1290 dayes the time of the dispersion doth run from that begiâ—… 〈◊〉 We haâ—…e good reason to take this for an authentick 〈◊〉 because Danâ—…el in the 12 Chapter doth more largely repeâ—… 〈◊〉 Desolation by the Romans which he had more briefly 〈◊〉 chap. 9. We cannot be perswaded but that the Propâ—… 〈◊〉 last Vision went farther into the times than he did iâ—… 〈◊〉 going before at least he went as far For 〈◊〉 is expresly said concerning this last Vision that the time was long and for many dayes The word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as Mr Broughton doth well render it the Army-like-ordered time was great Piscator upon the place also doth well observe the same propriety of the phrase Vide â—…r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 essâ—… Metaphora quod in tempore determinaâ—…o partes convenienti ordine à Deo sunt dispositae sicut Milites in exercitis Tâ—…e sâ—…emeth here to be a 〈◊〉 the parts in this determinâ—…te time are so disposed of Gâ—… Souldiers in an Army We may then safely conclude 〈◊〉 in this last Vision Daniel doth go many 〈◊〉 deep into the times and much deeper than he did in the former Visions And therefore we may necessarily affirm That he doth lead us far beyond the times of Christ. On the contrary If these times end with the Persecutionâ—… under Antiochus Epiphanes for so Mr Broughton and others will have it how is the time long and how doth the Lord speak of such notable events that should befal Daâ—…iel's People in the last and utmost Rere-ward of time The destruction of Ierusalem by the Romans was 230 years after the death of Antiochus Epiphanes And therefore the Vision of the 70 weeks if Mr Broughtons interpretation be good must go farther than this last Vision by such a Proportion and Number of years Now who can possibly believe this to be true that readeth the three last Chapters of the Prophecie Must the whole Narration of all the things there declared end at Antiochus his death Now then to gather all into one sum we may safely collect That Daniel in this Vision doth not only lead us to the destruction of Ierusalem by the Romans but he doth speak also how long the Jewes shall remain under that fatal Dispersion These things our Saviour the Apostle St. Paul Isaiah and Daniel all of them do speak First of the scattering of the Nation after the destruction of Ierusalem and of the time of their Dispersion till their Calling again If any shall then require me to make good the Chronologie of 1290 dayes and of 1335 dayes I must confess that I am here at a loss and it may be that they who shall come in the Rere-ward of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Army-like-ordered time shall see more Then perhaps many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be encreased If I may to use the words of Mr Fox vent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my Conjectures I should be willing to proceed in this manner First To speak of the time in a Latitude Secondly To speak of it more particularly If we speak of it in some Latitude and begin the 1290 daies at the destruction of Ierusalem this period of time will bring us precisely to the year of the Lord 1359 And here as Alstedius well observeth in his Chronologie cap. 6. the Saints did begin more vigorously to testifie against the Antichristian Idolatries And in very deed if we diligently observe the times with some subtilty of consideration we shall find That from the taking of Constantinople and the destruction of the Greek Empire in the East the Languages have been revived and the Witnesses of Truth have been more effectually raised up in the West and the light of the Gospel doth more and more encrease And it is very probable that these things will go on and never cease till the Kingdom of Christ be set up in its full glory and Monarchical power over Jews and Gentiles This I take to be the meaning of the Prophecie in the general accommodation thereof But for the more distinct and particular Application of the times this as I have said before I must leave to them that come after Now let us proceed to the words of Piscator in his Preface upon the Prophecie of Daniel Piscator The third Kingdom is not here rightly extended to the Successors of Alexander the Great so far at least as he is stated the first King of that Kingdom For though this is done chap. 8. vers 21. yet nevertheless that Prophecie differeth much from this For the Kingdom of the Greeks figured by the He-goat is there expresly Named and is divided into the Kingdom of Alexander who is resembled by the notable Horn which the He-goat had between his eyes and the Kingdom of his Successors So that this of Alexander is clearly to be distinguished as different from that of the Successors For it is said When that Horn was brâ—…ken four stood up for it or in the place of it and afterward those four are expresly called one Kingdom vers 23. Likewise it is spoken concerning the Kingdom of Alexander That it should be plucked up and that it should come to others and not to his Posterity Dan. 11. 4. Answer I do not deny but in some sense the Kingdom of Alexander may be distinct from that of his Successors But 〈◊〉 Whether in the present case it ouâ—…ht to be 〈◊〉 distinguished The Kingdoms of Media and Persia are two distinct Realms Dan. 8. yet both these make but one silver-Metal So the Kingdoms of Alexander and his Successors though they be distinguished yet in the Notion Relation and Distribution of the Kingdoms in the Image they make but one Brass-metal or one Empire typed by the third Beast with four Heads In this case every Metal signifieth a distinct Kingdom in the fulness thereof And therefore as the Golden-Head doth signifie the Babylonian-Kinâ—…dom and the Silver-Breast the Mede-Persian So the Brazen-Belly and Thighs do signifie the whole Graecian Empire And as in this Acception the distinct Kingdoms of Media and Persia do not make two but one Silver-metal So the Distinct Kingdoms of Alexander and his Successors do not make divers but one third Kingdom of Brass But yet further If we should ask how every Metal-Kingdom comes to be divided it must be in relation as each People cometh to have the sovereign Dominion over the Earth and therefore it is expresly said concerning the Kingdom of Christ That it shall not be left to other People chap. 2. 44. And in the end of the seventh Chapter v. 27. these words are recited The Kingdom and Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdom shall be given to the People of the Saints of the most High From whence we collect That the Monarchies are to be distinguished as the Dominion doth devolve and descend from one People to another till at last it cometh to the turn of the Saints of the most High
troubles of the Christian Church Now it is evident That the Holy Iewish Nation was never troubled in their whole State but in the times of Antiochus Epiphanes And therefore it is clear that the Angel speaketh of those dayes And this one speech might have kept Daniel in his true meaning that we should not draw him beyond Christ. Answer If â—… may speak what I find by Experience there is not any one place either in Daniel or the Revelation that seemeth to me to be more intricate than the Number of time mentioned in this Chapter It may be the Lord will have the time to lie doubtful and to be sealed to the time of the end vers 4 9. However it be though I cannot positively prove the meaning of the text yet we may firmly conclude That the periods of time do lead us to the end of the world and that they cannot possibly be restrained to the Persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes and to the times of the suffering of the Jews under that tyranny But let us look to the Text By the Children of thy people we do willingly acknowledge That the People of the Jewes are here meant But we do not yield that Mr Broughton doth make a true Deduction from the meaning of these words He doth infer That in the time of Antiochus Epiphanes his persecuting the Church Michael may stand up because the whole Nation of the Iewes suffered more eminently for Religion in those times Now here I say This cannot be the time of the great Tribulation of the Jews nor the time of the standing up of Michael seeing the Tribulation here spoken of is after the destruction of the Seleucian Kingdom For I would gladly know what the Angel doth mean by these words He shall come to his end and none shall help him vers 45. Is it not clear by the whole tenor and scope of the text That he speaketh of the King of the North or the Seleucian Kingdom That this Tyranny shall come to its end without help or remedy And then afterward the Seleucian Kingdom being destroyed the great Calamity shall fall upon the Nation of the Jews in the following times Secondly Our Saviour himself that best knew the meaning of Daniel's Prophecie doth expresly speak of the standing up of the Abomination of Desolation mentioned by Daniel the Prophet he doth speak of the greatest wrath that ever was from the foundation of the world that it should fall upon the Nation of the Jewes and that for the Elects sake only those dayes should be shortened Now then how doth he apply these Predictions not to the times of Antiochus Epiphanes which Mr Broughton here speaks of but as all the Evangelists do agree to the last and fatal destruction of Ierusalem by the Romans Matth. 24. 21 22. Mar. 13. 14 15 c. Luk. 21. 20 21 c. Now whereas Daniel did put the Question partly out of a desire to pry into these Mysteries and partly to give information to the Church he received an Answer sutable to the Question which he did propound The Question is this Then said I O my Lord what shall be the end of these things vers 8. And the Answer of the Angel is this From the time that the daily Sacrifice shall be taken away and the Abomination that maketh Desolate shall be set up there shall be 1290 daies Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the 1335 dayes But go thy way till the end be for thou shalt rest and stand in the lot at the end of the daies vers 11 12 13. From the scope of these words if we take it for granted That the setting up of the Abomination of Desolation was at the last and fatal destruction of Ierusalem for so our Saviour doth expound the words of Daniel then we do infer from the destruction of that City there will be 1290 dayes and then again 1335 dayes to the time of the end And so we may conclude That this period of time will not extend only to the times of Christ but very far beyond his times toward the end of the world But it may be alledged seeing that I undertake to shew the length of the period How long it shall continue and the beginning from whence it shall commence why do not I speak Determinately concerning the time where it shall end I do only so far undertake to speak of the length of this period to shew that Daniel's Prophecie containeth a great Number of years beyond the destruction of Ierusalem And this is enough to Confute Mr Broughton and other Interpreters of this way though for my part I am not able to determine the Question why it is said 1290 dayes and then after that 1335 dayes There is a special reason of doubling the Number but yet for the accommodation of the time I must confess my ignorance Only for the present purpose it is enough to say in the general That there is a great Chain of years to begin after the destruction of Ierusalem and that the times of Daniel and the times of the Revelation do both run parallel together to the glorious Kingdom of the Saints But for the true concord of the times I do profess that I lie in the mire Whereas the holy Prophet is commanded to seal and to shut up the Vision we are not to take this simply as though there shall be a perpetual inclosure and an absolute concealment of the sense for ever but only that the disclosing is referred to the time of the end They that shall live neer upon the accomplishment of the Prophecie upon the borders of the glorious Church at the times of the Calling of the Jewes perhaps they shall see that which hath lain hid in the Scriptures for many Ages Though Daniel was to seal up the Vision for the time present yet in the latter dayes many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be encreased vers 4. Object But if it shall be said That the great Question doth lie in this From what beginning are we to fetch this period of time or where is the date thereof Some place the beginning of these years in Antiochus Epiphanes some in the Abomination of the Desolation set up by Iulian the Apostate Sol. For the setting up of the Abomination of Desolation there is no question but that this is meant of the Calamity under the Romans for so our Saviour doth expound the meaning of the Prophecie And there is good reason wherefore we should rest in the Authority of such an interpreter As for the setting up of the Abomination of Desolation by Iulian the Apostate I marvel that such a judicious Interpreter as Mr Brightman should rest upon so groundless a conceit But as groundless as it is I find that many men are carried away with his Authority But first of all how was Iulian a taker away of the daily Sacrifice He rather countenanced the Jewes against the Christians Socrat. lib. 3. Secondly how
Story of the Gospel and particularly the entrance of Christ into his Ministery he hath these words In the fifteenth year of the Reign of Tiberius Caesar Pontius Pilate being Governor of Iudea and Herod being Tetrarch of Galilee and his Brother Philip Tetrarch of Iturea and of the Region of Trachonitis and Lysanias the Tetrarch of Abilene the Word of the Lord came to Iohn the Son of Zacharias in the Wilderness Luk. 3. 1 2 3. Here I demand What hath the Evangelist to do with the times of the Romans being a Government so alien to the affairs of the Church I Answer There be Two Reasons wherefore he Numbreth the times according to the Roman accompt The First is To shew the Truth of Daniel's Prophecie in the Image of Persecuting States For there it is expresly said That in the dayes of these Kingdoms shall the God of Heaven raise up a Kingdom that never shall be destroyed Dan. 2. 44. Now the Evangelist expoundeth this to be the Kingdom of Christ and that the Roman in particular is the Metal-Kingdom in whose times the Kingdom of Christ did begin And he doth leave it upon Record That the Lord Christ had a solemn Inauguration into his Office in that part of time when Tiberius was Emperor in the fifteenth year of his Reign when Pontius Pilate was Governor of Iudea c. Now if it be the scope of the Evangelist to shew That the Lord did begin his Office in Preaching the Gospel when the Romans did beaâ—… Rule there must be a particular instant of time also when all in Iudea fell under the Dominion of that People and that in the sense of the Gospel must be the Epocha or term of the Roman Kingdom Secondly The Evangelist doth so punctually Number the times according to the Roman Government because then Iudea where the Gospel began to be Preached was under the Command of the People of Rome And the Evangelist doth no more in the times of the New Testament than what the Prophets and ancient Writers had done in the times of the Old As for Ensample Those Prophets that lived in the times of the Kings of Iudah and Israel as Isaiah Ieremy Hosea dated their Prophecies from the Reign of those Kings And from that time that the Kings of the Line of David were taken away it was the use to reckon by the times of the Four Monarchical States So Daniel and Hezâ—…kiel who lived in the times of the Babylonian Empire do reckon their Visions by the times of the Babylonian Kings And after them Ezrah Nehemiah Haggie and Zachary who lived in the times of the Persian Monarchy dated their times by the Reigns of the Kings of Persia. And as for those Ecclesiastical Writers that lived in the times of the Graecian Kingdom as the Author of the Book of the Macchabees they accounted by the years of the Kingdom of the Greeks In like manner the Evangelists living in the times of the Romans date the Story of the Gospel by the Roman account In all which they do secretly imply That the Roman is the Fourth Metal-Kingdom and it began so to be when the Church of the Jews became subject to the People of Rome So long the Stories of the Church were Numerable by the Roman account But let us adde another Testimony out of the same Evangelist where he telleth us chap. 2. vers 2. A Decree went forth from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed 〈◊〉 this taxing was first made when Cyreneus was Governor of Syria Now whereas he saith That all the world should be taxed this is meant only of the world under the Roman obedience And here we Affirm When Iudea and the Countries near Bordering became Members of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Roman world then did the Roman begin as the Fourth of Daniel's Kingdoms The Evangelist being to speak of the Birth of the Kinâ—… of the Jews his special purpose is to shew how that particular Continent was under the sovereign Power of Augustus Caesar at that time Object 1. But here it may be Objected How could Augustus tax Iudea when it was under the Power of Herod the King Sol. This matter is solidly Disputed by the learned Spanhemius in his Dubia Evangelica part 2. dub 2. pa. 157. The sum of that which he doth deliver cometh to this issue Though Herod was King he had not jus summum the supreme Dominion he had only jus subalternum a Right and a Power meerly by the courtesie of Augustus And therefore he citeth a passage out of Appianus That as Darius was the King of Pontus and Polemon of Cilicia so Herod was King of the Jews that is meerly by favour and courtesie Secondly He sheweth That there were often Appeals from Herod to the Romans and therefore he was compelled to pleÌ„ad for himself before Antonius at Laodicea and before Augustus after the Battel of Actium at Rhodes Many more Arguments he brought to prove that his Government was meerly Precatious and at the will of the Romans Now for that particular time when the Romans began to have the sovereignty over the People of the Jews this was at the times of Pompey the Great These are the Authors own words pag. 160 At a sane erat conditio populi Iudaici tempore Macchabaeorum qu indo à Iudâ Macchabaeo foedus primò cum Romanis initum ubi Iudaeâ—… vocantur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 populi Romani rescripto Sena us ad Deâ—…ctrium à quo premebantur 1 Mac. 8. Sed quamâ—…rimum à Pompeio Magno subacti fuere societatis nomen in servitutem abâ—…r illi aequè ac aliae gentes dâ—…victae Romanis vectigales facti eorum imperio accessêre Ab eâ—… tempore Iudaeorum gens in Clientelâ Romanorum fuit à quâ—…bus Reges pro arbitrio instituebantur vel destituebantur tales quidem quibus precarium limitatum erat imperium à nutu eorum suspensum qui Romae rerum potâ—…ebantur In these words of his he doth plainly distinguish what the People of the Jews were before the Conquest of Judea by Pompey and what they were after Before the Conquest they were Friends Allies and Auxiliaries and after that their society was turned into servitude and as other Conquered Nations so the Jews were made Tributaries to the Empire From that time the Nation of the Jews was alwayes under the Dominion of the Romans by whom their Kings were either set up or plucked down at pleasure And for the manner of their Rule it was meerly limited hanging upon the good will of them that had the supreme Command at Rome Now if this be so I leave it to any man to judge when the Roman did begin as the Fourth Metal-Kingdom According to these Principles he must needs begin at the times of Pompey when the Church was brought under the Power of the Romans Object 2. Why is it said That the taxing was when Cyreneus was Governor of Syria and not rather
Nation Yet if we seriously consider the times we shall finde That the light began to break out and the day began to dawn at the taking of Constantinople in the year 1453. For the Greek Empire being destroyed and that Eye of the Christian world being put out it pleased the Lord by this means to cast many learned Grecians into this Western World This gave occasion to the reviving of the Languages and the reviving of the Languages brought in the study of the Scriptures and other ancient Authors and things began to be cast into another mould By this means the more learned sort were brought off from the Doctrine of the School-men and the more zealous ones from Visions Dreams and Revelations and so the world was prepared to receive another kinde of light Not to mention the troubles which Reuchlin Pagnin and Arias Montanus did meet withall it is manifest by the Epistles of Erasmus how much the Monks and Friars were inraged at him He tells us how in England France Spain Italy and every-where in a manner they did both publickly and privately inveigh against him And it went for a received Maxime among many That Erasmus did more hurt then Luther How could that be He revived the Tongues he was an instrument to bring men to the study of the Scriptures and ancient Authors and by those amoeniores literae which he so often speaks of he did bring the world from Monkish darkness and foolish Revelations Campanella therefore calls the War betwixt the Protestants and the Papists Grammaticale Bellum a Grammarian War because by the study of the Languages by the Greek and the Hebrew Tongues the Reformation of the Church was introduced And it is the sentence of Melancthon Non aliam ad veterem barbariem reducendam magis compendiariam esse viam quam si studia linguarum interirent There is no more compendious way to reduce the ancient barbarism then if the studies of Languages should peresh Orat. tom 4. pag. 465. As light then as men make of Humane Learning in these times it was one chief mean under God to bring the world out of Antichristian darkness And it is the judgement of so id men that if it should be totally abolished it would occasion the return of that darkness once again Now let us come to consider the Stories and the time of the immersion how the Church came first under this darkness It is clear from the process of the aforementioned Discourse that about the time of the Emperor Phocas the Universal Headship of the Bishop of Rome was publickly proclaimed the Scriptures began to be slighted and the Traditions of the Church immoderately extol'd Now here is a great demand How is it possible that the Church could apostatize and degenerate so far in one or two Centuries seeing in the age of the Christian Caesars when Chrysostome Hierom Augustine and others lived there was so much light The answer is clear The Goths Hunnes and Vandals and other barbarous Nations came out of the North overturned Churches burned Libraries overthrew Schools of Learning and by this means the world was organized and fashioned to receive the Kingdome of Antichrist and all that whole body of false Doctrine that should be set up in the Consciences of ignorant people by Visions Dreams and Revelations From all which I do conclude If there should be a total abrogation of Book-learning it would be a compendious way means to bring the Church into its former darkness For as experience sheweth That the taking away of that Learning was one chief meâ—…n to introduce Antichristian darkness So the restoring and renewing of it again was one principal mean of the recovery of the former light Thirdly they do symbolize and come in the nearest similitude to the true formality of Antichristianism who do build their Corsciences upon men and do make men the Lords of their Faith In this sense we are to take the words of our Saviour when he saith Mat. 23. 9. Call no man your Father upon the earth for one is your Father which is in heaven Neither be ye called Masters for one is your Master even Christ. Some are so void of understanding as to take these words according to the letter as though the practise of Christianity should extinguish civil relations and distinctions betwixt man and man But these are idle conceits we are to look to the scope of our Saviours meaning The Jews in his time were divided into divers Factions into the Sects of the Pharisees Sadduces Herodians Gaulonites and the like Now it was the ambition of those times for every man to have his Rabbi and each Rabbi to have his Scholars depend upon him as the Lord of their Faith In this sense our Saviour speaks that they should call no man Rabbi Rabbi and gives this reason One is your Master even Christ and all ye are Brethren In these words he doth especially point at the formality of Antichristianism that should be in the Popes Kingdome For though there is much ado made betwixt the Criticks in the Greek Hebrew and Syriack Tongues about the true Origination of the word Papa yet I finde That all do agree in the signification that it is as much in sense as Spiritual Father Now then if we look to the practise of the Romish Church we shall finde it apparent That the Body of the People do depend upon their Teachers as their Spiritual Fathers and all the Spiritual Fathers of the lower degree do depend upon the Bishop of Rome as the Father of all And herein that Hierarchy doth directly oppose the true Church of Christ as it is described Eph. 4. ver 4. 5 6. There is one Body and one Spirit even as you are called into one hope of your calling one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all The Apostle further speaketh how the Mystery of Iniquity did begin to work in the Church of Corinth Every one of you saith I am of Paul and I of Apollo and I of Cephas and I of Christ Is Christ divided was Paul crucified for you or were ye baptized in the Name of Paul 1 Cor. 1. 12 13. It appears by this That the Unity of that Church was broken by many divisions several Believers had their several Rabbies on whom they did depend and though Paul and Cephas would not take so much upon them to be the Lords of peoples Faith and the Heads of Parties yet the false Apostles did wonderfully affect such a kinde of Title and too many carnal Christians in those days were too forward to pin their Faith upon other mens sleeves and to come in the nearest formasity to the Antichristian practise in these last times The world is too apt to fall into Divisions and to say I am of Paul I am of Apollo and I am of Cephas And in this men must needs symbolize with them who make the Bishop of Rome the Lord of their Faith and do profess themselves
up to attention to look after the Messiah of whom so much was sooken in the Prophecies So in the like case many things being foretold in the writings of the Apostles concerning the coming of Antichrist when that time should begin to draw near the Lord was pleased to suffer such a dust to be raised between Constantinople and Rome to rouze up the spirits of men to examine those things which were foretold in the Scriptures In the Book of the Revelation there is much spoken concerning the Name of the Beast and the Mark of the Name Now when this Name or Headship was come to the beginning thereof Gregory did plainly declare That the formality of Antichristianism did consist in this Title and that the Man of sin was then at the doors And I wish one day his sayings do not strongly witness against all his Successors who with one joynt consent down from the year of our Lord 606 have appropriated this Title to themselves to the great dishonour of Christ the true Head of the Church But if they alledge That the Bishop of Rome is only a Ministerial head as Christ's Vicar To this I Answer However they may evade by subtilty of words indeed and in truth they have taken for many Ages together the Dignity of Christ and have made him only the titular Head of the Church For is it not clear by the Stories That all doth depend upon the Authority of the Romane See The credit of Scripture the interpretation of Scripture the making of Laws the abrogation of divine Laws and all things in a manner have depended upon the Authority of the Roman Bishop What he would he hath set up what he would he hath plucked down And when all this is done is he only a titular Head Indeed and in â—…uth the Headship of Christ hath been made but a cypher and the words of Gregory have been found too true in the event But for the passages out of him two things are briefly to be observed First If we go to the 600 years immediately after the birth of Christ there was then no Oecumenical Bishop For though the Man of sin had gone very far and had made many progressions in the Mysterie of Iniquity yet the Authority it self was not publickly established in all that time If it were so we may believe that Gregory would not have inveighed against that Headship as he did Secondly In the year of the Lord 606 the Decree was Enacted That the Bishop of Rome should be Head over all Churches which Dignity the whole Succession have enjoyed now above this 1000 years And that which Gregory did call Antichristian in others that all his followers have assumed to this very day Therefore Thuanus in his 67 Book doth speak very pithily Phocas Bonifacio tertio insignes Episcopi Universalis titulos quos nuper Gregorius in Iohanne Constantinopolitano improbaverat prolixè attribuit Phocas did largely ascribe to Boniface the third those eminent titles of Universal Bishop which Gregory did lately inveigh against in Iohn of Constantinople Now then to gather all into one sum we may see how the Prophecies and the Stories of the Church do agree First That the two-horned Beast had a determinate time when he rose up out of the Earth Secondly That this time is after the rising of the ten-horned Beast or the ten Kings out of the ruines of the Empire Thirdly It is to be applied to such a time only when the Name and the Universal Headship of the Bishop of Rome began publickly to be set up All these three laid together do necessarily bring us to the Decree of the Headship under the Emperor Phocas And so we do Conclude that this is the Number of the Name of the Beast as it is mentioned in the Prophecie Now by what Accompt the Number is 666 we will shew in the Two Chapters following CHAP. V. That the Roman is the Fourth and Last Metal-Kingdom in Daniels Image and the truth of this is proved against the Positions of Junius Broughton Piscator Dr. Willet and others FOr the carrying on of our matter we need not imbark in that great Question Whether the Roman be the Fourth Metal-Kingdom Or Whether the Opinion of Junius and his followers be received We are sure both wayes to make the Accompt good That the Name or Universal Headship of the Bishop of Rome is 666. The matter is so firmly grounded upon the event Let us then proceed according to Iunius his Method let us say that the Babylonian is the first Metal-Kingdom that the Mede-Persian is the second that the Macedonian in Alexander is the third that the Seleucian is the fourth Here according to this Analogie there must be an end of all the four Metal-Kingdoms at the destruction of the Seleucian when Syria Iudaea and all that Oriental tract came under the Obedience of the People of Rome Now then if you reckon from the final Conclusion of all the four persecuting Empires and from the beginning of the Roman as that Nation did succeed in the Rule over the Church there will be an exact period of 666 years to the setting up of the Name or Universal Headship of the Bishop of Rome And so we do concord with the Principles of Iunius But we do not say That there was a dissolution of all four Metal-Kingdoms but only a dissolution of the third and a beginning of the fourth Now from the beginning of the Roman or the fourth Kingdom we make the accompt And for the clearer manifestation of the truth we will Debate this Point more fully for it is a ruled case in Daniel and the Revelation That one and the same thing is variously repeated for clearer explication As for ensample The Antichristian Kingdom is more obscurely delivered Revel 11. Now if we compare it with the description chap. 13 and chap. 17. all three Scriptures will exceedingly illustrate one and the same truth And so in the present case if it can be solidly proved that the fourth Beast in Daniel is the Roman Kingdom we may safely conclude that the same matter is repeated more largely in the Book of the Revelation Mr Medâ—… speaketh to very good purpose concerning the description of the ten-horn'd Beast Rev. 13. These are his words Toâ—…a autem haec descriptio petita est ex Propheâ—…iâ Danielis cap. 7. ubi de eâdem agitur quâ hic Bestiâ Romanâ status novissimi sed quae ibi Danieli ab Angelo succinctius narrantur ea hîc Iohanni interjectâ quasi explicatione fusius deducuntur Comment Apocal. pag. 190. From which words of his it is clear that one and the same Roman Dominion in the last and Antichristian State thereof is the subject matter of both Scriptures And so we have a certain and a demonstrative Principle to build upon For not only the Book of the Revelation it self will be cleared by comparing one part with another that which is more dark with that which is more
clear but the times in the 7 of Daniel also will be much illustrated if we parallel them with the times of the Revelation Only here will lie the weight of the business Whether the matter is one and the same in both Prophecies And it must necessarily be one and the same if we can solidly prove the ten-horned Beast in Daniel to be the Roman Kingdom All do agree that the ten-horned Beast in the Revelation is the Roman Kingdom and if we can make it appear that one and the same Kingdom is described in the seventh of Daniel this will be as it were a band or ligament to couple both Prophecies together and a mean to expound the one by that conformity which it hath to the other But because Iunius and his followers and by Name Dr Willet do so strongly insist upon the Point That the ten-horned Beast in both Prophecies is not one and the same Roman Kingdom but one and the same only in Analogie and similitude of expression If they can make their words good I confess that we shall be liable to a great mistake when we shall take that for really the same which is only the same in some similitude Interpreters have gone too far this way as it is clear by experience For Paraeâ—… in the beginning of his Commentary treating of the Method of the Revelation doth draw three Observations out of Augustine's 20 Book of the City of God cap. 17. First saith he There are many things darkly delivered in the Prophecie to exercise the mind of the Reader Secondly There are some things delivered more clearly by the understanding of which we may discover the other that are more dark if diligence be used Thirdly It doth exceedingly conduce to the unfolding of the Mysteries of this Book that the same things are repeated in a different way of expression We do acknowledge that these Observations are of good use but that some Interpreters as Paraeus himself in his Commentary and Lampadius in his 〈◊〉 upon Sleâ—…d in de 4 Imperiis and some others have gone too far this way There is some similitude between the seven Trumpets and the seven Vials but the Authors aforenamed have much disturbed the true course of the Apocalyptical times when they take the Trumpets and the Seals for the same in matter though they differ in manner To avoid thâ—… Rock we will first prove the Identity of two Scriptures and then expound them by way of Parallel Upon this Consideration we do now fall upon the Work to prove the Roman to be the Fourth Kingdom And if this can be made good then it will be one and the same Kingdom with that which is mentioned in the Revelation And so we shall parallel the one by the times of the other Prophecie Now let us hear what Iunius Broughton Piscator and other Learned men can alledge to the contrary Junius There is none that is ignorant how variously the Fourth Kingdom is interpreted For some think this place to appertain to the four Monarchies to continue to the consummation of the world Others will have the Monarchies here meant to continue to the Kingdom of Christ only in which Number they have placed the Roman their Free-state and their Empire being united in one And truly the former Opinion all the Fathers have followed being moved as it is probable with this expression There is a God in Heaven that maketh known to the King what shall be in the latter daies chap. 2. 28. But they have not well observed the meaning of the text for the Hebrew word doth not signifie that which is last but that which is latter or that which cometh after though it be not simply the last of all Answer If we observe the Rules laid down by Dr Willet 1. That the Kingdoms here described are Monarchical Kingdoms 2. Monarchical Kingdoms about the Borders of the Church 3. Such Monarchical Kingdoms where the latter do build themselves upon the ruine of the former If we observe these Rules it will be no difficult matter to define the Monarchies what they are where they begin and where they make an end There need be no variety of Opinion in a matter of such common Experience And in particular the same Experience sheweth That the Roman must be the fourth particular Kingdom As for those Interpreters who will have this Kingdom to expire at the coming of Christ they do not erre in taking the Roman for the Fourth Kingdom nor in joyning the Free-State and the Empire in one but they erre in this That they end that Monarchy at the Coming of Christ. For this is contrary to Experience and the Testimony of the Scriptures For what shall be the Ten Horns or the Ten Kings What shall be the little Horn What shall be all the other Properties of the Fourth Beast chap. 7. How shall all these be attributed to the Roman Kingdom if it End at the Coming of Christ For the former Expositors it is true that all Antiquity in a manner have followed this way To take the Roman for the Fourth Kingdom To which I may adde Many of the Interpreters of these times and some eminent in the Knowledge of the Prophetical Scriptures as Brightman Grasserus Mede and others But that this should be the principal Ground that moved them to take the Roman for the Fourth Kingdom because the Lord shewed to Nebuchadnezzar what should come to pass in the last times this I cannot take to be the prime foundation on which those Expositors do build To my understanding this phrase in the latter dayes or as it is in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the extremity of dayes or as Piscator Polanus and others will have it temporibus consequentibus in the times following This expression nakedly considered inforceth nothing at all Whereas Iacob assembled his Sons together to tell them what should happen to them in the latter dayes I do in this matter agree with Dr Willet That he did not assemble them together to tell what should befall them in the end of the world but in the times immediately following Yet this Expression is sometimes used to foretel what shall be done in the end of the world And therefore the Prophet Hosea saith That the Children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God and David their King and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter dayes or as it is in the Original in the extremity of dayes There is no doubt to be made but that the Prophet speaketh of the future Call of the Iews that shall be and of their living under the Reign of Christ which things are to be finished in â—…e end of the world And I see no reason but that the Lord might reveal the same things to Daniel at least the whole order of them he living after the times of Hosea being also a man specially chosen of God to be acquainted with the greatest Mysteries concerning the times of
height the Heavens and in breadth the corners of the Earth Likewise the other Kingdoms aâ—…e semblanced to a Ram and to a Goat Buck and both in sundry Horns And now all the Nations be named that be therein contained Answer First For the great Tree it is not so much a figure of the Babylonian Kingdom as of the King Nebuchadnezzar in his own personal greatness For when the Tree was cut down and Nebuchadnezzar fell the Babylonian Empire stood Foâ—… the Kingdoms of Persia and Greece it is not needful that these two should be all the Nations which Daniel doth Number after the Babylonians First How doth this distinguish the Monarchies after the Scripture-difference The Scripture distinguisheth them according to the change from People to People chap. 2. vers 44. chap. 7. vers 27. If therefore the Babylonians Persians Graecians be all the People how shall we make Four Monarchies of Three People Secondly That of Persia and Greece are again repeated chap. 8. because they were more summarily described in the former Chapter For if we look narrowly to the matter the Seventh Chapter is for the most part taken up in the descrption of the Fourth Kingdom Mr Broughton The Legs of the Image are the Successors of Alexander in the mightiest Kingdoms Syria and Egypt Answer Piscator doth build much upon this Reason and therefore to avoid repetition we will defer the Examination thereof till we come to him Mr Broughton Daniel chap. 7. vers 13. One like to the Son of man c. The Iewes grant Christ here to be meant and if we had not deceived them by forging a general Fourth Monarchy by refusing the plainness of Daniel they would have come to the Faith long ago Answer This is a good Caution in the general and Christian men ought to take heed how they turn all into nice Disputes Atheistical and gainsaying people will soon take Advantage Yet for all this we have sufficient matter to convince the Jew that their Messiah is come that he is cut off that the â—…0 weeks of Daniel are at an end because Ierusalem hath been destroyed long ago and the 70 weeks do lead us to that fatal destruction For our Interpretation that the Roman is the Fourth Monarchy it is not this that keepeth the Jew in his blindness and unbelief but rather it would be a greater stumbling-block in his way to take the Seleucian for the Fourth Monarchy Mr Broughton who affirmeth this to be a Fourth Monarchy how can he make it good That the Kingdom of Christ was set up in the times of the Seleucian Suppose a Jew should read in the Gospel written by Saint Matthew that our Saviour was Born in Bethlem in the times of the Romans and as the other Evangelists do expresly say in the times of Augustus Caesar who caused all the world to be taxed c. Here then if a Jew should be of the judgement of these Learned men That the Roman is none of the Four Monarchies and that there was a total dissolution of the Four Metal-Kingdoms before the coming of Christ and the beginning of the Roman In this method and way of Interpretation how can they possibly make good that Scripture forementioned In the dayes of these Kingdoms shall the God of Heaven raise up a Kingdom that shall never be destroyed Dan. 2. 44. If the Lord will raise up the Kingdom of Christ in the dayes of the Four Metal-Kingdoms and the Evangelists all with one mouth do say That the Kingdom was raised up in that time when all was under the power of the Romans we may safely Conclude That the Roman must needs be one of the Four Kingdoms and in particular the Fourth and the last Kingdom And whereas it is alledged One like the Son of Man came in the clouds of Heaven vers 13. We do willingly yield when the Roman Kingdom in the last and Antichristian state thereof shall be brought to a final destruction then in those times the Kingdom of the Saints shall be set up upon the Earth in the last dayes and there shall be a Union betwixt Jewes and Gentiles under Christ their King according to the Scriptures And though we do not press the strictness of the Letter for a Personal and visible Reign of Christ as many have done and many now do yet I trust that the Jew and the Gentile shall find it true That both People shall come under the Reign of Christ when his Gospel shall be the regent Law in the latter dayes But of this matter somthing more largely afterwards Mr Broughton I will shew thee what shall be in the latter end of wrath chap. 8. vers 21. This place strongly overthroweth their Error that seign the Roman to be the Fourth Kingdom meant by the Legs of the Image seeing the Greeks are the Dealers in the latter end of wrath And it had been a strange thing that this last vision repeating the former should neglect the Romans if they had been spoken of before Answer We have shewed how the former Kingdoms 〈◊〉 repeated in the latter Vision we yield that there is a repetitiâ—…n of the Monarchical Kingdoms but not a repetition of them in the full Number For what a way of Reasoning were this The Babylonian is not reckoned chap. 8. therefore he is none of the Four great Empires mentioned in the Chapter going â—…efore Let us come to the main Reason which Mr Broughtâ—… saith strongly overthroweth their Error who feign the Roman to be the Fourth Kingdom His Argument is drawn from that Expression I will shew thee what shall be in the last end of indignation â—…ll that may be gathered from hence is this That the Greeks may be Dealers in the latter end of wrath if we compare them with the times of Daniel yet according to this sense the Romans may be latter than they Secondly If we look to the true translation of the word as Iunius and Piscator have it the Interpretation must run thus I will make known to thee what shall be in the extremity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of that indignation when Antiochus shall afflict the Church And therefore the Angel doth expound what is meant by these words In the latter end of their Kingdom when transgressors are come to a full end a King of fierce countenance shall stand up vers 23. So then according to the true sense the Greeks are not so much the Dealers in the latter end of wrath as Antiochus in particular is a Dealer against the Saints in the latter end of the Graecian tyranny Here then is a plain fallacy à dicto secundum quid ad dictum simplicitur Mr Broughton Chap. 12. vers 1. And at that time shall Michael stand up that standeth for the Children of thy people When Antiochus going to War against Parthia left Lysias behind him to have rooted out the Iews then Michael stood up Here the terms of Daniel's People must needs mean the Iewes and not the
can we apply the taking away of the daily Sacrifice to the times of Iulian and how can we make the accompt by the Abomination of Desolation set up by Iulian when our Saviour doth speak so plainly of the desâ—…ruction of Ierusalem by the Romans He speaketh in this wise These be the dayes of Vengeance that all things that are written may be fulfilled And there shall be great distress upon this People and they shall fall by the edge of the Sword and shall be led away Captive into all Nations and Ierusalem shall be troden down of the Gentiles till the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled Luk. 21. 22 23 c. Here observe First our Saviour speaketh of the destruction of Ierusalem and of the scattering of the Jewes and of the time of their dispersion He doth speak of these things as they were foretold in the writings of the old Prophets That all that is written might be fulfilled Now where may we conceive these things are written but in the Prophecie of Daniel more briefly chap. 9 and more largely chap. 12. St. Matthew therefore when he speaketh of the destruction of Ierusalem by the Romans doth plainly shew that this is but the fulfilling of that which was formerly mentioned in the Prophecie of Daniel Mat. 24. vers 14 15. If this be so why then should we look after the setting up of the Abomination of Desolation in the times of the Emperor Iulian when in the Evangelist it is so strictly limited to the destruction of Ierusalem But let us come to the things themselves and here in the first place concerning the wrath that shall be upon the people of the Jewes it is expresly said That they shall fall by the edge of the Sword and that they shall be carried Captive into all Nations This is the scope of our Saviours words as we may see in the Story Now then doth not Daniel speak of the same things of a time of trouble for the Children of his People such as never was since it was a Nation vers 1. And doth he not speak of the scattering of the Holy People and of the continuance of their dispersion to the time of the end Secondly for the time how long the dispersion shall continue our Saviour saith That the Jewes shall be carried Captive into all Nations and Ierusalem shall be troden under foot till the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled It is plain then That the dispersion of the Jews and the conculcation of the literal Ierusalem shall last to the fulfilling of the times of the Gentiles Now then If we apply this to the Prophecie of Daniel doth he not speak of the destruction of Ierusalem and the dispersion of the Holy People and of the time of the dispersion how long shall it be to the end of these things vers 6. Thirdly The Evangelist doth begin the time of the dispersion from the destruction of Ierusalem as from the Epocha and term thereof And doth not Daniel do the same Doth he not Number 1290 dayes the time of the dispersion from the destruction of Ierusalem Fourthly The Evangelist saith That Ierusalem shall be troden under foot till the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled In which words he doth secretly imply That after the compleating of those times there shall be a glorious Restoring of that Church and Nation The words of St. Paul are much to the same effect When the Fulness of the Gentiles shall come in all Israel shall be saved Rom. 11. 25. He speaketh of the Church of the Jewes that shall be in the latter times And for the particular time he doth restrain it in this wise When the Fulness of the Gentiles shall come in that is When the Fulness of the Nations shall be brought in to own Christ the Head of the Church then the Nation of the Jews shall be Called And so Jewes and Gentiles shall make one People under Christ their Head in the latter dayes And are not the words of Daniel much to the same purpose Doth he not say Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the 1335 dayes to the glorious Restauration of that Church and Nation But yet for a further amplification let us consider what is spoken Dan. 9. 27. And here we shall find that this doth parallel the two former Scriptures and that all three together do speak of the destruction of Ierusalem by the Romans and the continuance of the dispersion of that People after the destruction These are the words He shall cause the Sacrifice and the Oblation to cease and for the overspreading of Abomination or as it is in the Margine with Abominable Armies he shall make it desolate even until the consummation and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate In these words Note First the Agent who it is that shall make desolate The People of Rome or the Prince of that People who shall come Secondly The Action it self he shall cause the Sacrifice and the Oblation to cease and shall bring in the Abomination that maketh Desolate Thirdly The time when this Action shall begin to wit After the cutting off of the Messiah Then the People of the Prince that shall come shall destroy the City and the Sanctuary And so they did as appeareth by the event â—…ourthly For the time of the continuance of the Desolation it is said He shall make it desolate even until the consummation and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate He doth not speak of the desolation of Ierusalem only at that 〈◊〉 â—…nstant but of the continuance thereof as the Lord had determined and Decreed it upon that City and People Iâ—… is said to be determined because 〈◊〉 is precisely cut out deâ—…ned limited and circumscribed as was the period of the 70 weeks vers 24. Further The Prophet Isaiah 〈◊〉 of the casting away of the Jewes useth the same expression as is herâ—… used in the text of Daniel For saith he though thy Peoâ—…le of Israel be as the sand of the Sea yet a 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 shall return For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the consumption 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the pâ—…ecise consummation shall overflow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chap. 10. vers 22 23. This is spoken of the 〈◊〉 fataâ—…â—…cattering of the Jewish Nation and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of that dispersion as the Apostle himâ—…elf 〈◊〉 exâ—…ound Rom. 9. 27 28. So then the text doth not only speak of the destruction of Ierusalem by the Romans but of a certain determinated time of the desolation of that People how long it shall continue Now let us apply all these things to the controverted place Dan. 12. 11 From tâ—…e tâ—…me that the daily Sacrifice shall be taken away and the Abâ—…nation that maketh Desâ—…late be set up there shall be 1290 〈◊〉 What is more natural and consonant to the text anâ—… 〈◊〉 is more congruous to other Scriptures than to take the 〈◊〉 up of the Abomination of Desolation for the destruction of Ierusalem by the Romans And that the
with those whom by occasion of their unbelief in Christ God should surrogate in their rooms were to remain under the Bondage of the Gentiles and Oppression of Gentilism But these times once fulfilled all the Kingdoms of the World should become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. So far Mr Mede In whose words I Note these Three Points First That the Four Metal-Kingdoms in Daniel's Image are a Prophetical Chronologie of the times Secondly That this Prophetical Chronologie beginneth at the Captivity of Babylon Thirdly That it endeth at the glorious Kingdom of the Saints And for the Four Kingdoms he Numbreth them in this manner First The Babylonian Secondly The Mede-Persian Thirdly The Graecian Fourthly The Roman And for the beginning of the Roman the Point that we now are upon he hath this Observation In which quaternary of Kingdoms as the Roman being the last of the Four is the last Kingdom So are the times thereof the last times we seek for During which times saith Daniel the God of Heaven shall raise up a Kingdom that never shall be destroyed c. In these words also we do agree with the forenamed Author in Two Points First In the Number of the Four Kingdoms Secondly In the date of the last times from the beginning of the Fourth Kingdom And this is that which we endeavor to prove That assoon as the Church came under the Dominion of the Romans that People became the Fourth Metal-Kingdom And here also we do set the beginning of those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or latter times so much spoken of If therefore we set our selves in this beginning where in Mr Mede's own Opinion the latter times do commence If we Number 666 years we shall come to that particular time when the Name or Universal Headship of the Bishop of Rome began to be set up And so every man may easily observe That we go in the true Scripture-way of account But of this afterward Now let us go on and consider wherein we do differ from Mr Mede about the true beginning of the Roman Kingdom For either saith he we must set the beginning thereof when all Greece came under the Roman Obedience after the Conquest of Perseus or else the Roman Kingdom must begin by degrees In which Opinion of his there are Two Errors For that of the beginning at Perseus we have spoken already And for the Roman Encroachment by degrees let it be what it will be there must be a certain determinate time where the Roman doth begin as the Fourth Metal-Kingdom unless we will admit of a Chasme or a vacuum in the Prophetical Chronologie And yet further Upon Mr Mede's own grounds we do desire to press this Argument If the Babylonian did begin as the first Metal-Kingdom when the People of Israel came under the Dominion of Babel then the Roman will begin as the Fourth Metal Kingdom when the same People of Israel 〈◊〉 under the 〈◊〉 of Rome But the former is true Ergo the latter The Consequence is clear from Analogie for the Roman doth but continue that Dominion which the Babylonian began And for the Minor our Author saith That the Four Metal-Kingdoms did begin from the Captivity of Israel when that People fell under the power of the Babylonians I say also When the same People of Israel came under the power of the Romans there is the true determinate beginning of the Roman as the Fourth Metal-Kingdom And this is proved by such Principles as Mr Mede himself will allow Object 2. Others do plead That the Roman did begin as the Fourth Metal-Kingdom when it began to be the prevailing Dominion upon the Earth But they were so some years before the Iewish Church came under their Obedience Sol. It is true That all the Monarchical Kingdoms were prevailing when those times came that were appointed of God that they should prevail For Nebuchadnezzar the Scriptures speak very much how he carried all before him And for Cyrus the Founder of the Persian Kingdom Thus saith the Lord to Cyrus his anointed whose right hand I have holden The right hand is the instrument of Action and Conquerors prevail by the Lord 's holding up their right hand I will loose the loyns of Kings When the loyns of Kings are loosed wherein their strength lieth he must needs prevail against them To open Before him the two-leaved Gates It was the Power of God that did go before him and that was the Petard to burst open the Gates of his Enemies Isa. 45. v. 1 2 3 4. And for Alexander the Great the Scripture saith Behold an He-goat came from the West on the face of the whole Earth and touched not the Ground Dan. 8. 5. Livy is of Opinion That if Alexander had turned his Arms against the Western people as he did against the Eastern he would have failed of his Conquests And Caesar objected to Pompey That the Wars waged against the People of Asia in respect of others were rather against Women than Men. But these are only Observations of States-men and Souldiers that look upon second Causes The Scripture yieldeth us the true reason wherefore Alexander prevailed against the Asiaticks carried his victories so far eastward I saw an He-goat come from the West to the East and touched not the ground This is the true cause of the greatness and celerity of the Conquest of Alexander He came upon the face of the whole Earth and touched not the ground It is not the situation of the People in the Western Hemisphere that maketh them prevail over the Eastern but they only shall prevail whom God will set up We may see on the contrary That great Conquerors have come from East to West as well as they have passed from West to East This may be seen in the Victories of Cyrus Belisarius the Saracens and now last of all the Turks which have come from the East too too far but only that God would have it so into the Roman Territories Now if you would know the true Reason of the prevailing of the latter their Commission lieth in these words Loose the Four Angels that are bound in the Great River Euphrates and the Four Angels were loosed which were prepared for an hour and a day and a month and a year for to slay the third part of men Rev. 9. 14 15. For the Four Angels the course of the Prophecie and the best Expositors do plainly shew That this is meant of the Turkish Nation which Originally were divided into Four Families and had power to come over the River Euphrates into the Territories of the Western World And for that famous Instance of Xerxes That a few Graecians in the West did defeat multitudes of People that came out of the East the reason lieth not in the situation of either People in respect of the Hemisphere but in the hand of the Lord that fought against the Persian Empire For from that time that the building of the Temple was hindred
hath been introduced in the latter times But now it is not so with the Universal Headship of the Bishop of Rome this hath been in hatching in all Ages almost down from the times of the Apostles till in the 666th year from the beginning of the Roman as the Fourth Metal-Kingdom it began publickly to be established under the Emperor Phocas And here was the true beginning of the Name or Universal Headship of the Beast and of the Mark of the Name Fourthly The Mark in the Forehead and in the right Hand is a convertible and reciprocal Note to distinguish the Subjects of the Beast's Kingdom from other men and such a convertible Note is the publick Profession of a Roman Catholick And therefore many of their chief Writers do lay down Three Notes to prove a true Church by Verae fidei Professione by the Profession of the true Faith Sacramentorum Communione by participating of the Sacraments Pontifici Romano tanquam legitimo Pastori subjectione by subjection to the Bishop of Rome as to their lawful Pastor Fifthly The Mark in the Forehead and the right Hand must be such a thing as is in open view and in common use for so do these figurative Expressions import It is not said That he causeth all to receive a Mark in their Arm or Breast or Foot or Leg or any other Member of the Body but in the Forehead which is in open view and in the right Hand as being that part of the Body which is of most common use Now what is there among that Society of men which is of more common use and publick view than the Profession of a Roman Catholick Experience doth plainly shew That none can buy nor sell nor hold Land and Possessions but such a one as doth acknowledge this Universal Headship Sixthly The Mark in the Forehead and in the right Hand is in express and significant terms called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mark of his Name They have no rest day nor night that worship the Beast and his Image and receive the Mark of his Name chap. 14. vers 11. Now if you apply this to the Profession of a Roman Catholick all things will agree For what is a Roman Catholick but such a one as doth make it the chief and main Article of his Faith to acknowledge the Universal Headship of the Bishop of Rome and to subject his Conscience to the Laws made by that Authority And this we have already proved in the Third Chapter of this Treatise to be no other but the Name of the Beast For if there were no such thing as the Universal Headship Sovereign Power and Supreme Dominion of the Bishop of Rome what would become of the Faith and Profession of a Roman Catholick The Name or Universal Headship is that which giveth foundation to the Mark or Profession à priori and the Mark or Profession is that which declareth the Name or Universal Headship à posteriori And therefore in significant terms it is called the Mark of the Name Seventhly The Mark in the Forehead and in the right Hand is that which the Subjects of the Beast's Kingdom do assume to themselves as a matter of the greatest Honour and Dignity It is not a brand or nick-Name put upon them by their Enemies but that which themselves do voluntarily profess as may be seen in the whole Book of the Revelation Now such a Name is the Profession of a Roman Catholick The Roman Church comprehendeth all those Nations Languages and People that agree in the same Unity of the Faith under the Pope the Head And every Member of this Church of what sort soever maketh this as the principal Badge of his Profession to adhere to the Bishop of Rome as to the visible Head of the Church Eighthly The Mark in the right Hand and in the Forehead must be so expounded That in receiving of this men must be guilty of great sin against Christ and so consequently lyable to most grievous Judgements except they repent And therefore it is expressed That such shall be tormented day and night that worship the Beast and receive his Mark. Surely then that act of receiving the Mark of the Beast must needs be a grievous sin because the Lord Christ doth threaten it with so heavie a Judgement Now if you take the Profession of the Faith of a Roman Catholick as he professeth his subjection to the Bishop of Rome this is the greatest derogation that can be to Christ to supplant him in his Universal Headship For it is his peculiar and incommunicable Priviledge to be the only Head of the Church his Mystical Body Therefore whosoever he is that doth ascribe this to himself or to any other doth sin against the Kingly Office of Christ and doth what in him lies to dethrone and put Christ from his sovereign Dignity A Wife may be guilty of many Offences against her Husband but that is one of the most capital when she doth take another in his room for that is in a sense To break the bond and to cast him off from being her Husband when she doth give her self to another man A Roman Catholick then when he doth profess his Allegiance to the Bishop of Rome as to the visible Head of the Church this publick Profession of his is Rebellion and high Treason against the Lord Christ the true Head of the Church this doth supplant him of his Kingly Power and Dignity and therefore he doth threaten this sin with such grievous Judgements Those words therefore that are added as an Epiphonema in the end of the Revelation Whosoever shall adde to the words of this Book God will adde to him the Plagues that are written in this Book And if any man shall take away from the words of the Book of this Prophecie God will take away his part out of the Book of Life and out of the Holy City and from the things which are written in this Book chap. 22. vers 18. 19. Interpreters do usually apply this place to those that bring in Traditions but I think that here is a more special sense intended sutable to the nature of the Book for the principal scope of the Book of the Revelation is to speak of the Kingly Office of Christ and therefore they that set up another Head of the Church they do adde to the words of the Prophecie of this Book and God will adde to them the Plagues that are written in the Book So they that take away from the Kingly Office of Christ they do in a more special sense take away from the words of the Prophecie of this Book And therefore God will take away their part out of the New Ierusalem and from the things that are contained in the Book If these things are so I cannot but admire at Hugo Grotius a man of great Learning in these last times who in his Tract de Antichristo doth speak very favourably of the Universal Headship of the Bishop of Rome
when that Name or Universal Headship began We reade when our Saviour was born at Bethleem that certain wise-men came from the East to Ierusalem saying Where is born the King of the Iews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for we have seen his Star in the East Matth. 2. 1 2 3. Here I demand Why is this Star called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Star The reason is plain Because it did denote and set forth the time of his birth So in the like case the Number of the Beast may be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Number of his Name because it doth characterize decypher and set forth the time when that Name or Universal Headship began Secondly whereas they alledge That there are onely 606 years to the setting up of the Name or Universal Headship of the Bishop of Rome under the Emperor Phocas I confess this is true if we make our account by the years of our Lord. But what warrant have we to proceed in this method For though the Christians do generally use this way of computation yet the general use hath not been so to reckon For as Martinius an acuâ—…e Grammarian speaketh of the reading of the Hebrew so we also may say the same concerning the computation of the times in the Book of the Revelation We are not in this to follow the modern but the ancient use These are his words We ought not to think the custome of our age to be the rule and direction of speaking Hebrew but so far onely as it doth agree with the custome of the ancient people Further he addeth In every Nation there are skilful and learned men in that language yet they do not all reade after the same manner The Germans pronounce their words one way the French another the Spaniards and Italians another and each of them say they have their proper and peculiar custome But such a custome is not to be accounted a lawful argument Let us hold this therefore for a sound foundation both in reading writing and â—…ronouncing Hebrew Veterem Haebraeorum usum sequendum esse The ancient use of the Hebrews is to be followed Technol p. 45. So I may say in the present case They that take the Name of the Beast for the Universal Headship they that stand upon the beginning of the Universal Headship for so Paraeus Downham and our best Interpreters do at the Emperor Phocas they must not count the Number of time by the year of the Lord or by any such like modern style but they must have recourse ad veterem Prophetarum Apostolorum usum to the ancient use of the Prophets and the Apostles in the days of Iohn And here they may finde that the Name of the Beast which is onely 606 in the years of the Lord will be 666 in Daniels Chronologie And that which may be for a confirmation of this truth let us but remember what hath been formerly proved to wit that Iohn in the Revolation doth largely repeat shat which hath been more briefly mentioned by Daniel concerning the Roman or the fourth Metal-Kingdom Further we reade That when the seventh Angel began to sound it is expresly said That time shall be no more but the mystery of God shall be finished as he hath spoke to his servants the Prophots Rev. 10. 6 7. Here two questions are to be demanded First what did he mean when he saith That time shall be no more Secondly To what Prophets doth he refer us when he saith As he hath spoken to his servants the Prophets By Time we are to take it onely with a restriction for the time of the sufferings of the Church under the Tyrannical Governments of this world as it is set forth in the type of the four Metal-Kingdoms But more specially in the last and Antichristian state of the fourth Kingdom Secondly for the servants the Prophets Mr. Mede Grasserus and others do understand this of the times in the Prophecy of Daniel which do reach to the dissolution and destruction of the Antichristian Kingdom If we put all this together we shall finde that the times of the Beasts Kingdom ought not to be computed by the years of the Lord but by the ancient and Prophetical Chronologie in the Visions of Daniel These two Arguments being answered Paraeus Downham and other Protestant Writers are wholly ours For they altogether in a manner in their Treatises and Commentaries do teach that the formality of Antichristianism doth lye in the Universal Headship and that a thing is Antichristian so far as it doth contribute to the Universal Headship of the Bishop of Rome to put him in the place of Christ who is the onely undoubted unquestionable Head of the Church and there is none besides And so much concerning the matter of the Law that the Beast causeth these three things to be received The Mark the Name and the Number of the Name Onely here is one hard question to be dissolved in which I finde that Interpreters are greatly divided and that is this Whether the Mark Name and Number are so many expressions of one and the same matter or whether are they three distinct several matters Some are of opinion as Alcasar that all these three ought to be coupled together exegeticè by way of explanation Seeing that which in this and the former verse is absolutely called the Mark is afterward expresly called the Mark of the Beast Chap. 15. ver 2. and the Mark of the Name of the Beast Chap. 14. ver 11. Others are of a different judgement as Ribera for they hold that these things ought to be distinguished for they that stand on the glassie Sea are said in express terms to overcome the Beast his Image Mark Name and the Number of his Name Chap. 15. ver 1 2. Now our answer to this question is this First we say That the Mark Name and the Number of the Name cannot be affirmed to signifie one and the same thing seeing they are in many places of the Prophecy delivered with distinction and the reason of the distinction is laid down in sundry Texts To the second also we answer That these are not three several matters as Ribera Paraeus Abbot and others will have it as though some of the Beasts Subjects should have the Mark others the Name and a third sort the Number of the Name There is no reason that we should put those things asunder which in the Prophecy are always joyned together Therefore to determine the question we will take a middle way between these two extremes We affirm then That in the general these three do agree in one matter for the substance though it be distinguished by three Apocalyptical considerations Let us come to that particular place where Iohn saw the Number of them that stood upon the glassie Sea mingled with fire who had overcome the Beast his Image Mark Name and the Number of his Name Chap. 15. ver 2. All these several expressions set forth one sort
question was to me how the Name or Universal Headship of the Beast should be 666 Here I mused and often pondered in my minde what is the manner and use of the Spirit in the Scriptures when he speaketh of the riâ—…ng of Governments and their Calculations by Number to discover their beginning And here I found as I believe every man shall do the like who will give himself to observation that the Prophetical Scriptures do very often reckon Governments either by the Number of years to the time of their rising or by the Number of years how long they shall continue Now I was sure that 666 could not be the time of the continuance of the Antichristian Kingdom seeing in the whole body of the Prophecy it is largely shewed That the Kingdom of the Beast must continue 1260 Prophetical days or years and that this time must commence from the rising of the ten-horned Beast out of the Sea or the ten Kings out of the ruines of the Empire Therefore Mr. Archer in his book of the Personal Reign is a very fabulous Writer in this as in many other particulars when he will needs have 666 to be the time of the continuance of the Beasts Kingdome All the circumstances of the Text plainly laid together do decypher this Kingdome à priori and therefore the Number must refer to the time of the beginning or the standing up of the Name or Headship But then the great 〈◊〉 was 〈◊〉 what time I should 〈◊〉 to Number In this caâ—…e I was helped by the practise of Chronologers For theâ—… when they have a Prophetical Number and do not know â—…rom what beginning to compute iâ—… aâ—…k how long it continueth and where it maketh an eno And if they be certain of these two they will finde out the third where it ought to begin It is a sure rule in this as in other kindes of learning By two known things you may come to discover a third unknown And sometimes it so cometh to pass that some diligence must be used before we can come to the knowledge of the two by and through which we may prove the third As for example We reade That the Prophet Ezekiel was to lye upon his left side 390 days which signifie so many years of the patience of God in bearing the iniquity of the house of Israel Again he was to turn and to lye upon his right side 40 days which signifie so many years of the patience of God in bearing the iniquity of the house of Iudah Ezek. 4. 4 5. Now for the application of the times the great Queâ—…ion is Where the 390 years begin and where they make an end and how long they do continue For the continuation there is no doubt to be made and for the time of the ending this must be at the destruction of Ierusalem by the Chaldaeans For the time of the end though it is not set down in express terms yet it may be collected from the whole scope of the Text. For five years before the destruction of Ierusalem Ezekiel was to take a Tile and pourtray upon it the city Ierusalem and laâ—… sâ—…ge against it build a fort against it So then the scope of the whole Vision is to shew That after the 390 years of the patience of God are run out the time should come that the Chaldaeans should destroy both City and Temple In this Ezekiel was a sign to the home of Israel to foretel the destruction of the City and Temple five years before it came to pass Ezek. 1. 2. Upon these grounds Chronologers do reason in this manner If the 390 years do end at the destruction of Ierusalem by the Chaldaeans they must necessarily begin at the Apostacy of Ieroboam For if you take the right vein of Chronologie in the Book of the Kings and number the times interchangably as each King of Iudah and each King of Israel began to reign and to carry on the whole series and order of years you shall find by induction of singulars That there will be an exact line of 390 years from the defection of Ieroboam to the destruction of Ierusalem aforesaid He that desires the particular account of the years and how it is exactly computed let him go to the Isagoge of Calvisius And of the certainty of the account the Chronologer thus speaketh Hunc igitur numerum annorum 390 ex annotatione Historiarum hujus temporis ab initio Ieroboami usque ad excidium Hierosolymae nos colligemus It a quidem ne conjecturas nos Lectori obâ—…rudamus neque etiam sacrae Scripturae vim faciamus Isag. Cap. 40. And in very deed his performance is answerable to the Promise for he doth exactly prove by induction of singulars and that from the words of Scripture That there are 390 years from the Apostacy of Ieroboam to the destruction of Ierusalem But now for the 40 years of the iniquity of the house of Iudah this matter is somewhat more dark But yet nevertheless Chronologers do reason in this wise If 40 years be the time of the patience of God in bearing the iniquities of the house of Iudah and those years must run compleat at the destruction of Ierusalem by the Chaldees then it will follow according to the Scripture-Chronologie and the series of the times that they must necessarily commence from the 13 year of Iosiah Now if a question be made Why these years should begin from the 13 of Iosiah who was a reformer of the Church Though he was these times are to begin there because the Lord did then begin to strive with that people to bring them to Repentance by the Ministery of Ieremy These are the words of the Text From the thirteenth year of Iosiah the son of Ammon King of Iudah even unto this day that is the three and twentieth year the word of the Lord hath come unto me and I have spoken unto you rising early and speaking but ye have not hearkned And the Lord hath sent unto you all his servants the Prophets rising early and sending them but ye have not hearkened nor inclined your ear to hear Jer. 25. 3 4. From these words it is plain That the 40 years patience of God in bearing the iniquitie of the house of Iudah did begin from the Ministery of Ieremy and when these should run compleat then the Prophet â—…zekiel doth signifie That there shall be the destruction of Ierusalem From this and from some such like passages I was moved to take the like course I argued in this manner If 666 be such a Number of years and if this period of time also must end at the setting up of the Universal Headship under the Emperor Phocas by necessary consequence I did conclude That this time must begin 60 years before the birth of the Lord. Consulting with Chronologers I found that this was much about that time when Cicero and Antonius were Consuls at Rome But here to me was the great difficulty
things are most necessary for the Calculation of the Times and for the Exposition of the Prophecies But whereas Mr. Potter doth wholly build upon the extraction of the square-root in a figurate Number I cannot see how this doth agree with the practise of the Spirit in other Scriptures I must needs confess that he speaketh very rationally in these words as they follow I have saith he but beaten made plain the same path which Mr. Forbes and other Commentators have trodden out before But I am now come to the place where they either stood still or turned out of the way They say that the Number 12 is the square root of 144 why then do they not proceed in the same Method to finde out the root of the Number of the Beast seeing they say it is opposed to the Number 144 These learned men cannot be supposed to be guilty of so much nescience as to be ignorant of the square-root of a Number Rather they thought it unbeseeming the Wisdome of God and the Majesty of the Scripture to wrap up such Divine Mysteries in Humane Inventions But be it what it will be it is the foundation of Geometry and Arithmetick it is that also in and through which many famous inventions have been brought to light And the words themselves also do insinuate that the discovery is to be made by wisdome So far Mr. Potter pag. 47. In this I do agree with him That it is the foundation of Geometry and Arithmetick in some good measure to extract the square-root of any figurate Number yet for all that I cannot see when the Spirit either in Daniel or in the Revelation doth speak of Tyrannical States or Empires under divers Emblems and Figures that we should discover and finde out these Governments by calculating the square-root of any Number but rather we should go to the Chronologie of the Times and the Stories of the Church And in this sense we hold That Humane Learning is exceeding necessary And for the invention of the square-root it is very necessary in its kinde Princ. 15. The Number ought so in special to be expounded that it may be in some sort discoverable to the people that lived in the days of John and in the ages immediately following though they lived before the beginning of the Beasts Kingdome Therefore when it is said Let him that hath wisdome count the Number of the Beast S. Iohn in these words speaketh to the people that lived in his days and in the ages immediately following that by this they should understand the signs of the coming of the Man of Sin And he doth yet further shew in what Revolution of Time he shall appear There are seven Kings five are fallen one is and the other is not yet come and the Beast that comes out of the Bottomless Pit he is the eighth In which words of his he doth plainly shew That when seven Forms of Government are fallen in the City of Rome then the Beast shall begin as the eighth Potentate At the same time also he saith That the Roman Empire shall be divided into ten inferiour Kingdomes that these have no beeing as yet but receive a Kingdome one hour with the Beast By the collation of both these Scriptures it is clear That the Number was discoverable in the times of Iohn and not onely to Iohn by Revelation but to others also that would imploy themselves by search From hence then we may clearly discern That they are in an error who would have the Number 666 to be the Number of the time of the rising of the Beast and yet make their account by the years of the Lord. So Danaeus in his Treatise de Antichristo The Spirit of God in that place saith he medleth not with Arithmetical signification of Letters but with the Time and Number of years wherein those things shall be accomplished that are there spoken of and for the particular time he referreth us to the year 666 pag. 13 14. Alstedius saith Denotatur tempus quo Antichristus inchoaturus regnum suum scil anno 666 quo tempore coepit Papa maxime dominari Theol. Polem Part. 4. Controv. 5. pag. 388. The like is said By Eckard the Lutheran and others Though in this matter we do agree with the forenamed Expositors That about the 666th year from the birth of the Lord the Universal Headship of the Bishop of Rome was set up though this be true in some latitude of speech yet it cannot be the meaning of the Text. For what knowledge had the people that lived in the days of Iohn and in the ages immediately following of the account by the year of the Lord Why should not the Christians that lived in Spain finde out the Number by the Spanish Aera The Christians in Aegyâ—…t and Africa by the Aera of Dioclesian And the Christians under the Emperors of Constantinople by the Indictions These and many other ways of account were anciently used Dyonisius the Less about the year 532 did begin to compute by the years of the Lord and that way of Computation came not into vulgar use many years after It is therefore very strange That men should Number the times of the beginning of the Beasts Kingdome after the account by the years of the Lord and yet certain hundred years after the Church should be wholly ignorant of that way of Computation And thus laying all things together we have proved by the concatenation and connexion of all particulars That ours is the true Interpretation because it doth agree with all the Body of the Circumstances fore-alledged And for other Expositions we have shewed the Reason why we cannot rest in them because in severall Principles more or less they do cross the meaning of the Spirit Now it remaineth that we compare the substance of our Interpretation with the scope of the Apostle S. Paul 2 Thess. 2. CHAP. XI A brief Description of the Doctrine of S. Paul 2 Thess. 2. And how he doth fully agree with the present Interpretation ALl Interpreters and Writers in a manner do agree in this That the Beast his Name and Image spoken of Rev. 13. are all one and the same in substance with the description of the Great Antichrist in the Thessalonians Let us come to the words of the Text. Vers. 1. 2. Now we beseech you Brethren by the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ and by our gathering together to him that ye be not soon shaken in minde nor be troubled neither by Spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us as though the day of Christ were at hand In these words there is some darkness in our English Translation for whereas the Translation hath it We beseech you Brethren by the coming of the Lord the word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the cause of the coming of the Lord. The Apostle in the former Epistle having spoken of the coming of Christ to Judgement of the Resurrection from the
give them a Mark as if the intent of the Beast were by this that they should give testimony that they are his They are also said to receive a Mark Chap. 14. To have the Mark Chap. 16. Now then we are sure that to give receive or have the Mark of the Beast is no other but that Act by which the Consciences of men are obliged to the Authority of the Pope and his Church When also they do prosess That by their Swords Wits Goods Lives and by all that they have they will maintain the Decrees and Laws made by that Authority The Mark in the Forehead is the publick Profession of the Universal Headship in the view of men and the Mark in the Right-hand is the solemn Resolution and Obligation to defend and maintain the Authority of the Beast against all that do oppose it And truly the event of things doth notably answer the prediction For we see by plain experience That the Papists such is their zeal to the Catholick Cause do out-strip us by many degrees The Jesuiâ—…es are never idle they compass Sea and Land they â—…urn themselves into all forms and are still animating of Princes and People against the Protestant Cause Yea they have so wrought that almost no man among them seemeth to spare either Labour Wealth Counsel or Life it self to uphold the Name and Universal Headship of the Bishop of Rome God grant that one day they do not rise up in Judgment against us for we do not come near them in the least degree in promoting the Kingdom of Christ or in setting up the Gospel as the Regent-Law among the Nations But the Papists will not hear that they are enemies or that they go against the Lord and his Word They hold That the Bishop of Rome is the Vicar of Christ and that he hath all his Authority by delegation from him These are specious shews But in deed and in truth they are real enemies against Christ For the Scriptures and the words of the Gospel they can do nothing but meerly as the Pope and the Church of Rome do give life vigour and authority to them and as they do interpret them which always they do to their own advantage There is no truth more clearly delivered in Scripture then the Doctrine of Justification by Faith in Christ and yet the Pope saith on the contrary That there is a Purgatory after this life and that the souls there detained are freed by Masses Indulgences Pardons and such like means God and his Word say Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve The Pope on the contrary saith Thou shalt worship Saints Images Crosses Reliques and the like God and Christ have commanded all men to search the Scriptures and to try the Spirits of what nature they be Now the Pope on the contrary commandeth that men should forbear the doing of this and that they should depend upon him alone God and Christ say Marriage is honourable amongst all men and the bed undefiled The Pope on the contrary forbiddeth Marriage to the Ministry By these and sundry such-like instances it is apparent That the Name and Soveraignty of the Beast is every way contrary to the Name and Soveraignty of the Lamb. For what the Lamb doth command the Beast doth countermand for the most part From hence it is clear then say the Papists what they will when they leave Christ to follow the Laws of the Pope in sense and substance they make him their Christ their Spiritual King Head and Governour and so in effect are no true Christians Now on the contrary seeing the Lord Christ is given as a Leader and Commander to his people they who refuse the Laws of the Pope to yield subjection to Christ in the times of the greatest persecution are every where mentioned in the Revelation to have the Name of the Father written in their Forehead Chap. 14. ver 15. To be the remnant of the seed of the woman that keep the Commandments of God and have the Testimony of Iesus Christ Chap. 12. ver 17. The Papists then in receiving the Doctrines and Decrees of the Bishop of Rome under that formality as they do believe him Universal Head of the Church are positively directly and immediately Antichristian This Truth being laid down a stream of excellent Uses do naturally flow from it First We may here contemplate and behold the truth and infinite Wisdome of God speaking in the Scriptures It is now above 1500 years since that Iohn wrote the Revelation in which he spake of the Beast his Name Mark Image and the Number of his Name Now if we go to experience What have all ages for this thousand years last past but verified and fulfilled the truth of that which he spake of long before He that shall diligently reade the present Treatise will finde it to be true as we have said Secondly here is matter for our prayers and tears yea for our bowels to yern over those great Countries Kingdomes and Commonweals which do as yet own the Universal Headship of the Bishop of Rome They do continue in a great sin against the Kingly Office of Christ their profession is no other but Apostacy from the true Head of the Church and unless they repent they will one day feel the great Plagues contained in the words of the Prophecy Thirdly here is cause for the Protestant Churches to be thankful to the Lord For did they rightly understand it he hath delivered them from a bondage and slavery which far surpasseth the bondage of Egypt or Babylon For in the present case if men under this Government refuse to Worship the Beast and to receive his Mark the penalty is that they shall have no liberty to buy nor sell they shall be killed with the Sword they shall have their blood spilt they shall be subjected to sundry kindes of death On the contrary if they do worship the Beast and receive his Mark the Lord Christ doth threaten on the other side that they shall be tormented day and night and the smoke of their burning shall ascend for ever and ever Rev. Chap. 14. ver 7 8 9 10. The day of the deliverance of the Churches from Romish Tyranny was a day of deliverance from a Tyranny over their Souls over their Consciences over their Bodies over their Estates But all Treatises are full of Uses of this kinde We will proceed â—…o that which is Antichristian by Analogie and Reduction for this is more immediate to our purpose CHAP. XIII Concerning that which is Antichristian by Analogie and 〈◊〉 IN the progress of the Discourse we have shewed That the formality of Antichristianism is in the Headship of the Beast By this Standard of the Market we may prove all other things that do more remotely symbolize and agree with the Great Anti-Christ First the power of the Magistrate when it hath no bounds or limits but he doth all by his Will and Prerogative in
to be Members of his Church The building upon men then is that which doth bring any people in the nearest resemblance to Antichristianisme and the more they do this the more or less are they Antichristian And this I conceive to be one chief reason in Scripture why the falls of the most eminent Saints are left upon record Because others should not dote too much upon them Moses did anger the Lord at the Waters of Meribah and Massah he died before he entred into the Land of Canaan and the Angel of the Lord did bury him in obscurity No man knew of his Sepulchre because the Children of Israel should not go a-whoring after it Deut. 34. 6. And in the New Testament among all the Apostles the faults of none are left so upon publick record as those of Peter And what is the reason of all this Doubtless the Lord did foresee what Idolatry the Church of Rome would commit in owning his Universal Headship over the Church as that the Power of the Keyes was given into his hand alone For these causes I believe the great falls of Peter are left upon record that the Papists should not say I am of Peter I am of the Bishop of Rome the Head of the Church by succession from Peter Cyprian and some of the Churches of Africa fell into another extreme They thought if a man had denied the truth in time of persecution he should never be received into the Ministery again but should stand in the Body of the People as one of them onely I cannot but in the general approve the strictness of the Discipline especially against the faults and corruptions of Ministers who should be Lights and Examples to others But that they should be so strictly dealt with all never to be received no not upon terms of the greatest Repentance Humiliation and godly Sorrow I may say in this case That Cyprian and the rest of the African Fathers were too Canonical And it was well for S. Peter that he was no Minister in Africa when he denied his Master in the High-Priests Hall Surely by the rigour of such Principles they would never have received him into Office again But the Lord Christ had a better end in the permission of his fall Simon saith he Satan hath desired to winnow thee as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy faith should not fail Luke 22. 31. Here then the reason is clearly shewed why Satan did prevail so against Peter why he was upheld meerly by the Prayer of Christ the reason is this When thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren God in great wisdome doth suffer the most eminent Ministers to fall greatly to pluck down their pride that they may be more humble and that their bowels of affection and tenderness may be greater towards the lost Sons of men and that they should preach the Grace of God more tenderly and more feelingly to the winning and saving of miserable Souls These were the causes of the fall of Peter and one special reason is also here to be remembred God did permit him to fall so foully to prevent that sin of Antichristianity as I may so speak which should be so general in the last times Now the sin of Antichristianity is to make men the Lords of our Faith to build upon Peter or the Pope the pretended Successor of Peter in matters of Faith and Salvation Fourthly they do symbolize with the Great Antichrist who use a lawful Authority Antichrist-like to serve their own pride ambition and external glory The Apostle saith I would have written unto the Churches but Diotrephes who loveth to have the pre-eminence suffered us not 3 Joh. ver 9. Here then seeing he did love to have the pre-eminence we may probably conceive That it was in the lawful Government of the Church there was an affectation of precedency even in those dayes And in what times may not the like spirit of pride be in some men when they are put into place of Rule We reade also in the Directions of Paul concerning the choice of a Bishop that he must not be a Novice lest being swollen up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the Devil 1 Tim. 3. 6. It is clear from these words as also from the whole Epistle that there must be a Government in the Church of God and whosoever S. Paul's Bishop is he must have the principal stroke in the Government For these words are immediately added If a man know not how to rule his own house how shall he take care for the Church of God The Church of God is Christs house and the Bishops Elders and Ministers of the Church have their Office by delegation from him and not from any other Authority Now such a lawful power as this is men may sinfully abuse and pervert to the setting up of their own greatness and therefore the Apostle doth give this caveat Not a Novice lest being swollen up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the Devil By a Novice he doth not intend a man yong in years for Timothy himself was but yong but he meaneth a beginner in the School of Christ a Novice in manners such a one he would not have set over the House of God lest being swollen up with pride he fall into the same sin and the same condemnation as the Devil did being sometimes an Angel of light From this instance then it is clear That a lawful Power may be used in an Antichristian manner Such beginnings of pride the Apostle probably might see in those dayes and these might occasion him to say The Mystery of Iniquity doth already work Now whereas some do impute it to this or that Government that it would be as Tyrannical and Antichristian as any that went before Let them not deceive themselves The Government may be Christs yet if any do use it to serve their own Pride Tyranny or Lordliness the fault is their own It lies in the corruption of the Person but not in the nature of the Office The superiority of Parents over their Children of Husbands over their Wives of Magistrates over the People are all by Divine Institution yet the persons may so demean themselves that they may tyrannize and if we may so speak it may Antichristianize That is a remarkable passage which the Lord hath concerning Stewards in a lawful power If that evil servant shall say My Lord deferreth his coming and shall begin to smite his fellow-servants and shall eat and drink with the drunken the Lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him and will cut him in sunder and appoint him his portion with hypocrites Mat. 24. 48 49. By a Servant or Steward we may understand Magistrate Minister or any other whom the Lord hath intrusted with a lawful Power in Church or Common-wealth Now if they use this Power illegally and tyrannically if Ministers cast those out of the Church who should be kept in
They who refuse the offer of Christ for the injoyment of any worldly thing it is just with Christ to refuse them The second kinde of guests were the blinde the lame the poor the maimed who did lie in the streets and lanes of the City These out of the sense of their own misery did come to the feast and there needed no compulsion So then the force of the whole Parable is this That the ruder sort of people which are under the care and custody of the Magistrate are in a special manner to be compelsed to Worship God and to wait upon the means of their Salvation But lest any should think that this Parabolical Divinity is not of such force as to conclude the Point we have many other places to prove That those that are in Authority have a power to compel those that are under them to worship God and to call upon the Name of the Lord. What else should be the meaning of those words in the fourth Commandment In it thou shalt not do any work thou nor thy son nor thy daughter thy man servant nor thy maid servant thy cattel nor thy stranger which is within thy gates Exod. 20. 10. Here we may demand the reason why these words are extended to Children and Servants What have Parents and Masters to do with their sanctifying of the Sabbath All Expositors upon the place do give this reason That the Parent or the Master do not rightly worship God themselves unless they take care that they also do worship him who are under their Authority and Jurisdiction The command that concerns the duty of Servants is given to Masters That is therefore a most excellent speech of Augustine Tom. 2. Ep. 50. where speaking of the duty of Kings out of the second Psalm he hath these words Therefore saith he how do Kings serve the Lord in fear and trembling No other way but by prohibiting and punishing those things which are done against the commands of God He doth serve God after one manner as he is a man and after another manner as he is a King As he is a man he serveth him by living religiously as he is a King he serveth him by establâ—…shing such kinde of Laws with convenient rigour as do command things that are just and forbid things unjust Even as Hezekias served the Lord by destroying the Groves and the Temples of Idols and the High-places which were built against the Commandments of God As Josiah served the Lord by doing the same things which Hezekiah did As the King of the Ninevites served the Lord by compelling the whole City to humble themselves and intreat the face of God And going on in passages of the like nature he concludes with this Epiphonema In hoc ergo serviunt domino Reges in quantum sunt reges cum ea faciunt ad serviendum illi quae non possunt facere nisi Reges In this therefore Kings do serve the Lord so far forth as they are Kings when they do those things for his service which otherwise they cannot do but in relation as they are Kings This passage worthy to be written in letters of Gold is cited by Zanchy in his Work concerning the Attributes of God in the Preface to Casimire Palatine of the Rhyne There he sheweth That it is the duty of a Christian Prince principally to take care in his Dominion that Religion be taught out of the pure Word of God according to the first Principles of the Faith which others call The Analogie of Faith And the pure Word of God being established he saith also That it concerneth the Prince or the Ruler to take care that the people wait upon the means of their Salvation And this is that which we have so largely stood upon when we have spoken of the Reign of Christ upon the Earth in sundry parts of this Treatise we have not followed the Conceit of them who are for a personal Reign This noteth onely the coming in of the States Governments and Dominions of the Earth to own the Gospel and to set it up as a Regent-Law To my understanding then this matter is plainly expressed Ier. 3. 17. At that time shall they call Ierusalem the Throne of the Lord and all the Nations shall be gathered unto it to the Name of the Lord to Ierusalem Neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart In these words he doth speak of the glorious state of the Church in the latter times It cannot be meant of the Jewish Church before the coming of Christ nor of that literal kinde of worship as it appeareth ver 16. They shall say no more The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord neither shall it come to minde neither shall they remember it neither shall they visit it neither shall that be done any more It is manifest then that these things are spoken concerning the happy estate of the Church in the times of the New Testament But in what part of the times of the New Testament must these things be fulfilled It is clear from the Context That he speaketh of the call of the Jews In those days the house of Iudah shall walk with the house of Israel ver 18. This is meant of the glory of the Church in the latter days But what are the means that the Lord hath sanctified to the introducing of this glory They are expressed in these words I will give them Pastors after mine own heart He doth speak of the Civil Pastor in the Common-wealth as well as the Spiritual Pastor in the Church David was a Pastor after the heart of Christ himself when he chose him to feed and govern the People of Israel Such Pastors there shall be in the latter times and by such the Lord will bring in the glory of the Church The like passage is in the Prophecy of Isaiah when he speaketh of the Churches glory that shall be I will make all thy officers peace and thy exactors righteousness Isa. 60. 17. The word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all thy visitation peace It noteth the visitation of the Prince as a Nursing Father that hath care of the Church And further it is added Thine exactors righteousness the word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Taskmaster one that driveth on the work which implieth as there shall be Magistrates so there shall be use of a Coercive Power in those glorious times And therefore this passage is immediately added Violence shall be no more heard in thee The Magistrates shall themselves be so holy and righteous that they shall not oppress and tyrannize and they shall also be so impartial and sincere in the use of the Sword that they shall keep down and suppress all exorbitant and lawless courses I have the more carefully noted this Point because many in the times that we now live are of opinion That all Coercion and Compulsion in matters of Religion is absolutely
by the Persians and Daniel mourned for it full three weeks together the Angel to comfort him telleth him plainly Dan. 10. 20. I will return to fight with the Prince of Persia and then the King of Graecia shall come in The meaning of which words is this That the power of the Empire of the Persians should be overthrown by the Graecians and then he cometh to particulars to speak of the expedition of Xerxes into Greece how that the Fourth King of the Persians should raise up great multitudes of People against the Graecians These are the words of the text for speaking of Darius the Mede he saith In the first year of Darius the Mede I stood up to strengthen him chap. 11. vers 1. And then he addeth I will shew thee the truth behold there shall stand up three Kings in Persia to wit Cyrus Cambyses Darius And the Fourth meaning Xerxes shall be richer than they all and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the Realm of Graecia vers 2 3. If we will go to the true Reason wherefore the Graecians were so couragious at the Straits of Thermopylae and wherefore they did prevail against the Persians the true cause doth lie in these words I will fight against the Prince of Persia and then the Kingdom of Graecia shall come in It was the secret and invisible hand of the Lord that was the cause of the declining of the Power of the Persians in the East and the rising of the Graecian in the West It is true That the He-goat passed from West to East upon the face of the whole Earth and yet it is as true That the Ram of Persia did push to the three several Coasts Westward Northward and Southward chap. 8. vers 4. By these words it is plain If the Victories of the Graecians did pass from West to East then è converso it is as true That the Victories of the Persians did pass from East to West Let us hear the words of the Prophet Isaiah to put all out of question for speaking of Cyrus thus he saith I have called a ravenous Bird out of the East the man of my Counsel from a far Country chap. 46. 11. From hence it is plain When God will Conquerors shall come out of the East And in Allusion to this Story those Kings that shall deliver the Mystical Israel out of the Captivity of Western Babylon are called the Kings of the East in a Figure Rev. 16. 12. It is not in the Climate in the Hemisphere in the temper of the Heavens in the better exercise of Military Discipline in the experience of old Souldiers in the success of fortunate Generals or any other inferiour cause but in the immediate Dispensation of God Therefore to adde the words of the Psalmist as an Epiphonema Lift not up your Horn on high speak not with a stiff neck for promotion cometh not from the East not from the West but God is judge he putteth down one and setteth up another Psal. 75. 5 6 7. I have staid the longer upon this digression because I set that States-men Souldiers and others of deepest wisdom look to these subtilties Hereupon they trust in an Arm of Flesh oppose the Gospel perfecute the Saints bear themselves more high over those that are made subject to them Make no Conscience of Honesty Truth or Religion when they have the Law in their own hands They should as well look to the invisible and spiritual causes of the Changes of Empire to the Providence of God to the Revelations in the Word to the Angels fighting against the Kingdoms of this world to the power of the Saints Prayers that are offered upon the golden Altar There is nothing more divine nothing more spiritual and nothing more apt to carry up the Soul into an high contemplation of the manifold wisdom power truth and Fidelity of God then to behold in the Prophecie of Daniel and in the Book of the Revelation as in a Map the several Empires of the world where the Church should be seated their times their changes and their causes of the change and this many hundred years before these Empires come to be set up They that read the VVord together with the Stories of the times may see the Fidelity of God and may by this come to know him by the Name Iehovah But so much by the way touching the sudden growth of the Graecian Empire from VVest to East Now we come to the Romans and in the times of their Dominion they must also have the strength of Iron to subdue the whole Earth and break it in pieces And though great Nations and mighty Princes should rise against him as Pyrrhus Hannibal Perseus Iugurtha Sertorius Methridates Tigranes c. yet in their times the Romans must be too hard for them all and break them all in pieces And therefore when Dionysius Halicarnassaeus Cicero and others boast of the Roman Greatness it may be said to them as somtimes it was to Cyrus I have girded thee with strength though thou knowest not me Isa. 45. 1 2. This was the true though the invisible cause why the Romans grew so Great and their Dominion reached to the ends of the Earth But now it is high time to return from whence we have made a digression to shew when the Roman began as the Fourth Metal-Kingdom Some think it was when that Nation was the most prevailing Nation upon the Earth But this cannot be For in the times of Antiochus the Great but more specially in the times of Antiochus Epiphanes they were the more prevailing People yet they did not begin in those times as the Fourth Metal-Kingdom in Daniel's Image You will say then VVhere shall we set the beginning of the Fourth Kingdom I Answer In this case we must distinguish between the Latitude of the Roman Dominion more absolutely considered and the Latitude of the Dominion in and about the Borders of the Church If you speak of the Latitude of Dominion in a more absolute consideration then the Roman began as the more prevailing Dominion when it became more mighty than any other Empire of the world But if you speak in a more strict sense it began then to be the Fourth Metal-Kingdom in Daniel's Image when it did begin to take in the greatest Amplitude and largeness of Rule in and about the Confines of the Church And this is to our purpose Object 3. Others perhaps may Alledge That we cannot begin the Roman as the Fourth Metal-Kingdom when the Iewish Church came under the Dominion of that People For say they it is foretoll in the Prophecie of Jacob The Scepter shall not depart from Iudah nor a Law-giver from between his feet until Shiloh come Gen. 49. 10. Sol. I Answer We must so expound the meaning of one that it may not dash against the main sense of another Scripture Now it is the manifest scope of other Scriptures to shew That the Four