to blesse God for it And though we may think of mending our selves here or there yet you will finde it a difficult thing to finde 12. multiplyed by 12. in any place under Heaven that is either your foundation shall not be Apostolical institution or your administration apostolick doctrine That christians should be the foundation of Churches as the Apostles require Saints by calling and to build on such and to administer such according to the word of God Yea though the Lord should be pleased to give our Countrey-men free passage of a Parliament as now we have speech of it and though they be a wise Nation yet such is the very frame of the State and of the Sonnes of men that if the Lord give free passage of a Parliament you will find it a very difficult thing to have the State ruled by Apostolical judgment to reject all devices of men to shut out the greatest part of a kingdom from the Lords Table you would finde rebellions multiplyed exceedingly if they were of the spirit that they were of in Edward the sixths time And when you are gone out of the Countrey not that I would flatter the Countrey the Lord knows we our selves here have need to grow more spiritual daily but yet in respect of the Churches of God and administration of things here though we faile and go aside we have the rule to shew us the way back againe I say when you are gone go whether you will you will have much ado to finde materials and more ado to finde forme and administration as that it may be in cold blood you will fit and mourn by the waters of Babilon and hang your Harpes upon the willowes and say how shall we sing the Lords song the song of Zion in a strange Laâ—d Therefore let it provoke us to hold fast what we have received and not to be taken off with faire pretences to turne aside to one hand or the other if we be in a state of wisdome let us keep in it and beleive it whatever takes you to a contrary course to things as they stand if the holy Ghost say this is wisedome then I am sure the contrary of it must needs be folly Fourthly it may teach us in the fear of God to have an eye to our brethren in our native Country to consider those defects that those which reformed religion before us did leave in the recovery of the Country out of the jaws of Antichrist you see what the Lord requires of us that we should have nothing to do with the number of the Beast Though they cut off the head of the Beast from being of any soveraign power to them yet they took too much liberty for forme of worship and for the number of the Popes name and of Government by Canon Laws yea the whole Church discipline by the Popish Canon Law onely with this destinction that whereas the Pope enjoyed it before now the King he claims headship over the Church aswel as the civil State and he deriveth the church-Church-power to the chief Bishops and they worke upon it more and more and though it be true both Henery the eighth and much more Edward the sixth and Queen Elizabeth all these did set so many Councellors so many Divines and so many common and civil Lawyers to cull out of the Popes Decretals such Canons as were most fit for Government and most of such as cut off Popish supremacy yet they could never agree of it and so they admit them as the Popes Canons only yet so that whereas reference of Ecclesiastical matters was to the Pope now it is to the King as supream head and Governour but the Popes Canons are the government of the Church Now what was the reason There was an unsafe principle in their hearts that they thought it lawfull to take the Laws of the Roman Church and that any King might have power to make Laws to govern the Church as well as the Pope had It is true he hath power to make Lawes as well as the Pope had and better but the truth is neither the Pope nor King hath power to make Laws to rule the Church but it must be by the Laws of Christ Whatsoever is not of the number of 12. is superadded and will never prosper but this principle making them willing to admit such things though they were the chiefest of the Kingdome that were appointed for that worke yet they could never agree But had they received a little more light and wisdome to cut off the number of the Beast aswel as his head it would have prevailed for the liberty of Gods Ordinances and purity of Doctrine I say this being wanting to them let it not be wanting to us but through the mercy of God the servants of God have taken no small paines to clear up such things what the Laws are in the Church of Christ by which Magistrates and others are to be guided how far civil Government may reach and how farre it may not go still reserving this fundamental principle to hold them close to the direction of the holy Ghost by the 12. Apostles and this being the pious care of our Magistrates and of the Churches this wisdome will by the blessing of God be established that that which other Nations have not attained to this day may by the blessing of God be reached by us and yet though the Elders are to enquire and to commend to them such rules as may establish it it pleaseth God not to give as yet passage to our purposes appoint one day a storme of raine hinders appoint the second day fortnight then a storme of snow prevents that it is tough work to establish things of this nature it is difficult as if the Lord would have them established in a spirituall way as Moses the Law by 40. dayes fasting he had the spirit of God and larger measure by much then we yet the Lord requires serious humiliation of him And therefore since I heard that there hath been a seasonable motion to commend such a thing to the State that the whole country do in special maner seek God at such a time against the consultation of the general Court and this weighty point falling in for ripening of mens thoughts for the Laws of the Country and limitation of jurisdictions both of Church and Common-wealth the Lord saith he will be sought unto by the house of Israel Therefore I think the motion is seasonable and was glad to hear of it and thought to commend it to our honoured Governours that sit at Stern and all other Churches but we that are present have no power but in our own Church nor that but with the consent of the Church that if it be thought convenient this day seven-night might be set apart to seek the face of God that we may take time both to ripen our consultations and to prevaile with the Lord to prosper our consultations and administrations that this matter
that might be felt From the ninth Centuary to the tenth both Protestant and Popish Divines complaine that had not some lived in the 800. year and in the thousand yeare after Christ they should not have known what had beene done in the nine hundred a whole hundred years together Men were so full of darknesse and ignorance that scarce any set pen to paper to tell us what was done in those dark times that men did not know what were principles of Christianity much lesse were able to discern of Cases of Church-government or the misterie of godlinesse which requires more diligent attendance And thence it was that they were so taken with the pretended claymes of the Catholick visible Church that it would not erre because it was built upon a Rock and had the keys of Peter and he had the keys of heaven What he bound on earth was bound in heaven and what he loosed on earth was loosed in heaven that had there not been palpable grosse ignorance it had not been possible such grosse things should have been suffered to come in And a second thing that moved them was the strange successe of the Beast in recovering of his wounded head for that made them wonder after the Beast when they saw such a mortall wound so throughly healed They thought had it not been above the power of mortall men it had not been possible it should have been healed but certainly there was a power above mortall men in it and that is the reason in the Text to give him a mouth to speak great things to speak what hee would And a third reason why Princes gave this power was their devout superstition many were convinced by Matchivilian policy of their great sins and they had in those dayes a notable dexterity to apply the Law of God and to sting mens consciences like a Cockatrice Rev. 9. 5. and then they would do any thing for ease out of the bondage they lay under and this was a great meanes Then they directed them to give so much to such a Monastery or to goe a Pilgrimage or fast such a time and such devotion which a mans own unsanctified heart could reach That when this Beast speaks great things that he can pardon sinne and his Shavelings will take a course for redeeming souls and preserving them out of hel this was such satisfaction to them that you need not wonder if all Princes gave their Kingdomes to the Beast And so having advanced him as supream over them all he hath a mouth he may speak what he will Princes may make Laws on this hand or on that but if they do not suite with him they are disannulled And they must be reconciled to the mother Church and so this Harlot gives them all to her and hath a mouth speaking great things and therewithall great blasphemieâ— Thus have you the point and the reasons of it For the use of it I might from hence first speak to this point that it were therefore a necessary counsell to all Roman Catholicks to consider diligently the grounds of the great priviledges of the visible Catholick Church they stretch their authority beyond all degrees of Churches beyond all Temporall States or particular Churches Now necessary it were for them to reverse all the great things which are delivered and which the Pope hath set open his mouth to speak though they be delivered with never such fulnesse and boldnesse and plentitude of power It behoves men to consider whether all these great words be not the words of a Beast and blasphemies which the head of the Beast had taken upon him to utter for it is not enough that they are spoken boldly and confidently and with good advisement and grave Counsell Provinciall Decretals and Decrees for they are distinct things It behoves Catholicks not to be gulled with Titles and great things for it is not alwayes that power which God in mercy gives to men when they dare speak great things they think the Pope is not Antichrist but when Antichrist comes will he do greater things then these as they sayd of Christ when Christ comes will he doe greater workes then these And so when Antichrist comes can he speak grater things then these And if I were to speak to Lay-men as they say in their Religion I might advise them to take heed they be not taken with the confidence of their Priests that speak with good advisement even to impudency and with such resolute courage that many thousands are carryed away with it and say certainly men would never be so bold if they were not possessed with the goodnesse of their cause Let them not be deluded the Beast hath power to speak great things and he opens his mouth with all courage and confidence and whispers it not but speaks with impudency and abundance of resolution Secondly This may serve to teach us the danger of allowing to any mortall man an inordinate measure of power to speak great things to allow to any man uncontrollâ—bleness of speech you see the desperate â—â—â—ger of it Let all the world learn to give mortall men no greater power then they are content they shall use for use is they will and unlesse they be better taught of God they will use it ever and anon it may be make it the passage of their proceeding to speake what they will And they that have liberty to speak great things you will finde it to be true they will speak great blasphemies No man would think what desperate deceit and wickednesse there is in the hearts of men And that was the reason why the Beast did speak such great things hee might speak and no body might controll him What saith the Lord in Jer. 3. 5. Thou hast spoken and done evill things as thou couldst If a Church or head of a Church could have done worse he would have done it This is one of the straines of nature it affects boundlesse liberty and to runne to the utmost extent What ever power he hath received he hath a corrupt nature that will improve it in one thing or other if he have liberty he will think why may he not use it Set up the Pope as Lord Paramount over Kings and Princes and they shall know that he hath power over them he will take liberty to depose one and set up another Give him power to make Laws and he will approve and disprove as he list what he approves is Canonicall what hee disproves is rejected Give him that power and he will so order it at length he will make such a State of Religion that he that so lives and dyes shall never be saved and all this springs from the vast power that is given to him and from the deep depravation of nature Hee will open his mouth His tongue is his owne who is Lord over him Psal 12. 3 4. It is therefore most wholsome for Magistrates and Officers in Church and Common-wealth never to affect
God for all Blasphemy against the name of God or hâ—s Tabernacle or those that dwell in heaven it is blasphemy against God It is said here there was power given to the Beast to speak great things and blasphemyes wherein did that lye against Gods name and against his Tabernacle and those that dwell in Heaven So that blaspheme any of these and you blaspheme God blaspheme the name of God the Tabernacle of God and those that dwell in Heaven whether Saints above or Saints on Earth and you blaspheme God himself And therefore it should be farre from us to abuse any ordinance or providence of God for it is blasphemie against God himselfe they are the name of God Gods name is called on his providences If we speak evill of Gods ordinances or providences as for a man to say would to God I had never known such a woman it is blasphemy Gods wisedome and righteousnesse hath ordayned it If we be in distresse or in any sicknesse and we snarle against God and mutter at our poverty and sickness it is to blaspheme the name of God all these are providences of God To speak evill of Churches as if they were Congregations of Heriticks or Schismiticks or Congregations of Rebels or Libertines and Brownists and such like it is blasphemy against the God of Heaven Besides it is blasphemy against the Body of Christ in the Sacrament to think every Baker can make it that is Popish blasphemy To speak evill of the Saints of God on earth to thinke to take liberty because they are absent Our tongues are our owne who is Lord over us Little do we know how tender God is of his people we cannot speak evill of any in the Church but we blaspheme God And so if we speak evill of his providences it is as much as if we speak evill of God himself And therefore how precious ought the name of God to be to us to whom our names are pretious It is but a scandall to a christian brother but it is blasphemy to God and therefore speak not evill as thinking it shall never come to his eare If we speak evill of Authority of Churches of Saints or evill of them that doe evill unlesse you may take order to represse it the Lord himself looks at it as blasphemy and therefore we must not look at it as a light matter our tongues are our own and we may have liberty to speak I you have liberty but not to speak blasphemies either small or great There is not the least blasphemy but it is a great Sinne and therefore greatly to be avoyded Rev. 13. latter part of the 5. vers And power was given him to continue forty and two moneths THis is the continuance of the description of the former Beast which the Apostle John saw rising out of the Sea to be the instrument of the Dragons power that is Satans rage against the Woman and her feed Among other parts of the description which have been opened this Beast is described by the change that befell him in his head wounded and healed the effect whereof was 1. The admiration of the world 2. The worship of the Beast and of the Dragon The third effect or event was the authority or power that the Beast did receive and did exercise and that power was 1. To speake great things and blasphemies which accordingly he did exercise in blaspheming the name of God and his Tabernacle and the Saints 2. There was a power of continuance as it is here translated forty and two moneths 3. There was given to him power to make warre with the Saints and to overcome them Of the first part to speak blasphemy we have already spoken Now come we unto the second part of the power given him which is his continuance There was power given him to continue forty and two moneths The note from thence is shortly this That power and authority was given to this Beast that is to the Roman Catholicke Church to continue that is to be active and doing to be busie fortie and two moneths This expresseth the sum and sence of the words they are obscure as any place in the word and therefore need your more diligent attention and the power of the Lord Jesus to clear his counsel and will in this point who alone openeth the Seales and none can shut them To open the words Power was given to him The word in the Originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies the power of Authority or Jurisdiction a soveraign kind of power as it is here described in the seventh verse over all Kindreds and Tongues and Nations Such power that all the world wondered at it and adored especially that which they call the Christian world did exceedingly magnifie the power and authority of this Beast and he speakes here principally of Spirituall Authority though it grew to Temporall Power in making Warr in the 7. vers for he riseth by degrees to further power but authority was given him Given him by whom 1. By God that put it into the heart of the tenne Horns that is the tenne Kâ—â—gs to give their Kingdoms with one consent to the Beast Rev 17. 17. So God by his wise and just providence gave him authority such as God hath ordained in his word but he put it in their hearts by his wise and just providence 2. This authority was given by Satan who assisted Antichrist in the mystery of Iniquity in working signs and lying wonders with all deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse till hee lift up himselfe above all that is called God 2 Thes 2. 9 10. And indeed Satan wrought mightily what by the sophistry of the School-men and by the policy of the Canonists and what by the devotion of Cloyster-men and Fryers it was a wonder to see how he gained a mighty power against Churches all the world over 3. This power was given him by those States the ten Horns which gave their Crowns with one accord to the Beast that he should rule in their Dominions The chiefe Kingdoms in Europe are in these ten our Native Countrey for one France and Spaine and Navarre Sweden Denmarke and the rest they did with one accord give their Kingdomes to the Beast that in point of Religion they should establish all Ordinances according to the wisdome of his soveraign power And in Temporall matters they gave him greater power to depose and dispose of their Kings then the Roman Emperour had in sundry respects for his was limâ—ed by Laws but this was without Laws 2 Thes 2. 4. He opposeth and exalteth himselfe above all that is called God That without all power of Laws he did out-rage out of measure Given it was by their Devotion and Superstition God piercing their hearts much in those times by the Ministery of their Fryars that did wound their consciences with the sense of their murthers and lusts that they were willing to do any thing for the peace of their
sword into the head of their Guides Leaders where they lived and though they were by former Lawes engaged by way of Homage yet now they may take up the sword of their own defence and maintenance in witnesse bearing to the Truth to the last bloud In such cases the case is much altered for their Princes and supream Governours they are all subject to the Laws and Oath of the Kingdome and they have no power but according to the Lawes which are made If therefore they take up a power against Law and contest with the people of God then this power which these holy men did exercise to maintain their peace against all opposition to be raised against them is lawfull For a fourth use it may teach all the people of God not to measure a cause by the event nor persons by accidents that do befall them lest they should condemn the generation of the Just It was a grievous temptation Asaph lay under to see the ungodly prosper and have what their hearts could desire and himselfe plagued all the day long and chastned every morning Psal 73. 3. to 13. and by this meanes he condemned the generation of Gods children But no matter though the Beast prosper and the Saints are overcome yet the Beast is a Beast when he prospers and the Saints are Saints though they be overcome therefore let us not judge of things according to their appearance Fifthly It may teach all the Saints in this Countrey or where-ever not to trust the pretences of deceitfull men especially such as are not sound in Religion and take heed also how you trust upon your own strength let me put them both together for brevity sake We know not how soon any of us may be tempted in this kind what warres may be raised against this Countrey though wee have none for the present nor feare none yet in time we know not what may come what are we better then our Fathers The Beast of Rome still lives his 42. moneths is not yet out though his power he much weakned but his Agents still live He is able to blow a coale to those that look for salvation from him to do this great and glorious service to the Catholick Church and cause And if it please the Catholick Church then it grows a great businesse to root out Hereticks to blast them by censures of Excommunication and Civill State if it were so we stand upon our own defence you see It behooves you therefore as you desire to be faithfull to God to Religion to your Churches and Common-wealths to your Wives Children Estates as you desire to be faithfull to his Ordinances to the Kingly Priestly and Propheticall Office of Christ to attend to that which these Saints neglected that is to say to attend to the word of Faith and to the wisdome of God Trust not upon the experience of your Captaines or Souldiers to fight by Land or Sea Trust not upon your Castles or Vessels by Sea any thing you have or may have Trust not upon the pieces of Ordnance they are all vaine things to save if you stand in need and yet of use Be prepared in this kind that you may be instrumentall to Gods providence but trust not in them they are but the Arm of flesh And if Wars come against New-England it will be from Principalities and Powers and flesh and blood will not be able to with-stand them They will be Principalities from Hell or the great Beast the Catholick Church or from the Image of this Beast otherwise there is no feare of any War but if any War do come trust not in those means you have nor though all the Natives in the Countrey were on your side and if any great Protestant States should offer you help use them but do not trust in them It was the way of overcoming the Saints of God they trusted on the arm of Flesh and that was their great folly and that brought the hand of God against them therefore see your Faith be sincere and upright to him Secondly Leane not to the wisdome of carnall reason nor trust not to faire pretences you shall have your liberties longer established only something or other you must give way to and some principall ones must be singled out to treat of peace but it was the ruine of this State It behoves the Saints to sanctifie God in their hearts to trust upon his grace to cleave to the word of God trust what the Lord saith and not what deceitful men say It was a grave saying of an ancient Prince in England Obey according to the Law and you obey the King but if you obey what comes suddenly out of his mouth or against Law you obey not me as King And that is it which Christian Religion teacheth no Religion teaches a man more to obey Kings in wholsome Laws to obey them it to obey God in them for Princes are subordinate to God himselfe The people do concur in making some Laws in every Common-wealth and Princes have transcendant power over the People and God forbid any should spring out of this Countrey to plead against their Governours and weaken their forces but keep their Scepters fresh from one Generation to another yet this is the best service done to Kings service according to God If Laws be made let a man yield active obedience to them if they be good and passive if they be evill but against Law contrary to the stream of Law to make a man think himselfe bound in such a case it is to flatter Princes and Powers and not to yeeld professed subjection to them Therefore it behoves the people of God to know upon what terms they stand that wee may carry our selves like loyall Subjects and Christians that the name of God may not be dishonoured by any weaknesse of ours and starting aside on any hand or other Rev. 13. latter part of the 7. vers And power was given him over all Kindreds and Tongues and Nations WEe come now to the fourth thing which these words hold forth and that is the power or as the Greek word hath it the authority which is here sayd to be given to the Roman Catholick Church and that is over all Kindreds and Tongues and Nations The note is this To the Roman Catholicke visible Church was given very ample jurisdiction and authority over all the Christian world if we may so speake or as in the Text over all Kindreds Tongues and Nations And he meanes Kindreds Tongues and Nations of such Countreys which were wont to be subject to the Empire of Rome which were then counted all the Civill Nations of the world To open it briefly It was given him over all kindreds tongues and nations Here are three words and one include another Nation is the largest for in a Nation there may be many Tongues and in one Tongue there may be many Kindreds He had dominion and soveraignty over all Nations or over the
heart we are not returned from Babell but every new occasion puts us to a new plantation and when we are there we cannot rest And therefore I feare because we have not judged our selves for our inordinate walking in polluted Churches but have rather sought for our own peace then purity from these pollutions which there have defiled us or do not see any great need of judging our selves in that kinde thence it is that to this day the Lord hath much ado to quiet our hearts in his peace and purity and in power but still we are much destitute of inward purity and power of godlinesse and therefore dead heartednesse hangs about us to this day And therefore as we desire the power and purity and peace of Ordinances stamped upon our hearts so we are to bewaile the contagions we have had in this Image of the beast with Officers or people that so the Lord may give a reviving according to the desire of our hearts Lastly let it be of much praise and thanksgiving to God that hath delivered us and ours from these Contagions and pollutions in which you see all that dwell on the earth have been intangled and polluted in time past That he hath delivered us from the power of this Beast the Roman Catholick Church that he hath freed us from making an Image to that Beast we own none of his Ordinances and that God hath removed us from the marke of this Beast that we desire not to be accounted Catholicks nor Hirarchies nor stand members of a Diocesan or Provinciall or Cathedrall or Nationall Church but beare witnesse against them all And also that he hath freed us in some measure from the number of his name that many things that are of number and account with them are not of any number with us if there be any thing of the Beast in it And therefore it is matter of great praise to God You shall read of the hundred and forty foure thousand that God had gotten victory over the Image and mark of the Beast and over his name and the number of his name or had not left them in any bondage they sung as it were a new song before the Throne It is great matter of praise that here we may enjoy no head but the Lord Jesus Saul indeed was head of the Tribes of Israel but not of the Church 1 Sam. 15. 17. That the Lord hath given us to enjoy Churches and Congregational Assemblies by his Covenant to worship him in all his holy Ordinances that he 〈◊〉 given us to look for no Laws but his word no rules nor forms of worship but such as he hath set downe in his word no platforms of Doctrine but such as are held forth in the word of the Prophets and Apostles It is such a priviledge that for 1260. years the Christian world knew not the meaning of it unlesse it were here and there a few whom God had sealed this was the priviledg of a few sealed ones but this the Lord vouchsafeth to us this day above all Nations that have power of the civill sword It is true there is a great deale of these things in sundry other Churches but yet there is a tang of the image of the Beast that a company of Elders and Ministers they shall have power to impose Officers upon Churches and to excommunicate Officers and Members It is too much the image of the first Beast and too much of the power of both Beasts and therefore it is to be lamented but that the Lord should give us such liberty that all our Churches are not subordinate one to another and none arrogate nor plead Supremacy but are preserved and kept from all contagion of the first and second beast this calls us to abundant thankfulnesse and wee are to desire that the Lord would keep us at such a distance that we may never return to the image of either of the beasts Rev. 13. the last vers Here is wisdome Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast for it is the number of a man and his number is six hundred threescore and sixe THese words are some part of the description of the second Beast which arose after the former continued from the 11 th verse of this Chap. unto the end of it The former beast as you have often heard is the Roman-Catholick visible Church described at large from the first verse to the end of the 10 th The latter Beast is the head of the Catholique Church the Bishop or Antichrist of Rome and he is here described 1. By his Originall He came out of the earth 2. By his resemblance which is three-fold To the Lamb in his hornes To the Dragon in his tongue and speech and to the first beast in his power He exerciseth all the power of the first beast 3. As he is described thus by his Originall and by his resemblance so he is described by his great power and his power exerciseth it selfe in divers acts First He exerciseth all the power of the first beast Now the first beast being the Roman Catholique Church he exerciseth all the power of the Roman Catholique Church that look what the Roman Catholick Church can do the Pope can do with them or without them He can call Councels and make their Canons authenticall He can make Lawes to bind Conscience he can make Lawes to bind whole Churches as well as the Aecumenicall power of the whole Councell He can forbid any other doctrine or worship or government but what himselfe establisheth He can adde to the Scriptures the Apâ—crypha and he hath infallible power to judge Controversies Hee can binde and loose Conscience he can depose Kings and dispose of their Kingdoms and he can absolve Subjects from the oath of Fidelity He hath power to pardon sinne and to sell out pardons to them that buy them All that the first beast can do he will do and more but yet he doth it as the Text sayes in the sight of the first beast that is in the face and countenance of the first bâ—ast He is so modest that he will not take all that honour to the head but the whole body and derives all that honour expresly to himself The second act of his power He causeth all that dwell on the earth to worship the first beast The third act of his power He doth great wonders even to call downe fire from Heaven in the sight of men Not the fire of Acceptance which Eliah brought to consume the Sacrifice but the fire of Vengeance upon the Rebellious as the Prophet called for fire upon the Captains that came to attach him 4. He doth by his miracles deceive all that dwell upon the earth 5. He causeth them all to make an Image like unto the first beast The first beast as you heard was the Roman visible Catholicke Church then the image of the beast are all such like models and forms of Churches as are Diocesan
Priest also over the Kings of the world in Temporalls Hee had two hornes like a Lamb as the successor of Peter and as if he had nothing but from Christ but he spake like a Dragon When he had once power by his Lamb-like horns he then spake like a Dragon Therefore to speak that which I conceive to be the truth I do look at this first beast as indeed of like condition with the Pope and very nearly joyned to him The Pope is one of the heads and rulers of this Beast but yet distinguished from the beast it selfe and is not the same with the beast This therefore all things weighed according to the Text I conceive to be the first beast the Roman Catholick visible Church The seven heads and ten horns are a clear description of the Roman State Now this State here is neither the Pagan Roman Empire nor the Christian Roman Empire as hath been shewed And therefore it must needs be a third Roman State distinct from the former and succeeding in their place and what is that but the Roman Catholicke visible Church Of this Church the Pope is the head both as universall Bishop over all Churches and chiefly Lord in Temporalls that had both Swords and obtained both Authorities to be highest supream head in Spirituals as also supream head in Temporalls he was Soveraign Governour in all And the Roman-catholick visible Church it comes just in the room of the Roman Empire how was it described The beast that had seven heads and ten horns this comes in his room the one governs all the world in his way and the other all the Churches another way This is the Beast that the Dragon stirs up to make War with the Saints Now to appply this description to this Church for the better understanding of the Text. Qâ— I saw a beast rise out of the Sea You may aske what is the Sea from whence this beast ariseth Answ The Sea is the collection of many waters The gathering together of the waters called the Seas Gen. 1. 9 10. And what are the waters The waters which thou sawâ—st are People and Nations and Languages and Tongues Rev. 17. 15. So then what is the beast here that ariseth out of the Sea It is some soveraign State that ariseth out of the connexion of many Nations into one body as you know the Roman Catholick Church is not confined within the lifts of the City of Rome though there the head is seated but the whole Roman Sea it is well called a Sea in that respect it is that which comprehends all Nations whether subject to the Eastern or Western Emperour yea and other Nations that did not submit themselves to the one or other as if they did recollect themselves as into one Sea all banks are broken down in the Sea yet there is no distinction but all is one Sea one vast body And such is the Roman Catholick visible Church all partitions are here broken downe all Churches make but one visible Catholick Church And again it is well said to arise out of the Sea according to the like description which Daniel makes of the foure Monarchs in Dan. 7. Hee saw the foure windes of heaven strive upon the great Sea and foure Beasts came up from the sea divers one from another From the multiplyed agitations of the Sea it came to passe four great Monarchs did arise Just thus from the tumult of particular Churches did this Beast arise for when they could not agree in the Churches but some were of one minde some of another it was the wisdom as they thought of Christian Princes and Bishops but it was but humane wisdome and was indeed from the Dragon and not from Christ they thought it would be best to have but one church and the Bishop of Rome to be the head though at first they divided them to four but in the end they would have the Bishop of Rome over all that so they might have unity for they say unity springs from one head and unlesse you have one head you cannot have unity Therefore from the particular Church of a Congregation they came to Diocesan from Diocesan to Metropolitan from Metropolitan to Patriarchal from Patriarchal to Cecumenical And so it comes to pass all Churches must be gathered into one Sea that is one Catholick Church For look what reason they had to set Bishops over particular Churches So having many Bishops by the same reason they must have some Metropolitan and of many Metrapolitans foure or five Patriarchs and of them one Chief that is the Pope the Father of Fathers he must be the grand Governour of all Therefore doth he rise out of the Sea out of the Sea of Tumult and Sea of Contention And if you take Sea for corruption in Doctrine and worship and Government as some good Interpreters do it was from thence also that this beast did arise This beast did arise out of them all for had either pure Doctrine or worship or Discipline been well looked unto it had not been possible that such a beast as the Catholick visible Roman Church should have bin raised up It is further described to have seven heads and ten horns The holy Ghost describes them so fully that we need no further interpretation of them He tells us in the 17. Chapter of this book the ninth and tenth verses The seven heads are seven Mountaines on which the Woman sitteth which are the mountaines of the City of Rome it is built upon seven hills and the seven heads are also seven Kings that is seven Kingly governments soveraign governments The first were Kings then Consuls then Decemvins then Dictators then Tribunes and then the Caesars Five were fallen that is were past in John's time the sixth were then extant and they were the Caesars the Pope he makes the seventh Now the Pope then is the seventh of these Heads but the seventh head and the beast are two distinct things though he be one that rules the beast and hath a great influence in the guiding of it Hee was to receive a deadly wound and after became an eighth head whereas he was but one of the seven So that he is one of the Heads but there is difference between the head and the beast and the beast it selfe And it is said He exerciseth all the power of the first Beast that in conclusion what the Pope decrees that stands So that it is not a generall Councell that determines any thing authentically without him but he doth all that the first beast doth Hee would have the Catholick Church honoured but it is that himselfe may be honoured as the Lord of the Church So therefore for the heads these are the seven Heads And for the Hornes he tells you they are so many Kings which were not then risen to Soveraigne Power but John saw it in a Mystery afore hand But when this Beast ariseth this Pontifex maximus then they receive a Kingdome at the same
time Chap. 17. 12. And the severall Kingdomes that then were broken off from the Roman Empire whereof England was one they were so many severall Kings that all gave their dominion to the Beast with one consent and so were his protectors ver 17. They were his Beauty and his Strength as the Hornes are to the Beast So it is true here is a great Beast indeed of a vast comprehension here is an universall visible Church and he hath seven Heads that is Seven Hilles there he sits and seven Governments There are seven Heads both of the one and other both Hills and Governments whereof five were fallen and the sixth was when John wrote The seventh was to rise in their roomes and that is He that hath two Hornes like a Lambe and spake like a Dragon and doth exercise all the Power of the first Beast what power is in the Church the Pope hath the ordering thereof And it is said here that these Hornes had ten Crowns but so had not the Hornes of Pagan Rome The heads of Pagan Rome had soveraign Authority and lived like Princes but so had not the Pope they did not wear the Crowns though they affect temporall dominion but leave the Crowns to the hornes leave them to Crowned Kings that give their power to him Now upon these Heads are names of Blasphemy The old High-Priest of the Jewish Synagogue he had a plate of pure Gold and there was graven upon it holiness to the Lord Exod. 28. 36 37. This Beast hath not holinesse to the Lord but names of Blasphemy the Pontifex maximus His head is full of names of Blasphemy But the Pope exceeds all in this case for who ever took upon him as he to pardon Sinne A name of Blasphemy To be Judge of Scriptures a name of blasphemy Hee hath many other names of Blasphemy he will dispence with Oaths of allegeance and all civil subjection he will dispence with marriages most incestuous and doth exalt himself above all that is called God especially the Gods of the Earth His heads are full of names of Blasphemy as we shall come to speak God willing in the 5 and 6 verses Now it is said of this Beast he is like a shee Leopard It is in the 17 Chap. compared to a woman to shew that the Roman catholick visible Church is as fitly resembled by a woman as a she Panther such is this Beast Can a Leopard change his spots Jer. 13. 23. Is it not a State full of spots and the spots are not the spots of Gods people but spots of herisie and spots of Idolatry spots of Tyranny and great variety of all spots of Blasphemy To tell the spots of that Sea were ineeed to enter into a Sea of wickednesse which that Church abounds withall Can a Leopard change his spots This church they make account cannot erre so how should they change for they that cannot erre to what purpose should they change yet of a very sweet fragrant smel as they they perfume their Temples with incense and love to please ambitious minds and to fill covetous hearts they are sweet also and faire to voluptous spirits with their Brothel houses c. But for the Leopard Bear and Lyon I suppose there is speciall reference to them all In Dan. 7. 4 5 6. where he resembles the Monarch of Babell to a Lyon and the Monarch of Persia to a Bear and the Monarch of Greece to a Leopard There the Leopard is the last of the three here it is the first to shew a direct contrary course that this Beast takes in his rise to the old Monarchies Of the great Monarchies the first was a Lyon full of magnanimity the next was a Beare full of cruelty a Bear that devoures mucb flesh and the Leopard the spotted Beast comes after cruell as the former Now here the Leopard is first the whole shape is sweet and savoury other beasts would follow him by the smell and so this church seemes in the wole bulk sweet and savory to inveagle all unstable Soules But where he gets hold he layes his paw like a Beare presseth hard and holds fast and will not let goe Just like the Persian State they hold fast Never did any of the States last so long as the Papall State The Assyrian lasted long but yet did not continue above a thousand years but this is to continue 1260. dayes that is so many yeares in a great deal of Power and Authority And therefore as by subtilty he drawes others to him so them hee holds fast that it is marvellous hard to root out where he hath got hold you may cut off his head as it is in England but it is a wonder to see what paines there is to have the Government of Christ brought in and of the Beast cast out they will make so many Statutes in Parliament that you can have no wills confirmed nor Marriages made but by them nor no Parliments Acts passe but through their hands you have so many matters in the State depending on them that one would think it impossible ever to root them out you may take off the Beast his head you may thrust the Leopard out at windows but he will take hold with his feet that you shall have much ado to root him out The great profits and great preferments they sink deep in the hearts of carnall men And he hath a mouth like a Lyon How did the Lyon of Babell speak presumptuously what God is able to deliver you out of the firey furnace c. and he commands all that will not worship his Image should be cast into the fyery furnace Just such is the mouth of this Beast who so will not worship the Image of this Beast shall be killed in the 15 v. of this chapter So you see this is the Roman Catholick visible church And the Dragon gave this church power All that the Roman Emperor could doe before that doth the Catholick church that w ch the old Roman Emperor did by force of arms that doth the Roman Church by the power of Religion and conscience The Dragon gave him his power and Seat and great Authority And Satan will worke by the power of conscience making them believe that all must be subject to them He gave them his Seat what was the Seat of the old Roman Emperor It was Rome Satan gave that to the Beast There is his Seat and great Authority insomuch that all the world were deeply taken with the reverence they owe as to the Imperial mother City So to this soveraign mother Church their holy Father the Pope that was the head of that Church This is the plain description of this first Beast I canot proceed now to open the wounding of one of the heads of this Beast nor of the healing of that wound nor of his warre against the Saints I am the longer in this because the more clearly these things are opened the more fully will
Nations and that in so many Nations with Spirituall and Temporall Dominion carry all before him will it not be a Monster What a disproportion is this to the Churches of Christ and to the Officers thereof Not to speak of their other monstrous usurpations of the head of this Church but take the body as it is how they speak like a Lyon and hold fast when they get like a Beare and are spotted like a Leopard that they are nothing but hotch-potch and mingle-mangle If any man have understanding let him understand what kind of Church this is that is thus deciphered and described this visible Catholick Church For the Use It may first teach us the great and just reason which all Protestant Churches have to with-draw themselves from the fellowship of the Church of Rome from the Catholick visible Roman Church though they look at those that submit not to them as Schismaticks and Hereticks I pray you consider would they have us submit to this great beast would they have the Lambs of Christ for such are the Churches of Christ to submit to a Lyon Beare or Leopard Hath any Lamb in the world much lesse a Lamb of Christ so many Heads and Horns and such spots and such feeâ— and such a mouth Therefore I pray you consider it is not time for the Lambs of Christ and for all the Churches of Christ to flye off from this Monster and to abandon them utterly as having no part nor portion with such a beast as this Secondly let this be another Use it may teach us how Christian Protestant Churches wrong themselves that leave any footsteps of this government in their Churches For that is part of the image of the beast for the second beast when he was advanced he would have an image of the first beast they must have Provinciall and Diocesan Churches and National Churches and carry I know not how many hundred congregations into one Nationall Church and there must be some Diocesan and Metrapolitan church and the rest must be inferiour to that Though this be not so great a monster as the great Beast yet it is an image of this beast can any brother tell his offence to such a church And will you have him stay till the whole National church meets Or will you have him stay till the Diocesan church meets and carry his offences to the Visitation Do you think they will right his cause then Are a few such kind of men the Chancellor and Register and Surrogate and Apparitor do you think the church that our Saviour bids us tell Are these they that are gathered together that all may heare and all may be edefied Do these serve the Lord Jesus and not their owne bellies I say therefore you may see what great reason men have to with-draw from subjection in spirituall matters to the Image of this great beast that in some measure represent the same state as they Thirdly let it be a seasonable advertisement to all if I were to speak to Princes to all Princes but however to all Magistrates how to make use of their Authority to be as Protectors of the Church in respect of their spirituall estate as children of the church but not to give the horns to the church though horns be for beauty and strength you see it makes the Church a monster and it is to make a beast of the Church And so if you should make Church-Officers Justices of Peace or Councellors or prostitute your own Government to them that if the Church condemn any then you must do so too as heretofore if a man were condemned by the Church and by them delivered to the secular power then burn him presently this puts your Horns upon the Churches head unto monstrous deformity And therefore it is necessary for Magistrates to keep their power in their owne hands and not to take things Ipso facto from the Church but to consider what is done and then they are to confirm what the Church doth according to God Here are ten horns and these are tenne Kings by the holy Ghosts interpretation and they adde to the monstrousnesse of this Beast by giving their power thereto Why doth this mishape a Christian Church for Magistrates to submit their crownes to the Church No God forbid it is an honour and happinesse to them when Kings are nursing Fathers to the church and bow down their faces to the earth Isa 49. 23. But why then doth he put it as a part of the mishapen state of the Church that it had tenne hornes to wit because these Kings did give their strength and power to the Beast that the Beast did act these Horns acording to the power of his lust as Chap. 17. v. 17. as it was truly accomplished in all the Kings of Europe that did submit all their Scepters and Thrones and Crowns and Dignities to the Bishop of Rome That if hee command this or that there must be room for him what ever becomes of Princes Laws and Endeavours and all acts and enterprises of War or Peace He had their horns on his head he might push with them as he would This made the Church a monster when soveraign power was obnoxious to the Bishop of Rome when without Excomunication whether a cause were of God or no Magistrates proceeded if the Church had censured As a Beast that hath horns on his head as hee turns so must the power of his horns be set and put forth If therefore the Catholick Church or any Officer of it shall condemn a man as an Heretick and then deliver him to the secular power they never dispute the cause but take it for granted If their holy mother Church condemn him the Secular Power must push and crush him to the very Earth and trample him under foot and rend his bowels from his body if he once be delivered to them Now this makes the Church a beast that hath this power over the Princes of the Earth that look what is their lust or their ignorance or their errour and the contrary adjudged by them to be Heresie that the Secular power must mayntain the one and condemn the other It is a comfortable thing for Churches to be strengthned and protected by civill Magistrates But if they captivate their power to the Church that what Church Rulers call for not according to the Word but their Lusts that the civill Magistrate must confirm that makes the Church a Beast And therefore be wise now O ye Kings be instructed O ye Judges of the earth serve the Lord with feare and rejoyce with trembling c. Psal 2. 11 12. Kisse the Lord Jesus submit to him and in him to the church Lick the dust off the feet of the church dispensing his counsell and will But when by implicite obedience the Common-wealth must he prostitute to the Beast it makes the Beast more monstrous then it is The authority of Princes in that kind makes such churches to be
may be the more able to finde the free passage of joy and the power of godlinesse in all your private or publique conversation Revel 13. the latter part of the 2 d. verse And the Dragon gave him his power and his seate and great authority THe next note is this That the Dragon that is Satan as he had the government of the Pagan Roman Empire so being cast out of it he gave or procured and obtained to the Roman Catholicke visible Church his power and seate or Throne and great authority For so it is plainly here said That the Dragon gave to the Beast his power and his seate and great authority The Dragon who is that You heard the Dragon is the old Serpent called the Devill and Satan but the Dragon considered as he sometimes swayed the Roman Pagan Empire as in Rev. 12. 3. There appeared a wonder in heaven a great red Dragon having seven heads and ten horns they are interpreted by the Angell Rev. 17. 3 4. 9 10. 12. 18. The seven heads to be the seven hills of Rome and the ten horns so many Kings that arose with the last head of the Beast Therefore he means the Dragon as he sometimes swayed the City of Rome and so the Seate and State of the Pagan Roman Empire And being now cast out and seeing he cannot maintaine his State and divine honour as before to whom doth he give his honour what to the Roman Christian Empire No his rage is against them and the Church amongst them Neither did he give them his Seate they sate not at Rome but at Constantinople Neither can he easily fasten upon the civill State such delusions as to cause the Christian Emperours to take to themselves divine honour though the Pagan Roman Emperours had so done But now hee doth choose to fasten them upon the Ecclesiasticall State and thinks he shall more prevaile with Church-men as I may speak to drinke in an inundation of Heresies in Doctrine and Tyranny in Government and Superstition in Worship he thinks he shall sooner prevaile with the Ecclesiasticall State then with the Civill Therefore upon this Beast which can neither be Roman Heathen nor Christian Empire but the Roman Church doth he fasten his power and seate and great authority His power A three-fold power did the Devill fasten upon the Roman Catholick visible Church 1. The power of signes and lying wonders Hee gave him great power to worke great wonders 2 Thes 2. 9. Of which there is more spoken in the sequell of the Chapter where some of his miracles are mentioned 2. He gave him the power of effectuall Sophistry or as the Scripture calls it 2 Thes 2 9 10. of deceit of unrighteousnesse partly in the Schoolmen and partly in their Votaries or Cloyster-men and partly in their Canonists By the efficacy of Sophistry in School-men he corrupted all Doctrine By the deceit of the Cloyster-men the Monkes he corrupted all their devotion and worship And by the policy of their Canonists he corrupted all Church-government and this was carryed with such efficacy of deceit that those School-Divines were accounted the most profound and the Monks most devout and the Canonists most judicious and exquisite Polititians Now these three did mightily deceive the Christian world by their power and all this power Satan gave to this Beast 3. He gave him the power also of making war for in vers 7. It was given him to make warre with the Saints and to overcome them putting into the hearts of christian Kings to give their power to the Beast and to wage all their Battels at their own charges whiles he sate still this was the power which was given him by the Dragon And for his seate what was it It was the City of Rome which ruled over the Kings of the earth Rev. 17. 18. And for that end he would not suffer Constantine nor other Emperors to dwell at Rome If they were in Italy they should dwell at Ravenna So that the Dragon granted his owne Seate or Throne not to the Emperors for they never cared for it but he reserved it for this Beast to be the center and chief Seate of the Roman Catholick Church And he gave him also great authority transcendently great indeed Great Authority 1. Over the Scriptures 2. Over the consciences of men 3. Over the treasury of the church Over Church-Rulers and Churches over the merits of Christ over Kingdoms and Common-wealths over Purgatory and for mitigating the paines of Hell All this he gave to the Roman Catholick visible Church 1. He gave him power over the Scriptures 1. As Judg of them The Church is the Judg of controversies and the head of that Church is the Judg of all places of Scripture by his authority it is authenticall This the Catholick Church doth challenge 2. He doth prefer the vulgar Latine before the Originall Scripture a transcendant power 3. It is in his power to make Apocrypha Scripture to be of like power with the canonicall Scripture 4. It is his power and authority that gives unwritten Traditions like power with the canonicall Scripture 5. He takes upon him to be the infallible Interpreter and Judge of the meaning of Scripture and that is Blasphemy 6. He takes upon him power to dispence with Scripture Hee hath power to dispence with the morall Law of God in point of Marriages even in incestuous Marriages this is a power beyond Scripture 2. He hath great authority over the consciences of men making Laws and Canons to bind the conscience and releasing and loosing them from the power of Gods Lawes either in point of Marriage or in point of Oaths and Covenants or in point of naturall relation He can dispence with children in respect of duty to Parents if they come into Monasteries and with duty which Subjects owe to Magistrates 3. They have power over the Church Treasury by which they meane the supererogation of the merits of Christ and of the Saints They say Christ merited for a thousand worlds and because he saved but a few it is free for the Pope to take the surplussage of merit He can take them and apply them by Indulgences for the pardoning of them that pay well for them And thus they who despise Gods imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ for justification they take upon them to impute it to themselves and to this and that notorious wicked man 4. They have power over Kingdomes and Common-wealths to depose Kings and to dispose of their Kingdoms as they please and to absolve Subjects from all Allegiance to civill power and for that end to nullifie their Oath for that end you know what the Pope sent to Henry the fourth Christ say they gave this power to Peter and Peter to the Pope and to that end abuse Jer. 1. 10. See I have this day set thee over the Nations to root cut and pull downe and to destroy and to throw downe to build and to plant 5. They
Dragon gave him his power and Authority and such Authority that he exalts himself above all that is called God The use is thus much First it serves to shew the vanity of all that admiration of the Roman Catholick visible Church and devotion to that Church which hath so long for many Ages deluded the world and with which Jesuites and Seminaries doe to this day delude devout but carnall souls Here is great power given to them and great authority but whence hath the Church all this They pretend they have it all from Christ but they have it from the Dragon of the bottomlesse pit He gave him his power and seat and great authority It never came from Christ he never gave this power to any Church nor State in the world it is from the Dragon And whereas they plead it is the keys of the kingdome of Heaven Mat. 16. 19. It is verely as the Text calls it Rev. 9. 1. The key of the Bottomlesse pit There fell a star from Heaven to the Earth and to him was given the key of the Bottomlesse pit It is he that hath power to let out smoak out of the bottomlesse pit Not to let out men from thence as some have pretended or from Limbus which is the suburbs of Hell But to let out smoak damnable doctrine and false Government He hath power to open it but no power to shut it power to sting mens consciences but no power to heal them And therefore when Bellarmine makes the Roman Catholick visible Church to be the true Church he makes this the first note of a true Catholick Church whereas our Divines make Preaching of the word and administration of the Sacraments and holy Diâ—cipline he refutes them and sets down three other universall Catholick visible Church to be the true Church And the truth is it is the very Beast to which the Devill gave this great Authority and power Wherefore let not men be bewitched with them but let us know they are all but efficacies of delusions what ever have been in this kinde spoken If any man say shall we disclaim an Article of our Creed to despise the holy Catholick Church God forbid we doe believe the holy Catholick Church spread over all Nations But a Church Catholick that shall have one visible head and be the Mother Church verily we look at it as the greatest and ugliest beast that ever was raised in the world Take all other Monarchies that the Scripture describes the Leopard of Greece the Lyon of Babell and the Bear of Persiae and they are either of them but a beastly state but here all these Beasts are mingled and confounded in one And besides It hath seven heads and ten horns A Leopard a Lyon and a Beare they are orderly creatures according to some Institution But here is a Beast that runs besides all institution and description of Scripture and societies of men that ever was raised The Catholick visible Roman Church is the most monster God forbid we should blaspheme any Church but I do but speak Scripture Let the world be judg if the Scripture can be accommodated to any but to this Roman-Catholick mother Church It is evident in Scripture these seven heads and ten horns must be some Roman State the Roman Pagan State it cannot be nor yet the Roman Christian State and a Roman State it is but there hath been no other Roman State but the Roman-Catholick visible Church and that hath claimed such great power and authority which is doubtlesse as incompatible to Scripture as may be which by the wit of man hath not been invented but by the Dragon and yet so goodly in the eyes of the world which great Princes are deluded and besotted withall and happy they that can be reconciled to that State Secondly Learn we to magnifie the free rich grace of God that hath delivered us from this great Beast and the worship of it and hath restored us in a great measure to the government of primative simplicity that now we may meet every Lords day that all may heare and all may be edefied where every one may brign his offence if hee cannot be satisfied in private and may be heard and the case in due time searched into and healed according to God This is Primative simplicity and this is direct proceeding without Lordly Prelacy which overwhelms all the world like a great Sea And it i well called a Sea for it swallows up all like a vast Ocean And the more thankfull ought we to be that he hath delivered us from the Image of the Beast as well as from the beast it selfe A Catholick Church that beareth sway over so many hundred Churches and overwhelms them all Such Lawes they shall make as shall binde all Nations and whether they give consent or no they must subscribe to them in point of government Were we sensible how odious this Beast were in the sight of the holy Ghost and of the Apostle John it would affect us with strong thankfulnesse and hearty enlargednesse to God that hath delivered us from so great a beast and from any image and picture of it unto which all the world is subject unlesse in some few places Thirdly It may teach all Church Officers not to affect any Lordly pomp and state For Officers of a Church to take upon them any great State or to see a Church composed in any such form you see in the eyes of the holy Ghost it is a Beast There is nothing more disproportionable to us then for us to affect Supremacy for us to weare the hornes that might push Kings to throw downe any or to desire Magistrates to execute what we shall think fit verily it is not compatible to the simplicity of the Church of Christ Neither may they give their power to us nor may we take it from them That when an Excommunication passe in the Church then to leave it to the Magistrate that so a man being excommunicated is left Ipso facto to civill censure upon the Churches censure this will cause the Magistrates to submit their power to the Church unavoidably that if a Church censure the Magistrates must proceed against them Now it is good to have these two States so joyned together that the simplicity of the church may be maintained and upheld and strengthened by the civill State according to God but not by any simplicity further then according to the word Beware of all secular power and Lordly power of such vast inspection of one church over another Take heed of any such usurpation it will amount to some monstrous Beast Leave every church Independant not Independant from brotherly counsell God forbid that we should refuse that but when it comes to power that one Church shall have power over the rest then look for a Beast which the Lord would have all his people to abhor Fourthly let it be in the feare of God an use to beware how we take Satans offers This
slay him and crush his spirituall arrogancy that under pretence of Vicarship to Christ will yet be the Lord of the Church The Reason of the point is From the dishonour put upon Christ to take the headship from him to whom it belongeth This honour to be the head of the Church is the proper right of the Lord Jesus It is his First by guiâ—t from the Father Ephes 1. 22. To be head ever all things to the Church and Col. 1. â—8 He is the head of the body the Church Secondly it is his by Purchase He gave himselfe to death even the death of the Crosse and God hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name Phil. 2. 8 9. He dyed and rose again that he might be Lord both of the dead and living Rom. 14. 9. So that now when the Lord hath this headship of the Church granted him and also hath purchased it by his own death now for another to claym headship it must needs imply either that the head is a non-resident or else thrust out of his headship he doth administer And though the Lord be not present in body yet in his spirituall presence he is as truely present and more effectually then any that can be devised And therefore in regard of injury done to Christ which the Lord will not bear he will therefore crush and wound such heads 2dly From the sacrilegious injury put upon the Church It is an usurpation of all power from the Church that if a Catholick Church be met they will give power and Lawes to other Churches and look what the second Beast doth he administers all the power of the first Beast Look what power is given to the Catholick Church that doth the Bishop of Rome incorporate to himself and he causeth an Image of that Church to be made in Provinciall Nations which when they have taken hold like a Bears claws they will not easily be rooted out Now this is such injurous usurpation that from that day to this they have never been free That where the Pope hath had to doe the Churches are spoiled of the authority that is given to them by Christ And therefore you must not wonder if the Lord wound the head of such as goe on in their wickednesse Psal 68. 20 21. The jealousie of the Lord riseth against such usurpations For a visible Catholick Church to be set over the world who may make Lawes to rule conscience and make Officers for the ordering of all Churches It is such a Monster and the Government of it is so odious in the sight of God that he wounds it to death For the use of the point It may serve to provoke us all to pray heartily and faithfully for the repressing of all such heads as either the Bishop of Rome is or any Images of him whatsoever they be You read of a little horn in Daniel whose root was stubbed up wherever you read of any horns that will usurpe power over the Church look at it as it is abominable to Christ it provokes the spirit of Christ Soveraign Authority is his If the Lord be set upon the hill of Sion he will wound the Bishop of Rome or any that shall take his Image He will give them a deadly blow especially when they are more arrogant then his Indignation ariseth against them to execute judgement on such The headship of the Church is a singular priviledge to the Lord Jesus and incompitable to any They must either take Christs office out of his hands or think him negligent or non-resident and that he doth not sufficiently discharge his headship and therefore they will usurpe an office in his name but that is abominable to Christ Obj. But you will say So wee shall pluck the Crowne off from the heads of Christian Princes for they challenge that stile to be head of the Church Answ I doe not know any Christian Prince that chalengeth that stile That which was sometimes given to Saul may be given to Princes 1 Sam. 15. 17. When thou wast little in thine eyes wast thou not made the head of the Tribes of Israel That is true and so the King is head of all the Peeres and head of all the Shires and the Churches are in some or other of them that is 1. They have power over the Church in all civill matters 2. And I will say thus much that they have power to redresse and reforme inordinate abuses in the Church provoking Church officers to doe it If they doe not other Churches are to treat with them and if their corruptions be prejudicial either to the doctrine of the Gospell or if they degenerate to any Tyranny they are to look to redresse such things but this gives them not headship over the Church over their persons it doth but not over the Church that is 1. They have no power either to call Church-officers or to depose them 2. They have no power to dispence Church-censures 3. They have no power to suspend Church liberties 4. They have no power to appoint Church-ordinances nor power to administer any matter further then any other member of the Church and this did the Church of England acknowledge and no more then this was due Therefore we allow some power and authority to Princes and Magistrates in the sence spoken of If they claime any further it will so kindle the jealousie of the Lord that the Lord wil certainly wound it to the cracking of the Crowns of all that take it upon them which may be a notable warning to all Church-men I mean Church officers to beware of cleeking into their hands the power which God hath not given them the Lord will wound their heads he will not endure it 't is a priviledge that he hath purchased with his owne bloud I think there is no need here to presse it but this let me say it is a just motive to pray the more ardently and faithfully for the crushing of such heads wherever the Lord findes any arrogant head that any Church-officer will undertake to give Lawes to the Churches in their diocesse that they will put Officers upon them that they will suspend them at their pleasure and put in and put out whether the Church will or no This kinde of insolency in such a state let it look for a wound for a wound it shall have And therefore we are the more encouraged to pray for and to look for deliverance from these Heads for John tells us 1 John 5. 14. that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth us And this is according to the will of God that all ambitious heads be wounded What he hath done he will doe There is no new thing under the Sun he spares and changes and wounds in every change Persons are changed but Gods administrations are one and the same If Gods indignation have been ardently kindled against the Bishop of Rome he will certainly visite such powers
did any earthly Prince challenge that he could not erre nor that none must controll him if he did There have been Laws made to controll the greatest Princes Nebuchadnezzar was taught to be controlled that in the end Shadrach Mesech and Abednego goe away rewarded 3. The Catholick Church and the Pope is the head of it claimes a power of binding and loosing To bind mens consciences by his Laws and to loose mens consciences by his Indulgences and that not ministerially as Ministers do from the Word but by a Juditiary power to dissolve the bond of naturall Obedience incestuous Marriages Oaths and Covenants in Marriage Natural relations between Parents and Children and morall Relations between Princes and Subjects There is not any bond that he cannot loose nor any liberty which he cannot restraine And this not over a few only but over the vast world so far as it is Christian And 4. It is a great thing he speakes and he speakes it not behind the door when he challengeth Soveraign dominion in way of advancement of Religion over all Kingdoms so as to depose their Kings and dispose of their Kingdoms leave any State to choose where he hath power If his Crowne be to be fetched from Rome as it was in former times when it was most active He will set it on but dash it off againe out of the plentitude of his power to â—et up and throw downe at his pleasure He opened his mouth to speak great things He is never so in his element as when he doth hold forth such vast authority and divine propriety proper to the Father Son and holy Ghost Now as he speaks great things so blasphemes against God and wherein Against his Name and Tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven Against his name All these are blasphemies against Gods name to attribute all these divine properties to a beastly man to a great beast And it is blasphemy to ascribe any divine honour or to put it upon any creature Images served the holy Ghost calls blasphemy Isa 65. 7. You have blasphemed me upon every green hill And in Ezek. 20. 27 28. he complaines of the like blasphemy that they blasphemed him by their Idolatires In Mar. 2. 7. Why doth this man speak blasphemies who can forgive sins but God onely It were to speak blasphemy in any but in Christ Secondly It is against his Tabernacle that may be either meant the body of Christ as 1 John 14. He tabernacled amongst us Or it may be meant the visible Churches such as are instituted by him For the body of Christ it is blasphemy to go to every Masse Priest to make him the body and blood of our Saviour Or if you understand the Tabernacle to be the Church that is the Temple of God 1 Cor. 3. 16. Now to call the Church of Christ a Conventicle of Hereticks and Schismaticks it is blasphemy and so they count all the Churches here And for the Saints in heaven to put upon them divine worship to build Temples to them to put up Prayers to them to keep Holy-dayes to them it is blasphemie to them it is a great dishonour Paul and Barnabas when they saw men to come and offer sacrifice to them Men and brethren why doe you these things you cannot do us a greater injury And for the Saints in heaven that is pure Churches he condemns them for Hereticks and Schismaticks and as unworthy of Christian communion and Christian burial these are blasphemies So you see the meaning of this Scripture There was given him a mouth to speake great things and to blaspheme God in his Name in his Tabernacle in those that dwell in Heaven Thus hath he done many yeares and thus doth hee still Now for the reason of the point you see the point stands upon two branches 1. That such power was given him 2. That he did effectually and abundantly put it foâ—â—h He opened his mouth Let mee give the reasons of both 1. Why such power was given him it was First from God in his just judgement to punish the unthankfull world that received not the love of the truth Therefore the Lord gave them over to efficacy of delusions to believe lies That they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse 2 Thes 2. 10 11. This is the just judgment of God that since they refused the simplicity of wholsome Doctrine and had itching eares they should have such men as came with the subduing word of the Law to speak great things and they should have what they aske This is from Gods just jugement A second Reason is from Satan for God concurred and Satan concurred and Christian Princes concurred herein Satan concurred for this reason that he might be avenged of God and despight the name of Christ that had cast him out and dethroned him from his divine power That whereas he was the great God of the world and the God of Israel but a puny God of the lesser Nations now hee is to be no God to trust on but like a Toad or Serpent this doth so enrage the venome of the old Devill that he powrs forth a flood of malice and venome against the Church and Christ as much as may be to testifie to the world hee would be Lord and the Lord Jesus should not prevaile And if he may not be God he will set up a Beast that shall be adored as God And it is a great despight to Christ to advance a Beast that shall carry great State and power and dare and will speak greater things then all the Churches of Christ I as great as the Lord himself shall speak look what one speaks the other wil speak it all and speak it abundantly As the Devill himselfe sometimes said to Christ All these will I give thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me The same doth he speak at this day and he will speak without controll Another reason that binds Satan so to speak is not only his old enmity to Christ but from his malice against the Church When hee saw that the seed of the woman had thus dethroned him and cast him out of divine power he powrs forth a flood of malice after her and he sends forth an ugly Beast that if he can may root out the face of Christianity and root her out from the face of the earth Rev. 12. 15. These are the Devils reasons that mooved him to stirre up the Beast and to give him a mouth to speake so boldly as hee did But why will Christian Princes be so prodigall to submit themselves to him God had committed to them the care of the Churches that all Churches should live peaceably and quietly under them in all godliness and honesty why would they so degenerate and suffer the Bishop of Rome so to arrogate and speak such great blasphemies The reasons were 1. Because they were ignorantly blinde It was a time of palpable darknesse darknesse
prevailed to break his power there and so in Ireland where she set her hand she brake mightily his power and the power of Catholick Prinâ— though mightier then she She renounced the Catholick Church that is this great beast and cut off his head to her best understanding which was about the sounding of the seventh Trumpet Rev. 11. 15. When the Kingdomes of this world became the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ For then did begin the seventh Trumpet to sound which brought the conversion of Kingdomes and States that though the beast still continued yet he still lost his Authority which he had before what he did approve before that stood and what he did not that fell to the ground Now he hath so much power that if France be more pravalent or Spaine he will take with them as he thinks he may with his Catholick Sons for his own security but his power is so blasted that though he doth continue still and will continue yet a great Beast that rules all the world that power the Catholick Roman Church hath lost though he prevail with his superstitious inventions with those that are his in a carnall way or from an opinion of their fathers honesty c. But yet the power is not left to the Bishop of Rome to doe all things as in those former times he might his word is not a law nor his decrees so Authenticall they are now considered of even among Catholicke Princes It is not now in his power to take up Controversies between France and Spain if they will make war Time was they durst as well have eaten a Bears foot as have ventured upon any war without his likeing but that was the time when the armes of his power and his jawes were not broken Thus if you take this Scripture as Brightman takes it from Constantines coming to the Crown it will expire then about the time when the Bull came forth against Qâ— Eliz. and as they thought would be sufficient to blast her and all the Huguenots with her But yet that makes but one beginning and ending of this account whereas the Text makes two for in Chap. 12. 6. when the child was caught up to God and to his throne and the woman fled into the wildernesse then there was a great battle that battle lasted 90 years and then was the Devill cast out of Heaven and his Flamins and Arch-flamins were blasted with him they had no power in Theodosius time from that time the Dragon was cast out of Heaven and persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child and there was given to her two wings of a great Eagle that she might flee into the wildernesse Now I say according to this there is another computation of this time there was no more place found for him in heaven w ch was in the year 395. for two or three years we must not pinch much it is hard to keep exact account by reason of taking up one year from the Predecessor which in so many years come to sometimes more sometimes lesse Now if you shall take the Computation from that time t is true from Constantines time the Church might fly into the wildernesse for it is true the Church is made a wildernesse if you set the doores of the Church so wide and pull down the walls that whereas before it was a Garden inclosed Cant. 4. 12. now you let in vast territories bring in the whole world now you make it Catholick now though it had no Catholick power a Garden is made a wildernesse if you pull down the pales take down the narrow watch of Officers and let in all men that will thrust in ambitiously to gratifie them The Church was full of covetousnesse whoredomes adulteries deceivers haters of God and the true power of Godlinesse even in his time and so forward was almost worn out and never was so in all the time of persecution but after that the Bishop of Rome had taken the stile of Pontifex maximus and Theodosius slept with his Fathers then the Church grew more transcendantly Catholick and that they thought he would be Lord Paramount but yet his transcendant power did spring as he was cheif Bishop then he was universall Bishop for his power grew by degrees Now I say if you take this latter computation which also the Text doth then if you reckon from 395. years and adde to that 1260. years putting these two together they will expire in the yeare that shall be according to the Roman account 1655. I will not be two confident because I am not a Prophet nor the Son of a Prophet to foretell things to come but so far as God helps by Scripture light about the time 1655. there will be then such a blow given to this beast and to the head of this beast which is Pontifex maximus as that we shall see a further gradual accomplishment and fulfilling of this Prophecy here You must not think it strange that some Prophecies receive a graduall accomplishment Sometimes you have a Prophecy of the 70. yeares captivity which is accomplished by the redemption of the Church out of Babell yet a more full accomplishment shall be when the Church shall be delivered from this whore of Rome and the Church of the Jewes shall be called againe So it is here according to the different computation of time the wise God hath all seasons in his hand he doth foresee and foretell to his people when they shall come to passe So that though the arme of his glorious power be broken and his bones broken that he is nothing that beast in power that he was and hath not been since the sending of that dreadfull excommunication which was thought to be so dangerous to the famous Princesse I spake of yet a power he hath over many Churches and the power given him by the ten horns they are not all broken as in Chap. 11. 13. The tenth part of the City fell by reason of the earthquake There was such a fall that a tenth part fell but yet a great part stands still to this day in some measure that will take their Religion from him as they see cause but not all in Religion neither for the King of France will not yield to the Councell of Trent to this day it falling out that his Ambassadors did not sit in the cheife place he will not authorize that Councell Thus is his power broken but yet it continues in some measure till a further accomplishment of it but for two or three years I cannot limit that for there may be some uncertainty by reason of the variation of Chronicles that have sometimes more sometimes lesse in the beginning and ending of the Reign of Princes But otherwise about that time will be the expiration of the power and great authority of this Beast But already we see by the blessing of God his power weakned but we look for a further accomplishment The matter hath
more and more after that time Rev. 13. 7. And it was given unto him to make warre with the Saints and to overcome them and power was given him over all Kindreds and Tongues and Nations WHen the Devill that is to say the Dragon could not find any longer resting place in heaven that is to say he could no longer enjoy Soveraign and divine worship as the great God Constantine and his Successors having brought in Christ and his worship alone instead of all the gods of the Gentiles He therefore to revenge himselfe makes warre against the Church that were the rooters out of Pagan Idolatry This warre because he could not manage by himselfe it being very strong he therefore raiseth two Beasts out of his power the first and second Beasts in this Chapter the first from vers 1. to the 10. The second from vers 10. to the end of the Chapter It was a third Roman State not Rome-Pagan nor Rome-Christian but Rome-antichristian that is to say the Roman visible Catholick Church This is described many wayes by a wound given him upon one of his heads for a season that when Rome was sacked he was almost in a forlorn estate and despairing of recovery but being healed the effects were 1. The worlds admiration after the Beast 2. Their worship both of the Beast and of the Dragon which is Satan himselfe The third event is Power or as the word signifies Authority ver 5 6 7. And this Power and Authority did stretch forth it selfe to three employments First He had power given him to speake great things and blasphemies He might speak blasphemy by authority The second power that was given him was to continue or to be doing to be acting and working all in all for the number of 42. moneths which in the former Chapter is described by dayes and the dayes meant years 1260. yeares which have been at large spoken to The third power and authority given him was To make warre with the Saints and that not a vain and loose war but an effectuall prevailing war a victorious war It was given him to make warre with the Saints and to overcome them There was also a fourth power given him and that was dominion over all the Kindreds Tongues and Nations All Christian Kingdomes they did all of them submit their Crowns and Scepters to this Beast the Roman Catholick visible Church whereof the Pope is the seventh head for he had seven heads and ten horns Five of them were fallen the sixth then which was the Caesars and the Pope he was the seventh Two of these Powers have been opened Power to blaspheme and Power to continue and be doing I come now to the third Power or Authority given to this Beast and that is to make war with the Saints and to overcome them The note then is shortly this The Roman visible Catholicke Church had power to make warre against the Saints yea and to overcome them They are in a manner the words of the Text explained in their true meaning The warre that he speaks of as I conceive in this place is not a spirituall warre though that also this beast did make for he caused all that dwelt upon the Earth to admire and adore him and that was spirituall war But he speaks of such a warre here the effect whereof is killing with the Sword Hee that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword vers 10. As if God would reward him in his owne kind He that slayes many thousands of Christians with the sword that is by the power of warre he himselfe shall at length be destroyed by warre also So that he speaks of a war fought by Arms by slaughter and blood-shed by open expedition of Military persons fighting in the quarrell of this beast against the Saints of God There is another warre mentioned in the 17. Chap. of this book where it is said this Beast and the ten Horns that is the Christian Kings that shall give their power and authority to this Beast shall make warre with the Lamb and they which are of the Lambs side are called and chosen and faithfull and here they are called Saints But there you shall see it is not the same kinde of warre but differing there from what is here for there it is sayd They shall make warre with the Lamb and the Lamb shall overcome them but here it is said He shall make warre with the Saints and overcome the Saints So that one of these warres he speaks of when he that hath smitten others he shall be smitten himselfe that is towards the end of his Authority then the Lamb shall make warre and overcome him but in the meane time he hath power to make warre and overcome them it is therefore a bloody warre And it is not said that he began this war as soon as he began to do for here are sundry acts and passages of Authority before he comes to this transcendant power to violent warre Hee was admired and adored in the consciences of all Roman Catholicks Hee had done many things spake great blasphemies many a day and yeare together And in the end he receives also this power to make warre with the Saints that he was able to muster up such an Army of his owne or his Horns that is those Princes that were obedient to him as he was able to make warr Now this Scripture I conceive was accomplished in his wars against the Waldenses and Albingenses in the 12. Century after Christ they held all things conformable to the Scriptures and the Fathers as they called them and every way Orthodoxall only they blasphemed the Church of Rome this Beast could not tell what he had against them otherwise but otherwise he commended them for their honesty piety and good dealing and there was nothing culpable in their doing but that they spake against the Church of Rome now against them did the Pope and the Catholick Church procure many expeditions of sore warre for many yeares together and in conclusion rooted them out of the Countrey and scattered them up and downe some to some part of France some to Bohemia some to Germany some to England and some to one place and some to another though the Papists did confesse that the people were not rooted out but scattered and where-ever they came they propagated their Religion that it was more and more spread where they came but they overcame them for they slew as stands upon Record about ten hundred thousands of them and did burn up their Cities and Cattell fel'd their wood that there might be no more Hereticks nestled in that wildernesse and they did take a course that Midwives and Mothers and Infants in the womb all should be slaughtered by fire and sword that there might be no more continuance of that Generation So that in this War the Pope did mightily prevaile and prospered so farre that he spread all Christendom and in one battle did overcome a great many
of the Saints Whereupon the Waldenses being warned by a Religious man sent by the Bishop of Tholouse to confesse the hand of God against them for Hereticall pravity in blaspheming the Roman Catholick visible Church and continuing so long in it and to turn to the Catholick Church For their defence to answer the Temptation that was put upon them said they it is written The Beast shall make war with the Saints and overcome them therefore it is no argument of Gods being against us in respect of our Religion for he may acknowledg us Saints though we be slain to this day and therefore though there were but a handful left they would rather dye then yeeld to conformity to the Church of Rome So you see the point opened For the Reasons First how this Beast comes to have this power to make warre Secondly how the Saints come thus to be warred upon And thirdly how they come to be overcome for all these would be opened First this beast had power given him to make warre by severall hands First the devout subjection of the ten Christian Kings to him that gave their kingdoms and swords into his hand Rev. 17. 17. God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will and to agree and give their Kingdoms unto the Beast The principall Kings of Christendome in those dayes came and gave their power to the beast and by their power he was able to do wonders against all A second reason and cause of his power to war against the Saints was because of the prosperous successe which they had in the warre against Christians a hundred yeares before and that was in an expedition of Godfrey of Bulloign in Greece and Duke Dalbo that went forth to recover the holy Land as they call it to overcome the Turks and Sarazens and Godfrey Bullen a Christian Prince as they call him they made him King at Jerusalem there he continued and prospered mightily in this war and held it for many years together and Christian Princes seeing the prosperous successe of this War which he had raised up to recover the holy Land and the Sepulchre of Christ therefore upon the same tearms that he did procure that Expedition against Infidels he doth procure warre against these Hereticks and out of the same notion there were gathered an innumerable company A third Reason was from the zealous Sermons of Fryars and Monks exciting all Christendom to this Warr under the Standard of the Crosse in promise of equall pardon as if the Expedition had been against the Sarazens thence came he to make such authority to make Warre with the Saints that if he call for it it is done He agrees upon it in his own Councell and he gives instruction to all Abbots and Fryars and Governours of religious Orders that they should send out chiefe Preachers to call upon all the people as in Psal 94. 16. Who wil rise up for me against the evill doers or who will stand up for me against the workers of Iniquity Sometimes complayning of the slacknesse of men to holy zeale for Gods glory and maintenance of purity of Religion and sometimes a necessity of taking part with those that are Infidels abroad and Hereticks and Schismaticks at home They found their Explication amounting to that use that whereas there had been many Hereticks nestled up in this Countrey therefore it pleased him and the Apostle Peter to stirre up the Bishop of Rome to vouchsafe the like plenary pardon to those which would go to warre against these Hereticks as those which had prevailed against Infidels and the premise of pardon did so farre prevail that they shortly gathered together 300000. that in hope of plenary pardon of sinne did give up themselves to go on upon their owne charges they would sell goods and Lands for pardon of sin and peace of conscience And in those dayes men were wont to be troubled at the Sermons of the Fryars and Monkes and never found setled peace by pardon from Christ Jesus and never thought to look for pardon where it was and they told them it was to be had by bestowing their goods and lands thus and those Fryars and Monks did so inculcate and drive the nayl to the head in the hearts of people that they were never at rest till they went about this Expedition there were raised a matter of ten Captains Simon Munford was one a notable instrument for the Devill and this great Beast The last Reason was the superstition of those times the deep devotion and dejection of spirit that was in the bodies of Christians in those dayes in regard of their spiritual estate They being deepely convinced of sinne and sharply reproved by the Fryars and Monks who had a notable dexterity to sting the consciences of men and wound them by the terrour of Gods wrath sometimes for their great exactions sometimes for their incest sometimes for their whoredome and neglect of the Ordinances of the Church and they had things so full against them that it made them strictly devout and so were taken up in devotion to this great Beast and the head of it that all the world admired and adored him for his admirable and transcendant power and keyes that he had to heaven as they thoughtâ— they all yeelded themselves some their bodies to fight and some that had not sufficient to maintaine themselves other good Catholicks were ready to cast in some more some lesse to maintaine them according to their abilities and happy he that could make something to make warre aginst these Hereticks So that lay all these together and you will see how he had this great power to make war with the Saints Here was a great and vast change from the Institution of Christ who confined all Churches into one Congregation that all may heare and all may be edefied that one Parish Church should grow to that vastnesse to levy 300000. to the warre and that by a word of his mouth to have them all mayntained without grudging for every man did thinke the worke as pious a marvellous change and well doth the holy Ghost say Hee had great power that the power of that Church should reach over all Churches and shall have such an influence into Kings that look what they shall dictate all shall be ready body and goods and life and all to maintain them you see the reasons of it how he comes by this power But secondly how comes he to make War against the Saints There is a double reason for that one is taken from the profession and practice and conversation of these Saints This was their practice They followed the Lamb as in the next Chapter I looked and loe a lambe stood on the mount Sion and with him an hundred fourty and four thousand having his Fathers name written in their foreheads These are they which are not defiled with women for they are Virgins These are they which follow the Lamb whether soever
he goeth They kept themselves undefiled of this Antichrist of Rome were not defiled with the whoredome of this great beast in all things they consented with the Doctrine of the Primitive Church and their hypocrisies and whoredomes and coveteousnesse were things that would by no means be borne therefore the Pope who was the great head discerning he was thus contested against and as they say blasphemed he thinks he does nothing though he destroy Turkes and Sarazens and Aegyptians and whoever took the Sepulcher of Christ as long as those Heretickes at home were not subdued therefore he thinks it as meritorious a worke to subdue them as ever to fight for the holy Land But there was another thing that made the war for no warre can be made but by levying of Forces on both part◠And therefore a second was their taking up of Armes in the just defence of their liberties both of conscience and outward man For if the Catholick Church had raised up all these Forces and they had quietly submitted themselves like sheep to the slaughter there had beene no warre then there had been massacres It would have amounted to that as the massacre in Paris that a man did not lift up his hand but they were slaughtered like dogs in the street Though they come with fire and sword yet unlesse they resist with fire and sword it cannot be said to be war Some set in against them though their weaknesse caused them to presume but it was to weak a businesse for flesh and bloud Wee wrestle not against flesh and blood but against Principalities and Powers and spirituall wickednesses They which trust to flesh and bloud shall be deceived as these men they stood out and sometimes prospered while the Earl of Tone and some other Princes joyned together though they were but few they prospered but war is not one Battel or two and in the end they were overcome and this Beast prevailed and that 's the reason of the 2 d part how he came to make warre against the Saints For the 3 d How came he to overcome them Truly not by strength he had very little that way but First he overcame them by their a little too much confidence in the arme of flesh when they see the King of Aragon set on they come to be a little set on by the power of the King and a great Battell recoyled by trusting to the arme of flesh You read in Heb. 11. 34. That by faith the Saints waxed valiant in Fight turned to flight the Armies of the Aliens but when our faith runne in another channell that we grow confident not in the Lord Jesus by trusting in him but on the arme of flesh we know what is said in Jer. 17. 5. Cursed be the man ye though he be a good man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and whose heart departeth from the Lord It withers it cannot stand against the potent Army that rise up against them though their enemies were never lesse in number nor never lesse provided yet they prevailed more then ever before The second Reason was by their attention to politick and deceitfull Treaties of peace for when they saw the men were good Souldiers valient in battell and able to fight it out and they found the 3000. that were to fight for plenary pardon three years had served out their time and they had got as they thought their souls saved they would go home now and they had got peace by this carnall confidence of theirs So they perceived this war would be troublesome and the Hereticks were like to prosper therefore they gather in the cheif Leaders to Treaties about peace and great pitty that such bloud should be shed therefore for the honour of Rome it were needfull to cease the warre and so would draw their cheif Leaders to firme leagues of Peace and then they kept their best Generals in Prison and thus when they had got them to yeild to their pretences then they had their neckes under their girdles and their throats under their axes they might hew them out of measure Insomuch that the King of France hearing of such cruell massacre he sent to know what their Religion was and though he sent expresse charge that none of his Souldiers should offer violence to them yet they concealing his Letters they went on in massacring the poor Saints and scattering them up and down in so much that they prevailed partly by the Saints cleaving to the arme of flesh and by trusting their false pretences And there is a third Reason mentioned in the 10. vers saith he Here is the Faith and Patience of the Saints It was Gods pleasure to make it the season of the Patience of the Saints It was the season wherein Antichrist should swell to his height and the Saints be brought low and their Patience be tryed to the utmost and it being a time of the Saints Patience it must needs be a time of their suffering and suffer they did with much patience but yet they were not utterly exterpated for some fled to France and some to England and so propagated Christian Religion which after turned to the conversion of many John Husse and Jerome of Pragues Doctrine grew and spread more till God raised up Luther to set forward the power of the Gospell Thus you see the truth of the Doctrine For the use then First it may serve to let us see whence is the power of waging war for the Text saith it was given To him it was given to make war with the Saints All men cannot receive this as our Saviour saith in another case but they to whom it is given It is not an easie matter for any to be 〈◊〉 to wage war it requires great store of persons and great store of Treasury and Fountain to maintaine both And besides all this it require◠no small measure of Wisdome and Policy to undertake such designes all these you see the Lord gives and gives them to those that his soul take no pleasure in and to those that in his esteem are men of beastly spirit◠yet he gives them power to make warre He may blesse himself in his rule and bravery that they were able to 〈◊〉 against Infidels and after against Heriticks as they called them but indeed the Saints of God but you see God gave power unto this Beast which is therefore no cause of triumph or glorying that he hath recived such a power for you see it may be given to these that are enemyes to the Lord Jesus Secondly observe this much That the Lord himselfe doth acknowledge even his poor children on Earth to be that which is commonly by priviledge sequestred to the holy Saints in Heaven He calles them Saints We think Saint-ship is a peculiar priviledge to the Saints in Heaven when they have ended their dayes in peace and a good conscience then they are accounted Saints and Angels but the Lord accounts
ten Kings that is to say the body of Christian Princes and all the Nations subject to them they all gave their power unto the Beast Rev. 17. 17. No nation professed Christianity but professed also subjection to the Sea of Rome that is to the Romon Catholick visible Church And the Papists are large in this Bellarmine makes it a 4 th note of the visible Church amplitude of power and he gives sundry instances Stories are evident that all Nations did professe this Religion specially after the subduing of the Waldences though they did before setting aside that remnant of the womans seed that were fled into the wildernesse Now no Nation in Christendid professe other Religion then Popery especially from the time of Charls the Great to Charles the fifth which was a matter of 720. years There was no visible profession open unlesse in some secret corners of the world no Nation held forth any other Religion then Popish nor professed subjection to any other Church Now in every Nation there are or may be divers Tongues as in England you have the English and Welsh and Cornish Tongues besides others that are discrepant from English But he saith not only every Nation but every Tongue that is every Language they all gave their power to the Beast And in every Tongue we have many Kindreds and there is no man that could ever say but some of his kindred have been Popish or are Popish to this day if not all yet some of the ancientest and those the greater part here is the universality of it And I say further he had ample and great power for to have power over all argues amplitude It is said in the beginning of the 8 vers which I will take in and open here it is said They shall worship him That 's a great power when it doth amount to inward worship not civill but divine worship It was divine worship that he challenged and all Nations gave him To give Laws of faith and worship and government to all Churches in Christendom that was divine power peculiar to the Lord Jesus It was divine power to challenge toihimselfe imposition of Kings and deposition of Kings without consent of the people To provoke the people to do it whether they liked their Prince or no this is transcendant above all created power Besides it was divine worship they gave in giving him power over their Consciences challenging to himself and they also yeelding freely a power to bind Conscience with the Laws he gave them to loose their consciences either from the Laws of God in matter of Oaths to loose them from guilt of sinne to loose their consciences from Contracts from Confederacies this is divine power They all worship him whose names are not written in the booke of the Lamb and some of them too for a season but they continue not God opens their eyes to repent of it and to rise from under it It was divine power to chalenge infalibility of Judgment to judg of Scripture out of the Oracle of his owne braines These were all divine worship they gave to the Catholick Church and to the head of it the Bishop of Rome So that marvayl not as the Text saith there was given Exasia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not a lame power but an unlimited power over all people in Church and Common-wealth and over conscience There is nothing wherein the Catholick Church had not power throughout all Christendome Now further the Text tells you All this power was given He did not wholly arrogate this power to him though he did so too but it was given him though he took it and took all advantages to get it No man can receive any thing except it be given him from above But he had it given him Given him by whom by God by the Devill and given him by Christian Kings Churches and Common-wealths and Families First it was given by God in his just judgment God gave them up to delusions to believe lyes 2 Thes 2. 11. And he gave two reasons why God gave them up to those delusions 1. To avenge their want of entertainment of the truth in love Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved vers 10. 12. Because they would not receive Christ nor the simplicity of his government and worship in Church-state therefore God gave them up to Satan and to the man of sinne and to the Catholicke visible Roman Church 2. That they all might be damned that have pleasure in unrighteousnesse in the same verse The Lord gave them up therefore to damnable distempers damnable usurpations and Ordnances the Lord gave them up for these two Reasons and they are one subordinate to another Secondly this power was given by Satan also For it is said The coming of Antichrist shall be after the working of Satan with all powers and signes and lying wonders and with all deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse 2 Thes 2. 9 10. By the efficacy of delusion which was by the jugling of those great men in those times for efficacy of delusion is by miracles so by deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse which is three-fold The sophistry of Schoolmen the policy of the Canonists that made their Laws out of the Popes decrees still advancing the Popish Church and the head thereof partly by the devotion of Monks and Fryars And if you aske why Satan did this there is a double reason of that First to revenge the injury which the Church did him by bringing forth a Man-child a Christian Emperour to depose him from his glory wherein he was worshipped as the great God of the world Now when hee sees hee is cast off from the honour he had and there was no more place left for him in heaven it comes to passe that he pours forth a flood of barbarous nations and damnable Heresies after the woman and makes war with the remnant of her seed Rev. 12. 13. 15. 2. A second Reason that stirred up Satan was out of the ancient enmity against Christ and the seed of Christ Gen. 3. 15. I will put enmity between thy seed and her seed which is Christ and all the seed of Christ which are both publique and private Christians he hath an inveterate enmity against them all and therefore he gives the Church of Rome all the power that Pagan Rome had The third sort of givers of this large power to this Beast and the head of it the Pope was The voluntary devotion of Christian Princes and States They did voluntarily resign themselves up and their Kingdoms and States and Churches and Common-wealth and Consciences and all to the obedience of the Sea of Rome Rev. 17. 17. They with one accord gave their Kingdomes to the Beast God put it into their hearts to do it that is true but they were left of God and acted by Satan and so were they brought about to give this power unto the Beast Some were brought unto this by the Popes
a kinde of sacred Authority in the consciences of men because he had this absolute power in Churches a great power for 1260. years together whether you reckon from Constantines time or Theodosius his time he had a marvellous power in Kingdomes Nations and Common-wealths But notwithstanding he had this power in those times yet Christ kept the interest in his own chosen as in Rev. 14. 1. where he had 144000. that were spotlesse virgins Answ â— The Lord Jesus will at length challenge all his own purchase them into his own hand when at the calling of the Jews all the Kingdomes of the world shall be given to the Saints of the most high Dan. 7. 26 27. The Lord will take them all into his own hand and power and jurisdiction but he must first throw down this enemy that hath usurped over his purchased possession But in the mean time this Beast swallows up all for so many Ages together For the use of the point First it may be to refute the Papists that give this as a true note of the Church namely amplitude of dominion as the Catholick Church had They give this for an infallible note of the Church now that note you see is here evidently ascribed to the people that worship the great Beast of whom the Lord saith here ver 8. their names are not written in the booke of the Lamb. So that this is a note not of an Apostolicall Church but it may be a note of an Apostaticall Church that is fallen away from the Apostles Doctrine It is a true description of that State of the Church You see here Power was given over to the Beast over all Kindreds Tongues and Nations And therefore amplitude of dominion is not an inseperable character of the Spouse of Christ for it may be given to those that are not the Church of Christ even to those that are but a Beast in the sight of God not his Spouse I may rather say the contrary that amplitude of Dominion was never a note of a Church of Christ since the world began For in the old Testament the State of the Church was Nationall and they had power over one Nation and sometimes conquered others as in David and Solomons time they conquered the Philistims Ammonites and Moabites and Edomites but it was never over all the whole world and that dominion which they had they did not challenge it by Church power but left them still to their own Religion for the Common-wealth propagated their power by arms having first occasion of warre given them by their arrogance to them In the dayes of the new Testament the Church that Christ instituted reacheth no further then to their own members and their own members reach no further then to one Congregation that all might hear and all might be edefied 1 Cor. 14. 23. So that if Church power extends no further then the bounds of one Congregation then that Church that swelleth and strecheth forth her power all the world over Kindreds and Tongues and Nations what an out-ragious swelling Beast is that that reacheth such vast dominion beyond the proportion that the Lord gave to his Church If you should see a body swell to such a vast bignesse that his armes shall reach from one end of the world to another would it not be counted a monster So in this case the Lord hath limited the power of the Church within it selfe it is a great power that they have but not so great as to binde conscience unless it be Ministerially and so they have power to binde Kings in chains and Nobles in lincks of Iron but to have power judiciary power over the Scriptures and over the conscience over and above the application of the word it is such as the Lord never gave to any Church but it is arrogated and usurped by the man of Sinne. Secondly it may serve to teach you the prouenesse of your natures to that which is evill above that which is savingly and spiritually good This power over all Kindreds and Tongues and Nations the Lord hath purchased by his death Rev. â— 9. He dyed and rose againe that he might be Lord both of quick and dead Rom. 14. 9. And upon his resurrection all power was given him in Heaven and Earth Mat. 28. 18. He prayed for this power and the Lord promised to give him it Psal â— 8. Aske of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the Earth for thy Possession This hath the Lord bought with his pretious bloud and paid for by the power of his eternall Spirit and yet never did the Lord Jesus enjoy this power to this day which the man of Sinne hath enjoyed for so many years together He will enjoy it at lenght when he shall call in the Jews and with them the fulnesse of the Gentiles and reigne in Soveraigne Authority both in Church and Common-wealth according to all the Councell of his word and will But yet it was never known to this day that so many Nations did submit their thrones to the Dominion and Government of Christ and to the Truth of Christ and to worship him with the servants of God notwithstanding the purchase which Christ hath made of this Soveraignty and notwithstanding the efficacy of his prayer for obtaining this power that hee might have dominion over all As soon as Constantine brought the world to become Christian the woman she fled into the Wildernesse The true worshippers of Christ were soon troden under the hatches a mountaine of corruption in Church Government overwhelmed them amain that you cannot set the time when so many Nations served him and were as ready to take up arms in his quarrell as they have done for the man of Sinne. You will say did they not for the recovery of the holy Land many Churches conspire and lay their heads together and engaged themselves for this Warre why when they they undertook that Warre was it Christ that commanded any such thing that Churches should engage themselves and their Estates and Lives and Souls and all for the recovery very of the holy City was it not meerly undertaken by the Bishop of Rome and by the motion of the Catholick Church in a Generall Councell The Roman Catholick Church met in a Generall Councell and they agreed to set about this expedition They promised pardon of Sinne to the people and in hope of that and such like things they went about it It was service to the Beast not to Christ God never acknowledgeth it as any service to Christs Kingdome It was for the advancement of the head of the catholick Church but as any grew more wise they grew more afraid of them So that it is a wonder to see never did the the Christian world give that Authority to Christ as they have done unto the Pope and his Institutions which are not Ordinances of Christ Yea let me say another word which is above
instruction to us that never any evill can befall us but there is a remedy prepared before it come upon us The Lamb was slaine from the beginning of the world Though we lived before Christs time and much more if after it there is no sinne that Adam nor his wife committed but there was a remedy prepared for it before the foundation of the world it was of infinite value it was provided from eternity and promised from the foundation of the world it was shadowed in types and exhibited in sundry representations and in the lively efficacy of it in the hearts and lives of his people since the world began All that we read of Noah Abraham Isaac and Jacob of David and Solomon of Kings Priests and Prophets and Apostles what have they all been but lively representations and foot-steps of the power of the blood of the Lamb the Lord provided his slaughter of the Lamb for the redemption of all his people out of the world before the world began It is many a conceit that Christians have this and that might have fallen out better if such means had been taken in time such a mans life had been saved according as Martha said unto our blessed Saviour in John 11. 21. Lord if thou hadst been here my brother had not dyed why so Christ had been able to heal him By what virtue shall he raise a man from death to life Is it not by the virtue of his death and resurrection If it be was not his death and resurrection before the world began For it is of infinite value and therefore though he came four dayes after Lazarus death was past yet he came timely enough for he brought virtue with him and so let no man say if I had known as much now as before I should not have done thus By what virtue should you have been preserved if there be any saving benefit it must be by the blood of the Lamb for it is from that that we look for all our redemption from all afflictions and temptations from his blood then there was remedy enough before but it was not applyed because God hath some other work more heavenly and spirituall and usefull to us then the accomplishment of our hearts desire then the repairing of our losses and crosses So then this is of speciall use to us that if his blood be shed from the foundaâ—ion of the world then the remedy is never too late If we thinke if we had not known many things we might have saved a world of sorrow why did we not was it because there was no balm in Gilead or no vettue in the blood of the Lamb or that the vertue of it is dryed up No God forbid but the Lord hath some other exercise for us to make us conformable to Christ he would have us more weaned from the world and more Christ-like and more Lamb-like more spirituall and every way more conformable to Christ and for that his blood was sufficient for he came not to save us from crosses but from curses from any thing that might hurt our soules as might break our heads as might hurt our union with Christ and communion with his spirit for that it may be of value it was of value 4000. yeares before his coming in the flesh and do you think it is not of value 4000. yeares after it is not yet 2000. yeares since his coming but 1600. and some odde then be perswaded that the blood of Christ is still lively and fresh to remove all sinne and crosses and to leave a gracious Tincture on all crosses to do us more good then if we were without them This is the efficacy of this blood which is a stay to Christians that are troubled with the power of their corruptions and temptations they are not able to overcome and resist such temptations why not able If all the powers of hell come against you verily there was a remedy provided long ago and it was abundantly efficacious foure thousand yeares before and it is of more efficacy now though they had the Gospel before yet not in that clear manifestation and therefore if you read that Abraham sacrificed and he pleased God but I doubt my prayers and my prophecyingâ— please not God why do they not Abraham knew of the meanes whereby he should please God 〈◊〉 walked with God but I shall never keep â—uch fellowship with him he was reconciled to God and there was no meanes of reconciliation but by the blood of the Lamb it is able to put strength 〈…〉 faith Abraham 〈…〉 Countrey and his Fathers he use onely because 〈…〉 blood of the Lamb and if he prevailed so far why not we â—f he was fully satisfied in the 〈◊〉 of his 〈◊〉 by believing him that had promised what 〈◊〉 it that his death iâ— not of infinite value 〈◊〉 as well as before If Joseph was able to withstand his wanton 〈◊〉 doubtless there is the like power now how shall I crucifie the Sonne of God and put him to open 〈◊〉 Thus poor Christians work upon this infinite vertue and lively power of the death of Christ it wondeâ—fully calmes and purifies the heart it mightily strengthens against all corruption and what ever riseth in the hearts of Gods people that prevailes against them it is because the blood of the Lamb is not applyed otherwise it could not be they should be dead-hearted and blind-spirited and many times at a losse in this and that practice and wrestling with this and that temptation it springs only from want of applying the efficacy of this blood which hath been of such infinite vertue from the beginning of the world Rev. 13. 9 10. If any man have an eare let him heare He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity Hee that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword here is the patience and the faith of the Saints IF any man have an eare let him heare What should he heare For when he doth often use this phrase in the second and third Chapter he tells you what they shall heare Heare what the Spirit saith unto the Churches Now he doth not put in that object of hearing but yet taking his meaning he meanes that which the Spirit hath sayd unto you in the former description of the Beast especially that which he said to them in the words before going to wit the universality of the worshippers of the Beast and the certain destruction of those that do worship him and the preservation of the elect children of God from that contagion It is meet to be heard that such a Beast would come into the world as the Roman visible Church and that he hath in him the resemblance of all the old Empires of the Lyon of Babell of the Beare of Persia of the Leopard of Greece and of other Beasts and of that other Beast the old Roman Pagan Empire And it is not unworthy to be heard the wound that should be given gim by
is the note The Bishop of Rome exerciseth all the Authority of the first Beast that is of the Roman visible Catholick Church he causeth all that dwell on the Earth to worship that Church he doth worke wonders even to the fetching of fire from Heaven and by his wonders procures all christian States to make an Image to the first Beast and gives such life and power to the Image of the Beast that it is able to speak and it shall cause such as do not worship it to be put to death and finally he leaves an impression or imprints a character upon all sorts of christians and will suffer none to enjoy spirituall or civill communion with them unlesse such as will receive either his marke or his name or the number of his name I put them into a doctrinall frame because they are the sum of the words of the Text. Let me breifly open them all First He doth exercise all the Authority of the first Beast Let all that are acquainted either with the writings of the Romanists or of our Divines that bear witnesse against Rome be testimonies in this case what is there that the Catholick Church claimes but the Pope can do it all There are six or seven trascendant â—cts of power which that Church claymes and the Pope familiarly exerciseth them all 1. The Pope hath power to convent generall Councels or if the Emperours will call a general Councel it shall not stand in â—oâ—ce unlesse the Catholick Church and the Bishops meet in a representative Synod it concludes with their determination this he pleads for to this day it belongs not to the Emperors nor to Christian Princes but to the Bishop of Rome It is one of Bellarmines affirmations that one Church shall have power to call all Churches be it to Florence or Basseil thether they must go whether he will 2. As the Catholick Roman Church did usurpe power to make Laws and Canons to binde all Churches So the Pope doth challenge the same power to make Laws to binde all Churches he pleads for it and will not be content without it 3. Look as the Catholick visible Roman Church doth claime Authority of ratifying Scriptures if they put in the Apocrypha it shall be good Scripture and if the Church do not approve the Gospel of Matthew in Greek but in Hebrew it shall be that or if they refuse both them and take the vulgar Latine that shall stand This power the Catholick Church challengeth power to do and the same doth the Pope 4. If the Roman Catholick visible Church challenge a power of interpreting Scripture and judging of controversies with infalibility of judgement The Pope challengeth that to himselfe when he interprets Scripture or decides controversies about Religion he cannot erre and so they make account he is a fit Judge therein 5. Look as you see the Roman Catholick visible Church had power of binding and loosing challengeth all applealâ— and great things they will do by that priveledge excommunicate some of many Churches that are absent some they excommunicate for seven years some to their death that the shall not be reconciled All this the Pope challengeth in a larger measure then the old Roman visible Church did challenge This the Roman Bishop challengeth to binde conscience to loose oathes and covenants between Prince and people between man and wife to loose vows and oaths and natural relations between parents and children if they will shrowd themselves in a Monastery and will dispence against the Apostle Paul in case of incest this is such a power to loose the bonds of Gods commandments and Gods oaths and relations to God and his servants it is such Transcendant power the Roman visible Catholick Church never challenged greater 6. The Roman visible Catholick Church never challenged so great power till it was animated and acknowledged by the Pope to take upon them to set up one King and to take down another King John in England Frederick the first and Frederick the second Henery the fourth and Henery the fifth he crowns and discrowns whom he will and this out of the plentitude of his power And lastly he doth challenge this beyond the Church it selfe Immunity and Impunity from all Civill and Ecclesiastical power and judicature The Church is above all jâ—dicial power and the Pope the head of it is above it and therefore may not be brought into order by any censure of any Church nor by the civil sword And therefore he 〈◊〉 well called one that exerciseth all the power of the first Beast and rather puts more power to it whatever the Catholick Church may do that he can do where they can dispence and make Laws where they can bind or loose c. So farre as they may go he can go and he doth all in the name and sight of the Church And he causeth all that dwell on the Earth That is carnal christians whose conversation is not in Heaven To worship the first Beast How to worship He speaks of divine worship not civil adoration This is an aberation from a Church but a beastly Church it is a monster The Church of the first institution was of one particular congregation and for all the Churches of the world to be subject to one Cathedral it is far beyond all comprehension of rule Now he causeth all that dwell on the Earth to worship that Beast Wherein are they to worship him 1. It is made a matter of necessity to salvation to be reconciled to that Church and more care is had of being reconciled to that Church then of being reconciled to God in Christ All pleas of being reconciled to Christ will not stand in their judgment unlesse you be reconciled to them 2. Except you be bound in conscience to that state he will allow you no communion he will have all the decrees of the Church as binding the conscience 3. This is divine worship you shall take no doctrine but that is of his stamp nor worship nor Government but of his acknowledgment nor no dispensation of them but according to his Canons And all that dwell on the Earth must worship him all run upon the Beast the Pope doth not so much challenge it to himselfe as to the Church and that which is given to the Church he takes to himselfe Thirdly He doth great wonders so that he makes fire come from Heaven on the Earth in the sight of men And it is said Antichrist shall come in all power of signes and lying wonders 2 Thes 2. 8 9. Their Legions are full of these wonders And in particular for this point of causing fire to come down from Heaven It is an allusion sure to the fire that the old Prophet fetched from Heaven As Eliah fetched fire from Heaven to consume the sacrifice 1 Kings 18. 38 39. And that was a fire that expressed Gods gracious acceptance that made all the people cry the Lord he is God But this the Pope did not fetch
down the Temples would suffer none of them to stand rooted them out from East to West Wherever there was any famous Temples down he throws them he utterly renounceth the Pontifex maximus and will have no Temples he doth confiscate the revenues to the Emperors treasury and from that time forward indeed they never recovered there was no more place found in Heaven It is true Constantine began that war in the Empire but war it is not a Skirmish or a Battell it is not soon done but many times continues long as between the house of David and the house of Saul and that for some scores of yeares So in this case the war began with Constantine there holy Brightman takes it most right but for the accomplishment of it for the Devill to be wholly cast out and no more place found in Heaven that was not till Theodosius time now from that time the Emperors renouncing the title of Pontifex maximus the Popish sort thought it was a marvellous providence for the advancing of the Roman Catholick Church that is this Beast so the next year the Pope took up that name and holds it to this day what ever the Popes name be it is Pontifex maximus that is his ordinary style not Bishop or Arch Bishop or Primate or Metropolitan these are but Images of the Beast but the head of this Beast is Pontifex maximus the chiefe Bishop of Rome Now this was to the best observation that I can finde in the year 395. about 90. years after Constantines time or wanting one or two of that Now that is therefore one Reason why I doe not conceive that these 42. months are only at least to be reckoned from Constautines beginning of his reigne for they are reckoned from the time when there was no place found for the Dragon in Heaven which was afterwards accomplished about 90 years after Another Reason why I cannot goe so fully with that holy man of God is because of the end of it when he comes to 1546. It is evident that in that year the Councell of Trent did condemn the Scriptures and advance the vulgar Latine to be the authenticall word of God And Charles the fifth did prevail against the Lant-grave of Hesse Prostestant Princes of Germany in the year 1547. So by that reason it cannot end aright for the Beast hath power given him to continue to make war for 42 moneths now he continued longer then so though it is true his time was limited soon after and therefore I cannot with so full assurance go so clearly with him in that as usually I do in his Interpretation yet still reserving this liberty according to the gift of the spirit of Prophecy he had you may many times read the context of the word of God it may be sometimes somewhat more exactly according to the true meaning then allwayes is exprest which I speak not to impeach the faithfulnesse and learning of the holy man of God but would give every man the honour that God hath put upon them make use of their gifts and leave them where they may at any time mistake the like liberty God forbid but may be left to others that come after us 2. Therefore if you doe a little more narrowly search the Text and weigh every circumstance in it you may observe as I take it a double computation of this time in respect of the beginning and ending of it for you shall read which M r. Brightman rightly observes that the woman fled into the wildernesse at Constantines coming to the Crown it is true for so it is expresly sayd Revel 12. 6. She fled into the wildernesse where she had a place prepared of God and this was before the battell was sought and then he tells you of the battell that was fought in vers 7 8 9. The end of which was there was no place for the Dragon in Heaven and now there is given two wings of an Eagle unto the woman that she might flee into the wildernesse into her place where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time from the face of the Serpent which is just 42 moneths So that take both these places and it will appear there is a double beginning of this time the one from Constantines Reigne the other 96 or 97 years after there abouts it was there is the beginning of it Now if you take it by moneths and take it not as holy Brightman doth the Aegyptian yeare but the Roman yeare methinks it is most probable to take the account of the Roman Affaires to be registred by Roman computation not Aegyptian though it is true Rome is spiritually called Egypt but that 's in another sence they did not follow them in computation and though the Aegyptians count 30 dayes to a moneth which sutes well with this yet it is not usuall in Scripture for roundnesse of number sake they pitch a certain time of the moneth 30 dayes for a moneth and therfore if you count so may years in the Roman Kallender you shall come somewhat neere the account of the continuance of the Power and transcendant Authority of this Beast and if you so reckon 1260. years if you adde them to 300. and the odde four years after before Constantines beginning there-abouts it was and computations are not clear the expiration will fall somewhat after the beginning of the reigne of Queen Elizabeth And especially if you take the account from more exact Chronologies it will come in the year wherein the Pope sent a Bull that is an excommunication agaist Queen Elizabeth to deliver her to Satan which brought forth new treasons against her that followed every year and brought her at length the Spanish invasion hostile invasion but from that time it was that the blast of his power was then broken that whereas before if he had excommunicated a Prince it was fatall he could never have stood out he had been everlastingly blasted with his hopes but from that time forward it hath been truly said by some that have spoken of this time that from that time all the Popes Bulls were but baubles they could not prevaile against her though they brought the Excommunication and fastned it upon the Cathedrall Church as they call it and afterwards read it she going to prayer used the words of the Prophet Psal Though they curse blesse thou let them be confounded that rise up against me but let thy servant rejoyce God heard her prayer and marvellously broke his power he had not the power that the great Bishop of Rome had who by his power should rend rocks in peices and blast all before him he never had that power after God delighting by weak means to bring mighty things to passe By her hand the Lord did maintain the low Countries that this beast had great power over his arme was broken there and so against the King of Navar by her assisting him and so in Scotland she mightily