prosperity of all Princes and People These can with like folly readily say What peace what prosperity comes by this kind of knowledge We busie our selves about better things mind more necessary concerns Thus Hypocrites harden their own hearts against the knowledge of those things that chiefly belong unto their peace and under a blind pretence of minding the most serious things embrace as the Pharisees did base inanimadvertency and brutish ignorance Our Saviour weeping for them said of their Type Hadst thou known at least in this thy day the things that belong unto thy peace But they expecting those things come before to come in future never found that day nor those things Profane disregard to Prophetick Scriptures puts out quite all the eyes of Providence So formal Professors follow or rather far out-go their footsteps see not in no wise will see those things that belong unto their peace For formal Professors feed their own folly with deceits affect to walk in the admired sparks of their own Fires empty impertinencies and forsaking the means of their own safeties tread under-foot the things and those Scriptures that principally appertain to the peace of all People For this profaness and it was most just with God even the Gospel-Church as her followers trod under foot this knowledge those things was given to the Gentiles to be troden under foot for 1260 years Apocal. 11.2 3. But Fabula narratur surdis Sacred Prophesies with the Promises and Threatnings therein and the performances of them are to formal Hypocrites as Stories told to deaf or dead men Common Herds have as good care to know how or when Promises were performed and Prophesies fulfilled Therefore their Fore-fathers men of like base and brutish inanimadvertency perished with common Herds in the Flood But they that hate this dangerous and degenerous wickedness of slothful Hypocrites may from this contrary Fountain find an open Gate to good manners the surest grounds of firm peace at present a sevenfold complyance of performances with those texts that foretold the fulfilling of them And likewise how and when this second Dragon began to give his Seat and Power to the Sea-born Beast Nor are these seven Parallels or Prophesies performed a sevenfold but indeed a seventimes sevenfold coaltern record to each other irrefellibly confirming the truth of each others performance This second Dragon drave the Primitive Church into the Wilderness translated the Empire cut off the feeble and dying remnant of the first Dragon raised Papal Rome by taking away all that letted and by giving his groat Authority so taken the Supremacy therein to her Secular Head favoured somewhat from the first and by degrees received the Faith of the Church of Rome Therefore this second Dragon is the first Head in Scripture order of Papal Rome Him these texts hold forth Rev. 11.7 Chap. 12.14 15 16 17. Chap. 13.2 4. Chap. 16.13 The second Head of this threefold City was Papal Romes Power Secular or Beast with ten Crowns How and when he rose up we have sufficiently shewn and shall his Progress At present we shall shew his Disparities to distinguish him from the first Dragon John saw that first Dragon Chap. 12.3 Or the Scarlet coloured Beast Chap. 17.3 To wit One and the same Dragon or Beast in those two texts He saw this Beast also Chap. 13.1 But he saw not both alike He saw that first Dragon of Pagan Rome Historically and Prophetically as past in part and in part to come when he wrote the Apocalyps But he saw this Sea-born Beast not Historically or as past in part but Prophetically as to come entire after the fall of that first Dragon to wit the future rising up of his first Head or him in his first rising Revel 13.1 And first He saw that first Dragon or Scarlet-coloured Beast Historically or as past in part Five are fallen saith the text ch 7.10 that is Five Heads the Supream Powers of Pagan Rome Crowned in their Kings Consuls Decemviri Dictators Triumviri were then fallen or past when John wrote And one is vers 10. that is the sixth Head crowned in the Emperours then existed when John wrote Thus far he saw that first Dragon historically or as past in part So Secondly He saw also that first Dragon Prophetically or as to come in part And one is not yet come and when he cometh he must continue a short space that is the seventh Head should come and came about 292 when Constantius was made Caesar and somewhat siding with the Primitive Church began to support Her His Son declared fully for Her This was Divisi Caput Imperii divisum The divided Head of the divided Empire when some of its Supream Powers sided with the Primitive Church some with the Pagans therefore this Head because thus divided continued but a short space and ended about the year 324 when Constantine and his Armies Michaels Substitutes had cast him finally from his seat of chief Power and his place was found no more in Heaven Chap. 12.7 8 c. Howbeit he recovered Power though not Supream for a short time For Lastly His eight Head who was of the seven who existed an eighth but sick and scarce perfect head of that dying Dragon was the Paganoarrian or otherwise Heretical Head under Constantius the second Julian Valens c. This Head aspired about 340 and expired together with that first Dragon for ever in four hundred and ten or twelve Then this Sea-born Beast by the false Prophets procurement and the second Dragons preferring of him succeeded Secondly John saw the first Dragons ten Horns all uncrowned Chap. 12.3 Chap. 17.12 But he saw the ten Horns of this Beast all Crowned Chap. 13.1 They the ten Horns of the first Dragon were Pro-consuls Presidents or Deputies subject to the Senate and People of Rome who ruled over the Kings and chiefly those Kings of the Earth whom notwithstanding the text calls Kings that had received no Kingdom as yet Chap. 17.12 18. But these ten Crowned Horns of this Beast were absolute Kings or supream Powers subject legally to none but link't together by the chain of the false Prophets supposed true Catholick Religion Chap. 13.1 12. And this tenfold disparity proved from the text and the testimonies by necessary inserences of all Chronologies of those times evidently resels that universal opinion so far as I find of all Expositors upon those places to wit That the Decacerastick Dragon or Scarlet-coloured Beast in the 12th and 17th Chapters and this Beast in the 13th Chapter are all one and the same Dragon or Beast And it irrefellibly proves that this Beast in the 13th Chap. is signally different and distinct from that red Dragon or scarlet coloured Beast in the 12th and 17th Chapters This may seem abundantly sufficient to satisfie the Reader at present Howbeit I shall make it much more clear in the sequel For until this and many like gross grand and I might say general mistakes be removed no Apocalyptick
antitypes more Spiritual Rev. 11.7 8 9 11. As we shall also further shew from those Texts in its due place Nor did Daniels prophesies of the desolation end in Epiphanes nor in that half week of years under the Pharisees nor in the destruction of Jerusalem but reached in the fourth Reverberation that tenfold desolation of the Primitive Church persecuted by Rome Pagan and Imperial For if our Saviour himself did adjudge and declare the literal desolations of the legal Temple to be the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel to wit a sub-antitype of Daniels prediction as was that under Epiphanes then how much more must this tenfold desolation not of literal but living stones not of the legal Temple but the Gospel Church be the abomination of desolation in the fourth Reverberation from Daniels prophesie And especially in the time of Dioclesian when his triumphant Pillars importing the Gospel Churches utter desolation were erected And that the Reader may run and read this desolation as Daniel predicts it let him read his express description of it in ch 7.7 23 24 25. where he may easily observe That the Text holds forth first the fourth Kingdom and its head the fourth beast with ten horns uncrowned to wit Rome Pagan and her head the first Dragon in the fourth Reverberation Secondly That the same Texts hold forth as we shall instantly shew Papal Rome and her secular head the Sea-born beast Papal with ten horns crowned in the fifth Reverberation from Daniels prophesie Thirdly that the said Texts hold forth a little Pseudo-prophetick horn rising up among the ten horns of Pagan Rome all uncrowned And Fourthly that the same Texts hold forth the at first little Pseudo-prophetick horn Papal rising up among the ten horns of Papal Rome all crowned Fifthly the Reader may also observe from those Texts that this little horn of Rome Pagan should make in the fourth Reverberation a most dreadful Church-desolation should wear out the Saints of the most high saith the text ver 25. And Sixthly the Reader may observe also from those texts that they hold forth and that principally the little horn Papal that produced the greatest Church-desolation For as the texts point forth the little horn of Pagan Rome by his rising up amongst the ten horns of the fourth Kingdom So they point out the little horn Papal that rose up among the ten horns as the former of Pagan of papal Rome by his distinct Epoche as we shall instantly shew of 1260 years which because eight hundred years longer then the proper Epoche of Pagan Rome is altogether inconsistent with that little horn of pagan Rome and consistent only with that of Rome papal For as the seven heads of Rome Pagan and Imperial were first Seven Mountains and also seven Kings So Daniels prophesie in the seventh Chapter pre-figured and described the Decapolity first Of Pagan and also of Papal Rome That the text holds forth the fourth Kingdom the dominion of Rome Pagan to distinguish it from the Greek Kingdom which was the third is evident from the text which expresly calls the representative of it The fourth Beast and it the fourth Kingdom Dan. 7.7 23. And Secondly we find expresly from the text That that little horn Roman Pagan and in the fourth Kingdom and therefore in the fourth reverberation from Daniels prophesie produced a most direful Church-desolation For that at first little Pseudo-prophetick horn was not to pull down a Temple of dead stones or made with hands though it had some hand in that also but to wear out saith the text in Daniel the Saints of the most high And what performance more sitly and literally accommodates that Prophetick description then Dioclesians persecutions which his pillars with this Inscription exprest Deleto ulique nomine Christi For that Church and Saint-desolating horn was at first the little Pseudo prophetick horn Pagan predicted by Daniel and so continued to be under the four first heads of that fourth Kingdom till it grew great in Julius Augustus and the succeeding Emperours who adopting the title and office of the High Priest were summi Pontifices and chief persecutors of the Church and Saints For All the Edicts for the ten persecutions and for the eleventh also were issued forth by that Pseudo-prophetick horn Pagan raised to power in the persons of the Emperours but at last turn'd Arrtan And Secondly that little horn in Daniel 7th shaddowed forth also the Bicorne-false Prophet papal but pre-signified not in the least either Epiphanes or any other power except as aforesaid Therefore that little horn in Dan. 7th having no relation to Epiphanes and that in Dan. 8. and 9. ver are not the same much less did that little horn in Dan. 7. terminate as many expositors assert in Epiphanes For the fourth beast amongst whose ten horns the little horn in the 7. chap. rose up was the Supream power of pagan Rome But Epiphanes was but head of a fragment of power in the divided Kingdom of the third beast Dan. 8.21 23. The fourth beast was great in power So was Epiphanes But Epiphanes was not that fourth beast For the fourth beast devoured saith the text the whole earth ch 7.23 And Epiphanes was mighty in power but not saith the text in his strength ch 8.24 that is He was far inferiour for strength to the first horn of the third Kingdom who was also far inferiour in power to the fourth beast therefore Epiphanes was not that fourth beast or that little horn that rose up among those ten horns of that fourth Kingdom But The false Prophet Roman and Pagan rose up among the ten uncrowned horns of that Roman Decarch whom Daniel calls the fourth beast Dan. 7.7 8. Rev. 17 3 13. And the false Prophet Papal rose up amongst the ten not uncrowned as the former were but crowned horns of the Sea-born beast Papal Dan. 7.7 8. Rev. 13.11 12. c. But Epiphanes came up not among the ten horns of Pagan or Papal Rome but out of one of the four horns of the third Kingdom Dan. 8.9 The Series therefore of reiterated Ecchoes runs in this order Daniel prophetically describes the practises of Epiphanes and fore-tells Jerusalems desolation by his cruel persecutions in chap. 8.9 to the 15. ver 23. to 27. chap. 12.6 7. Secondly Daniels half week of years wherein Christ exercised his prophetical Office for 1260 days was adumbrated in its curation and denomination by the times and transactions of Epiphanes and was sounded forth as in a second Eccho from those texts aforesaid nor did the Pharisees less shadow forth the Antichrist then Epiphanes did in that half week of years and the transactions of it For though that half week of years three years and an half 1260 days held forth some outward import or shew of joy and of a Kingdom yet It was the sad time of the King of righteousness rejected of his own And of his kingdom dejected desolate and trodden under
soot And as the antitype witnesses were to prophesie in sackcloth 1260 days annual Rev. 11.3 So Christ and his Apostles prophesied as it were in sackcloth to that gain-saying rebellious and bloudy people of the Jews for 1260 days as their antitype should do so many years Christ also weeping over Jerusalem prophesied the destruction of it That half week of years or 1260 days was the type-duration of the Witnesses sackcloth prophesie for the desolations of Zion Thirdly the Fews desolations at the destruction of Jerusalem did resound in a third Eccho from the same texts as we see in Math. 24.15 Dan. 9.27 Fourthly these texts in Daniel strike also Prophetically upon those sad desolations of the Primitive Church wrought as we have sufficiently shown by the Pseudo-prophetick at first little horn of Rome Pagan in the fourth reverberation And Fifthly the same texts in Daniel as we have shown and shall sufficiently shew are re-ecchoed by those most dreadful and durable desolations of the Gospel-Church devolved upon her by Papal Rome in the fifth reverberation But Secondly those texts in Dan. 7. and that little horn there do nothing respect Epiphanes or Daniels half week or the destruction of Jerusalem either as inter-adumbrations or subantitypes but strike immediately and directly upon the Decapolities of Pagan and Papal Rome Therefore that little horn in Daniel 8th did but that in Daniel 7th did not at all import Epiphanes much less did that little horn in Dan. 7. terminate is most writers affirm it did in Epiphanes Expositors that will run with the multitude into gross mistakes make it not their industrious care to try the truth by sacred record and Scripture-rule but rush on in the common roads of received opinions wherein most Writers have long misled the way These seem as in many other in these assertions to err by consent The little horn say they in Dan. 8th is Epiphanes And I affirm it But The little horn say they in Dan. 7th is Epiphanes And why Epiphanes Because this also is a little horn And here 's the ground of their judgment One seeming circumstantial parity in two texts against many substantial disparities in many texts which they see not and consider not This is to admit and allow of one false witness in judgment and exclude an hundred true ones Secondly the red Dragon say they in ch 12.3 and that beast in the 17th chap. are one and the same beast And so they say right But the beast say they in ch 13.1 is also the same beast And why the same Because he also had seven heads and ten honrs This conclusion or inference is most absurd and unjust For Qui quicquid statueris parte inautitâ alterâ aequum licet haud aequus fucrit It s most unjust just to conclude those beasts in the three texts to be one and the same from the like numbers of their heads and horns and not see or consider the real disparities even in all their seven heads and ten horns betwixt that beast in the thirteenth Chap. and that in 12. and 17. Chapters For that beast in the 13th chap. had ten crowns upon his ten horns But that beast in the 12th and 17th chap. had no crowns upon his ten horns He had seven crowns upon his seven Heads But that beast in the thirteenth chapter had no crowns upon his seven heads Therefore their real disparities are sevenfold in their heads and tenfold in their horns It may seem therefore incredible that it can be possible for all expositors that I find to make their ten horns notwithstanding the tenfold disparity in their crowns to be a tenfold comparity and their seven heads to be notwithstanding their sevenfold disparity in their crowns a sevenfold parity And that which makes it seem strange beyond admitation when the least of these disparities which they mistake for parities must inevitably be found to make the beasts in the said texts to be irrefellibly two Be they say some found irrefellible yet are they no sundamental truths nor notions much needful to be known The beast opened his mouth in blasphemy to blaspheme So profane sloathful slow-bellys and evil beasts open their mouths to blaspheme the Scriptures and sleighting their faithful searchers fall into the condemnation of the Devil For the plainest Scriptures much less the more implicit which they least know and despise most profit them nothing nor desire they to know things most necessary that are difficult to be known For Difficilia quae pulcra Things that are most excellent and useful to be known are most difficult to be discerned being kept back by the just hand of God in dark expressions purposely from the profanely blind and sloathful or from those chiefly that they should not finde them out Nor is the knowledge of prophetick Scriptures otherwise them most necessary nor do they import other then things most sacred of highest concernments Therefore mysterious truths made manifest may prove the greatest mercy that hath come to the Christian World in many Centuries of years as will evidently appear when we come to shew the great and that manifold utility and necessity of the knowledge of the prophetick and symbolical Scriptures Thirdly though say they many texts mention the Dragon yet there was never any more then one And why but one Because all texts that make mention of him retain this appellation The Dragon That a seeming parity of appellation is enough of it self without other comparity to prove anidentity of persons or things is incomparably absurd For so John the Baptist must be John the Evangelist because both are called John So must this Dragon be Pharaoh because he also is expresly called The Dragon Ezek. 29.3 But Secondly there is no constant parity to prove an Identity in their appellations nor do all texts retain this Word The Dragon where mention is made of either not is there the least comparity in Scripture to denote them one For The first called the Dragon in ch 12.3 c. is called a beast in ch 17.3 And the second called a beast in ch 11.7 is called The Dragon ch 13.2 4. But with this signall and undeniable note of clear distinction betwixt both To wi◠the first Dragon in ch 12.3 ch 17.3 was in Johns time bestia ascensa ê Mari A beast risen out of the Sea long before Johns time Dan. 7.3 For five of his heads were faln when John wrote Rev. 17.10 But the second Dragon was when John wrote venturus Draco vel bestia ex Abysso ascensura was to ascend out of the bottomless pit long after John wrote the Apocalyps ch 11.7 Thus As we see no constant nor the least either nominal or real parity in Scripture betwixt the first and second to prove them one and the same So we see a superabundant disparity real betwixt both denoting irrefellibly that there were two Many like vulgar and Epidemick errours the Reader may note and perhaps finde refelled in this Treatise
assign unto the first Dragon as peculiar to him eight Heads in all But their glosses plainly contradict those texts and allow him but six making his seventh Head to be the secular beast Papal They might be a man would think deter'd sufficiently from adding to or detracting from the words of the Book of this prophesie by the plagues therein threatned to all such But many of them do it no doubt not willingly but for want of due animadvertency Thirdly That seventh Head of the first Dragon which those Writers affirm to be the Sea-born beast should continue saith the text but a short space But that beast secular was to continue 1260 years chap. 13.5 which are 100 years longer than the durations of all Pagan Romes eight Heads ab Urbe conditâ Lastly The texts expresly distinguish that red Dragon and this beast by their disparities in their seven Heads in the one all Crowned in the other all uncrowned and by their ten horns in the one all crowned in the other all uncrowned and by their far different Epochaes But these Writers that notwithstanding confound all the texts and either make both those beasts to be one and the same or make the beast Papal to be the seventh Head of that Pagan Dragon who can imagine that men of any Reason or Learning could assert such matchless absurdities Their chief mistakes are these The Dragon saith the text gave power to the beast But they say contrary to the text that his sixth Head gave power to his seventh Secondly That seventh Head say they contrary to the Scriptures was the secular beast Papal Thirdly They mistake the first Dragon who gave none for the second who gave his power and Authority the Supremacy therein to that beast Fourthly They mistake that Scarlet-coloured beast or red Dragon in ch 12.3 ch 17.3 for the secular beast Papal chap. 13.1 And therefore Fifthly They mistake the literal City of Pagan and Imperial Rome that ruled over the Kings of the Earth and was called Babylon the Great in the 17th and 18th Chapters for the more spiritual City of Papal Rome called also Babylon the Great and over whom the second Dragon with the Sea-born beast and false Prophet Papal ruled or presided in the 11th and 16th Chapters For these two Cities are signally distinct by this apparent disparity The first Heathen and Imperial Rome ruled over the Kings of the Earth And the Kings of the Earth ruled in and over Rome Papal So that the System of the glosses of these Writers upon these and many other texts is like a large Vial filled with mistakes which they pour forth in their Teachings and Writing's upon many mindless Professors that care not how or what they hear or read Because of Oaths 't is said the Land mourns But the whole world may we even weeping say mourns through mistakes in Opinions and Manners Therefore her Inhabitants sit in the shadows of death surrounded with distresses But what dammage redounds by these and like mistakes The disadvantages and they great and many that thereby come upon the Christian world and upon all Church-Societies and Sects may appear as followeth If there was but one Dragon according to the general supposition then none gave power for the first gave none to the wounded beast Papal Then none raised Papal Rome nor her secular Head that beast according to the Scriptures Then the Opinions of the Learned Hammond and others must stand good against all the world To wit that there was no further compute of the Apocalyps after 410 except in the Mahumetans And then the Papists and other Sects and perhaps Mahumetans unless those Authors better prove the contrary have no part in the grand Apostacy predicted by Prophets For then as some in the Apostles times concerning the truth erred saying The Resurrection is past already so all men may much better say That both the rise and the fall of the Anti-christ never doubt it dispute not about it is past already long since even in four hundred and ten or twelve Then all discourses concerning any such subject whether in word or writing are meer stories or at best as they have been for the most part but fruitless controversal pickeerings and that perpetually to no purpose For no Reformist nor the best informed can make good any Charge or Argument against the Papists or any other Sects Mahumetans or others as confining upon the Apostacy of Anti-christ if that was past for ever in four hundred and ten or twelve Thus even Protestants by means of these mistakes give the staff in their hands against themselves into the hands of Papists strengthen Heresies and weaken the hands of the witnesses of the truth For if these errours in Opinions must stand for truths then must all Reformists give prime honour to the Papists as chief of Churches And as they of the Synagogue of Satan that said they were Jews and were not were made to come and worship at the feet of Philadelphia so If there was but one Dragron ending as aforesaid with all compute of Prophetick Scriptures about 410 then all Reformists and Sects pretending to be reformed must come and worship at the feet of the Papists as the only Mother Catholick and true Church and only assume Schism Apostacy and shame to themselves No weapon of war formed by the best Reformist's can prosper in their hands against her she 's Civit as circummurata a City walled round her walls are Brass which times cannot break nor force scale Thus we see the sacred Scriptures by means of these mistakes until they be removed are both by strict and loose Professors prostituted to the vilest disuse are made Muri abaenei walls of Brass by Protestants against themselves for the defence of Papists Heathens and Hereticks to fortifie and confirm their blind and wicked confidence in all ignorance and evil Manners For If there was but one Dragon ending with the whole computation of the Apocalyps the Mahumetans excepted in four hundred and ten as Dr. Hammond and others Learnedly labour but in vain to end it nor do the Mahumetans as they except them signifie any thing to this purpose Then the Church of Rome may say she sits as Queen Rules alone nor was she raised by power of any first or second Dragon For as nothing can exist without some cause of its being So it was impossible for Papal Rome faln in her Infancy to be raised to power if there was none to raise her up But God by his providence did ordain or permit this second Dragon for the first fell before for ever to raise up Papal Rome the place prepared of God to preserve his Church for a space by giving his power the Supremacy therein to her secular Head which the Scripture expresly asserts where it saith And the Dragon gave c. They therefore that take in hand to explain these Scriptures or to prove Rome Papal complex of many Sects and Nations to be the
Dragon gave by degrees his Seat and great authority to the Ten-crowned Beast Papal by submitting his Nations to this Bicorn Builder who had power to deceive those Nations by means of his Miracles Ch. 13.14 to become the matter of his ten fold Polity which his industrious hand was then contriving Lumbardy and Scotland both Kingdom I leave to the Readers liberty Lastly Italy was the tenth Nation which the False Prophet edified upon his Tu es Petrus in this ten fold Tripolity His operating hand was first upon it and last in framing of it to his absolute purpose He to that end supplanted the Kings of the Lumbards in Italy Conspired against and by conspiracy slew the Exarches and Officers of the Greek Empire residing in Italy Here saith Baronius was an end of the Dukes and Governours whom the Emperour was wont to send to command in Rome and places adjacent And here we end our brief discovery how the Bicorn beast built up the Papal Decapolity out of the matter of the Apostacy I approve not that common Opinion of many Expositors that find ten petty Kingdoms and those to no purpose in Europe They placing them chiefly betwixt the Rheyne and Danubius thus name them Alemanni Ostrogothi Visogothi Hunni Saxoni Suevi Alani Vandali Burgundiones Franci most of which were petty if I may so call them Kingdoms of no continuance And so as if Caesars Effigies upon his Coyn could be greater then his person or the Mapp of a Country larger then the Country it self the Nations of the Prototype-Monarchies Chaldaean Persian Greek Roman must be far greater then the ten Nations of their Antitype Rome Papal whom they did but prefigure or shadow forth Their tenent so trivial I reckon not worth refuting But the ten Nations aforesaid were large Provinces under Pagan Rome after under Rome Orthodox And Lastly were ten large Kingdoms in Papal and Decapolite Rome That is they were all at least freed from the bondage and power of Rome Imperial The Supream secular powers of those ten Nations were the ten crowned horns of the Sea-born beast ch 13.1 Here the Reader may observe That three distinct powers secular are represented in the Apocalyps by three different and distinct beast The first is Bestia decem habens cornua sine coronis a Beast with ten Horns uncrowned The second is Bestia decem armata Cornibus coronatis a Beast with ten Horns crowned The third is Bestia Gentium Regna transferens vel bestia intermedia the beast that Translated the Kingdoms of the falling Empire The first with ten Horns uncrowned was the first Dragon or the powers secular of Pagan Rome whose five first heads were fallen before our blessed Saviour was born five are fallen saith the Text ch 17.10 He letted and should let the rising up of Papal Rome till he was taken out of the way Him the 12 17 and 18 Chapters as also Thessal 2.7 hold forth The second Beast with ten Horns crowned was this seaborn-Seaborn-beast Secular and Papal or the Secular powers of those ten Nations aforesaid whom the false Prophet deceived into a Papal-Decapolity by means of his false Miracles which he had power to do ch 13.14 The five first heads of the this ten-crowned beast were so far from being fallen before Christ was born that neither was that beast nor any one of his heads in being for above four hundred years after the birth of our Saviour This Beast these Texts hold forth ch 13.1 2 3. c. ch 16.13 The third Beast Bestia Regna transferens was the second Dragon who took away him the first Dragon that letted the rising up of Papal Rome and gave added his power and great Authority the Nations which he took from him to her crowned Beast secular being induced thereunto by the deceit and procurement of the Bicorn beast as we have shown immediately before This intermediate Beast or second Dragon these Texts hold forth ch 11.7 ch 13.2.4 ch 16.13 In these things I confess and many other I do as a duty to be done of necessity stear my course contrary to the Currents of all at least all modern Writers whereby I am incident to incurre the displeasure of many Howbeit it seems to me no small fault of injustice and ingratitude in those that being by long assuetude cemented to their errors wherein all Writers perhaps have misled the way cannot be content to be inconsentient to the truth themselves but are apt to conceive a prejudicious amaritude and that before they read or know what they write against those that would by undenyable eviction of reason convince them of their errors and manifest to them nolentibus volentibus not only the great dangers but the grossness of their mistakes The Premises aforesaid may at present fully refel many that pretending to unfold them pour forth confusion as a flood upon sacred Scriptures and make them much more obscure and dark by their confident false glosses and Expositions They may serve also to undeceive many sincere but seduced professors and sober Writers that are led away with the same errors But I return The superindents of the False Prophet Pagan the Roman Emperours who were summi Pontifices fell rather short of this expansive superintendency over which the false Prophet Papal presided And what was the means by which he built this tenfold City He cometh saith the Text withal deceiveableness c. That is He deceived those that dwelt upon the Earth those Nations chiefly aforesaid by meanes of those Miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast Of which miracles I have hinted something before but shall insist upon them more fully afterwards Secondly He laid his forged or at least falsely applyed Foundation by deceit in Doctrine He perverted the Text to cause them that dwelt upon the Earth to believe contrary to truth and the true Faith That Peter was the foundation of the Church that the Pope his supposed successor was the same by succession sole Apostolick-Bishop Primate over all Churches and Supream over all Kings and Councils Those that dwelt upon the Earth those thus deceived ten Nations chiefly There 's the matter of this tenfold Cities building He deceived them There 's the meanes his pretended message doctrine of deceit and false miracles by which he built it His Doctrine was a shallow fruitless but somewhat literally sound Doctrine destitute of right and charitable application And such meanes is fittest to make way for lying miracles and both these the most effectual meanes eruere Ecclesiam aedificare mysterium iniquitatis to destroy the Church and Saints all solid knowledg of the truth and true obedience by slanders evil reports and wicked contrivances against all that is good For That 's proper especially to such profane affected shallow knowledge and obedience Therefore The son of perdition was not to come in the Van of Apostacy with gross Heresie and open scandalous practices like the Arrians or Mahumetans
What this threefold City is Secondly What those three Heads of it are Thirdly Which of those three Heads was the chief Builder of this threefold City or when and by whom it was built And Fourthly What the Holy City or true Church contrary to that threefold City is and give an account of her First As Primitive in Heaven and clothed with the Sun till about 407. And Secondly As fled into the Wilderness and trodden under foot by the free Denizens of this threefold City Fifthly We shall shew what the Epocha's of those three Heads and of this threefold City all synchronizing with eight others are Sixthly VVe shall give the shortest Epitome if possible that may be of the Mystery of Iniquity by shewing the Series of some transactions of those twelve Epocha's for 1260 years Seventhly VVe shall give some short Rules of Direction to judg rightly of Prophetical times Lastly VVe shall shew the great and that manifold Utility and necessity of the right knowledg of Prophetick and Symbolical Scriptures and therein of these twelve Intervals or Epocha's Of these at first succinctly for the Readers more ready apprehending of what he reads And no more at present but after more at large And first CHAP. II. What this threefold City is or What those three parts of it are ITs first part Spiritual Sodom are sensual loose Professors common Swearers Whoremongers Drunkards c. Such in all Sects as practise the manifest works of the flesh Gal. 5.19 that disclose their sins like Sodom to wit Such in the Antitype as the Sodomites were in Type but Professors Spiritual Egypt is worldly churlish uncharitable but more formal Professors whose practise is perfidious fraud for filthy Lucre to wit Such in the Antitype as the Egyptians were in Type but Professors For Egypt laid her grasping Talons of sordid Tenacity both upon Man and Beast even upon that which was the Lords Inheritance from which prey all the Plagues of Egypt could not with-draw her Thirdly The Antitype where or in whose Type our Lord was Crucified are proud persecuting blind rash-judging Professors such in the Antitype as the Pharisees were in Type by whom especially our Lord was Crucified Sensuality is the sin of Spiritual Sodom Of Spiritual Egypt greedy Avarice Truth-opposing Pride Envie Ignorance and Seditious Discords are the sins of Antitype and Apostate Salem in whose Type our Lord was Crucified CHAP. III. What this threefold City's three Heads the Dragon the Beast and the false Prophet are THe Dragon is the first Head in Scripture Order There were two Dragons The first was the Representative of Pagan Romes Decapolity The second the principal Inductor and Raiser up of Papal Rome The first Innate in the Roman Empire The second a forrein Invader of it The first was Imperial under his sixth Head when John wrote the Apocalyps The second was at first the Military Leaders of the Armies of those Northern Nations Huns Goths Franks Vandals c. that invading the Nations of the Empire vanquished most made all tributary translated the Empire plundered burnt and almost depopulated Rome the Metropolis of it about the year 412 and made their own Leaders Kings over those conquered Nations The first was for the most part Pagan till about the year 292 when he began to be bound for 1000 years from the beginning of the Reign of Constantius the first From that time he was interrupted in his Reign till he was cast out of the greatest part of his Power about the year 324 at or not long before the Council of Nice Rev. 12.7 He from that time continued partly Pagan partly Arrian or otherwise Heretical till about four hundred and ten or twelve And he his rage increasing all that time against the Primitive Church improved that power he had in persecuting of her But not or not long prevailing and his power railing he about the year 400 invocated the Aid of the second Dragon the Military Leaders of those forreign Nations of the North Hammond and Salvian quoted by Hammond calls those Nations Barbarians But I only assert and shall shew that the Heads of those Barbarians were the original of the second Dragon at his first rising That second Dragon invited revocated by the first came but did not strengthen the Hands of the first but in four hundred and ten or twelve swallowed him up that is He then took away him that had letted the Rising up of Papal Rome and destroy'd him till the thousand years expired but indeed for ever For As Eliah was said to come when John came for his like zeal so this first Dragon was no otherwise after his 1000 years binding loosed than in his like Persecutors as the Reader may easily observe in the sequel Texts that hold sorth this first Dragon are Rev. 12.3 4 7 to the 13. Chap. 17.3 7 to the 14th Chap. 20.2 3 7 8 9 10. The second Dragon that destroy'd that first faln and bound before for ever as aforesaid drave also the Primitive Church into the Wilderness into the secret Subterfuges of obscure latency for 1260 years Chap. 12.14 and gave his Power which he took from her from the translated Empire and from the falling first Dragon to the by him first wounded Beast Decadiademick Secular and Papal But he by giving his Power the Supremacy therein as aforesaid to that Sea-born Beast had weakened his own Kingdom which the Mahumetans by their power resupported And loose Christians are the more Spiritual part and support of it Here some hasty Readers having no power to stay for full satisfaction in its due place may say But when and how did this second Dragon give his Seat Power and great Authority to the Sea-born Beast Secular and Papal To these I confess I am the more ready to return some satisfaction perhaps sufficient at present because never any Writers that I find have observed that there were two Dragons and therefore could never take notice which of those two gave power to the Beast Nor did ever any that I find observe what that Beast was or when or how he rose up But that there were two Dragons which of the two gave power to the Beast and what that Beast was and when and how he rose up will both evidently and briefly appear though by a somewhat unwilling digress by this disquisition An open door also to unfold the more difficult but most needful to be unfolded Texts in the Prophets and Apocalyps will be thereby made And first I Answer Alaricus having driven Honorius into Ravinna took plundered and burnt Rome about the year four hundred and ten or as some write four hundred and twelve and died about the same year at Cosentia Him his Kinsman Athaulphus succeeded Head over his Army and Supreme in Italy He returning to Rome with full Resolution to demolish even the Rumes of it was averted from his purpose by Placidia Sister to Honorius whom he had married He in her
Right Honorius being Childless might expect to Succeed as partly by Conquest in Italy over all the Empire She by earnest entreaties perswaded him to spare the sad remains of that City and to depart out of Italy spoiled already This was not no doubt her single Design but her Design driven on and owned by the Senate and by a better Council at Ravenna He hereupon having received further supplyes of Monies for himself her and his Army marched with her into Spain to subject it to himself Hereupon his Souldiers slew him because he had left Italy and therein quitted a certain Fruition for a doubtful event which without much difficulty and no less danger they could not expect prosperous Thus he left near Conquered Italy and taln Rome drunk with the blood of Martyrs and drunk at that time with her own blood to the then new-born Beast Secular and Papal whose first Head was then wounded with the stroke of a Sword as it were unto death Revel 13.3 12 14. to wit By the Sword of this second Dragon prevailing at the same time under Pharamond in France and under Alaricus in Italy He prevailed not only against the Primitive Church Imperial Rome and the then falling and dying first Dragon all which letted and should let till then thus taken out of the way the rising up of Papal Rome and of the Sea-born Beast her secular Head but he prevailed also and might easily prevail against that Secular Beast and wounded as it were unto death in the day of his birth and when but beginning to rise out of the Sea his first and best Head For Rome Ruled over the Kings of the Earth And the Senate with an Emperour Ruled both her and them But the besieged Senate Ruled Rome with great grief and no great Power without Bishop or Emperour And in that feeble and afflicted Senate did this Sea-born Beast all wounded as it were unto death in the day of his birth by the Sword of this second Dragon rise up For the City saith the learned Hammond was divided into three parts so her Antitype was to be near the day of her Dissolution Chap. 16.19 One part was Pagan another Heretical and the third part Orthodox but grosly Apostate in manners Concerning the Heretical part I observe little But the Pagan or Heathen part was for Number and Power most prevalent all the time the City was besieged until it was taken For Attalus a profest Heathen was so high in Power and Favour with the People that he would be Caesar aut nullus and not be joynt Emperour with Honorius So was Symachus Lieutenant of Rome a Pagan And such was the Senate for the most part which appears in that they sent the said Symachus Legat to Honorius at Ravenna to Request that the Heathen Rites might be Restored Thus it appears plainly that the Heathen part was the greatest in that afflicted Senate of besieged Rome But that major part was no part of this Beasts wounded Head which was after healed but the last part of the first Dragons last and dying Head which was never healed but then went into lasting perdition Apocal. 17.11 For after two years siege and as I rather compute the time in 412 were those Pagan Senators and Imperial Rome numbered and finished Then came her and their Plagues in one day Death Mourning Famine Fire Chap. 18.8 which those Barbarians with barbarous hands had chiefly inflicted upon those Heathen Senators and Citizens that had invited revocated and consided most in them and that to their utter and final excision But the flying Senators and others that fled to the Sanctuaries of the more Orthodox but Apostate in manners found thereby a bare and hard exemption from imminent death And these thus scarce escaped Senators and perhaps some others in somewhat like condition were the visible original of the first Head of this Sea-born Beast weak and wounded to be a witness to the truth performed as was thrice foretold in three sacred Texts of Scripture in the same Chapter Apocal. 13.3.12.14 Here the Scissers of eternal death and final excision parted the last dying Head of Pagan and Imperial Rome from the first at first sick and deadly wounded Head of Papal Rome And I saw one of his Heads wounded c. and his deadly wound was healed vers 3. wounded by the Sword of this second Dragon Healed began to be healed when Atholphus remitting Rome and most of Italy into the feeble hands of that wounded Senate made them Temporal Lords over Rome Italy and other Nations over which that City for some time after claimed some Jurisdiction Then also their Bishop began to be partly by the said Donation partly by the Senates Assent partly by his own Usurpation prefer'd to the largest Superintendency Thus this Papal Superintendent Spiritual began to be suted with a fit Power Secular For these near slain but surviving Senators were Primitiae Papales Papal Romes first Fruits and though at first most feeble her first Powers Secular Because they and they first allow'd sufficiently their own Bishops Supremacy over all Bishops and Churches if not over all Kings and Councils For so soon as Athaulphus had remitted Rome and Italy to that wounded Beast his Bishop faln Romes Bishop Innocent the First returned but no Emperour with him to Rome and Ruled as by principal Authority both Spiritual and Temporal that reviving Beast and likewise Rome and Italy which that second Dragon in Athaulphus as one chief Head of him had given to that almost dying Senate And the Dragon gave began early to give his Seat Power and great Authority to the Beast He continued in giving his power in several Conquered Nations for about 200 years space but I may not digress from the matter in hand to insist upon so long a subject To shew when and how he began to give his Power the Supremacy therein to that Beast is sufficient at present Innocent immediately after his Return claimed and laboured much more hard than any had done before him to obtain Universal Supremacy over all Bishops Churches and Councils as plainly appears by his own practice witnessed and by his own Letters and those very many recorded by Augustine Osiander and others For the Emperours absence was Innocents advantage to augment and exercise a more uncontrouled Power And Honorius a good Prince and Orthodox but of no great Capacity to Govern came no more to Rome to Reside there to the day of his death For the Romans at least some of them are said to hate Honorius because he left Rome and went to Ravenna therefore he remained there And his Successors some having the Title of Emperours but scarce the power of Kings made Ravenna the place of their Residence Rome was never more Imperial but ever after Papal The Senate and Bishops of Rome in the absence of Honorius and as by his Authority acted many things to further their own Designs and in Defence of the
Church For He and his Brother Archadius with their Councils for they had both Orthodox and Heterodox Councils co-operating to some good were the two Wings of that Great Eagle Theodosius the Great which were given to the Gospel Church to flee into the Wilderness into the secret subterfuges of obscure latency for 1260 years as from those two texts unfolded will plainly appear Revel 12.6 14. The Orthodox uncorrupt in manners were in Innocent's time when the Grand Apostacy began very few The Heterodox Papal for I pass by all other Sects of those times were very many The false Doctrine of those Heterodox was not then manifold but very much dangerous to Princes to the Primitive Faith to all true Professors They held that the Church was built upon Peter and so upon the Pope as Peters Successor The Orthodox held that the Church was built upon Christ whom Peter confessed This Doctrine of the Heterodox was very dangerous to the true Church because a Doctrine contrary to the Foundation of the true Faith holding the Head Christ Col. 2.19 Secondly A Doctrine dangerous to Princes For if the Church was built upon Peter and so upon the Pope as his Successor Then all Kings and Councils must submit to him as the greatest because the Church cannot be built upon the greatest of them Thirdly This Doctrine was almost universal in the body of Apostacy and so violent in its course that the Pillars and chief Fathers of the Primitive Church seemed shaken therewith For Crediderunt Hieronymus Augustinus Ecclesiam super Petrum fundatam sed retractantes ambo dixerunt Super Petram Christum quem Petrus agnovit Both Jerom and Augustine were induced to believe that the Church was built upon Peter but both retracting said upon Christ the Rock whom Peter confessed This was the Doctrine of the pride of the Son of Perdition never delivered to the Church by Christ and his Apostles a Doctrine of blasphemy against God of deceit to men of rebellion against Princes A Doctrine perhaps inconsistent with any true Church or sincere Professors but generally held forth and earnestly contended for as the chief part of their Faith by Papal Rome in the very beginning of the grand Apostacy Secondly The Manners of these men and times these Texts shew Rev. 18.2 5. where they are fitly compared to a Cage of every unclean and hateful Bird to an habitation of Devils c. The Reader may also see the Learned Hammond quoting Salvian Also St. Jerom Augustine and others set down in the sequel Innocent's Successors added many Nations and Italy more absolutely to the Papal Decarchy of which in its due place Here the Reader may easily observe both a manifest and a manifold concurrence of Prophetick Scriptures with the performances of them As first with the final excision of the first Dragon the fall of Imperial Rome the profligation of the Primitive Church And all these were powerful and prevailing Impediments till then thus taken out of the way that letted the rising up of Papal Rome 2 Thes 2.6 7. Secondly With the rising up of the second Dragon by whom these impediments aforesaid were taken out of the way the Church driven into the Wilderness her Witnesses killed Chap. 12.14 Chap. 11.7 Thirdly With the rising up those Impediments thus removed of the Decadiademick Beast Secular and Papal Chap. 13.1 Fourthly With the wounding of his first and best Head by the Sword of the second Dragon vers 3.12 14. Fifthly With the healing of that Head by the second Dragon's Donation of Authority to him induced to it chiefly by the design and procurement of the false Prophet as will after appear vers 2 3 12 14. Sixthly With the Primitive Churches flight from the face of that second Dragon for 1260 years Chap. 12.6 14. Seventhly With the two Wings of that great Eagle which were given to the Gospel Church to flee into the Wilderness vers 14. For all Ages past and to come cannot possibly afford a time so inevitably necessary and appositly consistent wherein the two Eagles-wings could be given to the Gospel-Church as only this very juncture of time aforesaid These two young Princes or Emperours governed both by bad and good Governors had which signified the truth of this Series of things this Word or Motto Summa cadunt subitò intimating That the taking away or fall of him that letted to wit Rome Pagan and Imperial and the profligation of the Primitive Church fell out as in Scripture predicted in their time A threefold cord is not easily broken But this sevenfold concurrence of sacred Prophesies with the performances of them and those performances coinciding in the fame time may irrefellibly prove the certain commencement of the grand Apostacy Pagan Rome's final ruine Rome Papals Aera the exact time of the rise of the Sea-born Beast her Secular Head the fixt period when the first Dragon finally expired and second aspired As also how and when that second Dragon gave began to give his seat and power to that Sea-born Beast How he continued to give his power in Italy and other Nations for about 200 years I leave it as too long to relate here to its proper place Prophesies and their performances thus concurring are called saith Weames Parallels and give saith he the greatest light to the Scriptures that is to the readers of them To the Readers of them Not because they are fulfilled but known when and how they were fulfilled For all these Prophesies came to pass above twelve hundred years since yet have not given much greater light so far as I find to any by their being so long fulfilled because they were never perhaps in all that time known whether they were fulfilled or not or when or how they were fulfilled This may fully refel that common fond and wicked Conceit of Hypocrits and too much of true Saints Prophesies say they when they come to pass need no other Explication That 's the clearest fullest unfolding of them We shall therefore wait patiently upon God till they be performed and then we are sure to find their true and certain meaning Events best shew what those texts intend This is the common Plea not only of some true Saints perhaps but chiefly of Hypocrites as it was of their Type the Pharisees by whom our Lord was Crucified They expected still expect the Messiah in future to come who came before therefore Crucified him come whom they earnestly desired should come according to the Scriptures which with due sedulity to search they profanely neglected They had no doubt as Modern Hypocrites have their prejudices against Prophetick Scriptures and in them against the things that belonged to their peace might say in the proud folly of furious Jehu What peace do such Scriptures produce So their Antiype formal Professors have like prejudices of pride and ignorance against the same Scriptures and in them against those things that principally belong to the peace and
true Key can possibly be contrived How the false Prophet Bicorne rallyed this Papal Secular Beast's ten Kingdoms under him we leave it to the sequel where we handle it at large This Beast these texts mention Apocal. 13.1 to the 8th Also vers 12 14 15. chap. 14.9 11. chap. 15.2 chap. 16.2 10 13. chap. 19.19 20. chap. 20.4 10. Thirdly The false Prophet is the third Head of this threefold City There were three false Prophets the Sensual Secular and Spiritual The first was the Pseudoprophetick Seer of the second Dragon First as Paganoarrian after as Mahumetan and in all times of his Epoche over sensual loose Christians in all Sects This Seer ascending with the second Dragon out of the bottomless pit when he sallyed out of the North about 406 is not that false Prophet intended here in he Text But the Bicorne Beast is the false Prophet here intended Revel 13.11 whose two Lamb-like Horns are the two false Prophets Secular and Spiritual The first Horn or Seer Secular was the Clergy of the Papal Decapolity that owned the Popes Supremacy over all Bishops and Churches but not over Kings and Councils This Horn Secular was the mouth of the Decadiademick Beast Secular and there was given him a mouth saith the text speaking great things c. Chap. 13.5 This mouth or Horn Secular was Vinculum unitatis Catena amoris the linck of Amity and bond of Unity betwixt the ten Nations of Papal ROME I call this Horn Secular because he was given as a Pseudoprophetick prolocutor or mouth to the Beast Secular and Papal for the purposes aforesaid But The second the Spiritual Horn was more absolutely Temporal than the former and elated in Spiritual pretended proprieties above him This Horn was such of the Supream Papal Clergy as owned the Popes Supremacy not only over all Bishops and Churches as the former did but over all Kings and Councils and over all that is called God 2 Thes 2.4 These two Horns or Seers Secular and Spiritual will be more distinctly apparent in the Guelsick and Gibeline Factions when we come to speak of them This Spiritual Horn was both Temporal and Spiritual but claimed his Temporal Supremacy over all Powers Secular from his pretended Spiritual Right of Apostolick Succession and therefore more properly Spiritual This may suffice the Reader at present to know what is meant by the Dragon the Beast and false Prophet and by their three Seers or Pseudoprophetick mouthes Chap. 16.13 For This Horn as Spiritual was the mouth of the false Prophet As Secular was the Civil Representative of his Body Temporal This Series though perhaps sufficiently clear at present will be much more apparent in the sequel These Texts demonstrate this bicorn-Bicorn-Beast Rev. 13.11 to 16. Chap. 16.13 Chap. 19.20 Here is may some say a very fair Indication of three Representatives the Dragon Beast and false Prophet and it s very probable That these three are the three Heads of this threefold City only we could wish that the premises were a little more plain and the truth apparent that these three are undoubtedly and undeniably the three heads of this threefold City I Answer And the great City was divided into three parts Chap. 16.19 There 's this threefold Cities three parts And these three Heads are as heads are set above their bodies set down a little above this threefoold body in the 13 verse of the same Chapter the words are these And I saw three unclean Spirits like Frogs come out of the mouth of the Dragon out of the mouth of the Beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet for they are Spirits of Devils c. Here 's a threefold cause three Spirits of Devils of a threefold division devolved from the three Heads of it upon this threefold body Bodies by Spirits from their Heads receive sense and motion And therefore this threefold Body was to be divided into three parts because those three unclean Spirits proceeding from its three Heads were Spirits of Devils causing divisions For so the Text saith they went forth to the Kings of the Earth to gather them to battel vers 14. And this influence as the threefold cause from those three Heads and that threefold effect or division in this Tripolity proves by an inevitable necessity the Community of those Heads and this Body in a threefold individuum which we find here at its dissolution divided into three parts as we find it erected of three parts at the first Constituting of it Chap. 11.8 I have thus far distinguished and described this threefold City of the grand Apostacy and declared who and what Her three Heads were But because Contraria juxta se posita maximè elucescunt Contraries compared together best appear we shall now shew what her Antithesis the Holy City or true Church is and handle and compare both together that both may better appear to the Reader CHAP. IV. What the Holy City or true Church contrary to this threefold City is with an account of Her First As Primitive in Heaven clothed with the Sun till about 407. And Secondly As fled into the Wilderness and troden under foot by the Free Denisons of this threefold City for 1260 years CAin and Abel were born of the same Parents in one and the same Family so the true Churches Antithesis took beginning in the true Church at the beginning of the grand Apostacy That Apostacy brought forth Antichrist Sensual Secular and Spiritual which had long struggled with the true Saints like Jacob and Esau in the Womb of the Primitive Church but were then about four hundred and ten or twelve brought forth Howbeit Antichrist Sensual had his head power and enlargement from those Forreign Nations of the North at the Inundation of those Barbarians upon the Christian World And those multitudes of Military Forces in whose Van the second Dragon after 400 advanced to the Imperial seat and over-spread the Christian Empire cannot be accounted so well any part of the body of Apostacy but revolted loose Professors in the Church conjoyned in one body sensual with those Barbarians made up the body of Antichrist sensual The five wise Virgins slept the five foolish slept also So the primitive Church and Saints fell And her Church and Saint persecuting professors in her fell also They fell but not internally and totally but these fell totally to the Apostacy of Antichrist The true Church and Saints were the holy City even then after they were faln and whilest they were troden under foot by the Gentiles Chap. 11.2 but Her and their persecutors falling totally chiefly Constituted that Cities Antithesis this threefold City called spiritually Sodom c. that trod and contemned the true Church as aforesaid They treading her under foot and she troden under foot by them are both distinctly and apparently held forth in the verse abovesaid as also in the 8th verse c. For These three sorts of Professors the Sensual Earthly and Devilish in all
fit to discharge it Therefore whiles many pretend to remove mistakes they make many and remove none For all Professors few excepted are wilful by earnest contending to defend their errours in opinions and manners as the strong man that kept the house would not forsake his holds Therefore the world sits in darkness by means of mistakes because the written Word the derivative Fountains of Light are darkened by them so that men draw missuppositions for truth from them and rather multiply than remove their errours in opinions and manners The smoke saith the Text of the bottomless pit darkned the light of the Sun and the light of the Air possibly the light of Reason and the light of Religion and what was that smoke but mistakes instead of truth exalted that even the Scriptures are darkened thereby therefore the inevitable necessity of their removal is manifest But As this Christian duty is the chief duty of all of all Ministers and Magistrates especially so the difficulty to discharge it further appears from those oppositions that attend it If any man fit for it does endeavour it so far is he from finding due assistance that all envious competitors of pride and ignorance as Corah's Company against Moses cry out against him as one that boasts in vain seeks praise of men they tell him he 's too proud and takes too much upon him For it hath ever been the Infallible character and practice of proud Hypocrites to deprave in this manner those men Howbeit the ingenuous concession of very many convinced of their mistakes I must acknowledge But the chief strength of all difficulties in the discharge of this duty is from the censorious and rash detractions of many of the most Learned and seeming most Religious that mistake of all mistakes the most dangerous the rash Spirit of truth contradicting pride for the spirit of truth not knowing of what spirit themselves are For even they if any man be fit for this duty detract as if they were impatient to abstain from unbridled temerity from his works before they know them from his words before they hear them and from his writings before they read them So are they too ready to aspire unto that Pharisaical pride by which Christ was crucified and fall into the condemnation of the Devil whereas were they so noble as not to censure before they see hear or read they might possibly find no cause of cavil nor perhaps of dispute And this is all I humby request at their hands The Priests of the Lord bore the Ark upon their shoulders so should all Saints support the truth which the Ark figured in Theory and Practice But nititur hoc humer is hominum genus this sort of censorious men I say not men of any sound judgments set to their shoulders not as the Priests of the Lord to support the truth but to cast it down to the ground and tread upon it that so minding the praise of men and private gain they may establish their own brain sick conceits for substantial truths These are men for the most part of much confidence that consider little Men of much velocity in lavish loquacity whom the multitude admires Too quick to move a question to make objections most slow to see and remove mistakes Men prodigal in endless disputes of verbal impertinency From these men the most irrational and greatest oppositions arise to retard all hands held forth to discharge this needful Christian duty But he that minds this necessary and indispensible duty to God and man must not regard besides sordid neglects the worst insolencies of vile ingratitude nor many difficulties I shall therefore humbly endeavour in this Treatise to remove those mistakes in Opinions and Manners that chiefly hinder the true Prosperity and Unity of all Church-Societies Sects and Nations CHAP. V. Which of those three Heads of the aforesaid threefold City was the chief Builder of it or when and by whom it was built THe Founder of it was the false Prophet For the times and the Laws saith Daniel were given into his hands Chap. 7.25 That is dominion over all Powers Spiritual and over the Potentates of the Earth was given him therefore he was the fittest and most able to be the Master builder of this threefold Mystery of Iniquity He began to build about the year 407 and had brought his Fabrick to a good forwardness had almost finish'd it in 607. The threefold matter of which he made it what it was we shewed before and likewise its threefold form Of that threefold matter sensual worldly and proud Professors he made Antichrist sensual secular and spiritual in the once Decapolite pale of Pagan Rome and brought all those three into one great City called saith the Text Spiritually Sodom and Egypt where also our Lord was Crucified He also bound the three Heads of it the Dragon the Beast and himself in a seeming firm bond of deceitful amity Connubio aajanxit stobilitria Numina mundi He bound Antichrist sensual secular and spiritual and those three Heads of their triplicit body as it were in a bond of Wedlock The tenure of that Obligation was the false Prophets supposed Catholick Religion confirmed by many dreadful false miracles Doctrine for the most part fundamentally sound but shallow carelesly contentedly shallow and by his peremptory claim of priority from his pretended right of Apostolick Succession The Premisses are plain First from Scripture Rev. 13.12 And he causeth the Earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast For that beast next himself the Head corner-stone was the strongest support of his City of Apostacy therefore it follows and he deceiveth them that dwell upon the Earth by means of those Miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast ver 14. That beast was the seven headed Hydra of Rome-Papals Power Secular that bod ten horns and all though not at first crowned Rev. 13.102 He causeth saith the Text the Earth to worship the first beast to wit that beast that is he â—new by deceit them that dwell upon the Earth â—as supposed living but indeed dead stones into the building of this threefold City and made that ten crowned beast though he intended himself Supream Secular head of it For what was this Unity or Grand Faction of Iniquity thus wrought by the false Prophets deceit upon those that dwelt upon the Earth but the tenfold body on Apostacy which the false Prophet built by rallying the Nations through his lying miracles which he wrought in the sight of the first beast Thus and by this means chiefly did the false Prophet build this threefold City as it appears plainly from Scripture and will no less appear in its due place from Church-History He also by that beasts joynt help built this City therefore the Text saith And he deceiveth them that dwell upon the Earth by means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast And why
Church History for the full and irrefellible proof of it But that would take up more time then I can spare otherwise then in its due place CHAP. VI. What the Epochaes of those three Heads and of this threefold City all synchronizing with eight other are WE shall first unfold the meaning of the word Epoche because some may except against the usual acceptation of it Aera Epoche Olympias Lustrum c. are computations of times Lustrum is not the first year of five though that be the beginning of it but the space of five years Olympias pro quadrennio usurpatur is the space of four years Aera significat numerum computum propriè terminum a quo numeramus is the computation of time from its beginning but more properly the beginning of it But Epoche is a word literally of a much fuller expression and signifies not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 principium though it comprehends that but is the time of any thing from the beginning to the end of it Epocha say some ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 retinere sistere is the retention or duration of the time of a thing Epocha saith another intervalla dicuntur quòd in illis sistantur terminantur mensurae temporum are the spaces betwixt two termini which as the first and last parts of those Epochaes begin and end the durations of them Epocha Apocalypseos saith Mead sive statueris principium c. If they have a principium they must have a Period and consequently an Interstitium of time betwixt both I might make the like irrefellible inferences from many Authors that thus take the word for two termini and the duration of time betwixt both And thus I take the word Epoche especially because it serves best to explain my meaning in this Treatise The Intervalls or Epochaes I shall here insist upon are in all twelve And all twelve synchronize in the same duration of 1260 years we shall first propose or nominate all and after prove them The first second and third Epochaes are of the Dragon Beast and false Prophet that Cities three heads and are proved from these texts Apocal. 16.13 chap. 12.14 ch 13.5 Dan. 7.25 chap. 12.7 The fourth is of that threefold City of the same duration and is proved from those texts aforesaid and sundry others The fifth is of the Churches flight and defection The sixth is of her duration in her place prepared of God And these two Epochaes which mutually unfold each other we shall prove from Thes 2.3 Rev. 12.1 6 14. The seventh is of her being troden under-foot of the Gentiles proved from Rev. 11.2 8 9 10 11. The eighth is of the death of the Witnesses not so killed but as they might Prophesie in sackcloth all the time of their lying dead which we shall shew from Rev. 11.7 9 11. and from other texts The ninth is of the Witnesses prophesing in sackcloth proved from ch 11.3 6. ch 12.6 14. The tenth is of the sounding of the six Trumpets proved from the texts aforesaid and ch 10.6 7 c. The eleventh is of the pouring forth of the six Vials proved from Rev. 11 6. ch 16.17 The twelfth of the restraint of Spiritual rain proved from ch 11.3 6. Luke 4.24 James 5.17 Lastly We shall give an Epitome of the denominant matter and transactions of these twelve Epochaes for 1260 years All these twelve Epochaes are of a longer duration by above a 1000 years then any type-Interval that I observe in sacred Scripture And all twelve are longer by above 800 years then the proper Epoche of Pagan Rome or of the first Dragon Therefore all these twelve Epochaes must of necessity appertain to the transactions of Papal Rome as we shall instantly shew We shall also in few lines labour to make the premisses so plain both from those texts and Church-History that the judicious Readers may rightly judge them fully concludent For the miseries of men and Saints surpass all sorrows in this particular That they halt betwixt pluralities of opinions in this threefold dark labyrinth of errours and are scattered into sundry Sects And what may redress what means may remedy those dreadful miseries I answer The full manifestation of these Epochaes in the true Series of the matter of their denominations may be silum certissimum a most sure guiding thred out of this threefold furnace of afflictions and Abysse of intricate evils Nor need it be thought impossible to prove them all nor perhaps to make them fully concludent For God hath ordained two lawful witnesses to establish every truth And two testimonies for each Epoche from sacred Scripture may make them fully concludent which are the fewest we find for each Howbeit we shall in the sequel of this Treatise reduplicate this double testimony of it self sufficient by ample Church-History of consonant record Full mouthed men the least in force we fear not much nor the floud-gates of rash and railing folly nor do we much dread that mis-apply'd assertion Scriptura symbolica non est argumentativa which some are pleased to abuse to blaspheme the Scripture what the right meaning of that saying is we shall shew afterwards But I return We shall speak of this threefold body and of its three heads conjunct because they are necessarily concurrent in their Epochaes This threefold City being the triplicit body of those three heads the Dragon the Beast and the false Prophet must have with them the same Epoche For bodies and their heads are so inseparable That when either ceaseth to be both discontinue But the second Dragons duration and he 's the first head of this threefold City was to be 1260 years as will clearly appear from Rev. 12.6 14. Therefore this threefold body Politick must have the same Epoche But here I must further distinguish betwixt the two Dragons because their far different Epochaes clearly distinguish betwixt both and excluding doubt denote irrefellibly that there were two I have oft before briefly hinted that there were two but shall here as in its more proper place fully prove it and clearly distinguish betwixt both The first was Roman The second at first Teutonick The first was originally Pagan the second when he first invaded the Primitive Church and vanquished her Witnesses was Paganorian after a Papal then Mahumetan the first was the head of Pagan the second the raiser up of the first head of Papal Rome without the first Pagan Rome had never been without the second Papal Rome as a body is not brought forth without an head had not been born For he her first head in Scripture order took away him that letted her rising up Thes 2.7 That is he translated Rome Imperial about the years four hundred and seven ten or twelve Drave the Primitive Church into the Wilderness killed her Witnesses and then took away the weak remnant of Pagan Rome by a final excision All which letted till then thus taken away by this second Dragon the rising up
Proto type prediction in Dan. 12.7 In both which texts the truth of the transactions and times exprest is confirmed by a divine Oath in the name of the living God which makes them much more signally correlative as to type and anti-type and that in the fifth Eccho therefore it s sufficiently if not abundantly manifest that some prophesies in Daniel reiterated as we plainly see in the Apocalyps reach Rome Papal some directly as in ch 7.25 and some in a fifth re-ecchoed performance as in the texts of Dan. 8.9 10. c. and ch 12.7 and ratisie those 1260 years of all these twelve Epochaes For all days propheticalare ever though literal in their Subanti-types at least years in their ultimate anti-types which is evident from Numb 14.34 Dan. 9.24 Ezech. 4.5 6. And as will more irrefellibly appear when we come to treat upon those texts As he hath declared to his servants the Prophets saith the text ch 10.7 where it is plain that many things which the Apocalyps predicted were in fore-times declared to the Prophets the servants of God which they also as appears plainly from the said text declared in their prophesies wherefore many or the most of the Prophets and not Daniel only whiles they foretold things more immediately to be fulfilled presignified also thereby those things which the Apocalyps predicted But to shew the comparities of Prophetick prefigurations with texts in the Apocalyps wherein they seem to concenter in the anti-type would require a large Volume We shall now take a short view of the secular head of Papal Rome with his comparities and disparities to his types His mouth saith the text was as the mouth of a Lion so shadowed forth by the King of Babylon Rev. 13.2 Dan. 7.4 But he was not that Supream power as his disparities plainly shew For Secondly his feet were as the feet of a Bear and so figured by the King of Persia Dan. 7.5 Rev. 13.2 But he was not that power secular as his disparities shew For Thirdly he was like a Leopard So was the Greek Monarch Dan. 7.5 Rev. 13.2 And here we plainly see a threefold and shall a fourfold consonancy betwixt those prophesies in Daniel and this in the Apocalyps and that in the fifth reverberation or performance if we take our account from those texts of the eighth Chapter in Daniel that point out Epiphanes Or if we count by the successions of those four beasts in the seventh Chapter But the Sea-born beast Papal was not that representative of the Greek Empire because of many disparities in both texts Nor was he the Dragon or fourth beast in the fourth reverberation from Daniel who Prophetically adumbrates by four beasts of different figures four Kingdoms the Chaldaean Persian Greck and Roman and by those four beasts he shaddowed forth their anti-type the representative of Papal Rome in the fifth reverberation For Pagan Rome was the fourth Kingdom and her head the first Dragon the fourth Monarch But Papal Rome was the fifth Monarchy and her head secular this Sea-born beast the fifth Monarch prophetically shaddowed forth in the fifth reverberation by those four beasts in Daniel but chiefly by the fourth beast of Pagan Rome the first Dragon who was the last clearest and sullest type of this seven-headed Hydra of Papal Rome succeeding those four beasts but chiefly the fourth in his seat power and great Authority and that in the fifth reverberation from Daniel This may some rash inconsiderate Readers say makes it signally clear that this whom you call the first Dragon nor was there ever any more then one nor ever any second gave his seat power and great authority to the beast his successor we shall therefore further but briefly re-enquire how and when the Dragon and which of the two gave his seat and power to the beast and to which beast What opinions most hold I minde not much because many writers little mind how or what they write But all reformist Expositors so far as I find affirm that this beast Papal was the seventh or I know not what head of the Dragon which should continue saith the text but a short space and that sufficiently contradicts this Tenent Rev. 17.10 ch 12.12 But I answer The Dragon saith the text gave him this beast Papal who is sufficiently described before and will be further afterwards his power seat and great authority to distinguish him from the first Dragon whose power was taken from him And to distinguish him from the second that gave him his power and great authority which he took from the first and chiefly from the representatives of the Primitive Church Rev. 13.2 4. Therefore that second Dragon raised Rome Papal in the fifth reverberation from Daniel chiefly by raising her secular head with his power the Supremacy therein given unto him For Secondly the first Dragon was no free doner or disposer of his own power but had it taken away before could give it and was taken away himself before that beast was in being that should receive it And so the text we see faith expresly 2 Thes 2.6 7. So say the best modern Expositors upon that place though they sometimes contradict themselves and confound the true Series of things as we have before briefly hinted So say the chief Primitive Fathers That this Dragon Rome Pagans representative was not to give his power himself but to be himself with all his power taken out of the way And it might seem most wicked and foolish for any Expositors to kick against the express Tenure of the sacred text to contradict the best modern Writers witnessing at least by consequence what those texts import and to oppose the Opinions of the best Primitive Fathers who no doubt might best understand the right meaning of those Scriptures For the Apostle himself asserts expresly that they did know the meaning of them You know saith he what withholdeth He that now letteth will lett until he be taken out of the way 2 Thes 2.7 And this Relative He in the Text could not possibly refer to any other person political but only to the first Dragon or Representative of Pagan and Imperial Rome who in Johns time chiefly letted and did after let or hinder Papal Rome and her head ut intus existens prohibeâ— alienum from rising up until he was finally taken away with all his force by the second Dragon the last sublator of his feeble power and dying person in four hundred and ten or twelve For Thirdly Michael and his Angels Constantine and his Armies Michael's substitutes took to the final excision of his seventh head that first Dragons power without asking him any leave into his own hands held possest it so as that Dragon could never regain absolute Supremacy therein That is His place saith the text was found no more in Heaven Theodosius with his two Sons and the two Valentinians partly took away partly brake in pieces the power of his sick and scarce perfect eight and
last head And Lastly The second Dragon about the year 412 took away the very being of that first Dragon drave the Primitive Church with her Eagles wings into the Wilderness took away her and their chief power into his own hands and gave that power which he took from them and they from the first Dragon to wit the Supremacy therein to the beast secular and Papal For it had been res maximè mir and a minimè credenda a thing most impossible and incredible for the first Dragon to have done it Had he done it he must have had an Art never heard on That could give his Seat and great Authority which he had not And this is the mischief As he had no power to give unto the beast so there was no beast in being to receive it so long as he existed which necessarily implies a double impossibility But the Dragon gave his great Authority to the beast Therefore that was the second Dragon clearly distinct from the first and both from this beast And then it must inevitably follow of necessity That this beast and that second Dragon and the Bicorn false Prophet were contemporary and as the several texts plainly prove synchronize in 1260 years beginning about 412 though that second Dragon was not drawn at first to such complyance as afterwards And this contrary to Doctor Hammonds rational conclusion from a mistaken supposition is signally conspicuous as we clearly see from sundry texts of sacred Scripture and as it hath appeared and will more plainly appear from Church-History I need not therefore I suppose say to any sober or judicious Reader that the text plainly says That he that in Paul's time letted should let till he were taken out of the way the rising up of the Son of perdition But I may say in the words of that Apostle to the silliest Readers or at least to such as have any competent animadvertency and understanding you know that he that letted in that Apostles time the rising up of the body of Apostacy and its spiritual and fecular Heads was the first Dragon or Supream power of Pagan and Imperial Rome you know from those Prophetick texts and from Church-History fully witnessing the performances of those Prophesies that the said first Dragon did not give could in no wise possibly give his power which he had not to the beast Papal not then in being you know that he much more all his power was to be taken out of the way to make way for that beast you know also that the Dragon gave Scripture says it Church-History proves it his great Authority to the beast And you know that Dragon because the first and all his power was taken out of the way before as aforesaid must of necessity be the second Dragon And thus actum est de hac controversiâ this Controversie is fully ended and That there were two Dragons irrefellibly concludent But So wedded is the world to wilful errours that men and Sects nor are Saints free from this fault take little care or pains to come to know these things Haec scire say they quid prodest Quid obest nescire What are we better if we know these things or worse if we never know them They therefore even many that are most studious therein are so indocile to know though plainly proved and though they should be oft repeated these things or to see their own Preservations and chief concerns in the knowledge of them that their progress is therein little their profit less to themselves and others For such slow-bellies are many that they cannot imagine what real use can be made of those things which will instantly appear to be the things of highest concernments and the knowledge of them and how to use them the Conservatory means of all other graces and mercies Hagar her Son ready to dye she distressed sate by a Well in the Wilderness and saw it not Little did she think of such support so nigh till God opened her eyes and she saw the Well Her sight of it was a present means to prevent imminent death and procure life to her and him But if present and after-Ages may see and shun those evils that are worse than death and reap those benefits that may be better than lâ—fe by the knowledge of those things I shall briefly indigitate that and with like brevity conclude the premises And first Most Reformists will needs have the beast secular and Papal to be the Scarlet-coloured beast chap. 17.3 or which is an errour if not the same not much different the seventh Head of that red Dragon or Scarlet beast This gross errour the grand Remora to the right unfolding of many texts is a strong refuge to the Mystery of Iniquity Nor can the expositions of the best Writers upon the Apocalyps and Prophetick Scriptures till this and many like mistakes be removed be otherwise then perplex ravels of intricate consusion Therefore the perfect removal of this mistake as the readiest way to remove many requires my present care Nor perhaps have my pains hither to made the truth so fully irrefellible as instantly it will appear to be Can we but find those seven Heads that were peculiar to the red Dragon or Scarlet-coloured beast and his eighth Head also which was of those seven Then we have all his peculiar number of Heads and so this business is fully ended But five of his Heads were faln before John wrote as we shewed before And one his Imperial Head existed when John wrote There 's six of his seven-Heads And the other is not yet come saith the text and when he cometh he must continue a short space His time was short for a Kingdom divided cannot stand because he was a divided Head For part of it fell from the Pagans and took part with the Christians in the time of Constantius and Constantine His eighth dying and scarce perfect Head was Pagano-arrian in the time of Constantius the second Julian Valens and went into everlasting perdition about 412 ver 11. That is he and that first Dragon under him then perished for ever Here 's all the crowned Heads for all his Heads had Crowns that were peculiar to that first Dragon Then the Sea-born beast Papal assisted by the second Dragon through the false Prophets procurement ascended out of the Sea the Political and Military Deluge which the second Dragon cast out of his mouth having seven successive Heads chap. 13.1 But here 's the Master-piece of exquisite absurdity All Reformist Writers few excepted affirm That the seventh Head of the Scarlet beast the first Dragon was the secular beast Papal with seven Heads which is as good sense as to say That a part of the body of one man is the entire individuum of another person For that Scarlet beast that had seven Heads and an eighth also and the Sea-born beast Papal that had seven Heads were two several individual and clearly distinct persons political Secondly The texts expresly
Churches Antithesis must observe the right Series of the Mystery of Iniquity and know when and how the Apostacy sprang up As also that there were two Dragons and which of the two raised Rome Papal or the body of Apostacy All works or writings against her till this be first done or at least in part discerned are little worth scarce so much as engage Rome Papal against those opposers to small purpose she may till then hold forth her flag of defiance against as trivial impugners all such and say The Scriptures themselves clearing her from their charge charge them with Blasphemy Schism Slander and Apostacy Her walls must stand inviolable she invincible Thus we see till these mistakes be removed no Reformists can undeceive possibly the Papists or their sub-divisions nor be themselves rationally undeceived or be convinced of their errours in Opinions or manners Tum verò barbari barbaros invicem Ecclesiam persequentur in aeternum Then Men Saints and Sects with feral ire and intricate confusion must implacably pursue and persecute each other For if these and such obstacles to true peace multiply or are not removed then in Chaos infandum tetus confunditur Orbis present and after-ages must ever inherit inextricable Labyrinths of all dreadful and they inemergible miseries Men saith the text shall seek death and shall not find is and shall desire to die and death shall flee from them For Their torment was as the torment of a Scorpion when he striketh a man Mistakes in Opinions and manners were to those men the cause of such torments worse than death as in its due place will appear from those texts But these mens miseries must far exceed theirs and death it self be much more desirable than their condition if these and many like errours in Opinions and manners be not removed Thus the evils of these and like mistakes until they be removed are its evident both great and many But if these and many such errours are or shall be sufficiently refelled and men be thereof clearly convinced Then Rome Papals walls and the walls of her sub-divisions as the walls of Jericho fell at once flat to the ground are become like Cobwebs which the wind scatters Then torments greater than the pains of the stings of Scorpions may begin to cease from men and miseries worse than death discontinue But we shall dissolve though we have done that perhaps sufficiently this Knot of manifold mistakes in its due place by proving a two and twenty quadripartite disparity betwixt the first and second Dragon Betwixt both and the Sea-bornbeast Papal and betwixt all three and the false Prophet with two horns Till then let no Reader trouble himself with idle excogitations of mind nor me with many words For I perhaps have given the judicious Reader full satisfaction at present and so shall oft afterwards till I prosecure those premises in the sequel I should not spend time to mention too many having no mean thoughts of their own parts that tell you The Dragon is only because so called the Devil individual as some upon such solid grounds assert Transubstantiation from Hoc est corpus But I commit this Chaffe to the wind till afterwards I was unavoidably put upon it before I could proceed to the following Epochaes to remove those mistakes aforesaid And Secondly to refel their opinions that hold That all the Prophesies before Christ were finally fulfilled at his death or at the destruction of Jerusalem And Thirdly to remove the mistakes of all Papists and many Protestants affirming That all Prophesies both before and after Christ expired if not at the destruction of Jerusalem at the translating of the Empire in four hundred and ten or twelve They except only and that to as little purpose the Mahumetans For If all Prophesies before Christ ended at his death or at Jcrusalems destruction And if all in the Gospel and in the Apocalyps expired as aforesaid in 412 Then Non erit locus there cannot possibly be any place for these twelve ensuing Intervals or Epochaes commencing then and synchronizing from that time for 1260 years Then all these twelve Epochaes and their transactions and the Scriptures themselves that hold them forth must like the five foolish Virgins stand withour and not be admitted to express the mind of the Spirit of truth yea then the Scripture Canonical must be dis-membred and part made as Apocryphal or which is worse perverted to prefer Hereticks and promote errors in opinions and manners Then the faithful industry of the best Writers must be but labor irritus pains herein taken to no purpose Then Papists Heathens and Hereticks cannot possibly be convinced of their errours in Opinions and practices nor any true peace hoped for from them or any Professors of different perswasions For these causes of highest concernments I have taken this pains to break the hardest Rocks of obstacles the confident and long-continued mistakes both of Papists and Protestants and to prove That the Prophesies before Christ even in Genesis extended beyond the destruction of Jerusalem For the type Primitive and Jewish Church whom Pharaoh expresly called the Dragon persecuted had the Sun Moon and twelve Stars her Lights and Guides and adumbrated prophetically the Gospel-Church Primitive who had also the Sun Moon and twelve Stars her Lights and Guides and was also persecuted by the Anti-evangelical Dragon of Pagan and heretical Rome in the Antitype I have also perhaps sufficiently proved against the Opinions of all Papists and many Protestants that the prophesies in Daniel reach Rome Papal and her secular Head in the fifth Reverberation wherefore these mistakes impregnable obstacles against Mead and all Reformist Writers being thus fully removed my way is levigated and my aggress made plain without any material obstacle to treat upon the ensuing Epochaes which come next to be handled The Synchronick Epochaes of the second Dragon Beast and false Prophet are thus held forth The second Dragons duration is in Apocalyps 12.14 a time tames and an half The Sea-born beasts continuance is in ch 13.5 forty two months The false Prophet's Epoche is in Daniel 7.25 a time times and the dividing of a time The times in all those texts are the same and make a threefold Synchronism of 1260 years to the three Heads of the threefold Decapolity of the grand Apostacy which duration and therein this second Dragons is 800 years above the first Dragons proper Epoche and that irrefellibly denotes two Dragons For The Epochaes of the first Dragon and of Primitive Rome Pagan or otherwise heretical were proper or improper His and her improper Epoche ab Urbe Conditâ until Rome Imperial was made tributary to Alaricus in 407 was about 1159 years Or until it was taken plundred and burnt by Alaricus in 412 about 1164 years I call this duration of time His improper Epoche because it were improper to count the Chaldaean or Greek Epochaes in Scripture predicted from the first constituting of those Kingdoms For
What is TRVTH OR The Patern IN THE MOUNT WHEREIN Many places of Scripture are in pursuit of Truth and the Churches Peace explained AND Therein most false Opinions and Heresies both Modern and Ancient are clearly detected and refelled By Tho. Harby This is Zion whom no man seeketh after Jer. 30.17 They shall no more hurt nor destroy in all mine holy Mountain saith the Lord Isa 65.25 O magna vis veritatis quae contra hominum ingenia calliditatem solertiam contraque fict as omnium insidias facilè se per se defendit Cic. in Orat. pro Marc. Coelio LONDON Printed for the Author 1671. The AVTHOR Reader THY satisfaction whosoever in the solution of Pilat's Question and the Title of this Treatise is my Design therein Therein also I have with some care and diligence endeavoured to add all due brevity to perspicuity and to decline the too common Compilation in taking much Matter and many Errors out of other Authors to bring a Book into a large Volume to little or evil purpose and pretend it to be my own The Quotations I confess which the Reader may well dispense with if quoted to truer tendencies may differ in their ends for which many quote them Nor are the foot-steps of fore-going Writers my Rules to follow but not wedded with some to vulgar Errors nor affecting selfish singularity my Design is to exert the sober Truth The Reader may perhaps find some parcels of this Treatise in Books lately or not long extant yet they differ much in their Ends something from the manner that I wrote them Wherefore of the Writers of them I may have cause in part to say as some did Quem recitas meus est O Fidentine libellus Sed malè dum recitas incipit esse tuus For so careless were some Trustees of my Protographs others so intent to make the Notions in them their own and themselves the reputed first Assertors of them that I could not shun those occasions I only therefore request the Reader not to impute to me That I take any Notions by them abused but at first my own out of the Works of those pilfering Writers This Treatise because the way of dilucidation therein and the matter of it is somewhat unusual may seem at least in primo limine a little hard to some but is made more easie by reading on in order and so it clears it self But some perhaps not trusting to the Title would see substantial Testimonials from persons of worth and estimation of the accounts they give of it and I were much unworthy and unfaithful should I hide the Candles of such Burning-lights under Bushels Take therefore out of many First The Testimony of the Right Reverend Doctor Saunderson late Bishop of Lincoln to whom I read of it four hours every day for four days when it was but an Embrion and not come to that Form and Perfection that now it is Secondly The Testimony of sundry Ministers consentient in the same Record Lastly The Testimony of the Learned Beck of Ipswich who read it all He was sometimes Captain in the King's Army and faithful to his Trust and might be a Leader to many for Learning Piety and Integrity of life Of him the Right Reverend Bishop Hall affirmed That he was the best Scholar that ever he ordained as Mr. Stinit of Bacton in Suffolk who was ordained with him witnesseth The Testimonies follow Reader farewel Thy Friend T.H. The Testimony of the Right Reverend Doctor Saunderson late Bishop of Lincoln VVHereas sundry persons as well Ministers as others have under their hands the hand-writing of one of whom is to me well known given approbation to a Treatise written by Mr. Tho. Harby the Bearer and entituled The Pattern in the Mount of the Contents and purpose of which Treatise the Author having read part of it to me gave a fair and rational account I do hereby testifie That so far as I am able to judg by the proportion of what I heard read I do conceive the said Treatise may be profitably published as conducing to the fuller and clearer understanding of sundry Prophesies of holy Scripture and that the Author deserveth encouragement and furtherance towards the publication of the same Rob. Saunderson Rector of Boothby Paynel Linc. VVE have read over the First Part of Mr. Tho. Harby's Treatise which for Brevity Language Order and chiefly for Matter of necessary use and not usually found in Authors may seem in our opinions to surpass most Works of Modern Writers at least of this nature Nor have we found such full satisfaction in any And we conceive it may be a most powerful means to evince and unite a work most needful and grateful in these times dissenting-Brethren Sects and Heterodox Professors And those many and material Additions which he to our knowledg hath made therein fully assure us that he must be the Author of it John Green Rector of Owsden in Suffolk Isaac Key of Margetting in Essex These not eye-witnesses of the said Additions nor doubting in the least of the truth of them witness all besides above written John Smith Rector of St. Maries Colchester Dan. Sutton Rector of Chilton in Suffolk TRact atum hunc cui Titulus Quid est veritas egregià Domini Harby operà exaratum vel doctissimorum lectione dignissimum pronuncio April 3. 67. Cave Beck Rector St. Helenae Gippovisensis These Suffrages because perhaps none fuller can be given may serve Therefore I pass by for brevity the Testimonies of sundry Doctors in Oxford and elsewhere and of many other Divines What is Truth ALL men both good and bad busie themselves about Truth or Error both which have their rerespective Seats or Subjects The more proper Seat of Truth Theological amongst men is the Mystical Body of Christ the Church of God which is called The Pillar and Ground of Truth 1 Tim. 3.15 Wherefore what Truth and what Error is and what their Subjects the true Church and true Church-Opposers are is the grand Duty of all Ministers and Magistrates especially to be resolved in for if they seek to support Truth and suppress Error and know not what the true Church or her Antithesis is nor what that Truth is that discovers both they but beat the Air both in preaching and practise or at least their best endeavours bring forth little wherefore that we may clearly discern betwixt Truth and Falshood and thereby betwixt the true Church and all Societies that falsly take the title of it we shall consider that great City the Subject of Errors which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt where also our Lord was crucified Rev. 11.8 For that City because the Witnesses of Christ were killed in it and Christ was crucified in the Type of it must needs be that City of grand impugnation against the Gospel-Church by Prophets predicted This City had conform to its own Triplicity three Heads The Dragon the Beast and the False Prophet Chap. 16.13 We shall shew First
made up that Mystical Body of the holy City the persecuted scattered and afflicted true Church that was given into the hands of the Gentiles to be troden under foot for forty two months And those Church-Members that fell wholly to the Apostacy of Antichrist were the most proper body of that City of Apostacy and the principal part of those Gentiles that trod under foot the holy City the revolted true Church for forty two months which we shall find are 1260 years Rev. 11.2 3. Wherefore the Gospel Church whilest in Heaven clothed with the Sun whilst Her conversation was contrary to that triplicit Iniquity of the man of sin was conspicuous because in Heaven so clothed And the Reader may observe That when she even her Witnesses changed her shining Raiment for sable Sack-cloth fell and fled She falling but in part was even then though much less distinguishable from Apostates à toto that about four hundred and seven ten or twelve began to constitute as the major or chief part of his Mystical Body the Antichrist predicted by Prophets and Apostles Wherefore the Lord D◠Plessis saith That the Man of Sin is an Estate whereof the Apostacy is the Body That is Not a single person but for the most part a Political body Apostatical Antichrist saith Aquinas is a Body or Corporation not a Man That is Not a single person either individual or successive but a body politick Augustine keeping also the conformity of a City calls him properly though not so comprehensively under the notion of the Beast and his Image the wicked City and People unfaithful contrary to the faithful People and City of God who as it were profess the Faith and live as they that believe not that feign themselves to be what they are not and are called not according to true but false appearance Christians Thus we see this Learned Father makes the man of sin to be exactly the very same that I have done and gives for substance the same description of him to wit That this Corporation or City contrary to the People of God are a People Apostate not or not so much from the Doctrine of Faith but from Manners Not Infidels but professing the Faith Livers like those that believe not and are onely in a verbal profession and false appearance Christians These Christians of false appearance repugnant to the City of God cannot be but by a Synecdoche partis as Augustine calls them the Beast and his Image but are in all Sects and Nations chiefly within the tenfold Pale of Papal Rome both the threefold Body and three Heads of this triplicit City of Apostacy called spiritually Sodom and Egypt where also our Lord was Crucifud What City or Corporation of Apostacy this is this Text further shews and saith It is a great City Rev. 11.8 None of its Type Cities or Countries though all great could equal it in its dimensions that is neither Sodom nor Egypt nor Babylon nor Jerusalem nor Rome Pagan could ever equal Her greatness They were but single Cities or Countries but this was constituted of ten parts or Nations And the tenth part saith the text of the City fell Revel 11.13 Chap. 13.1 Secondly This City is here further distinguished from all her Types they were but literal Cities or Countries but this is a Spiritual City Spiritually called saith the text Sodom c. that is A Mystical Corporation according to those Writers Record of wicked ones who least or at least little seem to themselves or sensual eyes to be what they are and therefore Spiritual Thirdly This Spiritual City is further distinguished in the text to be threefold Spiritually called saith the text Sodom and Egypt where also our Lord was Crucified that is Tenfold in her dimension but threefold in matter and form A monstrous Chaos of many Sects of evil manners A Miscellaneum of a manifold confusion but all refer'd and confined in the text to three more general Classes or Orders of Professors These three sorts of Professors conform to the filthy manners of Sodom and Egypt and of cruel and hypocritical Jerusalem Constituted as the whole matter of it the tenfold body of Antichrist Nor is there nor can there be any other substance or matter in that body but these three sorts of Professors only For all that is in the world saith the Apostle 1 Joh. 2.16 is the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and pride of life And these are the threefold form of that matter which makes that matter be what it is But may some say there is more in the body of Antichrist than these three lusts For the Mahumetans are filled with Infidelity Modern Sects with Deceits The Jewes are fast bound in Chains of blindness though they cannot be accounted so properly any part of the Apostacy the present Papists surpass their Predecessors in unsound Doctrine and Idolatry And gross ignorance and barrenness in good works overspreads almost all Professors I Answer That though all these Iniquities superabound in the body of Antichrist yet they make and perfect no more nor any other than these three lusts because all sins in all Sects spring from this threefold Fountain and are the very same lusts exerted or the fruits and effects of them Lust Covetousness is the root of all evil therefore this threefold lust must be the root of all evil in the World and that most prevalent in its proper subject this threefold body For Spiritual Sodom and her Head the Dragon is the proper subject of the lusts of the Flesh whose works are manifest Gal. 5.19 Spiritual Egypt and her Head the Beast is the more proper subject of the lust of the Eyes worldly avarice whose works are more wicked and less manifest The Antitype where or in whose type our Lord was crucified censorious proud blind pharisaical Professors and her Head the false Prophet is the proper subject of Spiritual Pride self-love self-elation whose works are most wicked and least manifest 2 Thes 2.4 9 10. Such as the Soul is in the body such is this threefold Lust in the body of Antichrist Haec tria pro trino Numine mundus habet These three Lusts are the Trinity the threefold supream object of the Antichristian World For sensual satisfaction of the lusts of the flesh under loose forms or the free pursuit of sinful pleasures in some formal way of Worship is the supream object which Spiritual Sodom seeks after And if Spiritual Egypt may obtain wealth and worldly preferment to satisfie the greedy lust of her eyes and may but deeply deceive indeed her self by some outward way of Worship This is the supream object after which she seeks So If the Antitype where or in whose type our Lord was crucified Professors proud and Pharisaical can but have wealth without hand or heart to use it and may but obtain what Diotrephes drove at Preheminence in Churches though it be by depraving men of parts or piety or
in the sight of the beast but that he might be assisted by him The three Heads were co-assisting this building the Dragon afforded matter and power the beast was the Magazine of both and made by the false Prophet the instrument to use that matter and power to perfect this threefold City the false Prophet was the Master builder of it For the Dragon by the false Prophets procurement gave his power and Authority the Supremacy therein to the beast And the false Prophet was the disposer or chief orderer of it that he might usurp Power over all unto himself therefore he sought to strengthen that beasts hands exceedingly subjugating by deceit the Nations under him And therefore the Text saith he deceiveth those that dwell upon the Earth by means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast Miracles were for confirmation of Doctrine and to ratifie the Offices and Messages of Prophets and Apostles Exod. 4.5 8. Heb. 2.4 So the false Prophets miracles terminated as in their next and immediate effects in the deceitful confirmation First of his message and next of his seeming sound or somewhat Fundamentally sound but shallow Doctrine which was though Homousian and so far fundamentally sound both carelesly corrupt and shallow And first To confirm his pretended Apostolick message to them that dwelt upon the Earth that he might build the Nations in the political body of his beloved City and make them by deceit the matter of it therefore the false Prophet pretence to be sent to preach for how should he preach unless he were sent was one principal means at first and in all his Sects whereby he deceived them that dwelt upon the Earth And this means his supposed message or pretence to be sent to preach is the first means in order whereby he deceived them that dwell upon the Earth and built this City The second means was the next and immediate end of his pretended message his Doctrine of deceit which was somewhat fundamentally sound as we shewed before but carelesly corrupt and shallow For such Doctrine served best to make him deceive and be deceived The third means and that in order to confirm both his message and Doctrine was his false miracles And he deceiveth them saith the Text that dwell upon the Earth by means of those miracles c. where we clearly see that the Spirit of truth asserts That the false Prophets chiefest power to deceive the Nations was as the fountain of deceits in his false miracles For the Text saith not He deceived them that dwell upon the Earth by his false Doctrine or pretended message though he did that by both but he deceiveth saith the Text them that dwell upon the Earth by means of those miracles c. Every simple Impostor can deceive by unsound Doctrine but these miracles which the false Prophet wrought were as it were miraculous deceits Those miracles what they were and when and how wrought we shall shew afterwards Them that dwell upon the Earth There 's the matter of this threeforld Cities building And he deceiveth them there 's the manner and chief means in his Apostolical pretence doctrine and miracles by which he built this threefold City He the false Prophet there 's the Master-builder or it And If he had power in such sort to deceive them that dwelt upon Earth and could thus compel frame and mould the Nations by deceit then he must needs have power to deceive the second Dragon did deceive him caused him to accord with the wounded beast and give him his power and caused both to communicate or consign their powers to himself Rev. 13.2 4. Dan. 7.25 For there were two Dragons as we shewed and shall after more fully shew The first was Rome Pagans power secular till about 324 when his former might was much abated But he retained some strength till about 412. The second Dragon was at first the prevailing power of the Nations of the North that began to translate Rome Imperial about the year 407. This second Dragon by his military atchievements and enrichments thereby became the fountain of power to Papal Rome and a free dispenser of it For he gave his power seat and great Authority the Supremacy therein to the by himself wounded but after Decadiademick beast secular and papal But the false Prophet that seduced the Nations deceived this second Dragon opened his mouth of deceit and the earth opened saith the text her mouth and swallowed up that Dragons mighty floud chap. 12.15 He in some sort swallowed up that Dragon also That is He the mouth of the earth or Oracle of that mouth drew by deceit that Dragon with his forces and Nations to embrace the unity of the Church of Rome which was chiefly done from about 407 in the space of 200 years He gave but the false Prophet perswaded him to give his seat and power the Supremacy therein to the then rising beast secular and Papal and perswaded both to give or submit unto himself the pre-eminence of power For the first five hundred years after the false Prophet began to put his deceitful hand to this wicked work were times of reciprocal donations and receptions of great gifts to and from the Dragon Beast and false Prophet and from those that dwelt upon the earth And so the text saith expresly Rev. 11.10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall send gifts one to another As we shall also amply shew in its due place from Church-History therefore those gratifying times by sending gifts one to another were the false Prophets chief edifying times wherein he was most successful in building by deceit this threefold City For as Christ that Prince of true Prophets built his Church upon the sure rock of truth So this false Prophet Bicorne built her Antithesis this threefold City upon the seeming rock of false appearance and deceit And that it was the false Prophet that built this City by deceit the text expresly tells you chap. 19.20 Where this grand Master of false miracles is expresly called the false Prophet that wrought miracles before the beast to deceive He had the unhappyness to tie not the True-love-knot of Christian Charity but ternos tribus nodis colores three heterogene twists in a threefold cord of wickedness That threefold twist was begun but weakly begun about the year 407. But about the year 620 it was a threefold cord not easily to be broken then the false Prophet seemed somewhat to slack his hand that work never went on so well after But about 250 years before Atropos should cut that cord by a final excision it began to be divided into three parts and much raveled into Modern Sects Into three parts perhaps Papists Turks and dissentors from both And the great City saith the text was divided into three parts Lastly To these Arguments and Scripture evidences sufficiently proving that the false Prophet was the Master builder of this threefold City we shall add
porters of evil reports dyed immediately by the Plague and all Israel whom they had infected with the Pestilence of that Apostacy all to a man from twenty years upwards two excepted dyed in the wilderness ver 29. And all that sad Prophetick story is told as it were mutato nomine of their Anti-type the body of Apostacy who by their generality pretend to be the Church Catholick who cast away look not after the Promises in the Prophetick Scriptures nor after substantial truth and obedience but basely espouse a trivial superficial shallow though somewhat literally sound knowledge with obedience conform which is the productor of evil reports blasphemies persecutions and the path-way that the son of perdition came when he came with all deceiveableness of unrighteousness about the year 412 as will instantly appear For this way is deceiveableness it self most deceitful and that sin chiesly that shuts Heaven whiles they and their complices conceive it to be the only Key to open it This was the way of his coming about the year four hundred seven ten or twelve let us turn therefore our eyes to about that time to see more clearly both the time way and manner of his coming St. Hierom's Record and he 's the fittest testator here best occurreth his commencement at such a time and in such a manner as the Apostle predicted and I here have briefly described Of him Erasmus as Clarkes Church-History witnesseth thus writeth Quis doces aptiùs quis delectas urbanùs St. Jerom was in Erasmus esteem as it might appear the best Teacher and most delightful writer of all the Fathers He also lived and was at Rome in that very juncture of time when the Christian world was turning upon the hinge of Apostacy and commencing that grand revolt which â—he Apostle speaks of Therefore his Authority the best of any may here stand good But he about the year 406 as we shall shew call'd Rome-Christian the Meiropolis of the then revolting world a receptacle of Devils and faln Babylon And St. Jerom sure a most vigilant Father of the Church and a sober Writer would not have called Rome-Christian then-reviloing faln if he had not seen good reason or rather real truth for it that she was then faln or in falling But he gave sufficient reasons and those reasons we shall afterwards abundantly shew to be real truths For it follows * When I livea saith he in Babylon an inhatitant of the purple whore after the Roman Laws I would have written something of the holy Ghost and have dedicated the Treatise to the Bishop of that City And behold that seething pot which was seen in the Prophet Jeremy looking out of the North beginneth already to buil and the Senate of Pharisees cryed out at me all at once Neither was there so simple a Scribe in all that ignorant Rabble which conspired not against me wherefore I am now as it were out of Captivity neturned to Jerusalem c. Tempora mutanfur A sudden change into a strange Antithesis Rome of late the City of Righteousness revolted as in a moment to be the Head of the Mystery of Iniquity and her Professors once fruitful in all good works were turned Pharisces And the Senate saith he of Pharisces cryed out at me all at once neither was there so simple a Scribe in all that ignorant Rabble that conspired not against me Against whom Against St. Jerom whom the Papists themselves acknowledge to be a Reverend Father of the Church Ah persidious people of the City of Apostacy How soon is the Metropolis her self of the Primitive Church become unstable as waters and the once firm sear of her faithful Witnesses revolted from Faith and manners For the manners of that upstart proud Catholick-Church pretending Apostacy were mores Iniquissimi most inhumane above Heathens insolencies even to St. Jerom one of the ablest and most worthy Fathers of the Church who apparently had more serious and real worth and solid depth of good ground in him then all the petty pibble Quarry of that proud Senate of Pharisees had And this anti-type Church-Catholick pretending Apostacy when she but began to put forth her rebellious head and first opened her blasphemous mouth against the faithful Witnesses of the truth had as much as all her Types had deceitful grounds sufficient to pretend to a Church-Catholick and might and probably did thus plead Why Jerom do you coms by your Dedications to dictate to us as if we needed your instructions in the tenents of the Homousian Faith Had we needed your help we had sent for you And what need do you think can the Supream Representatives of the Catholick-Church here have of your help a single and obscure person And will you insult alone over the Catholick-Church tax ber with covetousnesse rash censures want of Charity Oppression Apostacy and we know not what Is this your Christian meckness and submission Cannot the City live in peace for you nor the Church in quiet We all all here as one man disdain your daring boldness and detest your pride And the Senate of Pharisees said Jerom cryed out at me all at once c. The Apostacy the truth-opposing Apostacy was or then seemed Catholick and the true Catholick-Church fled or was then flying away into the Wilderness That wicked apostacy even in her Infancy had aspired to the false title of the true Catholick-Church whom she most persecuted and conspired against her most faithful Witnesses And that if the Records of many besides Jeroms may be believed in the Metropolis of the true Primitive but then revolting Church This Apostacy therefore as her Types were seemed general or Catholick and did deeply deceive her self and those that dwelt upon the Earth with the falsly arrogated or stoln title of the true Catholick and Apostolick Church St. Jerom was no base Porter of evil reports no morose â—ash tâ—â—ie accuser but the most faithful of all the Fathers at least then living to reprove exhort correct rebuke instruct Et quis docet aptiùs None taught with more sincere and true Christian candor But relapsing Rome thus reproved plainly by him pay'd dear for her Apostacy and obstinate impenitence For about the very next year and that fully confirms the truth of his reprooss and the equity of his just complaints was Rome besieged made tributary and the body of her Christian Empire began to be translated And about five years after the City the second time besieged was taken plundred burnt and almost totally depopulated by the Plague Sword Famine Fire Then might that miserable City call on Jerom and cry Solon Solon Then was the first and best head of the Sea born beast secular and Papal wounded as it were unto death upon the day of his Birth or so soon as he was brought forth And then Rome Papal or the tenfold body of Apostacy persisting still obstinate and impenitent was with her revolting head or Metropolis the Ruines of Rome literal given up