abhor any thing sometimes that which is otherwise right which they conceive to come from Rome or the Pope being terrified with the threatnings Revel 14. 9. 10 11. against those who worship the Beast and his Image and recieve his mark in their forehead or in their hand and warned by the voice from Heaven Revel 18. 4. Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues Which having been found by experience to be a very taking way especially with the vulgar and common sort of Schollars who are little versed in antiquity and know not the true state of the Roman Church in former ages nor by what degrees the corruptions thereof came to that height they are now attained to it is now a very common course with them who endeavour to render their opposites their Doctrine or practise odious and so to uphold their faction to fasten on them by clamour or calumnies or any other way they can the name of Antichristian Babylon the mark of the Beast and to perswade men that what they dislike is from Rome as being sufficient without any other proof to make them abominable and to be destroyed Thus in our daies with us some have cried down prelacy their Liturgy Ceremonies Ordination National Church it 's Government Ministry Titles and whatever belongs thereto as Antichristian others have done the like to the Presbyterial Classical Parochial Churches their Ministery Directory Government Maintenence others have done the same to the Congregational and in General Seekers and Quakers have in a Clamorous way like Scolds bespattered all that 's opposit to them with this reproach of Antichristian and at last these Fifth-Monarchy men have furiously battered Civil powers all that belongs to them with the engine of this odious brand of Antichristian and Babylonish whereby much irreconcileable hatred enmity and opposition is raised among Christians to the great dammage of Christian Protestant Churches and states and without the great power and goodness of God making way for some accommodation of these differences likely so to weaken and wast us by intestine broiles that we shall at last become a prey to the common adversary For my part it was still opposed by me long since when Saltmarsh wrote that I had proved Infant-Baptism Antichristian I made him alter it and when a meeting was for union between dissenters I urged thâ—s as one thing necessary that the term Antichristian should be forborn and when Richard Hubberthorn entituled his book against my serious consideration of the Oath of the Kings Supremacy Antichristianism reproved in my Epistle to the Reader before my Supplement I not only shewed the falsehood of his calumny but also endeavoured briefly to shew the evil of that course of defaming opposites and their tenents by that title I deny not but that there is sufficient cause given to Protestant Divines to charge the present Romanists with Antichristianism in the arrogant title given to the Pope of Universal Bishop in the assertion of his supremacy over all Churches his infallibility in their worship of Saints Angels Images in their doctrines of invocation of Saints humane merits and satisfactions for sin nor shall I deny but that there may be found some practises or doctrines among others which may in a qualified sense be termed Antichristian But to make the Protestant Churches or their Government Antichristian in State and to be separated from and to be destroyed when they hold the Faith of Christ aright because of some corruptions in points of Doctrine or Worship or Discipline which overthrow not the foundation of Christian Religion is intollerable much more to make civil powers who reject the Roman Popes supremacy and their doctrine and idolatrous worship to be Antichristian from Rome Babylon from an imagined mixture that is not or perhaps justifiable shews either phrensie or a meer proud arrogant factious and quarrelsome humor in them not to be born the title of Antichrist being as may appear by St. Johns words to be applyed to seducing Teachers not to civil powers though persecutors as the Roman Emperors then were yet by St. Paul termed the Ordinance of God 5. It is supposed That then when the Power of Rome adulterated from its pure Civil state became a mixt Antichristian state the Beast a Whore a Beastly Antichristian Power that the Dragon or Satan gave him his Power and his Seat and great Authority It is true that it is said that St. John saw a Beast arise out of the Sea having seven Heads and ten Horns and upon his Horns ten Crowns and upon his Heads the name of Blasphemy and that the Beast which he saw was like unto a Leopard and his feet were as the feet of a Bear his mouth as the mouth of a Lion And the Dragon gave him his Power and his Seat and great Authority Which description being like that whereby the Babylonian Persian and Greek Monarchies are characterized gives occasion to judge that the Beast mentioned Revel 13. 1. 2. was to be some future Civil Empire like to them and the having seven Heads and ten Horns and upon his Horns ten Crowns because of the descriptions Daniel 7. 23 24 25. and Revel 17. 3. 9. 12. Argnes that it was to be the Roman Empire divided into ten Kingdoms nor is it to be denied that Satan gave to this Beast his Power that is his forces and his Seat that is Rome and the Dominions belonging to it great Authority that is Power to command whereby the Idolatry termed Blasphemy which the Christian Emperors had cast down was revived and the persecution that for a time ceased was renewed But that this Power and Seat and great Authority was not given before by the Dragon to the Civil Powers of old Rome tho a bloody persecuter and devourer of the creation and Gods Heritage is to be denied For by comparing Revel 13. 1 2. with Rev. 12. 3 4. 7. It may be rather gathered that Satan had given the same Power Seat and great Authority to the Roman Emperors before as he did to the Kings after though it were exercised in another manner and upon other pretences The Power and Seat and Authority given by the Dragon is not to be meant of Civil Power to make Laws and to execute them for the well-ordering of Common-wealths and Civil states but the Power Force or Authority which was usurped by Nebuchadnezzar when he set up a golden Image to be worshipped and cast the three Jews into the fiery furnance and this may be gathered from v. 4 5. And they worshipped the Dragon which gave Power unto the Beast and they worshipped the Beast saying who is like unto the Beast Who is able to make Warr with him And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and Blasphemies and Power was given unto him to continue or to make War forty and two months Whereby may be perceived that the
Dominion is meant of the Saints For 1. it may be read as Junius reads it impersonally auferetur it shall be taken away not they shall take away 2. Nor is it likely that this should be attributed to the Gentile or Jewish Saints 1. Because it is an act beyond the power of Saints to take away the Dominion to consume and to destroy it to the end it being the same with the slaying of the Beast the destroying of his body and giving it to the burning flame v. 11 which is to be conceived to be done by the fiery stream which issued and came forth from before the Ancient of daies v. 10. and therefore by the immediate hand of God or his mighty Angels And in all likelihood it is then when he shall put down all Rule and all Authority and Power 1 Cor. 15. 24. which is made the act of God the Father v. 28. 2. This is confirmed because it is said But the judgment shall sit and they shall take his dominion away Now the sitting of the judgment was when the books were opened the thrones were cast down and the Ancient of daies did sit v. 9 10. which the comparing it with Revel 20. 12. doth evince to be at the last Judgment 3. This is also further proved in that the dominion given to the Son of Man after the destruction of the fourth Beast is said to be v. 13. 14. when one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of Heaven and came to the Ancient of daies and they brought him near before him which is to be understood as Mr. Mede proves in his Answer to Mr. Hayne and then the taking away shall be by Christ of the time when he shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire 2 Thess. 1. 7 8. and shall consume the wicked one with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy him with the brightness of his coming 2 Thess. 2. 8. which is a work beyond the power of Saints with bodily weapons or any might of theirs to effect 4. Where it is said Dan. 7. 27. that the people of the Saints of the most high shall have the Kingdom it is said it shall be given them not they shall acquire it or take it by their forcible or any other acting And therefore it is a most vain conceit that this thing is to be done by the Saints endeavour or that they are to fulfil the word of God or to imagine the word of God could not be fulfilled without them or they could be instrumental in this great work or that their act of separation from civil powers were necessary to it or it or their smiting work did render them in any measure ready for that which follows There are other uncertainties concerning the Saints whether they be not peculiarly the Jewish people or the Kingdom taken the spiritual Kingdom of Christ which the Hebrew Christians received Heb. 12. 28. of which I have spoken somwhat before and now omit that which I have said being sufficient to shew the futility of this fourth Reason 5. Their fifth Reason is as vain as the former yet because it is the Engine whereby perhaps well-meaning and tender consciences are frighted or drawn into their way it is necessary to be considered Because say they there are dreadful judgements pronounced in particular against those that shall be found owning submitting unto and supporting of the Civil Power in the daies of the Lords more glorious manifestation of himself and when he gives notice warning to all of those judgments which then he is about to bring upon his enemies by his Instrument proclaims the overthrow and down-fall of Babylon Rev. 14. 6 7 8 9 10. If any man worship the Beast and his Image and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God c. and shall be tormented with fire and brimstone which is the plague and pains of Hell Now we apprehend that this Scripture will be fulfilled upon those who shall be found worshippers of the Beast c. in the last ages of the world and not long before our King begin to take the power For mark it upon the rise of the first Beast Rev. 13. 1 2. with seven heads and ten horns ten Crowns c. all the world wondred after the Beast v. 3. or as in v. 8. all that dwell upon the earth whose names are not written in the Lambs book of life worship the Dragon and the Beast v. 4. Hitherto there 's no mention of Image and Mark but upon the rise of the second beast that comes out of the earth and has two horns like a Lamb c. v. 11. the case is changed and grows more difficult and dangerous for he doth not only v. 12. cause the earthlings to worship the first beast but in processe of time after he hath deceived them by his great wonders and miracles he makes them that dwell on the earth make an Image to the first Beast into which he infuses life and causes all that will not worship that Image to be killed proceeding further also he causes all small and great rich and poor free and bond to receive a mark in their right hand or forehead and no man is permitted to buy or sell save he that has the mark or the name of the Beast or the number of his name v. 13 14 15 16. Now by this time we are come somewhat near the end of his reign and the beginning of Christs Kingdom Now then we observe from hence 1. That the image mark name and number of the Beast are of a later date than the first Beast and his ten horns and so consequently men in former ages and generations might have worshipped the beast and yet not his Image nor receive his mark c. 2. By how much the nearer his end is by so much the more dangerous it is to worship him c. 3. That those who in the last daies near unto Christs coming shall have all these marks denotations and characters found upon them that is to say those that worship the beasts and mark the emphasis of the words his Image and receive his mark in his forehead or right hand shall drink the wine of Gods wrath and shall be tormented with fire and brimstone so that we conceive 't is the duty of Saints to consider these things and to separate from the beast his image mark number c. and to have no relation affection subjection to the beast and civil power or any of its appertainers though they lose their lives for it And then adds encouragements to adventure the losse of life rather than incur the danger of Gods wrath with assurance of glory to such as in doing that which they make the Saints duty lose their lives which is a device too like that of the Jesuites when they animate their Assassins to Regicide by promise
confessed the powers of the great Image bloody persecutors and devourers of the creation and Gods Heritage and I may add as wicked and impure in their lives as they were afterwards yea and as Monstrously Idolatrous as afterwards The Emperors then took to themselves the Title of Pontifex Maximus which was kept till the Christian Emperors time and that Title imported their power and inspection about the Idolatrous rites of the Romans whereby they took charge of the worship of Jupiter and other Roman Deities and were zealous for it so as to persecute them to death with extream cruelty who would not offer incense to their Idols nor swear by them yea they did some of them urge Jews and other people to worship either themselves or their Statues as Gods as Caligula Domitian and caused the abomination and desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet to stand in the holy place of which our Saviour foretels Matth. 24. 15. And though the Popish Idolatry in the worshiping of the Host bowing down to Crucifixes Images praying to deceased Saints creeping to Crosses adoring of Reliques and other superstitions of the Romanists be horribly impious and their cruelty in destroying them that will not adore their consecrated Host be very satanical and so their power and the exercise of it whereby they take on them to condemn as Hereticks them that will not worship their Idols and whereby Princes at their beck do execute their sentences cruelly be from Satan or the Dragon in the use of it in these things yet it is doubted whether the Popish Idolatry be greater or so bad as the Heathenish Idolatry of the Romans in St. Paul's time Yea Dr. John Burges in his Answer rejoined to the reply to Dr. Morton's defence of the Ceremonies ch 4. sect 28. hath maintained against Mr. Parker that the popish Idolatry is not as vile in it self as ever was any of Turks or Pagans And it is plain that in the Revelation the power of the Emperors as they used it in persecution of Christians for not worshipping Idols is ascribed to the Divel before the pretended mixt Antichristian state as well as after Revel 2. 10. Behold the Divel shall cast some of you into prison when he did it by the Pagan Emperors and their Officers v. 13. I know thy works and where thou dwellest even where Satans throne is and thou holdest fast my Name and hast not denied my Faith even in those daies wherein Antipas was my faithfull Martyr who was slain among you where Satan dwelleth On which saith Brightman it is not obscure why it is called the throne of Satan For the City where the heathen Emperors had their seat who professedly warred against the Lamb is called the throne of the Dragon ch 13. 2. so of the daughters and lower Cities those which come nearer to the mind of this Prince because they yield a Palace more prepared for the Divel are notified by the same name And Revel 12. 3. where it is said Behold a great red Dragon having seven heads ten horns seven Crowns upon his head on its saith Mede A wonder or representation of the Empire of Rome Heathen worshiping the Dragon the large Annotations on the Bible A great red Dragon the Heathen Roman Emperors succeeding one another who did the Divel service as in other things so chiefly in persecuting the Church v. 9. ch 2. 10. The like if need were might be shewed to be the opinion of Brightman Diodatâ— Pareus Piscator and others By which and many other passages in holy Scripture it may appear that the heathen Emperors had that power whereby they persecuted the Church of Christ from Satan and were as great Idolaters as those under the Papacy and were as serviceable to the Divel and yet are granted to be the Ordinance of God and though the Powers of the great Image even the Iron legs yet were not to be resisted but the saints even every soul the holy Apostles themselves not excepted were to be subject to them under pain of damnation Whence it follows that there is no warrant for English pretended or real Saints to smite the present Powers to oppose resist overthrow the present Laws Government and Governors though it were yielded which is not that they were part of the fourth Monarchy kept not their pure civil and unmixed State were oppressors shed the blood of the Saints and what ever else the Quinto-Monarchians do object against them Doubtless however Sir Walter Raleigh have aggravated the cruelties of King Henry the 8th of England and perhaps others may represent in the most odious manner the government of other Princes yet they exceed not Nero Domitian and other of the Roman Heathen Emperors in cruelty to the Christian believers nor in uncleanness and unrighteousness and yet St. Paul and St. Peter and our Lord Christ himself command subjection even to such And therefore these things cannot release the Quinto-Monarchians from subjection but their pleas for their smiting work are proved to be damnable and Antichristian 12. It is supposed when the power of Rome was adulterated from its pure civil State and becomes a mixt Antichristian State the Beast and a Whore which they conceive of the present civil powers of the Nations even the Protestant and particularly those of England then it is said of that beastly Antichristian power that the Dragon or Satan gave him his Power his Seat and great Authority and what then is this save the Ordinance of Hell To examine this it is to be observed 1. That they suppose it was the civil power of Rome which is meant Revel 13. 1. 2. by the beast and that it is meant of the civil powers since they became in name Christian. Which I will not gainsay because of the words of the Angel Revel 17. 12. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten Kings which have received no Kingdom as yet but receive power as Kings one hour with the beast though there are or have been that understand by it Heathen Emperors afore they embraced Christianity or an Emperor not yet extant that I may omit other conjectures and therefore this is not to be taken as so certain that on it should be grounded so strange a work as the smiting of all the civil powers of Europe which is deduced from it 2. It is supposed that then the civil Powers were adulterated from their pure civil and unmixed estate By pure civil and unmixed estate they must mean if I be not mistaken that afore that time the Roman Emperors did not meddle with the matters of Religion or of the Church which is most notoriously false for they took the title of Pontifex Maximus ruled in the business of the worship of their Gods did forbid Christian worship and persecuted Christians to the death And that they did afterwards which is also false For the Emperors Christian did reject that title and demolished the temples of Idols promoted the Christian worship contended
of absolution merit Martyrdom and Heaven Answ I should not think it worth while to make any answer to this reason which proves that which is granted that the worshipping the Beast and his image the receiving the mark of the beast in his forehead or in his hand or the name of the beast or number of his name or the mark of his name makes men obnoxious to Gods wrath and proves not at all that which is to be proved that to have relation affection subjection to civil power or any of its appertainers is to worship the Beast and his Image to receive the mark of the Beast in the forehead or hand to receive the mark of his name his name or the number of his name but that I find this is made commonly the pretence of separations of every party and their oppositions thereupon Thus not only the Protestants separate from the Papists counting subjection to the Pope receiving the mark of the beast but also among Protestants dissenters term the practice they dislike and are averse from the mark of the beast whence especially the common sort who have most heat and least light as they are prejudiced so they inveigh against their opposites as the beast and the owning them as the re-receiving his mark So Brownists count any acknowledgment of Bishops receiving ordination from them using the Cross Surplice kneeling and such ceremonies as they injoin going to Common-prayer paying tythes being of a national or parish Church with many more things which they except against in Prelatical yea and Presbyterian and congregational government the worshiping the beast and receiving his mark which being got once into the heads of the common sort who usually talk much against that which they understand little inflames them with hatred against those they judge to be the beast and that which they think is his mark so as that without measure they inveigh against them delighting in satyrical scotts and jests put upon them in tales that disparage them are averse from any conference with them or hearing of them speak and altogether irreconcileable to them This fashion which heretofore was only used against Ecclesiasticks the Fifth-monarchy-men it seems have here taken up against the civil powers as useful for their demagogical design to affright the people and to hold them to their party But to shew the vanity of it it is to be observed that they apply the threatnings Rev. 14. 6 7 8 9 10. to the worshipping of the second beast described Revel 13. 11. and to the times near unto Christs coming now that beast by all the descriptions of it appears not to have gotten his power by the sword as civil powers have but by deceit as by pretended miracles v. 13. 14. whence he is termed the false Prophet Rev. 16. 13 14. which stirred up the Kings of the earth to make war against the Rider on the white horse Rev. 19. 19 20. the Whore with whom the Kings of the earth committed sornication Revel 17. 1 2. which being plainly expressed to be Rome or at Rome v. 18. cannot be applyed with any shew or colour to the civil powers of England or other Countries besides Rome especially the Protestants they being no Prophets nor using any arts or devices to draw men to the worship of the first beast or Dragon or to set up any forreign power but seeking to uphold their own civil power and requiring the subjects to renounce the Popes supremacy and power to depose them and therefore it is a most impudent false accusation to make the Protestant civil powers to be either the beast or the Kings that commit fornication with the Whore or the having relation affection subjection to them and their appertainers the worshiping the beast or his image or the receiving his mark name or number of his name But they say 6. We might also further add because the Civil power is that which enforces and compels the consciences and spirits of men to the Antichristian forms and worship of Babylon accordingly the great Harlot or Mystery of iniquity i. e. Antichristian worship and Church state rides upon the Beast Rev. 17. 3. that is she has the preheminence and makes the Beast use his sword for her advantage upon pain of excommunication curses and such like baubles Answ. The Beast which carrieth the Woman Rev. 17. 3 7. is said to have seven heads and ten horns and so is not the Beast with two horns like a Lamb Rev. 13. 11. but the first Beast Rev. 13. 1. of which they say That the Image Mark Name and Number of the Beast are of a later date than the first Beast and his ten horns and so consequently men in former generations might have worshiped the Beast and yet not his Image nor receive his mark c. But if the Beast might be then worshiped then might the Beast be worshiped when the Dragon gave him his Seat and Power and great Authority Rev. 13. 2. at which time they term the power of Rome the Ordinance of Hell p. 51. And if then the Civil power of Rome might be owned as the Ordinance of God Rom. 13. 1. when they compelled men to worship their Idols in like manner the Civil powers now should be owned as Gods Ordinance though they should compell men to the Antichristian forms and worship of Babylon which though idolatrous are not worse than the Pagan worship to which the persecuting Emperors did compell the Christians But however this Reason may give some colour for separating from those Kings and States which use the Roman Inquisition and force their Subjects to go to the Masse and to worship the consecrated wafer Cake which they call The Hoste and the Body of Christ and to acknowledge the Pope as the Head of the Universal Church the Roman Church as the Mother of all Churches which may be truly termed the Antichristian forms and worship of Babylon the mystery of iniquity the Antichristian worship and Church-state yet this doth not at all reach the Protestant Kings and Civil powers who do not enforce and compell men to these Antichristian forms and worship of Babylon nor support the great Harlot nor let her have the preheminence nor use their sword for her advantage nor regard her Excommunication Curses and such like baubles but use their power and sword against her deride her Excommunications Curses Indulgences and Threats and urge their Subjects to disclaim her jurisdiction and worship If any say that the Civil powers in England do compel men to be under Diocesan Bishops and Priests who have their succession and ordination from Rome and to be present at the Common Prayer which is nothing but the Masse translated out of Latine into English and to be members of a National Church which is Antichristian I answer that neither do the Bishops derive their succession from Rome nor is their consecration as the Roman with any oath to the Pope though Mr. Francis Mason have pleaded against