Seven Seals But God heard his Prayers and Tears and upon the Lambs opening the Book he is bid Come and see Thus God made the place of his banishment Patmos an Island in the Archipelago to be to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Valley of Vision another Peniel and Gate of Heaven and for the Oracles of Divine wisdom he there received infinitely more illustrious than Delos a neighbouring Island the middlemost and chief of the Cyclades so much famed for the birth and Oracle of Apollo In this Solitude the holy Angels and Christ Iesus the Sovereign over Men and Angels visited him and blest this Eagle-eyed Apostle with the discoveries of the particular Fates of the Church till the End of the World and Christs Second coming to Iudgement Agreeable to such holy Counsels and these great Examples was Mr. Mede's practice particularly when he entered upon the Apocalyps Accordingly in a Letter of his to Mr. W. his ancient Friend he tells him That it was his daily Desire and Prayer to God that he might not be led away with delusions as some unskilful and unstable souls had been in their attempts upon so abstruse a Book as the Apocalyps and that therefore his Hope was in God that he would not suffer him to fall as they had wretchedly miscarried but be merciful to him a sinner and withal he earnestly desires that others would pray for him as he would not cease to pray for them engaged in the like difficult labours In this humble strain does he express himself in that private Letter which needed not to be printed it treating upon what he hath more fully and clearly discoursed of in other Tracts published in this Edition Besides out of his printed Works upon the Apocalyps the Reader may observe the same For those two humble Addresses of his to God in the beginning of both his Clavis and Commentary upon the Apocalyps Tu qui Throno insides and Christe Dei Sapientia are pregnant proofs how sensible he was of the availableness of continued Prayer for the safe understanding of such Mysteries So far was he from leaning to his own Understanding and glorying in his own Wisdom just as Ioseph the Patriarch speaks of his interpreting Pharaoh's Dream Gen. 41. 16. It is not in me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non ex sapientia mea says the Targum II. His Ingenuous Gratitude and Thankfull acknowledgements for any measure of Light received For Praise as it is in it self most comely a singular piece of the Beauty of Holiness the Souls best dress and most graceful deportment so likewise it is an effectual instrument and one of the most compendious means to the obtaining of greater Favours and Blessings Thus Daniel out of a due sense of Gods Goodness in revealing to him that Secret and Mystery of Nebuchadnezzar's Vision repeats and doubles his affectionate Praises in Chap. 2. 20 22 23. And he that was thus becomingly thankful for this First Favour had many other Mysteries imparted to him Mysteries of the greatest magnitude and importance as that of the LXX Weeks Chap. 9. containing besides other Secrets of Providence relating the Iewish State the highest Mysteries of the Gospel the Coming of Messiah into the World his Death the Time and the End or Intent thereof his Anointing Inauguration and being instated in his Sovereign Dignity and Regal Power over all and also that in Chap. 7. of the Second Coming of Christ in the Clouds of Heaven together with the Description of the Great Day of Iudgement and the Kingdom of Christ which should not pass away nor be destroyed as were those Four Kingdoms represented in this Chapter by the Four Beasts diverse one from another verse 3. and to name no more that Mystery of the Reign of Antichrist for so the Ancients understood it both in Chapter 7. 8 20. and Chapter 11. 36 c. together with the Time of his Discovery Chapter 12. 11 12. Nor was Mr. Mede's Practice less observable in this than in the foregoing Particular of which it were easie to produce many Instances This for one out of that above-mentioned Letter to Mr. W. to whom he had sent the First Draught of his Notions upon part of the Apocalyps As for me saith he I am conscious of my weakness and unworthiness being when these kind of thoughts first possess'd me looking another way with a prejudice incompatible with this But if it be found the least means of farther light to the Father of Lights be the Glory His Epistles are full of the like thankful acknowledgements When some admiring his rare Sagacity in the Mysteries of the Apocalyps and other Prophecies wrote to him in a strain full of respect and praise he was not forward to take Glory to himself but gave it as he ought to God telling them if there were any thing in his Meditations worthy of approbation he must ascribe it to Gods goodness towards him that had in any sort enabled him to endeavour ought whereby he might not live in the world altogether unprofitably and withal adds concerning his Clavis If this one thing be my Talent though but a single one I have sufficient wherefore continually to thank the Almighty and to beseech him that my husbanding thereof may be by his gracious instinct such as may be some occasion of farther light to others Agreeable to which expressions is that most Grateful acknowledgment with which he concludes his Clavis Apocal. Id extremum te volo Lector ut si mihi assidenti quid forte revelatum esse perspexeris aut tibi ipsi aut aliis ad haec mysteria profuturum id tot um Dei in me misericordiae acceptum referas cui ego ob tantillum Sapientiae ejus radiolum grates persolvere nunquam desinam The like humble and hearty praises for that portion of knowledge God had given him in these Mysteries and the Opportunity he had vouchsafed him to make it known to others so far as he had done either of which Favours he professes he deserved not the Reader may observe elsewhere in his Epistles And indeed a Soul so Humble and Meek and Thankful as his was is in the fittest disposition and has the fairest advantages for Divine light So true is that of Siracides Mysteries are revealed unto the meek He with whom God spake face to face as a man speaketh to his friend was the meekest man upon earth one whom that rare conjunction and Constellation of so great Accomplishments and Excellencies as his being learned in all the wisedom of the Egyptians his being mighty in words and deeds his forty days converse with God in the Mount his Greatness Power and Dignity together with the incomparable goodliness of his person did not swell into an haughty arrogant and imperious humour as it would have been apt to have made some the proudest men upon earth To conclude To return all Thankful
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LATTER TIMES in my Text which must be as I said before a Latter part of that general For the true Account therefore of Times in Scripture we must have recourse to that SACRED KALENDAR and GREAT ALMANACK of PROPHECY The Four Kingdoms of Daniel which are A Prophetical Chronology of Times measured by the succession of Four principal Kingdoms from the beginning of the Captivity of Israel until the Mystery of God should be finished A course of Time during which the Church and Nation of the Iews together with those whom by occasion of their unbelief in Christ God should surrogate in their rooms was to remain under the bondage of the Gentiles and oppression of Gentilism But these Times once finished all the Kingdoms of this World should become the Kingdoms of our Lord and his CHRIST And to this Great Kalendar of Times together with that other but lesser Kalendar of LXX weeks all mention of Times in Scripture seems to have reference Now these Four Kingdoms according to the truth infallibly to be demonstrated◠if need were and agreeable both to the ancient opinion of the Iewish Church whom they most concerned and to the most ancient and universal opinion of Christians derived from the times of the Apostles until now of late time some have questioned it are 1. The Babylonian 2. that of the Medes and Persians 3. the Greek 4. the Roman In which Quaternary of Kingdoms as the Roman being the Last of the Four is the Last Kingdom so are the Times thereof those Last Times we seek for during which times saith Daniel chap. 2. v. 44. The God of Heaven shall set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed nor left unto another people but it shall break in pieces and consume all those Kingdoms and it shall stand for ever which is figured by a Stone hewen out of the mountain without hands before the times of the Image were yet spent which Stone at length smote the Image upon his Feet of Iron and Clay and so utterly destroyed it that done the Stone that smote the Image upon the feet became a great Mountain and filled the whole earth The meaning of all which is That in the Last times or under the Times of the Last Kingdom the Roman should the Kingdom of CHRIST appear in the World as we see it hath done And this is that which the Apostle saith Hebrews 1. 2. God in these Last days or Last times hath spoken to us by his Son and S. Peter 1 Epist. 1. 20. that he was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world but was manifested in these Last times This is that Fulness of time whereof the Apostle speaks Galat. 4. 4. When the Fulness of time was come God sentsorth his Son made of a woman and Ephes. chap. 1. v. 9 10. Having made known to us the mystery of his will That in the dispensation of the Fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ. Agreeable unto all which is that Hebrews 9. 26. Christ hath once appeared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the end of times or ages to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself Where these Last times Fulness of time and Conclusion of ages are nothing else but the Times of the Fourth Kingdom whose Times are the Last period of Daniel's Four the Fulness of the Prophetical Chronology and Conclusion of the Sacred Kalendar During these Times Christ was looked for and accordingly came and reigned whose Kingdom shall at length abolish the brittle remainder of this Romish State according to the other part of the Prophecy when the Fulness of the Gentiles shall come in and our Lord subdue all his enemies under his feet and at the last even Death it self HAVING thus found What Times are termed the Last times in general let us now see if we can discover which are the Latter Times of these Last times or the Latter times in special which are those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Latter Times in my Text which will not be hard to do For if the Last Times in general are all the Times of the Fourth Kingdom then must our Latter times as a part thereof needs be the Latter times of that Kingdom Let us therefore again to our Prophetical Kalendar and survey Daniel's description of the Fourth or Roman Kingdom as it is Chapter 7. from verse 19. where we shall soon find the Latter times thereof to be that Period of a Time Times and half a Time during which that prodigious Horn with eyes like a man and a mouth speaking great things should make war with the Saints prevail against them and wear them out and think to change times and laws until the Iudgment should sit and his dominion be taken away and in him that long-lived Beast finally be destroyed and his body given to the burning flame verse 11. For this Hornish Sovereignty is the Last Scene of that long Tragedy and the Conclusion of the Fourth Beast and therefore the times thereof are those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Latter times whereof the Spirit spake expresly that in them there should be an Apostasie from the Christian Faith CHAP. XIII Two Enquiries concerning the Latter Times I. What durance they are to be of Answ. That the Times of the Antichristian State are to last 42 months or 1260 days That hereby cannot be meant three single years and an half proved by several particulars Enquiry II. When they begin Answ. That they take their beginning from the mortal wound of the Imperial Sovereignty of Rome or the ruine of the Roman Empire This proved from the Apocalypse and 2 Thessal 2. where by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Fathers generally understand the Roman Empire The same further proved from Dan. 7. That by the little Horn is meant Antichrist or The man of sin and not Antiochus Epiphanes was the judgment of the most ancient Fathers COncerning these Times thus found we will now further enquire First What durance they may be of Secondly When they take beginning and by what mark their beginning may be known For the First we will make no question but these are the self-same Times whereof S. Iohn speaks telling us That the Church should be in the wilderness a Time Times and half a Time the same with those XLII moneths wherein S. Iohn's restored Beast should domineer and play the self-same reeks which Daniel's Hornish Tyrant doth the same time with those XLII moneths during which the Church is trodden down of the Gentiles lastly the same time with 1260 days during which the Witnesses of Christ prophesie in sackcloth For a Time Times and half a Time or a Year two Years and a half are XLII moneths and XLII moneths make 1260 days If therefore we can find the continuance and beginning of any of these we have found the continuance and beginning of them all For the Duration and Length of them they
the Appendix of hindering or debarring marriage mentioned in the next verses which as a thred led me the way to the end of the eleventh chapter of Daniel where I found it and in a place too very suspicious being taken I think by almost all the Ancients for a Prophecy of Antichrist yea and so expounded by the greatest part of our own though with much variety of reading and application But hear the words themselves in the 36 37 38 39. verses of that eleventh chapter of Daniel translated as I think 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verbatim without any wresting or straining the Hebrew text They are a Description of the Last or Roman Kingdom and the several states thereof Conquering Nations Persecuting Christians Falseworshipping Christ. The words are these Daniel Chap. 11. Vers. 36 37 38 39. 36. Then a King shall do according to his will and shall exalt and magnifie himself above every God 36. Tunc faciet pro libitu suo Rex extollet ac magnificabit seipsum supra omnem Deum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yea against the God of God shall he speak marvellous things and shall prosper until the Indignation be accomplished for the determined time shall be fulfilled Etiam contra Deum Deorum loquetur stupenda proficiétque donec consummata fuerit Indignatio nam statutum perficietur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 37. Then he shall not regard the Gods of his Ancestors nor shall he regard the Desire of women no nor any God but he shall magnifie himself above all 37. Tunc ad Deos Majorum suorum attendet nec ad Desiderium mulierum nec ad ullum Numen attendet sed supra omne se magnificabit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 38. For to or together with God in his seat he shall honour Mahuzzims even together with that God whom his Ancestours knew not shall he honour them with gold and with silver and with precious stones and with pleasant things 38. Nam ad vel juxta Deum Mahuzzimos in sede ejus honorabit scilicet ad Deum quem non agnoverunt Majores ejus honorabit eos auro argento lapidibuspretiosis rebus desideratissimis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 39. And he shall make the Holds of the Mahuzzims withall or joyntly to the Forein God whom acknowledging he shall encrease with honour and shall cause them to rule over many and shall distribute the earth for a reward 39. Et faciet munimenta Mahuzzimorum unà Deoperegrino seu exotico quem agnoscendo multiplicabit honore dominari facieâ— eos in multos terrâ—mque partietur in mercedem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Now for the understanding of this Prophecy we must take notice that the Prophet Daniel at the beginning of these verses leaves off the Greek Kingdom with Antiochus of whom he was speaking before and falls about the Roman the reason being because after Antiochus in whose time Macedonia whence that Kingdom sprung with all the rest of Greece came under the Roman obedience the Third Kingdom comes no more in the holy reckoning Daniel himself calling the time of Antiochus his reign the latter end of the Greek kingdom ch 8. 23. and as I take it he intimates the same in this chapter in the verse immediately fore-going these we have now to deal withal From thence forward therefore the Roman succeeds in the account of the Great Kalendar of Times 2. Under the name King we must understand the whole Roman State under what kind of Government soever For the Hebrews use King for Kingdom and Kingdom for any Government State or Polity in the world For the Devil in the Gospel is said to have shewn Christ all the Kingdoms of the world Monarchies Aristocracies Democracies or what other kind soever 3. Where it is said that this King should exalt himself above every God nothing is thereby meant but the greatness and generality of his conquests and prevailings And the reason of that phrase or manner of speech should seem to be Because in the times of Paganism every City and Country was supposed to have their proper and peculiar Gods which were deemed as their Guardians and Protectors Whence in the Scripture according to the language of that time we may observe a threefold use of speech First the Nations themselves are expressed and implied under the names of their Gods The Israelites were called The people of Iehovah So are the Moabites the people of Chemosh Numb 21. 29. The Lord threatned Deut. 4. 28. 28. 36 64. Ier. 16. 13. to scatter Israel among the nations from one end of the earth even to another and that there they should serve other Gods day and night Gods the work of mens hands wood and stone which neither they nor their Fathers had known that is they should serve them not Religiously but Politically inasmuch as they were to become Slaves and Vassals to Idolatrous Nations even such Idolaters as neither they nor their Fathers had ever heard of For as for a Religious service of Idols the Iews were never so free as in their captivity as we see by experience at this day but with the service of bondage they may be said Politically to have been the Vassals of Idols as being in bondage to the servants of other Gods As a Christian taken by the Turk may in the like sense be said to come in bondage and be a slave to Mahomet For a Slave to the Servants is in a sense Servant to their Master Let it also be considered whether that of David 1 Sam. 26. 19. be not to be expounded according to this notion They have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord saying Go serve other Gods that is banished me into a Nation of another Religion Secondly The exploits of the Nations are said to be done by their Gods even as we by like privilege of speech ascribe unto our Kings what is done by the People under them Thus 2 Chron. 28. 23. the Gods of Damascus are said to have smote Ahaz He sacrificed to the Gods of Damascus that smote him and he said Because the Gods of Syria help them therefore will I sacrifice to them that they may help me Ier. 51. 44. it is said of the Dominion of Babylon That the Nations flowed together unto Bel and that he had swallowed up their wealth which the Lord threatned there to bring forth again out of his mouth Thirdly and that most frequently of all others What is attempted against the Nations is said to be attempted against their Gods Even as Generals bear the name not only of the exploits but also of the disadvantages of the Armies led by them So her the Gods are said to receive the affronts defeatures and discomfitures given to the People under their patronage Rabshakeh vounts in his Master's name 2 Kings 18. 33. Hath any of Gods of the Nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of Assyria where are the Gods of
after so many hundred years And if your self in this difference follow Mr. Broughton's way you may as soon perswade me there is no Sun in heaven as make me believe it And though it mattereth not much what I think or think not yet in this I dare say that all the Learned men of note in Christendom are of my mind And for my part I cannot but think it a prodigium that any man should think otherwise and I suppose your self are so far of my judgment 4. If you make the Fourth Beast hornless before his destruction you will make Daniel both at odds with himself and the Angel his interpreter If the Horn continue until the Ancient of days comes to give Iudgment to the Saints of the most High and until the time came that the Saints possessed the Kingdom verse 22. or if he continue until the Iudgment sit and they take away his dominion and the Kingdom be given to the people of the Saints of the most High verse 26 27. how was he Hornless when the Ancient of days sat in Iudgment to destroy him and give his body to the burning flame This I should have taken notice of in another place but I then forgat it yet I said there that which was sufficient to overthrow it I would not have such an Evasion in my Opinion 5. Though all the Four Kingdoms have respect to the Iews as those who were all that time to be in bondage under them yet it doth not follow that the beginning of each Kingdom should be counted from the time they were first possessed of Palaestine but from the time the Caput regni should be given unto the people which were next to succeed Nor is that Observation solid That those Kingdoms were called Beasts for the beastly usage of God's people the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies naturally Animal And you will not I know say so of the quatuor Animalia in the Apocalyps though we translate them also four Beasts The congregation of Israel as we translate it Ps. 68. 10. is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Coetus Caterva that notion may be applied to Kingdoms and States also So the type is so much the more concise by reason of the ambiguity of the word in those languages But whether it be this or that I affirm nothing nor is it much to the purpose either way And thus I think I have not left any thing of moment unanswered I had no other end in all this but to let you see I have sufficient grounds to be perswaded of my Tenet and to be averse from yours Whether others can be perswaded by them or not that I know not nor do I arrogate so much ability to my self as to perswade others what I am perswaded of my self There is more goes to perswasion than Reasons or Demonstrations and that is not in my power I desire not you should make any Reply but the contrary for I am now resolved to answer no more whatsoever you should send You know as much of my Opinion and my grounds for the same as I would desire of any mans and I think I perfectly understand yours and where your chief strength lies Why should then either of us both spend our time any further to no purpose Thus desiring the Father of lights to guide us in the way of Truth and to open our eyes to see where we see not I rest and remain still Your very loving Friend Ioseph Mede Christ's Colledge Octob. 21. EPISTLE XIII Dr. Twisse's First Letter to Mr. Mede Good Mr. Mede AMongst many fruits of my acquaintance with Dr. Meddus this hath been one of the chiefest that he hath brought me acquainted with your self though not de facie yet de meditationibus and that in the opening of Mysteries I was so happy as to light upon two Copies of your Clavis Apocalyptica thereby to gratifie both my self and my friend I was beholden to Dr. Meddus for the one and to Mr. Briggs for the other Since that I have seen divers Manuscriptpieces of yours whereof I make precious accompt Your distinction of Fata Imperii Fata Ecclesiae the one contained in the Seals the other in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth exceedingly affect me as a Key of great use for the opening of these Mysteries Your interpretation of the Seals proceeds in my judgment with great evidence of illustration And in the last place your Exposition of the Trumpets hath taken me quite off from the Vulgar opinion that formerly hath been so common For all which I most heartily thank you And did it become me to profess so much who am nothing worth I should be apt to say you are as dear in my affection as to any friend you have I beseech you go on to perfect the good work you have begun in the Revelation and in other mysterious passages for the clearing whereof I well perceive by the blessing of God you have attained to a very singular faculty I seem to discern a providence of God in causing the opinion of a Thousand years Regnum Sanctorum to be blasted as an Error by the censure passed upon the Chiliasts to take men off from fixing their thoughts too much on that in those days when the accomplishment was so far removed but with purpose to revive it in a more seasonable time when Antichrist's kingdom should draw near to an end Concerning which I have something to propose in searching after more particular satisfaction But I know not whether yet I may be so bold with you and besides I fear to divert you from your so weighty and so profitable studies yet they are such as withall I have thought with my self of accommodating an Answer But though my heart serve me not to communicate them to you at this time yet surely I shall make them known to Doctor Meddus A friend of mine also hath this day given into my hands certain Disputations upon divers mysterious points in Daniel and the Revelation In one of them he disputes of this Thousand years Regnum Sanctorum with variety of Reasons pro con but inclining rather to the contrary A very ingenuous man he is and a great student in Mr. Brightman If I may have liberty to communicate these things unto you and that it might be without offence to your more weighty studies I would so use this liberty as not to nourish my self in idleness but withal to imploy my self in answering what soever I find therein to the contrary At this time give me leave to propose to your consideration Whether that fear of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 almost of our Protestant profession may not be avoided and the three days and an half Rev. 11. not signify a space of time succeeding the continuance of those Witnesses but intermixed with it My Reason is this The two Witnesses signifie all the Witnesses giving
begins at the Great Iudgment That the Kingdom in Daniel and that of a 1000 years in the Apocalyps are one and the same Kingdom appears thus First Because they begin ab eodem termino namely at the destruction of the Fourth Beast That in Daniel when the Beast then ruling in the wicked Horn was slain and his body destroyed and given to the burning flame Dan. 7. vers 11 22 27. That in the Apocalyps when the Beast and the false Prophet the wicked Horn in Daniel were taken and both cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone Apoc. 19. ver 20 21 c. Secondly Because S. Iohn begins the Regnum of a thousand years from the same Session of Iudgement described in Daniel as appears by his parallel expression borrowed from thence Daniel sayes Chap. 7. S. Iohn says Chap. 20. V. 9. I beheld till the Thrones were pitched down and the Iudgment i. Iudges sat V. 4. I saw Thrones and they sat upon them 22. And Iudgment was given to the Saints of the most High And Iudgment was given unto them And the Saints possessed the Kingdom viz with the Son of Man who came in the clouds And the Saints lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years Now if this be sufficiently proved That the thousand years begin with the Day of Iudgment it will appear further out of the Apocalyps that the Iudgment is not consummate till they be ended For Gog and Magog's destruction and the universal Resurrection is not till then Therefore the whole thousand years is included in the Day of Iudgment Consectarium de Interpretatione aliorum Scripturae locorum huc pertinentium Hence it will follow That whatsoever Scripture speaks of a Kingdom of Christ to be at his second appearing or at the destruction of Antichrist it must needs be the same which Daniel saw should be at that time and so consequently be the Kingdom of a thousand years which the Apocalyps includes between the beginning and consummation of the Great Iudgment Ergo That in Luke 17. from verse 20. to the end And that in Luke 19. from the 11. verse to the 15. inclusively And that in Luke 21. verse 31. When ye see these things come to pass know that the Kingdom of God is at hand See what went before viz. The Son of man's coming in a cloud with power and great glory borrowed from Daniel And that in 2 Tim. 4. 1. I charge thee before God and the Lord Iesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom By these we may understand the rest taking this for a sure ground That this expression of The Son of man's coming in the clouds of heaven so often inculcated in the New Testament is taken from and hath reference to the Prophecie of Daniel being no where else found in the Old Testament As our Saviour also calls himself so frequently The Son of man because Daniel so called him in that Vision of the Great Iudgment and that we might look for the accomplishment of what is there prophesied of in him It was not in vain that when our Saviour quoted the Prophecie of Daniel he added He that readeth him let him understand Certainly the great mystery of Christ is chiefly and most distinctly revealed in that Book which God the Father of lights so enable us with his Spirit that we may understand to his glory and our own comfort Amen I pray compare this with the Paper I sent you of the Four Monarchies which I called The A. B. C. of Prophecie and with the latter end of my Specimina de mille annis and with my Interpretation of Praeconium Tubae VII You shall find the grounds of all this in them I have no copy of this I now send I would desire you when you are weary with reading it to send me it again that I may get it transcribed to save me a labour another time when some other friend shall make a Quaere to like purpose I find ever and anon inconvenience for want of such a provision I will send you it again presently Before Christmass will be time enough I desire to be remembred to Master Doctor Twisse to whose Letter I shall make some Answer when I get some leisure now I have none Yours Ioseph Mede Christ's Colledge Novemb. 25. 1629. EPISTLE XVI Dr. Twisse his Second Letter to Mr. Mede Worthy Sir I Pray forgive me this once in interrupting your more momentous meditations Thankfulness urgeth me to express that your Letter is a Iewel unto me making me partaker of such fruits and giving me interest in such affections I profess you have strange conceits I mean for the worthiness of them they possess me with admiration especially that touching the manner of the Iews Conversion Those passages of Scripture and the reference of them which you make I do consider with Reverence and the particular relation S. Paul makes of himself as first tasting of that Grace in reference to the like which were to succeed had he made mention of the miraculous operation in his Conversion as he doth of God's Long-suffering and Patience the Congruity had been absolute Yet I seem to discern something whereby that may be argued also to be implied for otherwise in likelihood he was not the first Yet to object for your Ingenuity I perceive gives me leave S. Paul was a particular person and then travelling on the way The Conversion we speak of is of a Nation and that wonderfully dispersed in the world the like manner of Christ's appearing unto whom for their Conversion is hard to conceive And besides I seem to conceive evidence from 2 Cor. 3. 15 16. that their Conversion shall be wrought from amongst themselves by reading Moses and the Prophets for it is the veil laid before their Hearts which hinders them from discerning the end of the Law which is Christ which veil shall be taken away and being taken away they shall be turned unto Christ. Yet I confess the Text saith not when the veil is taken away they shall be turned to the Lord but rather when they shall be turned to the Lord the veil shall be taken away Yet again so it is said Luk. 7. 47. that many sins were forgiven her for she loved much yet by the scope of the Parable there proposed the formal truth appears to be this She loved much for many sins were forgiven her So here it may be argued that the taking away of their veil is the cause of their turning to the Lord for the position of the veil is that which hinders them from discerning him therefore the removing of the veil is the making may for the discerning of him by that in Moses Yet I seem to see how this may be answered The veil hinders from discerning him in the Law of Moses but if God be pleased to manifest his Son by sight the veil can no way hinder that And why may not the
also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be whether the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be paragogical or an ancient slip of the Scribe For the Syriack translates it dedi and in the Hebrew it answer to to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All this to be so the words following evince viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How will it cohere else They gave c. as the Lord commanded me Must it not needs be I gave c. Thirdly the Evangelist for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 would as should seem have us read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is adverbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as S. Matthew more freely translates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Esther chap. 1. v. 8 15 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 often in that Book If it be considered how aukwardly those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stand in that sentence and how disturb'd they make the Syntax it will breed suspicio mendi And if one of the Apostles of our Lord play here the Critick it is no sin to follow him say the Masorites what they will 2. Reg. 20. 12 c. Esay chap. 39. tot are but two Copies of the same history yet are there two or three differences questionless from the hand of the Scribe as  2 Reg. 20. Esay 39  Ver 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ver. 1. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. If it be apparent one letter is changed for another here why may it not be in other places I durst shew no such conceits as these but to so great an Antiquary as your Lordship to whom the possibility of corruption by writing is so well known or rather the impossibility of the contrary Who knows what time will discover cum Elias venerit EPISTLE XXXII Mr. Mede's Answer to Mr. Osbourn's Quaere's touching some passages in Daniel and the Revelation Qu. 1. WHether Daniel and the Revelation are Prophecies transfused into one another or that Daniel reaches no farther than the destruction of Ierusalem Answ. I conceive Daniel to be Apocalypsis contracta and the Apocalyps Daniel explicate in that where both treat about the same subject namely what was revealed to Daniel concerning the Fourth Kingdom but summatim and in gross was shewed to S. Iohn particulatim with the distinction and order of the several Fates and Circumstances which were to betide and accompany the same And that therefore Daniel's Prophecie is not terminated with the First but reacheth to the Second coming of Christ as appears by the description of that glorious coming and the great Iudgment Dan. 7. and his prophecie of the Resurrection Chap. 12. This hath been the constant Tradition of the Church from the Apostles days to this last Seculum and was of the Church of the Iews before and at our Saviour's time And if the Apostles had ever taught the Church otherwise it could never so timely so wholly so generally have been forgotten Quest. 2. How was the Book of Apocalyptical predictions sealed until the Lamb opened it Apoc. 5. if Daniel and the other Prophets wrote any thing of them Answ. Whatsoever the meaning be of that sealing and unsealing the Apocalyptical Book it cannot be so far urged as to infer the Contents thereof were in no wise â—evealed until that unsealing that is until S. Iohn saw his Revelation For the contrary is apparent First of the Day of Iudgment and Resurrection at Christ's glorious coming in the clouds which is the main But and scope of the Apocalyps and yet was foretold by Daniel or some other of the Prophets or else upon what Scripture did the Church of the Iews found their faith concerning both Secondly The Reign of Antichristâ— which should precede that glorious coming is no small part of the argument of the Apocalyps yet was that revealed before S. Iohn saw his Visions if you will not grant to and by Daniel yet you must by S. Paul 2 Thess. 2. which was at least 40 years before the Apocalyps was given But he that considers S. Paul well will find that he borrowed that piece and the ground of his Demonstration from Daniel of which more by and by In a word The Fourth Kingdom and that tyrannical Dominion which should foregoe the Son of mans coming in the clouds of heaven was revealed summatim in genere before S. Iohn's Visions but the series rerum gerendarum therein from the First to that Second and glorious appearing of Christ particulatim in specie was never revealed or unsealed till then Quest. 3. All things go round That which is is that which was and that which shall be What therefore though the expressions in S. Iohn be the same with those in Daniel yet may the times and things prophesied of not be the same Answ. 'T is true all things go round and the course of Divine government runs in a circle or repetition of the lame things So that the Fates and Sequels of things foretold in the Prophets may be again and again repeated and the Prophecies of them as it were often fulfilled namely by way of Analogy but not of Propriety But whither tends this I suppose to make the ruffling Horn in Daniel and S. Iohn's blaspheming Beast to be diverse though the expression and description be the same If this be it I meet with it thus The Vision of the Son of mans coming in the clouds of heaven Dan. 7. is in propriety the Second and Glorious coming of Christ as appears by that coming so often described from thence in the New Testament and our Saviour's using of the title of the Son of man with reference thereto as who though now he appeared in humility yet was the same which one day as Daniel prophesied should appear so gloriously Vid. Matth. 26. 64. Mark 14. 62 c. Adhibe Iohn 12. 34 c. But if this be so then that Dominion which Daniel saw immediately to precede this coming must be in propriety that Tyranny of the wicked one which should precede that Second and Glorious coming of Christ. Ergo not the Tyranny of Antiochus Epiphanes but of Antichrist And upon this ground did S. Paul build that Demonstration of his 2 Thess. 2. That the Day of the Lord could not be at hand to wit because the Kingdom of that wicked one which Daniel had foretold he should abolish at the appearance of his coming was not yet in the world Quest. 4. Whether Nebuchadnezzar's Image contained more Kingdoms than were then in the world or whereof himself was Master Answ. More Kingdoms than were then in the world I see no reason why it might not nay why it should not For it was a Vision of Kingdoms that were to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 afterward verse 29 45. and the Kingdom of Christ one amongst them Yet was Rome a
Polity and the Chief thereof For to obviate any impertinent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and contest about the word as used in S. Iohn's Epistles our Author was well aware that the Antichrist and Antichrists mention'd there might particularly and primarily respect some Impostors that began then to appear in the world about the end of the Iewish State but withal he thought that what was said of those Antichrists in chap. 2. 22 c. might interpretatively though not explicitely and directly be verified of the Great Antichrist then not in being but to come and by no unnatural consequence be applied to him of whom those other Antichrists were in some sense Figures or Forerunners For this was his Notion in this particular He that sets up and substitutes in the room of Christ Saints and Angels as so many Mediators between us and God agreeably to the practice of the Heathens who of old set up Daemons as Agents between the Sovereign Gods and Men eo ipse negat Iesum esse Christum does thereby really deny that Iesus is the Christ as he that worships more Gods than one does ipso facto deny that Iehovah he is God And in pursuance of this his Notion he had this not improper Observation viz. That after S. Iohn had said concerning Christ This is the true God and eternal life he immediately adds Little children keep your selves from Idols intimating said he thereby That in that Fatal and Great Apostasie which was to surprise the Church Christians would worship Idols i.e. false Christs and Mediators in stead of Christ and thus deny the Lord that bought them the Lord Christ the true and only Mediator between God and men Not being fondly addicted therefore to the use of this word he does frequently in his Commentary upon the Apocalyps make choice of other Forms of speech and such as were suggested to him from the style of that Mysterious Book as Bestia Bicornis Pseudo-propheta Romanus Meretrix Babylonica Bestia Pseudo-prophetica sev Pontificia Caesar Papanus Regnum Pontificale c. when he has occasion to speak of the Roman Polity and the Head thereof yet withal he was not so weakly nice as wholly to decline that word Antichrist in his Apocalyptick labours as appears in his Commentâ— upon what concerns the Third Trumpet in Chap. 8. Episcopus Romanus nihil aliud effecit quà m ut hoc quasi â—ppanso velo nè ipse pro Capite Novissimo id est Antichristo tandem à minùs perspicacibus tam liquidò haberetur as also in his Comment upon Chap. 14. vers 17 c. Nos qui Occidentalem Antichristum asserimùs c. and to name no more in his Specimina upon Chap. 16. are to be found Bestia Antichristiana Terra in Vniversitate Antichristiana designat Scabellum Antichristi Vniversitas Pontificia Mundus Antichristianus Iurisdictio Antichristiana Mare Antichristianum est Ditionis Pontificalis ambitus with other expressions of the like import concerning which the Reader without an Oedipus may know the Authors mind and to whom they are there applied Wherefore though this Title was properly and primarily meant in S. Iohn's Epistles of some Impostors and Hereticks that appear'd about that Age yet seeing the ancient Fathers made use of this word to signifie and characterize some other Enemy of Christ yet to come whether a more open Enemy of Christ or a more close one that is rather against the Interest of Christ though he pretends to be for him and seeing that after-Writers have taken the word from the Fathers and it being a compendious significant expression have made use of it in their Writings as well Papists who apply it to one that is to come at the end of the world as Protestants who apply it to some in being our Author was not so scrupulous as to decline a word that was become thus currant and passable in all Ages and as allowable if not unfitly used as any Technical word in any Faculty though sometimes it were improperly and unworthily used by rash Zelots to the gratifying of their pride and passion And accordingly whosoever has been conversant in the Writings of the Renowned Arch-bishop Whitgift against T. C. and the Disciplinarians will find that more than once he makes use of this word when he has occasion to speak of the Roman Church although T. C. and his Adherents were over-apt to call things not only innocent but laudable and decorous also Antichristian wherein they express'd a Zeal not less Imprudent than Uncharitable for hereby as they did the Common Enemy no small credit and service so they likewise weakned the true Interest and hazarded the safety of the Protestant Reformed Religion Which was piously and prudently observ'd by the fore-mentioned Arch-bishop and accordingly he tells them faithfully and plainly I know that Sects and Heresies gave strength unto Antichrist and at the length were one special means of placing him in his Throne even as I am also perswaded that he worketh as effectually at this day by your stirs and contentions whereby he hath and will more prevail against this Church of England than by any other means whatsoever Therefore it behoveth you to take heed how you divide the Army of Christ which should unanimiter sight against that Antichrist By which passage to omit others it appears this Reverend Prelate was Semper idem of the same judgment in his elder days and in his greatest Height as when formerly he maintained this Thesis at the publick Commencement answering for his Degree of D. D. Papa est Ille Antichristus as Sir George Paul relates in the History of his Life And therefore our Author in applying that Title to the Papal or Roman Hierarchy so miserably degenerate was not alone but did tread in the steps of those who were of greatest eminency in our Church and not to mention those other great Names particularly in the steps of the Renowned Bishop Andrews his ancient and constant Friend whose multifarious reading and great judgment did abundantly qualifie him for an able and most accomplish'd Guide in this affair What his Sentiments were herein appears by several passages in his Tortura Torti particularly in pag. 183. to pag. 188. where he proves against the cavils of that busie Romanist That by Babylon in Apocal. chap. 17. chap. 18. is meant non Roma Ethnica sed Antichristiana and withal evinces the vanity of that poor subterfuge and yet made use of as that other also of Roma Ethnica by H. Grotius in his Annotations That by the Destruction of Babylon there foretold is to be understood the Burning of Rome by the Goths and Vandals about the year 455. as afterwards in pag. 312 315. the makes it clear that Idolatry the great Character of Antichristianism or that Token of Antichrist's Kingdom as the sumptuous decking of Images is styl'd in the Homily against the Peril of Idolatry is justly charged upon the Roman Church and in the same place likewise
in Examples Pompey the great is reported to have died most miserably upon the very same day he triumphed for the spoil of Ierusalem AND thus having spoken of the three first Observations I come now to the fourth and last Observation namely That the Profit and Pleasure which men seek for in the works of sin will not so much as quit cost in this life Because God's Punishments are requitals the Profit gotten by sin we shall lose wholly if not doubly in the Punishment thereof the Pleasure found in sin will be overpoised in the pain of sorrow we shall undergo for the same It is hard to conceive that a man should be so much the son of Belial as to commit sin only for his mind sake without any aim to a farther end But rather we may think That as all actions are done for some End so even in sinful and wicked actions men have some Ends why they commit them And it is the conceit and apprehension of some such thing to be gotten by sin which makes that which is indeed Evil to have a shadow of an appearing Good To be short The Ends men aim at in the commission of sin are those two bastard goods Vtile Iucundum worldly Profit and carnal Pleasure Within the compass of which two fall all those kinds of false Happiness whereabout the Philosophers were so divided Riches Honours Pleasures Bodily ease c. All are comprehended within the verge of these two Vtile Iucundum Profit and Pleasure These are verily those two baits of the Devil wherewithal he inveigleth the Souls of men with these two he insnared our First Parents in Paradise Our mother Eve saw the forbidden fruit that it was like to be as pleasant to the taste as it was pleasing unto the eye on the other side Knowledge like unto God which she hoped to attain hereby was a thing exceeding commodious and worth the compassing Upon these Motives therefore she fell miserably and upon the like do we fall every day Nay the Devil thought with these to have tempted our Saviour Christ himself to worship him for he shewed him as we read All the kingdoms of the earth with the glory of them In a kingdom all kinds of Profit and means of wealth abound and for Pleasure what delight is equal unto that which is to be found in the glory of a Kingdom To speak of them severally What power and force a Motive of Gain and Profit hath to sway our affection to commit sin S. Paul hath told us 1 Tim. 6. 9. Those saith he that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and verse 10. that Covetousness is the root of all evil The same also is apparent by the words of our Saviour It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God Matth. 19. 24. And for the other to wit carnal Pleasure so forcible it is so much prevailing in tempting and drawing us unto evil that the wise Son of Syrach sticked not to say He that resisteth pleasures crowneth his own soul. Besides these Ends are so nearly linked together that the one of them is commonly desired for a Means unto the other for therefore do many desire wealth that they might have means to live voluptuously But be they as they will be Is this be all the good men do or can expect from the works of sin if these only be those fair Ends we strive to attain by so foul a means and when we have gotten them if the just God requites the Pleasure we expect with pain and sorrow and the Gain we hoped for with an equal yea with a greater loss if the Pleasure of a moment be entertained with a remaining sorrow if a single Gain be rewarded with a double loss and that in this world Surely it will not quit the cost to commit the most gainful or pleasing sin in the world But certain it is that God useth thus to meet with our intendments and to make us always fall short first or last of what we hoped for by Sin For as for Pleasure and Hearts-ease as we call it alas who ever found this gotten by sin to be worth the while To overpass such requiting pains as fall within the observation of other mens eyes as when God makes our pain and sorrow to grow even from those members those hands those things from which we sought delight as I shewed you in the last Observation I will I say omit these and put you in mind only of that secret pain which no man knows but he that feels it The sting of Conscience Is there any man that finds not the honey of sin mingled with this gall Surely the sting of Conscience never leaves a sinner but is in all our pleasure like unto those wild gourds 2 Kings 4. 39 c. wherewith the young Prophets of Gilgal spoiled their whole pot of pottage We cannot taste so much as one spoonful of this false pleasure but presently we must cry as they cried Mors in olla Death is in the pot As for Profit and Wealth It is even gotten into vulgar experience that what in this kind is gotten by sinful and bad means is nothing durable Treasures of wickedness saith Solomon Prov. 10. 2. profit nothing and wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished Prov. 13. 11. Yea as the feathers of an Eagle are said to consume the feathers of other birds so a little gotten by indirect and bad means often consumes a man's whole substance I cannot stand to inlarge upon this point I will only shew in the example of our first Parents how God in this manner requited them First They looked for Pleasure in the taste of so pleasing a fruit This hope God repai'd them with pain and sorrow I will multiply thy sorrow saith he unto the woman and in pain shalt thou bring forth children and to the man In sorrow shalt thou eat the fruits of the earth all the days of thy life They looked secondly to have gained much and to have profited themselves exceedingly as namely to have gotten more knowledge than God had given them This hope God requited not only with the loss of that knowledge they had before but even of the outward things they enjoyed in Paradise Primum in unoquoque genere est mensura consequentium The First in every kind is the measure of that which follows Thus God dealt with them and thus will he deal with us unto the world's end Sin is utterly unprofitable whatsoever is gotten thereby is like the change Diomedes made with Glaucus like that which Rehoboam made of the shields in the house of the Lord shields of brass for shields of gold Let us therefore hence learn to withstand such foolish Motives and such vain Hopes when we are in danger to be ensnared by these baits let us thus reason with our selves What
interpreted pag. 593 CHAP. VIII Mr. Mede's Answer to six Enquiries about some difficult passages in the Apocalyps pag. 594 CHAP. IX Five Reasons demonstrating That the Antichristian Times are more than Three single years and an half pag. 598 CHAP. X. A Discourse of the Beginning and Ending of the 42 Months or 1260 Days Rev. 11. 2 3. wherein Alstedius his Four Epocha's are examined pag. 600 CHAP. XI Of the 1000 years mentioned in Apocal. 20. with some Reflexions upon Eusebius and S. Hierom. pag. 602 CHAP. XII A Censure by way of Correction returned to a Friend concerning a somewhat exorbitant Exposition of his of Apocal 20. pag. 603 V. A Paraphrase and Exposition of the Prophecy of S. Peter 2 Ep. Chap. 3. pag. 609 VI. The Apostasie of the Latter Times PART I. CHAP. I. The dependence of the Text in 1 Timothy Chap. 4. verse 1 2. upon the last verse in chap. 3. Why in the Description of the Mystery of Godliness those words Assumed into Glory are set last A view of the several parts of the Text containing the Method and Order of the ensuing Discourse The Author 's three Reasons for his rendring the Text differently from the common Translation pag. 623 CHAP. II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Scripture imports Revolt or Rebellion That Idolatry is such proved from Scripture By Spirits in the Text are meant Doctrines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are to be taken Passively for Doctrines concerning Daemons Several instances of the like form of Speech in Scripture pag. 625 CHAP. III. Daemons according to the Gentiles Theologie were 1. for their Nature and degree a middle sort of Divine Powers between the Sovereign Gods and Men. 2. For their Office they were supposed to be Mediators between the Gods and Men. This proved out of several Authors The Distinction of Sovereign Gods and Daemons proved out of the Old Testament and elegantly alluded to in the New 1 Cor. 8. pag. 626 CHAP. IV. Daemons were for their Original the Souls of men Deified or Canonized after death This proved out of sundry Authors Baal or Bel or Belus the first Deified King Hence Daemons are called Baalim Another kind of Daemons such as never dwelt in Bodies These answer to Angels as the other to Saints pag. 629 CHAP. V. The manner of worshipping Daemons and retaining their presence viz. by consecrated Images and Pillars The worshipping of Images and Columns a piece of Daemon-doctrine as was also the worshipping of Daemons in their Reliques Shrines and Sepulchers pag. 632 CHAP. VI. A Summary of the Doctrines of Daemons How these are revived and resembled in the Apostate Church That the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometime used in Scripture according to the Theologie of the Gentiles That it is so used in the Text was the judgment of Epiphanius an observable passage quoted out of him to this purpose pag. 634 CHAP. VII Why those words in the description of the Mystery of Godliness Received into Glory are set last That praying to Saints as Mediators and Agents for us with God is Idolatry To be prayed to in Heaven and to deal as an Agent between us and God is a Prerogative and Royalty appropriate to Christ. How this was figured under the Law by the High-priest's alone having to do in the most Holy place That Christ purchased this Royalty by suffering an unimitable Death That Saint-worship is a denial of Christ's Prerogative How it crept into the Church pag. 637 CHAP. VIII That Idolatry is the main Character of the Churche's Apostasie proved by Three Arguments pag. 643 CHAP. IX That Pagan-Idolatry is not here meant nor can the Saracen or Turk be the Antichrist meant in Scripture An Answer to an Exception viz. That Antichristianism cannot be charged upon those that acknowledge the true God and Christ. That Antichrist is a Counter-Christ and his Coming a Counter-resemblance of the Coming of Christ shewed in several particulars pag. 644 CHAP. X. The Great Apostasie was to be a General one That the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some does not in the Text and several other places imply a Few or a Small number Wherein we and the Papists differ about the Churche's Visibility In what respects our Church was Visible and in what Invisible under the Reign of Antichrist pag. 648 CHAP. XI That the Last Times in Scripture signifie either a Continuation of Time or an End of Time That the Last Times simply and in general are the Times of Christianity the Last Times in special and comparatively or the Latter Times of the Last Times are the Times of the Apostasie under Antichrist pag. 652 CHAP. XII A more particular account of the Last Times in general and of the Latter Times of the Last Times That Daniel's Four Kingdoms are the Great Kalendar of Times That the Times of the Fourth or Last Kingdom viz. the Roman are the Last Times meant in Scripture That the Latter Times of the Last Times are the Latter Times of the Fourth Kingdom wherein the Great Apostasie should prevail pag. 654 CHAP. XIII The Duration and Length of the Latter Times viz. 42 months or 1260 days That hereby cannot be meant three single years and an half That the Latter Times take their beginning from the ruine of the Roman Empire That the ancient Fathers by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thessal 2. understand the Roman Empire and by the little Horn Dan. 7. Antichrist or the Man of sin pag. 655 CHAP. IV. Three main Degrees of the Roman Empire's ruine The Empire divided into 10 Kingdoms Who are those Three Kings whom the little Horn or Antichrist is said Dan. 7. to have deprest to advance himself pag. 658 CHAP. XV. That Daniel's 70 Weeks are a lesser Kalendar of Times That these Phrases in the Epistles to the converted Iews viz. The Last Hour or Time The End of all things The Day approaching c. are meant of the End of the Iewish State and Service at the expiring of the 70 Weeks That the Apostles were not so mistaken as to believe the End of the World should be in their days proved against Baronius and others p. 663. CHAP. XVI That the Spirit foretold the Great Apostasy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Dan. 11. vers 36 37 38 39. These Verses exactly translated and explained That by Mahoz and Mahuzzim are meant Fortresses Bulwarks Protectors Guardians c. How fitly this Title is appliable to Angels and Sain's pag. 666. CHAP. XVII A Paraphrase and Observations upon Dan. 11. v. 36 37 38 39. That at the beginning of Saint-worship in the Church Saints and their Reliques were called Bulwarks Fortresses Walls Towers Guardians c. according to the prime sense of the word Mahuzzim pag. 670. PART II. CHAP. I. The Author's Reasons for his translating the Text differently from the Common Versions That the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text signifies Through or By. The like it signifies in other places of Scripture pag. 675.
divided and all of them submit themselves under the Authority of Antichrist I could shew that in the beginning these Kingdoms were just Ten neither more nor less and I could name the Kings which reigned in them when they first filled that number of Ten. According to the inconstancy of humane things they have since changed in their number sometimes more and sometimes less by unions and disunions and yet often jumped in their alterations upon that number When I speak of the Demi-Caesar of Rome you must not understand me of the German Emperor which I grant to be no other but one of the Ten Horns which the Pope hath dignified with the Caesarean name 350 years after the Western Caesar was extinguished and the Kingdom of the Franks had been a Kingdom 380 years before the Pope honoured Charlemain the King thereof with the Imperial title for his good service against the Lombards in his quarrel The Demi-Caesar therefore which we have to deal with is the Latin or Western Emperor which reigned after the Division of the Empire into East and West under which the old Rome was Lady but of one half of the Provinces which she once had the rest being taken from her and given to Byzantium together with the title of Nova Roma This Half-Caesar of Rome after the last Division under Honorius and Arcadius continued about 60 years or not much more which is the cause why S. Iohn saies it should continue but a short space Ch. 17. 10. Now to understand the Question about the Seventh and Eighth Head of the Beast c. these grounds must be lay'd and granted 1. The Heads of the Beast are to be conceived as climbing one above another and the Ten Horns to grow upon the last or uppermost Head 2. The Heads of the Beast are indeed but Seven and no more as appears in the Visions both of the 13. and 17. Chapters and though S. Iohn speak of an Eighth King in the interpretation yet he had but Seven Heads in all in the Vision And therefore that which he calls an Eighth can be indeed but the Seventh and termed an Eighth for some accidental respect only 3. The Whore rides the Beast under his last Head only which is the Head which wears the Ten Horns For whilest the other Heads were in their course she was Ethnica not yet adultera Enquiry V. How is the Last Head though indeed but the Seventh yet in some sort an Eighth 1. In respect of the Sixth Head the Caesars which though indeed but One yet for some accidental respect may be accounted Two Caesars and Demi-Caesars for essence the same but for extent and some manner of government differing Now if the Sixth Head be reckoned for Two the Seventh will be an Eighth and yet but one of the Seven 2. The Last Head is for the beginning but a Seventh because it immediately succeeded the Sixth viz. of the Caesars but for its continuance and ending it is an Eighth because it outlived a Seventh namely that of the Demi-Caesars For the Papal Sovereignty began with and as soon as the Demi-Caesars and so it was a Seventh as well as they But they continued but a short time and the Papal outlived and succeeded them and so was an Eighth à parte pòst though but a Seventh à parte ante These I take to be the true Reasons why the latmost Head is counted both a Seventh and an Eighth though in truth it be but the Seventh according to the Vision and accidentally termed an Eighth in the interpretation You know Mr. Brightman makes Two States of the Antichristian Beast the First wherein he was born and presently wounded to death the Second wherein he revived in respect of the First he is the Seventh in respect of the last the Eighth But this will not agree with Story the Popedom receiving no such wound as he speaks of The wound was the Empire's and not the Popedom's and made for him not against him It would have been better to have made the Two States the one of his Spiritual Sovereignty and the other of his Temporal joyned unto it in ordine ad Spiritualia Forbes makes that Kingdom of the Ostrogoths in Italy to be the Seventh but the Demi-Caesars had been better and the Popedom in respect of it to be the Eighth in order but in the nature of the government to be one of the Seven that is like unto the Caesarean or Sixth But I see not how the Kings of the Goths can be taken for Roman Caesars or Kings and besides by this means the Beast would have Eight Heads really differing whereas the Vision shews us but Seven Enquiry VI. Concerning the Numbers of Years Months and Days in the Apocalypse That these Numbers should be taken definitely there can be no better Arguments brought than those you have in your Tractate If you desire to hear them in my form I would order the matter thus 1. That the Numbers are to be taken definitely 2. That those of Months and Dayes are to be expounded not Literally but Prophetically That these Numbers should be certain and definite is proved 1. Because all Numbers of Times in Prophecy throughout the rest of the Scripture are such 120 years warning of the Floud Gen. 6. 430 years of the Peregrination Exod. 12. The 40 years travail in the Wilderness according to the 40 days spent in spying the Land Numb 14. The 65 years by the end of which Ephraim should cease to be a Kingdom Isai. 7. 8. Ezekiel's 390 days from the Apostasy of Ieroboam to the Destruction of Ierusalem by Nebuchadnezar ch 4. Nebuchadnezar's 7 times that is 7 years bestial melancholy Dan. 4. The 70 years captivity Daniel's 70 weeks which the Iewish state should continue after its Restauration ch 9. The 2300 evenings and mornings allotted to the Calamity under Antiochus from the beginning of the Transgression of desolation unto the time the Temple was cleansed ch 8. Why should the Prophetical numbers of Times in the Revelation be only indefinite Should not the Prophecies under the Gospel be as perspicuous and determinate as those under the Law 2. The Scriptures use no Numbers indefinitely but such as the Use of speech in the language of the people had made such For the Scripture speaks according to the language of men and useth such Figures as they used Now in the Hebrew tongue Seven and Ten were by use of speech made of indefinite signification as Seven times and Ten times for Oftentimes as also Thousand thousands and Myriads of myriads when they would express an innumerable company The Latin and Greek have likewise their peculiar Numbers which Use of speech hath made liable to indefiniteness as the first Sexcenti the latter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mille millies when they express a great number indefinitely And to use any other Number indefinitely but such as the Use of speech had inured to that sense would seem a great
the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob was not the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ. This was the reason why Irenaeus maintained it in his book Contra omnes Haereses and Tertullian against the Marcionites Eusebius who found out one Gaius to father it upon Cerinthus deserves no credit he was a party and one of those which did his best to undermine the authority of the Apocalypse Nor did any know of any such Gaius but from his relation And if there were any such he should seem to be one of the Hereticks called Alogi who denied both S. Iohn's Gospel and Apocalypse as is testified in Epiphanius and their time jumps with the Age which Eusebius assigns to Gaius Yet I deny not but some might maintain very carnal and intolerable conceits about this Regnum of a thousand years as the Mahumetans do about their Paradise But these are not to be imputed unto those Primitive Fathers and Orthodox Christians S. Hierom was a chief Champion to cry down this Opinion and according to his wont a most unequal relator of the Opinion of his Adversaries What credit he deserves in this may appear by some Fragments of those Authors still remaining whom he charged with an Opinion directly contrary to that which they expresly affirmed And yet when he had stated it so as it must needs be Heresie and Blasphemy whosoever should hold it he is found to say he durst not damn it because multi virorum Ecclesiasticorum Martyrum ista dixerunt Comment in Ierem. 19. 10. many Eccleâ—astical persons and Martyrs affirm'd the same In a word I cannot chuse but agree so far with them That these 1000 years are yet to come This I hold with Alstedius But what shall be the modus and condition of that Kingdom that is what it means it may be I have some singular conceit differing from them both I am sure from Alstedius Piscator and others of that opinion But I were better speak nothing thereof than too little and to speak fully would require in a manner the Interpretation of the whole Apocalypse In a word I will reveal thus much viz. That the Seventh Trumpet and the Thousand years contained therein is that Magnus dies Domini and Magnus dies Iudicii or Dies magni Iudicii The Great Day of the Lord The Great Day of Iudgment The Day of the Great Iudgment so much celebrated amongst the Iews in all their Writings and from them taken up by our Saviour and his Apostles Not a Day of a few hours as we commonly suppose but continuatum multorum annorum intervallum a continued space of many Years wherein Christ shall destroy all his Enemies and at length Death it self beginning with Antichrist by his revelation from heaven in flaming fire and ending with the Vniversal Resurrection during which space of time shall be the Kingdom of the Saints in the New Ierusalem This I can affirm with the most That Antichrist shall not be finally destroyed till the Day of Christ's appearing unto Iudgment and yet not fall into that which some charge the Chiliasts with That this Reign should be after the Day of Iudgment For I give a third time in or durante magno Die Iudicii in or during the Great Day of Iudgment I. M. CHAP. XII A Censure by way of Correction returned to a Friend concerning an Exposition of his of the 20. Chapter of the Apocalypse somewhat exorbitant 1. THat the Reign of Christ here described is after the Times of Antichrist if either the Beast or the False-prophet be he is apparent without interpretation both because all those Times the old Dragon Satan was not tied up but at liberty to seduce the Nations and because verse 4. one sort of those who should reign with Christ a thousand years are said to be such as had not worshipped the Beast neither his Image nor had received his mark upon their foreheads or in their hands which necessarily presupposeth The Beast His Image and Marking to have already been 2. What the Quality of this Reign should be which is so singularly differenced from the Reign of Christ hitherto is neither easie nor safe to determine farther then That it should be the Reign of our Saviour's Victory over his Enemies wherein Satan being bound up from deceiving the Nations any more till the time of his Reign be fulfilled the Church should consequently enjoy a most blissful peace and happy security from the heretical Apostasies and calamitous sufferings of former times But here if any where the known shipwrecks of those who have been too venturous should make us most wary and careful that we admit nothing into our imaginations which may cross or impeach any Catholick Tenet of the Christian Faith as also to beware of gross and carnal conceits of an Epicurean happiness misbeseeming the Spiritual purity of Saints If we conceit any Deliciae let them be Spirituales which S. Austine confesseth to be Opinio tolerabilis se hoc opinatum fuisse aliquando Lib. 20. De Civit. Dei cap. 7. a tolerable Opinion and that he also was sometime of the same judgment 3. The Presence of Christ in this Kingdom shall no doubt be glorious and evident yet I dare not so much as imagine which some Ancients seem to have thought that it should be a Visible Converse upon earth For the Kingdom of Christ ever hath been and shall be Regnum Coelorum A Kingdom whose Throne and Kingly Residence is in Heaven There he was installed when he sate down on the right hand of the Majesty on high Heb. 1. and there as in his proper Temple is continually to appear in the presence of his Father to make intercession for us Rom. 8. 34. with Heb. 9. 24. Yet may we grant he shall appear and be visibly revealed from Heaven especially for the Calling and gathering of his ancient People for whom in the days of old he did so many wonders This S. Iohn in this Book as our Saviour in the Gospel â— seems to intimate by joyning those two Prophetical passages of Daniel and Zachary in one expression Behold he cometh in the clouds and every eye shall see him and they also which pierced him The first part which our Saviour expresses more fully by the Sign of the Son of Man coming in the clouds of Heaven c. is Daniel's in a Vision of this Kingdom we speak of Behold saith he one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of Heaven And there was given him Dominion and Glory and a Kingdom that all People Nations and Languages should serve him The other part is out of Zachary prophesying of the Re-calling of the Iews And I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and supplication and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced Though these words of Zachary are not in our Saviour's expression but in stead thereof that which immediately
time of the Fourth Kingdom of Daniel So Antichrist and his Mystery of impiety was to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the latter times of those Last times that is as I shall better shew hereafter in the Last times or Last Scene as I may so speak of the Fourth Kingdom of Daniel When Christ came the Sceptre was to depart from Iudah and that Common-wealth to be dissolved So when Antichrist was to come the Roman Empire was to fall and He that hindered was to be taken out of the way 2. Thess. 2. 7. The Iews expected Christ to come when he did come and yet knew him not when he was come because they had fancied the manner and quality of his coming like some temporal Monarch with armed power to subdue the earth before him So the Christians God's second Israel looked the coming of Antichrist should be at that time when he came indeed and yet they knew him not when he was come because they had fancied his coming as of some barbarous Tyrant who should with armed power not only persecute and destroy the Church of Christ but almost the World that is they looked for such an Antichrist as the Iews looked for a Christ. Wherefore as Christ came unto his own and his own received him not so Antichrist came upon those who were not his own and yet they eschewed him not But yet as some Iews though few knew Christ when he came and received him so did some Christians though but few keep themselves from the pollution of Antichrist Lastly as the Iews ere long shall acknowledge and run unto him whom they pierced as not knowing him So hath the Christian Church for a great part discovered that Son of perdition whom a long time they had ignorantly worshipped because they knew him not O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of GOD how unsearchable are his judgment and his ways past finding out But for our part seeing our case is so like unto that of the Iews let their lamentable and woful error in mistaking their Messiah by wrongly fancying him be a warning and caveat unto us that we likewise upon like conceits and prejudice mistake and misdeem not the Man of sin TINE ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 SOME CHAP. X. The Second Particular in the Description of the Great Apostasie viz. The Persons Apostatizing exprest by TINE ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 SOME The Great Apostasie was to be a General one That the word TINE ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 SOME doth not always imply a Few or a Small number proved by several passages in Scripture The true Church of Christ was never wholly extinguish't Wherein we and the Papists differ about the Churche's Visibility In what respects our Church was Visible and in what it was Invisible under the Apostasie and Reign of Antichrist This is further cleared by the parallel state of the Israelitish Church under the Apostasie of Israel NOW I come unto the Second point expressed in this Description of the Great Apostasie namely The Persons Revolters They should not be all but TINE ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 SOME 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some shall Apostatize Some that is not as we in our English do often use it a Few but Some that is not All yet Some that is So many as that the whole visible Church should be said thereof to be Apostatized So many as should like a Cloud over-spread the face of the Christian Firmament in such sort as the Stars and Lights therein should not easily be discerned For the Great Defection so much prophesied of was to be a Solemn and General one such a one as wherein the chiefest of the Churches honoured as a Mother in Israel should become a Babylonish Whore a Mother of Harlots and of the abominations of the Earth Revel 17. such a one as whereby the Outmost Court of the Temple of God should not only be prophaned but troden down by Gentilism Revel 11. such a one as the World is said to wonder after the Beast and to worship him and such a one as should not only make war with the Saints but overcome them Rev. 13. Otherwise if our Apostle here and S. Iohn there should mean no more but the Errours of some particular ones and their Revolt from the Faith of the Church they should make either no Prophecy at all or at the best but a needless one For who knows not that in S. Paul's S. Iohn's and the Apostles own times were many Heresies and Hereticks grown up as weeds in the Wheat-field of Christ but as yet the wheat overtopped them and the visible body of the Church disclaimed them If these had been the worst the Church should look for the Apostles should seem to prophesie of things present and not as they do of things to come yea and more than this they should foretell of a thing as proper and peculiar to the Last-times which was no Novelty in their own times We must take notice therefore that the Apostasie and Corruption of Faith so much prophesied of was another manner of one than that which was so frequent in those first times such a kind of one as should not be disclaimed by the Visible body of the Church but should surprise eclipse and overcloud the beautiful face thereof which manner of Desection never had been before nor should the like be after it Now that the word TINE ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or SOME useth in Scripture to imply no small number but only serves to intimate an exception of some particulars though there were but two or three to be excepted I will make manifest by a few examples lest ou◠English use might deceive us First Iohn 6. 60. Many of the Disciples saith the Text when they heard this said This is an hard saying and v. 66. Many of his Disciples from that time went back and walked no more with him Nevertheless concerning these many Christ himself saith v. 64. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But there are Some of you which believe not Here we see that Some is a great many So Rom. 11. 17. S. Paul there saith of the rejection of the Iews Some of the branches are broken off Now what a Some this was appears in the same Chapter v. 32. when he saith God hath included them ALL in unbelief that he might have mercy upon ALL. But to seek no further the 1 cor 10. will store us with examples as v. 7. Neither be ye Idolaters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Some of them were this was a great Some for Moses saith of it Exodus 32. 3. And ALL the people brake off their golden Ear-rings and brought them to Aaron In v. 8. Neither let us commit fornication as Some of them which were so many Numb 25. 4. that the Lord said unto Moses Take ALL the heads of the people and hang them up before the Lord that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned
one step nearer laying this for a second ground of our discovery That these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Latter times whereof S. Paul speaks and means were Times not then present but afterward to come For the words of the Text are not a Narration of things present but a Prediction as I have already admonished of what should beside the Christian Faith in after-times Yet notwithstanding were the Times wherein S. Paul lived and all the Times of Christianity the Last times and so styled in Scripture even by our Apostle himself as by some of the forecited examples evidently appeareth Wherefore it must needs follow that the Times here meant and mentioned in my Text are not the Last times in general and simply but the Last times in special and comparatively that is the Latter times of the Last times That as the Last times in general were the times wherein CHRIST the Sun of Righteousness was to be revealed and his Kingdom founded in the World so the Latter times of these Last times should be the times wherein the Apostasie of the Christian Faith should prevail and that Wicked one usurp the Throne of Christ. Before therefore that we can know what are the Last times comparatively that is the Latter times or the Last of the last we must first understand what are the Last times simply and in general why so called whence reckoned and how limited For then will these Latter times in my Text which are the Last part of them be easily found and in a manner demonstrated As for the Last times therefore in general most use to describe them only thus To be the times of the Kingdom of CHRIST which began at his Passion to continue unto the end of the World which in respect that it succeds the Legal worship and no other shall succeed it is therefore the Last time In like manner the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 allotted to the Man of sin are as I take it usually no otherwise described than to be the Times wherein the Apostasie should appear which in that it should immediately precede the Second coming of CHRIST is therefore to be esteemed the Last times of all But these descriptions are obscurum per magis obscurum they declare an obscure thing by that which is or was more obscure than it and therefore come short of making good the intent of the Holy Ghost in his so often mention of the Last times especially in the New Testament For the Last times or fulness of time were both a ground of the Iews expectation of CHRIST when he came and are without doubt so often propounded and alledged by the Apostles for a confirmation of the truth of his coming But if the Last times could not be known but by his coming how should his coming be known by them So also the Holy Ghost in my Text mentions these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Latter times for an argument or sign of the Apostasie to fall out therein or for a note and mark of time wherein we should look for and therefore as fore-warned beware of being carried away in that Defection But if these Times cannot be known nor described any other way than by the Defection to fall out in them we should be never a whit the nearer and this mark of time which the Holy Ghost gives us would stand us in no stead at all Let us therefore now take this as a Truth to be supposed That the Times are set out unto us to be as Marks to inform us when that should come to pass which was to fall out in them and not the Things which were to befall intended for Signs to know the Times by And therefore we are not to doubt but that the Holy Ghost hath somewhere else by some other mark and ground of Computation made known unto us when to reckon both the Last times wherein was foretold that Christ should be anointed and these Latter times of them when the Christian Apostasie should be revealed that so we might have a sure belief in the one and a certain and sufficient mark when to beware of the other The Prophanation of the Legal Sanctuary and trampling down the holy people by Antiochus Epiphanes was marked out in Daniel's prophecy by the like circumstance and determination of time as is this Apostasie here in our Apostle's prediction Dan. 8. 23. In the latter time or latter end of the Kingdom of Graecia a King of a fierce countenance shall stand up viz. He who should magnifie himself against the Prince of the Host of Heaven and take away the daily Sacrifice c. as it is in the Vision which was foreshewed of him Verse 10 11. Where it would be preposterous to think that this Latter time or End of the Greek Kingdom could not be defined otherwise than by the Event to fall out therein and not rather conceive that this determination of time being such as might otherwise well enough be known was therefore intended for a Character to observe the Event by For when was this Latter end of the Greeks Kingdom to be taken notice of but then when they should see that Kingdom begin to be given unto another people when the Fourth Kingdom the Roman State should once begin to incroach upon the Third especially when they should see the Head-Province thereof Greece it self to come under their obedience when they should see this then were they to prepare themselves for the abomination of desolation was now at the door And surely the Event was most punctual For this Roman incroachment having been some 28 years together manifestly attempting and advancing was at length accomplished when AEmilius the Consul having quite vanquished Perseus the King of Maccdon all Greece came under the Roman obedience 166 years before the Birth of Christ which no sooner was come to pass but the very self-same year within less than three months after Antiochus sets up the abomination of desolation in the Temple of Ierusalem Why should we not then believe that the Holy Ghost intendeth here to give us as sure a Watch-word when to beware of the Man of sin by this circumstance of Latter times in my Text as we see he gave the Iews to look for the Persecution and Prophanation by Antiochus CHAP. XII A more particular account of the Last Times in general and of the Latter Times of the Last Times That the Four Kingdoms of Daniel are the Great Kalendar as the LXX weeks the lesser Kalendar of Times That the Times of the Fourth or Last Kingdom that is the Roman are the Last Times meant in Scripture That the Latter Times of the Last Times are the Latter Times of the Fourth Kingdom wherein the Great Apostasie should prevail THEREFORE without any more preambles I come now directly to resolve what was before propounded viz. First What is meant by LAST TIMES in general Whence and How we are to reckon them And then in the Second place What are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
passage Chap. 2. verse 2. CHRIST IESUS is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole world that is not for the sins of us only who are Iews but for the sins of the Gentiles also And doth not the name of General or Catholick Epistle given unto this as well as to those of S. Iames and Peter imply thus much For it cannot be thus called because written to all Christians indefinitely and generally since the contrary expresly appears in the former but because this as well as the rest was written to those of the Circumcision who were not a people confined to any one certain City or Region but dispersed through every Nation as we read in the Acts Chap. 2. verse 5 c. that at the Feast of Pentecost when the Holy Ghost came down upon the Apostles There were sojourning at Ierusalem Iews devout men out of every Nation under Heaven Parthians Medes Elamites and the dwellers in Mesopotamia Iudaea and Cappadocia Pontes and Asia and strangers of Rome Iews and Proselytes that is Iews by race and Iews by Religion c. For we must not mistake those here numbred to be Gentiles but Israelites both of the Ten Tribes captivated by Shalmaneser and the other Two some of whom never returned from Babylon but lived still in Mesopotamia but of those who returned great multitudes were dispersed afterwards in Egypt Libya and many other Provinces before the time of our Saviour's appearing in the flesh So that the Apostles of the Circumcision had their Province for largeness not much inferiour to those of the Gentiles But I come to note the places I spake of And first out of the forenamed Epistle of S. Iohn where from that prediction of our Saviour's in the Gospel that the arising of false Prophets should Be one of the near signs of the nigh-approaching End of the Iewish State the Apostle thus refers unto it Chap. 2. verse 18. Little children this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Last hour and as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come even now there are many Antichrists whereby we know that it is the Last time Here by the Last time I suppose no other thing to be meant but the near expiring of Daniel's 70 weeks and with it the approaching End of the Iewish Commonwealth and why might not this Epistle be written in the Last week at the beginning whereof Iesus Ananiae began that woful cry Wo unto Ierusalem and the Temple Ioseph l. 7. Belli Iudaici By 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many Antichrists are meant no other but false Prophets or Counter-prophets to the Great Prophet pretending an Unction and Commission from Heaven as he had to teach the world some new revelation and doctrine For the name Christ implies the Unction of Prophecy as well as the Unction of a Kingdom and accordingly the name Antichrist and therefore the Syriack here turns it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 False Christs that is such as should falsely pretend some extraordinary Unction of Prophecy like unto him And the coming of such as these our Saviour in S. Matthew's Gospel a Gospel for the Hebrews makes one of the Last signs ushering the destruction of Ierusalem And if the harmony of this Prophecy in the three Evangelists be well considered there was no more to come but the compassing Ierusalem with armies Well therefore might S. Iohn when he saw so many Anti-prophets spring up say Hereby we know that it is the last time Again because the Desolation of the Iewish State and Temple would be a great confirmation of the Christian Faith therefore the believing Iews whom nothing could so much stagger as the standing glory of that Temple and Religion are encouraged by the nearness of that time of expectation when so great a confirmation of their Faith of the Messias already come should appear Hebrews 10. 23 25 Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering and so much the more as ye see the Day approaching namely that day when you shall be sufficiently confirmed So I take the 35 and 37 Verses of the same Chapter â—asi not away your confidence which hath great recompence of reward For ye have need of patience For yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry What He is this but even He whom Daniel says The people of the Prince that shall come shall destroy the City and the Sanctuary Dan. 9. 26. For even as the destruction of Papal Rome would be a great confirmation of the Reformed Christian who hath forsaken the Communion of that Religion the continuance and supposed stability of the glory thereof being that wherewith their Proctors endeavour most to shake and stagger us So was the destruction of the Iewish State and Temple to be unto those Iews who had withdrawn themselves from that Body and Religion whereof they once had been to embrace the new Faith of the Messiah preached by the Apostles For if at the end of the 70 weeks approaching the Legal Sanctuary were rased and the Iewish State dissolved then would it be apparent indeed That Messiah was already come and slain for sin because this was infallibly to come to pass within the compass and before the expiration of those 70 weeks or 490 years allotted for the last continuance of that City and Sanctuary when it should be restored after the captivity of Babylon Not without cause therefore doth S. Peter in his second Epistle say to the Christian Iews We have a more sure word of Prophecy whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light shining in a dark place until the day dawn and the day-star arise in your hearts Yea and besides Because Iesus as well as Daniel had prophesied of the approaching desolation of that City and Temple mentioning all the Sign that were to usher it if the Event when time came should fall out accordingly then must Iesus of Nazareth who foretold the foregoing Signs thereof be approved as a true Prophet by whom of a truth the Lord had spoken Now for the last place that I mean to alledge Because the fall and shock of that State might shake the whole Nation wheresoever dispersed unless God spared the Christians and made them alone happy in that woful day or rather because Christ had foretold that one of the next fore-runners thereof should be a general persecution of Christians as it happened under Nero therefore the remembrance of the End of these 70 weeks so near the expiring was a good caution to all the Christian Iews to watch and pray To this sense therefore I take that of Peter 1 Pet. 4. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The End of all approacheth be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer that is The End of all your Commonwealth Legal worship Temple and Service is now within a few years Be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer that ye may
Your very loving Friend Tho. Hayn I. POSIT DAniel shews not the Roman Monarchie's persecution of the Church and the Fall of the same Monarchy Argum. 1. If the Romans persecution of the saints and the Fall of the Romans were not revealed till Christ revealed them to Iohn in the Apocalyps then Daniel revealed them not But the Romans persecution of the Saints and their Fall were not revealed till Christ revealed them to Iohn in the Apocalyps Ergò Daniel revealed them not The Major Proposition is evident The Minor is thus proved The Romans persecution of the Saints and their Fall are revealed in the little Book Apoc. 5. c. by opening seven seals and blowing seven Trumpets all concerning seven-headed Rome and none was able to open the Seals of this Book till Christ opened them to Iohn Ergò the Romans persecution and Fall were revealed to none till Christ revealed them to Iohn The former part of the Antecedent is granted by the general consent of Interpreters on the Apocalyps The latter part is clear in the Text Apocal. 5. None was able to open the Book none in heaven or earth or under the earth Now if Daniel had shewed these persecutions Paul who delivered to his hearers all the counsel of God could have opened these also But Apocal. 5. denies that he could or that any man else could Argum. 2. The persecutions of Christ's eternal Kingdom mentioned in Dan. 2. 44. chap. 7. 26 27. and frequently in the New Testament are not prophesied f in Daniel But the persecutions brought by the Romans on the Church are against Christ's eternal Kingdom to be preached over the world after Christ. Ergò the persecutions brought by the Romans on the Church or eternal Kingdom of Christ are not spoken of in Daniel The Minor Proposition is clear The Major is confirmed by all speeches of that eternal Kingdom in Daniel The Stone which became a Mountain is not battered nor the Mountain any way assailed chap. 2. The eternal Kingdom breaks the former Kingdoms but it self is not broken Chap. 2. 44. When the four Beasts chap. 7. are destroyed then comes the Son of man in the clouds and receives the eternal Kingdom which Iohn Baptist Christ himself and the Apostles preached There also is no persecution of this Kingdom mentioned Chap. 7. 13 14. nor Verse 27 c. The Battel against the Saints Verse 21. and the consuming of them Verse 25. concerns the Saints before the setting up of Christ's Kingdom over all the world as the endeavour to alter Times and Laws plainly shews Antiochus Epiphanes was the man that attempted this II. POSIT The fourth Beast Dan. 7. is not able sufficiently to express the Roman Empire and therefore it expresseth it not Argum. That which is but sufficiently expressed by all the four Beasts or the chief parts of all four cannot be sufficiently expressed by one of the four alone namely the fourth But the Roman Empire is but sufficiently expressed by all the four Beasts Dan. 7. or the chief parts of them Ergò the Roman Empire cannot be sufficiently expressed by the fourth Beast alone The Major is evident The Minor is thus confirmed If the Roman Empire Apoc. 13. be resembled by a Beast which is composed of all Daniel's four Beasts Dan. 7. or the chief parts of the four Beasts then it is but sufficiently expressed by them all But the Roman Empire Apoc. 13. is resembled by a Beast which is composed of all Daniel's four Beasts or their chief parts Ergò the Roman Empire c. The Major is proved thus Either the Major is true or else the Composition taken from the three former Beasts and their chief parts is needless But it is not needless for God hath nothing needless in his Word Ergò the Major is true The Minor is proved thus That the Roman Empire is expressed by a Beast composed of all Daniel's four Beasts Dan. 7. or the chief parts of them all is plain thus 3. It is like a Leopard It hath 7 heads 3. Beast The Leopard 1. 1. It hath a Lion's mouth So had the four Beasts in Dan. 1. The Lion 1. 2. A Bear 's pawes  2. The Bear 1. 4. The 10 horns of the 4. Beast  4. The Last Beast 4.    In all 7 heads It blasphemes hath large authority wars against the Saints overcomes and prospers Therefore it is composed and is extracted out of the 4 Beasts Dan. 7. EPISTLE VI. Mr. Med's Answer to Mr. Hayn's First Letter about several passages in Daniel and the Revelation SIR THE last week I could not get any time to answer your Letter and therefore I thought good to make use of your indulgence that I should answer at my best leisure And though I have not now that leisure I expected yet I will not frustrate you any longer What passages of mine you should have seen upon Daniel's times I cannot imagine for I remember not to have done any thing directly upon that Prophecy but only occasionally in some Discourses upon other places of Scripture whether any body hath extracted those parcels from their body I cannot tell but wish they had not lest I may have wrong by being mistaken For your Two Positions about the Fourth Kingdom in Daniel your Grounds do as much mistake as contradict my Tenets And therefore I shall either answer or decline your Arguments by setting down my own opinion in these following Theses 1. The Roman Empire to be the Fourth Kingdom of Daniel was believed by the Church of Israel both before and in our Saviour's time received by the Disciples of the Apostles and the whole Christian Church for the first 400 years without any known contradiction And I confess having so good ground in Scripture it is with me tantùm non Articulus fidei little less than an Article of faith 2. I acknowledge also the subject of the Apocalyptical Visions to be Fata Imperii Romani post primum Christi adventum usque ad secundum supersuturi The Fates of the Roman Empire which after the first coming of Christ was still to continue in being even till the second And this I affirm the Roman Kingdom was revealed unto Daniel but not according to that distinct succession of things and specification of the Fates thereof which was first made known unto S. Iohn but only in general and in imagine confusa not to be explicated but by Christ himself I say the Roman Kingdom was revealed to Daniel in general but the order of the times thereof and the series rerum gerundarum or course of things to be acted therein not until the Revelation unto S. Iohn 3. Nor is it strange or unwonted that a thing may be revealed in general and yet most of the particulars concerning the same to be unknown and sealed The calling of the Gentiles or the Kingdom of Christ among the Gentiles by way of surrogation to the Iews was revealed unto S. Peter and
the rest of the Apostles but the particular Fates and States of that Kingdom were never known till Christ revealed them to S. Iohn in the Apocalyptical Visions The like I say of the Fourth or Roman Kingdom the general revelation whereof could not but be before the opening of the sealed Book in the Apocalyps since it had then been so long a time in the world as it was grown past the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and had fulfilled what it was to fulfil upon Daniel's people 4. As for the Persecutions of the Church I deny the argument either of the Seals or Trumpets to be the Roman persecutions of Christ's Kingdom or that any of them have reference to persecutions save the Fifth Seal only or that any thing contained in them was made known to Daniel save the Catastrophe only represented in the last Trumpet which the Angelus tonitruum proclaims there to be Consummatio Mysterii Dei prout annunciavit servis suis Prophetis The finishing of the Mystery of God as he hath declared to his servants the Prophets and therefore cannot be denied to have been both foretold and expected for the general although not for the Manner Time and Order in serie rerum gerundarum till now 5. Howsoever my Tenet here be yet your Assertion That the Romans persecution was revealed to none till Christ revealed it to Iohn cannot stand unless you deny the coming of the man of sin who is a limb of that Kingdom to be any part of the Churche's afflictions For this was revealed unto S. Paul both for the quality and the fall thereof viz. That Christ should destroy it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I make no doubt but S. Paul learned out of the seventh of Daniel where that ruffling Horn also is not destroyed until the Son of man comes in the clouds of heaven to receive that Universal Kingdom which shall never suffer persecution 6. But whereas you say that the ruffling Horn of the Fourth Beast is Antiochus Epiphanes I demonstrate the contrary by this one Argument The ruffling Horn reigns until the Ancient of days comes in fiery flames to destroy him and to give judgment unto the Saints of the most High and until the time comes that the Saints possessed the Kingdom viz. until the Son of man comes in the clouds of heaven to receive a Kingdom wherein all Nations People and Languages should serve and obey him Daniel 7. verses 9 10 11 13 expounded ver 22 26 c. But Antiochus Epiphanes reigned not until this time for he died 160 years and more before the Birth of Christ and almost 200 years before his Ascension the least of which numbers is a longer space of time than was from the death of Alexander unto Antiochus Ergò Antiochus Epiphanes is not that ruffling Horn. The changing of Times and Laws whereby the power of this Horn is described is an Oriental phrase to express potestatem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nor are Times here to be taken in so abstract a notion but concretely for status rerum tempora varianâ—ium or Res quibus variatur status temporum as are mutationes Rerumpub regiminis rerum Times for things done in time whereby the Times are altered such as are the alterations of States and Governments According to which notion Dan. 2. 21. it is said of God that he changeth times and seasons he removeth Kings and setteth up Kings and I Chron. 29. 30. that the Acts of David were written in the Books of Samuel Nathan and Gad the Seers with all his reign and his might and the times that went over him and over Israel and over all the Kingdoms of the Countries And whether the Pope if I say he is that Horn took not upon him a power of changing such Times as these I shall not need to tell you And yet take Times in your own Notion and it would make a shift to fit him as well as Antiochus To your Second Position The proof of your Second Position That the Fourth Beast Dan. 7. is not able sufficiently to express the Roman Empire is in the mainest part Petitio principii wherein that is taken for granted which is in question For you take for granted that the Type of the Roman Empire in the Apocalyps borrows his Ten horns from Daniel's fourth Beast as a distinct Beast from it But I say he borrows them not they are his own proper and native horns Daniel's Beast and he being one and the same Beast I grant that the Apocalyptical Beast for the shape of his body is beholding to Daniel's three first Beasts but that he borroweth any from the fourth I deny Nor do Horns more or fewer distinguish the species of a Beast For in the Apocalyps there is a Lamb with seven horns and a Lamb with two horns and yet for kind a Lamb still So Daniel's He-goat had first one horn and afterward four horns and yet the same Goat still c. The correspondence in number of the several Heads of Daniel's four Beasts put together with the seven heads of the Apocalyptical Beast is but casual Neither can it be proved that the Fourth of Daniel's Beasts had but one head as is here to be supposed for the third Beast hath the four heads and the other three but one a piece For the mentioning of the Head which bore the ten horns in the singular number Verse 20. proves no more it had but one head than the mentioning of mouth likewise in the singular number Apoc. 13. ver 2 5 6. proves the Apocalyptical Beast had buâ— one mouth For indeed the Ten horns were all upon one head as well in the Apocalyptical Beast viz. upon the seventh or uppermost head as in Daniel's Beast and the mouth of the Apocalyptical Beast was the mouth also of the seventh head to act the state of which head S. Iohn saw him rise out of the Sea c. And whereas you speak of an insufficient expression of the Roman Empire by Daniel's Fourth Beast you may perceive by that I have said before that it would well enough agree with my Principles to grant it my Tenet being That the Fourth Beast should not be so distinctly with all accoutrements revealed unto Daniel as it was unto S. Iohn because the specification of the several States and Fates thereof was yet sealed and unrevealed And the third Kingdom was not so distinctly revealed to Daniel in the Leopard Chap. 7. as it was two years after to the same Daniel in the great He-goat Chap. 8. c. The dispensation of God in these Revelations is to be measured according to his pleasure and the use of the Church c. But it is now three a clock and I have no more time I had much rather confer of these things by word of mouth wherein perhaps I could give better satisfaction Conference by writing is wont to multiply it self into so much paper as takes away a great deal of my
time and gives me no leisure to perfect that whereby I might perhaps prevent a great part of the Objections which now are made Thus hoping you will accept this tumultuary Answer I rest commending your Studies and endeavours to the Divine Blessing Christ's Colledge Iune 17. 1629. Your loving Friend Ioseph Mede EPISTLE VII Mr. Hayn's Second Letter to Mr. Mede about several Prophetical passages in Daniel and the Revelation To the First THESIS BEfore Christ's time all the East as Tacitus saith expected a King to rule over all the world whence could this be but from the expectation of the Iews of the Kingdom which was to spread over all the world after the ruine of the fourth Beast in Daniel and that they now saw the divided Kingdom of the Greeks after Antiochus Epiphanes his time decaying and likely to be extinguished And in Christ's time the faithful the rest were blind guides not to be followed believing Christ and the Apostles preaching the coming of the Kingdom of God against which Hell gates should not prevail must necessarily conceive that the Fourth Kingdom in Daniel was at the last cast and therefore understand the Fourth Kingdom to be the parted Greeks lately expiring in Cleopatra her Brother Ptolemy or others and not the Roman still flourishing and not likely yet to fall For the Fourth Kingdom in Daniel was to fall before the setting up of the everlasting Kingdom of Christ. And if in Christ's time the faithful did conceive thus of the Fourth Kingdom in Daniel then succeeding Ages to those Primitive times so long as they retained a right judgment were of the same mind The Iews in after-times went about to perswade that the Romans calling them Edom also were the Fourth Kingdom in Daniel because they might be thought to hold aright that Messias was not yet come who should be the Stone falling on the toes of the Fourth Kingdom Eusebius and some others have fallen into this trap set by Iews Seeing it is a course to harden Iews against the true Messias already come we shall do well to avoid it If you demand Why then did not Christ and the Apostles use this Argument to prove him the true Messias In effect they did They preached that the Kingdom of God was at hand the coming whereof implies the Fall of the Fourth Kingdom and that was then ocular and to be understood of the Successors of Antiochus falling not of the Romans flourishing And seeing that in the preaching of Christ's Kingdom it was to be taught that his Kingdom was not of this world at which point the Iews stumbled Christ's main Argument was The works which I do they testifie of me To the Second THESIS You affirm that the Roman Kingdom was revealed to Daniel in imagine confusa but explicated to Iohn by specification of the Fates and the order rerum gerundarum This cannot stand good For the Fourth Kingdom in Daniel is more particularly and distinctly set down then any of the other Three And of the other Three be not revealed in imagine confusa but fully enough for the specification of their Fates and the order of their acts then much more the Fourth Kingdom which is far more amply in types and explication set out in Daniel Then secondly It cannot be said to be set down in imagine confusa for it is orderly and in special manner handled First for the Original It rises out of the Sea Then for the power It is strong as iron able to break in pieces and subdue all Dan. 2. 40. It is fearful very strong and hath ten horns It hath iron teeth and nails of brass In conclusion It hath one little horn that pulls away three of the former ten It hath ten Kings and one unlike the rest It in the end shall be partly strong as Iron partly weak as Clay For the stirs it should make and the persecution brought on the Church thereby It subdued and did break in pieces all things as Iron bruiseth and breaketh all Dan. 2. 40. It devours and breaks in pieces and stamps the residue under feet Dan. 7. 7. As the ten horns do mischief so especially the little horn which made war with the Saints and prevailed against them and consumed them It waxed great even to the host of heaven and cast some of the host and the stars to the ground and stamped on them Chap. 8. 10. It thought to alter times and laws Chap. 7. 25. Then also as you hold in your Explication of Dan. 11. ver 36. and after the Roman Kingdom is there prophesâ—ed of that he should conquer Macedon and every King and Nation should persecute mock and crucifie Christ and persecute Christians till Constantine's times Then the Pope should arise worshipping Daemonia and countenancing single life shall not regard any God but magnify himself above all In the Seat and Temple of God should worship Mahuzzims with gold and with silver and precious stones and distribute the earth among his Mahuzzims deal with Saracens and Turks enter into Palaestine c. Chap. 11. Then for the blasphemy of this Kingdom mention is made of the mouth speaking presumptuous things Chap. 7. 8. speaking against the most High Verse 25. and speaking marvellous things against the God of Gods Chap. 11. 36. The Fall also of this Kingdom is plainly expressed Chap. 2. 34 45. Chap. 7. 11 26. by being broken in pieces and blown as chaffe by being destroyed and given to the fire by perishing unto the end Lastly the time of this Fourth Kingdom 's domineering or at least of the chief violence of it is expressed A times time and half a time answerable to the time of the woman's keeping from the Serpent Apoc. 12. 14. Then the time of taking away the daily sacrifice continues 2300. days Thus it is evident how particularly Daniel hath laid open the Original the Acts the Sufferings and Fall of the Fourth Kingdom in Daniel And yet I have not brought all particulars Hence it is manifest that this cannot be a general decyphering of the Roman Kingdom but a particular description of some other Kingdom which fell before Christ's time Here now if you shall object that the Beast Dan. 7. doth shew the very same kingdom that is set out Apoc. 13. because in Original and Power and Persecution and Fall and Time it so much agrees with the same I answer That God is unchangeable and inflicts punishments alike on sinners alike and expresses after-matters by words used in narrations of former matters of like nature which much helps our weakness for understanding of these depths And therefore the Apocalyps is as it were made up with the Allusions Metaphors and Formulae loquendi of the Books of the Old Testament yet do not almost all the Visions of the Apocalyps as one unjustly judges handle imprimis Res Iudaeorum but Res Christianorum in the words of former Prophets So we may express a matter that Tully never
more quiet meditations Nihil affirmo sed propono I had thought when I began to propound something to your further meditations out of the seventh of Daniel But you see I am grown past a Letter and can scarce any longer make my Characters legible and therefore here with my best respect to your self I end desiring God to enlighten us daily more and more in the knowledge of his Truth and so I remain Yours to be commanded in all the duties of Friendship Ioseph Mede Christ's Colledge Nov. 11. 1629. EPISTLE XV. Mr. Mede's Answer to Dr. Meddus touching the Day of Iudgment Worthy Sir I Have now found some little time to make some kind of Answer to your Letter of the last week save one You desire me to point out the particulars wherein I differ from that Lutheran But this I cannot do without making a censure of the whole Discourse which would ask me some labour and besides I have not now the Book by me But by the way the Stationer which told me he had six of them was deceived Indeed he had six Books which he thought to be the same but four of them were Discourses of Law by some error sorted together with them You secondly desire me to point out the places of the Old and New Testament appliable to my Tenet of the Day of Iudgment Where I understand not well whether you mean of the Regnum to be then or of the acception of the word Day for a long space of time even of a thousand years But I suppose you mean the former to which therefore I will say something the rather because I know you will communicate it to Doctor Twisse to whom I had intended some such thing in my Letter I sent by you to him but time would not suffer me to write it then having spent both it and my paper in other discourses before I was aware That which I have to say is this The Description of the Great Day of Iudgment Dan. 7. THE Mother-Text of Scripture whence the Church of the Iews grounded the name and expectation of the Great Day of Iudgment with the circumstances thereto belonging and whereunto almost all the descriptions and expressions thereof in the New Testament have reference is that Vision in the seventh of Daniel of a Session of Iudgment when the Fourth Beast came to be destroyed Where this great Assises is represented after the manner of the great Synedrion or Consistory of Israel wherein the Pater Iudicii had his Assessores sitting upon Seats placed Semicircle-wise before him from his right hand to his left I beheld saith Daniel verse 9. till the Thrones or Seats were pitched down namely for the Senators to sit upon not thrown down as we of late have it and the Ancient of days Pater consistorii did sit c. And subaudi I beheld till the Iudgment was set that is the whole Sanhedrim and the books were opened c. Here we see both the form of Iudgment delineated and the name of Iudgment expressed which is afterwards yet twice more repeated First in the amplification of the tyranny of the wicked Horn verse 21 22. which is said continued till the Ancient of days came and IVDGMENT was given to the Saints of the most High i. Potestas judicandi ipsis facta And the third time in the Angel's interpretation verse 26. But the IVDGMENT shall sit and they shall take away his dominion to consume and destroy it to the end Where observe also that cases of Dominion of Blasphemy and Apostasie and the like belonged to the jurisdiction of the great Sanhedrim From this description it came that the Iews gave it the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Day of Iudgment and the Day of the Great Iudgment whence in the Epistle of S. Iude verse 6. it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Iudgment of the Great Day From the same description they learned that the destruction then to be should be by fire because it is said verse 9. His throne was a fiery flame and his wheels burning fire A fiery stream issued and came forth before him and verse 11. The Beast was slain and his body destroyed and given to the burning flame From the same fountain are derived those expressions in the Gospel where this Day is intimated or described The Son of man shall come in the clouds of heaven The Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his holy Angels Forasmuch as it is said here Thousand thousands ministred unto him c. and that Daniel saw One like the Son of man coming with the clouds of Heaven and he came to the Ancient of days and they brought him or placed him near him c. Hence S. Paul learned that the Saints should judge the world because it is said that many Thrones were set and verse 22. by way of Exposition that Iudgment was given to the Saints of the most High Hence the same Apostle learned to confute the false fear of the Thessalonians that the day of Christs second coming was then at hand Because that day could not be till the Man of Sin were first come and should have reigned his time appointed Forasmuch as Daniel had foretold it should be so and that his destruction should be at the Son of mans appearing in the clouds whose appearing therefore was not to be till then This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in S. Paul whom the Lord saith he shall destroy at the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his coming Daniel's wicked Horn or Beast acting in the wicked Horn is S. Paul's Man of Sin as the Church from her Infancâ—e interpreted it But to go on While this Iudgment sits and when it had destroyed the Fourth Beast the Son of man which comes in the clouds receives dominion and glory and a Kingdom that all people nations and languages should serve and obey him verse 14. which Kingdom is thrice explained afterwards to be the Kingdom of the Saints of the most High verse 18. These four Beasts saith the Angel are four Kingdoms which shall arise But viz. when they have finished their course the Saints of the most High shall take the Kingdom c. Again verse 22. The wicked Horn prevailed until the time came that the Saints possessed the Kingdom Again verse 27. When the fourth Beast reigning in the wicked Horn was destroyed the Kingdom and dominion and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole heaven is given to the people of the Saints of the most High c. These Grounds being laid I argue as followeth The Kingdom of the Son of man and of the Saints of the most High in Daniel begins when the Great Iudgment sits The Kingdom in the Apocalyps wherein the Saints reign with Christ a thousand years is the same with the Kingdom of the Son of man and Saints of the most High in Daniel Ergo It also
Kings which the little Horn is said to have displanted Dan. 7. 8. or as the Angel interprets v. 24. brought down or humbled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Vulgar turns humiliabit the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Irenaeus deminorabit vel ut in alio exemplari dehonorabit Vatablus opprimet Iunius deprimet Resp. In my larger interpretations of the Trumpets in Rev. 8 you have at the end of the second Trumpet a Table of Ten Kings or Kingdoms whereinto the Roman Empire was divided about Anno 456 and forward The off-spring of which Nations through many alterations partly by the inconstancy of humane things partly occasioned by the further enlargement of the Christian Faith are the body of most of the Kingdoms and States of Christendom at this day Look upon the Table and then I answer you thus The three Kings which Daniel saith the Antichristian Horn should depress and displant to advance himself were those whose Dominions extended into Italy and so stood in his light First That of the Greeks whose Emperor Leo Isaurus for the quarrel of Image-worship he excommunicated and made his subjects of Italy revolt from their allegiance Secondly That of the Longobards successors to the Ostrogoths whose Kingdom he caused by the aid of the Franks to be wholly ruined and extirpated thereby to get the Exarchate of Ravenna which since the revolt from the Greeks the Longobards were seised on for a Patrimony to S. Peter Thirdly The last was the Kingdom of the Franks it self continued in the Empire of Germany whose Emperors from the days of Henry the fourth he excommunicated deposed and trampled under his feet and never suffered to live in rest till he made them not only to quit their interest in the Election of Popes and Investitures of Bishops but that remainder also of Iurisdiction in Italy wherewith together with the Roman name he had once infeoffed their Predecessors These were the Kings by displanting or as the Vulgar hath humbling of whom the Pope got elbow-room by degrees and advanced himself to that height of Temporal Majesty and absolute greatness which made him so terrible in the world See in the Table 3 9 10. In the forementioned Letter to Mr. T. I. upon the same argument there is this additional Observation And here note it is one thing for the Ten Kings to give their power and authority unto the Beast capitis novissimi as S. Iohn speaks Rev. 17. that is voluntarily to subject themselves and yield homage to him as their Head and Principal and another thing for the same Beast or Antichristian Horn to displant depress or humble them The first should be common to all the Ten as was revealed to S. Iohn the latter proper to Three of them as was shewed to Daniel For observe that as in the History of our Saviour's Acts penned by the four Evangelists one relates that which another omits and è contra so is it in these Prophetical descriptions of the Fourth Beast by Daniel and Iohn Quest. 3. How those words in Dan. 7. ver 12. are to be interpreted and applied viz. As concerning the rest of the Beasts they had their dominion taken away yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time Resp. Before I answer it must be known and remembred that for that As concerning there is nothing in the Original but the Copulative Vau which as the sense requires is to be translated not only copulatively but disjunctivè adversativè causaliter ordinativè and sometimes as a particle of similitude and the like it being of it self as a Materia prima In the latter part of this sentence it is translated adversativè viz. Yet Yet their lives c. for which in the Original is nothing but the same Conjunction Vau. This premised I answer First If Beasts here be meant of the three first Beasts it is to be taken by way of a Parenthesis implying a tacite answer to a question For Daniel having spoken so largely of the destruction of the Fourth Beast and nothing of the other it might be asked Yea but what became of the former three He answers As concerning them also they had their dominion taken away but their lives were prolonged for a time and a season that is they reigned their time and then had their dominion taken away And thus our Translators seem to have understood it and accordingly to have sitted their translation by turning Vau As concerning This is an easie and smooth interpretation nor do I see any sufficient reason why it should not satisfie Secondly But some of the Hebrew Commenters understand not Beasts here of the three Beasts forementioned but of other Beasts that is other States and Kingdoms then reigning in the world at what time the fourth Beast should be destroyâ—d That these also as well as the Fourth Beast and his limmes should have their Kingdoms taken away though not at the same instant yet some time after And so Vau shall not need be translated As concerning but Also Also the rest of the Reasts c As for the word Beasts to be taken here for other Kingdoms as well as the Four great ones it needs make no scruple For we shall find it so in the next Chapt. where it iâ— said of the Medo-Persian Ram verse 4. that no Beasts might stand before him that is no Sâ—ate or Kingdom was able to resist his power So here may The rest of the Beasts be the States and Kingdoms contemporary with the fourth Beast And this interpretation would sound well with the words of S. Iohn in the end of the 19. Chapter where it being said that the Beast and False Prophet were cast into the fire as Daniel saith of hiâ— fourth Beast chap. 7. v. 11. it followeth And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sate upon the horse c. as if he had meant to express this of Daniel And the rest of the Beasts had their dominion taken away c. But the difficulty then will be how the latter part of the words should be taken viz. Yet or And or But their lives were prolonged for a season and time The Rabbins take it for some season and time after the fourth Beast was destroyed and R. Solomen at the time of the war of Gog and Magog which they look for soon after then â— stitution upon the destruction of the fourth Beast But whether can this stand with S. Paul's assertion that the fourth Beast terminating in the Man of sin shall be destroyed at the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or appearing of Christ's coming How should any Beasts lives be prolonged for a season and time after that coming Or should we expound this season and time of a thousand year after when the last and final execution of Christ upon his enemâ—e is to be But Daniel seems to joyn the appearance of Christ in the clouds to receive a Kingdom with this destruction of the
rest of the Beasts together with the fourth Beast and so not to admit of such a distance Let others judge Thirdly But I will not conceal that I have suspected there might possibly be a third Interpretation farâ—d â—â—ering from them both and which would make the Vision fully to agree with the Angel's interpretation But the words then must be construed much otherwise than they use to be viz. Daniel in the former verse mentioning precisely the Body of the Beast to be given to the flames it should follow thus And as the Body was burned and destroyed so the rest of the Beast viz. the tâ—n Horns and ruffling Horn had their dominion at the same time the Body was burned taken away and prolongation of life was given them for a season and time viz. until I saw one like to the Son of man coming in the clouds c. that is they reigned till the Son of man came in the clouds c. The reason why I thought of this Interpretation is because the word which we traâ—slate here plurally is as it is pointed in the Original of the singular number namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereas if it were the plural it should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that say the Chaldee Grammarians is the difference between the singular and the plural Emphatick that the one hath Scheva â— in the penultima the other hath Camets â— And so we render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with Scheva in this Chapter singularly Beast twice in the following verses of this Chapter viz. verse 19 23. The reason which moved the Interpreters to translate it here plurally was because the Affixes following are all plural their dominion their lives But this may be because that remainder of the Beast under the Horns consisted of many Kingdoms and in that respect the dominion and duration thereof is expressed with plural Affixes as of many March 31. Yours Ioseph Mede Post-script My paper streightens me and my time and I have been a 3. or 4. times troubled while I was writing this last way of Interpretation which made me so blurr and blot and scarce know what I did I should else have expressed my self more plainly and fully EPISTLE XXV A more distinct and perspicuous expression of the last of those three ways to interpret that twelfth verse of Dan. 7. I Confess my skill in the Chaldee is no more but Grammatical yet thus much a little smattering in Grammar could teach me and so made me seek in what sense it might be translated singularly notwithstanding the plural Affixes following it and what this rest or remainder of the Beast if it be so turned might be First I observed that in the destruction of the Fourth Beast immediately before mentioned the Body of the Beast was precisely and particularly named whereby I began to conceive the Remainder here spoken of might be the Beast's Horns that is the eyed and mouthed Horn with that Decarchy of Horns subject to him which the Holy Ghost would tell us was destroyed at the same time and together with the Body of the Beast And so the Text to be construed thus The Body of the Beast was destroyed and given to the burning flame And the rest of the Beast also viz. the Horns had their dominion taken away after that a continuance of life had been given them for a season and a time Thus interpreted it would answer to that part of the Angel's interpretation verse 25. which saith that the State of the Beast under the wicked Horn's dominion should last a time and times and half a time whereunto otherwise there will be nothing answering in the Vision Secondly The Kingdom of the Son of man immediately following the expiration of this season and time in the Vision would answer to that in the Interpretation verse 22. The Horn prevailed against the Saints until the Ancient of days came and the Saints possessed the Kingdom Thirdly It is certain that the Session of Iudgment described in the Vision sate to destroy the wicked Horn for so saith the Angel verse 26. But the Iudgment shall sit and they shall take away his dominion And Daniel himself in the Vision exspected to see that in special for as soon as the Bench was set and the Books were opened verse 10. I beheld then saith he verse 11. because of the voice of the great words which the Horn spake viz. he looked what would become of the Horn. Something then should seem to follow in special concerning it else Daniel was frustrate of his looking But what follows I beheld until the Beast was slain This is something but general only And his Body destroyed This indeed is special but not that which Daniel looked after For how would these hang together I looked to see what would become of the Beast's horn and I saw his Body destroyed should it not seem rather to follow to answer Daniel's looking And the rest of the Beast also that is not the Body only or people of the Beast's dominion were destroyed but the Horns also with their Captain-horn who spake the big words that is the State then domineering had their dominion taken away after they had enjoyed it a season and a time Lastly Those words of the Angel's interpretation verse 26. The Iudgment shall sit and take away his dominion that is the Horn's dominion seem to have reference to that passage in the Vision which saith in the same words that the rest of the Beast had their dominion taken away The reason of the plural Affixe's answering to a singular Antecedent being because this rest of the Beast had in it a plurality of Kingdoms according to the rule of the Grammarians That a singular Antecedent to be taken collectively or distributively may have a plural number answer to it This was my adventure I. M. EPISTLE XXVI Mr. Burnet's Letter to Mr. Mede touching the Provostship of Trinity Colledge near Dublin SIR I Am bold to write unto you though a stranger to certifie you that I hear Dr. Bedle Provost of Trinity Colledge in Ireland is chosen Bishop of Kilmore in Ireland which is valued worth 600 l. per annum appointed thereto by the King howbeit some time will be ere he leave the Colledge in the mean space I am bold to intreat your Answer to know if you will accept the place of Provost if you be chosen thereto as you were wrote to by my Lord. Primate formerly before Mr. Bedle went I am now writing to my Lord Primate an Answer of Letters this day I received from him and do certifie him of this accident for it was but this week that the King granted it and no Letter is yet gone over I sent the Book you sent me long since to my Lord Primate I dwell at the sign of the Golden fleece in Lombard-street and shall expect your Answer next return and so I commend you to God Almighty resting London April 12. Your loving Friend Francis Burnet
have some room left for another Observation concerning Daniel XI in which one of your Letters intimated some difficulty of Exposition It may be I shall speak that which may ease you Howsoever it is this All the Ancients refer that from vers 36. and forward to the Fourth Monarchy especially to Antichrist in whose reign that Monarchy should conclude And good reason for the Resurrection of the dead and Iudgment comes in at the end thereof Dan. 12. 2 3. but thither no Kingdom reaches but the Fourth 'T is a dangerous evasion to turn this Prophecy of the Resurrection of the dead which is the most evident and express in all the Old Testament and that whereon the Iewish Church built her faith and hope of the Life of the world to come into an Allegory as some of those are forced to do who interpret all of Antiochus Epiphanes The stumbling-block which hath diverted so many of ours in this last Seculum to depart from the ancient and Catholick Exposition seems to me to be chiefly because there appears no apparent Transition in the Text from the Prophecy of Antiochus to this we speak of but it coheres as a continued Narration to the end Now the cause of this obscurity I take to be a misdistinguishing of the Text which refers some words to the former verse which should be the beginning of this 36. these namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For if these words be referred to that which follows the Transition will be evident enough in this manner 35. And some of them of understanding shall fall to try them and to purge and to make them white even to the time of the end 36. FOR YET at the time appointed a King shall do according to his will and shall exalt and magnifie himself above every God yea he shall speak marvellous things against the God of Gods and shall prosper until the Indignation be accomplished c. For understanding of this we must know that after the death of Antiochus Epiphanes the Third Kingdom comes no more in the holy reckoning none of the Greek Kings after him being at all prophesied of yea Daniel himself calling the time of Antiochus his reign The Latter end of the Greek Kingdom chap. 8. 23. The reason of this is because during the reign of Antiochus Macedonia whence that Kingdom sprung with all the rest of Greece came under the Roman obedience From thence therefore the Holy Ghost begins the Rise of the Fourth Kingdom yea the Roman Historians themselves mark out that time for the Rise of their Empire Lucius Florus lib. 2. cap. 7. Cedente Annibale praemium victoriae Africa fuit secutus Africam terrarum orbis Post Carthaginem vinci neminem puduit Secutae sunt Africam Gentes Macedonia Graecia Syria caeteráque omnia quodam quasi aestu torrente fortunae Sed primi omnium Macedones affectator quondam Imperii populus Item Velleius Paterculus lib. 1. cap. 6. ex quodam AEmilio Sura de annis populi Romani haec habet Assyrii principes omnium Gentium rerum potiti sunt deinde Medi postea Persae deinde Macedones Exinde duobus Regibus Philippo Antiocho qui à Macedonibus oriundi erant haud multò post Carthaginem subactam devictis summa Imperii ad populum Romanum pervenit Compare 1 Maccab. c. 8. The meaning then of those words of Daniel even to the time of the end is That the persecution he describeth should be terminated with the end of the Third Kingdom For from thenceforth another King the Roman should prevail and advance himself over all Under the name of King we must understand the whole Roman State under what kind of Government soever For the Hebrews use King for Kingdom and Kingdom for any Government State or Politie in the world See but Matth. 4. 8. By exalting and magnifying himself above every God nothing else is meant but the greatness and generality of his conquests and prevailings the reason of that expression being Because in the times of Paganism every City and Country had their proper and peculiar Gods which were deemed as their Guardians and Protectors Hence sometimes the Nations themselves are expressed by the Name of their Gods The People of Iehovah that is Israel The people of Chemosh Numb 21. 29 that is Moab Ità accipe Deut. 4. 28. and chap. 28. 64. Ier. 16. 13. 1 Sam. 26. 19. Sometimes the Exploits of the Nations are said to be done by their Gods as we by like priviledge of speech ascribe unto our Kings what is done by the People under them See 2 Chron. 28. 23. Ierem. 51. 44. Thirdly and most frequently What is attempted against the Nations is said to be done against their Gods as we are wont in like manner to say when an Army is overthrown or overmastered that such a General is beaten or vanquished See this 2 Kings 18. 33. Isay 46. 1 2. Ierem. 50. 2. and ch 51. 44. and ch 48. 7. Compare 2 Sam. 7. 23. So here the success and prevailing of the Roman in the advancing his dominion and subduing every Nation under him is expressed by exalting and magnifying himself above every God But if any had rather here take Gods for Kings and Potentates let them I have now no more room left therefore with my best respect I rest Christ's Coll. Ian. 31. 1634 5 Yours I. M. EPISTLE XLII Dr. Twisse his Fourth Letter to Mr. Mede approving his conjectures touching Gog and Magog and desiring his opinion of the English Plantations in America Good Mr. Mede I Must begin with apologizing for my self I had purposed to return your Discourse the next week â—â—ter I received it that being of so precious a nature you might have it with the soonest But I had so much to write upon that occasion and withal many other Letters to dispatch the same week that I deferred it to the next Then I was put off by an unhappy accident For a Scholar living with me got it over night to peruse and the next morning upon a suâ—â—en motion observing the fair weather took the opportunity to ride to London without thinking of your Paper neither was it in my memory to call for it So that till the week following I could not recover it Now I have returned it and I trust it shall come safe unto your hands Now touching your Letters I profess a truth I was so far from taking any the least offence that I heard not from you so soon that believe it sir I blam'd my self for making so bold with you still putting you upon new matters though when a vein is once found of gold or silver it makes a man hungry and greedy to pursue it and the Kingdom of the Saints goes beyond all Mines and Treasures O how have you blessed me and still continue to bless me with your Papers I protest unto you your Letters your Conjectures your Meditations are the greatest Iewels my Studie contains
sufficeret Herodian Frumenti summam primus adauxit Lampridâ— de Alexandro Oleum quod Severus populo dederat quódque Heliogabalus imminuerat integrum restituit c. The colour of the Horse Black fits the severity and strictness of Iustice yea Severus his person both for countrey and quality Sed non est tanti The Fourth State was remarkable for concurrence of War Famine Pestilence This for ten years together as it is plain in Story The Index the Fourth Beast the first Emperour of this State Maximinus Thrax being of his Quarter Imperator ab Aquilone Thus the first Four Seals of the Six as being of unequal times and easy for their qualities to be confounded in the accommodation it pleased the Holy Ghost therefore to distinguish them by their several references to the Four Beasts but the other Two have no such need the Character of their qualities will sufficiently serve to sever them The Fifth State therefore which we may count from Aurelian Ann. 270 or 268. for thereabouts the former ended unto Constantine is notable for the Tenth Persecution by Diocletion the greatest that ever the Ethnick Caesars raised against the Saints of Christ in regard whereof the rest were but as Flea-bitings This is typified by the Cry of the Souls under the Altar How long O Lord Holy and True dost thou not judge and avenge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth And they had promise of present hearing as soon as their Fellow-servants which were yet behind should come in which was not to be long after The Sixth Seal is Terrae-motus a great Earth-quake That intestine Change of the Roman State begun with Constantine and was fully settled with the death of Iulian about the year 364. For an Earthquake implies not a Destruction but an extraordinary Alteration and Change of the face of things As an Earthquake changeth the positure of the Earth by exalting Valleys and depressing Hills turning the Chanels and courses of Rivers and such like And was there not here the whole Politick Government as well as Religion altered the Imperial Seat removed the distribution of Provinces Offices and Governments new moulded c Was not the former State of the Empire turned topsie-turvy when the low and trampled Valleys arose into Mountains and the haughty Mountains were laid as low as the Valleys And if the Roman Gods be any of the Stars or Hills here mentioned we need not go farther for an Exposition of this Earthquake and the shock it caused in the world The SEVENTH SEAL or Seven Trumpets The Seventh Seal or Seal of Trumpets brings forth the Ruine and miserable Downfall of the Roman State This is that which the Martyred Saints in the Fifth Seal prayed for How long O Lord Holy and True dost thou not judge and avenge our bloud upon this cruel Empire They were answered that some more of their Brethren must yet suffer as they had done When they were once come in then should the cry of their bloud be avenged upon that bloudy State This now comes to be accomplished And therefore when the Seventh Seal was opened and the Trumpets were to sound Christ the Angel of the Covenant offereth those Prayers of the Martyrs in a golden Censer upon the golden Altar before the Throne that they might come into remembrance before God And no sooner was the Incense of their Prayers ascended but instantly the Seven Angels come forth with their Seven Trumpets to sound alarm for the Empire 's Dissolution For though Iosiah were a good King and made a Reformation yet must the bloud shed by Manasseh needs be avenged upon the Kingdom of Iudah So although the Roman Emperors were now become Christians yet would not God forget their former slaughters of his Servants but require their bloud at the hands of that Empire The Epocha or beginning of these Trumpets was about the year 365. Now was the Censer wherein the Martyrs Prayers were offered thrown down to the Earth and there were Thundrings and Lightnings and an Earthquake the meaning whereof may be otherways expounded but was here even literally fulfilled in that stupendious Earthquake described by Ammianus Marcellinus l. 26. c. 14. Horrendi tremores per omnem Orbis ambitum grassati sunt subitò quales necfabulae nec veridicae nobis antiquitates exponunt Paulò post lucis exortum densitate praviâ fulgurum acriùs vibratorum tremefacta concutitur omnis terreni stabilitas ponderis c. Now the Trumpets began to sound which Ammianus c. 5. tells so happily as if he meant to be an Expositor Hoc tempore saith he velut per universum Orbem Romanum Bellicum canentibus Buccinis excitae saevissimae Gentes limites sibi proximos persultabunt Gallias Rhaetiásque simul Alemaâ—ni populabantur Sarmatae Pannonias Thracias diripiebant praedatorii globi Gothorum c. Of these Seven Trumpets the first Four are lesser ones and fall chiefly upon the West and made way for the rising of the Antichristian State of the Beast or Kingdom of the False-Prophet The last Three are greater and more terrible and more lasting and therefore distinguished from the former by the name of WOES verse 13. The First Trumpet which lights upon the Earth was that terrible furious and bloudy Hail-storm of the Nations of the North which Ammianus told us of even now without intermission harrying spoiling burning and wasting the inhabitants and Citizens of the Empire great and small young and old from the year 365 almost 45 years but not yet by setling therein impairing or diminishing the Roman Dition The Second which fell upon the Sea was the bloudy rending and destruction of the Amplitude of the Roman Iurisdiction in the West from the time viz. Ann. 410. when Alaricus sacked Rome and was occasioned by the swelling and burning ambition of Stilico who called in the Goths hoping when the waters were thus troubled to have made his Son an Emperor The Third Trumpet brought Lapsus Hesperi the fall of the Western Caesar which after the death of the third Valentinian When Gensericus with his Vandaels had again sacked Rome fell by degrees out of the Orb of Sovereignty though blazing a little as a Candle before extinction By the fall of this Star the Rivers and Fountains suffered the power of the Roman Presidents Ministers and Courts of Iustice failing in the West for want of their wonted influence from that Star the Western Caesareate being extinct in Augustulus resembled by reason of the then bitterness and sorrows by a falling Star called Wormwood vers 11. The Fourth Trumpet brings darkness upon the Roman Firmament by an Eclipse of the Sun Moon and Stars in the third part thereof when in the Wars of the Greek Emperors with the Kings of the Goths in Italy the remaining light of Rome's Majesty in the West was quite put out after the year 542 the long-continued succession of the Roman Consuls ceasing the Roman
their enemies p. 372 Chap. 35. 6 7. The Rechabites said We will drink no wine for Ionadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us saying Ye shall drink no wine nor shall ye build an house but dwell in teats c. p. 127 LAMENTATIONS Chap. 2. 1. The Lord hath cast down the beauty of Israel and remembred not his footstool in the day of his anger p. 393 EZEKIEL Chap. 4. 6. Lie again on thy right side and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Iudah forty dayes p. 784 Chap. 20. 20. Hasâ—ow my Sabbaths and they shall be a Sign between me and you that ye may know that I am the Lord your God p. 55 Chap. 27. 3. Tyrus a Merchant of people for many Islands p. 273 Chap. 38. 17. Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the Prophets of Israel c. p. 796 Chap. 43. 7. my holy Name shall the house of Israel 〈◊〉 more desile by the Carkâ—ses of their Kings p. 14 DANIEL Chap. 2. from vers 32. to vers 44. p. 104 Vers. 44 45. In the dayes of these Kings shall the God of heaven set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed nor left to another people but it shall break in pieces and consume at these Kingdoms and it self shall stand for ever Forasmuch as thou sawest that a Stone was cut out of a mountain without hands and that it brake in pieces the iron the brass c. p. 744 754 755 Chap 4. 26. after that thou shalt have known that the heavens bear rule p. 102 Chap. 7. 3. And four Beasts came up from the Sea p. 454 Vers. 9. I behold till the Thrones were pitched down p. 762 Verse 10. the Iudgment was set p. 532. 762 Verse 11. I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the Horn spake I beheld till the Beast was slain and his body destroy'd and given to the burning flame Ibid. Verse 12. As concerning the rest of the Beasts they had their dominion taken away yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time p. 780. 781 Verse 22. and judgment was given to the Saints of the most High p. 532 Vers. 24. And the ten Horns are ten Kings and another shall rise behind them and he shall be diverse from the first and shall depress three Kings p. 778 779 Vers. 25. And he shall think to change Times and Laws p. 737 Ch. 5. 4. behold an He-goat came from the West p. 473 c. Verse 23. And in the latter end of the Kingdom of Graecia a King of a fierce countenance shall stand up p. 654 Chap. 9. 24. Seventy weeks are allotted for thy people and for thy holy City to finish transgression and make an end of sins c. p. 697 Verse 25. Also know and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to cause to return and to build Ierusalem unto Messiah the Prince shall be Sevens of weeks c. p. 699 Verse 26. And after 62 weeks shall Messiah be cut off and they none of his c. p. 704 Verse 27. Nevertheless he shall confirm a covenant with many one week c. p. 706 Chap. 10 2. I Daniel was mourning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 599 Verse 13. Michael one of the chief Princes came to help me p. 42 Chap. 11. V. 36 37 38 39. p. 667 670 671 Verse 41 42 43. p. 674 Verse 44 45. p. 816 Chap. 12. 11 12. And from the time that the daily Sacrifice shall be taken away shall be 1290 days Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the 1335 days p. 717 IOEL Verse 30. Pillars of smoke p. 28 AMOS Chap. 4. 2. The Lord hath sworn by his Holiness p. 8 Chap. 8. 7. The Lord hath sworn by the excellency of Iacob ibid. MICAH Chap. 5. 5. And he shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall come into our land c. p. 796 ZACHARY Chap. 3. 9. For behold the stone that I have laid before Ioshua p. 833 marg Chap. 4. 2 3. I looked and behold a Candlestick with seven Lamps and two Olive-trees by it p. 833 Verse 6. Not by might nor by force but by my Spirit p. 41 833 Verse 10. These Seven are the Eyes of the ' Lord which run to and fro through the whole Earth p. 40 Verse 14. These are the two anointed ones that stand before the Lord of the whole Earth p. 41 Chap. 8. 19. The fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the tenth p. 890 MALACHI Chap. 1. 6 7. Ye say Wherein have we polluted thy Name In that ye say The Table of the Lord is contemptible And if ye offer the blind for Sacrifice is it not evil Offer it now unto thy Governour will he be pleased with thee p. 357 Verse 11. In every place Incense shall be offered unto my Name and a pure Offering p. 355 TOBIT Chap. 14. Verse 3. to Verse 8. p. 〈…〉 I MACCABEES Chap. 14. 5. An entrance to the Isles of the Sea p. 273 II MACCABEES Chap. 4. 38. he took away Andronicus his purple p. 911 S. MATTHEW Chap. 5. 17. Think not that I am come to dissolve the Law and the Prophets I am not come to dissolve but to fulfil p. 12 Verse 19. Whosoever therefore shall break one of the least of these Commandments and shall teach men so to do he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of heaven ibid. Chap. 6. 1. Take heed that ye do not your Alms before men p. 80 Verse 9. Thus therefore pray ye p. 1 Hallowed be thy Name p. 4 Verse 11. Give us this day our daily bread p. 125 Verse 19. Lay not up for your selves treasures upon earth p. 352 Chap. 7. 21. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven c. p. 213 Chap. 8. 12. But the children of the Kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness p. 86 Verse 29. Art thou come hither to torment us before the time p. 25 Chap. 10. 41. He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophets reward p. 84 Chap. 11. 28 29. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls p. 150 Chap. 12. 42. The Queen of the South shall rise up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with this generation p. 24 Chap. 17. 11. Elias truly shall first come and restore all things p. 98 Chap. 19. 21. If thou wilt be perfect go sell that thou hast and give it to the poor and thou shalt have treasure in heaven p. 126 Verse 28. in the regeneration p. 85 Chap. 20. 16. So the last shall be first and the first last for many be called but few chosen p. 86 Chap.
22. 32. I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob God is not the God of the dead but of the living p. 801 Chap. 23. 19 the Altar that sanctifies the Gift p. 376 Verse 39. Ye shall not see me henceforth till ye shall say Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. p. 519 Chap. 24. 14. And the Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world p. 705 and then shall the End come p. 36 Verse 20. Pray that your flight be not in the winter nor on the Sabbath-day p. 841 Verse 29. Immediately after the tribulation of these days shall the Sun be darkned and the Moon shall not give her light and the Stars shall fall from heaven p. 615 753 Verse 34. This generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled p. 752 Chap. 25. 33 34. And he shall set the Sheep on his right hand but the Goats on the left Then shall the King say to them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom c. p. 841 Chap. 27. 34. They gave him vineger to drink mingled with gall p. 518 S. MARK Chap. 1. 14. Now after that Iohn was put in prison Iesus came into Galilee preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God pag. 97 Verse 15. And saying The time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand Repent ye and believe the Gospel p. 106 Chap. 11. 17. Is it not written My house shall be called a House of Prayer to all the Nations p. 44 Chap. 15. 23. And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrhe p. 518 S. LUKE Chap. 1. 28. Hail thou highly-favoured one p. 181 Verse 72. To shew mercy or kindness to our Fathers p. 801 Chap. 2. 1. that all the World should be taxed p. 705 13 14. And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the heavenly Host praising God and saying Glory be to God in the highest c. p. 89 Chap. 6. 12. he continued all night 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 67 Chap. 7. 47. Her sins which are many are forgiven therefore she loved much p. 766 Chap. 16. 9. Make to your selves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness c. p. 170 Chap. 18. 28. Lo we have left all and followed thee p. 120 Chap. 21. 24. Vntil the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled p. 709 753 Verse 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then shall be Signs c. p. 744 753 Chap. 22. 20. This Cup is the New Covenant in my bloud p. 372 Chap. 24. 45 46. Then opened be their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures And said unto them Thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day p. 49 S. IOHN Chap. 1. 14. And the Wâ—rd was made flesh and tabernacled in us p. 266 Chap. 4. 20. Our Fathers worshipped in this Mountain p. 263 Verse 22. Ye worship what ye know not we worship what we know p. 49 Verse 23. But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and Truth p. 46. Chap. 7. 37. As the Scripture saith out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water p. 62 Chap. 10. 20. He hath a Devil and is mad p. 28 Chap. 12. 28. Then came there a voice from heaven The people therefore that stood by and heard it said that it thundred p. 459 Chap. 17. 17. Sanctifie them unto or fâ—r thy Truth thy Word is Truth p. 14 Verse 19. And for them I sanctifie my self that they might be sanctified for thy Truth ibid. Chap. 18. 36. My kingdom is not of this world if my kingdom were of this world then would my servants fight p. 103 Chap. 21. 22. If I will that he stay till I come p. 708 ACTS Chap. 2. 5. And there were sojourning at Ierusalem Iows devout men out of every Nation under heaven p. 74 Verse 42. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 364 Verse 45. See Chap. 4. 34 Verse 46. And they continuing daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking bread 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the House ate their meat with gladness and singleness of heart p. 322 Chap. 3. 19. Repent and be converted c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that so the times of refreshing may come p. 612 Chap. 4. 34 35. As many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them and brought the prices of the things that were sold and laid them down at the Apostles feet p. 127 Chap. 5. 3 4. And Peter said Ananias why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the holy Ghost and to purloin of the price of the land c. p. 115 Chap. 10. 1 2. There was a certain man in Caefarea called Cornelius a Centurion of the Italian band a devout man and one that feared God c. p. 165 Verse 4. Thy Prayers and thine Alms are come up for a memorial before God p. 164 Chap. 13. 48. And there believed as many as were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to eternal life p. 21 Chap. 14. 15. Who in times past suffered all Nations to walk in their own ways p. 515 Chap. 15. 16 17. After this I will return and will build again the Tabernacle of David which is fallen c. That the residuc of men might seek after the Lord and all the Gentiles upon whom my Name is called p. 455 Chap. 16. 13. And on the Sabbath we went out of the city by a river-side where there was taken or where was famed to be a Proseucha and Verse 16. It came to pass as we went to the Proseucha p. 67 Chap. 17. 4 There associated themselves to Paul and Silas of the worshipping Greeks a great multitude p. 19 Verse 18. He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange Gods because he preached unto them Iesus and the Resurrection p. 635 Chap. 18. 22. And he sailed from Ephesus and when he had landed at Caesarea having gone up and saluted the Church he went down to Antioch p. 323 Chap. 24. 16. ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For this cause do I exercise my self to have always a conscience void of offence toward God and men p. 871 ROMANS Chap. 1. 23. They changed the Glory of the incorruptible God into an Image c. p. 5 Verse 25. Who changed the truth of God into a lie and served the creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 49 Chap. 8. 20. For the creature was made subject to vanity Because the creature it self also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God p. 230 812 Chap. 9. 1. my Conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost p. 118 Chap. 11. 11 15. Through their fall Salvation is come unto the Gentiles for to provoke them to jealousie For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world p. 455
2. 13 14 Phil. 2. 10. 〈◊〉 ver 6. Gen. 49. 6◠〈…〉 Verse 9. * Iâ—r 2. 11. Chap. 4. 9. Verse 11. Chap. 5. 12. Verse 13. * Origen contr Celsum lib. l. p. 46. Gr. â—g◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Vid. Num. 6. 26. Iudg. 6. 24. Psal. 85.7 c. Ca 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verse 18. Acts 10. 43. Matth. 6. 15. Eph. 6. 2. * Matth. 6. 14 15. Verse 32 c. Verse 35. * Of the Corban see Discourse 〈◊〉 * Ephes. 4. 26. * Chap. 4. 12. * Verse 17. Matth 17. 10. Luke 1. 76. Verse 17. Mar. 1. 14 15 * Chap. 40. 3. Mal 4. 1. Verse 5. * 〈…〉 Mal. 4. 5. Ezek. 37. 24. * and Matth. 11. 14. Acts 10. 37. * Matt. 11. 21. ‖ Chap 4. 15. * Matt. 4. 15. Acts 1. 11. Acts 2. 7. Matt. 17. 5. Matt. 26. 32. Matth. 28. 7. Verse 10. Esay 9. 1 2 3 c. Iohn 7. â—1 Iohn 7. 41 52. 1 Sâ—m 16. 11. Verse 6. Eccles. 1. 2. Matt. 3. 2. * See 1 Mac cab 3. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— Coram â—oelo â— coram Dâ—o Matth. 1â— Luke 17. 21. * Matt. 26. â—3 Gen. 3. 15. A twofold state of Christ's Kingdom 1 Cor. 15. 28. Why Christâ—s Kingdom is called The Kingdom of Heaven or of God Dan 2 32 33. Vers. 34. Vers. 35. Vers. 44. Vers. 45. Dan. 9. 24. Vers. 26. * luke 2. 25. 38. ch 19. 11. * Ioseph de bell Iud l. 7. c. 31. Tacit. l. 5. Hâ—stor Sueton l. 8. Matth. 2. 1. Eph. 2. 12. Rom. 9. 4 5. Repentance iâ— more than a Sorrow for sim. See Rom. 8. 1â— Col. 3. 5. Eph. 2. 5. Col. 2. 13. * Psal. 51. 17. Esay 57. 15. ch 66. 2. Matt. 25. 41. Ezek. 18. 23. 33. 11. Iohn 20. 21. Matt. 11. 28. Matt. 9. 17. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 15. 56. * Gen. 21. 12. Of this see Discourse XIII Luke 2. 14. Rev. 1. 5. 6. Mat. 25. 34. c. Vers. 42. Rom 6. 14. Gal. 5. 18. 2. 16. Rom. 3. 28. and elsewhere * Rom. 3. 27. Rom. 3. 23 10. Matt. 11. 30. * Rom. 6. â— Verse 1. Verse 3. 1 Sam. 10. 27. Acts 5. 3 4. * So in Fâ—th 7. 5. 't is said Who is he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose heart hath filled him we read it that durst presume to do so Lud. de Dieu in Io. 11. Act. 5. Quis tantos spiritus sumpsit tam aud ax evâ—sit ut hoc facere sustineat The like phrase we have in Eccles. 8. 11. The heart of the sons of men is fully seâ— in them to do evil In the former place the LXX hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the latter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Serm. 25. De verb. Ap. * Serm. 〈…〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie both a thing cursed and a thing offered or consecrated which had a cursâ— laid upon it viz. a curse to him that medled with it 〈◊〉 Propriety Observat. 1. * See Discourse V. Observat. 2. Observ. 3. Vide Chrysâ—ft in Matt. 21. 12. * S. Ierom on this place affirms this to be one of the greatest Miracles wrought by our Lord. Iosh. 7. 2â— 1 Sam. 2. * 2 Chron. 3â— 21. Levit. 25. 4. * Dan. 5. 2. Veâ—s 6. Vers. 30â— * Hâ—s 6. â— Matt. â— 13. 12â— 7. * Matt. 6. 19. 20. Aâ—ur's Request Prov. 30. 8 9 * Deut. 7. 6 ch 14. 2. 26. 18. Observat. 1. Mark 10. 21. Matth. 15. 24. Matth. 19. 16. Verse 22. Matth. 10. 37. 19. 29. Luke 6. 20. Psal. 120. â— Ier. 49. 28. Num. 6 2. c. Observ. 2. Vers. 11. Vers. 13. Observat. 3. * Horat. Carm l. 2. Od. 10. Aurtam quisquis Mediocâ—â—atem Diligâ—t tutus caret obsolâ—â—â— Sordibus tects 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 Sobrius aulâ Seneca in Oedipo Fata siâ—câ—aâ— mihi Fingere arbitâ—to â—â—o c. Tuta me in dâ—â â—hat Vita decurrenâ—â—â—â The Reason of Agur's Reâ—uest Mar. 8. 36. 1 Cor. 10. 31. 〈…〉 Observat. 1. Observat. 2. Observat. 3. Prov. 3. 9. Psal. 24. 1. Iob 2. 4. Lev. 6. 2 c. Observat. 1. Observat. 2. Observat. 3. Observat. 4. Isai. 2. 2 3 4. Roâ— 11. 2â— Of thâ—s see in Book III. Treatise of Tâ—e Apostasie of the latter Times ch 10 1 King 19. 1â— See this more fully discoursed of in the Treatise of The Apostasie of the latter Times Book III chap. 9. Rom. 11. 11. * Acts 13. 46. chap 18. 6. chap. 28. 28. Rom. 11. 25. Verse 12. Dan. 2. 34. See in Book IV. Epistle 8. The Purport of the â—ouâ— Kingdoms in Damâ—â— * Dan. 2. 35. The first Consideration of Adonibezek's words Iudg. 1. 7. Observ. 1. 1 Tim. â— 3. Chap. 21. 13. 2 Sam. 12. 13 Verse 11. Verse 10. Verse 14. See also Psal. 52. 7. Observat. 2. Isaâ— 73. 2. Ier. 12. 1. Rev. 18. 7. Prov. 1. 7. * Var. hist. l. 4. c. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Pliny l. 7. nat hist. c. 5 1. Phereâ—â—dâ—s copiá serpentium ex corpore ejus erumpente exspiravit Gen. 18. 32. Ionah 3 4. Matth. 8. 10. Observ. 3. Matth. 7. 2. Chap. 35. 15. * Exod. 1. 22. 12. 29. * 2 Sam. 11. 4. Chap. 16. 22. * 2 Chr. 21. v. 4 17. 1 Kings 11. 5. 1 Kings 12. 20. Of this Otho or Hatto 11. see Trithemias Isengâ—inâ—us â— 10. Rerum Spir. c. Psal. 106. 18. A 〈◊〉 was kindled in their company seâ— flames burnt up the â—icked * Iudg. 19. 2 25. 1 Sam. 2. 22. c. Chap. â— 1â— Maâ—th 27. 25. Numb 13. 25. Num. 14. 33 â—â— Observat. 4. 〈…〉 Matth 4. 8. Chap. 19. 5. Gen. 3. 16. Verse 17. Verse 24. 2 Chron. 12. 10 Mar. 8. 36. The Second consideration of Adonibezek's words Observat. 1. Gen. 42. 21. Exod. 9. 27. Numb 21. 7. 2. Chro. 33. 12. Psal. 119. 71. Observ. 2. Psal. 73. 2 3. Observat. 3. Gen. 42. 21. Verse 22. Pâ—â—ris libamus auro saith the Poet that is Libamâ—â— patâ—â—â— ex auro Chalyboâ—◠〈…〉 * Exod. 23. 15. Mat. 11. 28 29 Sâ—n a burtheâ— and load in â—eâ—pect of â—â—e we giâ—t of Punisâ—ment Loathsomness The reason of Sin 's Loathsomness Heb. 11. 6. Ioh. 1. 29. â— Tâ—â— 12. 13. Matâ— 19. 6. Mat. 11. 29. Acts 4. 12. Iames 2. 〈◊〉 Matt. 7. 2â— Of Lowliness Matt. 5. â— 1 Sam. 16. 7. Prov. 3â— 8 9. * This was preached Anno 1625. when there was a great plague in London Iames 4. 6. 1 Pet. 5. 5. Of Meekness 1 Iâ—â—n 2. 3. * Esa. 48. 22. Phil. 4. 7. Prov. 31. 6. Luke 23 34. Nehem. 9. 17. Ioel 2. 13. Verse 11 12. Vers 13. Verse 14. Verse 15. Acts 10. 4. Verse 3. * Verse 4. * Verse 5. * Verse 6. Verse 2. See Discourses III. and XI Acts 15. * Acts 10. 45 46. Verse 20. Hag. 2. 7. See Discourse III. at the end * Exo. 23. 〈◊〉 Deut.
blessed the Congregation which stood in the outward Court 2 Chron. c. 6. v. 12 3. and they sacrificed that day and all the time of the Feast viz. in the Courts though the Priests could not enter the Covered Temple for the glory of the Lord which filled it * Viz. the Trumpets * Chap. 8. 10. See before in Chap. 2. Sect. 6 * See before in Chap. 3. Sect. 1. * Chap. 7. * Chap. 14. 1. * Chap. 13. 11. * Chap. 14. 4. * Vers. 15. * Vers. 18. * Vers. 20. * Decemb. 27. * Num. 2. 2. a Ch. 3. 4. ch 6. 11. ch 7. 13. b Ch. 2. 11. ch 20. 6. 14. ch 21. 8. * The Lxx. have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Israil is often in the Psal. and elsewhere in Scripture called God's inheritance * Vers. 4. * Vers. 4. * 〈…〉 Vide Commâ—ns Apocal ad cap. 8. vers 8. * The Caesars were Pontifices maximi as well as Augusti and received the Pontifical Stole at their inauguration yea Constantine and his sons received the Stole and bore the Title though they executed not the Office Gratian was the first that refused both * The Demi-Caesars kept their Court at Ravenna never at Rome The Numbers of Times in Dan. 12. have also been taken definitely by those who yet differ about their Epocha * This is more fully demonstrated in the next Chapter * Roma meretrix rides the Beast under his last Head * Chap. 9. v. 5. * Vers. 15. * Chap. 16. 12 c. Dan. 10. 2â— * Targum Hierosolym Targum Ionâ—thanis * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * This is the Author 's own Argument to what follows See the meaning of those days in the Author 's learned Discourse De Nuâ—heris Danielis c. which is the last Discourse in this Third Book * Compare Dan. 11. 31. Chap. 12. 11. See page 531. * See pag. 534. * See in Book V. the words of Gaius out of Eusebius with the Author's Animadversions Thâ—s was wroté before his Comment on the Apocal. and so were the other Tracts in these Râ—mains except that in Chap. 9. be of a later date Dan. 7. 13. Zach. 12. 10. See in Book V. the Author 's short Tract styled The Mystery of S. Pauls Conversion or The Type of the Calling of the Iews Revel 20. 4. Chap. 20. 6. * See in Book IV. the Authors 2d Letter to D. Meddus where this is largely treated of See also above in this Book in the Appendix to the Apocal. his Epist. ad Amicum De Resurrectionâ— Prima c. ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Vid. Act. Concil Niceni apud Gelas. Cyzicen l. 1. c. 23. â—l 24. ‖ In Catech. 14. * Hades is properly the place of Separate Souls whether good or bad after death * Ezek. 38. 15. chap. 39. 2. a If that which S. Peter here describeth were foretold by the old Prophets then must S. Peter be so expounded as it may be shewn in them and agree with them a This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or last days should seem to be the time of the Churche's Apostasie under Antichrist according to that of S. Paul 1 Tim. 4. 1. In the latter times some shall depart from the Faith giving heed to spirits of error and doctrines of Daemons For as the times of the fourth and last of Daniel's Kingdoms were the last times in general during which Christ was to come and found his Church and Kingdom so the latter times of the Fourth Kingdom being that period of a Time times and half a time wherein the wicked Horn should domineer are the latmost times of the last times or last times in special b I take Promise here for Res promissa the thing promised the Antithesis implying that to be the meaning viz. The scoffers say Where is the Promise of his coming Nevertheless we look for a New heaven and New earth according to his Promise But here is somewhat Reader in the application wherein thou mayest erre but be not thou uncharitable in thy censure nor think I am For although the crying down and condemning of the opinion of the Chiliasts will be found to be near upon the beginning of the times of the Antichristian Apostasie which I suppose to be called the last times and that the utter burying of that Opinion falls within these times yet thou must know 1. That there is not the like reason of the first Authors of crying down a Truth and of those who led by their authority take it afterward without further examination for an Error 2. To scoff is one thing and barely not to believe is another 3. 'T is one thing to deny a promise simply and another to deny or question the manner thereof as also to reject a Truth sincerely propounded and when it is intangled with errors as that of the later Chiliasts may seem to have been c I take Promise here for Res promissa the thing promised the Antithesis implying that to be the meaning viz. The scoffers say Where is the Promise of his coming Nevertheless we look for a New heaven and New earth according to his Promise But here is somewhat Reader in the application wherein thou mayest erre but be not thou uncharitable in thy censure nor think I am For although the crying down and condemning of the opinion of the Chiliasts will be found to be near upon the beginning of the times of the Antichristian Apostasie which I suppose to be called the last times and that the utter burying of that Opinion falls within these times yet thou must know 1. That there is not the like reason of the first Authors of crying down a Truth and of those who led by their authority take it afterward without further examination for an Error 2. To scoff is one thing and barely not to believe is another 3. 'T is one thing to deny a promise simply and another to deny or question the manner thereof as also to reject a Truth sincerely propounded and when it is intangled with errors as that of the later Chiliasts may seem to have been As touching the Iews and the impeachment of this Opinion amongst them in the latter times I find amongst the Doctors of the Gemara or Gloss of their Talmud which was finished about 500 years after Christ a Tenet of one R. Samuels often mentioned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That there was to be no difference between the present state of the world and the days of Messiah but in respect of the bondage under the Kingdoms of the Gentiles only thereby opposing the more ancient opinion and tradition of the Renovation of the World After this time there appears to have been amongst the Iews a Sect of the followers of the opinion of this R. Samuel which at length was greatly advanced by the authority of that learned Maimonides who having drunk too deep of the Philosophy of Aristotle wherein he was admirably skilful became a
his Clavis Apocalyptica seven Copies whereof he sent into Ireland ‖ Viz. Dissert Le Numeriâ— Dan. cap. 12. v. 11 12. Speâ—â—men interpret Millen Apocalypt * That the Seventâ— Mâ—â—nary is by the whole School of the Cabâ—alists call'd The Great Day of Iudgment * namely such as Moses Law had prescribed for their Feasts and Solemnities ‖ namely them of old about Sacrificing and Circumcision c. Rev. 10. â— 2 Thess. 2. 8. * Rev. 13. 1. Object Answer Object Answ. Object Answer * Dan. 8. 23. See the last Discourse but one in Book III. Regnum Romanum est Regnum quartum Danielis Argum. 3. * Rev. 10. 7. Rev. 11. 15. * See this Prophesie of Tobit explained in pag. 579. * For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 25. 〈◊〉 Tâ—en shall be Signs So the Hebrews use that copulative and the Greek Testament with them Acts 1. Repl. Bâ—â—â— Iuâ— 7. 12. Ioseph 15. 5. Xiphil Ioseph Bell. 1. 13. S. Ier. in Dan. c. 11. Isocrat Alâ—â—ed Object Answer * Ch. 11. 15. Vâ—d Dâ—n Weeks Dan. 9. v. 25. * Iâ—â—â— 12. 7. * Dan. 7. 22. Matth. 24. 34. 2 Thess. â— 3. * I have had good occasion to know his name and some of his notions too * 〈…〉 * Witnesses and Keepers of the Primitive Doctrine * Chap. 4. * the little Book Revel 10. Vixit â—ndreâ—â— circa annum Christi 500. * Revel 11. verse 12. ‖ Verse 13. * Verse 14. * Verse 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Verse 13. * Verse 8. * Verse 9. * Verse 2. * Rom. 11. 11. See this more fully reâ—ed of in Ep. XVII See alsâ— in Book V. aâ— Trâ—ct styled The Mystâ—ry of S. Paul's Conversion * Vulgar Lat. Donec throni 〈◊〉 sunt LXX Thâ—odotion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chaâ—d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 usurpatum de Solo inveniat apud Chald. Paraph â—â—â— â— v. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ubi in 〈◊〉 est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sepâ—uag 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Verse 10. ‖ Verse 13. 1 Cor. 6. 2. 2 Thest. ch 2. ver 2 3. * See Epistle VIII * Chap. 11. 9. * Matt. 24. 29. * Because * Therefore Or I could say This apparition might be vouchsafed to some chief ones of them whom God should chuse and they as wiâ—nesses make it known to the rest A remarkable story of a great conversion of Iews wrought by Christ's apparition and voice from heaven according to that Apocal. 5. 10. Wâ— shall reign oâ— the earth N. B. * See Book III. pag. 664. * See Book III. pag. 664. See in Book III. pag. 710. â—rist ad Amicuâ—â— de Resurrestionâ— prima That the word Day in Scripture sometimes implies a long times or many years * See Dr. Twisse his First Letter to Mr. Mâ—de * In a MS. of Dr. Twisse there is a third Answer added in the Margin but whether it was added in the Paper of his Answers sent by Dr. Meddâ—â— to Mr. Mede appearâ— tur Answ. 3. It appears by Esa. 65. 20. that they who are sound alive at Christ's coming shall be â—bnoxioâ—s unto death but after death thâ—y shall rise ere the 1000 years be eâ—pâ—â—â— and reign 〈◊〉 Christ. 1 Thess. 4. * 1. Thesâ— 4. verse 16 17â— * In Geâ—â—ra Abodah Zarah c. 1. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mutabitur though we here translate it be moved movâ—bitur * See this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 explained by the Author in his Paraphr on 2 Pet. 3. ver 16. The explication of which verse was written by Mr. Mede in Dr. Twisse's Manuscript and not extant in the former Editions See Book III pag. 612. * See Epist. VIII ‖ See Epist. XV. * Revel 17. * Dan. 7. 24. * Vid. Gen. 22. 13. Exod. 14. 19. Iosh. 8. 2. 2 Kingâ— 9. 18. 2 Chro. 13 13. Ezck. 3. 12. alibi * See Book III. pag 463. pag 661. * In another 〈◊〉 of Mr. 〈◊〉 to Mr. Thoâ— Iohnson of Rochdale in Lancashire Novemb 9. 1636. â—here much of 〈◊〉 letter is transâ—ribâ—d in answer to the like Dâ—ubt is â—â—is added The Aâ—â—i-christian Hâ—rn with eyes and mouth that is qui cum revera Comu tantâ—m sit pro Capâ—e tamen sese â—erit cujus est proprtum oâ— oculos habere * In the Letter to Mr. T. I. this is add d now â—fter the division and dilaceration of the Empire but one of the Kingdoms ‖ The Horn. * this proud domineering Horn. * and invested * Verse 4 5 6. This and the two short Letters that follow though written at some distance of time are in this as in the former Edition joyned together as being preparatory to the better understanding of the large Letter immediately following * Ezek. 4. 6. * Anâ—al Eccles Tom. 4. See also chap. 5. 11. Ia the rest is no tittle difference throughout * For no where else is Messiah so termed but there * See the Scheme in pag. 430. of this Editio * erias * Iconisâ—is This Latin Epistle is of the same import with Epistle XXXVII This Letter containâ— Mr. Mede's thanks returned to M. Testard for his great respectsâ— wiâ—hal his reasons why he cannot concur with him in his notions about the Number of the. Beast's name * Vid. pag. 710. * Vid. pag. 713â— * Whâ—â—h I desire when you have used it to send me back again Ezek. 38. 17. explained * Ezek. 38. 2. Micah 5. Dan. 11. 35 36 explained * Namely of the end of the Greek Monarchy which in the holy account is not extended beyond Antiochus Epiphanes * i. primiâ— * â—on caeditur populus usquedum caedâ—tur princeps ejus in excelâ—o R. Sol. ad Esaiae 34. 5. See Mr. Mede's Conjecture of Gog and Magog in Book III. Pag. 713. * Thâ— Terra Australiâ— yet incognita might in part be peopled through that fry of Islands lying between it and Camboia in the Oriental Sea But of that Continent we know nothing whether it be fully inhabited or not Our Saviouâ—â— proof of the Resurrection from Exod. 3. 6. I am the God of Abraham c. explained Exod. 6. 4. Deut. 11. â—1 Vid. Luc 10. 5â— In the Old Testamâ—nt 〈◊〉 See Gen. 〈◊〉 12. 49. Iudg. 5. 〈◊〉 Mark those words well The land of thy pilgrimage The land whereon thy headlies Gen. 28. The land which thou seest Gen. 13. and the like And in S. Paul The place which he shouâ—d after receive for an inheritance Heb. 11. * 1 Cor. 15. * Of which this Great Author hath given a Specimen in his prefecting and more fully expressing such pieces of that Treause as he had occasion to exceâ—p and make use of in senâ—e Writings in this Volume as the judicious Reader may observe Huâ—us 〈◊〉 pag. 476. This Letter contains Mr. Dury's great respect to Mr. Mede and withal sollicits him to impart his thoughts about the best method of pursuing the design for a Pacification amongst the Protestant
so often all his Prophets continually baiting thee with that so foul and odious a name of abominable Harlot Why did he scatter thee and even cart thee naked among the Nations afore his jealousie would be satisfied For it seems he is far more indulgent to his Second wife the Church of the Gentiles For she worships her God in Images and Crucifixes yea calls a piece of Bread her Lord and her God and yet saith he is no whit jealous of her but well pleased She though espoused to Christ Iesus the Son of the living God as her sole Mediator and Intercessor in the presence of God his Father yet thinks she may fall down to Saints and Angels yea to as many Images of them as ever the Iews had of their Baalims or the Gentiles of their Daemons And yet forsooth because she makes her Lord the chiefest still in the honour of her affection and uses the rest of her Lovers no farther than she may still yield the first and chief place to him she verily supposes he is no whit offended wite her whereas Israel should have been called a Whore a thousand times over for as little as this yea and like enough to have been carted too and her nose slit Ezek. 23. 25. long before this time Nay but she wipes her mouth and asks why her Lord should be angry for she calls him still her Lord and acknowledges and professeth him still to be her Husband If he hath a mind to be angry with any let him go to the Turks Tartars and other Mahumetans or to the Paynims who will not acknowledge him at all to be their Lord though he hath offered himself and perhaps wooed some of them but they would none of him but have married themselves to other husbands here if he will be jealous is matter for his jealousie But thou Christ-apostatical Strumpet knowest thou not the first Commandment of thy Christian Decalogue to be Thou shalt have no other Christs but me What doest thou then with so many Christ-lings Knowest thou not that an Husband is more grieved and dishonoured by his Wife's adultery than if any other women whatsoever yea suppose his kinswomen and daughters should play the harlots What are Turks Tartars or any other unbelieving Nation under Heaven unto thy Lord and Saviour are they not all as Strangers to him and he to them But as for thee he had chosen thee out of many Nations to espouse thee to himself so that thou mayest say with Israel Isa. 63. 19. We are thine but as for them thou never barest rule over them they were not called by thy Name But to thee to use the words of Ezechiel ch 16. v. 8. c. He sware an oâ—th and entered into a covenant with thee and thou becamest his and wert called and wilt still be called by his name Thee he washed with water yea throughly washed thee from the pollution of thy birth and anointed thee with oyl Thou wast decked with gold and silver and thy raiment was of fine linnen and silk and broidered work thou didst eat fine flour and honey and oyl and wast exceeding beautiful and didst prosper into a Kingdom And thy renown went forth among the Heathen for thy beauty for it was perfect through the comeliness which the Lord thy God had put upon thee But thou didst trust in thine own beauty and playedst the Harlot because of thy renown and pouredst out thy fornications upon every one that passed by And of thy garments thou didst take and deckest thy high places with divers colours and playedst the Harlot thereupon Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of thy Lord's gold and of thy Lord's silver which he had given thee and madest to thy self Images of men and didst commit whoredom with them And tookest thy broidered garments and coveredst them and thou hast set the Lord's oyl and his incense before them c. Iudge now between the Lord and his people ye that have Wives give sentence ye Husbands whether of the two in question hath most dishonoured our Lord and Saviour which of the two is most like to fret him and kindle the coals of fury and jealousie Those who never were in covenant with him nor yet are called by his name or whether his Spouse his darling and beloved one to whom he was betrothed and married Iudge according to the manner of Wedlock and the notorious precedent of Israel He that is a Father we say is best able to understand the love of a Father and therefore God's love to his children For the like reason he that is an Husband is sensible of the jealousie of an Husband and so of the case of Christ with his unfaithful and treacherous Spouse the Christian Iezabel The decision and sum of all is this That the Whoredom of the Church of God is a Spiritual Adultery and therefore between the Idolatry of Christians and that of Infidels and Paynims is as much difference in God's esteem as is between Adultery and simple Fornication The one as equal to Murther was in the Law punished with death the other with a much lighter punishment Whence in Ezechiel in those words I have been so long Chapter 16. verse 38. God saith to Ierusalem for their Idolatry that he would judge her as women that break wedlock and shed bloud are judged he would give her bloud in fury and jealousie And this was the resolution of God himself against Israel Amos 3. 1 2. Hear this word that the LORD hath spoken against you O children of Israel saying You only have I known of all the families of the earth therefore will I punish you for all your iniquities And the same will be the judgment of the Christian Iezabel howsoever Paynims and Infidels speed when Great Babylon shall come in remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness â—f his wrath This I would have well considered and weighed by those whom the Mahumetan blasphemy hath dazeled that they can hardly believe that so hated and execrable a name as that of Babylon should belong unto any other unless there be yet to come some otherlike barbarous Tyrant and seducer after them The cause of which errour is That men have fancied another manner of Antichrist than the Holy Ghost meant of and placed their eyes far wide of the ground of God's hatred and of the nature of that Mystery of Abomination But Israel's Apostasie God's jealousie and their unparallel'd Punishment therefore such as no Nation in the World how Idolatrous soever endured besides themselves are in this case the only Pole-star to direct us But even this mistake which is and hath been of the Mystery of iniquity is it self a kind of Mystery or not without one For Antichrist is a Counter-Christ and therefore his Coming to be a Counter-resemblance of the Coming of Christ. Christ was both to come and accordingly looked for in the Last times that is in the