that the plain and obvious sense of the Visions did lay in their way And nothing is more ordinary than to see men wrest any part of Scripture that will not comply with their fancy for some particular Opinions Their Expedient for Catholick Vnion of all Christian Churches by the Compliance of the Roman Their Assurace of the necessity of the conveyance of a Right Succession and Ordination by a Church that was not formally Idolatrous c. were altogether inconsistent with the Protestant sense of the Apocalypse It is as evident on the other side from the closeness and cautiousness of Mr. Mede's Explications and the impartiality of his Judgment upon all other Occasions that his whole aim was to make sure of the clear and certain sense of these Mysteries He bad no private Opinion that he came to advance by it or to make it a drudge to And his way of life and the wariness and the Ingenuity of his Spirit in all his other Expositions of Scripture did sufficiently secure him that Character of himself which his Modesty would only own viz. his freedom from studium partium But the present Age is so generally prepossessed with the Interpretations of these Learned Men That it is further necessary to remind those that look upon them as a great service to the Church of England That they are great Novelties See Dr. Bernard 's Discourses p. 139 to 160. in its Doctrine and if continued in will but expose it to the rest of the Reformed Churches for departing from them and from its own first Faith only to uphold some Prerogatives of its own Reformation to the undervaluing and undermining of the grounds of theirs It is manifest * Third Part of the Sermon against Idolatry p. 69. And 6th Part of the Sermon against Rebellion p. 316. by the Homilies approved of in our Articles as the faith of our Church That the Charge of Babylon upon the Church of Rome is the standing Profession of the Church of England And it continued to be the †Bishop Jewell p. 373. Bishop Abbot Antichristi Demonstratio Archbishop Whitgift Tract 8. p. 349. Bishop Andrews Tortura Torti Bishop Bilson p. 527. Bishop Morton Mr. R. Hooker 's Treatise of Justification sect 10 57. currant Judgment of all the best Learned Members of it till the end of the Reign of King James the First It was really believed in his time to be so clear and important a part of their Faith That both the Church and the Court did applaud the King in his publick defence of it though he did thereby plainly endanger the honour of his Character and the Interest of his Kingdom amongst all Roman-Catholick Princes As appears by Lessius's Epistle Monitory to them After that time This Doctrine of the Homilies came to be more out of fashion either to be civil to the Marriages of the succeeding Reigns or to take away all the advantage that the Serapatists might have from hence against the necessity of an uninterrupted Succession and Ordination in every Lawfully-constituted Church Which might also shew them the necessity of uniting with the Church of England It is certain that the extravagant Heats of those times were enough to make Learned Men run into unnecessary Extremes But the common Danger of late has now revived the Ancient Doctrine of the Church again which these Novelties did contradict All the best Learned in the Church have been engaged in charging the Church of Rome with formal Idolatry in exposing all Expedients for Vnion with it in demonstrating the necessity of a Separation from them whatever becomes of the Succession in disowning of all kind of Right of Supremacy there c. If therefore the Authority of
from the time of St. John Prop. 22. At the ruine of the Western Empire by the Heruli and Gothish Kings of Italy the Sixth Head was at the latest at an end Prop. 23. The Beast called the Eighth King Rev. 17. 11. is a Sovereign Power of Rome that is owned there for Supream at this present Corollar 1. The 42 Months of the Beast Rev. 13. 5. are at least 1260 Chaldaick Years Corollar 2. The 1260 days of the Two Witnesses Revel 11. 3. are the same concurrent time with the 42 Months of the Beast Corollar 3. The Two Witnesses in Sackcloth Revel 11. 3. do represent the whole True Church of Christ during all the time of the Reign of the Beast Prop. 24. The Second Beast Revel 13. 11. is a Church-head owned for Supream over all the Roman Jurisdiction and distinct from the First Beast Prop. 25. The Beast in the Revelations is a Secular Sovereign Power of the Romans confederated with an Ecclesiastical Roman Head in an Antichristian Idolatrous League and distinct from him Coroll 1. The Second Beast Revel 13. 11. is a Succession of Ecclesiastical Persons having Supream Power in Ecclesiastical Affairs Coroll 2. The Beast and the False Prophet are those Two Secular and Ecclesiastical Governours which are at this present time acknowledged Supream by the City of Rome and distinct from one another Coroll 3. The Present Imperial and Papal Power of the Romans are the Beast and the False Prophet Concerning the First Appearance of the Beast Query 1. Whether at the time of Justinian's Conquest of the Italian Goths there had not been at least two such Changes of the Secular Government of Rome since the time of St. John as might he called two different Heads of the Beast Query 2. Whether the First Rise of the Beast was not upon the Conquest of the Goths by Justinian THE SEVERAL OPINIONS CONCERNING THE BEAST IN THE APOCALYPSE IT is generally agreed by all the considerable Interpreters of all Churches in this present Age That Babylon and The Beast in the Visions of the Apocalypse do signify some Idolatrous State of Roman Reign For they all agree that by Babylon must be meant some Domination of Rome But there are three main Differences amongst them in respect of the Age to which they fix their Interpretations Some do apply these Visions to the Affairs of Rome-Heathen and so maintain that the time of the concern of these Visions is already past Others apply them to the times of Antichrist near the end of the World who contend that the matter of them is not yet begun to be fulfilled And others again Interpret them of the present times in which we live and of many Ages past since the time of Rome-Heathen There are some other Opinions that are a mixture of these but these are the only considerable Differences of the Interpreters of our present Age. 1. Those that lay this Scene in Rome-Heathen they make The Beast considered as the common Subject of his Heads and Horns to be the Roman Empire or Nation And when that Term is used only for Him who is called the Eighth King it is then the Roman Nation under that particular King or He himself Ruling the Romans The Seven Heads are Seven Persecutions of Roman Emperors either of so many single Emperors or of so many kinds of persecuting Emperors Of this Opinion are the latest of the Roman Interpreters and Grotius and Dr. Hammond c. 2. Those that defer the Application of these things to some State of Rome near the end of the World are more uncertain They will have many of the things that are said of Babylon alone by it self to belong to Rome-Heathen but far the greatest part of the Account of it and all that concerns the History of the Beast they determine to the time of the appearance of Antichrist three years and an half before the end of the World according to the litteral Acceptation of that space of time mentioned five several times within the compass of three Chapters Therefore are they forced to make the Beast signify The World of wicked Men in general when taken for the common Subject of its Heads and Horns But the particular State of it when used to signify the Eighth King only they determine to be either some Roman Antichrist or which is much the same the Devil in Antichrist in the time of the Reign of Antichrist as the 7th King in the Roman Territories The Seven Heads they would have to be Seven Ages of the World with the several Tyrants against the Church of God in each of them the Sixth of which was that Age in which St. John lived because it is said Five are past One is which appears to be the ground of all this Opinion that they may make the Sixth Head continue from St. John's time to the time of Antichrist near the end of the World whom they make to be the Seventh Of this Opinion are almost all the Roman Interpreters and ground themselves for it upon the general Opinion of the Fathers concerning the three years and an half of the Reign of Antichrist near the end of the World And Alcasar says of them that they think it so certain that there is no doubt to be made of it Disput in Argument totius cap. 13. Apocal. But Alcasar himself is of another mind and after twenty years Labour in this Study says That it is plain from the Characters of the Beast in the Revelations and from its Allusion to the Ten horned Beast in Daniel That this whole Beast is nothing but the Roman Empire Disputat in Argument cap. 13. Apocal. And that to fly to the Kingdom of the whole World for the Beast and to make the Seven Heads to be Seven Ages in it is so forced and wrested an Interpretation that any one may observe it Disput 1a. in cap. 17. Apoc. And that Ribera's Opinion does offer a fair occasion to the Hereticks to calumniate the Roman Church as being at last to be an Apostate from the Faith On the other side Cornelius à Lapide does thus censure the first opinion that interprets all of Rome Heathen and which therefore is forced to interpret the first part of the Visions of the ruin of the Jewish Common-wealth or Synagogue as Salmeron and Alcasar in particular so also Grotius and Dr. Hammond He says of this opinion in Prolegomen in Apocal. That it is 1. an Innovation 2. Mystical not Historical 3. Of a Prophecy it makes the Apocalypse an History for the Jewish state was down before the writing these things 4. Because it was against the agreeing-sense of the Fathers He says further in the same place That tho it was not flattery yet it was only a Love to and Reverence for the Apostolick See and a zeal for the honour of it that put Alcasar upon this opinion as he himself does ingenuously confess But Ribera says positively That he is blind that does not see that
of Carthage after the time of these scruples of the Antimillenarians and before the degeneracy of the Church to which the aim of the Apocalypse is applied by Protestants viz. before the year 400 does in its 47th Canon ordain the Book of the Apocalypse to be read in the Church as Canonical Scripture And this Provincial Council is confirmed to oblige the Universal Church both the Greek and Latin by the sixth Synod in Trullo at Constantinople Can. 2. Anno 707. But it was unquestionably a Decree of the Greek Church where the Apocalypse had alone been scrupled But the most authentick Evidence of this is the Authority of the fourth Council of Toledo when it could not possibly be any Interest of the then Ruling Party of the Church to plead for the Apocalypse but might possibly enough endanger the Interest of it because it was about the year 640. after the time that the Protestants Applications of that Book do generally date the degeneracy of the Church of Rome from So that the sense of that Council is the Testimony of an Adversary to the General Consent of the Church about the Tradition of this Book The words of it are these The Authority of many Councils and the Synodical Decrees Concil Toletan 4. Can. 16. about the year 640. of the holy Bishops of Rome have determined the Book of the Apocalypse to have been wrote by John the Evangelist and to be received amongst the Books divinely inspired And because there are many that do not receive it for Authentick and scorn to read it in the Church of God if any one for the future shall refuse to receive it or to read it in the Church in the time of Mass from Easter to Whitsuntide he shall be Excommunicated By this it does appear how the Apocalypse came to lose its authenticalness among the meaner part of the Church It was it seems so disused in the Church that it passed for an useless Book the Interpretations that were given of it were either so fanciful or so little concerning the Times when it was neglected that it passed amongst them for a kind of Book of Dreams in which the Church was not concerned and which none knew the meaning of And this cannot much be wondred at when it is considered how little regard is had to these Revelations even in these days unto which they are by the best Learned amongst us judged to belong in matters of the highest importance for the Church to know But as for that suggestion That Cerinthus was the Author of the Apocalypse which was always the most current ground amongst those who rejected the Authority of it there is assurance enough of the falshood of it out of Irenaeus for he was the Scholar of Polycarp who was the Disciple and Companion of St. John to whom Irenaeus every-where attributes Euseb l. 5. Eccles Histor c. 18. the Apocalypse and writes against Cerinthus and reports from Polycarp the great detestation that St. John had against Cerinthus And how absurd a thing would it be to imagine that Irenaeus after so diligent so long and familiar a conversation with Polycarp the Companion of St. John as he particularly mentions of himself should make the Apostle to be the Author Lib. 3. contra Haeres cap. 3. of a Book which was really wrote by his worst Adversary to propagate his Errors Whatever was the true reason of the rejection of the Authority of this Prophecy it is certain That no Book of Scripture has had a more express and unexceptionable Tradition of its Apostolical Authority since it was confirmed by the Testimony of two Learned Martyrs soon after the writing of it who also had searched into all the Copies of it and were confirmed in it by those who were conversant with the Apostle himself that wrote it and that in the very times that it was scrupled it was believed to be Authentical by all the Eminently-learned Fathers of those days and that after the times that it had been scrupled it was owned by the General Consent of the Christian Church This I thought fit to premise for the full satisfaction of those that are altogether sceptical in the first foundation of these Interpretations But the Romanists whose whole concern it is to make every thing in this kind dubious do agree with all other Christian Churches in the World at this time about the unquestionableness of the Canonical Authority of this part of the New Testament And now it may appear to be our Duty and Concern to enquire with diligence after the best understanding that we can get of this Prophecy when we consider what pressing Motives there are to it more in this Book than in any other Book of Scripture beside In the beginning Blessed is he that readeth Rev. 1. 3. 13. 9. and they that hear the words of this Prophecy And again If any man have an ear let him hear And the matter of it is said to be The Revelation that God gave unto Jesus Christ to shew Chap. 1. 1. unto his Servants And that whosoever should add to or take Chap. 22. 18 19. from the words of this Book above any other should have the plagues of God added to him or his part of Eternal Life taken away The First BOOK THE Uniform Constant Notion Of the Term of THE BEAST All over the REVELATIONS CHAP. I. The Ground of the Method here used The first Proposition That Babylon is the City of Rome in an Antichristian and Idolatrous Reign Scruples moved against it The Demonstration of it from the Text confirmed by General Consent NOne could be more disposed to the common prejudices against the study of the Revelations than I was at the time that I first engaged in those things I had till then been so almost wholly confin'd to such Enquiries as are the closest Exercise of Ratiocination upon clear and sure grounds That I was come to have a natural aversion against all such loose Conjectures as the Interpretations of those Visions are generally reputed to be But Mr. Mede's Synchronisms and his offers at Demonstration in them which I lighted on by chance some years since in a solitary retirement did tempt my curiosity to enquire What could be the ground of such a confidence in one of so known a Character for a cautious and imparial Judgment in Scriptural Rev. XVII Expositions At the first cursory view of his performance I was extremely surprized to see such fair grounds of a clear Explication about so intricate and obscure a Subject And tho' upon a more critical examination of the strength of them I found most of his Synchronisms far short of a close and cogent proof in them yet I could not but think that the Subject might be capable of a more certain determination to the Conclusion that he aimed at I did thereupon set my self upon a particular search after a closer demonstration of that Application that he had made
of the main scope of these Visions and at last thought I had arrived at what I was in search of The late dangerous Circumstances that I apprehended the True Religion to be in made me think I was obliged to communicate my thoughts of these things to the Publick And because I knew that I should have a very sagacious Adversary encouraged by a Ruling Interest engaged against me with all that scorn and fierceness that the charge of the Characters of Babylon upon the Roman Church does usually raise in them I thought it necessary to review the coherence of my former thoughts and to take care that I never concluded upon any thing till I should see a moral necessity at least for it from the evidence of the Grounds upon which it depended The great importance of the thing made me think it worth all these pains and the fear of betraying the Cause of Religion instead of assisting it and of giving a false Charge of so heavy and dreadful a nature upon so large a part of the Christian Church made me conclude That I could not be too slow and cautious in my determinations about these matters And therefore if the scrupulous Cautiousness with which I examine this Subject should seem tedious and troublesome to any the nature of the dangers that I designed to avoid by it and the aim that I propounded in it of arriving at a certain and clear foundation of satisfaction about these things may very reasonably excuse it And tho' I do not here pretend to any more Certainty or Demonstration than the Interpretation of another's meaning in a Writing is capable of yet I am encouraged to hope That I shall be allowed by those that are Judicious and Impartial enough to have here arrived at the aim that I propounded to my self so far at least as I positively affirm or conclude In this design the first thing that offers it self is that which seems to be the clearest thing in the Prophecy and may therefore be apprehended to be the foundation of all the rest which is That Babylon in the 17th Chapter of the Revelations is the City of Rome in an Antichristian and Idolatrous Reign To abate the Evidence of this Proposition from the Angel's Interpretation I found that there were not only various Opinions about the signification of Babylon much different from what it is here made to be but also that they were countenanced by Persons of the greatest Authority for Integrity Learning and a sound Judgment St. Austin makes Babylon in this place to be only the general City of Wicked Men all the World over and those that were most conversant in these things soon after his time and the most judicious in them Primasius Andreas Caesariensis Arethas make it indifferent to be Babylon in Persia or Rome or Constantinople or the general Society of Wicked Men and even Protestants themselves do some of them agree to this notwithstanding the great advantage it would be to their Cause to have it to be the City of Rome only But then one cannot but be surpriz'd again to see the most Learned and Judicious of the Church of Rome so very positive That Babylon cannot possibly be any thing but the City of Rome as a BAronius Anno 45. Certissimum est nomine Babylonis Romam Urbem significari It is most certain that by the name of Babylon is meant the City of Rome Baronius and b Bellarmin lib. 3. de Rom. Pontifice cap. 13. Johannes in Apocalypsi passim Roman vocat Babylonem aperte colligitur ex cap. 17. Apocalyp c. John does every-where in the Revelations call Rome Babylon and this is manifestly to be gathered from the 17th Chapter of the Revelations c. Bellarmin c Ribera in cap. 14. Apocalyp n. 30 31. Huic sc Romae conveniunt aptissime omnia quae de Babylone dicuntur in hoc libro Atque illud imprimis quod alii convenire non potest v. 9. Si ergo omnia conjungamus quae de Babylone dicuntur planius eam Romam esse intelligemus Nam etsi quaedam ex singulis vel in congregationem malorum vel in aliam urbem convenire possent omnia profecto nisi in Romam non conveniunt All that is spoken of Babylon in this Book does very exactly fit the City of Rome And that especially which can agree with nothing else v. 9. If therefore we put all that is spoken of Babylon together we shall more plainly understand it to be Rome For tho' something in every mention of it might agree well enough with the Society of Wicked Men or suit with another City yet All put together can agree to nothing but the City of Rome Malvenda de Antichristo pag. 184. in cap. 17 18. Et non potuit manifestius Romam urbem veluti digito monstrare He could not more manifestly have pointed out the City of Rome with his finger Lessius de Antichristo Roma à Joanne vocatur Babylon quia Babylon fuit figura Romae quibus verbis aperte designat Romam John calls Rome Babylon as being the figure of Rome by which name he does clearly shew it to be Rome Cornel. à Lapide in cap. 17. Apoc. v. 2. Dico ergo Babylon hic est Roma v. 9. Hoc enim nulli alteri nisi soli Romae competit I say therefore Babylon here is Rome v. 9. For this can agree to nothing else but Rome Et postea 7m. Montibus patet denotari Romam Virgil. Georg. 2. in fine Sybill lib. 6. 2. Horat. in Carmine saeculari Ovid. l. 1. de Trist It that by the seven Hills is signified Rome Virgil c. Alcasar in cap. 13. Apoc. sect 5. Perspicuè enim asseruit 7m. Bestiae capita esse 7m. Romae montes Idem in cap. 7. Disput 1. Reliquis ergo Expositionibus rejectis illa debet esse certa quod docct Romam sub Babylonis nomine significari Tyrinus the Jesuit in cap. 17. Apoc. quotes Sixtus Senensis Bellarmine Bozius Suarez Salmeron Alcazar most of his own Order as Maintainers of this Opinion Blasius Viega in cap. 17. Apocalyps sect 3. Quare existimamus nomine Babylonis Romam urbem significari in hoc Apocalypsios Opere Nam quod Roma Babylonis nomine censeatur perspicuum est Et vere Romam Joannes clarissimis Argumentis videtur indicâsse c. We do therefore judge That by the name of Babylon is meant the City of Rome in this Book of the Revelations For that Rome is called by the name of Babylon is very clear c. But that Rome is meant by it John seems to have shewn by very clear proofs of it the most zealous and the most skilled of all the Jesuits in these things And from the great evidence that they think they see for it in the Revelations they make great d Baronius Anno 45. n. 8. Bellarmin lib. 2. de Pontifice R o cap. 2. outcries against the Protestants as
found to signify the City of Rome in its Antichristian Domination by Prop. 1. 3. And the desolation of Babylon in the Prophets for which the same Expressions with these here are used does signify the last end of that Monarchy or Ruling Power 4. And besides It is the general usage of the Prophetical Writings to set out the last Ruine of a Ruling People by the desolation of the chief City of that Nation at the same time Thus is the Ruine of the Kingdom of Israel Judah Egypt and of the Babylonians represented by the Desolations of Samaria Jerusalem Noph and Babylon 5. But more particularly is it set forth in this Prophecy that the desolation of Babylon is not after the end of that Monarchy which it here represents For The Beast whose Heads do represent this City and is himself called the King of it is not dethroned till after the desolation of Babylon in the 18th Chapter as appears Chapters 19 20. And Chap. 16. 14 19. The Judgment upon Babylon is betwixt the meeting of the Strength of that Monarchy in Harmageddon and the last end of it in the 19th Chapter From hence it appears That Babylon in none of the mentions of it in the Revelations can be Rome Corollar Pagan This may safely be concluded from the name of The Whore here given to Babylon For when a Nation or City is said in Scripture to commit Fornication or to be an Harlot It signifies that Nation or City to have apostatized from the True Religion to Idolatry see the three first Chapters of Hosea And therefore must Babylon here signify Rome Christian turned Idolatrous which was not till after the time of Rome Pagan The name of Harlot is indeed given to Nineveh Nahum 3. 4. But that Prophecy was after that of Jonah in whose time the people of Niniveh are said to have believed in God and to have repented Jonah 3. 5 10. And so the Idolatry of Nineveh after that time was her Apostacy from the true Faith But it is much more confirmed from the preceding Propositions For Babylon is in all the mentions of it the same Antichristian state of the Reign of Rome by Prop. 2. And in that state of it it is desolated by Fire by Propos praeced But this was never known to have been done in the time of the Reign of Rome-Heathen There was nothing that had the least appearance of the desolation of Rome or of the dissolution of the Roman Government at Constantine's Triumphs over Paganism much less was there any thing like the least part of the description of the desolation of Babylon by fire as it is here most remarkably signified But Grotius and Dr. Hammond to uphold their applications of these things to Rome-Heathen will have Rome to be Babylon two hundred years after it was come under the Christian Emperors because there were a part of the Senate and now and then a Consul that were Pagans for that space of time after Constantine's Triumph over Paganism and therefore that the last desolation of Babylon by fire was at the burning of Rome by Totila An. 546. where the storm of the Enemies fury lay almost wholly upon the Pagan Party and the Christians were most saved by flying to the Churches In the first place it may here by the way be observed what becomes of the ground of Dr. Hammond's confidence That the things in the Revelations were all to be fulfilled in the Times next to the Age in which they were seen from what is said Chap. 1. 1. Things that must shortly come to pass For here are near five hundred years time allowed by the Doctor for the fulfilling them And then he makes the Turks also to be foretold in them besides by Gog and Magog which requires some hundreds Chap. 20. 8. of years more and yet the Doctor speaks with a great confidence and assurance of the fulfilling of all soon after the time that the Prophecy was given But without further concern about that let us now observe the strange absurdities of this Explication 1. According to this Rome must be Babylon or Rome for 200 years after that the Baylonish Throne in it had been pulled down and when its conquering Enemy the Christian Church had been for all that time triumphing in its room in the Imperial Throne in the publick Laws in all parts of the Government and in the publick places of Divine Worship 2. And then Rome Christian whilst it was the possession of a Rev. 18. 20. Christian Prince must be supposed to be burnt to bear the vengeance of Rome Heathen for shedding the Blood of Christian Saints and Martyrs so many years after that Heathenism had been there publickly triumph'd over 3. The Christians also who did then defend their City against Rev. 18. 4. another Christian Prince must be supposed to be called upon from Heaven to come out of it and so to give up their Masters Right to the Enemy lest they should be made to partake of the punishment of Rome for its Heathenism 200 years before to which they were the greatest Enemies for none was more zealous against Paganism than Justinian who was at that time Lord of Rome as appears by the severity of his Laws against it 4. Of the same extravagant nature must it be to make the Rev. 18. 20. Heavens the Apostles and Prophets and all the faithful Christians in the City at that time to triumph with joy at the burning of the Houses and Goods of most Christians and a few Pagans together and at the taking of a City by the Christian Goths from the Christian Romans 5. And the burning not a third part of Rome as Grotius confesses of this Exploit of Totila's and the slaughter of a few Pagans in it must be made to be the giving Rome-Pagan double revenge for the Blood of the Prophets and Saints and of all that were slain upon the Earth by the Pagan Power of Rome Rev. 8. 6. all over the Empire It must be the giving Rome-Pagan the Cup of the Wine of the fierceness of the Wrath of God Chap. 16. 19 6. The Pagan Kings also of the Roman Empire which had committed Fornication with Rome-Pagan some hundreds of years before that is had complied with the Roman Idolatry must in this way be supposed to be alive to lament the sad condition Rev. 18. 9. of a Christian City at the taking it by a Christian Prince or at best the Heathen Kings then in the World no body knows when within many hundred miles of that City must grievously lament for the slaughter of some Pagan Romans with whom they had been used to comply in the Pagan Way Nothing indeed does make Grotius more to be suspected of intending only to play with this Prophecy or only to vex some hot Apocalyptical Men amongst his Adversaries than the seemingly-wilful Application of the Kings of the Earth that had committed Fornication with Babylon in the 18th Chapter
People into Civil and Ecclesiastical Persons the King and the High-Priest especially where the Church of God is which is the present Case As this does go along with all well-ordered Societies so it is exemplified in two of the Instances here referred to out of the Old Testament Or 2. The Church may here be represented by Two upon the account of the known peculiar Character of the Christian Church in distinction to that of the Jews all over the New Testament where it is every-where represented as one Church made up of Jews and Gentiles one Common Society with those two great constituent Parts in it upon the account of which it was originally called the Catholick Church Thus do we find †St. Paul almost continually insisting upon this Two-fold distinction in the Church and the chief ground of Rom. 3. 30. 4. 16. 9. 24. 10. 12. 11. 17. 15. 8 9. 1 Cor. 1. 24. 7. 18 19. Gal. 27. 8. 4. 22 24. 6. 15 16. Ephes 3. 6 9. all his earnest Motives to Unity and Mutual Communion for the making the Christian Church but one thing is that all the World both Jews and Gentiles are but one Church of Christ As Ephes 2. 14 15 16 17 18. and Chap. 3. 6. and Chap. 4. 1 2 3 4 5 6. And this is every-where represented by him as the great Mystery of God in the bringing the Gentiles to be one Church with the Jews Ephes 1. 9. 3. 3 9. Colos 1. 26 27. This Book of the Apocalypse does also generally run upon that distinction As Chap. 5. 5. The number of the Jewish Elders gathered out of all Nations And Chap. 7. 4 9. The 144000 out of the Jewish Tribes but figuratively taken and the Great Multitude of all Nations So also Chap. 14. 1 6. The 144000 and all Nations and Kindreds and Tongues and People And Chap. 19. 4 6. The 24 Elders represent the Jewish part and the Voice of the Great Multitude the Gentiles though both figuratively And the Church is every-where set forth as the Jewish Temple or Synagogue set open to all people This also we find every-where foretold in the Old Testament as the peculiar distinction of the Church of the Messiah from that of the Jews That it should be the Church of both Jews and Gentiles And this does our Saviour also make the distinguishing Badge of his Church For this reason did he make choice of Baptism to be the Initial Rite of all Nations into his Church which by the Jews had always before been made the distinguishing Rite Matth. 8. 11. 21. 43. 22. 9. 24. 14. John 11. 52. betwixt themselves and the Gentile Proselites He also upon the same account ordered the Memorial of his own Death to be the Communion-Feast or the common Union of Jews and Gentiles in his Church or the Communion of Saints of all kinds instead of the Paschal Lamb which was the distinguishing Ceremony of the Religion of the Jews from all the rest of the World besides And thus also does he himself signify his Church to be One Fold made up of two sorts of Sheep John 10. 16. But this does most eminently appear in the History of the Actions of the Apostles after Jesus had committed the sole management of his Church to them The chief Subject of the Book of their Acts is to set forth this new appearance of the Christian Church with these Two different kinds of Members in it Indeed this twofold distinction of the Members of the Christian Church had its foundation in the known division of the whole World into those two general Parts of it Jews and Gentiles both always before and at the time of the writing this Prophecy And this distinction was always preserved in memory by the frame of the Jewish Temple and its distinction of the two Courts of the Jews and Gentiles and so seems to be the most likely to be here referred to because the most obvious and commonly known division of the Church of God into Two But what strength soever this Account of their being called Two may seem to have yet the demonstration of their real nature in general before given does not at all depend upon it This is intended only for a probable illustration of that Character And since by the discovery of their Nature they must represent the whole Christian Church for many Ages there must be some reference in this Character of it to some twofold division of the Christian Church which must distinguish it from the Jewish and none was better known for such than that which has been here pitched upon not that of the Old and New Testament nor that of the Churches of the Waldenses and Albigenses which some would have that number to refer to a THUS does Ribera interpret the three days and an half in Chap. 11. v. 9. that they signify that the Tyranny of Anti-christ shall not be continued above three years and an half according to that of Ezek. 4. I have given thee a day for a year Though afterwards upon the 20th Chapter of the Apocalypse he does in express terms contradict this very Interpretation When ever says he did Lyranus see a day taken for a year And though in Ezekiel God said I have given thee a day for a year yet what ground is this to take a day for a year in Scripture Alcasar also upon the 2 d verse Chap. 11. Apocalypse does determine That the 42 months and the 1260 days must necessarily be taken in a mystical and not in a literal sense Notatione quarta in vers 2. And they both agree with Bellarmin l. 3. de Pont. c. 8. that the 42 months and three years and an half must be understood according to the Caldaick Account CHAP. VI. Rev. XIII The 25th Proposition The Second Beast Rev. 13. an Vniversal Church-Head distinct from the First The 26th Proposition The Beast A Secular Head confederated with an Vniversal Church-Head but distinct from Him The Second Beast a succession of many single Persons The Beast and the False Prophet are the present Secular and Ecclesiastical Roman Heads or the Imperial and Papal Power Objections answered THere have been sufficient grounds of Assurance given that the Beast is really in being at this present time It is in the next place necessary to enquire after those Characters of him that do distinguish him from all other Sovereign Powers upon Earth The greatest difficulty in this Affair arises from the great resemblance that there seems to be betwixt the First and the Second v. 1 11. Beast in the 13th Chapter of the Revelations For they are described as two distinct Sovereign Powers in one and the same Roman Dominion The Second Beast is said to exercise all the power v. 12. of the First Beast before him And therefore do we find these two Beasts confounded together by many of the best esteemed Interpreters It may then be
observed in the first place That The Second Beast in the 13th Chapter of the Revelations is a COrnel à Lapide in cap. 13. Apoc. The Two Horns i. e. of the second Beast as Joseph Acosta observes l. 2. de temp Noviss cap. 17. are the marks of the Episcopal Dignity That is of the Mitre or Episcopal Crown The False Prophet therefore does seem by this to be some Apostate Bishop and pretender to Religion It is not therefore the Mitre but some Mitred Apostate that is here taxed who shall treacherously abuse these Horns of the Lamb Christ to propagate the Sect of Anti-Christ Blasius Viega in Cap. 13. Apoc. Sect. 6. Andreas Caesariensis and Irenaeus L. 4. cap 28. seem to me to have been more in the right who take the Second Beast to be some eminent forerunner of Antichrist and remarkable Preacher or as Irenaeus calls him The Armour-bearer of Antichrist Tom. 2. Concilior in decretis Pelagii secundi Upon the assuming of the Title of Universal Bishop by John Patriarch of Constantinople Pope Pelagius the second writes thus to him None of the Patriarchs ever used so prophane a word And weigh well my Brethren what is next to follow c. For it comes very nigh to him of whom it is written He is the King over all the Children of Pride When our Brother and fellow Bishop John to the contempt of the commands of our Lord the Precepts of his Apostles and the Rules of the Fathers does endeavour by this name to be his forerunner Pope Gregory presently after him has much the same opinion of the same person L. 4. Ep. 32. By this haughtiness of his says he what does he show us but that the time of Antichrist is at hand c. and Ep. 36. Repeats the former words of Pelagius and Ep. 38. says That this is the last hour as Christ had foretold of Antichrist All that was foretold is now accomplished The King of pride is at the door and which cannot be spoken without horrour An Army of Priests is prepared for him And L. 6. Ep. 24. And not to speak of the wrong that is done to me in particular by it If a Bishop is called Universal The Universal Church falls to the ground if that Universal Bishop chances to fall And Ep. 28. ad Cyriacum to take away that name of pride Whosoever desires to be Honoured against the Honour of God That is in being called Universal is not at all to be honoured And because Antichrist the Enemy of the Almighty is near at hand I do earnestly beseech you that he may find nothing that belongs to him neither in the Manners nor in the Name of the Priests And Ep. 30. now I say boldly That whosoever calls himself Universal Priest or Bishop he is by that exaltation of himself the forerunner of Antichrist For as that wicked one would seem to be God above all Men so the other exalts himself above all Bishops a Prop. 25. See References Church-head owned for Supream over all the Roman Jurisdiction And distinct from the First Beast For the Second Beast is said to exercise all the Power of the v. 12. First Beast and therefore is a Supream Authority in that Nation And the exercise of this Power is to force men to a Religious v. 12 13 14. Worship and to make them make an Image to the First Beast to be worshipped by all the World and he was to work Miracles to deceive men into this Worship which are all Instances of an Ecclesiastical Authority And besides has the name of the false Prophet by way of eminence Coroll 2. Prop. 8. Wherefore he must be a Church-Head exercising this Supream Ecclesiastical Authority over the Romans The description of the Second Beast is also quite different from that of the First and is said to be a Second Beast in reference to that First and therefore must be another different Beast from the First His great business also is to make men give worship to the First Beast who is every-where distinguished from him by the name of the First Beast which had been deadly wounded but yet v. 12 14. did still live All which is sufficient to conclude them to be b Alcasar in cap. 13. Apoc. Sect. 6. It is evident from the Context That the Beast out of the Earth and the Beast out of the Sea must be two distinct Beasts See also before Viega Pelagius Gregorius M. Mede in c. 13. Apoc. v. 1. See the next note Mede See Note 6. of this Chap Goldastus p. 349. Item Ibidem Goldast p. 76. See there the Oath taken by the Electors by the order of the Golden Bull That I will chuse a Temporal head for the Christian World Pope Gelasius in the time of Theodoric King of Italy in his Decree about the Council of Chalcedon Concil Caranzae p. 282. shows That before the coming of Christ the King used to be the High-Priest and so was it in use amongst the Pagan Emperors But when it was come to him that was the true King and High-priest together neither could the Emperor take the name of High-priest nor the High-priest the name of Emperor So that the Emperors have need of the Popes for the things of another life And the Popes of the Emperours for the things of this World All the Concordats betwixt the Emperors and Popes are said to be to Unite the Royal Power and the Priesthood as particularly that of the Emperor Henry's giving up the right of Investitures to Pope Calixtus the 2d and the Popes confirming the Regalia to the Emperor by the Scepter Abbot Urspurg Chron. An. 1122. two distinct things really different from one another 'T is true All the mischief for which the First Beast is so stigmatized in this Prophecy is that which is the whole business of the Second Beast that is Idolatrous Worship tyrannically imposed by the Image which the Second Beast sets up This the first Beast assists and enforces by his Power And upon this account are these Two Beasts represented as one Confederacy And therefore the one is often comprehended in what is said to be done by the other because it is one common Interest that they both act in and in which they both act at the same time So that to signify the Activity of either of them it is enough on many occasions to intimate the name of but one of them as we see the name of either of the two Partners in a Trade does signify the concurrence of the other in it who was not named But that they are notwithstanding both of them Supream Heads in their several ways with an absolute Jurisdiction belonging to them appears from that Power of the Second Beast by which he gave life to the Image of the First Beast and impowered it to kill all who would not worship it For it is certain from that v. 15. That the Second Beast himself must have that Power of
mentions the Emperour Henry's Charge against Pope Paschal Ann. 1107 He says there of the Papal Power That they take an Oath of every Bishop to own all that for Law that they shall say This Oath is described lib. 2. Decret Tit. 24. where they swear to obey all the Popes Commands and to assist him against all that shall oppose themselves Papal Authority and the Church of Rome as necessary to Salvation and as dictated by an Infallible Authority with the claim of Infallibility as an inseparable Prerogative of their Authority Of the same Nature is the exercise of the power of the Keys in that Church by which they confine all Divine Favour and all Right to the Kingdom of Heaven to the Communion of the Roman Church and only as Roman and by which they pretend to have the Power of the Curses of God and of Eternal Damnation in their Hands to pronounce against all those who own not that Divine Authority and Infallible Spirit in them by which they appear as in the place of God in the Church For by this does the Church of Rome appear manifestly to sit as a Goddess in the Church Catholick to which all must submit with all the outward Worship of their Bodies and the inward Veneration of their Souls as the only Oracle of God in all its Decisions and Definitions of Faith and Worship and as the immediate Voice and Thunder of God from Heaven in all its Anathema's and Excommunications And all this about matters which either were never made to be the Will of God by any other Authority but the meer Will of the Roman Church Or which are known to be absolutely contrary to the revealed Will of God the Light of Natural Conscience and to the common Sense and Reason of mankind which is the Candle of the Lord and the most fundamental Prov. 20. 27. Criterion of the Truth or Falshood of Revelations or Inspirations But some will question whether all this can amount to the charge of commanding Men to Worship the Beast and his Image with Divine Honours tho these things should be done without any warrant from God for them because God himself is intended for the only Object of all that Worship that is thus enjoyned This doubt may soon be resolved by what Men would judge of the Worship of Nebuchadnezzar's Image tho he should have pretended that it was the peculiar Presence of the God of Israel as well as his own Image and that it was to be Worshipped upon the account of that immediate Union of the True God with himself and his Image Or by what Men can think of the Worship given to Simon Magus under the supposition of his being the Father Son and Holy Ghost at several appearances Whether would the Adoration be excused for being intended to the True God I would but demand of any sorts of Christians what they would think of such an unbounded Power as has been mentioned in any Party of Men from whom they differ which should now arise with these Claims of Superiority and Jurisdiction over the Universal Church of Christ upon Earth and should force Mens Consciences to acknowledge these Claims to be due by Divine Right and should really think them to be so upon as slight Grounds as the Church of Rome does now believe its own pretences upon and should exercise these new powers with as zealous designs for God's Service as they of that Church seem to do It would be hardly possible for any of a differing Party to forbear the charging of this new Pretender with the Character of sitting like a God in the Temple of God or in the Christian Church For he that requires meer human Laws to be accounted Divine Inspiration which yet are nothing but his own will he plainly makes his own will a Divine Law And if he forces it upon all the World for such he makes his own will the Universal Lord of the Consciences of Men which is the peculiar Prerogative of God alone Without all question if the King of France and the Assembly of his Clergy should use the same methods and pretences that they have done to the Protestants to force the Consciences of the Papal Party all over the World to the Opinions of the Gallican Church they would not stick to charge him with the Character of usurping upon the peculiar Prerogative of God in his Church I do take it all this while for granted That the Claim for this Universal Power in the Church of Rome and to the Title of Infallibility is unwarrantable and that is so easie a thing to be satisfied about that I think it not needful here to dilate upon it There needs no better satisfaction to be had about it than what the slightness of the grounds that are alledged for this Authority compared with the vast importance of the thing that they are to prove does at the first sight offer to any that are impartial But others have made it their business and to them I remit it The unwarrantableness of this Claim is supposed in the Objection And if that be once granted let the intention of the Church of Rome be never so fair in its Exercise of this Power the instance above-mentioned will make it sufficiently clear how just the charge of the Worship of the Image is due to it tho it should exercise this power over the whole Church of God within much more moderate bounds than it is known to do The reality of their intention may without any difficulty be believed For it was long since foretold that the time would come that whosoever killed the true Members of Christ should John 16. 2 4. think that he did God service in it And it is said to be foretold on purpose that when the time should come we should remember that it had been told us of them St. Paul does give the example of it Acts 22. 3 4. Acts 26. 9 10 11. in himself he verily thought with himself that he ought to do many things contrary to the Name of Jesus of Nazareth and accordingly did them For he shut up the Saints in Prison when they were put to Death he gave his Voice against them He even compelled them to blaspheme and was exceeding mad against them and yet was zealous towards God while he was Persecuting that way unto the death And yet surely none would ever maintain that the zealous intention of these cruel Actions would excuse them from the guilt of Inhumanity and Murder The sincerity of the Intention in all these Diabolical acts of Antichristian Tyranny does only denote how absolute the power of the Devil is in them by the power he has over them to make them believe that it is the doing God service all the while that they are acted by the Rage of the Devil Wherefore it may now be safely concluded That the great malignity of the Worship of the Beast and his Image does lie in the Acknowledgment
of an Vniversal Arbitrary Jurisdiction over the Consciences of all Men in the Governing-Power of the Roman State and Church I need add nothing else to make the Character of it comprehensive enough of all the particulars included in it For this unbounded Power especially when secured by the Plea of Infallibility does comprehend in it all the Tyrannical impositions that can enslave the Souls of Men to give an Absolute and Divine Reverence to the Supreme Power An ungrounded belief of an Infallible Spirit in Men in the exercise of their Jurisdiction over the Conscience does oblige a Man to a blind Faith in them for every the most absurd and extravagant thing that they affirm and to a blind obedience to all their most Unreasonable and Arbitrary Injunctions It binds him to renounce all use of his Understanding that should enable him to discover a falshood and to stifle all the Light of Conscience in him which would make him discern betwixt good and evil And by this means does it not only lay a Man open to the inspirations and illusions of the Devil but to take them also for the Oracles of God and makes him uncapable of the Grace of Repentance This does make it easie to understand how the Worshippers of the Beast do also Worship the Dragon who gives Power to him For this Power being not of God but of the Dragon and for his service as it is expresly said to be the Worship that is paid to it is the Worshipping of that e Ribera on 16 B. cap. 13. moves a Doubt How Antichrist that is to deceive the World with a false shew can perswade them to worship the Devil or Dragon And thereupon says The Interpreters do thus answer Men shall worship Antichrist But because he shall have his Power from the Devil by worshipping of Him they shall worship the Devil So Aretas Primatius Ausbertus Haymo Ambrosius Anselmus Dragon or of the Devil for whose service it is Besides that the Devil or Dragon is represented as the constant companion of the Beast to the last and so must be the Inspirer and Manager of the Beast in all he does And then the Devil may be said to be as really in the Throne again as he was in the Red Dragon so that the Dragon by that does become the Life and Soul of the Beast and both together make one and the same Body of Sovereign Power that is worshipped And this does very well express the Tyrannical Persecutions of the Faithful Members of Christ by the Roman Powers which is almost the whole Character of the Red Dragon in the Rev. 12. 3. Chapter before this and for which he wears those bloody Colours CHAP. IV. Rev. XIII An Essay to apply the Idolatrous Worship of the Beast to the Imperial Power The Church no Monarchy before Constantine With him came in the Monarchical Form of Church-Government with an Ecclesiastical Senate The Resemblance of the Imperial Power in the Church both as to the Legislative and Executive part of the Government with the Civil Power in conjunction with the Roman Senate The first Ground of the Authority of the Bishops of Rome THE Charge of the Idolatrous Worship before-mentioned may seem at the very first sight to be just enough for the Worship of the Image or of the Church of Rome and of the Papal Authority which is the Head and life of it But it may not appear to be so easie to apply the Worship of the Beast to the Secular Imperial Power For a clear satisfaction in this It will be convenient to take a view of the different states of the Church when under Persecution and when advanced to the Imperial Throne It is very evident that the Catholick Church however united it might be yet was certainly no Monarchy in the times before Constantine The Bishop of Rome who is the only pretender to the Sovereignty at that time is sufficiently known to have had then but a very limited Jurisdiction and nothing did pass for a Law of the Church but what was decreed by the Common Assembly of the Governours of it The Church did much resemble the Union and Government of the States of the United Provinces The Bishop and his Clergy were the standing Authority of every particular Jurisdiction and the People and inferior Clergy were generally the Electors of the Bishops into their particular places and the general Assembly of them all in Council was the Supream Authority of the Church By them were Laws made and they were accounted the last Appeal for the determination of all material Controversies about Jurisdiction Upon Constantine's Conversion a THe Jesuit Pererius Disp 5. in Apocalypsin De Constantino Then was the Imperial Majesty first brought into the Church and the Church came to be armed against its Enemies with two Swords The one the Temporal Sword in the hands of Seculars or Laics and of Christian Princes the other Spiritual in the hands of the Church-Prelates but chiefly that in the Papal Power there appeared a new form of Government in the Church That which before was but an Aristocracy comes now to be a Monarchy under an Emperor and an Ecclesiastical Senate but yet with so much deference to the Emperor as he might evidently be perceived to be the Supream Governour of the whole Church It was b Constantine summoned the Council of Nice and presided there Euseb vit Constantin l. 1. c. 37. l. 3. c. 6. And before had commanded and enjoyned the meeting of the Synod of Arles Euseb l. 10. c. 5. The Council of Sardica was summoned by the Order of the two Emperours Constantius and Constans Sozomen l. 3. c. 10. The Synodical Epistle of that Council in Theodoret. l. 2. c. 8. says The Emperours well-beloved of God gathered us together from divers Cities and Provinces and have ordered us to hold a Synod in the Town of Sardica So also Athanasius Apol. 2. of the same thing By the Edict of the most religious Emperours Constans and Constantius The Second General Council at Constantinople was summoned by the command of the Emperor Theodosius as Socrates expresly says l. 5. c. 8. Theodoret. l. 5. c. 9. that they were assembled by the Letters of the Emperor The Synodical Epistle of the Council 1 Tom. Concil expresses their being assembled at the Emperor's Command and desire him to confirm their Decrees by his Judgment and Seal The Third General Council at Ephesus Epist Synodal ad Theodos apud Cyrill Tom. 4. Concil We present our Persons in the Synod that you have commanded c. And they desire leave of the Emperor with all humility to go to their several homes till the business was determined And the Emperor in his confirmation of it says The Emperor duly informed of all is well satisfied that the Holy Synod has done all things Canonically Soon after this does Theodosius call another Council at Ephesus and says of Dioscorus to that Council We
no ways to be known from those where they are but by the Seal of God upon them Rev. 9. 4. Or to fence off the Charge of Novelty when all Nations are described to worship a False Church for so many Ages together Or to prove the Fallibility or Actual Errors of the General Councils of that Church when it appears to have forced all the World to commit Fornication with it Or to spend v. 3. much time against the Pope's Supremacy when the mischief Rev. 13. 11 12. of it is so openly and so fully here set forth It is another great Advantage of the proof of this Application That the Evidence by which it is to be proved is such as the Capacities of all that are curious are most fitted to apprehend and to be the most delighted with viz. the Histories of the Changes of Empires and Kingdoms Figures that are easie Objects of the Fancies and Imaginations of men and are diverting Resemblances of real things So that nothing does seem to be more likely to engage the Attention of all Protestants to the understanding of the difference of their Religion from Popery than this Method All the Controversial part of the proof against the Romanists has little or no critical curiosity in it little else but what is known by the common usage of words in the Vulgar Tongue In almost every thing that is material we agree about the Translation which in many other Controversies makes a great part of the Dispute There is nothing here of Scholastical intricacy as most other ways have The Text which is the ground of all is generally agreed upon The Histories that the Application refers to are on both sides granted many Explications of Figures allowed to be plainly expressed in the Text in general words And the almost only thing in Controversie is What particular Interpretation is the necessary sense of those general words compared with what is clearly known from the Text and from the frequent use of those words in Prophecies fulfilled and from unquestionable matter of fact in History So that a man of the slowest parts that can but reason warily and attentively about common Affairs or apprehend the like Reasonings of others may be able enough with a short Chronology of the Times and Actions that these things refer to to understand with ease all the proof that is necessary for this matter The only thing requisite indeed for this is a patient Attention which the quickest Apprehensions are the least disposed for There is also this further advantage in this way of setling mens minds viz. That no Reasonings will be more easily retained in Memory because these are generally about things which are wholly the objects of Imagination and Sense nor will any thing more fix and determine the thoughts of men to it when it is once apprehended to be clear without any apparent ground of doubt about it For what can be a nobler or more pleasing entertainment of a mans mind than to find the most considerable actions of the civilized World for so many Ages and of the greatest importance for himself to be acquainted with so particularly foretold so long before and with such accurate Figures of things exactly agreeable to them One peculiar Advantage I must acknowledg to have received from it my self which possibly may be also of use to others in the like condition and that was The freeing me from all vain deluding hopes of any such Reformation in the Church of Rome as might make way for a general Vnion of All Christians For we see it impossible from this Prophecy that Babylon should ever so change it self before its final destruction I was once very much taken with the mollifying Pleas of Grotius and others of the Reconciling way and apprehended it possible for the chief Heads of the Roman Communion to condescend to an expedient for a general Reconciliation But when I came to be acquainted with Mr. Mede's Demonstrations and had compared them with the monstrous evasions and absurd strains of wit that Grotius and others were fain to flye to to turn off the force of them I gave over all thoughts of the comprehending way and made it my business to examine the strength of his Foundation with all the critical caution that I could bring to it Nothing did more confirm me in my hopes to meet with a perfect satisfaction in this way than the great opinion I had of the abilities of the eminent Grotius and the unnatural Artifices and Evasions that I saw him forced to in contradiction to the known use of words and sometimes to his own acceptation of them one egregious instance of which is that against the use of a day for a year in the Prophecy of the 70 weeks where he affirms that the original word for the Weeks does always signifie a week of Years and not of days whereas it is plain to the contrary that in all the places of Scripture where it is used it signifies literally only a week of days as the Learned Dr. More has very expresly proved Mystery of Godliness lib. 5. chap. 15. Sect. 2. Another great advantage of this Interpretation consequent upon the former and more immediately influencing the present state of Affairs is The great efficacy of it for the uniting of all sober Protestants together for their common Interest For here may they the most livelily perceive themselves to be all Brethren and the People of God supposed to be in one Common League together against that formidable Dragon that stands always ready either to deceive and inchant them or to destroy them This shews them not only the great folly but also the ungodliness of Schisms and Divisions upon unnecessary grounds and of their lukewarm unconcern for the means of uniting themselves together in one body I will not mention other advantages in common to all the Prophetical parts of the N. T. These are enough to incline the Reader to make a tryal of what is here offered especially when it is withal considered that my aim is still further to improve the strongest and clearest method of reasoning about these things I am not insensible That the ground of many mens prejudices against this study is That the Interpreters are so fanciful as to apply the Prophecy to Times and Places near ourselves But the only fault in this is the Application of things to particular places and times without any clear express determination to them in the Prophecy It is manifest That if the Church of Rome be the main concern of this Prophecy then both the times and that quarter of the world wherein we live must be the subject matter of some of the Predictions in it For they reach to the last end of Babylon and therefore must comprehend in them both the present Fortunes and Dominions of that Church which are now no where to any purpose but in these Western Parts of Europe And since I have my self appeared in this
way I am thereby obliged to remove all grounds of Prejudice upon the account of any thing that I may seem to have been too venturous in I have accounted it the truest Rule for the Application of Prophecy that concerns the whole Christian Church ever since the writing of it to chuse out only the most eminent Events and such as were of the largest Extent over Christendom both for Time and Place and that do withal the best answer the Characters of the Text. And this Rule I make account I have been so careful to observe that I question not but that the Events which I have pitched upon will by all impartial Judges be allowed to have had a fair and strong Temptation to them from the Prophecy it self This may appear first from my Explication of the Vials The Judgments of God upon the Roman Church pag. 219. I thought my self forced by the close and immediate Consequences in the 14th Chapter of my former Treatise to fix the first date of the Vials to the Time soon after the Reformation That being the first Victory over the Beast after Rev. 15. 2. which the Plauges that were to humble the Roman Church in order to its last ruin did begin And the Vials being agreed not to end before the Ruin of Babylon they must therefore measure out the chief Mortifications of the Roman Church from the Reformation till that time and I cannot but be confident That I have pitched upon the most eminent Mortifications and those withal that do the most justly answer the Characters of their respective Vial in the Text. Indeed from the Consideration of those great Humiliations of the Roman Interest since the Reformation which seem to be equal to the Plagues of the first Trumpets and were at the same time with the Plague of the sixth Trumpet and yet uncapable of being signified by it I cannot think it possible for them not to be signified by the Vials since otherwise those eminent Plagues upon that Church since the Reformation will have nothing in the Prophecy that represents them which yet were at least as great Plagues to the Romanists as the three first Trumpets The Death and the Resurrection of the Witnesses Rev. 11. 7 11. See the Judgments of God upon the Roman Church pag. 100. in Sackcloth is the chief of my Applications to present times And I have taken such care in this that I think I have proved it impossible to have happened before our times and by its nearness in the Prophecy to the end of the second Woe which all considerable Protestants agree to be the Turkish Hostilities and by the time assigned Ibid. chap. 8 9. to the continuance of that woe I have not without sufficient warrant for it confined it to this present time I see nothing yet but what does very surprisingly confirm that Application And it will not be improper nor unpleasant upon this occasion to reflect upon the Confirmation that has been given of them by the Event contrary to what in all humane appearance might have been expected The Resurrection of the Witnesses is there determined Chap. 7. p. 107. to three years and an half after the general Apostacy of the French Church For the Death of the Witnesses is proved to be the perfect Suppression of the Profession of Protestantism and that is not till the Professors of it Chap. 6. p 91. that remain behind renounce that Profession And as the Character of their being in Sackcloth does confine the place of this to a Roman State So also has this been most unexpectedly fulfilled by the return of the Protestants of Savoy through the midst of their Enemies contrary to all humane appearance They resetled their publick Worship there just about that distance of time from the last considerable Abjurations of the new Converts which was the most proper Death of their witnessing Profession I have indeed declared That I thought it much more likely from the outward appearances of things that this Revolution should begin first in the proper Kingdom of France But I took care at the same time to shew that there was nothing P. 107 139 140. clear in the Prophecy that did fix it there And Providence has accordingly thought fit to make choice of a more unthought-of manner of bringing this to pass And yet the Savoy-persecution being carried on by the French Troops P. 140. and Counsels I did then signify that it was to be accounted but the same place of the death of the Witnesses I have in some places mentioned the Revocation of the Edict of Nants as the date of the death of the Witnesses that being the great publick Act that made them speechless But then I have more particularly explained my meaning about it pag. 107. viz. That their last expiring is not to be accounted but from the last end of the Work of the Dragoons for the general Apostacy of that Church For the Edict it self had an offer of Toleration in private to those who were willing to stay in the Kingdom If some should think it fitter to date this time from the end of the Savoy-persecution then the three years and a half would end at the quiet establishment of the Vaudois in their Profession some while after their return And let none think the smallness of the appearance of the Vaudois to be too inconsiderable to be thought of by the Prophecy For besides that the Resurrection Chap. 7. Theor. 32. of the Witnesses is to be but in one place at the first the Vaudois were for many Ages the only considerable Party of the Witnesses They may therefore be very well accounted the first comfortable Earnest of a more Universal Revival of the Silenced Churches in other places 2. From the Order in the Text I have also formerly determined Letter to H. P. E. at the end of the Treatise That the end of the present Turkish War as the last part of the Second Woe could not be till some time after the first Revival of suppressed Protestantism This we now see fulfilled And yet how contrary was this to all the outward posture of Affairs almost ever since it was conjectured which was in the Year 87 The Turk seemed before to have been brought to the greatest necessity of making a Peace But from that time almost ever since they have had such strange Disorders and New Changes in their Government which tended all to the impoverishing and dividing of their State that it was by all the best Judges of Publick Affairs concluded That it was impossible for them to subsist any longer without it And on the other side there has been such loud Alarms of a more formidable Enemy on this side of the Empire and such continual Importunities from the Allies in the French War and from the Obligations of the League of Ausbourg to put an end to the Turkish War and so small a diversion from the Confederates in it