decree concerning the order of transactions For that day shall not come except there come a falling away first and that man of sin be revealed the Son of perdition The text branches it self thus 1. The delay of Christs last coming that day shall not come 2. A preceding general defection from the faith Except there come a falling away first 3. The unmasking the detection of the great Antichrist or ringleader of that Apostacy The man of sin revealed 4. His doom The Son of Perdition For that day shall not come except c. My purpose is not to speak any things concerning Christs putting off his last coming to judgement nor yet to give you the Common-place of Apostacy but that which I aim at is to discover Antichrist to you in his own colours for all writers both Popish and Protestant say that by Man of sin here is meant the great Antichrist by Son of Perdition his most remarkabe destruction Well then without any more ado the point I hold forth and undertake by Gods assistance to make good to you is this The Popes of Rome are the revealed man of sin the now well known Antichrist of Whom Daniel Paul and the Apostle John have spoken such vile and fearfull things I say in all they have said of the great Antichrist they have pointed the singer at the Popes of Rome To make this good first thus Daniel in Chap. 7. ver 2. saw the four windes of heaven strive upon the great Sea i. e. great commotions in the States of the World out of which there came four great beasts the first like a Lion shadowing forth the Babylonish Monarchy with its Pride and Violence the second like a Bear of a churlish and ravenous disposition such a one was the Persian Monarchy the third like a Leopard having upon his back four wings very subtle and very swift upon the prey such was the Grecian Monarchy set up by Alexander the great but he saw a fourth exceeding terrible and dreadful having Iron teeth and it devoured and brake in pieces and stamped the residue with his feet and 't was diverse from all the rest and had ten hons upon his head Who these beasts were you have the Angels interpretation Dan. 7 17. These great beasts Which are four are four Kings Which shall arise out of the Earth but so monstrous was the fourth that Daniel would needs know the truth of him the Angel speaks to that ver 22. and 24. The fourth beast shall be a fourth Kingdom upon Earth which shall be diverse from all Kingdoms and shall devour the whole Earth and shall tread it down and break it in peices and the ten horns out of this Kingdom are ten Kings that shall arise and another shall arise c. 'T is well known that the Roman Monarchy hath been the fourth great Kingdom of the World then in its greatness and glory of domination when Saint John writ his Revelation who will tell you yet more of this beast and business Rev. 17.3 I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet-coloured beast having seven heads and ten horns ver 9 the seven heads are seven Mountains the Palatine Capitoline Aventine Esquiline Quirinal Viminal and Janicular Mountains upon which Rome in its greatness stood And the seven heads are expounded also to be seven Kings ver 10. There are seven Kings five are fallen and one is and the other is not yet come and when he cometh he must continue a short space Seven Kings i. e. seven Supream Kings or forms of governments in Rome which made good the saying of Daniel that the last beast was diverse from all the rest Now saies St. John five are already fallen Kings Consuls Tribunes Decemvirs Dictators these five were all fallen and gone in Saint Johns dayes one is viz government by Emperors which made up the sixt head of the beast The other is not yet come he doth not say the seventh but the other as one hath very well observed pointing doubtless at the Christian Emperors who did not differ from the Heathen Emperors as a distinct form of Government but onely in the quality of their persons the one persecuting destroying Christianity the other protecting advancing Christianity and when he comes he must continue a short space for the Christian Emperors did not reign in their full strength and greatness above seventy or eighty years as Historians make it evident It follows ver 11. And the beast that was and is not even he is the eighth and is of the seven The beast that was The Papacy was in respect of the body of the Empire but is not in respect of any present being for it was not in Saint Johns time Even he is the eighth if you reckon the Christian Emperors for one but in that you ought not so to reckon He is indeed of the seven or one of the seven for there have not been eight but seven forms of Governmnt at Rome the last whereof is called the beast by way of eminency the great whore the false Prophet Antichrist himself So then find out the last head to the Roman Empire and you may say of him this is the man of sin the great Antichrist Now who is he why le ts reckon again the Kings had their time of Governing that 's one the Consulls theirs that 's two Tribunes theirs that 's three Decemvirs theirs that 's four Dictators theirs that 's five Emperors theirs that 's six All these are fallen and gone and if I should put the question in this Congregation who is the seventh head of that beast or who since Emperors have Governed Rome I am perswaded the most ignorant man or woman could tell me they are Popes therefore ye Popes of Rome are the man of sin and the great Antichrist And with this agrees that of the Apostle Paul a little after my text 2 Thes 2.6.7.8 Ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time For the mystery of iniquity doth already work only he who now letteth will let till he be taken out of the way And then shall that wicked be revealed That the Papacy was working in St. Johns time is evident if you search Scriptures what errors were then taught and what Doctrines the Church of Rome doth now teach Antichrists Limbs and Joynts were then a framing a knitting the Pope was then a young Embrio and was still growing in the womb but could not break forth till the Emperors had made way for him by removing from Rome and seating themselves at Bizantium or Constantinople Tertullian Hierom Chrysostom and the more judicious of the ancient Fathers have still thus expounded this place When Constantine had endowed Churchmen with indeed too much temporal greatness especially the Bishops of Rome they then began every day to look more and more like Popes i. e. like the great Antichrist and play Rex which you know they could not do while the Emperors seat was at Rome the Imperial presence
that But further Suppose we grant a necessity of a Successour in that Dignity and Office did it not of right fall to S. John who was an Apostle and lived many years after S. Peters death The Apostle whom Jesus so loved Certainly if any one could have been found fit and worthy to have been left Vniversal head of the Church 't was he but Peter did not at his death confer it upon him willing the Church of Rome to signifie so mcuh to him and bring him to that See for surely Peter was acquinted with no such office much less necessity of such a Succession Whereunto add but this one word They themselves confess an Apostle to have been above any Bishop t is a truth more clear then could ever yet be denyed now how could Linus if he succeeded Peter in the place of universal Supremacyship but be above the Apostle Iohn and yet with the same breath they say an Apostle is above a Bishop But you know it is a Mystery of Lying Iniquity abovo admalum from the root to the very fag end of it But well In the last place the Pope will needs be Successor to an Apostle I confess I think he is but 't is to Iudas and my reasons are these following 1. The Pope continued a great while in the Church undiscerned a close Hypocrite but a real hater of that he did professe to love as Iudas did 2. He 's a Theif as Iudas was and bears the bag too I told you how he first came to possess himself of Rome and all Italy and presently after of all Ravenna just as a thief gets a purse on the high way Do I need to tell you what vast Treasures of wealth their Sorceries and Legerdemain of Pardons Indulgencies Purgatory Canonization and the like have brought them in yearly they make Merchandize of mens souls Vendit Alexander claves Altaria Christum and what is this but mear cheating and thievery Iudas you know was such a thief and lover of the bag that he grudged his Master the Oyntment the good woman poured on him the Pope t is the grief and vexation of his heart that a drop of mercy or comfort falls upon Christ in any of his Members 3. He is as perfect at Hail Master and kissing Christ and then betraying him in his Truths Worship Saints Discipline Kingdom to be spit on reviled crucified as ever Iudas was 4. Our Saviour calls Iudas the son of perdition Joh. 17.12 which very expression the Holy Ghost here takes up and calls him also the Son of perdition It is said Iudas went to his own place Act. 1. The same is said of the Pope Rev. 17.11 He goeth into perdition And Rev. 19.20 The false Prophet was taken and cast alive into the Lake The Pope in the pride and baseness of his heart makes himself S. Peters Successor but God in Wisedome an Justice declares him to be Iudas Successor and this indeed is the true foundation upon which the present Rome or stately Babel of Papacie is built Ve I shall now make some improvement of the point by Application and first be informed That as the Iews have framed a Messias to themselves so the Popish Clergy have framed an Anti-Christ that God never made mention of for the Descriptions they give of him when applyed to the True One are all of them most false and frivilous 1. One of them is this That the Great Antichrist must be a single individual person as the Article o e denotes therefore the Pope cannot be he for there have been many Popes Reader it thou thinkest there is any thing in this be pleased to take better information The Article o e doth not enforce any such thing Mark 2.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not Man for the Sabbath Luke 4.4 It is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Man doth not live by bread alone 2 Tim. 3.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the Man of God may be perfect Will any one who is Master of Common Reason say that the Aricle o e in these places denotes an individual single Person Therefore the prefixed Article cannot enforce it upon us that Antichrist is one single man 2. All the Rulers of the four great Monarchies are set out by Daniel as if every Kingdom had had but one Dan 7.17 These great beasts which are four are four Kings whereas we know there were more in every one of them The last Beast or Kingdom had seven heads or Rulers seven Kings make up the first and they are all called one head and so one The Emperours S. Iohn moulds them all into one Five are fallen and One is speaking of government by Emperours The seventh head of this fourth Beast is the Great Antichrist and why should he be thought a single person rather then any of the other six As each of the former must be taken Collectively so doubtless must this be unless better reasons be given against it then Bellarmine or any other of his way have yet held forth 3. Jesuits themselves call the whole bulk and succession of Popes One visible head of Christs Church therefore give us leave to learn of them and call the whole bulk and succession of them that one Antichrist or one head of the Antichristian Church which was arising in S. Paul and S. Iohns time and is not yet fallen and tell me what single person can be head of a body of such continuance The second thing they fancy of Anti-Christ is That his Seat must be at Ierusalem T is needless to speak much to this can any man read the 17. chap. of Rev. where the Angel tells Iohn That his Seat is the City built upon seven Mountains and that hath seven distinct forms of Government and the great City which in S. Iohns time Ruled over the Kings of the earth Of courtesie tell me can any man understand this of Ierusalem was Ierusalem built upon seven Mountains had ever Ierusalem seven heads or distinct forms of Government did Ierusalem in S. Iohns time raign over the Kings of the earth or was it not rather it self in Vassalage 2. Whereas it is said 'T is the City where our Lord was crucified Revel 11. this will not carry it in their sense For first Let them reconcile this to the former description which I am confident they can never do 2. Antichrists seat is called Ierusalem Spiritually or Mystically as 't is also called Sodom and Egypt Erroneous Prophane Murtherous Ierusalem take it in that state or posture and Ierusalem was a Type or Shadow of Rome Antichristian Antichrists seat is at Ierusalem not Literally but Mystically 3. When Christ was crucified Ierusalem was one of the streets of Rome for there you should hear the fear of Caesar swaying all If you let this man go you are not Caesars friend You should see a Roman Judge Roman Souldiers a Roman Death and all Canaan within Romes boundary and so upon the matter Christ was Crucified at
had not our neighbour Nation owned proclaimed him whom they did the hand of providence had never raised this storm against them I do not lay this down as a certain Conclusion for Judicia Dei non sunt temere discutienda sed formidoloso silentio veneranda t is only my perswasion which you may receive or reject as God shall guide your hearts Yet I am not more confident that this book of the Bible came out of the mouth of God then that the childe is born who shall see a general tottering and shivering to peices of Thrones and Scepters and that-upon this account the quarrel that is already one foot between Christ and Antichrist Begin at forty one or thereabouts and make up a Century and observe it in your dayes and then leave it to your children to be observed by them if this now current Century I say be not more fatal to most or all that hold Scepters in their hands but especially to Europaean Scepters then ever any was since this World began The text is express Rev. 16.14 16.18 Chiefly in reference to Kings who being confederate in a crafty war having fair pretentions but exceeding bad intentions marched in the head of their Regiments against indeed Christ and his Kingdom but a Divine Anathema or curse falls upon them there is an Earthquake raised such as was not since men were upon the Earth so mighty an Earthquake and so great to answer the greatness of the adversaries engaged against him to shake to pieces those great and mighty ones of the Earth which an ordinary Earthquake could not have effected But how can this be for t is said Rev. 17.16 The ten Horns which thou sawest upon the Beast these shall hate the Whore and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire The Pope falls by them and not they by adhering to the Pope First I answer what I have sayd to this particular you see I have built upon plain Scriptures and I think according to the sense and mind of the Holy Ghost in them Secondly by Hornes here it is not needfull to understand Kings in the strictness and formality of the Notion and my reason is gathered from Rev 17.9.10 The seven Heads are also seven Kings five are fallen and one is Here Consuls Tribunes Decemvirs Dictators are called by the Holy Ghost Kings when as we know strictly they were not so onely they had Supream power in their hands Thirdly What Protestant whose eyes are open doth not see that most or all the Kings of Europe in their present posture are directly framed for the Popes interest Indeed his and their now interest make up one Linsey Woolsey piece they are so interwoven and mixt that Christ must be fain to open the whole fabrick of Kingly Government to the very foundations thereof before the cursed roots and seeds of the mystery of iniquity will be got out Will you tell me that he who lately swayed the Scepter here and he that now endeavours to succeed would ever have been perswaded so to hate as to make war against Pope and Papists for the setting up in the World Gospel-Ordinances in their purity and power and if it cannot be expected from the present Protestant Princes can it in reason be hoped for from the present Popish Princes therefore they are in no small danger most or all of them to be shaken quite to peices by the Earthquake Fourthly the strength of a beast to do his greatest hurt lies in his horns they are the highest and most eminent parts of him and so by ten hornes is meant only the supream power of the ten Nations by what names or Titles soever they are called Christ by the Earthquake will shake down those powers in whom are found a deal of carnal Popish dregs and set up those in their room that are men of other spirits pares negotio fit for such a business as Christ hath in hand Doubtless the ten horns are the ten Supream Powers of Europe who shal do the deed that is so much desired and prayed for of all the Saints And now if any man herein differ from me let him differ I judge him not God forbid that in ruining Antichrist I my self should be so Antichristian as to attempt to Lord it over the faith of any man Why should I be offended that thou canst not see that which I see nor believe as I belive if God intends thee good I doubt not but he 'l find a time to reveal even this unto thee that one civil Government is no more of Divine right then another and that thy Conscience ought not to engage or give it self up in perpetuum to any one of them but thou art free from Oaths Convenants when t is sufficiently clear God hath layd aside that civil power to whom thou didst so swear or Covenant Onely I think it but reason to entreat this of thee that fancy Conscience void of argument custome novelty of the things delivered private ends and aims self interest may not be layd in the ballance against me these are poor beggarly chaffi◠irrational things be carefull to start from me upon some solidity of reason I do profess in the sight of God that as I have balked nothing for fear of any mans displeasure for though I respect and honour many men yet so far as I know my own heart I fear no man so neither have I brought in or delivered any thing purposely to grieve or provoke any mans spirit I hope I have otherwise learned Christ You have it in the singleness of my heart so as God brought it to my hand The fifth Angel poured out his Vial upon the seat of the beast Rev. 16.10 11. Here Expositors do generally pitch upon the City of Rome to be this seat of the beast But sure t is not sense to speak of the destruction of Babylon till Euphrates be dryed up which is under the sixrh Vial and you must know that the Vials are placed in this Chapter according to the order of events or transactions and therefore the Popes material seat cannot be destroyed by this Vial. The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he poured his vial upon the Throne of the Beast By Throne in Scripture is often meant that Government with any person or state sitting upon that Throne do set up and administer as Ps 89.29 So then consider that form of Government the Pope sets up and exercises in all his Churches throughout the World A throne you know admits but of one finde a Government where one alone doth rule and what can this be but Episcopacy Episcopacie is a is a Government where one and no more hath the Throne or Seat all the rest keep their distance and are under Command There were holy and learned men as Beza Cartwright Bains Parker who cast some drops of wrath upon this Seat but t was not long ere all Scotland got the
and greatness withheld them but when the hand of Providence took them out of the way then they became Popes and manifested themselves to be the seventh distinct Roman Government the last head of that beast Thus you see how both Saint John and Saint Paul were guided by one Spirit when they describe Antichrist to point the finger at the Popes of Rome Take it thus He that succeeds the Emperors in the Government of the Roman State or he that is seventh head of Daniels fourth beast he is the great Antichrist but the Popes of Rome succeed the Emperors in the Government of the Roman state or they are the seventh head of the fourth great beast therefore the Popes of Rome are the great Antichrist Secondly Antichrist is the man that sets himself above all Rule and all authority 2. Thes 2.8 then shall the wicked be revealed that 's our translation but the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lawless man v. 4. Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God How must men forfeit their Intellectuals to fasten all this anywhere but upon the popes For first they are Church-men their seat is in the Temple or reputed Church of God The great Turk let his pride and domination be what it will yet he sits not in the Temple he 's no Church-man but the Pope is Secondly he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lawless man PopeGratian in his decrees reckons up several Laws publike private Laws the Laws of Nature and Nations written and unwritten Laws civil and canonical the Laws both of God and man but the conclusion of all he makes is this that they are all subject to the Popes interpretation and dispensation and that he is the spiritual man who judgeth all things and himself is judged of none He allows such marriages as God hath forbidden You all know he allowed Henry the eighth of England to have his brother Arthurs wife which God expresly forbids Levit. 18.16 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brothers wife And when the sinfullness of it was discovered he would not untye the knot or allow a divorce though it got him nothing and so justified the sin of uncleanness and the trangression of Gods Law He absolves people from the Laws of obedience to the Powers that God hath set over them contrary to that Let every soul be subject to the High powers so the Greeks or the Powers that are set up on high Rom. 13 To kill a Protestant is no murther to blow up a Parliament is meritorious nay though he carry plures animarum currus ad tartara none may say unto him cur ita facis Thus he puts all Rule and Law under his feet Thirdly He apposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or is Worshipped meaning all civil Powers and Rulers of this World the beast hath lift up his paw at them all yea and fetched them under too Rev. 17.12.13 The ten horns are ten Kings those have one mind and give their power and strength to the beast i. e. he had conquered them and they yeilded themselves his slaves their power their strength their all should be at his service vigorously to promote his designs Bellarm in his fifth Book de Rom. Pontif. hath these words Omnes Imperatores Pontifici Romano debent suum imperium all Kings and Emperors owe their Crowns and Scepters to the Bishop of Rome And hereupon the Pope stiles himself Rex Regum Dominus Dominantium King of Kings Lord of Lords and 't is not bare words but he acts accordingly in deposing Kings and giving away their Kingdoms Pope Innocent the third deposed King John of England and gave this Land to Philip Augustus King of France but at last he absolved him upon condition he would hold his Kingdom in Fee of the Church of Rome and that he should pay yearly a thousand Marks of silver in token of his subjection Pope Alexander the sixth gave the West Indies to the Spaniard the East Indies to the Portugal and set them their Limits Pope Pius the fifth pronounced the sentence of degradation and deposition against Queen Elizabeth The Monks whipt Henry the second of England upon the death of Becket and when he spoke some angry words to them Domine say they noli mirarii nos enim nullas minas timemus qui de tali curia sumus quae consuevit imperare Regibus Imperatoribus never threaten us we fear no threats we are of such a Court as ruleth our kings and Emperors I think I could have furnished you with a hundred stories of like nature Fourthly he sits in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God Non ait dicens sed ostendens says one hoc est operibus signis miraculis nitens ostendere quod sit Deus He doth not say it in words at length that he 's God but his carriage and the prerogatives Royal he claims are such as if he were God himself This they stick not to speak out idem est dominium Dei Papae the Rule of God and the Pope are the same Jus ecclesiasticum est jus divinum their ecclesiastical Law is Divine and must bind the conscience as well as any Laws of God Hereupon one expounds it meethinks very well in templo conscientiarum he sits in the Temple of mens consciences He forgives sin as God doth he makes Articles of faith as God doth he takes to himself the Names and Titles that God doth the Councel of Lateran stiles him tu es alter Deus in terris another God upon Earth Dominus Deus noster para our Lord God the Pope he takes Divine worship to himself as God doth they bow before him and kiss his feet which an Angel of heaven would not receive of John Rev. 22. see you do it not Worship God Nay he takes upon him to do that which God will not do to dispense with Laws moral and natural as I said before to give Indulgences to sin for time to come there have been Leases granted for years Schoolemen affirm Deum non magis homini indulgere posse ut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sese gerat quam justitiae suae ordinem overtere seipsum negare God can as soon destroy his order and course of Justice yea deny himself as give men Indulgences to transgress his Laws to walk disorderly but the Pope hath not so bound his own hands he can be Dominus Deus and yet upon good consideration and advantages indulge men to violate any or all the laws of God and Nature He takes upon him to deliver souls out of Purgatory to Canonize Saints at his pleasure so that what is said of God is said of the Pope and more also Take the summ of all thus He who is the great Churchman above all Law and above all Earthly
graffed in Well because of unbelief they were broken off and thou standest by faith be not high-minded but fear for if God spared not the natural Branches take heed lest he also spare not thee Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God on them that fell severity but towards thee goodness if thou continue in his goodness otherwise thou also shalt be cut off Are these Bugbears windie Bladders Can these words possibly import less then that God and Grace were not so made over to them but time might produce a change both in Pastors and Church from good to bad from bad to worse and that if they did not walk humbly and watch to the keeping of the Faith they should certainly be cut off Thirdly Together with Constantines large Endowments and Immunities there arose abundance of Idleness Errors Images Superstitions Pride Affectation of outward greatness especially in the Church of Rome and thus she forsook her first Love and the spirit daily quenching yea dying in them they knew no way to keep up but by supporting themselves with a carnal and outward strength Socrates in his seventh book and 11. Chapter saith Now began an ill name to stick on the Bishops of Rome who beyond their priestly bounds have stept into principality This was in the daies of Theodosius the yonger scarce fourscore years since their low poor condition which Constantine raised them from The next remarkable thing we read of was this Philippicus Leo with some other Emperors after them not without the advice of Pratriarks and a whole Eastern Councel threw Images out of Churches as being decreed Idolatrous Whereupon the Bishop of Rome seizes the City and Territories about into his own hands makes himself Lord thereof which till then was Governed by a Greek Magistrate absolves all Italy of their Tribute and obedience due to the Emperor upon this goodly occasion Then to bear himself out in these pranks he takes upon him by Papâ—â—â— sentence to unthrone Chilpericus gives the Kingdom to Pepin and so made him his fast friend and Champion for by him he presently got all Ravenna and annexed it to the Sea of Rome as lawful prize to Saint Peter I must not now stand to tell you how throughout the fift and sixt hundred years after Christ diverse of the Bishops of Rome did openly contend for supremacy but were supprest in several Councels of Carthage and Chalcedon T was not long after when Phocas murthered his Master the Emperor Mauritius and then says the Historian Bonifacius obtinuit a Phoca ut Rom. Ecclesia esset caput omnium Ecclesiarum Pope Boniface obtained of Phocas that the Church of Rome should be head of all Churches From that time forward that Antichristian Jurisdiction and Supremacie grew still more and more till it became an overgrown Monster even to give Laws to all the Kingdoms and Churches in the World Fourthly It is said Rev. 13.2 The Dragon gave him his Power and Seat and great Authority The Pope hath the Keys of the bottomless pit Rev 9 in his hands the devil freely bestowed them on him and made him the great steward of his house his heart rests securely in him Fithly God made them Antichrist in that sense which he 's said to harden Pharoahs heart They not receiving the truth in the Love of it but holding the truth of God in unrighteousness for this cause God gave them up to what you have heard to receive in and upon themselves that recompence of their Errors and sinfulness which was meet Thus you have the cause of his Rise and Growth But haply some man will say to me Is not the Pope Saint Peters successor My Answer 's this That he is the great Antichrist hath been I think sufficiently cleared then whether he is Saint Peters Successor or no I leave thee to judge But for your clearer light in this point what if Saint Peter were never Bishop of Rome as for my part I verily beleeve he was not And because here is the very foundation of their Papacie give me leave to speak to it not doubting but I shall say enough to convince thee there is no just Warrant to make it a point of thy Faith that Peter was Bishop of Rome Whatsoever Bellarmine saith concerning Peters Journals for he speaks as punctually as if he had travelled with him from first to last hath no solid ground to rest the sole of its foot upon at all He says in the fifth year of Christs passion Peter was made Bishop of Antioch and continued in that Bishoprick seven years Then he went to Rome the second year of Claudius ibique sedem fixit ann 25. there he pitched and Bishop'd it five and twenty years Et ibidem vitam finivit there he ended his daies But that ever Peter was seven years Resident at Antioch for that 's required in a fixed Bishop and twenty five at Rome or most part of those years in those places he brings not one text of Scripture to prove either you have his bare word for it but who 'l take that for good proof in his own cause I wonder For the former of these we read concerning the Church of Antioch who gathered and constituted it Act. 11.19.20 21 22. ver 25.26 We find also who were the chif Prophets and Doctors of it Act. 13.1 We do not find in all the Scripture that Peter was at Antioch but in one place Gal. 2. and that in transcursu he took it only in his way Is here sufficient ground to conclude him Bishop of Antioch for seven years together I have stood the more upon this to shew you that if upon such slender grounds they have concluded him Bishop of Antioch for such a space of time certainly they will catch at small things to constitute him Bishop of Rome whereby their own turn is so much served Search all the New-Testament from one end of it to another and where ever you find Rome named if you find mention of Peters being there twenty five years or ten years or one year or one day then let me pass for a lyar Yea says Bellarmine 't is evident he was at Rome Ex eo quod fuit in Babylone in that he was at Babylon 1 Pet. 5.13 the Church which is at Babylon salutes you Roma autem in Apocalypsi passim vocatur Babylon Rome in the Revelation is still called Babylon his very words 1. Let God have the glory of his own truth out of his Enemies mouths Rev. 17.4 5. The woman was arrayed in Purple and Scarlet colour and decked with Gold and Precious Stones and Pearls having a golden Cup in her hand c. And upon her forehead was written Mystery Babylon the great the mother of Harlots and the abominations of the whole Earth All this then by Bellarmines own confession must be understood of Rome and the great whore or Antichrist is not to sit at Jerusalem as he says in another place lyars had need of good
memories but at Rome The Holy Ghost tells us He must reign in Babylon Bellarmine interprets and sais that is at Rome Secondly Though by Babylon we must alway understand Rome in the Revelation doth in therefore follow that by Babylon we must understand Rome in all other places of the New-Testament because John in his mystical and typical visions by Babylon points out Rome must therefore Peter needs in the bare salutation of an Epistle by Babylon mean Rome is there either Example or reason of speaking mystically and by a figure in a meer Salutation The Church that is at Babylan salutes you conclude who will from this that therefore Peter was at Rome I am loth upon such easie terms to forfeit my Intellectuals though a thousand Bellarmines should say it But briefly to give you my reasons beside the Scriptures deep silence in this point why it cannot be thought that ever Peter was Bishop of Rome First Peter we all know was an a Apostle and consequently had an unlimited commission in respect of place according to that Mat. 28. Go teach all Nations and to be a Bishop also fixed to one place is not this diminutio capitis to fetch him a hole lower then Christ had set him are not these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 utterly inconsistent Did Christ make him an Apostle and dare they degrade him and make a fixed Bishop of him It seems they dare dishonor Peter after they have given him a Complement or two if they can thereby Honor themselves and pull down an Apostle to set up a Pope Secondly That Paul was at Rome and that in the reign of Nero when Peter was fixed Bishop there as they say tha 's evident from Scripture but in all Pauls occurrences and transactions we can nowhere find either expressions or hints concerning Peters being there much less Bishop there Of those who first saluted and congratulated Pauls coming to Rome see Act. 28.14.15 So from Puteoli we went towards Rome And from thence when the Brethren heard of us they came to meet us as far as Appii forum Here 's all surely had it been as the Church of Rome teaches Paul would have used more civility towards the prince of the Apostles and universal head of the Church then to have jumbled him in undiscernably among the Brethren Then after three days Paul sends for the chief of the Jews ver 17. to clear his innocency and honesty in coming thither yet no mention of Peter unless they can find him in that expression Men and brethren It is said ver 30. Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house and received all that came in unto him but we read not that Peter ever gave him visit at his own house or elsewhere During the time of Pauls abode at Rome how long t was in all we are not certain he wrote divers Epistles but in none of them doth he speak ought of Peters being there but seems rather to hint the contraty 2 Tim. 4.16 17. At my first answer no man stood with mee but all men forsook me I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me that by me the preaching might be fully known and that all the Gentiles might hear and I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lion T is strange did Couragious Peter desert him but suppose him not to be at that time at Rome had he with all his faithfulness and pains no better learned them Christ and Christian carriage then to forsake one another in suffering times nay to leave an Apostle in his trial to the merciless paws and teeth of a Lion But t is more probable Peter had never taken pains with them at all from the following words that by me the preaching might be fully known there having been nothing of Christ and his wayes known but what the brethren who were there occasionally set on foot Paul made the Gospel fully known to them he revealed the whole Counsel of God to the Jews at Rome and in the ears of all the Gentiles also Had Peter been fixed Bishop there surely Paul could not have carried this honor from him Peter long before this would have fully preached the Gospel of the Kingdom to all both Jews and Gentiles the work had not been to do when Paul came Col. 4.7 to 13. He there reckons up a few names whereof Peter is none These says he are of the Circumcision and these onely are my fellow-workers unto the Kingdom of God which have been a comfort to me From Pauls first arrival there to the time of writing this Epistle Peter could not be at Rome if he had of a certainty he had made these lines false for he could not but have been a chief fellow-worker with and comforter of Paul Whence an argument may be drawn from the less to the greater which is more then argumentum ab authoritate negative that if Paul mention inferior persons those whose welfare and respects t was of less concernment to speak of at present then much more would he have mentioned Peter the Prince of the Apostles him to whose care and charge they were all chiefly committed being made universal head of the Church had he been there at any of those times that Paul writ either to or from Rome But he doth not once name him neither in that Epistle he wrote to the Saints at Rome nor yet in these he afterwards wrote from Rome to other Churches therefore surely Peter was far from being fixed Bishop there And let me tell you this hath more Authority and prevalency to determine my faith in the Point then all that Papias a suppositious Clemens and Higisippus the first Authors of Peters Episcopacy there have men t is well known much given to unwritten traditions deceiving and being deceived thereby as the Apostle speaks which is manifest from that discord and contradiction in those authors who do assert this not onely to the Scriptures but among themselves Thirdly For Peter to have been fixed Bishop of Rome contradicts the voyce or conclusion of Divine providence in the eminent success of his Ministry Gal 27 8. The Gospel of uncircumcision was committed to me says Paul the Gospel of circumcision unto Peter For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the Apostleship of the circumcision the same was mighty in me towards the Gentiles And when t was evident to them all that God would work effectually mightily with Peters ministration for the good of the Circumcision or People of the Jews is it likely that Peter would or durst so thwart the spirit and mind of God as to fix his seat among the Gentile were they not bound to lay forth themselves best for the advantage of the Gospel yes doubtless and therefore you may find them giving one another their hands and solemn Engagements that Paul and Barnabas should be preachers to the Gentiles hereupon says Paul Act. 19.21 After I have been at
and creeks of it The like you shall see in the sequels of this business they are four all set down ver 13. The first of them this The same hour the witnesses rose there was a great earthquake A violent shaking of Church and State even of the whole Kingdom in the breaking out of these late Wars between King and Parliament there have been such Commotions amongst us as may well be called a great earthquake and it began presently upon the quickening or return of these men The second this The tenth part of the city fell Conceive as I touched before the great Mystical City made up of the ten Kingdoms that gave their power to the Beast and when one of these Kingdoms fell off utterly and irrecoverably from Rome by means of the earthquake then the tenth part of the city fell If you would know which peradventure the Greek may give some hint of it the Holy Ghost seems to lay a great Emphasis upon the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that tenth part where the last of the Witnesses were killed in so different and signal a way that tenth part that is so easily discernable from all the rest Et penitùs toto divisi ab orbe Britanni in plain terms England You 'le say was England but shaken off from Rome by this late Earthquake I answer it was in part but not wholly in Doctrine but not in Worship and Discipline for as I told you Rome and we were fast tyed together by the tails of Episcopacy Ceremonies and Formes of Worship though their bodies were loose and heads looked several ways Yet truly let me tell you this that in our times the heads were turning and looking one upon another with marvellous benigne aspects and were working their bodies together again as fast as such great and unweldy bodies could be moved There were such Popish Doctrines Popish Practises and Popish ordering of Church-affairs to say nothing of the State in most points and places that the Pope had good cause to assure himself of Englands return into the Bosom of the Romane Church But when the Parliament arose for Parliaments themselves rose from the dead you know how long we had been kept without them and at last a Proclamation set forth that men should not think of a Parliament and quickened the dead Witnesses Voted down Episcopal Government with all the Appurtenances of it and being forced to 't took up Arms resolving to live and die in the defence of those Votes then and not till then I dare boldly say it did England a tenth part of those Kingdoms that had given their power to the Beast utterly totally fall off from Rome that in reason they can have no hope of ever fetching it back again to serve the Popish Interest The third is this In the earthquake were slain of men 7000. This being a round and perfect number you need not understand it of just so many and no more for indeed 7000. is not a proportionable number for such an earthquake but it may be a certain number for an uncertain and in the earthquake were slain 7000. i. e. thousands upon thousands But searching the Original I finde That runs thus In the earthquake were slain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 names of men that is men of name men of renown the like Hebraisme you have Gen. 6.4 So in this Fall of the tenth part of the City were slain men of name note quality besides the common sort of People 7000. meaning of the Witnesses enemies some lost their blood and lives others their places powers livings livelyhoods and thus there were slain of noted Statesmen and noted Churchmen 7000. which in reason may be conceived a competent number in this late earthquake The fourth sequel is this And the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of Heaven Observe 't is not said the remnant repented but were terrified and indeed nothing is more evident then that an awe and terrour is fallen upon the spirits of those that remain and as Joshua exhorted Achan to confess and give glory to God so they are constrained it bursts out of their mouths fore against their wills that since the restoring of those men every Providence of God hath fought against them And though they speak evil of dignities and instruments as Jannes and Jambres did against Moses yet they will confess that this is digitus Dei the just handy-work of God upon them they have nothing to accuse God of for such his Dispensations to them Whatever they think or say concerning men and present Powers yet being terrified they confess and give glory to the God of Heaven Tell me now in the singleness of your Spirits have not Providences suted marvellous patly to the Text Hath not something fallen out in our days that may with more perspicuity of Reason be called the signal killing of the Witnesses then hath in any Kingdom you can name all Circumstances complying fully with the standard of the Word Confident I am that since the quickening and Resurrection of these men there can no Kingdom in the World be named where the Beast hath prevailed against the Zealous Protestant party so as it may be said he is yet killing Witnesses he hath enough to do to hold his own and in many places is apparently on the loosing sinking hand Wherefore if I may draw the conclusion it shall be this That which we all so much fear is past and let Antichrist and those of his Faction take what follows I remember what our Saviour said to his Disciples Mat. 24.32 33. When the Fig-tree putteth forth her leaves you uknow that Summer is nigh Likewise ye when ye shall see all these things know that it is near even at the door So say I to you When something hath passed before our eyes which we cannot in reason but call the killing of the witnesses and resurrection of the witnesses from that time from that sign know that Antichrists utter ruin is near even at the dore Vse The first use shall inform you of the ground and cause of God's thus severe proceeding with them A Vial of wrath is poured upon every thing that belongs to Antichrist and the latter still more hot and scalding then the former till he 's utterly burnt up and ruind by them Why it lies in this The justice of God God hath a nature that constrains him to give to every one according to their works but such have been Antichrists works and carriage that it is the equallest thing in the world that God should execute and pour out upon him all those fearfull things which Daniel Paul and the Apostle Iohn have foretold and threatned him withal He who hath made himself the Man of Sin God can do no less then make him The Son of Perdition as t is in the Text Rev. 18.2 An Angel cryed with a strong voyce saying Babylon the great is fallen is fallen the reason is laid down in the 5. ver Her