and if it be certain that a great deal of what is said there cannot be applied to the taking of Babylon by Cyrus and the return of the Jews upon his Proclamation or any thing that hath since happened to that Land of graven Images ch 50. 38. It is as certain that there is a Day still to come when what is lacking shall be fulfilled upon her and upon all those who like her are mad upon their Idols ibid. A Day too wherein no one Title of what God hath promised to the Jews to Israel and Judah as they are ch 50. 4. and 51. 5. distinctly mentioned shall fall to the Ground This as to the drying up the Water of the River Euphrates with the end why 't is to be dried up viz. That the Way of the Kings of the East might be prepared Only one thing I shall farther offer and that is if by Euphrates and the Water thereof we understand those who were the Borderers on it the Inhabitants near or about the River of whom more by and by it will not be necessary that we precisely tye them up to that Place for the whole time of the Vial no more than it will be necessary that for the ascertaining the River it self we suppose the same Waters to be always there No we know very well the Waters that run in Rivers are still in Flux that which passes the Channel to Day is gone from thence to Morrow and yet it is by all esteemed the same River still People and Nations are as much in Flux as Waters can be those that live in one Country in one Age in another Age may live in another Country but yet sure they are the same People still at least if they change their Seats and remove their Habitation they leave still their Country behind them that abides the same whatever becomes of its flitting Inhabitants The use I make of this is that if Euphrates be taken for the People that bordered on it when the Holy-Ghost first speaks of them then wherever this People shall be in the whole time of this Vial the drying up the Water of Euphrates may be applied to them So that if now the People the Turks are that People as we shall presently shew be removed any of them from the Banks of Euphrates 't is but what its own Waters often do wherever they are for so might the Waters that run out of Euphrates if they could in all their wandrings be distinguished from other Waters be still called the Waters of Euphrates they may still be expressed under the same stile And if so then there will be still a farther notion we may have of the drying up the Water of the great River Euphrates as it may be enlarged to hold out to us the overthrow of the whole Mahometan Empire the removing that Tyrannical Kingdom which hath so long usurpt upon the World and opprest the Jews in particular hath so far extended its Territories and all to the Ruin of the true Religion that Religion which under the last Vial is to be in its Triumph and under this to have its way prepared for it I pass on to the third Enquiry viz. 3. What is to be meant by the three unclean Spirits like Frogs coming out of the Mouth of the Dragon and out of the Mouth of the Beast and out of the Mouth of the false Prophet And this will be divided again into these several Questions viz. 1. What we are to understand by the Dragon Beast and false Prophet 2. What by the three unclean Spirits 3. Why they are compared to Frogs 4. Why said to come out of the Mouth of the Dragon Beast and false Prophet 5. VVhat it is with reference to the Business for which they come that stirs them up more particularly to come out as they do under this Vial 1. VVhat we are to understand by the Dragon Beast and false Prophet The Dragon in this Book of the Revelation is taken either for that old Serpent called the Devil or Satan Rev. 12. 9. Or for the supreme Secular or temporal Power as acting under him Prosecuting the same Mischief envenomed with the same Malice against all that is good as this Serpent or Dragon himself is and the Name under which such act is that of the Beast the name of Antichristian Power whilst both in Heathen and Papal Rome as is evident by comparing the first and eleventh verses of the 13th Chapter of this Book VVhere we have two Beasts one rising up out of the Sea and the other coming up out of the Earth the one said to have seven Heads and ten Horns ver 1. The same that is expresly said of the Dragon chap. 12 13. The other to rise only with two Horns like a Lamb to the first the Dragon is said to have given his Power and Seat and great Authority of the other 't is said He spake as the Dragon both under some relation to him but so that the first as I shall offer the Reason for it presently hath his Name here given him of the Dragon the other that of the Beast and the Subject of their Power is Antichristian Rome in its largest Extent bloody and cruel as a Dragon For that seems to be the reason why Rev. 12. 3. He is called Red as if dyed with the Blood of the Saints Cruelty indeed hath been the Character of Rome ever since it had its Being Romulus first Tinctured its VValls with the Blood of his Brother and all the Increases of it have been by Spoil and Ruin The Bloody Sword hath in a manner always been drawn amongst them and the time can scarce be named wherein they have not been Engaged either in intestine or foreign Wars Blood hath always coloured this Dragon but his deepest Dye hath been in the Blood of the Christians It was the ruin of Christianity he laboured for in its very Birth as is described Rev. 13. 1 2 3 4. and hath not been wanting ever since to attempt upon it in all the Methods and Degrees of that native Cruelty which is ascribed to the Dragon But then the difference is that whereas the Beast as applicable both to Imperial and Papal Rome is said to have ten Horns and upon his Horns ten Crowns Rev. 13. 1. The Dragon is said to have but seven Crowns and those on his seven Heads The Reason whereof I take to be this That the Power of the Dragon looks backward and forward viz. to the whole duration of the Roman Power under its seven Heads or seven forms of Government viz. Under Kings Consuls Tribunes Decemvirs Dictators Emperors Popes That of the Beast is limited to the time of the ten Kings which were afterwards to rise up upon the division of the Empire at which time that other Beast for so the Holy-Ghost speaks distinctly of them in that forementioned Chapter viz. Rev. 13. 1st and 11 Verses was to rise and that too to hold of the Dragon for
Dieu authoritativement en Christ ministerialement par Foy par Esperance par repentance par Charité par obeissance de parole en l'homme participativement La 6. iniquite de tromper avec prestiges La sixiéme iniquité est en ce qu'ils servent esperent jusqu'à la fin de leur vie aux sus-mentionnées iniquités couvertes specialement jusqu'à l'extreme onction le Purgatoire resvé en sorte que les ignorans grossiers perseverent en leur erreur leur donnant à entendre qu'ils sont absous de leurs pechés quoy qu'ils ne les quittent jamais de franche volonté pour esperer la remission des pechés la vie eternelle Et cette iniquité est directement contre l'onziéme le douziéme article de la Foy. CHAP. VI. How long this Eclipse the Church or at least great part of it was to suffer was to continue IN answer to this Enquiry it must be consider'd that the Rise and Growth of Antichrist must be taken in to make up the full Period For 't is not concerning his Continuance or Duration after he came to his Maturity but concerning the whole time or Age of Antichrist that we here put the Question Now there is Nothing wherein the Spirit seems to speak more expresly than it doth in this Matter I mean in those places where the Reign of Antichrist is foretold And 't was by his Reign this Eclipse was to happen to the Church Thus Dan. 7. 8. We are told that the little Horn that was to come up among the ten by which 't is on every hand agreed Antichrist is to be understood and before whom there were three of the first Horns pluckt up by the roots i. e. as 't is explain'd v. 24 25. that other King for by Horns He tells us so many Kings were to be understood that should rise after the Ten and be divers from the first and subdue three Kings and speak great words against the most High and wear out the Saints of the most High and think to change times and laws should have these given into his-hand until a Time and Times and the dividing of a Time That same Period which Revel 12. 14. and almost in the very same terms is assigned to the Woman to whom were given two wings of a great Eagle that she might flee into the Wilderness there to be nourisht for a Time and Times and Half or the dividing of a Time and that that we might not mistake what we were to understand both by One and the Other the same Flight of the Woman into the Wilderness is said to be for a thousand two hundred and threescore days which taking a Time for a Year which is usually the Comment put on it Times for two years and half or the dividing of a Time for half a year exactly correspond to each other A thousand two hundred and threescore days being the same with three years and a Half And both the same with 42 Months the time allotted for the giving the outward Court of the Temple to the Gentiles and for the Holy Cities to be trodden under foot Rev. 11. 2. Which is but another Explication of the reign of Antichrist As also is that thousand two hundred and threescore days assign'd to the two Witnesses to Prophesie in Sackcloth to denote the mourning State of the Church under the Oppressions and Cruelties of Antichrist sufficiently described in the following part of that Chapter and ascribed to the Beast v. 7. called v. 8. Sodom and Egypt For that gross Corruption of Manners and barbarous Tyranny that shall be found in Antichrist who under the same stile Ch. 13. 4 5. hath power given to Him to continue 42 Months And if for the great Tyranny and Impurities of life the Names of Egypt and Sodom so for the Idolatry that should then obtain under the reign of Antichrist that of Babylon or the great Whore be likewise given Rev. 17. 1. 5. And she as such said to sit on the Scarlet colour'd beast full of names of Blasphemy having seven Heads and ten Horns the same beginning continuance and ruin must attend both i. e. both have for all this the same Period of 42 Months So that there is no doubt but a fixt time for the Continuance of this Eclipse in the Church is set A time as for the Impiety Tyranny and Idolatry of Antichrist so for the Patience and Faith of the Saints for they are but the several Epocha's of these I have been mentioning I do not suppose this Impiety Tyranny and Idolatry of Antichrist in its heights the whole time of its duration For there is as well the gradual Encrease and Wane as the the total obscurity of an Eclipse It s arriving to its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or heighth we observ'd before from the 13 th of the Revelations where we likewise took notice of the mark the Holy Ghost set upon the number of the Beast and offer'd something new but all from the context in the Explication of his Number of 666 And as to its last Period and Determination that is what we suppose to be coucht under these different reckonings of a Time Times and half or the dividing of a time of 42 Months and 1260 days And if so It will then only remain to ascertain what day And if so It will then only remain to ascertain what the duration is of which we are to construe these several Computations i. e. whether we are to take a Time Times and the dividing or half a time for 3 natural years and a half the 42 Months or 1260 days which is the same with the former for so many natural days neither more nor less Or whether we are to take them all i. e. the days contain'd in 3 years and a half or in 42 Months or expresly 1260 days for so many Prophetick days i. e. For intire years according to that of Numb 14. 34. After the number of the days in which ye searched the Land even forty days each day for a year shall you bear your Iniquities even forty years And Ezek. 4. 4 5 6. Lye thou also upon thy left side and lay the Iniquity of the House of Israel upon it according to the number of the days that Thou shalt lye upon it Thou shalt bear their Iniquity For I have laid upon Thee the years of their Iniquity according to the number of the days three hundred and ninety days so shalt thou bear the Iniquity of the House of Israel And when thou hast accomplish'd them lye again on thy right side and thou shall bear the Iniquity of the House of Judah forty days I have appointed thee each day for a year And that it is to be taken for so many entire years or prophetick days I think will scarce be doubted when we shall have examin'd these following particulars 1. Whether to confine the great Events of the Church to
if it be said of the first of these Beasts that the Dragon gave him his Power and his Seat and great Authority verse 2. as we just now observed 't is said of the other Beast that he spake as the Dragon But that the name of Dragon for so I suppose it to be in this Vial is here given to the one and not to the other I am apt to think may be from the different Grounds on which they act the former Beast i. e. The Emperor standing upon the same Foundation and exercising the same sort of Power that the former Emperors or whatever other his Predecessors did i. e. what is properly Civil The other Beast pretending his title from Religion the title he holds under Christ as his immediate Vicar on Earth said therefore to have two Horns like a Lamb And therefore where they come to be distinctly spoken of as I presume them to be in this Vial the Name of Dragon the common Emblem of the whole Roman Power is given to the one that of Beast for the Dragon he cannot be properly speaking because at the most he is but one of his seven Heads aâ—d that under another Capacity than the others are as pretending to hold from Christ for other ends and purposes than the other Heads received their Power to the Other The first is the Beast too ver 1. But the Beast that was to be as it were wounded to Death and ever after not to live but in that Image this other Beast should give him ver 15. And therefore more eminently may this Beast which gave the other that Life it hath be stiled the Beast as 't is in the following part of this whole Book of the Revelation Distinct indeed they are in all their Actings and therefore may very well be distinctly spoken of the first Beast i. e. The Emperor in the Exercise of Civil Power as he now enjoins it for his distinguishing Character be very well remitted to what the Holy-Ghost makes the common Stile of all the seven Heads or forms of Government in the whole time of the Roman Power i. e. The stile of Dragon the other Beast i. e. the Pope for his Usurpations over the Civil Powers with that Jurisdiction he exercises over them as well as others and that dependance they have on him more eminently and solitarily be said to be the Beast So then by this time it will not be difficult to apprehend whom we are to understand by the Dragon and the Beast Not so much the Old Serpent the Devil or Satan himself as those who act under him The one the more directly under the Relation of a Dragon as to him he the Dragon so expresly is said to give his Power the other under the stile of Beast as it is more particularly ascribed to him that came up out of the Earth i. e. As is before shewed at large as he was to usurp upon the former and come up upon the Ruins of the Empire And this as a Lamb though in the Event he should shew himself to act as a Dragon Which being granted the only difficulty will be whom we are to understand by the false Prophet Whether the deluding Spirit by which these Acted those false Teachers and Seducers which act with or under them or some other Person or state of Men distinct from both And for my part I am inclined to think it must be some third Person or State distinct from the two other For I cannot be of their Opinion who make the Dragon and Beast and false Prophet to be the same no more than I can the three unclean Spirits which come out of their Mouths to be one which being in it self a Contradiction I hope it will not be accounted one to distinguish them But who then shall be this false Prophet Who indeed but he who hath falsly arrogated it to himself Mahomet I mean who is known to have assumed it and it is always given him by his Followers and that in preference to Christ himself the great Prophet of his Church and he who was promised under that Name Deuter. 18. 18. Besides it is a Stile the Dragon and Beast Emperor and Pope let me now call them never assumed And I cannot see why this should not be admitted here if we observe either where the Vial is said to be poured out viz. on Euphrates in which the Turks or Mahometans are so much concerned as is at large shewed in this Chapter and what the work assigned to the three unclean Spirits is viz. To go forth unto the Kings of the Earth and of the whole World a larger district than is any where given to the Roman Empire alone to gather them to the Battle of that great Day of God Almighty 'T is true indeed that the false Prophet afterwards viz. Revel 19. 20. and Revel 20. 10. is a stile under which Antichrist is expressed but then 't is to distinguish him from the Beast not to make him the same with him as also to shew how it was the Beast or Roman Empire was deceived by him as he was a false Prophet in the Doctrines he taught and the Miracles whereby he pretended to confirm the same and what was the consequence thereof that the Deceiver and deceived were to perish together Indeed I can scarce forbear to conjecture at least that this Vial looks farther than is yet exprest for when we have given the utmost Extent we can to the Roman and Mahometan Empires they will come very much short of what is set down here I mean the Kings of the Earth and the whole World which is of too wide a compass to be contained in either of the former Only the Dragon the old Serpent or Satan who is called the God of this World and is most properly so in those places where their Jurisdictions do not reach for it is there to this day the Devil is professedly Worshipped at least he is so in some parts of the Pagan VVorld in the extent of his Territories will take in the whole And I would be willing to hope that the Day is coming when there shall be an end put to such his Usurpations I would hope at the end of this Vial to see the Jews in their Return and the fulness of the Gentiles coming in I would hope to see it is an Event methinks but agreeable to the Battle of that great Day of God Almighty our Lord taking to himself his great Power and Reigning Rev. 11. 17. Or as it is Psal 2. 8. 9. Asserting to himself the Heathen for his Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the Earth for his Possession breaking them with a Rod of Iron and dashing them in pieces like a Potters Vessel And that such a time seems to be at hand will appear by that time we shall have gone though this Vial. This as to the first of these Questions viz. VVhat we are to understand by the Dragon Beast and false Prophet The
and shall be given up to Eternal Blasphemy bitter Execrations and Cursings the lot of the Damned and being Cursed for Ever But when this shall be will be still the great Enquiry and what to answer to it is difficult for as Christ speaks when the Elders of the People and the chief Priests and the Scribes asked him Art thou the Christ If I tell you shall I say I say it not but if God if Christ if the Holy-Ghost should tell you you will not Believe Luke 22. 67. For it is God it is Christ it is the Holy-Ghost who have already told it it is declared with all the certainty that a Mystery can be declared in this Book of the Revelation The Rise the Progress the Downfal of Antichrist is foretold and yet forsooth we must be tender in the Point and not so much as dare to say that Antichrist is come who or what he is and where is his Seat The Angel may tell John Rev. 17. 7. c the mystery of the Woman and the Beast that carrieth her which hath the seven Heads and ten Horns may shew the place from whence he cometh and whither he goeth ver 8. With all the particularities of his Reign may shew what the seven Heads and ten Horns are when and where to arise ver 9. 11 12. And for whom to drudge ver 13 14. may shew the Extent of the Beast's Empire over Peoples Multitudes Nations and Tongues ver 15. And lest after all any mistake should be about his Seat may so point out the City of his Residence that but one City in the World can answer the Description And that is the City which reigneth over the Kings of the Earth and the City that so Reigned when John saw the Vision the City that hath ever since so Reigned is Rome the Angel I say may thus tell John the Mystery of the Woman and of the Beast but we must be sure to let it be a Mystery still and fix it any where but where it is Oh the shame of the Cowardize of the Christian Oh the reproach of those who have Eyes and will not see But are they willing who ask the question to have it resolved What can be plainer than that 1260 Years is the date of Antichrists Reign This being the time that is allotted to the little Horn Dan. 7. 25. This the time Set for the giving theoutward Court to the Gentiles and the treading the Holy Cities under Foot Rev. 11. 2. This Being the time for the two Witnesses to Prophecy in Sackcloath ver 3. This Being the time that is set for the Flight of the Woman cloathed with the Sun into the Wilderness Rev. 12. 1 6. This being the time in particular for the Beast with seven heads and ten Horns to make War with the Saints Rev. 13. 5 7. Only when these 1260 Years were to begin seems the Difficulty but neither is that so obscure but we may easily point at it I speak not so as to point to the Day or Year because 1. It may be we have no such exact Chronology that we can depend upon for such express and minute Particulars Or 2. Supposing the Masters in this Art should not fail yet we must consider that all great Transactions have a time to come to their Maturity or End and it will be hard for us to fix the very Critical Minute where matters are to be accomplished by Degrees As I do not think that the Fall of Antichrist will be in a Moment no there is to be a Harvest and Vintage Rev. 14. 15. 18. A time to begin to put in the Sickle and may not that have been at the Reformation 'T was certainly a considerable Harvest was then reaped and a time to reap all down This being observed I make no doubt but that it will not be so obscure but we may point at it and as our Lord said Mark 13. 30. may boldly pronounce so near are we to the Completion of these Prophesies this Generation shall not pass till all these things be done And first as to the outward Court of the Temple being given to the Gentiles and treading down the Holy Cities under Foot when could that be but when the Gentile or Heathen-Worship first crept into the Church And as to that if we consult History we shall find reason to fix it not but that it was sooner offering at as we have already observed in the fifth Century it being then as we noted out of Theodoret that the Worship of Saints the Doctrine of second Intercessors and Relicks c. was so far advanced It being then also that Leo the first began so far to exalt his See above those of other Bishops as to call it Cathedram Petri qui appellatur Petra fundamentum the Chair of Peter who is called a Rock and Foundation and to call Peter the Doorkeeper of Heaven the Arbiter and Judge of who were to be bound who to be loosed and then ascribes the Power and Authority of St. Peter to his own Chair and is angry that in the Case of Eutyches as is before there observed they did not reserve the matter to him and therefore pretends he was not rightly Condemned calls himself Ecclesiae Catholicae Episcopum Urbis Romae the Bishop of the Catholick Church of the City of Rome with many other the like Excesses which certainly may be one sense of treading the Holy City under Foot thus to exalt him above all others And then for the tme of the two Witnesses Prophesying in Sackcloth where can we begin that better than in the Testimony which from that time those who were sound in the Faith bore against these and the like Excesses Rather from the time that the two Testamennts God's faithful Wisnesses the Holy Bible began in its Authority to be deprest and and the Fancies and Inventions of Men to take place This was their putting on Sackcloth but so as from that time they never did nor ever shall cease to Prophecy in it till they have Prophesied down all their Enemies Rev. 11. 3 c. The Word of God in the Mouth of his faithful Servants hath and must always witness for him and that with those Effects which are there ascribed to these i. e. of being the Instruments to denounce God's Judgments on those who despise the Warning but in their Witnessing there is another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Test and that is let their Prophesying in Sackcloth begin when it will yet it must end when the Beast which ascendeth out of the bottomless Pit shall have made War against them have overcome and killed them Rev. 11. 7. i. e. Whenever Antichrist shall have so much Power to banish true Religion as to all outward appearance quite to ruin and destroy the sincere Professors of it so that there is no longer the Face of a Church or any publickly to bear Witness as Christ saith Luke 21. 28. When those things begin to come to
this saith he Daniel delivers with the greatest clearness 't is Dan. 7. in his Vision of the four Beasts where he tells us v. 8. that among the Ten Horns of the fourth Beast there was to come up another little Horn which is generally agreed to be understood of Antichrist before whom there were three of the first Horns pluckt up by the Roots and behold in this Horne were eyes like the eyes of a Man and a Mouth speaking great things see v. 24 25 ibid. I shall not heap up other Testimonies in this matter the Fathers generally concurring in this opinion of Antichrist's being to succeed to the destruction of the Roman Empire And Cornelius à Lapide in their names makes it the common sense they had of this place that Nero and the Roman Emperours were to with-hold and when they were taken out of the way tunc revelabitur ille iniquus Antichristus then should be revealed that wicked Antichrist on 2 Thessal 2. 6. Now that we may come a little closer to the Matter in hand When was that when was it the Roman Emperors were taken out of the way For if that be made out especially so as to point any thing near the time he mentions I suppose the Author will no longer look upon those 10 Centuries of Sleep and Corruption in the Church as he phrases it Pref. p. 5. to be no more than a Dream of the Reporters but both He and every serious Reader will be awaken'd to see thorow his Nubes Testium at least to own that there was such a Cloudy time such an Eclipse as his own Metaphor is Pref. p. 4. The Church was to suffer I do not say with him for 1000 Years neither more nor less but for a Period in which He and Those for whom He writes will be equally concern'd to free themselves from the charge of many Novelties When I say was it the Roman Emperors were taken out of the way And methinks it should not be difficult to answer the Query especially the Holy Ghost himself having in a manner herein expresly directed us 't is in the 13th of the Revelations v. 10. He that leadeth into Captivity shall go into Captivity He that killeth with the Sword shall be killed with the Sword And to make it the more remarkable he calls up our Attention with that Eminent Saying of our Lord so often made use of by Him in the Gospel when He had some great and notable Lesson to recommend to his Auditors If any man have an Ear let him hear v. 9 and closes it with no less a note of Attention in the following words Here is the Patience and the Faith of the Saints Now who was it who led into Captivity Was it not the Roman Empire that had enslaved the Nations round about Was it not the Roman Empire which had so insolently triumpht over the Christians and made them its Vassals Who was it was the great red Dragon having seven Heads and ten Horns which stood before the Woman cloathed with the Sun which was ready to be deliver'd for to devour her Child as soon as it was born Rev. 12. 1. 5. Was it not the Roman Empire whilst Heathen which by its furious Persecutions endeavour'd to root out Christianity So that 't is not to be doubted who is here to be understood by Him that leadeth into Captivity But then How is it He was led into Captivity Consult their own Annals and you have the Answer For Was not Rome taken first by Alaricus the Goth in the 410 th year after Christ and again in the year 455 by Gensericus Or If not the taking of Rome but the Captivity of the Empire it self be to be understood hereby when could this be better verlfied than when the Empire was torn in pieces and divided into several Kingdoms those ten Horns of which both Daniel and St. John speak by the Goths Vandals and Hunns And when happen'd that but in or about the same Period of 455 or 456 Now then if in either of these Periods viz. of 410 or 455 or thereabout we grant to be the time when He that led was taken out of the way it will unquestionably follow that 'T was then that wicked lawless One was revealed Then was the Birth of Antichrist i. e. of Him who was more eminently to be so Then the time from whence in such a Latitude may be dated that great Eclipse which the Church was to suffer And beginning with either of these we fall upon what in the Event will extremely well answer the Prediction For if we reckon from 410 then will 666 bring us to the Year 1076 which was the Fourth of Hildebrand or Gregory the Seventh who as 't is Rev. 13. 13. made fire to come down from Heaven on the Earth in the sight of Men i. e. as we shall afterwards shew it to be the sense of that Phrase so openly and solemnly Excommunicated the Emperor which if considered in all its Circumstances will be but too plain a Description of that Man of Sin and Son of Perdition who was to oppose and exalt Himself above all that is called God or that is worshipt so that He as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himself that He is God 2 Thessal 2. 3 4. For what is it to exalt Himself above all that is called God and that is worship but to assume to Himself an Authority over those Higher Powers which God hath ordained those Gods as Princes are stiled in Scripture Psal 82. 1. Joh. 10. 34 35 What as God to sit in the Temple of God shewing Himself that He is God but to take to Himself the Power of Saving or Damning men as He shall think fit to say that he cannot Err which is the Incommunicable Attribute of the divine Nature and arrogate the setting up one and pulling down another which can belong only to the Supreme Governour of the Universe where not to take notice of any thing done by Him before he was Pope by which as I may say He seemed but to be preparing himself for the great Service he was to do the Chruch when advanced to the Pontifical See his carriage in the difference between the Emperor and the Saxons is what I shall first pitch on wherein the Bishops revolting from the Emperor fly to Hildebrand present their Complaints against the Emperor the Pope greedily embraces the Quarrel and so far pursues it as to cite the Emperor to appear at Rome and in case of his refusal threatens Him Excommunication The Emperor terrified herewith sends his Ambassadors to divert Him from his resolution But contrary to the Law of Nations however Baronius labours to contradict this He Imprisons his Ambassadors and having almost destroyed them with Hunger Thirst and Cold sends them out of Rome with the greatest disgrace Upon this the Emperor calls a Council at Wormes and in return hereof cites Hildebrand to appear imagining the Pope to have been thereby
so small a scantling as that of three years and a half be agreeable to the Description of the Person who here avows himself to have received this Revelation from God and to give it to his Servants I mean that of his being Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending the Lord which is and which was and which is to come the Almighty Revel 1. v. 8 v. 17. of his being the first and the last he that liveth and was dead and behold he liveth Amen and hath the Keys of Hell and of Death VVhy this asserting his own Duration and Power if all were but to give them the Prediction of so short a time Or whether to suppose this 2. Would be agreeable to what he bids St. John write viz. the things which are and the things which shall be hereafter Is it likely that so great a part of this book as from the seventh to the twentieth Chapter which yet is the only professed book of prophesie given in the whole time of the Gospel should run out in the History of three years and a half Or farther whether 3. T were agreeable to the answer those under the Altar receive chap. 6. 11. upon their expostulating after the ten persecutions for I take them to cease there How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the Earth viz. that they should rest yet for a little season little agreeable to the Divine Goodness which always expresses the sufferings of his people in the gentlest terms that so their Faith might fail under them see 2 Cor. 4. 17. until their fellow servants also and their brethren that should be killed as they were should be fulfilled should relate only to three years and a half For if so then Antichrist must have then immediately succeeded i. e. about the year 314 when Constantine reostored Peace to the Church and freed her from Persecution and have had his period 1375 years ago Again let it be yet consider'd whether 4. It be agreeable to an Empire in its succession and such the Beast which is likewise Antichrist is in its rise continuance and fall to reckon but three years and a half Whether such a Duration bear any proportion to the other Heads of the Beast VVhether 5. It be agreeable to the work the Whore that sitteth upon many Waters Revel 17. 1. which is one of Antichrists Denominations was to do viz. To deceive all Nations with her Sorceries ch 18. 23. To make so many Kings commit Fornication with her v. 9. And make War with the Saints and to overcome them and to have Power over all Kindreds and Tongues and Nations ch 13. 7. VVhether 6. It be agreeable to the degrees by which Antichrist was to arrive at his highest pitch The Image he was to make to the Beast whic had the wound by the sword and did live The power he had to give life to the Image of the Image of the Beast that the Image of the Beast should both speak and cause that as many as would not worship the Image of the Beast should be killed c. ch 13 14 15 16 17. and causing all both small and great rich and poor free and bond to receive a mark in their right hand and in their foreheads and that no man might buy or sell save he that had the mark or the name of the Beast or the number of his Name Could such power be arrived at in so short a compass of time Or whether lastly 7. It be agreeable to the several parts of his fall exprest whether by the seven last plagues or Vials of Gods wrath or by the Angels putting in his Sickle first for the Harvest ch 14. 15. and then for the Vintage v. 17 18 19. by the one to begin by the other to finish the fall of Babylon if all were but for three years and a continuance Most certainly a longer time must be allotted for Babylon which is one of Antichrists names to fill up her Iniquity if in her were to be found the blood of Prophets and of Saints and of all that were to be slain upon the Earth ch 18 19. which is added there as the reason of her ruine as she i. e. either Pagan or Antichristian Rome was to bear the guilt of all the innocent blood that had been shed from the time of the first planting of Christianity agreeable to the sentence that in a like case was long before given on Jerusalem Matth. 23. 35. that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the Earth from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias the son of Barachias whom ye slew between the Temple and the Altar So then 't is scarce to be doubted but that this continuance of Antichrist was to be for as many years as there are Prophetick days in a time times and half a time in forty two months or one thousand two hundred and sixty days And now having thus in what was necessary to be observ'd concerning the rise and growth of Antichrist taken notice as of the several periods the Holy Ghost hath set for either and the different use we are in this matter to make of the several Epocha's of the taking of Rome viz. in 410 and 455 and the division of the Empire into ten Kingdoms upon the last and thereto added the Testimony of other Writers with some Reasons why a time times and half or the dividing of a time forty two months or one thousand two hundred and sixty days which are all the same cannot be taken for natural but Prophetick days i. e. for intire years I might fairly take leave of this point in which I have been forced to be long but I hope not tedious But considering of how great moment 't is that every thing should be clear and coherent in such a weighty matter as this is which hath been discoursing I must farther ask the favour of the Reader that I may reflect a little on what Daniel in his Prophesy affords us towards the farther Illustration hereof and the Place that chiefly serves to this purpose is that of his 12th Chapter vers 10 11. Which may be applicable Either For the fixing the time of the Revelation of Antichrist i. e. His coming to his full growth or Maturity or For the settling the Duration of his Reign As to the first of these viz. The fixing the time for the Revelation of Antichrist 't is to be considered from whence the Calculation is to be taken and where to end As to the time from whence it was to begin the Angel tells us 't was from the time that the daily Sacrifice should be taken away and the Abomination that maketh desolate set up And when was that We have the Historical Relation of it Maccab. 1. 54. Now the fifteenth day of the Month Casleu in the hundred forty fifth Year they set up the Abomination of Desolation