Gods. They placed these Gods in the Stars as souls in bodies therefore the Greeks called them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 runners as always going and always running as Plato saith in the Dialogue entitled Cratylus These Gods were so very much above the others that they believed them only immortal for the same Plato saith somewhere that the inferiour Gods were not immortal by their nature They called these inferiour Gods Daemons and they ascribed this distinction to Zoroaster In lib. de defectu graculorum They saith Plutarch seem to have removed great difficulties who have establisht a species of spirits called Daemons between the Gods and men They have found that they are these Daemons that do unite us with the great Gods and do conciliate them to us whether this Doctrine cometh from the Magi and Zoroaster or whether it drew its original from Thrace by Orpheus or from Egypt or from Phrygia The Papism makes no more distinction between the Saints and God than the Heathens did between the Gods and Daemons The Papism acknowledgeth the very same distinction And they must not tell us that it supposes but one Soveraign God and no inferiour Gods for the Saints are its true inferiour Divinities It calls them Divus and Diva as well as he was called Divus Augustus The Heathens put the very same difference between their great Gods and their inferiour ones as the Papism doth between God and the Saints For the superiour Gods were almighty and eternal and the other were created by the great Gods did not act but according to their orders and were not immortal in their own nature The Papists can't make a greater distinction between God and the Saints than this The Daemons were Mediators between God and men The superiour Gods of the Heathens were according to them so heavenly so sublime and so pure that they could not by themselves have any commerce with men nor abase themselves so far as to take care of humane affairs to govern them immediately and by themselves Therefore they establisht a kind of Daemons Plato in Symposio to be as Mediators and Agents between the Soveraign Gods and mortal men said Plato God doth not converse with men saith the same Author but all commerce between God and men is by the mediation of Daemons The Daemons are Messengers and Interpreters that come from God to men and go from men to God. They bring to men the presents of the Gods and to the Gods the prayers and homage of men He that would see this Theology more at large may find it in Plutarchs discourse de Defectu Ordculorum In Apuleius de Deo Socratis in Jamblichus de mysteriis and above all in Saint Austin in the eighth Book of the City of God with Ludovicus Vives's notes Now one drop of water is not more like another than this Pagan Theology is to that of the Papism God and Jesus Christ say they who are their great Gods are too sublime for us to address our selves directly to them We must have mediatours that may be more of our rank the souls of Saints and the Angels do this office for us They are the interpreters of our thoughts and our wants before God and they receive commission to do us good an serve us Therefore it is that prayers are addressed to them Therefore 't is that cures and deliverances are expected from them Lastly therefore 't is that men put themselves under their protection Hesiod the first author of the deifications of souls the first order of Daemons In the heathen Theology the mediators spirits were of two sorts One were humane souls the other separate intelligences The most ancient of the Greeks in which we see this deification of souls expresly is Hesiod who saith that by the counsel of Jupiter the great men after their death are establisht guardians and patrons of mortal men inspectors of their good and evil works destributors of riches and that in this consists their royal dignity Therefore afterwards this sort of Gods were called the Gods of Hesiod Plato entirely adopted this Theology and Eusebius quotes from this Philosopher these words touching the Heroes Euseb l. 3. c. 11. de praepar Evang. We will for the future serve and adore their sepulchers as of the Daemons following the advice of the Oracle Those that have the smallest acquaintance with the Pagan Theology and History The Laws of ancient Rome about the worshipping of Saints exactly like those of new Rome know this that the greatest part of their Gods were deified men They themselves made no secret of it it may be seen in Plutarch's book about the ceasing of Oracles The Laws of ancient Rome are express and remarkable hereupon Divos illos qui coelestes semper beati habiti sunt colunto eos quos in coelum merita vocaverint That the Saints should be worshipped as well those that had been always esteemed the happy inhabitants of Heaven as those that by their merits have been exalted into Heaven See another Roman Law like it Deorum manium jura sancta sunto hos letho datos divos habento That the rights of the Gods Manes should be inviolable and that they should be reputed for Saints after their death Is there not an admirable Providence in this that new Rome hath re-establisht the same Laws almost in the same terms And who can doubt after this whether Antichristian Rome hath renewed ancient Rome's Doctrine of Daemons A second rank of Demons separate spirits But besides these men become Daemons that ancient Pagan Theology did acknowledge others that were always such and that never had been men All the monuments of Paganism that we have are full of this Theology Apuleius expresses it in these words De Deo Socratis There is another sort of Daemons that are superiour and more august who being free from the bonds and dis-engaged from the chains of body have each of them received a certain particular strength and power 'T is from this rank of superiour Daemons that Plato hath taken those Daemons of which he believes every man hath one all his life time for a witness of his actions and a guardian How is it possible that one should not perceive this perfect conformity between the Pagan Theology and the popish Theology The Papists also make two sorts of mediatory spirits Exactly as the Heathens did so do the Papists make two orders of spirits that are the mediatours and protectors of men humane souls or glorified Saints and Angels naturally separate from matter The Heathens took Guardians from among those Daemons who had never been men the Papists assign to each man a guardian spirit but he is taken out of the order of Angels They call him the guardian Angel and every devout person recommends himself to his guardian Angel when the undertakes any thing of danger The Papism in the crection consecration and worship of Images hath perfectly
forbid all Assemblies to leave us in ignorance and deprive us of all the other advantages which others Subjects injoy the Reformed Religion would have been almost extinguisht before ten years were over such being the coldness and declension of Piety to which the Protestants were already come But God who would not that his Truth should perish suffer'd not that things should remain in that posture 'T is well known that humane passions are a great help to Christian vertues The fury which these persons are now in who feel this violence the torment they suffer in their Consciences the rage which they are in for being forced do all concur to fortify the hatred they had of Idolatry and their love and inclination for the Truth So that by means of these violent Passions the Truth makes the more indelible impressions on their hearts He must be very ignorant in the History of the World and of the Heart of man who can think this to be a likely way to extinguish a Religion The means to extirpate an Heresy pretended or real is to cut off the Heads to shed a great deal of blood and to stifle the most zealous of them by a massacre for if you suffer them to live and are content only to draw from them a feigned abjuration you thereby make them irreconcileable Hereticks 'T was by fire and sword the Albigenses were destroyed There is yet another very effectual way of extinguishing an Heresy which is to take away from them all means of increase and growth by preaching and instruction after this manner the Arrian Heresy was supprest by the Emperors This way they began to take in France for these twenty years last past and which could not have failed of success as I observed if it had been continued But he must be very blind that can believe that Persons into whose Heads and Hearts you would force the Truth by blows and violence will not recover themselves again assoon as possible and by all manner of ways But it will be said there are other methods used which you grant to be effectual The People are deprived of all the means of Instruction and so in a little time the Truth must dye This would prove so if their Consciences were not under such a violence as they are and if that posture of things could last long the Truth would then be extinguisht by little and little But that state of things is too violent to continue long and within a few years you will see the Light of that fire which is shut up without being extinguisht There is another thing very extraordinary in this Persecution and wherein the finger of God doth manifestly appear that is the way they have taken in their dealing with the Pastors These are the men that must be supprest if you would extinguish a Religion because they are capable of recovering it Therefore in all former Ages the severest part of the storm hath fallen on them and even in this Age likewise witness the History of the Persecutions in Hungary But here is the quite contrary the People ruined and the Ministers suffered to go free They must carry nothing away with them but their Souls and Consciences are given them as a prey which so many Laiks would desire and rejoyce to obtain These banished Pastors carry the account of the miseries of their several Flocks into all parts of the World. They are in all the Protestant Courts of Europe the unreproveable Witnesses of the violence of the Persecution their miseries stir up compassion towards the afflicted and Indignation against their Persecutors Besides this they are always ready and kept in reserve to return into France and bring back the Light of Truth again there whenever God shall please to open the door This is such a thing as speaks plainly that God preserves them in safety in order to his great work and till then This is not the effect of the Compassion of their Persecutors for they are destitute of any and are cruel to the utmost degree 'T is not a piece of policy neither for that would have made them secure the Pastors in such a place wherein they should have been condemned to an eternal silence 'T is then a secret Providence of God which leads persons farther than they would go and to do that which they would not have otherwise done and 't is observable that Bishop Vsher in his prophecy doth expresly take notice of this particular that in this last persecution the Pastors shall be spared God reserving them for the Great work he hath farther to do which makes me give the more heed to that prophecy Lastly that we may see how extraordinary this persecution is in all its Circumstances let us consider it in its success and with respect to those on whom it hath succeeded I look upon that general Desertion an whole Kingdom in a manner changing its Religion in four moneths time as a thing that cannot be parallel'd 'T is true the Roman Empire hath been seen to become Arrian in a very little while by the persecution of the Emperors But Arrianism was a speculative Heresy and the Arrians cheated the People by equivocal Confessions of Faith which taken in good sense might now be subscribed unto And for other things their Worship Prayers Ceremonies Altars Bishops Government 't was all alike and so the passage from one to another was very easy But here is the greatest difference imaginable in worship the object of adoration the manner of it in Ceremonies Government and Discipline The Reformed Religion and the Roman differ as Day and Night so that there must have been a prodigious Current for the passage from one to another in so little time 'T is a frightfull and surprizing thing to see People make less difficulty to change their God than good Subjects would do to change their Prince in case an Enemy break into any Country he would not find People so ready to abjure their former Oath of Fidelity 'T is true this kind of persecution which is made use of against the reformed seems to me more cruel and more likely to overcome their constancy then Massacres and Fires Wheels and Gibbets When a man can see to the end of his sufferings though that end be death he may be able to stand his ground but when he is given over to an hundred Executioners who are commissioned to torment him by turns without giving him the least repose I confess this is the ready way to despair If they did nothing more than hinder a man from sleep it were sufficient to make him distracted and to make him do what ever they would have him 'T is certain then that several of those who have yielded would more willingly have suffer'd death for their Religion and have earnestly and seriously desired it But what is very strange is that the greatest part have not tarried for these Persecutors At the very approach of the Dragoons they cowardly complied and a
believe nevertheless that you will find that Truth better cleared and made more manifest than hitherto it hath been This Controversie about Antichrist hath languisht for an hundred years it hath been unhappily abandon'd on a politick account and in obedience to Popish Princes 'T is a wicked Complaisance for which we are punisht and which hath cost us very dear for if we had perpetually exposed this Great and important Truth before the Eyes of the Protestants that the Papacy is Antichristianism they would not have fallen into that degeneracy and apostacy which we see at present How could they have resolved within themselves to submit to Antichrist and return to his Party But 't is so long since they heard it so called that they have forgot it They thought it was only a transport of zeal in the first Reformers from which we were now come off There was something in that neglect and forgetfullness which seems to discover the finger of God He would that this horrible catastrophe should happen and to that end permitted that this important Truth should be neglected and those controversies only which were but accessory should be minded and that this should be pass't over that the Papacy is the Antichristian Empire they who for want of giving heed to that Truth are fallen ought now to think of it and tremble to consider that they have voluntarily plung'd themselves again into that Babylon out of which God had so wonderfully delivered them In my opinion this is so fundamental a Truth that without it a man cannot be a true Christian to confound the Kingdom of J. Christ with that of Antichrist is an unsufferable Fault in some Ages for certain God hath permitted that Ignorance but we are not now in those times we must now declare for one party and stand our ground There is no Communion between Christ and Belial between the Prince of light and that Destroyer who is truly an Angel of Darkness that Controversy was so much stifled and laid asleep that our Adversaries believed it dead and thought that we had renounc't that Principle and the ground of all our Reformation for I cannot believe the Reformation to have been on a good foundation but on this account Some Protestants the reproach and shame not only of the Reformation but of the Christian name have contributed to efface these Ideas from the minds of men by turning to another sense what the H. Ghost saith of the Antichristian Empire making such Commentaries of the scripture as overthrow the design and meaning of it forging Histories at pleasure by that means to find the accomplishment of S. Iohn's Prophecies in the first ages of the Church At present therfore we must revive that Truth which we had almost suffered to dye This is the Time when we must indeavour to open the Eyes of the Princes and People of the Earth for behold now is the Time when they ought to eat the flesh of the Beast and burn it with fire strip naked the whore and tear off her ornaments and make a full end of Babylon Within a little while these great Things must come to pass 't is high time then to awaken men in order to it This is what I attempt in the first part of this work wherein I discover after another manner than hath been done hitherto the true Characters of that Antichristian Empire In which I must acknowledg my great obligations to my forementioned Author Joseph Mede for no man hath taken pains upon that subject with so much success as he You will see the admirable Type of Antichrist in the famous Antiochus carried farther than ever it hath been and the explication of the three years and half or 1260 days much clearer than ever hitherto it hath been made But I must here advertise that to comprehend the full force of my Arguments to prove the Papacy to be the Antichristian Empire to the reading of this work you must add that of my Lawful Prejudices against Popery for in that book you will find the proof of all the Characters of the Antichristian Empire inlarged I mean not only those Chapters wherein the explication of some passages in the Prophecies concerning Antichrist I apply them to the Pope and his Empire I speak principally of those Chapters where I describe the Corruption Covetousness Pride Idolatry Paganism the fabulous and lying Spirit of Popery all characters of Antichristianism as in this work is shown I desire all those who have any care of their salvation to Read those two pieces and I dare be confident that all those who have not a seared Conscience will be sensibly affected with what they shall there find and conceive a just Horror for that Religion which hath held the Truth under so long and cruel a Captivity That I may render my Lawfull Prejudices the more usefull to my design which is to make the Papacy appear to be the true Antichristianism I am resolved according to the advice that hath been given me to abridge it but instead of making a pure and simple abridgment I shall in contracting it change the Prejudices into so many Characters of Antichristianism and show that there is no one of those Prejudices but is a character of the Antichristian Empire If any thing retards this design it will be my desire to see whether Mr. Arnaud will make good the promise of F. Simon and reply to that Book So that when I Abridge that Book I may at the same time refute the Sophisms Mr. Arnaud is preparing This first part regards the Time past The second part contains the explication of Things Future or rather of those which we believe are yet to come there are many things therin which will certainly be surprizing to you as they were to me and if you read with any favourable opinion what I say upon the 11th 14th and 16th Chapters of the Apocalyps I cannot believe you will have much different Thoughts from mine I will not call them Conjectures let them be such to others I consent but as to me there is something more for I think I have discovered which are the two parts of the Fall of Babylon whereof one is called the Harvest the other the Vintage I believe that I have found the seven viols of the 16th Chap. to be already poured out which were supposed to be yet to come which to me is an argument that the Reign of Antichrist is near its end I know not whether others have discovered any thing of this before me I pretend not to have perused all the Modern Commentators on the Apocalyps on the Contrary I have read very few of them having experienc't that the diversity of Ideas that remain in the mind serve but to obscure the Truth and cause one to lose it Some I consulted before I made this second Ediction but I found nothing capable to make me alter my sentiments or that could furnish me with any new light Dr. Moore is
consider the Papism as a Religion that confesseth one only God that worships J. Christ God co-eternal with the Father the Redeemer of the World that believes the resurrection the life everlasting Hell and the last Judgment The eye confounds these fair and great objects with the additions of popery And this confused and indistinct view makes the additions to be esteem'd as nothing and appear very inconsiderable on the account of that Christianity that lies at the bottom That therefore we may know the Papism and what name we ought to give it we must consider it alone by it self and as separated from the Christian Religion Then it is certain it will deserve the name of an apostacy or a formal revolt from the faith For do but look only on that Troop of second Gods of Pilgrimages Indulgences Masses Saints Patrons Intercessors she Saints Images Reliques Idols the bread that is worshipp'd pray'd to and before which men prostrate themselves This is a true Paganism and a formal apostacy from the Christian faith My fourth and last Observation to justify that the terms of Apostacy from the faith which the Apostle makes use of here are not too high but agree very well to the Papism is Apostacy especially signifies Idolatry Neh. 9.26 that Apostacy though the word ordinarily signifies all sort of rebellion yet when Religion is spoken of it particularly signifies Idolatry So when the Levites confess the sins of their Nation and of their Fathers they say they were disobedient and they rebelled against thee The septuagint renders it they departed from thee and fell into apostacy by which without doubt is meant the Idolatry of the Israelites For that was the sin that did principally draw down the wrath of God upon them And the septuagint also says of Ahaz that plunged himself into the Idolatries of the Heathens that he apostatized from the Lord with a great apostacy 2 Chro. 28. not that he did absolutely abandon the God of his Fathers 2 Kings 16.15 for he kept the brazen Altar to enquire of the Lord therewith God gives such an Idea of the popish Idolatry as seems very extravagant If all the Idolatry of the Church be called apostacy and deserves that name it is certain the Idolatry of the Papism may well be called apostacy And hereupon 't is worth the while to enquire into the reason why God speaks in so high terms concerning the Idolatry of the Papism He calls that Church the great Whore that makes the Kings of the Earth drunk with the wine of her fornication He saith she holds in her hand a Cup full of abominations and all this because of her Idolatry This looks as if it were very extravagant when applied to the Idolatry of the Papism For after all its false worship doth not appear to be any great matter the Church of Rome invocates Saints but besides that they are the friends of God she invocates them only in relation to God because he hath honoured them with his gifts She believes that the good things which are asked of the Saints are not obtained of them but because those Saints themselves do obtain them of God by their intercessions She prostrates her self before Images but the worship she gives them is relative and goeth up to their original And lastly it doth not appear that this popish Idolatry doth come near the Idolatry of the Heathens to which nevertheless the Holy Spirit hath not given such frightful names Here then are two things to be enquired into First why God gives us so odious an Idea of this popish worship Secondly why he speaks of it in higher terms then he doth of the heathen Idolatries As to the first question I answer that we need but plainly lay open the invocation of Saints their mediation their intercession and the adoration of their Images The invocation of Saints and their intercession ruins the fundamental Article of the exaltation of J. Christ at the right hand of his Father to see that there is nothing more Antichristian that doth more subvert Christianity and one of its principal Articles viz. that of the exaltation of Jesus Christ at the right hand of his Father This sitting at the right hand of his Father doth not meerly signify as is supposed an elevation to the glory and dignity of Soveraign Monarch of the Church It signifies also that perpetual assistance if I may use this term in that sense that perpetual action by which Jesus is always present with God his Father to speak to him in our behalf and to obtain of him all things that we stand in need of He assists at the right hand of God because that is the hand of glory and glory is for him The right hand also is the hand of good omen Therefore evil omens are called sinister ones i. e. very bad ones Now in this respect the assists at the right hand of God for us and therefore it is that sitting at the right hand is immediately joined with intercession Who is he that shall condemn It is God that justifies it is Christ that hath dyed or rather that is risen again who also sits at the right hand of God and makes intercession for us And elsewhere he is entred into the holy places with his blood newly shed and lives there that he may make intercession for us So that the honour of the exaltation of Jesus Christ consists in these two things First his royal dignity that exalts him above all the Church Second the glorious priviledge of continually assisting before the Father to be our Mediator These two great advantages belong to Jesus Christ in such a manner that they are incommunicable to every one besides This was what was typified by the high Priest who alone entred into the Holy of holies to present his incense there Whosoever therefore communicates these two advantages to the creature he destroys the article of the exaltation of Jesus Christ and consequently promotes an abominable doctrine The Papism destroys the two parts of the exaltation of J. Christ Now this is that which the Papism doth it destroys the exaltation of Jesus Christ by dividing it First of all it destroys his exaltation that is to say his royal dignity in giving him an Associate under the name of his Vicar who assumes as well as Jesus Christ the name of God Holy most Holy and Holiness For to make a Vicar for a King without his order and against his will is to give him a Rival Supposing therefore that this great office of Vicar of Iesus Christ be not according to God's intention it is certain that it is the highest of all encroachments on his right and authority and which deserves the odious names of apostacy and abomination Secondly It overthrows the mystery of his exaltation in giving Jesus Christ companions in his incommunicable priviledge of standing before the Throne of God The priviledge of assistikg before the Throne of
Among the considerations laid down by me in the Preface which induce me to believe that this persecution is the last I mention'd the singularities of it I named several such Behold one which in my judgement deserves to be added to the rest 'T is the horrible Edict which commands that the new Converts being sick shall communicate after the popish way This is the worst effect that ever was produced by the spirit of rage and reprobation And 't is not conceivable how a Clergy that will be called Christian can do such horrible actions The Edict ordains that they who will not communicate shall be sent to the Galleys if they recover There is none who is so mortally sick that is sure that he shall dye and fearing to recover he will also fear to go to the Gallies and this affrighting object is able to induce a sick man to communicate without faith and to worship that which he judgeth to be a piece of bread that is to say to commit a horrible sacriledge and an act of Idolatry and consequently to damn himself certainly So that properly this Edict is a trick of the Clergy to procure the damnation of all the new Converts This is perfectly to imitate that Italian who that he might take a compleat vengeance having his enemy in his power promis'd him his life on condition that he would deny God which having done he murther'd both his body and soul Will men never open their eyes to behold such objects as these The Reformation is foretold by three figures signifying three Methods And the spirit of life from God entred into them These words teach us how the Reformation shall be re-establisht in France for in these Prophecies I find three ways by which the Truth is establisht or re-establisht The first is by lightnings voyces and thunders thus after the seventh viol was pour'd on the air the Reformation in the last Age was made by lightnings voyces and thunders i. e. by the preaching of the Divine Oracles And the seventh Angel pour'd out his viol into the air and there were voyces and lightnings and thunders In this Prophecy thunders always signify the Divine Oracles The seven thunders that uttered their voyces in the tenth Chapter are the Oracles of God which ought to be uttered in the sequel Thus the Reformation was made in the last Age in a most sensible manner by the preaching of the word The Reformation shall come into France by way of internal grace But behold a second way of reforming A Spirit of life from God enters again into the dead Witnesses i. e. those who are at this day under oppression shall suddenly rise up again by a secret operation of grace and an extraordinary motion not by the means of preaching the word not by the ministry of some new Preachers but by a heavenly operation that shall open the eyes of them who are as yet in darkness and strengthen again the hearts of those who at this day have fallen through weakness At that time in all appearance the yoke of the Persecutor shall be broken a time of ease shall come and all those who at this day groan under the Captivity of Babylon shall lift up their heads and shall improve that season of calm to repair that which they are now forced to do by violence 'T is these words signify a Spirit of life from God not from any man nor by the ministry of any man but from God entred into them and their zeal was enlivened again But things shall not stay there God is preparing other wonders There is a third Reformation which shall be set on foot by way of Authority by the Royal power and this is expressed in the words that follow And the Witnesses heard a great voyce from heaven saying unto them Come up hither and they ascended up to heaven in a cloud and their enemies beheld them What heaven and lifting up to heaven signify in the Prophecies In the style of the Prophets heaven and lifted up to heaven is the Throne and to be exalted to dignity greatness and power even in the language of heathen Prophets for Apomasar in his Apostelismata insomniorum saith If a King dreams that he sits upon the clouds and is carried where ever he pleaseth this signifies that his enemies shall serve him But if he fancieth that he is carried up to heaven where the stars are this presages that he shall be lift up above all Kings The Prophets of God do also make use of these representations to signify the same thing Isa 14.13 Isaiah describes the exaltation of the King of Babylon by an ascending up into heaven I will ascend into heaven I will exalt my Throne above the stars And Jesus Christ saith of Capernaum that she had been lift up unto heaven but should be brought down unto hell 'T is therefore evident that God does here signify that some time after these three years and a half of death the Reformation shall be lifted up to a great glory but not every where 't is only in that place which is called the street of the great City and is after called the tenth part of the City for the total destruction of the Antichristian Kingdom must not happen untill some years afterward There will shortly be a Reformation in France by the Royal Authority And after These words signify that when the Reformation shall be establisht again in France by way of Divine immediate operation by which the zeal of the Apostates and of others who know the truth but with-hold it in unrighteousness shall be quickned again some space of time shall pass probably some years before France shall wholly throw off the yoke of popery That Kingdom shall not be entirely Reformed by way of Authority immedately after out Reformation shall be again set on foot by way of inspiration and recovering of zeal For and after signifies an interval of time but whether it shall be short or long is not expressed notwithstanding I see no likelihood that it shall be very long nor do I believe so They heard a great voyce from heaven Yet once again Heaven is the Throne 't is the Soveraign dignity which in a State is exactly the same that Heaven is to the Earth in light in lustre in good or bad influences in scituation and in elevation From Heaven i.e. from Authority and the Prince who reigns they heard a voyce they received an order not a small clandestinsilent voyce but a great voyce i.e. a publick command a solemn Edict and this voyce said to them Come up hither Then the Truth shall get up into the Throne and as God hath contrary to all probability given a popish Prince to England so God will give a Protestant Prince to France in spight of all oppositions of the Papists And the ascended up to heaven in a cloud i.e. Their elevation and that of the Reformed Religion shall be made publickly as the
whose number 't is not easie to define and which the Holy Ghost denotes by the number seven which is the number of perfection to signify that the orders of Monks and Nuns shall perish for ever This is an Institution so degenerated from its first Original that 't is become the arm of Antichrist These orders cannot perish one without another If any will have it that these seven thousand slain signifie that there shall be bloodshed it shall not be great for the number seven put for an indifinite number never signifies a great one De Launay is very much mistaken when he sayes that the seven thousand who had not bowed the knee to Baal â— King. 19.18 signified a great multitude on the contrary the signified a very small number indeed the number was so small that Elijah did not know of them he sayd I am left alone The Kings of France at this day do lift their authority so high that nothing can resist it 'T is therefore probable The authority of the Kings of Francs shall prevail over the ruling Religion that every thing will bend under the yoke of their Will when they shall resolve to break with Rome and it seems as if the Providence of God was preparing the way unto this thing by the Clergies Declaration confirmed by that of the King viz. that Kings depend on none in any thing which concerns Temporals and that 't is never lawful to deny obedience to them upon a pretext of Religion For if this be once fixed when ever it shall please the Kings of France to forsake the Communion of Rome by this Principle of the present Bishops it cannot be allowed that the People should rebell against them I look on that which is happened in England as another preparation unto this Event A King of a Religion contrary to that of the State reigns peaceably the reason is that Providence will accustome the subjects to pay subjection to Princes who are enemies of the Ruling Religion And the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of heaven This is the total conversion and reformation of the tenth part of the City i.e. of the Kingdom of France that shall quickly follow after the Kings of France shall have broken with the Bishop of Rome V. 14. The second Wo is past and behold she third Wo cometh quickly namely the second of the three Woes which had been denounced after the sound of the fourth Trumpet Chap. 8.13 And I heard an Angel flying through the midst of Heaven crying with a loud voyce Wo wo wo to the inhabitants of the earth by reason of the other voyces of the Trumpet which are yet to sound The first of these three woes was the Grashoppers Saracens denoted by Grashoppers who came up out of the bottomless pit with their Head Apollyon and in Hebrew Ahaddon These Grashoppers are plainly the Saracens Chap. 14. Arabians with their Head Mahomet The second Wo is the domination of the Turks who passed from the other side of Euphrates at the sound of the sixth Trumpet And the third Wo is the fall of the Antichristan Empire These three great events deserve to be distinguisht from all others for they have changed or shall change the whole face of the world And the seventh Angel sounded c. this which follows concerns the Kingdom or reign of Iesus Christ and the Church and consequently must be reserved to another place CHAP. XIV Observations upon the 17 18 19. Chapters of the Revelation concerning the fall of Antichrist's Kingdom A brief Methodizing of the events which the Holy Ghost had displaced in the Visions THe seventeenth Chapter contains something that relates to the destruction of Antichrists Kingdom V. 16. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast these shall hate the whore and make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire V. 17. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will and to agree and give their Kingdom unto the beast untill the words of God shall be fulfilled There 's nothing in this passage that hath not been opened or is obscure 'T is clear that these Kings who through ignorance or weakness suffer'd their power to be usurped by the Empire of the papacy shall take it again they shall eat her flesh i.e. shall enrich themselves with her benefices revenues and burn her with fire i.e. shall abolish the the memory of this Romish Empire so that nothing but ashes shall remain of it The 18th Chapter is a long description of the ruin of the Antichristian and Babylonian Empire I have no need to enter into this Chap. because I find nothing in it of that which I principally seek which is those certain characters which can inform us of the time of this fall namely whether it be night at hand or afar off There is nothing there concerning it except that which is general As to this Chapter I will say only First We must remember the remarque which hath been often made by us that Babylon here does not signify strictly the City of Rome as most have imagined 'T is the whole Babylonian Empire as appears from these words Come out of Babylon my people I do not think that any great number of Gods people hath come out of the City of Rome hitherto we have not seen it My second remarque is we must not as is usually done over much press the mystical sense of divers merchandises which are reckon'd up and were sold it that City I do not believe VVe must not over much seelt mysteries in the particular merchandises of Babylon that there is any other mystery in this thing than that this Babylonian Empire being set forth under the Emblem of a great City it was necessary to represent it as a City of great commerce for that is inseperable from great Cities Not but that these merchandises and the many instruments of Luxury and pleasures which are said to have been in this City do not very fitly signify and according to the design of the Holy Ghost both the Simony and debaucheries of this corrupted Church in the general But I believe not that 't is necessary to enquire particularly what is meant for example by the silk the precious stones the fine linnen c. The burning of Babylon must not be understood literally My Third Observation upon this 18th Chapter is we must not interpret literally the Metaphors of burning fire blood and slaughter which the Holy Ghost set before us Certainly these are not the Methods which God makes use of to establish his Kingdom I think indeed as I have already said that God will suffer Rome to be sackt as he suffer'd Jerusalem to be I further believe that this great change in Religion will not be made without blood shed as it hapned in the last age But seeing the City in this Chapter and generally in the Revelation take in
'T is S. Iohn that received the Reed in the 11th Chap. to measure the Temple and the Altar there was given me a Reed like unto a rod and the Angel stood and said rise and measure the Temple But here 't is an Angel that measureth an Agent of an higher order than the Apostle 3. Lastly S. Iohn hath only a rod given him a reed to measure with a weak Justrument and of little value but here the Angel measures with a Golden reed All which sets forth the great excellence of the Church in this last period that it should surpass even the Primitive Church as much as a city exceeds a Temple an Angel a man or a Golden Rod an ordinary cane or reed The city was built foursquare the square is an emblem of Rest because that figure of all others is most proper to keep firm which signifies the tranquility and immutable Peace of this Church The square also relates to the number Twelve which occurs so often in this description for 12 is a square number that shows three on all sides Three a number of perfection as well as seven to signifie that on what side soever you look upon this Church whether in regard of its Holiness or Knowledg or Peace or Glory she shall be every way perfect These are the four sides of the square Holiness Knowledg Peace and Glory and this Perfection she hath from the number Twelve viz. from the twelve Apostles He measured the City with the Reed 12 thousand Furlongs This is not to be understood of the circumference of her Walls or of their diameter or their Heighth but of the whole Body of the City taken together as a Cube that contains 12 thousand furlongs counting every thing There are 12 foundations which are the 12 Apostles or rather the 12 Articles of faith Every foundation answers to a thousand Cubits i. e. that every of the Apostles by his doctrine and preaching did increase the Church and contribute to its building and to the gathering of the saints in the same proportion which a foundation of one cubical foot or therabouts hath to a thousand furlongs This signifies the great Increase and multiplication of the Church The length the breadth the Heigth of the City were Equal that is it was in all accounts a perfect Cube throw a Die where you please it will alway find a place to rest So shall be the Church of the last period what ever Commotions may happen she shall not lose her rest nothing shall be able to destroy or hinder it Interpreters have no reason to make an objection here that a City that is as high as large would be a monstrous pile for every thing here is beyond the ordinary rules among men to signifie that this Holy Society shall not be governed as Humane societies now are Besides this the great Equality of this City in all its dimensions seems to me to denote that admirable Equality between all the Saints which shall take place in the seventh period of the Church not that all difference of Conditions shall be absolutely laid aside there shall still be superiors and Inferiors Rich and Poor some to Govern and others to obey but those great distances between mens conditions shall then be filled up by Charity and Love wheras now they are inlarged and widened by Pride and vanity Then he measured the Wall 144 Cubits Here is the number 144 which is sacred because of the number 12 which is its Root 't is easie to apprehend why the Wall is 144 Cubits 't is because it is raised upon 12 Foundations and the wall of the City had twelve Foundations Build upon twelve raise another number by multiplying this by it self and you make 144. for 12 is the square root of 144. Every building of the Church is raised upon the 12 Apostles and in its raising she is multiplied as in building upon 12 you make 144. and these 144 Cubits are not to be taken for the same thing with the 144 thousand who were marked which are the whole body of the Saints These 144 Cubits are in the walls of the City and not in the whole City This wall is that which gives protection to the City and the Church it is Truth and the Holy Ministry by whom that Truth is preached so that the 12 Foundations are the Principal Pastors with the Truths they teach viz. the 12 Apostles and the 144 Cubits are the whole Evangelical Ministry built upon the 12 Apostles as their first Teachers He measured the wall according to the measure of a man i. e. of the Angel that denotes that the Angel in giving to a wall one hundred forty four Cubits founded upon twelve hath therin followed the ordinary way of Computation among Arithmeticians who by multiplying twelve by it self make one hundred forty four And the building of the wall was of Iaspar and the City was of pure Gold like unto clear glass The distinction of men according to their different qualities is conveniently and commonly enough made by the Emblem of Metals men of low and base Spirits sunk into degeneracy and vice are well represented by Lead Iron is the Emblem of Cruel and hard-hearted persons who are void of Pity Brass doth well enough represent such as glitter and make a show of more than they are or have for Brass imitates the colour of gold but is short in value Silver is an Emblem of those who are in some sort vertuous but not in the first rank Lastly Gold is the Emblem of such spirits as are pure solid firm and truly vertuous This is that which the H. Ghost would teach us that the Church in this last Period shall be made up of such persons as are of sincere and approved piety of a vertue that is bright and solid therfore the City is said not only to be of Gold but of gold clear as Crystal Nevertheless as in every Church the Ministry ought to possess a more eminent degree of Christian vertues than others the wall which signifies the Ministry of the Church in the seventh Period is said to be of Iaspar and precious stones more valuable than gold V. 21. And the 12 Gates were of 12 Pearls every several gate was of one Pearl We have seen how the 12 Gates signifie the 12 Apostles the Guards Guides and Porters as it were of the Church we might easily discover a resemblance between the Apostles and Pearls but 't is sufficient to understand that the design of the H. Ghost is to show that these 12 Men are of an inestimable value All the riches of the world cannot be a sufficient price for 12 Pearls big enough to make 12 Gates of Cities and herewith we must know that when the spirit of God puts so high a price upon weak men like our selves when he calls them Iaspars and precious stones the Gates and Foundations of a City he doth not look upon 'em in themselves but considers them with that treasure
be content with what is necessary so that they to whom God shall have given plenty of wealth shall make no difficulty therewith to supply the necessities of the Indigent A community of Goods shall then take place like that which was seen in the first years of the Church at Jerusalem Not that Men shall lose their property in the Goods they have but every one shall dispense largely to such as need As they who gathered more Manna than the rest and nothing over and those who gathered less had no want That which thus happened in the Wilderness was not only an Emblem but a true Type of what shall be in this last Period of the Church They who have more than others in regard of possession shall have no more than others in respect of Vse 8 Character Uniformity in worship Religion 8. The face of the Church as to the external part of it shall be uniform in its worship in its Government and Ceremonies For that diversity and mixture of colours which is at present proceeds not from the Spirit of God. This uniformity it may be shall not be such as to remove every little difference but there shall be none left that is essential none that may be called evil all that which savors of Pride and Tyranny shall be banisht from the Government of the Church and that which serves only for Pomp shall not be admitted into its Ceremonies Thus much for the certain Characters 1. Doubtfull Character Christ shall descend from Heaven 1. The doubtful Characters are First The Descent of Christ into this World to reign visibly here The Prophecies of Saints Iohn and of Daniel seem to import thus much The latter saith that the Son of man i. e. Jesus Christ came to the ancient of days and that Dominion and a Kingdom was given him And St. Iohn saith that the Saints shall reign with Christ a thousand years I would not be too confident that this ought to be understood of a visible descent and abode of Christ upon Earth yea I do not believe it probable But to me it seems very Evident that this Reign shall begin with some miraculous appearance of our Lord in his Glory After which he shall go back to Heaven and from thence govern this victorious Church Mr. I. Mede and others after him would make this reign of Christ for a thousand years to be the Day of Iudgement and that within this time shall be the Resurrection of the dead Others say that the Resurrection and last Iudgement shall be before this Reign of Christ but I dare not determine that 2. Doubtfull Character whether all earthly Powers shall be abolisht Dan. 7.11 12. 2. It is likewise dubious whether all the Powers of the World must then be abolisht Which those words of Daniel seem to signify The Beast was slain and his Body destroyed and given to the burning flame Concerning the rest of the Beasts they had their Dominion taken away yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a Time. Beasts do certainly denote States and Empires so that it seems as if all Soveraign Power i. e. Monarchical should be taken away and that Christ alone should rule by his Vicegerents I leave this undesided But to me it seems probable that the government of the World shall assume the ancient form of the Commonwealth of Israel That it shall be a Theocrasy that God will establish Iudges and Governours by a a perticular instinct of the People and their guides that he will instruct them in his will by inspired Persons whose orders shall be punctually followed 3. Doubtfull Character whether the Martyrs shall be raised Rev. 20.4 3. 'T is also uncertain whether the Martyrs shall rise to be the Administrators of this Kingdom 'T is true St. Iohn seems to say so in express words the Souls of those who were beheaded for the Testimony of Iesus c. shall live and reign with Christ a thousand years Though I have some difficulty to be of that opinion yet I know not what to answer to that Text for if it intend only the deliverance of the Church in general under the Emblem of a Resurrection what need was there to mention only the Martyrs It is said that the discourse is not of Bodies but of Souls and that the original word doth not signify to rise again but only to live and the Souls of those who were beheaded shall live But first 't is well known that Souls dye not and consequently cannot be said to rise but as they reassume their Bodies 2. The learned know also that the Soul is often put for the whole person especially when the resurrection is spoken of witness that passage Thou wilt not leave my Soul in the Grave Lastly I am not subtile enough to discern the difference between living again and rising I always thought they were two words of the same import And I think it were easy to prove that those who have been beheaded cannot live again but by a Resurrection 'T is true in the fourth Verse 't is only said they shall live but 't is plain by the fifth Verse that to live and to live again in the Text are the same thing For 't is added that the Rest of the dead should not live again till the thousand years were accomplisht The other dead men spoken of v. 4. must then live again at the beginning of the thousand years Farther without this I know not what our Lord Jesus Christ would say to his Apostles in those words Verily I say unto you that you who have followed me in the regeneration Matth. 19.28 when the Son of man is sat on the Throne of his Glory you shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel What ever sense is given to these words I cannot find any thing that gives me satisfaction Should it be understood of the last Iudgement to the same effect as St. Paul speaks We shall judge the World and we shall judge the Angels that seems to be but a small matter that deserved not to be so solemnly ushered in with a verily I say unto you For after all 't is but in a figurative sense that we shall then judge the World by approving the sentence of Christ who alone shall be the Iudge Moreover I know not why our Lord should restrain that judgement to the twelve Tribes of Israel judging the twelve Tribes of Israel for the Saints as the words are taken shall judge the whole World even the wicked too Wherefore it cannot be said that the Church is to be understood by the twelve Tribes of Israel Once more the Saints shall judge the World more than they shall the Church for besides their approbation of the sentence given against the World they shall bear witness against them which they shall not do in reference to the Church I do not find much more reason for another sense of this Text which some