of Expositors to make good their own conceits Esdras 14.41 to run unto tropes and figures when we may literally without tropes expound the same more agreeable unto the truth and without violence unto the Text therefore I conceive that the two Testaments cannot with any probability be understood by these two witnesses that are said to be killed by the beast and especially because they cannot be said to be the two Olive Trees or the anointed ones nor the two Candlesticks that hold up the light when as they are the light that these Candlesticks do hold nor to be confined to such a time as 1200 and 60 dayes when these two Testaments maugre all the malice of the Antichrist shall continue to the last day And therefore I do rather expound these two witnesses to be the preservers and the interpreters or preachers of these two Testaments that being living creatures Who are these two Witnesies that is 1. The King 2. The Bishop may be killed by this Beast and these are rightly termed the two Olive Trees or the two Sonnes of Oyl that is the anointed of God and the two Candlesticks that stand before the God of the Earth that is to hold up the light of the two Testaments to inlighten the Church of God with the truth of his holy word in despight of the Devill which is termed the God of the Earth And these preservers and Interpreters of these two Testaments are as E. H. truly observeth 1 Pet. 2.13 the civill Magistrates and the Ecclesiasticall Governours of Gods Church that is Moses and Aaron or the King as the supreme Magistrate and the Bishop as the chief Pastor that hath the oversight of the rest of the subordinate Ministers as St. Paul sheweth 1 Tim. 3. c. 4.1 for the King is custos utriusque tabulae the defender of the faith and obliged to take care as well of the Church and service of God as of the Commonwealth All good Kings took speciall care to have God truly served so Moses testifieth and so David Solomon Jehosophat Ezechias Josias and all the godly and good Kings of Israel and Judah had and so Constantine Theodosius and our own pious Princes Queen Elizabeth King James and King Charles and all other good Christian Kings shewed that they took speciall care to see the truth purely preached and the service of God duly and rightly executed and therefore may most truly and literally without any trope or figure be said to be one of these two witnesses of Jesus Christ and the Bishop is to take upon him curam animarum the speciall care and charge of souls and the charge of them that are under him Act. 20.18 and undertook the charge of souls to see that they do carefully feed the flock of Christ whereof the Holy ghost hath made them overseers and therefore also the Bishops and the Ministers of Gods word may be rightly said and none can deny it to be the other witnesses of Jesus Christ and so Christ saith unto his Apostles and in them to all the Bishops that were to succeed the Apostles that they were his Witnesses Act. 1.8 and they should testifie and bear witness of him in Hierusalem and unto the uttermost parts of the Earth which they themselves could not do but in and by those Bishops that succeeded them in all the ordinary duties of the Apostles and therefore no forehead were it of Brasse can deny these to be the witnesses of Christ without blushing when Christ himself doth affirm it And so you see plainly Zechary 4.14 that these two which are indeed the Sonnes of the Olive Tree the two onely Offices and Callings that are the annointed of God and the two Candlesticks that hold up the light of the two Testaments the King by the strength of his Sword and the Bishops by the faithfull preaching of Gods word are the two witnesses of Jesus Christ and therefore well may the King and the inferiour Magistrates under him and the Bishop with his subordinate Clergy like Moses and Aaron the supreme Magistrate and the High Priest be rightly termed the two Witnesses of Jesus Christ in every Kingdom and Commonwealth Then after that the Angell had intimated unto the Apostle c. 11. v. 4. who are to be understood by these two Witnesses by terming them the two Olive Trees that is the two annoynted Officers of Gods Church and the two Candlesticks that do beare and uphold the true light of the Gospel unto the people he proceeds to shew the Power and Abilities c. 11. v. 5. 6. the gifts and Endowments that God would bestow upon them both for to inable them to build up the Temple that was measured that is to edifie and to enlarge the Christian Church and also to protect themselves against their Enemies and to punish those that should be refractory and to shew for how long a time they should freely and fairely enjoy this power and liberty to build this Church for saith the Angel these two Witnesses shall have power to poewr out fire out of their mouth Numbers 16. 2 Reg. 1. Jerem. 5.14 Their power was the same as Christ gave to his Apostles and God to Moses to destroy their Enemies that go about to hurt them and they shall have power to shut the Heavens that it raine not in the dayes of their Prophesie and they shall have power over waters to turn them to blood and to smite the earth with all Plagues as often as they will And these powers and Abilities are the very same that Christ had formerly given unto his Apostles and their successors the Bishops and Governors of his Church and the very same powers and abilities that God long before had given and granted unto Moses and to all his successors that supply his place and office the Kings and cheif Magistrates that are as he was to rule over and to govern Gods people for our Saviour tells St. Peter that he will give to him the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven that is of the Church which is the way that brings us to the Kingdome of Heaven and whatsoever he shall bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever he shall leose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven and this power he gave not only to St. Peter but also to all the rest of the Apostles and their Successors for ever as you may see in Math. 18. v. 18. and John the 20. v. 23. Math. 16.19 so Mr. Mede part 2. pag 11. And so according to this power granted unto the Apostles and Bishops that are the Governours of the Church and have the Keyes thereof the sentence of Excommunication or the shutting out of the Church and the delivery of the lewd and wicked refractory person unto Satan as the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 5.5 The sentence of excommunication is the fire and the key is the fire that proceedeth out of the mouth of
the Divines into their Cloysters which was the Churches Heaven upon Earth and he will not so part with her Mr. Mede pag. 40. What is meant by the War of Michael and his Angels against the Dragon and his Angels as there to let her escape free from his assault but be will now prosecute another kind of Combate with her which he had only begun before when he saw himself like to be worsted in the former conflicts and that Combate shall be not as E. H. and Mr. Mede do imagine the bloody Warrs of the persecuting Tyrants which was already past and the Dragon failed of his purpose therein but bellum dogmaticum a verball Warr that is a spirituall Scholastick and Ecclesiasticall War like the Pharsalian civil War of the Romans when a Kingdome is divided amongst it self which is the Worst and most dangerous of all Wars and so is this Ecclesiasticall War that the Hereticks and their grand Captaines the Proselites of Arius Nestorius Eutyches Pelagius Manichaeus Aerius the Trinitarians Millenaries and the rest of that litter did still prosecute to molest the Church of Christ And my reasons to prove this War to be no Bloody War The hereticall War but rather a spirituall and Ecclesiasticall War are these Reason 1 1. Because this War is said to be in Heaven which cannot signifie the seat and place of the Blessed Angels and of the Saints departed out of this life because that neither War nor sorrow nor any other trouble can come there and therefore the seat of this War must be not the World simply considered which is never called Heaven but the Church of God which is the Christians Heaven here upon Earth and the Arke that carrieth us through the Seas of this World into the Eternall Heaven and therefore this War being said to be rather in the Church then in the World when as our Saviour speaking of our bloody Wars saith in the World you shall have Tribulations must needs be an Ecclesiasticall Hereticall and no bloody War no worldly War Reason 2 2. Because it is said that Michael and his Angels that is Christ and the true Bishops and Pastors of his Church that are called the Angels of the Churches and not Michael and his Princes Revelat. 1.20 fought against the Dragon and his Angels and not as it is said in Daniel that he affisted his Angel against the King of Persia but with the Dragon and his Angels Dan. 10.13 that is the Devil and his false Prophets the Hereticks that molested the Church and corrupted the true faith and the right Service of God and yet as their Master the Devil transformeth himself into an Angel of light as the Apostle speaketh so will the false Prophets be deemed and esteemed Angels but this Heavenly Angel tells us they are the Angels of the Dragon that make this War with the Angels of Christ Reason 3 3. And lastly because that in this War we find none slaine nor any blood spilt as they were under the persecuting Tyrants as well the Arian Kings as the Pagan Emperors and therefore this War must needs be understood of no Forreigne bloody War but of a Verball spirituall Warr waged within the bosome of the Church that happened after the death of Theodosius who had freed the Church from all externall Wars and bloody persecutions but could not stop the mouth of the false Prophet nor hinder the Dragon and his Angels to raise and prosecute this Hereticall War And yet now How the Church prevailed against the Hereticks as the Woman formerly prevailed in the first War against the bloody Instruments of the Dragon that were vanquished in patientia Martyrum through the patience of the Martyrs and the sufferings of the Saints so here in this second War she gets the Victory over her Enemies and the Dragon is overcome c. 12. v. 11. by the blood of the Lamb and his Angels vanquished by the word of their Testimony v. 11. that is the Hereticks and Scismaticks were confuted and silenced in prudentia Doctorum by the Wisdome of the Bishops that were the Governours of the Church and by their learned writings and faithfull Preaching of Gods truth and not with the Sword or Cannon shot or any other such outward force which the Angels of Jesus Christ the Ministers of the Gospel never use as the Angels of the Dragon do and now did in many places because they are commanded with St. Peter to put up their Sword into the sheath and it is for none but the satellites of the high Priests Math. 26.52 and the Jannizaries of the Antichrist to come out against Christ and to fight against his Witnesses with Swords and Staves Then Mr. Mede pag. 40. Michael significat quis sicut deus certe nullus nifi Jesus Christus the Dragon being by Michael that is by the power and Wisdome of God that is Jesus Christ which Michael fignifieth and not by any one of the chief Princes or of the seven Arch Angels as Mr. Mede thinketh cast out of Heaven that is driven from the Church as he did the buyers and sellers out of the Temple when all the errors heresies and superstitions which the Devil by his prime Angells the Heresiarches had invented and sowed amongst Gods people were confuted and rooted out of these our reformed Churches and these Churches restored to their Pristine purity and setled in the right forme of serving God by the painefull diligence of the learned Bishops the Pastors and the Protestant Preachers of Gods word which was fairly begun in Queen Elizabeths time The Victory in this War when obtained continued and bettered in King James his Reign but not clearly done and perfectly finished untill King Charles his dayes nor any where so purely done as in these our dominions as I have fully proved unto you before there ensued a two-fold act or a double consequence of this great Victory of Michael and his Angels over the Dragon and his Angels 1. The Tryumph rejoycing and Jo-paean of the Conquerors The twofold Consequence of the Church his Victory over the Hereticks cap. 12.11 the Inhabitants of Heaven 2. The fretfull wrath and continued malice of the Conquered Dragon 1. In Heaven that is in the Church of God as I said before St. John heard a loud voyce saying now is come Salvation and strength and the Kingdome of our God and the power of his Church c. 12. v. 10. where you must first observe the Emphasis in the word now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now is Salvation come and it was come long before when Christ had fully purchased our Redemption before his Ascention into Heaven but I conceive this Salvation to be meant not of our spirituall and eternall Salvation from Sin Hell and Satan which was come by Christ long before but for our Temporall Salvation and deliverance from the power and malice of our Enemies and that was now come that is fully and perfectly
come A speciall observation of the time of this rejoycing and not before because that till now the Church was exercised either with bloody persecutions from without or with intestine broyles and heresies from within but now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the accuser and false traducer of our Brethren the Holy Prophets and the Apostles of Christ by misapplying their sayings misconstring their words and perverting their meaning and making them to say that which they never thought as all Hereticks do being cast out of the Church and quite vanquished consuted and silenced 1. By the blood of the Lamb that is by the faith which the true Christians had in the death of Christ and by the patient sufferings of the Martyrs for the defence of that faith in the former persecutions both of the Pagans and Arians when they loved not their lives unto death but valued them as nothing and yielded them most freely for the maintenance of that Faith which they had in the blood of the Lamb. and 2. by the word of their Testimony that is the breif Articles of their faith and the uniforme rule of Serving God and by the constant firme and faithfull justifying and maintaining the truth of that Doctrine and Service which they professed and published unto the people against all Hereticks whatsoever Therefore now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 12. rejoyce you Heavens Use 12 1. The rejoycing of the Angels and Saints the Church tryumphant and militant for the suppression of the Hereticks and ye that dwell in them that is the highest Heavens and all you Blessed Spirits and Holy Angells that do rejoyce at the Conversion of one Sinner rejoyce now much more for these great Victories and especially for this last victory that Michael and his Angels hath obtained against the Dragon and his Angels and you the Metaphoricall Heavens the Churches of God wherein God resideth rejoyce you as you have most cause to rejoyce that the accuser of your brethren and the false traducer of the Apostles and Holy Fathers of the Church is cast out from amongst you and your Churches are purely reformed the doctrine of faith truely taught and the service of God righty administred and all errors heresies and superstitions swept out of the Church But woe to the Inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea v. 12. that is Who are meant by the inhabitants of the earth and of the Sea to the Worldlings Hypocrites bloody men and loose livers for the earth signifyeth earthly men and the Sea is a loose roaring and raging element cold and moyst and therefore signifieth the loose and dissolute livers roarers and furious men that have not any heat of Love and Charity in them and those also that for the love of gaine and profit only and not out of love to benefit their Countrey and their Neighbours and to shew the bountifull goodness of God to all places but onely out of a covetous desire to inrich themselves do passe all Seas into all forreign Lands woe woe unto all those because that he which could not and can not prevail against the true Christians that do so firmly stand and so stoutly oppose him will be sure to catch these soon enough within his net and hold them fast enough to make them pay for all because as the Holy Ghost saith he hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great wrath and is exceedingly troubled and vexed not onely for his former foyl and his casting out of Heaven but also most especially for that now after these victories he knoweth or as the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he seeth that he hath but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a short space to recruit and to see if he can revenge his former foyls and therefore 2. 2. The bloody and the most malicious persecution of the Dragon after the suppression of the Hereticks He goeth presently among the Inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea and perswades them to throw all the stones of the Earth and to stir up all the waves of the Sea and to use all possible arts to vex and oppress the woman and to overwhelm the Ship of Christ which is the Church in the Seas of all miseries and afflictions And so now the Dragon begins a fresh to rage and to persecute the woman saith the Holy Ghost v. 13. which brought forth the man-child and to vex and molest all her Children all the true and faithfull members of the Church whereof most of them especially her lay children were left prety quiet while the spirituall and dogmaticall warre lasted that raged most of all amongst the Clergy but now that warre being ended the Church reformed superstitions expunged and all the Heresies confuted the Dragon vanquished his Angels suppressed and the service of God purely and rightly discharged the true Church and all her members the corrupted unreformed Churches he hath them in his hands already so that he need not trouble himself to meddle with them are newly molested and exceedingly persecuted with great wrath saith the Angel and that is with a bloody warre and a greater warre and a far more unnaturall and unchristian warre and a more violent and more malicious prosecution of the warre and persecution of them that were quiet in the Land then ever was done by this Dragon at any time before this time And the reason of the exceeding greatness and sharpness of this persecution of the true Church The reason of the sharpness of this persecution shewed signified by this woman is not omitted to be set down by the Holy Ghost for the comfort and consolation of all the persecuted Saints and distressed members of Christ and for to incourage them with the more constancy to persist and to withstand the assaults of the Dragon unto the end and that is because the Dragon that in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had many hundred years to prosecute that heriticall and dogmaticall war yet now knoweth and seeth that he hath but a short time to rage and to wage this newly revived bloody war and therefore he must bestir himself or he shall lose his Harvest that hath but a short time to gather in his fruit and that time that he is permitted thus to rage against the woman as the spirit of God sets it down Cap. 12.14 c. 11 8 v. 11. c. 13 5. c. 11.2 is but a time and times and half a time which signifieth the three dayes and a half that the two witnesses of Christ shall lie unburied in the streets of the great City and the 42 moneths wherein the beast should prevail against Gods Servants and should tread the holy City that is the purest Church under feet for all these times thus exprest by severall termes and expressions The suppression of the witnesses and persecution of the Church the same time as of time times and half a time and three dayes and a half and 42 moneths and do synechronize and cohere for the
persecution of the woman v. 16. he moved the earth to help this distressed woman and to open her mouth and to swallow up the flood which the Dragon had cast out of his mouth v. 16 Where you may see and should consider it How the senceless creatures do their service unto God how the senceless creatures are obedient Instruments to do their service unto God both to punish the wicked and to help the godly as the raging Sea was a wall of defence unto the Israelites on every side and a grievous gulf to devoure Pharaoh and all his Host so here the dead earth that opened her mouth to swallow up Dathan and to cover the Congregation of Abiram for their wickednesse doth now likewise according to the letter open her mouth to swallow up the flood that the Dragon had caest after the Woman to preserve her from being ruined by that flood But here we are to inquire what is meant by this earth that hath a mouth to be opened for the defence and preservation of the woman and it is strange unto me that so learned a man Mr. Mede pag. 47. as Mr. Mede should by the earth understand the Bishops and Doctors that were gathered together in the generall Counsells because I cannot remember any place of Scripture where the Godly Religious and spirituall men are expressed and are to be understood by the earth because that although all flesh is Grass and every man is but dust and ashes and therefore the Prophet saith O Earth Earth Earth hear the Word of the Lord yet being regenerated and filled with the graces of Gods spirit and having their thoughts and their desires mounted up from the earth and their Conversation in Heaven they are never termed Earth but as the Church here and in many other places is called Heaven so are they stiled spiritual men though their bodyes be nothing but earth And therefore I conceive the meaning of the words to be that God in the time of this persecution of the Woman â— 12.10 v. 7. and affliction of his Church inspired some men and moved them that otherwise were as earthly and as worldly minded as any others What is meant by the earth that helped the the Woman though not altogether so malicious and so bloody as the rest to open their mouthes and to out vote the worser and most spitefull sort of the instruments of the Dragon that they should not utterly destroy all the Children of the Woman and Servants of God but should suffer them to live which the more virulent party would have quite extinguished and to let them compound for their Estates that they might have some small livelihood to support them Whether this also was not fulfilled in and by the long Parliament let the Reader judge Prov. 16.7 after all their plundering and persecution and so God dealeth with them that serve him and continue constant to discharge their duties that as the Prophet speaketh he maketh their enemies to become their friends and to be their helpers as here the very worldlings do open their mouthes and make speeches to preserve many of Gods Children And whether such a thing as this happened not in the last long Parliament I leave it to my judicious Reader to consider it Therefore the Dragon not satisfied with all the former miseries of the Woman and all the persecutions of her Children which hitherto they had suffered but his wrath being still inraged to see any help or comfort afforded to the Woman he spurs and instigates his instruments the beast and his associats to make war with the remnant of the Womans seed which keep the Commandements of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ v. 17. v. 17. that is the Dragon moveth the beast to be incensed and inraged against those that after the death of the Witnesses and the small relief and breathing time Who are meant by the remnant of the Womans seed that some members of the Church have had will not submit themselves to do the service which the Dragon by the beast prescribeth and yeeld themselves to be seduced by the false Prophet which are the Angels of the Dragon but will constantly adhere to Gods right service and the established forme of Gods Worship and continue faithfull observers of the Lawes discipline and doctrine of the slaine Witnesses And is not this also fulfilled let the ejected Ministers judge of it these now must beare the brunt and malice of the beast the poore and small remainder of the true and faithfull Servants of God which notwithstanding all their persecution and deprivation and all other sufferings whatsoever will keep the Commandements of God and have therefore the Testimony of Jesus Christ that they are Gods faithfull Servants and not such as will turne with every blast of wind and be carryed away with a little worldly preferment And thus I have run over this 12th Chapter of the Revelation and have in a plaine stile set downe what I conceive to be the true meaning of the same how the Holy Ghost therein sheweth the state and condition of the Church of Christ from the time of that Godly Emperour Theodosius about the year 382. for the space of 1200. and 60 years which ended about the year 1642. about which time after the first Woe is past by the invasion of the Turkish and Mahometan Tyrants into Christendome and the defacing of the Christian Churches and defiling the true Faith in the East Empire the Dragon as the Holy Ghost here saith should more maliciously begin by the Ministery of his chiefest instrument the great Antichrist his greatest and sorest persecution against the Church of Christ expressed here under the person of this Woman that hath these floods of waters sorrowes and afflictions thrown after her the which persecution according to the old adage si longa sit afflictio levis est si gravis brevis est if thy trouble be long it is but light if great it is short quiae nullum violentum est perpetuum because no violent thing is able to continue very long because it should be so great and so grievous the spirit of God tells us it should continue but for a short space and a few years and when the same shall be ended and fully expired the second woe shall be past and then after the end of this bloody persecution and the expiration of this second woe the third and last woe saith the Angel is quickly to be expected and shall not long be deferred before it commeth and this last woe shall be poured out in a full measure upon the Turks and Mahometans the supplanters of the Easterne Churches and upon the Antichrist and his adherents the great persecutors of the true reformed protestant Church and upon the Popish superstitious and Idolatrous Corrupters of the rest of the Westerne Churches and upon the false Prophet the Chapleins of the Antichrist and upon all other Hypocriticall
concernment to the whole Church it should be very well plainly and sufficiently proved and manifested and not darkly and improbably demonstrated or else it ought hardly to be received and not at all to be beleeved 4. Whereas pag. 2. of this interpretation he saith that because oppositorum eadem estratio and that the mysterie of 144. to which this number of 666 is opposed is contained in the roote thereof which is 12 therefore the mysterie of this 666. must be contained in the roote thereof which is 25. I say that the misterie of 144. is indeed interpreted to consist in the roote thereof which is 12. which being 12 times multiplied doe make up just 144. and yet the Holy Ghost maketh no such interpretation of it but that those spirits which beleeve nothing but the expresse text of scripture may as easily reject it as receive it but being granted that this is rightly interpreted because the twelve Apostles St. Paul left out that laboured in the building more then any if not then most of them all were the foundations of the wall of the new and spirituall Jerusalem yet it followeth not that because this mysterie must be explained by the extraction of the roote of 144. therefore the other mystery that denoteth the beast must consist in the roote of 666 no more then the mysteries of many other numbers expressed in scripture can be said to consist in their extracted rootes and though the beast be opposite to Christ and the Synagogue of Satan opposite to the Church of Christ or Babylon to Jerusalem yet this doth not in any understanding prove that 666 is more opposite to 144. as it is a set number then it is to 444 or to any other definite number 333 being as I conceive a more oppofite number in respect of division to 666. Onely this 666 is said to be the number of the beast in direct and plain termes and the other number of 144 is interpreted by some authors to be understood of the Church militant here on earth and by others of as good repute to be the typicall expression of the Kingdome of Heaven Besides the twelve Apostles were but the foundations of this wall as having their names in them v. 14. the wall being made up of other stones that is of all the beleeving christians and so it comprehendeth the whole Church and then the opposition must be not betwixt the Hierarchie of the Pope and his Cardinals and the Hierarchie of the Christian Church but betwixt the whole Church of Christ whose wall and not whose foundation v. 17. was 144 cubits and the whole Synagogue of Satan that is made up of theeves infidels and all other wicked reprobates therefore the Pope and his Cardinals cannot be the the beast that by this exposition of opposites must fignifie all the whole companie of reprobates which is far contrarie to the meaning of the Holy Ghost that plainly differenceth the beast and the worshipers and followers of the beast as the Lambe and the followers of the Lambe are not the same But indeed contrarie to the opinion of Mr. Forbes and some other that make this vision of the new Ierusalem to be typus presentis ecclesiae a type of the militant Church I shall with many of the most ancient interpreters denie this discription of the new Ierusalem to be the type of the Christian militant Church and say that ad captum nostrum that can reach no higher then demonstration this admirable explication of this citty is thus set down to shew unto us those ineffable excellencies and most glorious estate which the servants of Christ shall enjoy in the kingdome of Heaven for if you observe the coherence of this 21 c. with the former you shall finde there c. 20. that the beast and the false prophet and the devill are cast into the lake of fire to be tormented for ever and ever v. 10. and the dead both smale and great were all judged according to their works v. 12 and death and bell and all that were not written in the booke of life were cast into the lake of fire which can be no other then the last judgement against all the reprobates this is the end of them And then after St. Iohn had shewed the end of them and their sad condition for ever he proceeds in the 21 c. to shew unto us according to the best of our apprehension the most happie state and condition of the children of God in heaven which he expresseth under this type that he saw a new heaven and a new earth even as St Peter and before him the prophet Esay long agone had prophysied and foretold the servants of God how happie they should be and because that which is no where is not at all as St. Aug. Tolle spatia locorum corporibus nusquam erunt et quia nusquam erunt non erunt saith therefore he describeth the place where they shall remain in bliss under this type of the new Ierusalem whose excellent frame and figure he doth here so amply describe unto us wherein you may observe that the things attributed to the Cittizens of this new Ierusalem are incompatible with the members of the church militant for it is said that God shallwipe away all teares from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more paine v. 4. which cannot be referred and applied to the members of the purest church on earth and so many other things are set down c. 22. to be in this heavenly Cittie which cannot without apparant violence unto the text properly be thought to be in the militunt church but are most elegant expressions by way of allusion of those incomprehensible excellencies that the saints shall finde in the kingdome of heaven 5. Whereas he saith pag. 3. that it is not said as it is observed by many let him that hath understanding count the name of the beast but count the number of the beast I answer that in c. 13. v. 17. it is said that no man might buy or sell but he that had the marke or the name of the beast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the number of his name therefore the number of the beast and the number of his name are all one and so both the one and the other both signifying the same thing are said to contain therein the just number of 666 when as the number of the beast is put down for the number of the name of the beast 6. Whereas he saith c. 2. pag. 5. that the mysterie of 144. consisteth in the square roote of it which is 12. I answer as before that I doe not gain-say it but for the oppositio of 666 to this 144 that the mysterie of the 666. must consist in the square roote of it which is 25. as the mysterie of a 144 confisteth in the square roote of it which is 12 I utterly denie untill he can bring me
they are men be they of what religion soever they please their different sense should not make us to destroy them so long as they live peaceably amongst us as you know the Sodomites permitted Lot that professed not their religion and the severe Pharisees suffered both the Sadduces and Essaei to enjoy both their lands and their estates without troubling them for their religion and would you make the Christian religion more unjust and worse then these Sure none would do that but the great Antichrist that would hinder all to think well of the religion of Christ Therefore I hope your wisdomes and justice will be so far from confirming any injustice done by that long Parliament or their under-agents either to these displanted Irish or ejected Clergy or any others that you will christianly redresse what they have so unjustly done amisse lest the continuance of these crying wrongs here on earth do pull down upon us all the flying vengeance of God Vivat Rex currat lex fiat justitia ruat mundus from heaven Because the good God is just and loveth justice hating all oppressions and wrongs and therefore as I would not belie the Father of lies so I would not do any injustice to the very devils and let no sinister aspect bend you from the straight rule of justice and if you will not redresse the too much wrong that we have suffered already I beseech you confirm them not by any new lawes to make your selves partakers of their sins and to make us still to crye with the soules under the Altar how long Lord holy and true but let us have the benefit of our old lawes that were justly made and if you will not nullify all the acts that are without our late Kings assent or perhaps cannot do it because so many of that long Parliament are members of this present Parliament contrary to the desires of many yet let the justice of our old lawes still continue and we shall still continue our prayers to God that he may still continue his blessings both to you and yours which is and shall be the daily prayers of Your most humble and faithfull Oratour to serve you Gr. Ossory Gentle and Christian READER THis book as very many can bear witnesse was fully finished above two years agone in the time of Oliver the usurper and I was very ready then to undergoe the danger that should ensue the publishing thereof and was as earnest to have it printed but either because some of the things prophesied of as the reviving of the witnesses were not as then fulfilled or because of some fears which my friends conceived from the Governours that then ruled I could not by any means get it to passe through the presse but now all the prophesies that are any where in the holy Scripture mentioned concerning the coming and the proceedings of the Antichrist being fully and cleerlie fulfilled and come to passe as I have shewed in this book save onely one part of the last prophesie touching the resuscitation of the last witnesse which some suppose to be unfulfilled and the Presbyterians hope will never be as we explain it and we conceive it done or as good as done already when as Christ said to Saint Peter tu conversus confirma fratres so Gods prime and principal witnesse being so gloriously risen to the joy of all hearts he will do as Christ willeth him stretch forth his royall hand as Christ did to Saint Peter to pull the other witnesse out of those waves that were so ready to swallow them up and set them to the sterne of the ship again and then as Solomon saith spes impiorum peribit Therefore as I have been at all the paines in composing it so I resolved by Gods assistance and only for the service of Gods Church to undergoe any cost to the uttermost of my ability to publish it unto the world and to bear all the blame aspersions or punishment that either friend or foe publick or private can lay upon me for the same for I call heaven and earth to witnesse that I have long studied and seriously meditated upon the sense and meaning of the Holy Ghost in those places of the Scriptures that foretold us of the coming of the great and egregious Antichrist and I have often prayed and most earnestly and heartily desired of my God to grant me the true and right understanding thereof as who he should be where he should rise what feats and Tragedies he should effect how long he should continue by what means he might be discovered and how he should be subdued and at last utterly destroyed and I believe God hath now granted my request and that I have rightly and most truly explained those holy Scriptures that speak of him And if the presbyterians can give me satisfaction that I am mistaken herein I shall very willingly recant and be most heartily sorry for mine errour but if they be not able to demonstrate my mistakings as I assure my self the beast with all his power and the false Prophet with all his skill and putting all their heads together shall never be able to do then I intreat them not to be like the Galathians to become mine enemies for speaking the truth but to consider well what they do because God will not be mocked and it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God for my witnesse is in heaven that I bear not any malice or any the least ill will to any one of all the Presbyterians or to any other of the members of the long Parliament or their adherents neither wrote I these things out of any excessive sense that I ever conceived of any injury that was done unto my selfe nor especially for any hope of profit or preferment when a Presbyterian told me The publishing of this treatise would be my ruine but Paupertas orbitas senectus the no losse of Lordships the no infants to cry after me and the years of mans life which are threescore yeares and ten being already past in me long agoe and I being very ready and willing for causes heretofore shewed to under goe what death soever it shall please God to impose upon me In the Epistle to the Reader before the seven golden candlesticks either on a block or a gibbet or a pillow so it be for the discharging of my duty it is not a pin matter for a good conscience which of these he must abide Quia nec nobis ignominiosum est pati quod passus est Christus nec illis gloriosum est facere quod fecit Judas vel Pilatus For seeing my Saviour and my King were so served why should I think much to be so likewise used and therefore his threatnings could not frighten me from divulging the same unto the world and that for these four special ends 1. To do my best endeavour to bring the members of the beast and the false Prophet
Godliness 2 Tim. 3.5 and thereby 2 Tim. 3.5 saith the Apostle they shall turn the Grace of God into wantonness that is turne the true Service of God into vain jangling and a foolish senceless prating and so probably prove themselves to be just like Jannes and Jambres that resisted Moses who was their chief Governour and King in Jeshuron and like Corah Dathan and Abiram that as the Prophet saith angred Moses in their Tents and Aaron the Saint of the Lord Psal 106.16 and so despised rebelled and would have destroyed both the Civil Magistrate and the Ecclesiastical Governours of Gods Church which Offices themselves desired and aimed at and would have obtained if God by his fearful Judgment had not prevented them And according to these Prophesies and Predictions That all the aforesaid things came to pass according as they were foreshewed and the like 1. Of Deceivers and Corrupters of Gods Truth 2. Of a Faithful Reformation of all in-crept Errours and Abuses And 3. Of a Faithless Apostasie and Rebellion against the Reformers of the same and the Defenders of Gods Service by a company of Hypocritical Zealots we find by the successes saith one and I think very right that all these things happened just as they were fore-shewed by the Apostle as in other places so likewise in this our Church of Ingland For after that the Pope and the Church of Rome had fallen away from some Points of the true Faith Arise Evans in his voice from Heaven p. 18 19. and had privily as I shewed before brought in divers Errours Abuses and Superstitions which defiled the Purity and blemished the Beauty of our Church as of many other particular Churches besides Martyn Luther steps up and falls out with the Pope for and about the Sale of his Indulgences by his Factor Tercelius whom the Pope then employed for that business and then he bitterly inveigheth against his Holiness for this and the other Corruptions of the German Church that were no less as they said than centum gravamina a hundred grievances Fasciculus rerum extendarum King Hen. the 8. writes against Luther which were presented to Pope Adrian the 6th with an earnest desire of a speedy redress as you may find it in fasciculo rerum expetendarum Hereupon King Henry the 8. it may be in Requital of the Popes favour that granted him a dispensation to marry his Brothers Wife writes a Book against Luther and therein blames him very much for apostatizing and starting aside from his Mother the Church of Rome and contrary to his Faith and Oath and all good manners so eagerly to oppose and so bitterly to rail against his holy Father the Pope and so to the uttermost of his Learning that was both an understanding wise and Learned King he defends the Faith together with the Corruptions of the Roman Church or rather maintaines the Errours and Superstitions of that Church together with so much of the true Faith as the Pope and the Church of Rome did then profess King Hen. 8. his double recompence for his book against Luther 1. Recompence and for this Royal Engagement of the King against Luther the King receives a double Recompense 1. The one from Luther his great Antagonist 2. The other from the Pope his dear Client For 1. Luther in the heat of his Fury and the heighth of his German spirit railes as much against the King and calls him as I read it in his own Book and not out of any other Transcriber asinissimus Rex an unseemly term as I conceive for a poor Monk to give to so great a King and as I said none of the meanest Clerks as he had formerly done against the Pope which bitter Invectives against a Father in the Church and the Patriarch of all the Western Churches Tilenus exeges pag. 29. Aphor. 104. p. 20. as the Primitive Counsels term him qui in ordine primus fuit inter Patriarchas primum ordine in Apostolorum collegio eum esse non inviti concedimus saith Tilenus and such uncivil behaviour towards Kings Luther blamed for his too much bitternesse and unseemly terms Matth. 11.29 that are the Lords Anointed be they what they will when I read not upon the credit of others but in his own Tractates as I thought very well of many things that he wrote so I should have thought much better of all the rest but that I conceived so much bitterness mingled with such a measure of Gall and Vinegar as dropped from his Pen not against the sins but against the Persons of men could not be distilled from the spirit of God which is a Spirit of Meekness and Lowliness as our Saviour testifieth But 2. 2. Recompence The Pope for this Scholastick Defence of the Faith of the Roman Church by the King which the Pope himself should have done by his Pen and desired the King to have assisted him by his Sword gives to him and to his Successors the Kings of Ingland the just good and honourable Title of Defender of the Faith that is the True and Christian Faith or the Faith of Gods Elect which was pretended to be then in Rome and is now defended by the King And though King Henry obtained this Eulogy this Title and this Authority upon a wrong ground because he defended a wrong Faith yet as Jacob got the blessing upon an untrue suggestion that he was his father Isaac's eldest son even his first-born Esau but being once gotten he still retained it So did the King Genes 27.19 when he fell out with the Pope and fell from the Pope about his divorce from Queen Katherine which the Pope upon good grounds would not admit still retain that Title How the Faith was defended in Ingland and especially the truth and substance of that Title and maintained the same as a King with his sword which he had gained as a Priest with his pen and so did his son and his Successor after him Edward the 6th continue a royal defender of the true faith and when Queen Mary would have remitted the Title and permitted the faith to be undefended and the truth to be corrupted in this Kingdome the witnesses of Christ his Gospel the holy Martyrs of our Church Cranmer Latymer Ridley 3 reverend Bishops and the rest of those holy Champions stood up and defended the same unto death with the sheding of their blood and the loss of their dearest lives And after Queen Maries time Q. Elizabeth like another Deborah with the advice and assistance of all the godly Bishops and the best of all the Divines in her Kingdom concluded and set forth the Articles of our Church and that perfect form of Godliness the Liturgy and book of common prayer and service of God which they composed with a free liberty from her majesty at home and without any fear either of Pope or any other forraign Authority abroad And this faith
others are of the same judgment and do take the Antichrist to signifie the Papal State and Kingdom and so Bishop Downam Thomson Shelden and many more do say he can be no single and one singular Person but a multitude of men which many of the best Authors do conceive to be made up of single Persons succeeding one another as Hyperius saith and they can be none other as they suppose than Series Paparum the whole Classie of the Popes On the other side E. H. de Antichristo p. 82. E. H. doth constantly and confidently affirm that not only the restrictive Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prefixed to each one of his Names and Titles as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the like but also the things attributed to him and likewise the time of his continuance and many other particular Circumstances and reasons do evince Bellarm. de Romano Pontifice l. 3. c. 2. Montagu appello Caesarem P. 148. that the Great Antichrist can be but one single singular and individual Person and so Cardinal Bellarm. though he confesseth that somtimes this name of Antichrist is taken communiter for any wicked Opposer of Christ and his Kingdom as Bishop Montagu likewise saith and as it is most true yet he averreth that where the Apostle prefixeth the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifieth none or no more than one only single and singular Person because as Epiphanius saith Articuli Graeci contr ahunt significationem ad unam rem certam the Greek Articles do contract and tie the signification to one certain thing Epiphan Haeresi 9. quae est Samaritanorum John 5.43 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth any man in common but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noteth this or that singular man And the Cardinal would needs prove him to be but a singular and single Person because our Saviour saith I came in my Fathers name and you receive me not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but if another shall come in his own name him you will receive but indeed here is a Fallacy saith Thomson 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be the Singular number yet the Grammarians tell us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth another as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noteth the second of any two but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intimateth any one of many and so our Saviour meaneth not here to single out any one only opponent to him Acts 5.35 36. Eusch l. 4. c 6. Dr Abbats de Antichristo but he speaketh of any one indefinitely whether Theudas or Judas of Galilee whom Gamaliel mentioneth or Barchochebas of whom Euseb speaketh or any other false Impostor whatsoever And therefore it is well observed by Dr. Abbats that what our Saviour speaketh here in the singular number indefinitely of any one he delivereth the same thing expresly in the Plural number when he saith Many shall come in my Name Matth. 24.5 saying I am Christ and shall deceive many though our Saviour doth not in this Chapter speak of the Great Antichrist but of those false Prophets that should come and deceive the Jews and so likewise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not determinate any one single Person nor mean here the Great Antichrist but indefinitely signifieth that the Jews which refused to receive Christ would receive as they did any other false Christ that came in his own Name which is the very Exposition of Maldonat Maldonat in Johan c. 5.43 and yet the truth is that as Ecclesia Credentium corpus cum Capite the whole Church of the Faithful the Body with the Head is said to be and is but one Christ as where our Saviour saith no man ascendeth up to Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but he that came down from Heaven the Son of man which is in Heaven John 3.13 where I hope the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 twice prefixed doth not so sinifie the Person of Christ as to exclude the rest of his Faithful Servants his Members from ascending thither but this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Son of man signifieth Christ mystically understood that is That Christ the head and the Church his members are termed Christ whole Christ the Head and all his Members and so taken none ascendeth but he that descended though as St. Bernard saith aliter ascendit quam descendit he ascendeth otherwise than he desended for he descended naked only in his Divinity but he ascendeth cloathed with our Humanity and he descended only as the Head of his Church but he ascendeth with all his Members and his whole Body that is his Church which together with the Head do make but one Son of man and one Christ for so Christ saith unto Saul Why persecutest thou me because in good propriety of speech Acts 9 4. that may often be well spoken of the whole and so understood which is truly proper to any one part as I am ill when my Head only aketh or they have put me into the stocks when my feet alone were set therein And so in Gal. 3.16 Gal. 3.16 By Christ is understood the whole Church of Christ united unto Christ as to her Head And so likewise when the Dragon is said to stand before the Woman that when she was delivered he might devour her Child the Child saith Junius Junius in Annot in Apoc. 12. signifieth Christum quem vocant mysticum id est totum ex Persona Christi velut capite ex corpore cum capite per spiritum adunato constantem that is whole Christ which they call mystical Christ consisting of the Person of Christ as the Head and of the Body as is the Church united unto the Head by the spirit and so saith he the appellation of Christ is taken in 1 Cor. 12.12 Where the Apostle saith as the Body is one 1 Cor. 12.12 and hath many Members and all the Members of that one Body being many are but one Body so also is Christ And I say That the great Antichrist is a collected multitude of most wicked men and an Armageddon which being compounded of cherem and gedud fignifieth exercitus maledictus an accursed Army that as thus Christ our Saviour and the whole Company of the Godly and Faithful Christians are termed Christ so likewise Ecclesia Malignantium the Congregation of the wicked and as Primasius calls them the whole Body of the Devil which are all the Company of wicked Reprobates and ungodly men are in the singular number somtimes termed the City of Babylon somtimes the Beast somtimes the great whore and Jezabel the painted Harlot as if they were all but one woman and one spouse of their Head and Husband the Devil somtimes the Synagogue of Satan where they meet and combine themselves to serve and to worship him and somtimes the Antichrist that is the adversary and opposer of Christ and the man of sin
of that is such a rebellion as Corah Dathan and Abiram stirred up against Moses and Aaron and such a discession and falling away from the true faith and the right service of God which they formerly professed as neither leaves the fundamentals of Christian Religion undigged up or unshaken nor the appearance of a true visible Church among the people For that all the people of Ingland were very faithfull and loyal Subjects and most respectively obedient unto their Governors both their Kings and their Bishops That the people of Ingland were good subjects true believers and right worshippers of God during all the raign of Q. Elizabeth King James and many years of King Charles as any Nation under heaven I think I do verily believe no man can justly deny So likewise that all the subordinate Clergy did ex animo subscribe and unfainedly profess to uphold and maintain the 39 Articles of the Church of Ingland and the established Discipline thereof and did accordingly for well nigh a century of years use to teach the people to believe that Doctrine and to observe that discipline as the true Christian Faith and the right Government that Christ and his Apostles for the preservation of that faith hath left unto his Church and also that the people and Congregations throughout all this Kingdome had the true faith preached unto them and the right service of God the 3 authentick Creeds repeated the Lords Prayer used the 10 Commandments published the 2 blessed Sacraments administred and all the other prayers and service of God that the Governors of Gods Church prescribed were observed practised and professed by them I am very sure and consident hereof and I believe no man will gainsay the same And therefore this Church had and did profess the true faith and Doctrine of Christ and did use to serve God rightly and to be obedient to their Governors both Magistrates and Ministers for many years according to the form prescribed unto them And you may remember how you read in Revel 6.9 that the soules which S. John saw under the altar and cryed to God to avenge their blood on them that dwell on the earth are said to be slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held and why I pray you doth the holy Ghost make such a distinction betwixt the word of God and the testimony which they held but to shew unto us that these soules had collected out of the Bible which containeth all the word of God the chiefest heads and points that are to be known believed and practiced for the true worship of God and their own Salvation and so compiled an abstract of Gods word into another book which is here called their testimony and that is the communion Book or Book of Common-prayer and publick service of God which is sometimes called the Book of life Revel 22.19 and ch 20.21 as Revel 20.12 and Revel 22.19 where you may observe how mention is there made of 2 special Books and the one is termed the book of this prophesie which is the word of God and the other is termed the book of life because the sum and the substance of all that is in the Bible which is the word of God and which is necessary to attain unto Eternal life is contained in this book of their testimony for which book and the constant practice of Gods service according to this book as well as for the other book of the word of God those faithfull soules were slain and it is well known the Presbyâ—erians caused the Parliament to destroy us for the testimony that we held of these Books but the Answer that God gives unto these slaughtered soules may serve for a sufficient comfort unto us yet this gives occasion to demand Whether the prevalent faction of the long Parliament and their adherents the Sectaries of these 3 Kingdomes have not hereby resisted their Governors whom formerly they had so religiously observed and rebelled warred killed and beheaded both Moses and Aaron that is the supreme Magistrate and the chief Priest I leave it for my Reader to determine And whether the Assembly of Divines at Westminster and all their followers and Adherents contrary to their former oathes practices and profession have not generally apostatized and totally relapsed and fallen away from the most essential and most material points of our Christian Religion and from all the right service of God which themselves formerly taught and observed and have led their Congregations after them to the same apostasie let the observers of our new teachers what Doctrines are now taught and what service is now used in every Church judg hereof For I read it in Arise Evans Arise Evans in his Voice from heaven pag. 15. that you may easily finde it every foolish man gets up into the Pulpit and poureth out his folly and so now the false Christs and false Prophets do appear for the Independant saith here is Christ the Presbyterian saith loe here is Christ but the Anabaptist saith no he is not amongst you but here is Christ with us 1 Cor. 1.13 and so all the other Sectaries crie and have as the Apostle saith divided Christ And you may consider what Tilenus saith Vetus Ecclesia primis temporibus solo Apostolorum quod vocant symbolo ex sacris literis excerpto contenta erat The ancient Church in the first times was contented only with that faith which they call the Aposties Creed that is taken out of the holy Srciptures this was the faith of the Christians in the Apostles time and this was the sun and the substance and the abstract of all the whole Scripture for so much as concerned the saving faith and this faith contained in this Creed is the Faith of Gods elect and sufficient to save all the elect people of God though afterwards for the suppression of those Hereticks that sprang up to corrupt the same formulam illam per novas formulas ex iisdem sacris litteris collectas luculentius copiosius explicuerunt episcopi The Bishops and he saith not the Presbyters did more fully and more clearly out of the same sacred Scriptures explain that form of faith by other new formes as the point in question Tilenus exegesis pag. 57. aphoris 169. and controverted by the Hereticks did require as First in the Council of Nice then in the Constantinopolitan after in the Ephesine and at length in the Chalcedon Council And the whole Catholique Church and all the particular Churches of God the Greek Church and the Latine Church and every other particular national Church of the world have ever professed to observe and to retain this form of faith thus left to us by the Apostles and thus explained by the reverend and godly Bishops in these Councills and never to discede from the same And yet now That our new Preachers have and do recede from the true faith and the right service of
divisions corruptions and confusions that are now conceived to be in the Churches of these Dominions Donatist Cradokist Cerinthian Catharist Ebyonist Eutychian Familist Gnostick Hugonite Hussite Jesuit Libertine Lollard Marcionist Manichean Montanist Millenary Nestorian Nicholaitan Origenist Petagian Puritan Quaker Ranter Sadduce Socinian Seeker Tritheist Valentinian Winterist or if you will Atheist or Adamite or Independant From all these and from all other Seâ—â—â—â—d or new and have liberty of Conscience to profess and be of what Sect you 〈…〉 so you profess to believe in Jesus Christ as all the very worst hereticks did and 〈◊〉 and so you take the Oath of abjuration and renounce popery and 〈◊〉 which are the only men as I see that although they do believe in Jesus Christ as well if not better than any of the foresaid Hereticks are excluded from this benefit and excepted from this liberty of conscience to serve God as seemeth good in every mans eyes And though all these Sects differ one from another and are in confusion The common and joynt practise of all the Sectaries and execrating one another yet all of them do agree to dissociate themselves from the true Professors of the primitive Christianity to tear the Apocriphal Books out of our Bibles to cast away the service Book and to cashier the Articles of our Church and the Book of Homilies they are no Saints if they do not this But for the resolution of the foresaid Questions though I could say much therein Yet I will only refer the same to what you may read in a little Treatise intituled Hell broke loose that so as it seemeth the Antichrist might come forth out of the bottomless pit as S. John saith he should do and to a book of Mr. Edwards intituled Gangraena which is set out at large and three times printed where you may finde very orderly and methodically set down such a ferrago and hodg-podg of Heresies and such a multitude of most horrible blasphemies so odious and so hideous Mr. Alexander Ross in his animadversions upon Mr. Hobbes his Leviathan sheweth how the Leviathan blasphemeth 1. God 1 Errour that my hairs do stand and my heart doth tremble at the thought of them and my soul is very much afraid to name them least thereby the Devil should intice some wicked men that as yet know them not to embrace them and likewise to another book of Mr. Alexander Ross against Mr. Hobbs his Leviathan which Mr. Ross saith is like that beast in the Revelation cap. 13. and that is the Antichrist which opened his mouth into blasphemy against God and his Tabernacle and against them that dwell in Heaven 1. Against God himself and that many waies as specially 1. In saying that God made the world by nature and so by consequence of necessity according to the course of nature whereas indeed he did it voluntarily and freely and might have chosen whether he would have created any thing or nothing for he being liberrimum agens a most free and no waies necessitate agent whatsoever pleased the Lord that did he in heaven and in earth and in the Sea and in all deep places saith the Prophet Errour 2 2. In making the Three Persons of the Trinity the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost to be rather Names than Substances which is contrary to our very Creeds and the Faith that we do profess Errour 3 3. In making Christ only to personate God the Son as if he were not so indeed but takes upon him only that Office Place and Title Whereas in very truth Christ by reason of the Hypostatical union of his Manhood to the Godhead is rightly said to be as he is the Son of God Errour 4 4. In making God with the Manichees to be the author of sin and so unjust if he punisheth us for doing that whereof himself is the author when as the Scriptures tell us plainly he hateth all those that work vanity vide Hab. 1.13 1 John 1.5 much more them that work wickedness and that he is of pure eyes neither shall any evil dwell in his sight he being that light in whom is no darkness at all and that perfect order in whom is no Ataxie or disorder at all Errour 5 5. In making God to be corporeal and a part of the Universe when as Christ tels us plainly God is a Spirit and the Scripture tels us so in many places 2. Against Gods Tabernacle that is his Church 2. The Tabernacle by labouring to overthrow her Faith her Knowledge her Miracles and her Ordinances 3. 3. The Angels and the blessed souls of the Saints Against them that dwell in Heaven that is the Angels and separated Souls of the Saints in making the one but Fancies and dreams that are indeed created substances of a pure spiritual being and the other mortal and not capable of any other happiness than what is earthly which is the greatest discouragement that can be to all Christians 1 Cor. 15.19 and would make them if this were true of all men the most miserable and would be the very poyson of all Piety and vertue And besides all this he saith that the said Hobbes in his Leviathan affirmeth that Faith is not by inspiration or infusion but 〈…〉 and industry that to believe in God is not to trust in Gods Person 〈…〉 confess the Doctrine of the Scripture that our Belief is in the Church The manifold errours heresies and blasphemies that Ross collecteth out of the Leviathan that they â—â—e not Devils but mad men that confessed Christ in the Gospel that Covetousness Ambition and Injustice with Power able to uphold them are honourable that wicked Tyrants and good Princes are all one and no such difference betwixt them that a man may sin against his Conscience that is do the things which his own Conscience tels him he should not do that men should not render a reason or an account of their Faith that Kings and Princes are not subject to their own Lawes that private men have no propriety in their own Goods that our natural reason is the Word of God that divine dreams cannot win our Belief that it was but a wind and not the holy Spirit of God that moved on the waters in the Creation Gen. 1.2 that the Dove which lighted on Christ in his Baptisme and the fiery Tongues which sate upon the Apostles in the day of Pentecost may be called Angels that Christ hath no spiritual Kingdom here upon earth that Christ did not cast out Devils Mat. 3.16 Acts 2.3 but only cured Madness that Satan did not enter into Judas that we may dissemble in matters of Religion and that we may disobey both Christ and his Apostles without sin Such Job 41.20 and much more like stuffe and smoak saith Ross doth this Leviathan send out of his Nostrils as out of a boyling Cauldron and herein contrary to all truth and without shame he raked up the
informed Daniel that the little Horn which at the first was but little indeed and then did succrescere grow so great by the suppression of the three Kings and the accession of three Kingdomes should think to change the times and the Lawes and so we finde that Antiochus did use all possible endeavours to abolish the times of the Jewish Sabbaths and feasts and their circumcision legem ipsam Dei juâ—áque omnia nefariè convellere and to overthrow the very law of God and tear in pieces all humane rights most wickedly saith Tremelius Tremel in loc and so the Antichrist would indeavour to do the like to put down all the festival times and the holy dayes of the Christians and to change all the Lawes and Customes that they had learned and observed even from the Apostles time And I am sure the Pope is not guilty of this sin of the Antichrist for he is so far from putting down their feasts and holy dayes See the History of Independency and there you shall finde how the Author of that Book sheweâ—â— how that long Parliament proceeded contrary to all Lawes part 3. A Book fit for the understanding of this point that he multiplied the same added unto their primitive feasts a great many more holidaies than were needfull or indeed fitting to be observed But I pray you tell me what horn did ever change so many Laws and Customs both of the Church and of the Kingdome as the long Parliament hath done for hath it not troden under foot not one nor two but all the ecclesiastical Laws and Canons of the Church and hath it not very often transgressed and in many things nullified our Magna Charta the great Charter and the fundamental Laws of this Kingdome that for so many hundred years were confirmed to our forefathers and Predecessors by I know not how many Parliaments I am sure above 30 at least And for the times I would fain know if any good Christian heart can look upon these times without bleeding or hold his eyes without weeping for the greatest love and favour that ever God shewed to mankinde was the giving of his own natural coessential and coeternal Son to be made of a woman and made under the Law to redeem us from the curse of the Law and from sin death hell and Satan when a greater good than this the omnipotent God himself could not do for us for what could God give better than God himself but as the Apostle saith because God could swear by no greater he sware by himself so when he could give no better he gave himself Heb. 6.13 and therefore S. Ambrose saith plus Domine Jesu debeo tuis incuriis quod sum redemptus quam tuis operibus quod sum creatus O sweet Jesus Christ I ow thee more love and thanks and service for thy care and pains and sufferings by which I am redeemed than for thy work whereby I was created because that in my creation dedit me mihi deus God gave me unto my self but in my Redemption dedit se mihi deus The greatest good that ever God did for mankinde God gave himself unto me and because in the creation of me and all things else dixit facta sunt he did but speak the word and they were made he commanded and they stood fast but in the accomplishment of our Redemption multa dixit magna fecit dira tulit he spake many gracious words he did many wonderfull works and he suffered many execrable and intolerable things Therefore as God commanded the Israelites Why the Jews were commanded by God to keep their Feasts in remembrance of their deliverance out of Epypt That was but the type of this our deliverance from the bondage of sin and Satan to keep the feast of Passeover and in remembrance of the reception of the Law on Mount Sinai which was an inferiour favour and lesse than our receiving of the Gospel to observe the feast of Pentecost and in remembrance of their wandering 40 years in the wilderness and their feeding there all that while with the Manna that came down from heaven which notwithstanding is no waies comparable to our feeding with the Word of God and the blessed Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ which is God himself to keep the feast of tabernacles and whosoever neglected to keep these feasts and to observe these times that soul should be cut off from Israel that is from among the people of God as an ungratefull person unworthy of the favour of God And as Mardocheus and Queen Hester commandeth all the Jews to keep the feast of Purim that was to be kept upon the 14 and 15 dayes of the Month Adar which is answerable to our February Hest 9.23 24. throughout all their generations for ever for dayes of rejoycing and Thanks-giving for their deliverance from the malicious plot and wicked designe of proud Haman the which feast was observed by Christ himself John 10.22 The Geneva notes on John 10. 22. and as in like manner Judas Machabaeus injoyned the feast of dedication to be observed upon the 25th day of the Moneth Casteu which is our November for a thankfull remembrance of the like benefit which was the casting out of Antiochus his Garrison from Hierusalem so that the Apostles and their immediate Successors the Bishops and Fathers of the Church and all the other succeeding Governors of Gods people considering that the Jews temporal favours aforenamed were but types of our favours and shadowes of those substances that we have and so no wayes neer so comparable to the benefits that we receive by the birth circumcision resurrection and ascention of Christ and the gifts that is the Apostles the Teachers and Governors of Gods Church furnished with the gifts of the Holy Ghost that Christ sent unto them on the day of Pentecost 50 dayes after his ascention into heaven by which favours and great blessings we obtain a deliverance not from a small temporal bondage as that of the Israelites was under Pharaoh far less then the bondage of many good Christians in these dayes under the Turk or from such an enemy as was Haman or Antiochus but from sin death hell Satan and eternal damnation have in their own persons observed and injoyned all other Christians to observe That is Christmas New years day Easter day Holy thursday Whitsunday and the rest the feast of Christs Nativity and of his circumcision resurrection and ascention and the other dayes prescribed by them as dayes of rejoycing and meeting together in the Church to praise God and to thank him for those great and inestimable favours and benefits that he hath conferred upon us and we received as upon those dayes and I may demand What Pope was ever so wicked and committed such and so horrible a sin as to prophane these holy times in so high a measure as Antiochus-like to command them to be prophaned
dasht in pieces the Altars or Communion-tables shall be trampled upon the Bibles torn and burnt the Chancels made stables and the whole service of the holy Church neglected contemned and prohibited the which things I suppose may very well be said to be a treading of the holy city underfoot for so the Angel saith the holy city shall be troden under foot fourty and two months Rev. 11 2. c. 11. v. 2. And here verse 9. he saith the witnesses shall lie unburied three days and a half which if you take a day for a year as Junius Bellarmine and most Interpreters do they do sunchronize and agree just with the fourty two months which do make up the three years and a half that the holy city shall be troden underfoot to shew unto us that while the witnesses lie without their honour and are suppressed the King disobeyed and rejected and the Bishops dethroned and despised the whole Church and people of God that would truly serve him and respect his Vice-roes and reverence his Messengers shall likewise be neglected despised and abused as we have most apparently seen it here amongst us how many good men have been despised and abused ever since the King and the Bishops have bin suppressed But though nocte pluit tota yet redeunt spectacula mane albeit heaviness may last for a night yet joy cometh in the morning for God is so good and so gracious that he will not alwayes be chiding nor shut up his loving kindness in displeasure Psal 30.5 especially towards those that serve him and to the uttermost of their power discharge their duties and therefore the Angel informeth our Apostle that after 3. dayes and a half which I conceive is not precisely to signifie 3. years and a half no more then I do take the 42 moneths for that just period and set terme of 3 years and a half without either more or lesse but indefinitely for some short space expressed here by 3 dayes and a half Why the time of the witnesses rising is expressed by the notion of after 3 dayes and a half as the time of the treading of the holy City is expressed by the space of 42 moneths not lesse then 3 dayes and a half because they should not have the honour equally with Christ to rise as soon as he that rose again the third day and was most justly to have a greater priviledge and preheminence in rising sooner then any other nor yet any more then three dayes and a half because then they should stink as Martha said of her Brother Lazarus that had been dead four dayes and therefore seeing that on the third day the dead Corps remaineth sweet and the flesh as yet seeth no corruption John 11.39 but doth begin to stink and to putrifie on the fourth day as the Physitians do relate God would not suffer these two Witnesses to lie in the streets to stink and to be corrupted but after 3 dayes and a half while they were yet sweet and their memories precious with all that feared God the spirit of life from God or the breath of life for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall enter into them and they shall stand upon their feet not that the good King and the Bishops or any others of the Martyrs witnesses of Christs that are killed shall rise again in their own persons that thought is too gross because they are now in glory The witnesses shall rise in their successors and great gainers by the malice of the beast that killed them and they should be much the worse and great loosers to be reduced and brought back again hither into this valley of misery but the meaning is that as our Saviour saith John Baptist was the Elias that was to come because he was endued with the spirit of Elias and was sent to do the work and to supply the place and to execute the office of Elias Mar. 9.13 so they that shall be invested with the abilities re-established in the places and confirmed with the power and authority of those witnesses that the beast hath killed and shall be enthroned and take possession of the seats offices and priviledges of the slain witnesses are said to be the witnesses revived and restored by the spirit of God to stand up again upon their feet and So Mr. Mede saith Mr. Mede p. 21. the witnesses shall be restored and revived in their successors when they shall enjoy the offices and the former estate of the slaughtered witnesses And so we may be sure when God seeth his time which is but a very short time expressed here under the notion of three dayes and a half these two witnesses that are slain by this beast that is as I shewed before the monarchicall and Episcopall Government by King and Bishops shall and will rise again and stand upon their feet And whether this be not now fulfilled let my Reader judge maugre all the opposition of their adversaries and then as the Holy Ghost saith v. 11. great fear shall come upon them that see them that is upon their enemies that had killed them either by themselves or by their predecessors and upon those also that consented and furthered to put them to death and I believe they may very well and ought very much to fear to see that God is so mindfull of his witnesses and therefore will without question be revenged on them and their Posterity for the slaughtering of his anointed Servants Then the Holy Ghost setteth down Verse 12. v. 12. the means and the manner of the rising and restauration of the slain witnesses saying that they shall hear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great voice from Heaven that is a powerfull call from the Church and from the People of God How or by what meanes the two witnesses shall be revived which is here meant by Heaven for they onely shall restore them and shall say unto them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 come up hither that is ascend and take your former places your offices and your dignities that the beast and his adherents have taken away from you and from your Predecessors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they shall ascend up to Heaven in a Cloud that is by the help and assistance of a multitude of unperceived And let my Reader judge whether the King be not thus restored And we hope the Bishops shall be so likewise and as it were Invisible friends that shall be as a Cloud of Witnesses of their integrity and a Cloud of Intercessors to speak for them and to plead their causes to God and all good men against all their malicious Adversaries and a Cloud of powerfull Patrons to regaine unto them and to restore them if not to their Estates and possessions which in all likelihood the Beast had sold or bestowed or otherwise disposed of it and the takers of them perhaps had
so cryeth and is pained in bringing forth Children unto God and she is likened to Children in respect of particulars that are all the Children of the Church begotten and brought forth by her unto God through their regeneration and new birth by Baptisme and the Preaching of the Gospel and grace of Christ And these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The pangs of the woman and what they signifie pangs and paines of this woman to bring forth her Child may most especially signifie the troubles and afflictions that the Primitive Church endured for the Preaching of the Gospel and converting the Infidels unto the Faith of Christ under the first ten grievous persecutions and so likewise for the troubles that the Church should suffer at any other time and chiefly those great troubles that she must undergoe for doing the same service and work of regenerating children unto God in the persecution of the Antichrist for these troubles and afflictions of the Church are compared by the Prophets to the pain of a woman in travell Esay 66. and Jer. 30.6.7 because the Church will endure as much and as readily hazard her life to beget a Child to God as any woman endureth and hazardeth her life to bring forth her Child into the world and sooner too And our Saviour to shew the greatness of these pangs and pains of a woman that is in travell with Child saith that the troubles of the Jewes which should happen unto them and were as great as any we read of Mark 13.9 as Josephus ben gorion witnesseth are but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beginnings of their pangs or sorrowes which shall be no lesse then the pangs of a woman in travel so shall the pangs and pains of the Church be under the persecution of the Tyrants and the Antichrist for bringing forth Children unto God very great pains and troubles as that which here followeth will make it more manifest for The Evangelist saith v. 3. 2. The Vision of the Dragon and his malice to the woman v. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there appeared another wonder in Heaven and that seems to be a greater wonder then the former and a wonder indeed every way if we should consider all particulars in very many respects and therefore the Holy Ghost prefixeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and behold it or consider it well for a great red Dragon or as the Greek hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great fiery Dragon Job 1.6 or a Dragon as red as fire appeared in Heaven so he that durst go into Paradise before dares now to go into Heaven and to appear among the Sonnes of God as he is more often and more diligent in the Church of God to hinder our devotion then we are to perform the duties of our Religion and he that was but a Serpent before crawling upon the Earth is now become a great Dragon flying in the Air The Dragon had 7 heads and 10 horns and therefore this sign or wonder well deserveth an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 behold him and take heed of him for he hath 7. Heads harder to be discovered then the heads of Nilus and harder indeed to unhead him then it was for Hercules to cut off the heads of hydra and he had 10 horns and therefore he was of a mighty strength The horn an Emblem of strength 1 Reg. 22.11 because the horn is an emblem of power and strength as Zedechia made horns of Iron and said thus saith the Lord with these shalt thou push the Syrians untill thou hast consumed them and he had 7 Crowns upon his heads that is upon every head a Crown to shew unto us how glorious and majesticall wickedness and the instruments of wickedness would fain seem to be and his tail drew the third part of the Starres of Heaven and did cast them to the Earth What the tail of the Dragon signifieth Who are the Starres by his tayl I understand the fear of him the terror of his sting and the lashing of them far and neere that will not submit themselves to him and by the Starres of Heaven I understand those that seemed to be holy Professors good Christians and to shine like Starres in the Church of God or else those that were appointed to shine and to give light as Starres to them that are in darkness and do walk in the night of ignorance as are the Bishops Preachers and Ministers of Gods word for so the Angel saith unto our Evangelist Revel 1.16 v. 20. that the seven Stars in the right hand of Christ were the Angels that is the Bishops and Pastors of the seven Churches and by the third part of the Stars I understand not the subduing of the third part of the rulers of the world to the empire of Rome as Mr. Mede thinketh for why should the rulers of the world Mr. Mede pag. 35. be termed the Stars of Heaven and to be cast to the Earth when as they were earthly and worldly enough already and had small correspondency with Heaven but a great many as I told you the number of 3.7 and 110 doth often import What is to be understood by the third part of the Starts Let my Reader Judge whether this was not fulfilled in our time both of the Clergy and laytie that seemed to be as Stars in the firmament of the Church for feare of the Dragons tayle to be stung and lasht with the loss of their preferment their wealth their lands their liberties and their lives are pull'd down from Heaven and drawn away from their station and from the performance of their due respects unto the Witnesses and of their duties of the right service of God in his Church and are cast down to the earth that is to follow after the world and for the love of the world and the preferments of the earth to observe and follow any new forme of Gods service and so to become Apostates Meteors and falling Stars and meere Hypocrites in the Church of God which is very much that the Dragons tayle should do such great mischief And yet this is not enough for this Dragon to do to corrupt the third part of the Stars and to draw a multitude of professors from the right service of God to follow after the world and his wicked wayes but he would faine have more grist to his Mill Hell being like the Daughters of the Horse-leech that still cry give Proverb 30.15 16. give and being one of the four things that are never satisfied and that never faith it is enough and therefore he stands before the Woman which was ready to be delivered to devoure her Child saith our Translation when she had brought it forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to eat up her Son saith the originall but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being derived of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pario to bring forth it may be translated her Child as well or as I
and his love towards his Church and Servants is such and so great that he sheweth himself to be Psal 46.1 as the Prophet speaketh deus in oportunitatibus a good God most gracious in the most needfull time of trouble for as soon as the Dragon began to persecute the woman after that he was thrown out of Heaven and cast unto the earth God gave unto the woman two wings of a great Eagle that she might flie away into the Wilderness into her place v. 14. c. 12.6 Two speciall things to be observed v. 14. which was the place that was prepared by God for her to secure her from the Dragon v. 6. touching which wings we are to consider these two speciall things that is 1. What these two wings be 2. Why they were given unto the woman and 1. We may well understand these two wings are not the Magistrates and the Ministers as E. H. thinketh and some others with him because now in this persecution of the woman and the rest of her Children the true members of the Church the two witnesses are likewise persecuted and killed and do lie dead and unburied all the while that the woman is persecuted and therefore they could not possibly help the woman to flie away Mr. Mede p. 64. Neither are these two wings of the Eagle the Eastern and the Western Empire as Mr. Mede imagineth because the East Empire at the time of this persecution of the woman had wholly apostatized from Christ and was become another enemy unto the woman and the West Empire under the Papacy was no faithfull friend but had anathamatized the true Church that is thus persecuted by the Dragon and therefore I do rather conceive that these two wings are 1. 1. Observation What are the two wings that are given to the woman 1 Pet. 3.16 Faith by which we escape all the fiery darts of Satan Ephes 1.16 2. Good works and an holy conversation which stops the mouth of the wicked as St. Peter saith or rather because their mouthes that hereby should be stopped will not be stopped but will traduce and slander Innocency it self as the Jewes slandered Christ himself in whose mouth was found no guile these two wings may be said to be 1. Constant patience 2. Fervent Prayers Patience 1 1. Patience manfully to suffer whatsoever it should please God to permit the Dragon and his Instrument the beast to inflict upon her for not onely Levius fit patientia quicquid corrigere est nefas patience makes every burthen to seem lighter then it is and helps us to bear that which we cannot shun but also vincit qui patitur by a patient suffering we overcome the greatest maladies as Christ himself by his suffering overcame all his and our enemies and therefore si vis vincere disce pati if thou wilt overcome this Dragon and conquer this beast arm thy self with patience Prayers 2 2. Prayers fervently and constantly made to the Almighty God that he would assist her and strengthen her to endure faithfull against all the assaults of Satan and in his good time to deliver her from them for the time would be too short and my papers too scant if I should go about to set down Nothing so powerfull to obtain what we desire as fervent and constant prayers what great things have been obtained and what wonderfull things have been brought to passe and effected by the power of prayer when as a Father saith haec est victoria quae vincit mundum preces nostrae this is the victory that overcometh the world and will overcome the Dragon even our prayers And these be the two wings of the great Eagle that is most able and powerfull to flie and to escape and I know no graces more powerfull then these two whereby the Church and all her members have alwayes and shall ever through Gods help which their prayers will obtain be able to persist in the true faith and right service of God and likewise to discharge all other duties that they owe both to the witnesses and to all other men during their lives maugre all the spite of the Dragon and the persecution of the beast and likewise to escape all their malice and mischief and therefore let us ever pray to God and be patient and contented 2. We are to observe 2. Observat To what end the two wings were given to the woman that the Holy Ghost omitteth not to explain the reason and the end why God gave these two wings unto the woman not onely to fly away and to escape from the violence of the Dragon but more especially to be noted that she might flie into the Wilderness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into her place which God had formerly prepared for her therefore it is apparent that she was now come out of the Wilderness and out of the place and as the Children of Israel left their Tents where Moses was and joyned themselves to Baal-Peor so no doubt but she had left the Wilderness and the heavenly life that she should have led Had not the Church offended in stepping out of her place she had not been afflicted and associated her self too much with the world and worldly men which is the cause of her persecution and the inflicting of the second woe upon her which she might have escaped had she continued in her place because no punishment cometh untill a transgression proceedeth the sin goeth before and the correction followeth after so the woman came out of her place and the Dragon was permitted to whip her into her place and therefore this is a second passage of the woman into the Wilderness which being not well observed hath made many Interpreters to mistake the times and the meaning of the Holy Ghost in this place But seeing her coming out of her place is the cause of her present woe and of the persecution of the Dragon by the meanes and malice of the beast let her quickly if she would be preserved and escape the flood of waters and afflictions that the Dragon sâ—ueth after her get again into the Wilderness and return into her place and continue faithfull in her Christian Profession and the discharging of her duties both to God and man because the neglect thereof hath been the cause of all her troubles at all times whatsoever And let her and all her Children the members of the Church How God looketh upon the afflictions of his people the sconer and the rather do this because that to incourage her to continue constant in the right service of God and to honour the witnesses so religiously as she ought to do God locked down from Heaven and considering the great wrath of the Dragon and the flood of all miseries that by the service of the beast he had cast after the woman as he looked upon the afflictions of his people when they were in Egypt and sent Moses for to help them so now in this
the same method as the 7th did And I heard it demanded very often if any Beast any like them with whom St. Paul fought at Ephesus or any other Beast in the world did or could possibly more evenly immitate passibus aequis even to a haire and over immitate that wicked Apostata in all points of subtlety and cruelty and specially in this preposterous and most odious course now specified against the Messengers of Christ for the quite rooting out of them and their Message the Gospel of Christ as the Rump Parliament hath done for as Julian did before them The Parallel so did not they by the same course of plundering and ejecting the Clergy and taking away all livelihood from the Bishops and other grave Doctors and Preachers cause many learned men even all whose names are not written in the Book of life as the Holy Ghost speaketh and some that seemed Starres and not of the least lustre in the firmament of the Church to fall from Heaven and to start aside like a broken Bowe and rather to follow the indirect Directory of the Parliament then for the observance of the direct form of serving God to forgoe their rich Rectories yea and did they not cause them to take the mark and Livery of that Beast and against their Consciences to take the Covenant of the Beast and so to forswear themselves that they might preserve their Lands and their Livings which otherwise they must have forgone as they saw others do in every place Quam sunt laudandi qui te florente juventa sprevere luxus deliciasque tuas So bewitching a thing is the love of this World as Demas can well testifie and all that have not learned St. Peters lesson to forsake all and to follow Christ and so you see how the 8th that is the Beast is of the 7th and practiceth the same acts and the same wayes as the 7th did Or else we may understand these words the 8th is of the 7 to signifie that this Beast is of the same subtlety cruelty and condition and hath as much gall and bitterness in him against the true Church and the true servers of God as all or any one of all the other 7. had So that you can finde no villany or mischief in any or in all the other 7. but you shall finde the same fully in this Beast that hath as many heads and more heads himself then all the other 7. Kings had and indeed this Exposition is most agreeable to the Originall Text that doth not say the 8th is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the 7th but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the seven And whosoever readeth the first and second part What the Authour of the History of Independency saith of the long Parliament and especially the third part of the History of Independency I should wonder if he finde it not there shewed that all the devices conspiracies hypocrifies and cruelties of those Kings or Emperours here mentioned yea and Parallel 7 times 7 more unto them are not reaching and answerable to the plots and devices iniquity and impiety of the long Parliament conceived by some men as I said before to be this beast to possess the estates destroy the liberties take away the lives of Gods Servants and to overthrow the true service and Religion of Jesus Christ for the Authour of that History proveth evidently as he saith by the very Acts and Votes the Ordinances and writings of that long Parliament that they are more bloody and cruel then the proscriptions of Sylla more unreasonable then the Articles of High Treason that were made by the Duke de Alva then which the Devill could not devise much worse and that their High Court of Justice is a new Slaughterhouse for the murthering of the free Subjects of Ingland without any just proceeding but in all things contrary to all the Lawes and Statutes of this Land which are there abundantly produced by that Authour to make good his assertion and to condemn that Court and their proceedings therein for usurpation treason tyranny The History of Independency part 3. p. 42. theft and murther for which illegall arbitrary and most barbarous bloody proceedings every mans hands would be about their eares if they did not keep an Army of Janizaries to suppress them saith that Authour And what viler baser and more abominable things then these could any beast any Antichrist or any Devill devise to do I cannot tell but I leave it to my Reader to judge whether these things be true or not CAP. II. The 10 Horus of the Beast who they are and what they may signifie their Crowns what they signifie their blasphemy the three chief properties of the Leopard how agreeable to the long Parliament of the feet and mouth of the Beast what they betoken of the power and authority of the Beast and the head that was mortally wounded who or what is meant thereby and how the Beast shall continue to make Warre 2. 2. Of the 10. Horns of the Beast IT is said that the beast had ten horns and the Holy Ghost expoundeth the meaning of this expression in the 17th Chapt v. 12. saying that these 10 horns are 10 Kings which have received no Kingdom but receive power as Kings with the Beast whereupon Junius to make good his former Interpretation of the Beast saith hos decem Reges jam olim numeraverunt circumscripserunt multi these Kings long agoe many have numbred and described to be 10 which did arise and spring out of the Roman Empire Junius in annotat in c. 13. in c. 17. quum politicum illud imperium arte pontificum maxime capit labascere when that civill Empire began by the craft and subtlety of the Popes to fall unto decay and Mr. Mede names these Kings to be 1. Vortimer 2. Hengist 3. Childeric 4. Gunderic 5. Theodoric 6. Viciarins 7. Gensericus 8. Sumanus 9. Theodomir 10. Marcianus Alcazar saith that these 10 Horns do signifie Polyarchiam Romanorum Mr. Mede in his Apostat of the latter times p. 82. Anno 456. the multitude of the Roman Senators which gave their strength and power by which they formerly ruled unto the Emperour and Cornâ—a Lapide saith these 10 Horns are 10 Kings equibus tres profligabit antichristus caeteri septem territi ei sponte se subdent whereof three shall be vanquished by the Antichrist as Daniel saith of the little horn tres Reges deprimet he shall suppress three Kings and the other seven being terrified that is by the humbling of those three shall willingly submit themselves unto him and it may be the three Kings that A Lapide speaketh of might be 1. The King of Ingland The Parallel A Lapide his Exposition how fulsilled M. Mede names the other three which the Pope suppressed p. 83. 2. The King of Scotland 3. The King of Ireland and the other seven that is most of the Neigh
to deceive them and St. Paul saith this I know that after my departure shall grievous wolves enter in among you not sparing the flock also of your own selves that is questionlesse among the Lay people shall men arise and not be sent speaking perverse things Act. 20.29 to draw away disciples after them and these are the young novices and Lay Trades men that as St. John saith went from us but were never of us that is neither called nor approved by us but intruding themselves into our Office and separating themselves from the old way which as the Prophet saith Jerem. 6.16 is the good way do preach strange doctrines to gather to themselves Churches out of the Church of Christ and to lead them out of the fold of Christ unto the dens of the destroyer from whence as out of Cacus den vestigia nullae retrorsum there can be no deliverance without great repentance Saint Peter likewise saith 2 Peter 2.1 that as there were false Prophets amongst the people of the Jews so there should be false Teachers among us who privily should bring in damnable heresies and many shall follow their pernicious wayes and these be our itinerant Preachers that wander from Parish to Parish and go from house to house and so privily as the Apostle saith do lead men into Schismes and most damnable heresies and of these Saint Jude prophesied saying Jude v. 12 and 13. that they were wandring stars without light and clouds without water carried away with the wind Nay more then all this St. Paul tells us the time would come as we see now it is come when men would not endure to hear sound Doctrine but after their own lusts should heap to themselves Teachers having itching eares which they shall turn away from the truth unto fables 2 Tim. 4.3 4. for if you search all times from St. Pauls time to these very times I would fain know when was there such heapes of Teachers and such an inhibition to hear the truth and to Preach sound Doctrine as now it is for whereas before the Teachers of errors and heresies were not endured now very few Congregations where I live are permitted to be content and to injoy their old setled and well known Pastors but they must have some wandring starrs to inlighten them and such Teachers to instruct them as neither understand the state of the Flocks which we should be carefull to know as Solomon saith Prov. 27.23 nor know the diseases of the sheep and therefore must needs be ignorant how to apply any remedies to them lest they should give them poyson in stead of medicines And if the old Doctors and the Faithfull Ministers of Christ undertake to Preach they are affronted as I foreshewed and so threatned and terrified that the people are afraid to hear them whereby you may see that as the Apostle saith the sound Doctrine and True Service of God cannot be endured to be heard by reason of such heapes of false Prophets and wandring stars that are sprung up amongst us And yet our Saviour tells you how these false Teachers should come unto you How the false Prophets deale with the people and exclaim against true Prophets in sheepes cloathing that is with smooth flattering speeches pretending that they come for your salvation but withall he tells you that in very deed they are inwardly ravening wolves and their wayes lead you to destruction for they speak you faire and cry out against the trus Governours of Gods Church that never admitted such intruders to be Gods Ministers and they roare and raile against all the Learned Preachers of the Gosspell as if wisdom and knowledg and learning were odious unto God and to be excluded out of Heaven where they think none shall come but folly and ignorance 2 Chron. 18.23 and simplicity and therefore they smite their Governours and these Learned men on the cheekes as Zedechia did to Michaiah that is they throw dirt in their faces and beslubber their reputation with most scandalous aspersions that they are Popish superstitious and the very limbs of the Antichrist and that they have not Gods Spirit which they presume to know as if they were of Gods Counsell and all is to no other end then to seduce the people to renounce their true Pastors as they have now done and to take them for their gracious Protectors But How King Philip sought to seduce the Athenians and how Demosthenes prevented him let the people take heed lest these new Teachers deale with them as Philip of Macedon intended as Demosthenes said to deale with the Athenians when before he Warred upon them he sent unto them word that all his quarrell was against their Philosophers and Orators that suggested rebellions and disobedience unto the people and therefore if they would renounce them apprehend them and transmit them unto him he would become their true friend and loving Patron whereupon the learned Orator told the Athenians that the wolves on a time sent unto the sheep to tell them that their shepherds dogs hunted them and worried them and very often bit them sore and sometimes killed them and therefore advised them to lay hold upon their dogs and send them bound to them and so they should be freed from their persecutors and they would become their friends to protect them from all dangers whereupon the silly sheep being glad to be freed from their dogs and itching after novelties and desirous to make triall of their new masters found a way to catch their dogs and so delivered all their faithful preservers unto the faithless wolves who as soon as ever they got the dogs into their hands fell upon the sheep without resistance and destroyed them all at their pleasure without pitty even so said Demosthenes will King Philip deale with you when you have delivered your learned Philosophers and grave Oratours into his hands and he was herein a very true Prophet And I pray God these false Prophets upstart novices and unlawful unlicenced intruders into the sacred calling of the Ministery deale not so or worse with our people for if the blind lead the blind Matth. 15.14 both must needs fall into the ditch if young ignorant Schollars lead old ignorant men both must fall into new and old errours and if the tradesmen teach the husbandmen and the country-men teach the citizens and the souldiers teach them both the way to heaven I fear they will but walk apace towards hell when as this is but the devils new policy to obstruct the old way of verity and a hellish trick to put out the heavenly light for as Moses tells the Israelites Deut. 32.17 that their new Gods that came newly up whom their fathers feared not were but old devils so I may truly say that these new teachers are but old bereticks and false Prophets and their new lights are but ignis fatuus infernall torches to lead the people to everlasting darknesse
procul a digito is a degree beyond 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a signe for signes are but parva mira some strange accidents and things done within the sphere of nature but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wonders which some conceive to be derived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that fignisieth to terrifie because they strike amazement in the beholders Stapleton asserit illa vera miracula futura quoad actus su pernaturales sed mendacia quoad usum quia mendacio inserviunt dom 24 as things that do far exceed the reach of nature or the second causes are things of a higher straine quaeque omnium naturalium causarum creaturarum vires excedunt which do exceed the strength of all naturall causes and the Power of all the creatures and so there must be a supernaturall Power and a Divine vertue to effect them And such wonders this beast would pretend to do and not onely this beast but many other false Prophets would pretend to do the same as I said before for so the Friars and the Nuns of the Roman Church have filled the world with such pretended miracles Texeda p. 23. as could not be done without Divine strength whereof you may see divers of them in Texedas miracles unmasked and especially those of Mary of the visitation priors of the Monastery of the Anunciada in Lisbon Object But you will say the Presbyterians pretend not to do any such miracles and therefore they cannot be this false Prophet nor can they be justly charged for such doings I Answer that the deceits and fallacies of the pretenders to do miracles have been so sufficiently discovered by St. Augustine St. Chrysostom and others of the ancient Fathers and specially by our learned Protestants that have displayed the counterfeit miracles of the Roman Church and the jugling tricks of the Nuns and Friars that the Presbyterians have so much wit Aug. l. de unitate Ecclesiae The Parallele as in plaine termes not to pretend to worke miracles yet they will tell you of such things that the Parliament and themselves have done which if done as they say are greater miracles then any of the pretended miracles of the false Friars for the doings of the Parliament slaying the Witnesses Let my reader judge if the Presbyters have not hereby fulfilled this prophesie changing the Times altering the Lawes stripping the Church of her Revenues subduing all Opposers and the Pretensions of the false Prophet the Presbyterians and the Independants and Lay-Preachers to convert soules to make Saints to make fire to come down from heaven to pull down the Antichrist to overthrow the whore of Babylon to reduce all the Tribes of Israel to the Sheepfold of Christ as they hope to do and the like 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strange things The miracles of the Presbyterians greater then the miracles of the Friars seeming to all the people to surpasse all humane reach and not to be done but by the singer and speciall providence of God which they plainly Preach so to be unto their hearers must needs be conceived to be greater wonders then the pretended miracles of the Friars and so accordingly as great miracles and strange wonders are wont to do these very things have wrought such an admiration and amazement among the people that they were very easily deceived by the meanes of these things that were indeed but as the Apostle saith the miracles of the Antichrist should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lying wonders false fignes and deceitfull miracles in respect of all the causes of true mirales For 1. That the wonders of the Presbyterians are all lying wonders Bellarm de to Pontif. l. 3. c. 15. Corn. Alapide in h. loc Whereas the end of a true miracle and the proper use of it is to confirm and justifie an extraordinary calling and the truth of the Doctrine of them that are so called as Elias and the Apostles did and the Pharisees requested of Christ to do the like to shew them a figue from Heaven to justifie his extraordinary Office the end of Antichrist his wonders and of this false Prophet is not to justifie their extraordinary calling which they do not challenge lest that should discover them but to deceive the people and to cheat them into a compliance with them in their wicked wayes and to that end saith Gerhan the man of sin Vtitur sapientia verborum will be as eloquent as Domosthenes Guhan in 2 Thes 2. and he useth simulatione virtutum a dissimulation of much vertue in his life and conversation seeming as curteous as Titus the son of Vespasian The differences betwixt true miracles and false 1. Difference and as Religious as St. Antony or Marke the Eremite he will also use the Testimony of the Scripture and Preach and alleadge Scripture as readily as the Devill did to Christ and he will pretend to do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strange things and to make large promises of Preferments to his adherents as blessings here and happiness hereafter if they follow him and his waies and all this he useth but to deceive the people and to intice them to be his Proselites and if neither of these things nor all these can do the deed then as the King of terrors he will roare out his threatnings and persecutions like a Lion no less then hell and damnation remaineth for them and are not the doings of our Presbyterians just thus as if Gorran had been alive to have seen them he doth so lively and so punctually describe them under the person of the man of sin 2. Difference 2. Whereas true miracles are done by the helpe and operation of Gods Spirit as Nicodemus saith to Christ no man can do those things which thou doest John 3.2 except God be with him the lying miracles of the beast and the wonders of the false Prophet are done by the helpe of the Devill as the Holy Ghost saith Revel 13.2 the Dragon gave him his Power and his Seate and great Authority whereby they were furthered and inabled to do those great things and wonders that they did and St. Cyrill affirmeth antichristum esse magum veneficiis malis artibus instructissimum the Antichrist to be a Magician and most expert in all kinde of witcheries Cyrillâ—s Cateâ— ches 15. and wicked arts I know not whether any of the Long Parliament were such or no though many men suspected them to be such but I have often heard that those enthusiasts that were Presbyterians and Lay-Preachers pretended Revelations from God which were indeed the delusions of the devill 2 Thes 2. and as the Apostle saith strong delusions 3. Difference 3. Whereas true miracles are really the things that they seem to be these wonders of the beast and his followers the pretended doings of our Presbyterians videntur non sunt are but phantasmes and illusions and a kinde of seeming to be what they are not and therefore
Bellarmine well observeth out of Arâ—thas this beast is said to do his wonders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the sight of menj that is so appearing to men whose sight and judgement are thereby deceived for that they do nothing of what they pretend and seemed to do but the things that they do are no such things indeed in the sight of God 4. 4. Difference Whereas true miracles do exceed all naturall causes tam occultas quam manifestas as well the hidden secrets of nature as those causes that are knowen to us and are done onely by the hand and Power of God and therefore they are wonders and not onely in the fight of men but also in the sight of Angells and Devills the wonders of the Antichrist and his adherents the Presbyterians and Lay-Preachers have all of them their naturall causes though they be hidden from the sight and understanding of the people as the victories of the beast and his successes are obtained meerely by his subtle tricks his cunning carriage of the war and the desperate valour of his soldiers God giveth them leave so to prevaile over the pufillanimity and security of his children that offendeth him and they are not obtained by the immediate hand of Gods active Power The Presbyterians gaining so many Proselites to what it is ascribed and a miraclous effecting Providence from heaven as the beast pretendeth and so desperately blasphemeth God in making him the author of all his bloody cruelties and the shedding of all the innocent blood that was spilt which can no wayes stand either with the goodness or justice of God and the Presbyterians winning of so many simple men to follow after them and to become their disciples to believe their erronius heresies and damnable positions it is to be ascribed to their sedulity vehemency and good oratory wherewith Aeschines Demosthenes and Cicero perswaded their Auditors to follow them and not to the powerfull working of Gods Holy Spirit who though for their sins he permitteth the simple people to believe strong delusions and to be misled into most damnable conclusions by this beast yet he never worketh and leadeth them into the same And therefore what Vulteius Remensis saith of some Franciscan Monkes that played many jugling tricks in Orleance Anno 1534. the same may be rightly applyed to these Presbyterians Cum clamat larvas furiosa caterua leonum Infestare suam nocte dieque domum Res vera est falsi larvati denique fratres Quos vestis sanctos prodigiosa facit Sunt lemures larvae furiae vulpesque lupique Qui infestant vitiis seque suamque domum Which I may very well thus translate When Presbyters do cry that scisme and heresie Do spoile the Church of Christ The thing is true for so these Saints in shew Are furious Fiends the limbs of Antichrist That with their Lies and Heresies given in a golden Cup Have poysoned all the whole Flock of Christ And so themselves are the Mischief that have spoyled all things both in the Church and Common-wealth But though all the wonders and workings of this false Prophet be but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lying wonders and no truth in them yet hereby he deceiveth the people and especially when as the Holy Ghost sayth He maketh fire to come down from heaven on the earth Touching which fire What is here meant by the fire that the beast maketh to come down from heaven 1 Reg. 18.38 we must not understand it to be such a fire as Elias brought down to consume the two fifty men that the King sent to fetch him nor such a fire as by his prayers came down to consume the Sacrifice upon Mount Carmel because those fires were true fires and truly miraculously brought down by the Prophet when as the sire that this false Prophet pretendeth to bring down is no such thing neither must we take it for such a fire as Philostratus sayth Apollonius Tyanaeus fetched down from Heaven in the fight of many people because this was some elfe-fire that he procured to appear as the flash of a Meteor by the help and procurement of the Devil when as this false Prophet pretendeth not to bring down any such a fire neither yet can I yeild it should be taken as Mr. Mr. Medes Expofition rejected Mede and others of our late Writers do expound it for the lightnings and thunders of the Popes Buls and Excommunication against those that submit not themselves to him and to his Decrees because as I shewed to you before the Pope and his Cardinals cannot be understood by this false Prophet But I take it as a proverbial Hyperbole for the application of that which was sayd before That this Beast doth great wonders so that he maketh fire to come down from Heaven The parallel The fire that Christ came to send on earth the Beast pretendeth to bring from heaven because the Jews do commonly attribute so much to the miraculous fire of Elias that they use for all wonderful works proverbially to say He bringeth down fire from heaven sayth Graserus Or else it must be taken as I rather conceive in that sense as our Saviour takes it when he sayth I came to send fire upon the earth because this Prophet would fain seem to imitate Christ and to do all the things that he should do and can do as Christ did and therefore he pretendeth to bring the same fire that Christ brought down and that is the fire of zeal and a most ardent affection to Christ and to the truth of his Religion and this fire the Presbyterians and the Independant and Lay-preachers pretend to bring down from heaven to the earth above all other men whatsoever but in very deed this fire of their is but an ignis fatuus a deceitful fire and their seeming zeal as well as all the rest of their doings is but as the Apostle saith a lying-wonder for the true fire that these men do bring is of another kinde from another place and to another end and that is the fire of hatred and persecution which they bring from Hell Not the fire of persecution and not from Heaven and they bring it into the Church and upon the true Members of Christ and not on the earth but this their fire is not to be understood in this place Reason 1 1. Because the Holy Ghost sayth The Beast bringeth the fire upon the earth that is the earthly minded men whom only he perswadeth to worship the Beast and to adhere unto him as being deceived by his false wonders and this he doth by the fiery zeal of Gods worship which he pretends to bring unto them and the persecution of the Beast is against the Saints and not against these earthly men that by the sight of this fire are perswaded to serve and assist the beast and to afflict the Saints Reason 2 2. Because it is immediatly sayd that hereby he deceiveth them that dwell
patience in all these our sufferings and to assist us for our constancy and perseverance in our duties that we neither murmure at our present condition nor start aside one inch from the truth of our Christian Profession Non me videre superbum prosper a fatorum nec fractum adversa videbunt said Pompey and how much rather should a Christian say it either for fear of losses or for love of gain and preferment but to proceed on codem vultus tenore with the same cheerful countenance as well in these stormy thundring dayes of Adversity and Persecution as we would do in the cleerest Sun-shining dayes of pleasure and prosperity and to remember that Rebus in adversis facile est in contemnere vitam Fortiter ille facit qâ—i miser esse potest 3. To abhor the wayes of the wicked 3. To abhor the wayes and to fly from the service and allurements of these Beasts as from a Serpent because the third Angel that S. John saw sayd with a lond voice so that all men might hear him and plead no excuse If any man worship the Beast and his Image that is serve and follow the two horned Beast which is the false Prophet and the ten horned Beast that is the Image of the false Prophet and assist them in their Impieties or imitate and follow them in their blasphemous doctrines and their wicked wayes or receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand that is take an Ingagement and oblige himself to assure the Beasts that he will uphold assist and desend them and so be true and faithful unto them to further their proceedings or to justifie their doings either plainly or covertly directly or indirectly the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God The heavy punishment of them that assist and adhere to the Beasts which is poured out without mixture that is of any comfortable thing to allay the fierceness or to sweeten the bitterness of it into the Cup of his indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels and of the Lamb which will encrease his Torment to see their happiness and himself in such extream misery and the smoak of that torment ascendeth up for ever and ever to keep God still in minde of the odiousness and stinking savour of their wickedness and they have no rest day nor night that is no manner of ease or abatement of their Torment at any time that worship the Beast and his Image that is serve and adhere to the false Prophet and the ten horned Beast Revel 14.9 10 11. and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name that is engageth himself to adhere and to assist them which pathetical and fearful expressions of the wrath of God and the unspeakable Torments of them that serve and assist these Beasts if men did believe the Scriptures should as I think make all men affraid to receive the mark The 2 Beasts often termed in the singular number the Beast and why or to do any service to any that is like to have any affinity or society with these Beasts which though they be two as the soul and body are yet by reason of their coberency and conjunction like Samsons Foxes or rather Herod Pilate to crucisie Christ to consume all the Corn in Joabs field as being subservient one to another they are most commonly spoken of in the singular number and tearmed the Beast whose undeniable notes and indelible characters and whose words and works testified by the spirit of God in the holy Scripture I have in all particulars parallel'd and expressed by the doctrines and doings of the Assembly of Presbyters at Westminster and their associates the Independant and Lay-preachers and the long Parliament that beheaded the two Witnesses of Jesus Christ and is therefore believed by very many to be the great Antichrist and the man of the sin that is spoken of by the Apostle from whose impiety iniquity and cruelty I earnestly and humbly beseech Almighty God night and day to preserve me and all the true Servants of Jesus Cstrist Amen Obs 2 The pious works of the long Parliament But secondly Against all this that I have written and shewed in the Application of the description and doings of the Antichrist to the Actions and determinations of the Presbyterians and long Parliament and the just paralleling of the one with the other to be as a man and his Image or shadow in a Glass I know it will be objected and demanded how it can be possible that that Parliament which protested they made their War against the Antichrist to root out Popery Idolatry and Superstition from the Church and made so many Orders and Ordinances for Gods Service and Acts for the propagation of the Gospel and to restrain the prophanation of Gods Name and appointed so many Fasts to beg a blessing upon their Endeavours and so many Thanksgivings unto God for their good snccesses which they ascribed only to God and not to themselves and did many other such like acts of piety and devotion should be the great Antichrist and the greatest enemies that ever were to the honour of Christ and of his Church since his ascention into Heaven as you seem to make theworld to believe they are Are these things the works of the Antichrist or can they be compatiblc with the Antichrist Sol. I answer briefly If they had not done these things they could not have been the great Antichrist for Christ himself doth tell us that the Antichrist and his false Prophets would say Matth. 24.23 Lo here is Christ that is with them and there is Christ that is where they meet in the Desart and in the secret Chambers that is in their private Conventicles and not in his consecrated Church where we pray unto him and hereby sayth Christ they should deceive the World and as S. Revel 13.14 John sayth All them that dwell upon the earth i.e. All earthly men yea Mar. 13 21. and if it were possible they should by this their great profession of Piety deceive the very Elect and the true Servants of Christ and you know the old Rule which is infallible decipimur specie recti Fallit enim vitium specie virtut is umbra We are soonest and oftnest deceived with the shew of piety and under the profession of the greatest holiness Si. Walter Rawleigh in the life of Mabomet pag. 7.8 so Mahomet the great Impostor by embracing a solitary life free from the ordinary conversation of men and his speeches mixed with gravity teaching holiness and a good life and beating down Idolotry and injustice gained such an extraordinary opinion of sanctity among the Arabians that they which saw him admired him and they that heard of him held him to be a Saint and thereby he deceived the greatest part of this side of the world and so all Hypocrits do seem to be