Doctrine and in the whole Spiritual Government Therefore there ought to be a temper kept for this disease hath always reigned in Princes to desire to bend Religion according to their own pleasure and lust and for their own profits in the mean time So far he In which words two Points are observable First the lawful exercise of the Power of the Supreme Magistrate as it doth keep its due limits in Causes Ecclesiastical Secondly the redundancy and the excess of the Power when it doth tread under foot the Laws of the Church That which these learned men did speak concerning the Supremacy of the Kings of England in Causes Ecclesiastical and the danger of the excess of the Civil Power hath been too truly verified by some in our days not onely to the total ruine of themselves but also to the destruction of that Soveraignty it self which they did so immeasurably exalt And whereas Calvin in the place aforementioned hath these words Et hodie quam multi sunt in Papatu qui regibus accumulant quicquid possunt juris potestatis And at this day saith he how many are there in the Papacy that heap upon Kings whatsoever Right or Power they can possible So that there may not be any Dispute of Religion but this Power shall be in one King to Decree according to his own pleasure whatsoever he list and that should remain fixed without Controversie So far he But we for our parts may not onely say Quam multi in Papatu How many in the Papacy but how many in the Profession of the Protestant Religion have accumulated this great Power upon Princes that they might do what they list in the Church of God and in the determination of matters of Faith In Daniel and the Revelation these things are set down as the true causes of the destruction of Kingdomes That is a most Divine expression of Daniel and the three Children Chap. 2. ver 20 21. Wisdome and might are his and he changeth the times and seasons he removeth Kings and setteth up Kings And for the cause of these Changes it is more particularly expressed Chap. 7. v. 11. I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the Horn spake I beheld even till the Beast was slain and his body destroyed and given to the burning fire All solid Interpreters do understand some State or Government to be typed by the Little Horn. Now the destruction of such a State or Government doth arise immediately from hence because of great words which the Horn did speak against the most High Therefore the exorbitancy of the Power against Religion Christ and his Saints is oftentimes the cause of the eversion of States and Kingdomes But that we may more fully understand how far the Power may go and whither it must not go let us consider the examples of the Kings of Iudah And here it is clear That Asa Iehosaphat Hezekiah Iosiah did great things about the affairs of the Church and had a very large testimony for their zeal in the Worship of God yet I am sure none can say that their Power was so transcendent as to abrogate any thing that was appointed or immediately commanded by God in his Word For when Uzziah the King would offer Incense that appertained not to him but to the Sons of Aaron he was imitten with leprosie and compelled to dwell alone as one that should have no commerce nor society with men So Belshazzar the King when he made a Feast to a thousand of his Lords we reade That in the time of the Feast the fingers of a mans hand did appear and write upon the wall the destruction of the King and the Kingdome And the cause of this Judgement is expounded by Daniel himself in these words Chap. 5. ver 25. Thou hast lifted up thy self against the Lord of Heaven and they have brought the vessels of his House before thee and thou and thy Lords thy Wives and thy Concubines have drunk wine in them Belshazzar and Nebuchadnezzar both by strong convictions and demonstrations were brought to understand That the God of Israel was the onely true God and that they had their Dominion from him Now when they were not contented with this which the Lord had given them but would insult over the Giver and drink wine in the Bowls of the Temple which they had taken with sacrilegious hands this was the cause of the ruine of the King and Kingdome at last There is a remarkable passage of Herodotus in his second Book where he maketh mention of a Statue that was set up to Sennacherib in one of the Temples of Egypt with this Inscription and Title upon it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whosoever looks upon me let him learn to be pious This Testimony as it hath the greatest probability of truth so doth it singularly well agree with the Story of the Scripture We reade that 185000 were slain in one night in the Camp of the Assyrians by an Angel sent from Heaven Sennacherib himself was killed by his own two sons and that great Empire did decline and lose its vigour by degrees Now if we look into the cause of all this we shall finde That the insolency of that King against God and his Church was that which broke him all to pieces This was done in the sight of all Asia that the world might know that the insolency of the greatest Powers of the Earth against God will prove the certain cause of their destruction But we will conclude this matter with that Exhortation of the Psalmist for so he speaketh to all Princes and Potentates who do intrench upon the Prerogative of Christ Be wise now therefore O ye Kings and be instructed ye Iudges of the Earth serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling Kiss the Son lest he be angry and ye perish from the way Psa. 2. ver 10 11 12. Now why doth he exhort the Kings and Judges of the Earth to be wise rather then other men They are Gods Vicegerents and there is none greater in Power then they and through the greatness of their place none are more apt to bend Religion according to their own pleasures and lusts then they are Because this is more immediately against the Kingdome of Christ and cometh nearest to Antichristian pride the Psalmist doth advise them to take heed what they do to serve the Lord with fear and to rejoyce with trembling If not he tells them plainly their insolency against Christ and his Church will be a certain cause of their destruction This is made manifest from the beginning of the Psalm The Kings of the earth set themselves and the Rulers take counsel together against the Lâ—…rd and against his anointed saying Let us break their bonds asunder and cast away their cords from us ver 2. Now he doth direct his speech to such as these and tells them plainly That the Lord Christ will break them with a Rod of Iron and dash them
of men that had persevered and held out for Christ against the Power and Headship of Antichrist in all the time of that Tribulation And yet as this matter is one it is branched into several Considerations First If you speak of the Papacy as a State or Government afflicting the Saints so it is called a Beast like to one of the Beasts in Daniel Secondly If you speak of the Universal Headship wherein the form and essence of the Kingdom doth consist this is the Name of the Beast Thirdly If you speak of that Universal Headship as a Representative of that Soveraign Majesty that was formerly lost in Rome Imperial and now repaired in Rome Papal this is the Image of the Beast Fourthly If you speak of the publick profession of this Universal Headship in the society of men this is the Mark of the Beast Fifthly If you speak of the time when this Universal Headship began visibly and remarkably to appear this is the Number of the Beast and more specially of his Name and Headship All these are so many distinct Apocalyptical Considerations which agree in one main Truth in the general And thus having spoken of the Law of the Beast in the three branches thereof we will now come to speak more briefly of the other particulars because they are more easie to be understood Secondly For the Law-maker the Power by and through which he caused all to receive the Mark this is a Spiritual Christ-like efficacy prevailing in the Consciences of men to make them subject to his Laws It is said of the Monarchy of Nebuchadnezzar that the most High God did give to him a Kingdome And for the Majesty that he gave him all People Nations and Languages trembled and feared before him whom he would he slew and whom he would he kept alive Chap. 5. ver 18 19. So the Beast in the Revelation hath the same transcendent power he causeth all to receive a Mark whether rich or poor bond or free male or female he compelleth all to yield obedience as they sometimes did that were under the power of Nebuchadnezzar But here is the difference The power of Nebuchadnezzar was more external over the bodies of men this is more internal over their Mindes and Consciences and by consequence over their bodies also Secondly They thaâ—… were under the Jurisdiction of Nebuchadnezzar had they been left to their free choyce they would have been glad to have enjoyed their liberty but now for those that lived in subjection to the See of Rome for the most part the matter was far otherwise with them they would not be free if they might The Kings of the Earth divided in Interests and in many Civil respects all of them could agree in this one thing To give their Power to the Beast Rev. Ch. 17. They thought they could not be saved unless in all Realms there was a Universal subjection to this Headship given by Christ himself as they thought to Peter and his Successors And for the time of the publick Institution of this Universal Headship there were some preparations and previous workings towards the setting up of this Power but there was no publick Establishment thereof till the time of the Emperor Phocas Let us hear what Mr. Fox in his Acts and Monuments speaketh concerning this matter Pag. 108. Col. 2. But Rome saith he would not so soon lose the Supremacy once given as the giver lost his life For ever since from that day she hath holden defended and maintained the same still and yet doth to this present day by all force and policy possible And thus much concerning Boniface whom by the words of Gregory we may call the Fore-runner of Antichrist For as Gregory brought in the style Servus Servorum So this Boniface brought into their heads first Volumus Mandamus Statuimus Praecipimus that is We Will and Command We Injoyn and Charge you The same is mentioned by Paraens in his Commentary upon the Revelation Chap. 6. ver 12. From whence I gather As the Bishops of Rome have had a Mandatory Power in and over the Church so this first began in the time of the Emperor Phocas in the Decree of the Universal Headship Thirdly Let us consider the persons who they are that are subject to his Power He commandeth all both small and great rich and poor to receive a Mark. The greatness of rich men cannot procure a toleration neither can the meanness of poor men exempt them by their poverty Bullinger upon the place speaketh very pithily We see saith he that Emperors Kings Dukes Marquesses Earls Barons Realms Countreys Cities Patriarchs Archbishops Bishops Prelates Doctors Clerks and Lay men obey him And also men of the greatest Power Riches Wisdome together with the poor people There is no such Kingdome and so diversly compact in the whole world no not among the Mahometans And all these are willingly subject to the Seat yea they have perswaded themselves that they cannot well live and that they cannot be saved unless they be subject to the See of Rome So far Bullinger From hence we gather that the event doth fully answer the Prophecy for we see by experience how all the world hath worshipped the Beast and received his Mark. And whereas some to illude this truth have pleaded that the Popish Churches in France do not own the Pope for Head of the Church We will easily grant that they may not be so strictly obliged to the Popes Chair in some temporal respects yet it is too plain that his Authority is set up in their Consciences and that they are subject to his Laws Fourthly Let us consider the punishment to be inflicted upon those that have not the Mark in the Forehead and in the right-hand they are forbidden to buy or sell. Mr. Mede doth take this for Excommunication or casting out of Church-fellowship But rather the words signifie a cutting off from all civil commerce among men Yea if we compare the Scriptures we shall finde that it was present death for any man to refuse to have the Mark in the forehead and in the right-hand Therefore when Iohn saw the Souls of those that were beheaded for the Word of God and the testimony of Iesus that had not worshipped the Image nor received the Mark Chap. 20. ver 4. he doth plainly shew that the beheading was for the Non-worship of the Beast and for the not receiving of the Mark We may conclude then when men are exempted from buâ—…ing and selling this is a Synecdoche By this one all other kindes of punishment whatsoever are understood And thus we have seen the matter of the Law the Law-maker the persons subject to the Law and the penalty upon all such as shall refuse subjection Let us now come to the several particulars which concern the right calculation of the Number First For the Person who it is that must make the discovery It is such a one as hath wisdome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
the Church of God doth come too near to the formality of Anti-Christianism Antiochus Epiphanes in the Prophecy of Daniel is described as a mighty King or Potentate in the Seleucian Line but when he was not contented with his Power which was great enough but would exalt himself against the Prince of the Host and tread down the Sanctuary and do all things after his own will in this he was a figure of the Antichrist to come Dan. 8. 12. But that we may speak more distinctly in a matter of so great moment we do desire to lay down this necessary caution in the beginning Let us then distinguish betwixt the Essence and the Exercise of the power For the Essence we do willingly acknowledg that the Lord hath ordained Magistrates to be over the people for his own glory and the publick good and that Magistracy is the Ordinance of God Rom. 13. v. 1 2 3. And though he hath not tied any Nation or People so strictly and precisely to this or that particular Form of Government yet his pleasure is That the People should obey the Government that is set over them In this case If they resist the Power they resist the Ordinance of God and draw great guilt upon their Souls for their resisting If we look to the Nation and People of the Jews they did meet with the greatest Changes and Alterations of State yet in each Alteration the will of the Lord was that they should obey the Civil Authority set over them for the preservation of the Publick Peace The hardest Change that they ever met withal was the translation of their State from the house of David yet they were to pray for the peace of the King of Babylon seek the good of the City whither they were carried Captive All this plainly sheweth That Magistracy is the Ordinance of God and the Lord would have his own Command to be observed by his People though they did live under Heathen Kings Secondly we are to consider the Exercise of the Power And here First is the lawful execution and Secondly the exorbitancy and excess of the Power above Law For the lawful use of the Power we do willingly yield That the Supreme Magistrate hath not onely Authority in the Common-wealth but he hath also great Power in and about the affairs of the Church And this thing we have often incuâ—…cated in the Body of the Treatise to wit That the Reign of Christ doth begin upon the Earth when the Kingdoms States and Governments of this World become Nursing Fathers to the Church And so we do affirm That it doth appertain to the Higher Powers to take order that Unity and Peace be preserved in the Church that the Truth be kept pure and intire that horrid Blasphemies be supprest that the Ordinances of God be duly setled that the profane the ignorant and rude body of the People who of themselves would never call upon the Name of the Lord be brought by their Power and Authority to the publick places of Worship For the better effecting of which they have Power to call Synods to be present at them and to provide That whatsoever is transacted in them be according to the minde of God In this sense we may not doubt to say That the Chief Magistrate in every Common-wealth is the Supreme Head in Causes Ecclesiastical that is to say The Supreme Head in Causes Ecclesiastical that do of right appertain to him and do fall under his cognizance by the Law-Divine In the forementioned cases he is the Delegate and Vice-gerent of Christ upon the Earth And this we take to be the lawful Exercise of the Power Thirdly there is the Hyperbole or Excess of the Power when the Magistrate is not contented with his own limits or bounds but shall further endeavor to carry all by Will and Prerogative in the Church of Christ. This is that which comes nearest to the formality of Antichristianism for Antichrist is said to sit in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God If therefore the Supreme Magistrate shall do the same in the Church of Christ if he shall controll and do all things after his own Will in the house of Christ this is to resemble the Great Antichrist and to do the same in effect which he doth But for this we have a clear example in Steven Gardiner Bishop of Winchester who of all others is noted by Forraign Divines to cry up such an excessive Prerogative of the Kings of England in Causes Ecclesiastical For he did not shun to maintain That it was at the pleasure of the King to abrogate Statutes and institute new Rites in the worship of God yea he further said That it was lawful for the King to forbid the people the use of the Cup in the Lords Supper and the use of Marriage to the Ministers And the â—…round of all this was Because the King was Supreme Head in Causes Ecclesiastical Now in way of opposition to this the Forraign Divines have risen with great indignation These are the words of Dr. Rivet in his Explication of the Decalogue Edit 2. pag. 203. Qui enim Papatus doctrinam adhuc fovebat ut posteà apparuit novum Papatum in personâ Regis erigebat For he meaning Steven Gardiner aforesaid who did as yet nourish the Doctrine of the Papacy as after it appeared did erect a new Papacy in the Person of the King And Calvin in his Commentary upon Amos Chap. 7 ver 13. speaking of them who did ascribe the Title of Supreme Head in Causes Ecclesiastical to Hen. 8. King of England hath these words Hoc me semper gravitèr vulneravit quum vocarent ipsum summum Ecclesiae Caput sub Christo. This hath grievously wounded me always when they called him the Supreme Head of the Church under Christ. He did take this for no other then an incroachment upon the Prerogative of Christ. And he might well do so if we look to the Interpretation of Steven Gardiner aforementioned with whom he had to do But the learned man doth proceed in these words It is certain if Kings do their duty they are both Patrons of Religion and Nursing Fathers of the Church as Isaiah calls them Chap. 49. ver 23. This therefore is principally required of Kings That they use the Sword wherewith they are furnished for the maintaining of Gods Worship But in the mean time there are inconsiderate men who make them too Spiritual and this fault reigns up and down Germany yea spreads too much in these Countries And now we perceive what fruit springs from this root viz. That Princes and all that are in the place of Government think themselves to be so Spiritual that there is no other Ecclesiastical Government And this Sacriledge creeps amongst us because they cannot measure their Office with certain and lawful bounds but are of opinion they cannot reign unless they abolâ—…sh all the Authority of the Church and become the Chief Iudges both in
to be laid aside And because they reade when the Beast did bear rule that he did compel all the world to receive a Mark and that none might buy nor sell but they that had the Mark in their Forehead and in their Right-hand thereupon they gather That all Coercion in matters of Religion is after the Antichristian form And because they would stand far enough from that Patern they think it best and most comporting with the future glory of the Church to leave all to a boundless Toleration Nay some learned men of good note have gone so far that they look upon the Edicts of Constantine and the succeeding Princes as upon the Bottom-stones of the Tower of Babel And their ground is this Because the Laws which the aforementioned Princes did make for the suppressing of Blasphemies and Idolatries were afterward perverted and turned against the true Members of Christ in all Antichristian times We willingly yield That great care is to be used in this matter yet withall we are to consider That the use of the Coercive Power as it is truly Christian by the Position of some Circumstances may be Antichristian by the Position of others the Circumstances do vary the case The Papists are not Antichristian in this as they compel men to come to the Publick Worship of God for some godless and wretched men would never worship God nor call upon his Name but their Antichristianity lieth in this as they compel men to an Idolatrous Will-worship of their own devising They are not Antichristian in that as they hold the Government of the Church to be Monarchical or that there is one Oecumenical Bishop of all so Christ is the true Head of the Church and the great Bishop of our Souls 1 Pet. 2. 25. and Chap. 5. v. 3. But their Antichristianism lieth in this as they make the Bishop of Rome Universal Bishop and do compel all men to be subject to his Laws as to the Laws of Christ. We must distinguish the Coercive Power for it may be either Christian or Antichristian as the Circumstances do stand Nebuchadnezzar did set up an Image and commanded all the States of his Empire under pair of death to fall down and worship it In this act of Compulsion he did come in the nearest resemblance to the Beast in the Revelation and was no doubt a Type and Figure of the Antichrist that was to come But this doth not hold in every kinde for afterward we reade that the same Nebuchadnezzar did make a Decree That every Nation and Language that should speak any thing against the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego should be cut in pieces In this case we cannot say That the exercise of the Compulsory Power is Antichristian unless we will make it Antichristianism to restrain Idolaters that they should not blaspheme the Name of the true God I might here take occasion to make mention of the Law made by the King of Nineveh and his Nobles That all under that Government should fast and pray and that they should turn every one from the evil of his ways Though here was the use of the Compulsory Power yet none can say that they did symbolize with Antichrist in his Tyranny over the Consciences of men The Lord did turn from the greatness of his wrath and the commendation of their Repentance is upon record in the story of the Gospel From all that hath been said we may conclude As the exercise of the Coercive Power about matters of Religion may in some cases be Tyrannical and Antichristian so the practise of it in others may be holy and truly Christian and men do unadvisedly jumble and confound those things together which should be distinctly laid down Secondly many in these times think the Doctrine of the Reign of Christ for 1000 years and the glory of the Church too nearly to resemble the Antichristian Pomp and Magnificence Now say they these things cannot be applied to the Christian Church for as long as she is in this vale of tears she is liable to continual sufferings And indeed the practise of men hath been some way sutable to this opinion for seeing the great riches splendor magnificence and state of the Church of Rome that her Merchants are the great men of the earth they have set upon such a way of Reformation in casting out Romish Idolatries and Superstitions that they have left the true Church of Christ poor enough In many places the Maintenance is so bare that the Ministers have scarcely wherewithall to keep them upon the work In their Conscience the glory of the Gospel-Church must stand in penury and want of outward things because the Romish Antichristian Church hath enjoyed these things in so great plenty But in this point to my understanding they are greatly deceived for the Prophets and Iohn in the Revelation do everywhere speak of the glory of the Church that shall be that the Kings shall come to the beauty of her rising that they shall be Nursing-Fathers that they shall bring their glory to her Mr. Burroughs in his Lectures upon Hosea is very solid and copious upon the point And if these things be truly explained we may finde great comfort in the predictions of the Prophets But let us come to the Book of the Revelation and we shall there see things more clearly made cut It was the speech of the Saints at the destruction of the Whore of Babylon Let us be glad and rejoyce and give honour to him for the Marriage of the Lamb is come and his Wife hath made her self ready Rev. 19. 7. Now in the next Chapter it is explained what is meant by the Lambs Wife These are the words of the Angel to Iohn v. 9. Come hither and I will shew thee the Bride the Lambs Wife And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great high Mountain and shewed me that great City the Holy Ierusalem descending out of Heaven from God Here then it is clear that the New Ierusalem or the Gospel-Church in relation to her felicity in the latter days is termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Great City in opposition to the greatness and magnificence of the Church of Rome or the Whore of Babylon which hath everywhere in the Prophecy such a transcendent Title ascribed to her The scope of the Text doth plainly shew that the Church upon the Earth shall injoy times of great glory But the great Question is concerning the New Ierusalem Whether this be meant of the state of the Church upon the Earth To the clearing of this let us look to the scope of the whole Prophecy In the Twelfth Chapter of the Revelation we reade and the first Verse That a Woman was clothed with the Sun and the Moon was under her feet and upon her head a Crown of twelve stars And she being with childe cried travelling in birth and pained to be delivered By the woman is meant the Primitive Church as she was in travel with
and in what manner those Princes and Potentates of the Earth do sin Whosoever they be that hold up the Name and Headship of the Beast in direct opposition to the Name and Headship of the Lamb. Thou mayest further understand how greatly they do aggravate their sin that compass Sea and Land that make search and inquisition into every corner and persecute unto the death all that will not live in subjection to this Name or Headship Hereby also thou mayest be informed what sympathy what bowels of affection thou shouldst shew to those that live under the Tyranny of the Beasts Kingdome For iâ—… on the one side poor Souls do Worship the Beast receive his Mark and Name Christ as he hath cause enough doth denounce the most grievous Judgements against them On the other side if they refuse to subject their Consciences to his Papal determinations such is the hard condition of many Countreys that it is the loss of all yea of life it self This is the Glassie Sea mingled with fire through which the Saints have passed which also they are yet in passing But how few of us are sensible of their hard condition How few do mourn for the affliction of Ioseph If that be true that the Members of the Protestant Churches abroad are in imminent danger If they have been lately Massacred in Piedmont without sparing Age or Sex If they are bleeding in Switzerland divers there having been put to death for no fault but being Protestants If the designes be upon the whole Interest by the Popish Party almost in all places of Europe Then we have reason to condole with our Brethren in their Sufferings And the reading of the present Treatise will help us more clearly to see and judge of that which is the cause of the Quarrel We shall see also what is the Minde of Christ concerning these things and to what issue they will be brought at the end of all Hereby also thou mayest be advertised to beware of the Opinion of such that make the Christian Magistrate the Fountain of all Church-Power This is to set up a Civil Anti-Christ in the stead of a Spiritual Christ is the Head of his own Church and therefore he hath appointed Laws by which his Kingdome is to be governed Censures by which his rebellious Subjects are to be punished and Officers to dispense those Censures If there be no such Name or Headship What should be the meaning of the Apostle when he speaketh of the Incestuous Corinthian Concerning him that hath done this deed in the Name of the Lord Iesus Christ when you are gathered together and my Spirit with the power of the Lord Iesus to deliver such a one to Satan 1 Cor. 5. 4. And in that other place Now we command you Brethren in the Name of the Lord Iesus that you withdraw your selves from every Brother that walketh disorderly 2 Thess. 3. 6. And in that Scripture Whatsoever ye shall binde on earth shall be bound in heaven for where two or three are gathered together in my Name I will be in the midst of them Matth. 18. ver 18 19 20. In these several places the Name of Christ is his Power and Headship in and over the Church his own House which is not onely opposite to the Name of the Beast but in an inferior degree to that Spiritual Power and Supremacy which some would give to Princes and Potentates of the Earth The London-Ministers in their Vindication do speak to good purpose when they say Christ Iesus is the onely Head of the Church governing it not onely inwardly and invisibly by the working of his Spirit but outwardly also and visibly as a Political Ministerial Body In which he hath appointed his own proper Ambassadors Assemblies Laws Ordinances and Censures to be administred in his Name and according to his own way pag. 4. By this account then they must be judged to come neer a very dangerous Errour whosoever they be that take this Name and Headship from him and give it to Temporal Princes Calvin and other friends of ours have been much offended at the Title that was given to Henry the Eighth and his Successors And our Adversaries also have hereby taken occasion to insult over us For these are the words of Wadesworth in a Letter of his to Mr. Bedell Nâ—…r will I saith he insist upon the passions that moved King Henry violently to Divorce himself from his lawful Wife to fall out with the Pope his Friend â—…o Marry Lady Anne Bullen and soon after to Behead her to disinherit Queen Mary and to inable Queen Elizabeth and presently to disinherit Queen Elizabeth and to restore Queen Mary to hang Catholicks for Traytors and to burn Protestants for Hereticks to destroy Monasteries to pill Churches Were these fit beginnings for the Gospel of Christ I pray was this man a good Head of Gods Church For my part I pray our Lord to bless me from being a Member of such a Head or such a Church pag. 11. Now what saith Mr. Bedel to all this You demand saith he if this man King Henry were a good Head of Gods Church What if I should demand the same touching Alexander the sixth Julius the second Leo the tenth or twenty more of the Catalogue of Popes in respect of whom King Henry might be Canoniz'd for a Saint But there is a story in Tullies Offices of one Lutatius that laid a Wager That he was bonus vir a good man and would be judged by one Fimbria a man of Consular Dignity He when he understood the case said He would never judge that matter lest either he should diminish the reputation of a man well esteemed of or set down that any man was a good man which he accounted to consist in an innumerable sort of excellencies and praises That which he said of a good man with much more reason may I say of a good King one of whose highest excellencies is to be a good Head of the Church And therefore it is a question which I will never take upon me to answer Whether King Henry was such or no unless you will before-hand interpret c. pag. 131. He hath some other passages concerning the use of the Authority of the said King in doing things that were good and in removing the Popes Tyranny Which Acts of his saith he whosoever shall impartially consider of may well esteem him a better Head to the Church of England then any Pope these thousand years pag. 132. But for my part I conceive here are two Questions to be answered Whether that King were rightly and truly a Head of the Church at all That being granted the second Whether he were a good one yea or no To determine these Questions I am clearly of Fimbria's judgement in that other case As on the one part I am loth to diminish the lawful Power of Princes which they have they ought to have and ever had in disposing the affairs of the Church so on
Reproof and Instruction in Righteousness I shall do it the rather because many in these times are preoccupated with prejudice Paraeus in his Commentary upon the Revelation and in the Preface of the Work hath these words Apocalypsin interpretari non est nodos aenigmatum omnium solvere apices omnes aâ—…u fodere nihil omnino ignorare vel quid Imago quid Character quid Numerus Nominis Bestiae quid Bestia ipsa c. By this it is evident what the forenamed Interpreter doth judge concerning these Points to wit The Beast the Name the Mark the Number of the Name He taketh them to be but Punctilio's and Niceties in this kind of Learning But saving the great worth of so judicious an Author I shall now endeavour to make good the Contradictory to his Assertion and shall prove these to be Points very Momentous and much conducing to the knowledge of the whole Prophecie First If you take the Book of the Revelation in the main Scope it is for the most part carried on in the Description of the Kingdom of the Beast in the time of the beginning and continuance of that Kingdom as it standeth in Diametral opposition to the Kingdom of the Lamb and of his Saints The Lord Jesus Christ that sent his Angel of â—…et purpose to sigâ—…e to the Churches things that must shortly come to pass â—…endeth a great part of the Prophetical Narration in the description of the Beasts Kingdom and in the delineation of the Name Mark and Number the essential Badges and Characters of the Kingdom Therefore it must needs be a matter very behooveful to the right understanding of other parts of the Prophecie to define in the beginning what is signified under these Emâ—…ems or typical Expressions Secondly The holy Spirit speaking of the Image of the Beast 〈◊〉 Name Mark and the Number of his Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That iâ—… giving worship to the Image and in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark the great sin of the world hath consisted in these latter times chap. 13. vers 11 12 13 14 15 16. Now then if the great sin of the world hath primarily and chiefly consisted in these things it is a most material Point to finde out what the holy Spirit doth mean by these symbolical and figurative expressions I cannot mourn for a sin privately in heart neither can I publickly reprove it in others but I must first know what the sin is But that this Idolatry may more fully appear let us amplifie it by two Circumstances First By the Circumstance of Place where and how far it hath been used And here it is plain in all the parts of the Dominion of the Beast none may buy nor sell but he that worshipeth the Image and receiveth the Mark He causeth all both small and great rich and poor free and bond to be subject to his Laws If you look to the Latitude of the Dominion the Scripture speaketh of a very large and ample Dominion that the Beast hath For the Nations were deceived chap. 20. vers 3. All the world worshiped the Beast chap. 13. vers 8. The Kings of the Earth did also agree to give their power to the Beast chap. 17. vers 17. Therefore the Dominion of the Beast must be very great and by consequent the sin must be an Oecumenical sin practised in all the parts and precincts of so large a Dominion Seeing also it is not the sin of one particular Nation City or Church but in a manner the general and the common Apostacy of the times therefore it is of great moment to be considered The sin of Ieroboam is much spoken of in the Scripture that it was a sin of departure from the true God and that it continued long after his death yet for all this it was only practised within the compass of the Ten Triâ—…es so long as they continued a Kingdom But now the worship of the Beast and the receiving of his Mark have overspread all Nations in the Christian world only there have been some faithful Witnesses which have stood for the Truth and have been slain for the testimonies sake Secondly For the Circumstance of time how long shall it be that men must worship the Beast and receive his Mark This must be in all the times of the Kingdom of the second Beast For though I do not fully agree with Mr Mede as may appear by that which I shall afterwards deliver That the ten-horn'd the two-horn'd Beast are exact contemporaries in all their times yet in substance and in the main they are said to be of equal continuance The time of the ten-horn'd Beast is 42 months or 1260 prophetical dayes or ordinary years So then some small proportion being deducted this period will be the time also of the two-horned Beast and of the worlds receiving the Mark and the Image which he made Therefore seeing this sin shall continue many ages together it behoveth us to make the more diligent search into the matter Nebuchadnezzar set up a great Image as the type of the Babylonian Majesty he caused all the States of that Empire to come together to the Dedication of the Image he commanded them all under pain of death to fall down before it He had a note of distinction also to discern between the worshipers of the Image and those that refused that worship Yet all this was done as it were in an instant of time But for the Image of the Beast set up in honour of the Roman Majesty this hath continued many ages Here all Nations Languages and People are required to worship here is a penalty laid upon all that shall refuse to yield Obedience to the Command and here is a mark to distinguish between those that are the Beast's and those that are none of his These Tyrannical and Idolatrous practises have continued by the fore-appointment and counsel of God for many generations Therefore considering the largeness of the place and the long continuance of the time that the world hath sinned and doth yet continue sinning against Christ in these very things we may conclude That it is no nice curiosity to finde what is meant by the Beast his Name Mark and the Number of the Name Thirdly If we consider the grievous Judgements of God denounced against all those that worship the Beast his Image and receive his Mark in their Forehead and their Right hand that they shall drink of the Wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture in the Cup of his Indignation Also that they shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels and of the Lamb and the smoak of their burning shall ascend for ever and ever chap. 14. vers 9 10 11. The learned Grasserus rightly observeth That in the whole Canon of Scripture there is nowhere a more terrible judgement threatned than that which is here denounced against the men that worship the Beast and receive his Mark. And shall
conjectural Knowledge and go no further So in the present case touching the Beast his Name Mark and Number men do only take up with a Topical Knowledge yet I am perswaded if they would look to the Principles laid down in the whole Bodie of the Prophecie they would finde that here is a certain Demonstration to be had and that they need not go to literal Names to numeral Letters to Anagrammatisms and to such-like uncertainties Thus I have passed through the two Prooemial Points The First Concerning the Profit and Use of the Discovery The Second Concerning the Possibility thereof and that there are true Principles of Demonstration to Discover the meaning of the Spirit Now I will come to the Body of the Treatise CHAP. III. That the Name of the Beast is not the word Lateinos or any other Grammatical word but the name is The Universal Power and Headship of the Beast immediately opposed to the Power Dominion and Headship of the Lamb. FOr the carrying on of the whole Work we will divide the Matter into Two Parts into that which is Doctrinal which concerns the Truth of the thing and into that which is Practical which is for Use. For the Doctrinal Part We will First handle the Substance of the Interpretation Secondly We will prove it by sundry places of Scripture and by the Harmony of the Prophecie For the Truth of the Interpretation We will First shew what is meant by the Name Secondly What is meant by the Number of the Name For the Name It is most necessary that we should begin with the Exposition what it signifieth For the right Stating of the Name doth much conduce to the Knowledge of the Number It is the Number of the Name and therefore unless we shew what the Name is we cannot finde out the Number All true Learning sheweth That in every Demonstration we are to begin with a right Exposition of the Subject And whereas in a manner all the Learned down from the times of Irenaeus have taken Lateinos for the Name and the Numeral Letters for the Number of the Name Herein they have been greatly deceived as we can prove by many solid Reasons And some of our own Interpreters also have suspected the vanity of this way These are the words of Iunius in his Notes upon the Revelation Chap. 13. vers 18. I am not ignorant saith he that men bring other Interpretations of the place but by their leave I also have brought my Interpretation to be compared and that for this reason specially because to me it seemeth not probable nor like That the Number of the Beast or the Name of the Beast ought so to be taken as the common strain of Interpretors will have it For saith he this Number of the Beast he scil the Beast teacheth giveth and imprinteth as the publick Note of his own which Note he highly rateth above others as the Note of his beloved Ones Now these Interpretations seem to be so far wide from the Propriety and Condition of this Number whether we respect the Name Latinus or Titan or any such like For these the Beast doth not teach give nor imprint but with the greatest care forbiddeth them to be taught and boldly denieth them He doth not allow but disallow them and those which do so esteem of this Number he doth persecute with a direful hatred So far Iunius Let us now adde the words of Chamier in his Panstratia Tom. 2. lib. 17. cap. 8. sect 5 6. Truly saith he this way of Interpretation that I may speak freely what I think seemeth to be far wide from the manner of the Spirit and to come too neer to the dreams of the Cabalists Whereas we read in the Sybils Verses That Iesus is described by 888 this is a bable and not from the Spirit of God Secondly This cannot be the proper Name of one Man seeing we have formerly shewed the Error of them who will have Antichrist to be one Individual Person Therefore of necessity it must be either a Name common or a Name proper to some State But by what right may the Name of the Beast be called common and for a Name proper to some particular State no man hath brought that to Light Thirdly It is not said that it is the Number of the Name only but here is a prohibition to men That they shall not buy nor sell that have not the Number of the Name How this may be understood of that Cabalistical supputation of the Letters I cannot discern Neither can I discern how other men may have the Number of the Name Farther What is the way of Computing Is it Hebrew Greek or Latin But it is not the manner of the Latines to count by Letters therefore it must be a Greek or an Hebrew Name But how can Antichrist assume such a Name to himself that is only peculiarly known in the Schools So far Chamier I might here recite the words of Danaeus Mr Forbes and others but these Testimonies shall suffice to take away prejudice from me because I do forsake the ordinary stream of Interpreters and do look after such a Name of the Beast which is more true The Work which I have more specially to perform is positively to prove That the Name of the Beast is the Universal Headship of the Bishop of Rome and by the same Reasons by and through which I will disprove Lateinos I will prove the Universal Headship to be the Name of the Beast And the Reasons are as followeth First I argue from the main Scope of the Text concerning the Beast as he is a Monarchical King and here I say his Name must necessarily be his Sovereign Power and Headship The Rabbins have a good Observation What God himself is that his Name is So I may say What the Beast himself is that his Name is The Beast not only in this Text but all the Prophecie throughout is described as a Monarchical King therefore the Name of the Beast must be his Universal Power and Headship Object Seeing the Name of a thing person or State is of so doubtful a meaning what warrant is there to take the Name of the Beast for his Sovereign Power and Headship Answ. I confess That the Name of a thing person or State is ambiguously taken But yet for all this it is not so Obscure if we will take the right course to understand the Scripture Inst. You will say The great Question lieth in finding the right course Rep. The right course lieth in this By looking to the main sense in each text respectively and the main sense will guide the Interpretation Let us come to give some Instances out of the Scripture but more specially out of the Book of the Revelation For Instances out of the Scripture VVe often read of calling upon the Name of the Lord of trusting in the Name of the Lord. Now is not the calling upon the Name of the Lord the calling upon God himself the trusting
in the Name of the Lord the trusting upon the Lord himself This doth make good that former rule What the Name of God is that God himself is And so by way of Opposition what the Name of the Beast is that is the Beast himself If he be described as a Mighty King we have cause to take his Name for his Monarchical Power and sovereignty Secondly We often reade in the New Testament of believing in the Name of the Son of God c. we do not then look to the Name Jesus or the Name Christ as though there were any Vertue or Efficacy in the Letters and Syllables of these Names but in this case the sense of each Scripture must govern And therefore when the Apostles do Exhort us to believe on the Name of the Son of God in their sense we are exhorted to believe on the Lord Christ for pardon of sin for help in temptation and for supply in all our wants We must not look to Letters and syllables but to the main sense of each Scripture In like manner when we reade of the Name of the Beast and the Saints overcoming his Name Mark and the Number of the Name we are not here to look to the word Lateinos or any such Grammatical Name but according to the sense of the Prophecie the Name must be taken for the Potency of the Beast as he is Opposed to the Lamb. But let us come more largely to shew some particular Instances out of the Book of the Revelation where the Name of a thing person or state is to be expounded according to the Analogie of the text We read that there were with the Lamb 144000 and that they had their Fathers Name written in their Forehead chap. 14. vers 1. Now these 144000 are set in direct Opposition to the followers of the Beast and their Father's Name written in their forehead is contradistinct to the Mark of the Beast in the forehead and the right Hand Now here sâ—…th there is mention made of the Name of the Father and of his Name written in the forehead of all the followers of the Lamb shall we think therefore that it is made out of the Alphabet or that it is a literal Name Not so we must look here to the main scope of the text and accordingly we must render the meaning of the words They that have their Father's Name written in their forehead are such who in all the times of Antichrist had consecrated dedicated and given themselves up to God the Father to live in subjection to his Commandements and to take him as their sovereign Lord this was the Badge of their outward Profession By the rule of Opposition they that had the Name of the Beast were such as did resign their Obedience to him as to their sovereign Lord And the submission to this Lordship was the Badge and Livery of their outward Profession this is clear from the scope of the text Further We read chap. 2. vers 17. To him that overcometh will I give a white Stone and in the Stone a new Name written that none can read but he that hath it Now what is here meant by the Name written shall we say that it is a Name consisting of Letters and syllables If we so affirm we shall have as good foundation for such a Position as they who take Lateinos to be the Name of the Beast But this is to trifle in a serious matter Therefore we must have recourse to the forementioned Principle to wit The scope of the text When the Lord Christ promiseth to give to him that overcometh a white stone and in the stone a Name written this is nothing else but the inward testimony of the Spirit by and through which he sealeth extraordinary Consolations to his Martyrs and Witnesses in the middest of their sufferings under the tyrannical States and Governments of the world Many worthy Expositors take this for the seal of the Spirit that followeth Justification as may be seen in several late Treatises But I take it That the Promise in the text and so commonly through the whole Prophecie is immediately made to him that overcometh in the times of Persecution And therefore these things do more immediately concern the Martyrs the in-coming of Christ into their hearts and the divine Consolations which they feel in the Name written which none can read but they that have it Let us go to the meaning of that Promise Rev. 3. 12. He that overcometh will I make a Pillar in the Temple of my God and he shall go no more out and I will write upon him the Name of my God and the Name of the City of my God which is the new Ierusalem which cometh down from Heaven and I will write upon him my new Name In these words when the Lord Christ promiseth to him that overcometh That he will write upon him the Name of his God doth he intend here a writing by Letters and syllables This cannot be But according to the scope of the place this is the meaning of Christ That they that overcome shall have this peculiar testimony given into their hearts That the Lord is theirs and that they are his Further Whereas it is said I will write upon them the Name of the City of my God By this he doth mean The true Catholick Church represented Rev. chap. 21. The scope of the words is this That he will inroll them into the Number of Citizens and count them as Members of the true Church his Mystical Body And for the truth of the Interpretation we do chiefly build upon the scope of the text But now let us go to other Scriptures where usually the Name of a thing is taken according to the Analogie of the text It is said concerning the Church of Sardis Thou hast a few Names which have not defiled their Garments and they shall walk with me in white for they are worthy Rev. 3. 4. Here then when it is said Thou hast a few Names shall we understand this to be meant of Grammatical Names This cannot be The drift of the text is concerning the persons of men and women which did not defile themselves in the times of general Pollution And so at the destruction of Rome Antichristian there was a great Earthquake and there were slain of the Names of men 7000 chap. 11. vers 13. Now for the Names of men shall we understand Names consisting of Letters and syllables What a kind of slaughter would this be According to the scope of the text and the manner of the Hebrew expression we may say That such a Number of persons were slain in the Earthquake Adde moreover to this That the Beast which did carry the Whore was full of the Names of Blasphemy chap. 17. There is none so void of understanding to imagine That the Spirit speaketh of such Names that do consist of Letters and syllables We must here go to the sense of the text which speaketh of his
Blasphemy against God And so the matter is expounded Rev. 13. He opened his mouth in Blasphemies against God to Blaspheme his Name his Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven These and the like places laid together do plainly shew that the scope of the text must circumscribe and limit the signification of the phrase so often used in this Prophecie Now if it be so according to this tenor we may say That the Name of the Beast must be expounded according to the Analogie of the text His Name then can be no other but his Universal Headship as a Counter-Christ emulous of the Dignity of Christ. But to go to further Instances we do reade that the deluded Kings were all gathered together into a place called in the Hebrew Harmageddon Rev. 16. 16. Much ado is made by Expositors about the meaning of the word Some take it for the Mountain of Delights Some for the Hill of the Gospel Some think there is an Allusion to the slaughter of Iosiah in the valley of Megiddo And there is a great Difference among them But for my part I do believe there can be no other meaning but this to wit The destruction of a Troope or Company and my Reasons are these First It is expresly said That the Name of the place in the Hebrew is called Harmageddon that is The destruction of a Troope and this Exposition is given by Grasserus and others Secondly That which moveth me so to think is the subject matter of the text For the unclean Spirits like Frogs did gather the deluded Kings to Battel and they brought them into a place called Harmageddon which in the event proved the place of their destruction It is well known That it is the manner of the Hebrews to give Names to several places in testimony of some famous Actions that have been done in them And it is as evident that the Spirit in this Prophecie doth perpetually follow the Hebrew stile As in the times of the fifth Trumpet when the Locusts came out of the bottomless pit they had a King over them whose Name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon and in the Greek is Apollyon chap. 9. Now this Trumper Mr Brightman and Mr Mede do rightly apply to the times of the Sarazens And because they did in great multitudes everywhere overspread the Territories of the Church they are therefore compared to Locusts Now for the Name of their King in the Greek or Hebrew tongues we are not here so much to look to Letters and syllables as to the sense of the figurative expression Mr Mede then in his Commentary upon the Revelation doth seem to me to be too Cabalistical when he doth descant upon the Names of some Kings formerly amongst the Arabians We are not to trouble our selves with Letters and syllables Mahomet is the Head or King of these Locusts or rather the Devil acting in and by him And too sad experience doth shew that his Name is called in the Hebrew Abaddon and in the Greek Apollyox For what is Mahometism but the waster and destroyer of the Christian Faith The Name doth answer the nature In the times of the third Trumpet we reade That a great star fell into the third part of the Rivers and the Name of the star is called Wormwood Interpreters upon the place do not look so much to a literal star but it is so called Effectivè from the Effect or Operation By these and many other places it is evident when the Spirit speaketh of a Name Thing Person or State he doth not aim so much at the bare formality of Letters and syllables as at the scope of the text Upon these grounds if the Beast be a King or Potentate his Name is not a Grammatical Name but according to the scope of the place it must necessarily denote his Kingly Power and Headship Let us come to a place mentioned in the Old Testament which hath been greatly mistaken by the Jewish Rabbins and by some others the words are these The Lord said to Moses I appeared to Abraham Isaac and Iacob by the Name of God Almighty but by the Name Iehovah I was not known unto them Exod. 6. 3. Here great ado is made by the Rabbins aforementioned they speak much of nomen Tetragrammatum of the word of four Letters of the difficulty to pronounce that Name and of bables more than too many And what is the reason of all this they look superficially upon the outward Letter and neglect the main sense and scope of the place The main sense is this That God appeared to Moses by the Name Iehovah by and through which he did give Existence and Being to his Promises And yet we are not to take it absolutely as though the Lord did no way appear to Abraham Isaac and Iacob by that Name This cannot be We are therefore to take the words in a restrictive meaning in respect to that particular Promise that he would give the Land of Canaan to Abraham and his seed for a Possession Gâ—…n 15. 13 14. Now in this particular sense God did not appear to Abraham Isaac and Iacob by the Name Iehovah they never lived so long to see the performance of this promise They did not see the end of the 400 years Bondage not the Deliverance out of Egypt as Moses did The Lord only did appear to them by the Name of God Alsufficient they might believe that he was able to perform what he promised In special relation then to this particular Promise the Lord saith to Moses By my Name Iehovah was I not made known to them If this be so what a wild race have they run who have looked only after a Name consisting of Letters and syllables and have not observed the Truth of God in the performance of his Word What is this but to make a Fable of the most important and comfortable Promises that be to neglect the substance and to catch at a shadow And the ground of all this is chiefly from hence they look to the out-side and shell of a figurative expression and neglect the natural sense of the text which in this case should principally rule In like manner they who are for the word Lateinos or for any such like Name must needs digress as much from the Truth For it is not to be imagined that the Name of the Beast is meerly a Name consisting of Letters and syllables neither can the Mark of the Beast be the Mark of such a Name according to the sense of the text and the Analogie of the Prophecie The Name of the Beast therefore must be his Universal Power and Headship and the Mark of the Name must be the publick Profession of subjection allegeance and devotion to that Name or Headship And this is clear from the several Instances fore-alledged where the Name of a person of a state of a thing is alwayes taken with correspondence to the text But if it be alledged That it may be so taken
of its Heads c. Now then let us say That the Roman Majesty revived again from the dead that this is the Image how shall the Name Lateinos or any other such like Name consisting meerly of Letters and syllables be answerable to such an Image as this What Equipage or Correspondence can there be between quid nominis quid rei Shall we once imagine that the repair of the Roman Majesty in these latter times is only of a Name that consisteth of Letters and syllables and such like elements of the Greek and Hebrew Alphabet Away with such a conceit But if you take the Name for the Universal Headship you shall have a Name truly correspondent to the Image and to the Mark. For when the Decree went forth that the Bishop of Rome should be Universal Head of the Church then was the ancient Roman Sovereignty repaired in the Popes which was formerly lost in the Caesars Here both the Name and the Image are equivalent each to other and do differ only in a certain consideration And the Mark also agreeth with both the former seeing it is but the publick profession of subjection to that Name or Power The Fourth Argument is drawn from the Antithesis or Contraposition of the Name of the Lamb to the Name of the Beast By the description of one Opposite we may finde out the Nature of the other For the Name of the Lamb it is described Revelation chap. 19. vers 16. He hath on his vesture and on his thigh a Name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords Here then in this Scripture we do not look after a literal Name but after his Power or Sovereignty as he is Lord or Head of the Church We reade also Phil. 2. 9. Because he humbled himself to the Death of the Cross God highly exalted him and gave him a Name above every Name that at the Name of Iesus every kâ—…ee should bow c. Here many in darker times have taken this for a literal Name and therefore it hath been a great use to bow the knee when the Name of Jesus was mentioned But the ground of the mistake is this They have not looked to the main scope of the text and the Nature of the Expression For the Name in the text is not the word Jesus consisting of Letters and syllables but the sublime Power Authority Headship Dominion and Sovereign rule that God the Father did give to his Son after the suffering of Death And this is so expounded by the Apostle himself in another place Which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places far above all Principalities and Powers and Might and Dominion and every Name that is named not only in this world but in that which is to come And hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be head over all things to the Church Eph. 1. 20 21 22. Therefore the Name is no other but the Sovereign Power that God the Father did give to his Son the Lord Jesus as Head of the Church By the rule of contraries then the Name of the Beast must needs be his Universal Power and Headship seeing in all respects he is emulous of the Dignity of the Lamb. By the Nature of the one we may understand the Nature of the other contrary If the Name of the Lamb be his Sovereign Dominion King of Kings and Lord of Lords the Name of the Beast ex adverso on the other part must be his Universal Headship over all Lords and Kings and earthly Dominions The Fifth Argument is drawn from the parallel and resemblance with the Name of the Whore It is a good Observation of some Modern Interpreters That the State or Government described chap. 13. under the Type and Similitude of a Beast with two Horns is again more largely repeated under the resemblance of a Woman riding upon a Scarlet-coloured Beast Râ—…v 17. Now seeing there is such a parallel between the descriptions in both Chapters as to the substance of the matter let us then more diligently consider what is meant by the Name of the Woman Upon her Forehead was a Name written Mysterie Babylon the Great the Mother of Harlots and the Abominations of the Earth vers 5. Here I think none will be so void of Judgement as to look after a literal Name and a literal Inscription in the forehead of the Woman The Name is no other but that Universal Maternity or Motherhood as I may so say of her that professeth herself the Head or Mother-Church of all the Christian world but is indeed and in truth the Mother of all the Abominations and Idolatries of the Earth In like manner when we reade of the Name of the Beast we are not to look after a literal Name as Lateinos and the like but his Namâ—… must be his Universal Paternity Fatherhood Power and Dominion By the Analogie of one Expression we may â—…e out the meaning of the other If the Name of the Great Whore be not a literal and syllabical Name but in the figure doth only denote her general Motherhood so proportionably the Nâ—… oâ—… the Beast is not a literal Name but in the Trope iâ—…â—…oth only signifie his Universal Dominion and Authority If we transfer Matters to Experience we shall finde the eveâ—… of things doth fully Answer these Characters of the Propâ—…ecie It hath been a general received Maxime in many Ages together That out of our Holy Mother the Church of Rome as they call it there is no Salvation to be had she is the Mother of all true Catholicks with them that are her Admirers But in the Scripture-language she is called Babylon the Great the Mother of Harlots and the Abominations of the Earth So it hath been as generally received That all are bound to submit to the Authority of our Holy Father the Pope But this in the Scripture-language is the Name of the Beast and the Mark of the Name I think it is not done without the special Wisdom and fore-knowledge of God that these two things in which the Christian world should erre so greatly should be set forth with such remarkable Characters to draw the admiration of all that read But leaving these things for a deeper enquire it is sufficient for my present purpose to note that the Name of Mystical Babylon is not a literal Name but the general Motherhood of that City and Church So the Name of the Beast by way of parallel is not a literal Name but it is the Universal Headship of the Beast as Lord and Potentaâ—…e The Sixth Argument is drawn from the Ground and Reason of the Imperial Edict chap. 13. vers 16 17. He causeth all both small and great bond and free to receive a Mark in their Forehead and their right hand and that none might buy nor sell but he that hath the Mark of the Name Now then if the Name be a Title or
to be the Monarchical people This being laid as a ground we may say in the particuâ—…ar case alledged by Piscator That though the Kingdom of Alexander was plucked up by the Roots and the Kingdoms of his Successors were set up upon his ruines yet for all this there was no change of Dominion from People to People There was only a change from Alexander to his Successors still one Graecian People had the Empire over the Earth And to put all out of questiâ—…n That the Spirit doth principally point to the Flux and Passage of the Sovereignty from one People to another and thaâ—… in this case he doth not distinguish the Kingdom of Alexander from that of his Successors the ground which we have to buiâ—…d upon iâ—… The resemblance of the He-goat chap. 8. Now under this similitude the whole Graecian Empire both of Alexander and of his four Successors they are all comprehended together as they were formerly set forth under the Type of the Third Beast with four Heads Now whereas 〈◊〉 alledgeth That the He-goat is different from the Third Beast and that the Prophecie chap. 8. Habet rationem diversam a different way of Interpretation I Answer The He goat and the Third Beast are all one so farforth as both are Types of the same Empire under one and the same People And for the Partition of the Greek Kingdom between Alexander and his Successors this doth no more hinder the Type of that Kingdom by one Third Beast then it doth hinder the delineation by one He-goat But now to produce some Reasons that Alexander divided from his Successors cannot be the Third Kingdom Typed by the Brass-Metal or the Third Beast First All the Kingdoms were persecuting States such that did afflict the People of God But Alexander if you divide him from his Successors did not afflict the Church of the Jews neither were they Persecuted in all the times of his Empire Secondly The Metal-Kingdoms are so constituted that the latter are of a more hard and Tyrannical disposition against the Saints Now take Alexander in sensu diviso take him several from his Successors how was his Kingdom of more hard disposition against the Saints than was either Babylon or Persia going before His Monarchy was but for a few years and there was no Persecution of the People of the Jews in all his time Thirdly The Beast that came up our of the Sea after the Persian Bear is expresly said to have four Heads vers 6. Now take Alexander severally from his Successors what four Heads or what four Divisions were there in his Kingdom For in his time the Beast was so far from having four Heads that it had no Heads or Divisions at all Therefore we must necessarily conclude That the Third Beast doth represent and figâ—…re the Graecian Kingdom which in a famous revolution of State became divided into four Parts Now whereas the learned Interpreter doth distinguish the Kingdom of Alexander from the Dominion of his Successors I do yield this to be true For Alexander being broken off four Kingdoms did stand up out of that Nation But this is nothing to the purpose For these several Fractions and Divisions do not hinder the Unity of the Greek Monarchy If it had been the plot of the Spirit to make a Third Monarchy of Alexander and a Fourth of his Successors why doth he use the similitude of one He-goat for the representation of two Monarchies Why are two Empires set forth under one figure And whereas he strongly bindeth upon this That all Four Successors are expresly called One Kingdom vers 23. Saving the great Worth and Learning of the Author he is deceived in this Point For when it is said In the latter end of their Kingdom when transgressors are come to the full a King of fierce countenance shall stand up Now in these words In the latter end of their Kingdom this is not only meant of the Kingdom of the Four Successors contradistinct to the Kingdom of Alexander but the expression is concerning the whole Kingdom of the Greeks opposed to that of the Persians In the description of the He-goat Four Kingdoms are said to rise up out of that Nation and in the latter end of their Kingdom meaning the Greeks when that People shall have the Sovereignty over the Earth a King of fierce countenance shall arise Therefore we conclude That Alexander and his Successors together make but one Greek Empire under the similitude of one He-goat Now let us proceed Piscator By the Fourth Kingdom which was prefigured by the Ironthighs of the Image we must understand the Kingdom of the Successors of Alexander the Great This I have already cleared by comparing it with the Fourth Beast chap. 7. To which I now adde another evident collation of chap. 2. vers 43. with chap. 11. vers 6. concerning the Feet of the Image which pertain to the Fourth Kingdom Daniel speaking to Nebuchadnezzar thus saith Whereas thou sâ—…west the Iron mixed with miry Clay they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men but they shall not cleave one to the other even as Iron is not mixed with Clay Now this very same thing the Angel Gabriel doth declare concerning the Successors of Alexander to wit The Seleucidae and the Lagidae chap. 11. And in the end of the years they shall joyn themselves together for the King's Daughter of the South shall come to the King of the North to make an Agreement but she shall not retain the power of the Arm neither shall he stand nor his Arm. From hence it is manifest by the Fourth Kingdom Represented by the Feet of the Image this cannot be understood of the Roman Empire seeing it was diverse from that of the Graecians Answer The Character of the mixture of Marriages drawn from that collation between chap. 2. vers 43. and chap. 11. vers 6. This of all others seemeth to be the grand Argument But to say the truth and that upon tryal I here find that Interpreters do usually build upon Three notable False Principles First They take the Fourth Kingdom as divided in all time and therefore they look after the interchangable marriages of the Seleucidae and Lagidae to make up the Union But in this they erre For the Fourth Kingdom as long as it is in the Iron-Legs it is not diâ—…ided at all It is one intire Dominion and therefore needeth no Uniting by mixture of marriages The Division beginneth not till you come to the Feet part of Iron and part of Clay But let us hear the words themselves Aâ—…d the Fourth Kingdom shall be strong as Iron forasmuch as Iron breaketâ—… in pâ—…eces and subdueth all things and as Iron that breaketh all these shall it break in pieces and bruise So then the Fourth Kingdom so long as it is in the Iron-Legs is more strong than any going before There arose first a Kingdom of Gold in all fulness of powerâ—… anâ—… then afterwords a Kingdom of Silver and
19. vers 1 2 3 4 5. That when the Saints did sing their Halelujah at the Judgement upon the great Whore then a voyce was heard The Lord God Omnipotent Reigneth vers 6. Here I demand Did not the Lord God Omnipotent Reign before He did not Reign before in the sense of that text For the great Whoâ—…e had Ruled all the world and had corrupted the Earth by her Fornications all was under her Power and she spilt the Blood of the Martyrs at her own pleasure But at her destruction the Lord Christ did begin to Reign and that was the time of the marriage of the Lamb of the glory of the Gospel-Church when the Lamb's Wife had made her self ready vers 7. So it is said Rev. 11. 15. The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall Reign for ever and ever Here I demand Were not the Kingdoms of this world the Kingdoms of Christ before the sound of the Seventh Trumpet before the fall of the great City before that time when the Kingdom of the Beast began to be destroyed I Answer They were his Kingdoms jure by Right they were his by vertue of Purchase 1500 years ago and more but he entered not into the actual Possession till the destruction of the Tyrannical Kingdoms of this world He received Institution jus ad rem above 1500 years ago but he had not Inâ—…uction jus in re till the destruction of the Beast's Kingdom And therefore these words are specially and Emphatically added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou hast taken to thy self thy great Power and hast Reigned In which words the holy Spirit doth insinuate That before the sound of the Seventh Trumpet the Lord Christ by his own free and voluntary permission did suffer the Beast and other Monarchical States to encroach upon him and to detain his Power for 1260 years At the end of this time he doth resume and take the Power to himself alone This is the scope of the Prophecie And for the Argument of Mr Hayne That Christ was an established King upon Mount Sion when Herod and Pontius Pilate conspired against him I will further adde That in those times when the Beast ruled over all and when all worshipped his Image and received his Mark in those very times the Lamb stood upon Mount Sion and with him 144000 having their Fathers Name written in their forehead chap. 14. vers 1. Now I believe none that understand the scope of the Prophecie will affirm That Christ was stated in his Monarchical Kingdom in all the times of the Reign of Antichrist upon the Earth To speak properly These were rather the times of the Patience of the Saints and of the Exinanition and concealment of the Glory of Christ's Kingdom The Kings did agree to give their Power to the Beast and must do so till the Word of God be fulfilled When this is done the Beast shall be destroyed his Body shall be given to the burning Fire and then the Lord Christ shall begin to Reign Mr Hayne It must be granted That Christ's Kingdom when it was set up was more powerful than Romes which to this day never could though assisted by the Gates of Hell either by Might or Policy prevail against Christ's Kingdom Answer It is true That the Kingdom of Christ is in it self stronger than any Monarchical Kingdom whatsoever But the great Question is Whether it be his mind at all times to eâ—…ert and put forth his Power If this had been his mind why did he not dash in pieces the Babylonian the Persian the Graecian and the Roman Powers as soon as they had any Being Why had they any liberty given them to Afflict the Saints In these Variations and Changes of Empire the Lord Christ would not put out his Power till the times of his Reign upon the Earth should begin Again We do not absolutely and simply affirm That the Lord Christ did not exert and put out his Power in the times of the Metal-Kingdoms For he armed his Saints with Faith and Patience and made them able to Suffer But this we affirm He did not put forth his Power to the destruction of these Kingdoms in their Tyranny and Rage against the Church When the Babylonian stood in all greatness of Power it could not overcome the Spirit of Christ in the Three Children And when the Ten Horns did agree together to give their Power to the Beast The Lamb did overcome them for he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings and they that are with him are called and chosen and faithful chap. 17. vers 14. It is manifest then That the Lord Christ did put out his Power to hold up the Faith of the Saints and to make them able to Suffer But for the present he did not break those Tyrannical Empires in pieces to make them submit to the Laws of the Gospel He did not nor will not exert and send forth that part of Power till the time and season doth come when his Monarchical Kingdom shall begin The Apostle saith 1 Tim. cap. 6. vers 15. In his times he will shew who is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the only Potentate the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords He will set forth his Monarchical Sovereignty and Potency but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his own times in that season which the Father hath appointed for his Sovereignty and Dominion Now that time according to the Scriptures is at the end of the Metal-Kingdoms and more particularly at the end of the Antichristian Kingdom But let us proceed Mr Hayne Christ in S. Iohn's time was the Prince of the Kings of the Earth Rev. 1. 5. Had all things given him by his Father Luk. 10. 22. All Power in Heaven and Earth was given him before his Ascension Matth. 28. 18. So that he was the Head of the Church his Body and in Place far above all Principalitie and Power and Domination and every Title and Name that is Named not in this world only but in the world to come Eph. 1. 21 22. Therefore at Christ's being here on Earth or near unto that time he had an absolute and boundless Sovereignty far above all Monarchs that hereâ—…ofore lived or shall ever live hereafter Answer To this matter I have spoken before scil That the Kingdom given to the Son at his Ascension was far greater than any Earthly Kingdoms whatsoever But the Question here is Whether did he enter into the Possession of that Kingdom yea or no There was a Power given to Christ at his Ascension by vertue of which he was able to destroy the Beast the false Prophet the Dragon Gog and Magog Death and Hell and all other Enemies yet we see that he doth not nor will not execute and put forth his Power in their destruction till the time appointed of the Father till the Saints have passed the time of their Patience and Sufferings
under these Tyrants But in this matter let us Answer Mr Hayne with Mr Hayne In the first Page of his Book he speaketh of the Eternity of Christ's Kingdom and of its extent to the end of the world And afterward in the second Page he speaketh as followeth Of this Extent saith he is Christ's Kingdom yet in regard that God hath soâ—…etimes permitted Satan and wicked men in extraordnary manner to domineer and to exercise their worldly and ungodly Power and that at other times he hath made his own Sovereignty by remarkable Mercies and Iudgements to appear God and Christ upon this more glorious expression of their more Over-ruling Might are then especially said to have a Kingdom and to Reign Because in such times their Glory and Majesty doth more manifestly shew it self Exod. 15. 18. 1 Sam. 12. 12. Obad. vers 21. Rev. 12. 10. In like manner I may say Though at the Ascension of Christ there was given to him a Kingdom far greater than all the Kingdoms of the world yet in regard that it hath pleased God the Father for many Ages together to permit Rome Imperial and afterwards Rome Papal in an extraordinary manner to exercise their worldly Power And seeing also it is his pleasure after some Ages to make his Sovereignty known in the destruction of the Tyranny of these States and in setting up the Gospel as the regent Law in this respect the Reign of Christ may be said to begin at the Dissolution of the Fourth Kingdom in the last and Antichristian State thereof But a little further to open the meaning of the Scriptures When Michael and his Angels i. e. Christ and his Primitive Martyrs had conquered the Dragon presently and immediately upon the Conquest this Acclamation was heard I heard a loud voice saying in Heaven Now is come Salvation and Strength and the Kingdom of our God and the Power of his Christ for the Accuser of our Brethren is cast down Rev. 12. 10. Here I demand what is meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by that Kingdom of God and Power of Christ You are to Note That the scope of the place is concerning the Fight between the Lord Christ and his Primitive Martyrs on the one side and the Powers of the Persecuting Empire of the Romans on the otherside After a long and terrible Fight the Dragon was overcome by the Faith and Patience of the Martyrs by the Prayer of Faith grounded upon the Promise of God And in the times of Constantine the Great when the Christian Faith as the best Expositors will have it became Religio Imperii the Religion of the Empire then at that time the Kingdom of God and the Power of his Christ was revealed to the world The Deliverance and Salvation of the Church from under the Ten first Persecutions was much desired before but it was not effected till the dayes of Constantine the Great To his times then that notable expression the Kingdom of our God and the Power of his Christ is come is more immediately â—…o be applyed By that which the Church hath had Experience of already we may learn what is the meaning of the Spirit when he speaketh of her Deliverance from under Antichristian sufferings and of the future Reign of Christ upon the Earth for 1000 years And though there was some beginning of his Monarchical Reign in the dayes of Constantine yet that was but radiatura vel specimen Regni Christi a glympse or a handâ—…el as it were of the Kingdom of Christ and of the future liberty of the Church that shall be For that glory was Eclipsed and the Church fell under Persecution in all Antichristian times When those times shall be fulfilled the Kingdoms of this world shall become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. And so they shall continue and remain for many years when Jews and Gentiles both together shall make a glorious Church under Christ their Head and King in the latter dayes After the destruction of the Fourth Beast it is expresly said The Dominion under the whole Heaven shall be given to the Saints of the most High and that this Dominion is to continue for ever Dan. 7. 27. Now then If the Monarchical Kingdom of Christ did begin at the Incarnation and so forward to continue for ever what shall we make of the Reign of Antichrist for so many Ages together Christ hath Reigned but a little if we look to an exteriour Reign Mr Hayne The Reign of Antichrist and of other Tyrants is no impeachment to Christ's absolute Sovereignty The wickedness of Sons taketh not away the Fatherhood and Authority of Parents Nor a Debauched Servant's ill carriage argue his exemption from the Master he is subject to David was and continued a King though Ishbosheth and Saul's House though Absolon his own Son though Sheba a Benjamite and many of Israel rose up against him and submitted not to his Scepter Answer We agree That the Tyrannical States and by Name the â—…ntichristian cannot be such impeachments to Christ's Kingdom so as absolutely and finally to obstruct it in every part and point of Power We yield also That the Right belongeth to Christ to be Universal Head of the Church though Antichrist hath Usurped his Right for many Ages together And further Though his Jurisdiction hath been detained by others a long time yet he hath Power enough in himself to recover it again when the time appointed for the Dominion of the Tyrannical States is once fulfilled But to say for the present That the Antichristian State is no impeachment to the Kingdom of Christ this is a marvelous thing When a Usurpet is in the place of Government is this no impeachment to the lawful power All the world did agree together to worship the Beast and to receive his Mark and was this no impeachment to the Kingdom of Christ The great Whore corrupted the Earth with her Fornications and the Kings of the Earth agreed together to give their Power to the Beast and was this no impeachment to the Kingdom of Christ Though David was anointed King over Israel and though by vertue of his Unction he had true Title to the Kingdom yet so long as Saul and Ishbosheth did bear Rule the Kingdom was not his In like manner Though the Lord Christ by suffering Death and by his Unction had Title to all the Kingdoms of the Earth yet as long as the Tyrannical States of this world and particularly the Antichristian Kingdom do continue the Kingdoms of this world in that form and manner as they shall be are not his And therefore at the Fall of the Great City this expression is used The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. Here is a tacite implication That they were none of his Kingdoms before in that sense which the text intendeth Mr Hayne You much debase and vilifie Christ and his Kingdom in comparing it and counting it Inferiour to
the same time of the Roman Kingdom under the Type of a Beast with Ten Horns This being once explained the Doctrine of the Number 666 and other Apocalyptical Mysteries will begin to be made clear But seeing that Dr Willet in his Commentary upon Daniel and in his Appendix against Grasserus is somthing more copious in this matter we will therefore more diligently enquire Whether the Fourth Beast in Daniel be the Seleucian or the Roman Kingdom The Queries are of Three sorts The First From the Nature of the Fourth Beast The Second From the Ten Horns The Third From the description of the little Horn. The Queries from the Nature of the Fourth Beast are these Querie 1. How can the Seleucidae be the Fourth Kingdom upon the Earth under the Type of the Fourth Beast seeing they are one of the Four Heads of the Third Beast going before chap. 7. vers 6. chap. 8. vers 8 22. If they make one of the Four Heads with the rest of the Successors of Alexander they cannot be the Fourth Kingdom The Fourth Beast must necessarily be the Roman seeing the Third with Four Heads is the Graecian going before But Dr Willet thus replieth Alexander's Four Captains were at the first Regents under him and his Successor Aridaeus but they became the Fourth Beast when they erected the Kingdom to themselves If we put Alexander and his Successors together we can give a cleer Reason why the Third Beast may be said to have Four Heads because in the times of the Monarchy of the People of Greece that Nation became divided into Four Kingdoms as appeareth Dan. 8. 8 22. But if we take Alexander and his Successor Aridaeus asunder from the Four Successors I cannot see possibly how the Kingdom of Alexander in that abstract consideration may be said to have Four Heads or that it may be decyphered properly by such a character The Four Heads do signifie the Four Divisions of the Greek Monarchy and can this be a Character of Alexander's Kingdom which in it self considered had no Heads Parts or Divisions at all The Scriptures speak plainly That the Graecian was one intire Kingdom in him and after his eradication the Dominion began to be divided into Four parts Therefore his Successors quatenus Heads had no being at all in all the times of his Dominion Much less could they be the Characters of his Kingdom at whose only extirpation they were to begin as Heads of the Graecian State Besides it would be a great work to prove out of the Stories That the Kingdom of Alexander was Governed by Four principal Regents in his time And further If it could be made appear still this would be a great Question Whether in the Description of the Monarchies the Scripture would look to such inferiour Administrations Darius the King set over the Mede-Persian Kingdom 120 Princes Dan. 6. 1 2 3. and yet we do not reade that this Number of Regents is set forth as the special Character of that Monarchy We have a clear Reason in the Scriptures wherefore the Graecian State is figured by the Type of Four Heads scil in relation to the quadri-partite Division of Alexander's Kingdomâ—… after his death Therefore the Notion of the Four Regents of Alexander during his life time I take rather to be an evasion than a just Truth grounded upon the Prophecie or the civil Stories Querie 2. How can the Kingdom of the Seleucidae be the Fourth Kingdom upon the Earth that shall be different from the former and shall devour the whole Earth and tread it down and break it in pieces chap. 7. vers 23. How can this be applied to them The Seleucidae were far inferiour to the Kingdom of Alexander Four Kings or Kingdoms did arise out of him but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his Strength chap. 8. vers 22. Further The Seleucians were far inferiour to the former Monarchies of Babel and Persia in greatness of Power and largeness of Dominion On the contrary If we apply the Fourth Beast to the Roman all the properties of that Beast will be verified iâ—… him First The admirable condition of the Fourth Beast above the former Secondly His multi-form and various shape Thirdly The greatness of terrour Fourthly The highest degree of strength Fifthly His Iron-Teeth and Brazen-Nayles Sixthly His Actions to devour and to break in pieces Seventhly The object of his Victory to subdue the whole Earth Eighthly The time of the continuance And so the Earth hath longer continued under the Dominion of the Romans than under any nay under aâ—…l the Metal-Kingdoms All these properties agree to the Roman and I cannot possibly see how they may be applicable to the Seleucian Kingdom But Dr Willet replieth That the Kingdom of the Seleucidae make the Fourth Beast not so much in respect of greater strength as in respect of greater cruelty and hardness of disposition against the People of God the Iews And therefore when it is said of this Kingdom That it did devour the whole Earth this is not simply the whole Earth but the whole Earth about the Confines of the Iewish Church If we should grant this Principle of cruel Disposition against the People of the Jews this would strongly prove the Roman to be the Fourth Kingdom For the Jews suffered much from the Babylonians much from the Persians more from the Graecians yet most of all from the Romans They were under the Roman Tyranny for the space of 130 years together and then last of all the Nation and Church was destroyed by their means The Sufferings of the Jews under Antiochus were great but they were not to be compared with the last and fatal destruction of Ierusalem Our Saviour himself doth testifie as much when he speaketh concerning the great calamity that should come by the Romans Luk. 21. vers 20 21 22 23. And this also is well observed by a certain nameless Writer in a Tract concerning Antichrist and the Four Monarchies For saith he Quamvis Antiochus graviter afflixit Iuâ—…aeos tamen ea afflictio ad tempus tantum duravit cum illa 〈◊〉 quae a Romanis facta est nequaquam conferenda Therefore if the greatest degree of Cruelty against the People of the Jews doth give denomination to the Fourth Beast the greatest Sufferings of the Jews have been under the Romans Secondly In the case of the Monarchies in the Chaldee Visions I see no reason why the Jews should be called The only People of God In Dan. 2. there is mention made of the beginning of the Kingdom of Christ and how that Kingdom should break the Metal-Kingdoms Now is this verified in the Nation of the Jews Do they only make the Kingdom of Christ Or have they been only used as Instruments to the Dissolution of the Fourth Kingdom Again It is mentioned That the little Horn did wear out the Saints of the most High till the Saints took the Kingdom Now what warrant is there to take them only for the Saints of
Kings and reigned in the same row with Antiochus Magnus and Antiochus Theos Yet we cannot say that he came to reign with them for when he began they had no Being at all This is true in all successions when he that cometh after beginneth to Reign then they that go before cease to be But it is otherwise spoken of the little Horn he came up among them to wit among the Ten Horns he broke three of them in pieces and for the residue they had their Existence and Being together at one and the same time You will say That this is but a similitude and similitudes are not to be pressed in every particular I Answer That Types and Similitudes used by the Holy Ghost ought to be pressed so far as he intendeth If therefore by ten Horns he did intend a lineal succession of Kings why did he not keep the same method which he used to do in the description of such Successions In the former verses he speaketh of the rising of Four Beasts out of the Sea the first like a Lyon the second like a Bear the third like a Leopard the fourth was diverse from the former All these are said to come up out of the Sea one after another by which it is clear That there are so many successions of Monarchy But when he cometh to describe the Ten Horns there is nothing to prove such a subalternation or succession of one Horn after another but rather the contrary The Ten Horns are Ten Kings that shall arise and after them a little Horn shall arise and so all shall exist together But when the Babylonian-Lyon rose up out of the Sea and after that the Persian-Bear and Graecian-Pard it is no where said That these Beasts did arise up inter se invicem and that they had an existence at one and the same time For this were to confound that order succession and subalternation of the Four Monarchies which the holy Spirit intendeth But Dr Willet doth make this Reply The Beast in the Revelation is called a Beast with seven Heads which signifie so many forms of Government in a lineal Succession So the Beast may be called a Beast with ten Horns to wit so many Kings succeeding one another Answer If he could shew as good Reason wherefore the ten Horns are ten Kings in a lineal succession as the seven Heads of the Beast are so many successive forms of Roman Government we would yield up the Cause For it is expresly said There are Seven Kings five are fallen one is and the other is not yet come chap. 17. vers 10. Now there is not the least iota word or apex in Dan. 7. to prove such a succession but rather the contrary To me therefore it is very strange That the holy Spirit should depart from his usual method in Typical and Periodical Prophecies that he should speak of ten Kings lineally succeeding and yet leave no Character or Mark in the text to know the succession I may say It is not ordinary with him so to do Now take the ten Horns for the ten Kings of the Roman Empire it is clear That these had Existence with the Papacie or little Horn. The Angel thus speaketh concerning the ten Horns These have no Kingdom as yet but receive a Kingdom one hour with the Beast vers 12. Both Scriptures plainly shew That the ten Kings are of one and the same time though in order of succession the little Horn came up after the ten Querie 4. If the ten Horns be ten Kings and the little Horn be the tenth why is it said That only three of the former were plucked up by the roots This implyeth That there was no eradication of the residue of Horns but they had some being with the little Horn. You will say That only three were plucked up by the roots because the little Horn did actually subdue and humble three as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie Well be it so still the Question is which three of the former ten were they that the little Horn did eradicate Dr Willet and other Interpreters of his way take it for a granted truth That he did pluck up Three Kings that Reigned immediately before But now do they prove this from the text The words are without any restriction or limitation He shall subdue three Kings vers 24. Before whom three of the first Horns were plucked up by the roots ver 8. Therefore to my understanding when the Scripture saith That the little Horn came up among the Ten and did subdue Three only this is to me an Argument That the residue of Horns were not brought in subjection but had an existence as Kings in the times of the little Horn. Secondly It is said of the little Horn that he shall be diverse from the first and shall subdue three Kings If you take the Three Kings for Three lineally Reigning how could the taking away of such a Number of Kings make the little Horn more powerful than the former In the corrupted State of the Ten Tribes we read somtimes That he that came after did take away the life of the Prince that went before yet this was never judged as a cause of greater power and strength to come to the Kingdom by such Usurpation 2 King 9. 3. Hos. 1. 4. On the contrary If you take the Ten Horns for Ten States or Realms into which the Fourth Monarchy became divided here will be a clear Reason why the little Horn became unlike to any of the former because he brought Three Kingdoms under his Dominion We read that Alexander's Dominion was plucked up by the roots and this was the cause of the greatness of the King of the South and the King of the North Dan. 11. 4 5 6. So in the present case the eradication of Three States or Dynasties before the little Horn is the cause of the greatness of his Dominion Thirdly Let us come to particulars what Three Kings were they whom Antiochus did subdue They say Ptolomaeus Philopater the King of Egypt Seleucus the Brother of Antiochus and Demetrius But it is mentioned Dâ—…n 11. 21. that he shall come peaceably into the Province Now what peaceable coming is this when he shall begin with the extirpation of Three Kings Again how can Ptolomaeus Philopater be one of the Ten Kings of the Seleucian line No Historian did ever reckon Ptolomaeus Philopater among the Seleucians And for his over-running of Syria this doth no more make him one of that Succession than Tamerlains over-running the Turkish Empire doth make him one of the Ottoman line Now on the contrary let us take the little Horn in that sense as the text naturally requireth all these difficulties will be avoided The Beast with Ten Horns is the Roman as divided into Ten lesser Kingdoms The little Horn is the Papacie Now to give elbow-room to this in Italy Three of the Ten Kings lately raised out of the Ruines of the Empire were all
plucked up by the roots By the conquering of which Three and by the voluntary resignation of the rest the little Horn became more stout than his fellows being made greater than they in a triple proportion Object But you will say Which are the three Kingdoms that the little Horn did subdue and how do you prove the truth of this out of the Stories Sol. The First is The Kingdom of the Goths in Italy For the Bishops of Rome were under the Dominion of these Kings they were sent as their Ambassadors and lived under the fear of continual Persecution and there was nothing in the Old Empire to keep back the Papal power in the growth and the increase thereof but there was the same impediment from these Gothish Kings Now it is clear in the Stories That this Government was wholly extinguished by the valiant Narses in the time of the Emperor Iustinian And for the means to procure it we may easily believe That the Bishop of Rome had some hand in the extirpation of these Kings that he might be freed from fear Secondly After the Ruine of the Gothish Kings the Exarchs of Ravenna had some Dominion in Italy Now when the Controversie grew hot between the Bishops of Rome and the Emperors of Constantinople about the matter of Images as Mornay well obserâ—…eth in his History of the Papacie Progress 27. the Popes then called in the Lombards against the Exarchs to the ruine of both Estates And for the Dukedom of Rome for so we must now call it the People of that City upon the Difference concerning Images in Churches being engaged with the Popes in Rebellion wholly shook off the yoke of the Emperor and took an Oath to be subject to the Pope in all Points And here saith Baronius An. 726 was an end of those Dukes and Governors which the Emperors were wont to send to Command in Rome and the Places adjoyning Sigonius also speaketh much to the same purpose That the Dukedom of Rome was translated from the Graecians to the Pope of Rome by reason of their wicked Heresie and Impiety But that which he calls Heresie is no other but Iconomachia or a standing against Image-worship Thirdly The Kingdom of the Lombards growing very Miâ—…hty by the Conquests over the Exarchs these also the Bishop of Rome did subdue humble and eradicate by a Forreign power For he brought in the French into Italy which did willingly hearken to the Motion By these several passages it is clear That the Papacy did destroy Three new-Erected States by means whereof the Temporal Dominion of that Church in Italy was much established And so according to the Story it is made clear That the little Horn did humble and subdue Three of the former Horns and did pluck them up by the roots Querie 5. If the Ten Horns signifie Ten Kings in a lineal Succession Why is it that in Daniel and the Revelation the Beasts their Heads and Horns usually signifie Realms and Dominions and not Persons individually Reigning The Mede-Persian Monarchy is Typed by a Ram and the two Horns are not two particular Kings but the two Kingdoms of Media and Persia Dan. 8. vers 24. So the Goat is the Graecian Monarchy and the Four Horns are Four Kingdoms that shall arise out of that Nation vers 22. Also the Ten Horns of the Beast in the Revelation do not signifie Ten particular Kings but so many Realms and Dominions of the Roman Kingdom Further The Beast which came out of the Earth with Two Horns Rev. 13. 11 signifieth the Papacie and the Two Horns his bi-partite Jurisdiction to wit His Spiritual and his Temporal Dominion There is good Reason to be rendred for this because Persons do change Governments do abide And it is the manner of the Spirit when he doth describe the Tyrannical Kingdoms of this world by Beasts to decypher them by that which is Permanent and Characteristical and not by that which is fluent and changable at every turn To me therefore this is a good Reason considering the Analogie of both Prophecies that the Fourth Beast should be set forth by the Character of Ten Horns and that these Horns should signifie so many Realms and Dominions of the Fourth Kingdom Object But it will be objected in the description of the Graecian State under the similitude of an He-goat That Alexander is the Great Horn that came up and Antiochus Epiphanes is the little Horn. Therefore the Beasts and their Horns in Daniel and the Revelation do not alwayes signifie Tyrannical Empires Dynasties and Governments but somtimes denote particular Persons that Reign Sol. One Exception must not prejudice a general Rule He that can let him give another Example Our Position is built upon the general use of both Prophecies But Dr Willet and the Interpreterâ—… of that way do build only upon one particular Instance exempt from the ordinary Method Secondly We grant That in the description of the He-goat the first Horn is Alexander the Great and the little Horn is Antiochus Epiphanes yet in the Case we speak neither of these are any way to be ranked in the Number of Horns that do Characteristically and specifically distinguish the Graecian from the other Three Monarchies It is expresly said That a Third Beast câ—…me out of the Earth with Four Heads Now these are not such a Number of particular Kings but they are so many Realms States and Dominions that shall stand up â—…ut of that Nation as we have above proved and are the special Notes of that Kingdom If therefore the Ten Horns be the Characters and Badges of the Fourth Beast they are so many Realms Divisions and Regencies of the Fourth Empire The course of the Spirit is to set forth different Empires under different Types and to distinguish Kings or Kingdoms of one and the same time from those that come after one another in a lineal Descent Now they that hold the Ten Horns to be so many Kings in the Seleucian line what Letter or Syllable is in the text to prove such a succession Querie 6. Sixthly If the Ten Horns of the Fourth Beast be Ten Kings succeeding one another rather than one and the same Empire divided into Ten inferiour Realms why should the holy Spirit in the Iron-Metal chap. 2. speak so much of the Division of this Kingdom That in the Feet and Toes of the Image it should be divided into a plurality of States that these should mingle themselves with the seed of men to preserve an Union All this sheweth That the Fourth Kingdom toward the latter times should be divided into many lesser Dominions And if we may interpret one Scripture by another both speaking of one and the same matter the particular Number of Realms is represented by the Ten Horns Now they that will have Ten Horns to be Ten Kings lineally Reigning cannot infer from hence any Division of the Fourth Kingdom nor consequently the need of any mixture of State Kings Successively Reigning need no
this Fourth Monarchy is to be stated according to Church-relations Secondly We will shew out of the Stories in whose times and by whose means the Church came first under the Dominion of that People Now That the Roman doth begin as the Fourth of Daniel's Kingdoms when the Church came under the Obedience of that People may be proved by these Arguments ARGUMENT I. Where the former Three Kingdoms in Daniel's Image did begin by the same Analogie we are to proceed in stating the Beginning of the Fourth Kingdom But the former Three Kingdoms in Daniel's Image did begin each of them in their several times when the Church and the Confines adjoyning came under their Dominion Therefore the Roman as the Fourth Kingdom in Daniel's Image began when the Church and the Confines about the Church came under the Obedience of that People The Major is clear For none will Deny but that the Roman doth hold Analogie with the three former Empires in their beginning And for the Minor we prove it by Induction of Singulars As for Ensample Example 1. First In the Babylonian Kingdom the first of Daniel's Four there were many Potent Kings that did Reign in that Succession before the times of Nebuchadnezzar for he began to Reign in the 144 year of the Aera of Nabonazzar Now the several Names of the Kings the times of their Reign and the order of their Succession are all set down in the famous Canon of Ptolomy as we shall shew afterwards But not to go far for an Example There is mention made of one Merodach-Baladan in the Canon aforesaid called by the Name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he sent Ambassadors to Hezekiah King of Iudah 2 King 20. 12. There was then a Succession of Babylonian Kings before Nebuchadnezzar You will say Why is he then called the Head of Gold as much in sense as the first Babylonian King I Answer Though he was not simply the first Babylonian King others Reigning before him yet he was the first Prince of the Babylonians that brought the Jewish Church and the Confines about that Church within the Babylonian Empire Example 2. Secondly That Kingdom of the Medes and Persians whereof Darius and Cyrus were the Founders if we go strictly to work the Foundation of these was laid before For it is manifestly plain by the testimony of the Greek Historians and by the Chronographical Tables now in the hands of all men That there was a Potent Race of the Kings of Media down from Arbaces the Mede Yet for all this Darius and Cyrus are the true Founders of the Mede-Persian Kingdom because they first brought the Jewish Church under the power of the Medes and Persians And that which is very remarkable to our present purpose though it be a thing famously known among Historians That Cyrus began to Reign in the 55 Olympiad though he subdued many Nations Propagated the Persian Empire very far yet the Scripture taketh no notice of that beginning but then only when the Church came within the limits of the Persian Dominion And therefore it is well Observed by Piscator in his Scholia upon Ezra chap. 1. vers 2. That the Edict came forth in the first of Cyrus King of Persia. This saith he is the first year of his Reign in Babylon Example 3. The Third Kingdom in Daniel's Image is that of the Graecians of which Alexander became the Head at the overthrow of Darius The rough Goat is said to be the Monarchy of the Graecians and the Great Horn to wit Alexander is expresly called the first King Dan. 8. 21. Now How can he be said to be the first King of the Graecians seeing there were many Mighty Kings before him in and over that Nation To let pass all the other States of Greece in Macedonia it self Philip the Father of Alexander was a Potent Prince But the Answer is as before He was the first Monarchical King that subdued the Territories of the Church There was never any Graecian Prince that extended the Sovereign Rule of that People so far Eastward to the Confines of the Church as he And therefore he is expresly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first King of the Graecians From all the forementioned particulars it is clear That the former Three Kingdoms in Daniel's Image began each of them in their several times when the Church came under their respective Dominions And so the Assumption is proved If then we proceed in the same Analogie we must necessarily say That the Roman began as the Fourth Metal-Kingdom when the Jewish Church and the Continent adjoyning came first under the Sovereign Lordship and Command of the People of Rome But yet for further confirmation of this truth we will produce some new Arguments to prove That the Metal-Kingdoms are Numbred in relation to the Church First The Revelation of these Metal-Kingdoms was specially for the Saints and People of God For though one end was to Discover to Nebuchadnezzar what Successions of Tyranny there should be after him yet this was principally for the Churches sake and the Churches use And therefore it is mentioned This Secret is not revealed unto me for any wisdom that I have above all living but for their sakes that shall make known the Interpretation to the King vers 30. Therefore in the delineation of these Tyrannical Empires the Lord doth specially intend to Reveal to the Church those Changes and Vicissitudes of times that she should meet withal In Relation to her then There is primarily a Discovery of these things Secondly These Metal-Kingdoms are also Discovered to shew in what Region or Part of Time the Kingdom of Christ should begin All the Scriptures in the Old Testament point mainly to Christ some point to his Parentage others to the place of his Birth others to the Tribe that he should come of So this in special pointeth to that period of time when his Kingdom should begin These are the words of the text In the dayes of these Kingdoms shall the God of Heaven raise up a Kingdom that never shall be destroyed From whence it is manifest That the Monarchies are reckoned according to the alterations which shall be in and about the Borders of the Jewish Church For Where should Christ be Born but in Iudea And hereupon he is called The King of the Jews Thirdly If we go to that Expression so often mentioned Dan. 11. where the Seleucian is called The King of the North and the Dominion of the Lagidae The King of the South Here we must necessarily Affirm That these Empires are said to be North and South in some special relation And the Reason is clear Because Iudea did lie in the middest betwixt them as a Lamb betwixt Two Wolves having the Seleucidae on the North and the Lagidae on the South Now that the People of the Jews are herein principally respected the words of the Angel are clear I am come to make Thee Understand what shall befal Thy People in
Story of the Gospel and particularly the entrance of Christ into his Ministery he hath these words In the fifteenth year of the Reign of Tiberius Caesar Pontius Pilate being Governor of Iudea and Herod being Tetrarch of Galilee and his Brother Philip Tetrarch of Iturea and of the Region of Trachonitis and Lysanias the Tetrarch of Abilene the Word of the Lord came to Iohn the Son of Zacharias in the Wilderness Luk. 3. 1 2 3. Here I demand What hath the Evangelist to do with the times of the Romans being a Government so alien to the affairs of the Church I Answer There be Two Reasons wherefore he Numbreth the times according to the Roman accompt The First is To shew the Truth of Daniel's Prophecie in the Image of Persecuting States For there it is expresly said That in the dayes of these Kingdoms shall the God of Heaven raise up a Kingdom that never shall be destroyed Dan. 2. 44. Now the Evangelist expoundeth this to be the Kingdom of Christ and that the Roman in particular is the Metal-Kingdom in whose times the Kingdom of Christ did begin And he doth leave it upon Record That the Lord Christ had a solemn Inauguration into his Office in that part of time when Tiberius was Emperor in the fifteenth year of his Reign when Pontius Pilate was Governor of Iudea c. Now if it be the scope of the Evangelist to shew That the Lord did begin his Office in Preaching the Gospel when the Romans did beaâ—… Rule there must be a particular instant of time also when all in Iudea fell under the Dominion of that People and that in the sense of the Gospel must be the Epocha or term of the Roman Kingdom Secondly The Evangelist doth so punctually Number the times according to the Roman Government because then Iudea where the Gospel began to be Preached was under the Command of the People of Rome And the Evangelist doth no more in the times of the New Testament than what the Prophets and ancient Writers had done in the times of the Old As for Ensample Those Prophets that lived in the times of the Kings of Iudah and Israel as Isaiah Ieremy Hosea dated their Prophecies from the Reign of those Kings And from that time that the Kings of the Line of David were taken away it was the use to reckon by the times of the Four Monarchical States So Daniel and Hezâ—…kiel who lived in the times of the Babylonian Empire do reckon their Visions by the times of the Babylonian Kings And after them Ezrah Nehemiah Haggie and Zachary who lived in the times of the Persian Monarchy dated their times by the Reigns of the Kings of Persia. And as for those Ecclesiastical Writers that lived in the times of the Graecian Kingdom as the Author of the Book of the Macchabees they accounted by the years of the Kingdom of the Greeks In like manner the Evangelists living in the times of the Romans date the Story of the Gospel by the Roman account In all which they do secretly imply That the Roman is the Fourth Metal-Kingdom and it began so to be when the Church of the Jews became subject to the People of Rome So long the Stories of the Church were Numerable by the Roman account But let us adde another Testimony out of the same Evangelist where he telleth us chap. 2. vers 2. A Decree went forth from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed 〈◊〉 this taxing was first made when Cyreneus was Governor of Syria Now whereas he saith That all the world should be taxed this is meant only of the world under the Roman obedience And here we Affirm When Iudea and the Countries near Bordering became Members of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Roman world then did the Roman begin as the Fourth of Daniel's Kingdoms The Evangelist being to speak of the Birth of the Kinâ—… of the Jews his special purpose is to shew how that particular Continent was under the sovereign Power of Augustus Caesar at that time Object 1. But here it may be Objected How could Augustus tax Iudea when it was under the Power of Herod the King Sol. This matter is solidly Disputed by the learned Spanhemius in his Dubia Evangelica part 2. dub 2. pa. 157. The sum of that which he doth deliver cometh to this issue Though Herod was King he had not jus summum the supreme Dominion he had only jus subalternum a Right and a Power meerly by the courtesie of Augustus And therefore he citeth a passage out of Appianus That as Darius was the King of Pontus and Polemon of Cilicia so Herod was King of the Jews that is meerly by favour and courtesie Secondly He sheweth That there were often Appeals from Herod to the Romans and therefore he was compelled to pleÌ„ad for himself before Antonius at Laodicea and before Augustus after the Battel of Actium at Rhodes Many more Arguments he brought to prove that his Government was meerly Precatious and at the will of the Romans Now for that particular time when the Romans began to have the sovereignty over the People of the Jews this was at the times of Pompey the Great These are the Authors own words pag. 160 At a sane erat conditio populi Iudaici tempore Macchabaeorum qu indo à Iudâ Macchabaeo foedus primò cum Romanis initum ubi Iudaeâ—… vocantur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 populi Romani rescripto Sena us ad Deâ—…ctrium à quo premebantur 1 Mac. 8. Sed quamâ—…rimum à Pompeio Magno subacti fuere societatis nomen in servitutem abâ—…r illi aequè ac aliae gentes dâ—…victae Romanis vectigales facti eorum imperio accessêre Ab eâ—… tempore Iudaeorum gens in Clientelâ Romanorum fuit à quâ—…bus Reges pro arbitrio instituebantur vel destituebantur tales quidem quibus precarium limitatum erat imperium à nutu eorum suspensum qui Romae rerum potâ—…ebantur In these words of his he doth plainly distinguish what the People of the Jews were before the Conquest of Judea by Pompey and what they were after Before the Conquest they were Friends Allies and Auxiliaries and after that their society was turned into servitude and as other Conquered Nations so the Jews were made Tributaries to the Empire From that time the Nation of the Jews was alwayes under the Dominion of the Romans by whom their Kings were either set up or plucked down at pleasure And for the manner of their Rule it was meerly limited hanging upon the good will of them that had the supreme Command at Rome Now if this be so I leave it to any man to judge when the Roman did begin as the Fourth Metal-Kingdom According to these Principles he must needs begin at the times of Pompey when the Church was brought under the Power of the Romans Object 2. Why is it said That the taxing was when Cyreneus was Governor of Syria and not rather
with those whom by occasion of their unbelief in Christ God should surrogate in their rooms were to remain under the Bondage of the Gentiles and Oppression of Gentilism But these times once fulfilled all the Kingdoms of the World should become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. So far Mr Mede In whose words I Note these Three Points First That the Four Metal-Kingdoms in Daniel's Image are a Prophetical Chronologie of the times Secondly That this Prophetical Chronologie beginneth at the Captivity of Babylon Thirdly That it endeth at the glorious Kingdom of the Saints And for the Four Kingdoms he Numbreth them in this manner First The Babylonian Secondly The Mede-Persian Thirdly The Graecian Fourthly The Roman And for the beginning of the Roman the Point that we now are upon he hath this Observation In which quaternary of Kingdoms as the Roman being the last of the Four is the last Kingdom So are the times thereof the last times we seek for During which times saith Daniel the God of Heaven shall raise up a Kingdom that never shall be destroyed c. In these words also we do agree with the forenamed Author in Two Points First In the Number of the Four Kingdoms Secondly In the date of the last times from the beginning of the Fourth Kingdom And this is that which we endeavor to prove That assoon as the Church came under the Dominion of the Romans that People became the Fourth Metal-Kingdom And here also we do set the beginning of those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or latter times so much spoken of If therefore we set our selves in this beginning where in Mr Mede's own Opinion the latter times do commence If we Number 666 years we shall come to that particular time when the Name or Universal Headship of the Bishop of Rome began to be set up And so every man may easily observe That we go in the true Scripture-way of account But of this afterward Now let us go on and consider wherein we do differ from Mr Mede about the true beginning of the Roman Kingdom For either saith he we must set the beginning thereof when all Greece came under the Roman Obedience after the Conquest of Perseus or else the Roman Kingdom must begin by degrees In which Opinion of his there are Two Errors For that of the beginning at Perseus we have spoken already And for the Roman Encroachment by degrees let it be what it will be there must be a certain determinate time where the Roman doth begin as the Fourth Metal-Kingdom unless we will admit of a Chasme or a vacuum in the Prophetical Chronologie And yet further Upon Mr Mede's own grounds we do desire to press this Argument If the Babylonian did begin as the first Metal-Kingdom when the People of Israel came under the Dominion of Babel then the Roman will begin as the Fourth Metal Kingdom when the same People of Israel 〈◊〉 under the 〈◊〉 of Rome But the former is true Ergo the latter The Consequence is clear from Analogie for the Roman doth but continue that Dominion which the Babylonian began And for the Minor our Author saith That the Four Metal-Kingdoms did begin from the Captivity of Israel when that People fell under the power of the Babylonians I say also When the same People of Israel came under the power of the Romans there is the true determinate beginning of the Roman as the Fourth Metal-Kingdom And this is proved by such Principles as Mr Mede himself will allow Object 2. Others do plead That the Roman did begin as the Fourth Metal-Kingdom when it began to be the prevailing Dominion upon the Earth But they were so some years before the Iewish Church came under their Obedience Sol. It is true That all the Monarchical Kingdoms were prevailing when those times came that were appointed of God that they should prevail For Nebuchadnezzar the Scriptures speak very much how he carried all before him And for Cyrus the Founder of the Persian Kingdom Thus saith the Lord to Cyrus his anointed whose right hand I have holden The right hand is the instrument of Action and Conquerors prevail by the Lord 's holding up their right hand I will loose the loyns of Kings When the loyns of Kings are loosed wherein their strength lieth he must needs prevail against them To open Before him the two-leaved Gates It was the Power of God that did go before him and that was the Petard to burst open the Gates of his Enemies Isa. 45. v. 1 2 3 4. And for Alexander the Great the Scripture saith Behold an He-goat came from the West on the face of the whole Earth and touched not the Ground Dan. 8. 5. Livy is of Opinion That if Alexander had turned his Arms against the Western people as he did against the Eastern he would have failed of his Conquests And Caesar objected to Pompey That the Wars waged against the People of Asia in respect of others were rather against Women than Men. But these are only Observations of States-men and Souldiers that look upon second Causes The Scripture yieldeth us the true reason wherefore Alexander prevailed against the Asiaticks carried his victories so far eastward I saw an He-goat come from the West to the East and touched not the ground This is the true cause of the greatness and celerity of the Conquest of Alexander He came upon the face of the whole Earth and touched not the ground It is not the situation of the People in the Western Hemisphere that maketh them prevail over the Eastern but they only shall prevail whom God will set up We may see on the contrary That great Conquerors have come from East to West as well as they have passed from West to East This may be seen in the Victories of Cyrus Belisarius the Saracens and now last of all the Turks which have come from the East too too far but only that God would have it so into the Roman Territories Now if you would know the true Reason of the prevailing of the latter their Commission lieth in these words Loose the Four Angels that are bound in the Great River Euphrates and the Four Angels were loosed which were prepared for an hour and a day and a month and a year for to slay the third part of men Rev. 9. 14 15. For the Four Angels the course of the Prophecie and the best Expositors do plainly shew That this is meant of the Turkish Nation which Originally were divided into Four Families and had power to come over the River Euphrates into the Territories of the Western World And for that famous Instance of Xerxes That a few Graecians in the West did defeat multitudes of People that came out of the East the reason lieth not in the situation of either People in respect of the Hemisphere but in the hand of the Lord that fought against the Persian Empire For from that time that the building of the Temple was hindred
by the Persians and Daniel mourned for it full three weeks together the Angel to comfort him telleth him plainly Dan. 10. 20. I will return to fight with the Prince of Persia and then the King of Graecia shall come in The meaning of which words is this That the power of the Empire of the Persians should be overthrown by the Graecians and then he cometh to particulars to speak of the expedition of Xerxes into Greece how that the Fourth King of the Persians should raise up great multitudes of People against the Graecians These are the words of the text for speaking of Darius the Mede he saith In the first year of Darius the Mede I stood up to strengthen him chap. 11. vers 1. And then he addeth I will shew thee the truth behold there shall stand up three Kings in Persia to wit Cyrus Cambyses Darius And the Fourth meaning Xerxes shall be richer than they all and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the Realm of Graecia vers 2 3. If we will go to the true Reason wherefore the Graecians were so couragious at the Straits of Thermopylae and wherefore they did prevail against the Persians the true cause doth lie in these words I will fight against the Prince of Persia and then the Kingdom of Graecia shall come in It was the secret and invisible hand of the Lord that was the cause of the declining of the Power of the Persians in the East and the rising of the Graecian in the West It is true That the He-goat passed from West to East upon the face of the whole Earth and yet it is as true That the Ram of Persia did push to the three several Coasts Westward Northward and Southward chap. 8. vers 4. By these words it is plain If the Victories of the Graecians did pass from West to East then è converso it is as true That the Victories of the Persians did pass from East to West Let us hear the words of the Prophet Isaiah to put all out of question for speaking of Cyrus thus he saith I have called a ravenous Bird out of the East the man of my Counsel from a far Country chap. 46. 11. From hence it is plain When God will Conquerors shall come out of the East And in Allusion to this Story those Kings that shall deliver the Mystical Israel out of the Captivity of Western Babylon are called the Kings of the East in a Figure Rev. 16. 12. It is not in the Climate in the Hemisphere in the temper of the Heavens in the better exercise of Military Discipline in the experience of old Souldiers in the success of fortunate Generals or any other inferiour cause but in the immediate Dispensation of God Therefore to adde the words of the Psalmist as an Epiphonema Lift not up your Horn on high speak not with a stiff neck for promotion cometh not from the East not from the West but God is judge he putteth down one and setteth up another Psal. 75. 5 6 7. I have staid the longer upon this digression because I set that States-men Souldiers and others of deepest wisdom look to these subtilties Hereupon they trust in an Arm of Flesh oppose the Gospel perfecute the Saints bear themselves more high over those that are made subject to them Make no Conscience of Honesty Truth or Religion when they have the Law in their own hands They should as well look to the invisible and spiritual causes of the Changes of Empire to the Providence of God to the Revelations in the Word to the Angels fighting against the Kingdoms of this world to the power of the Saints Prayers that are offered upon the golden Altar There is nothing more divine nothing more spiritual and nothing more apt to carry up the Soul into an high contemplation of the manifold wisdom power truth and Fidelity of God then to behold in the Prophecie of Daniel and in the Book of the Revelation as in a Map the several Empires of the world where the Church should be seated their times their changes and their causes of the change and this many hundred years before these Empires come to be set up They that read the VVord together with the Stories of the times may see the Fidelity of God and may by this come to know him by the Name Iehovah But so much by the way touching the sudden growth of the Graecian Empire from VVest to East Now we come to the Romans and in the times of their Dominion they must also have the strength of Iron to subdue the whole Earth and break it in pieces And though great Nations and mighty Princes should rise against him as Pyrrhus Hannibal Perseus Iugurtha Sertorius Methridates Tigranes c. yet in their times the Romans must be too hard for them all and break them all in pieces And therefore when Dionysius Halicarnassaeus Cicero and others boast of the Roman Greatness it may be said to them as somtimes it was to Cyrus I have girded thee with strength though thou knowest not me Isa. 45. 1 2. This was the true though the invisible cause why the Romans grew so Great and their Dominion reached to the ends of the Earth But now it is high time to return from whence we have made a digression to shew when the Roman began as the Fourth Metal-Kingdom Some think it was when that Nation was the most prevailing Nation upon the Earth But this cannot be For in the times of Antiochus the Great but more specially in the times of Antiochus Epiphanes they were the more prevailing People yet they did not begin in those times as the Fourth Metal-Kingdom in Daniel's Image You will say then VVhere shall we set the beginning of the Fourth Kingdom I Answer In this case we must distinguish between the Latitude of the Roman Dominion more absolutely considered and the Latitude of the Dominion in and about the Borders of the Church If you speak of the Latitude of Dominion in a more absolute consideration then the Roman began as the more prevailing Dominion when it became more mighty than any other Empire of the world But if you speak in a more strict sense it began then to be the Fourth Metal-Kingdom in Daniel's Image when it did begin to take in the greatest Amplitude and largeness of Rule in and about the Confines of the Church And this is to our purpose Object 3. Others perhaps may Alledge That we cannot begin the Roman as the Fourth Metal-Kingdom when the Iewish Church came under the Dominion of that People For say they it is foretoll in the Prophecie of Jacob The Scepter shall not depart from Iudah nor a Law-giver from between his feet until Shiloh come Gen. 49. 10. Sol. I Answer We must so expound the meaning of one that it may not dash against the main sense of another Scripture Now it is the manifest scope of other Scriptures to shew That the Four
Monarchies must come to bear Rule over those Countries where the Kings of the Line of David had the power before And therefore it is mentioned That a Rod shall come out of the stock of Iesse and a Branch shall come out of his Roots Isa. 11. 1 2. A Lapide upon the place speaketh very well Christo enim nascente regia Davidis familia ad pauperes redacta When Christ was born the Kingly Family of David was brought very low To this accordeth the Prophet Daniel In the dayes of these Kingdoms shall the God of Heaven raise up a Kingdom that shall never be destroyed chap. 2. vers 44. In these words he doth insinuate That when the Kingdom of Christ beginneth it shall be as it were a new-erected Kingdom raised up out of the rubbish To me therefore Baronius in his Apparatus seemeth to deliver a strange Exposition of this Prophecie For he speaketh to this effect That the Kingdom was specially foretold to the Tribe of Iudah above any other To which when that tribe had once attained in David by a long race of Kings it held out to the Captivity of Babylon And after the Captivity of Babylon where there was some intermission for a time the Empire recovered again in Zorobabel And then from him being derived it held in his Posterity without any absolute interruption to the second year of the 184 Olympiad when Calvin and Pollio were Consuls Then Herod an Idumaean a Gentile at the first and after that a Proselyte by the courtesie of the Romans took the Kingdom in Iudea and so the Government was translated from the Natives to a Forreigner This is the sum of that which is more largely delivered Where Three Errors are to be noted First That he maketh the Davidical-Kingdom to last to the times of Herod Which cannot be For the Kingdom was taken from the Kings of the Line of David by the Babylonians And by them it was transmitted to the Persians and Graecians And so last of all it came to the Romans in whose time Christ was Born Neither did Herod a Forreigner Reign any more by the courtesie and favour of the Romans than did Hyrcanus his immediate Predecessor A Second is this That he maketh the Scepter to continue in the time of Zorobabel which is not so For they that plead for an inferiour way of Rule in the High Priests the men of the Great Sanhedrâ—…m do not affirm That all these came of Zorobabel no nor of David neither Thirdly He erreth in this That he maketh the Scepter to depart from Iudah in the times of Herod for the Jews had some form of Government some Laws of their own which did continue to the destruction of Ierusalem When the Lord Christ had provided him a People amongst the Gentiles then Ierusalem was destroyed and the Jews were cast away according to the Prophecies Object You will say then What is the true meaning of Jacob's Prophecie Sol. This is the meaning thereof That there should be a Succession of Kings in the Line of David till the Captivity of Babylon And though the other Ten Tribes should be cast away yet that Tribe should remain And after the Captivity though the supreme Power should be taken away from them yet still among that People there should be a continuation of some Laws and forms of Government under the Persians Graecians and Romans till the coming of the Messiah When the Messiah shall be born he shall raise up the Tabernacle of David which hath fallen down he shall set up that Kingdom that never shall be destroyed And at the end he shall destroy all the Metal-Kingdoms and fill the Earth And so by consequence the Kingdom of David shall continue for ever This is the full sense and the meaning of Iacob's Prophecie Piscator in his Scholia upon this text doth confirm what we speak Gubernatio plena cujus princeps pars est potestas judiciorum capitalium adempta fuit Posteris Iudae per Pompeium qui Iudaeam in formam Provinciae redegit imperioque Romanorum subjecit Post quam gubernationis ademptionem paulò post natus est Christus sub Augusto Quod autem potestas illa Iudaeis per Romanos fuerit adempta fatentur ipsi Joh. 18. 31. Gubernatio vero imminuta ademptâ scilicet potestate Iudiciorum capitalium relictâ Potestate Iudiciorum civilium Religionis duravit usque ad tempus illud quo natus est Christus immo etiam quo patefactus est in orbo terrarum per praedicationem Apostolorum Quippe Iudaeos adhuc tempore passionis Christi habuisse potestatem aliquam judiciorum patet ex verbis Pilati ad illos In which words of his there is a plain distinction betwixt the Sovereign and Supreme Power and that which is subordinate For the Sovereign and Supreme power in Capital Crimes he faith this was taken away from the Jews by the means of Pompey the Great who first brought that Nation in subjection and made it Tributary to the Romans And so that speech of the Jews is to be expounded It is not in our power to put any man to death Joh. 18. 31. For the subordinate Power which he calls gubernationem imminutam a regulated or limited power in Civil Causes and in matters of Religion this saith he did continue to the destruction of Ierusalem And so those words are to be expounded Ye have a Law and judge ye him according to your Law Joh. 18. 31. By this then we may understand how Iudea may be made subject to the Romans before the coming of Christ and yet some form of Policy might continue among that People to make good the Prophecie of Iacob But if we must needs stand upon the words That the Scepter was taken away by the means of Pompey the Great this hath excellent ground in the Stories and it doth make exceedingly for our purpose For the ground in the Stories we shall finde That the Jews that were in Bondage first to the Babylonians secondly to the Persians thirdly to the Graecians that after the death of Antiochus Epiphanes they did assert their Liberty against the Graecians of the Seleucian Line And some Kings did Reign in Iudea of the stock of the Macchabees But after such time as Pompey the Great brought Iudea under the power of the Romans they never recovered their Liberty again Now then I leave it to any to judge Whether here is not the beginning of the Fourth Metal-Kingdom in Daniel's Image This we have confirmed by Reasons and have Answered such Objections as might be alledged to the contrary Now let us go to the second Point to shew the Order of the times that there is the space of 666 years from the beginning of the Roman as the Fourth Metal-Kingdom to the setting up of the Name or Universal Headship of the Bishop of Rome under the Emperor Phocas And for the time we cannot easily be deceived because the words of Iosephus are so plain That this
Dead and the taking up of those that should remain to meet the Lord in the air Hereupon certain among the Thessalonians mistaking the meaning of the Apostle did conclude That the Day of Judgement and the general Assembly of the Saints was then at hand Now to diminish this opinion the Apostle doth exhort them in these words I beseech you Brethren 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the cause of the coming of Christ to Iudgement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the matter or cause of our gathering together unto him that ye be not soon shaken in minde nor be troubled either by Spirit by word or by letter as from us as that the day of Christ is at hand This sheweth plainly That they did mistake the Apostle in his former Epistle and did understand his words as though Christ should come presently to Judgement Now for their better information he proceedeth Vers. 3. Let no man deceive you by any means for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first and the Man of Sin be revealed the Son of Perdition He plainly sheweth what things should precede the coming of Christ to wit A general defection from the Faith and the revelation of the Man of Sin And this I take it doth fully open the meaning of our Saviours words in the Gospel concerning the woful state of the Church in the latter times He speaketh plainly that many false Christs shall arise and shall deceive if it were possible the very Elect Matth. 24. 5 23 24. Now to what times can we better refer this then to the times of Antichrist to the times of the Apostacy in which men shall depart from the Faith and shall give heed to the Doctrine of Devils 1 Tim. 4. 1. Now whereas the Apostle saith That there shall come a falling away first Some of the Ancients as Hierom did understand this of the defection from the Roman Empire Though this be a truth yet it is not the meaning of the Text For the falling away here meant is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a falling away from the true Faith or from the pure Worship of God So the word is used commonly in the New Testament and the sense of the Text doth plainly shew That God gave men up to delusions to believe lies because they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved The words then do not intend a Civil but a Spiritual apostacy or falling away Further whereas it is said And the Man of Sin shall be revealed the Son of Perdition Here is a great question Whether the times of the Apostacy and the Revelation of the Man of Sin do begin all at one instant Some will have this to be a Figure which the Rhetoricians call Hendyadys But they are deceived for the words are plain that a falling away from the Faith should be by degrees and when this Apostacy should come to some ripeness and maturity then the Man of Sin should be revealed For how is it possible that the Christian Church should degenerate so far from Christ to take Antichrist for her Head but she must be moulded prepared and wrought by degrees for such a rebellion And for that expression The Man of Sin whereas the Romish Interpreters and Hugo Grotius in his Tract de Antichristo do take this for one individual Man herein they are monstrous absurd For if he be one Man as they suppose then the Apostle tells us That he was secretly conceived in those first times the Mystery of Iniquity did then begin to work And he further addeth that he shall continue till the last times whom the Lord shall consume with the word of his mouth and shall abolish with the brightness of his coming Upon these grounds if the Man of Sin be one individual Man he must needs be very long-lived he must live in a manner from the first to the second coming of Christ. But leaving them to make good their own conceits to speak positively The Man of Sin meant in the Text is A State or a Succession of Men in a State or Government for Iohn in the Revlation doth call this Tyrannical Empire by the Title of a Beast which all do know in the sense of the Prophets doth intend an Idolatrous or a persecuting Empire He is called The Man of Sin by a singular Emphasis as being exceeding sinful and the cause of sin to others for so it is said in the Scriptures Ieroboam the son of Nebat that made Israel to sin And if he be the Man of Sin it is no hard matter to render a reason why he should be called The childe of Perdition This Title was sometimes given to Iudas While I was with them in the world I kept them in thy Name those that thou gavest me have I kept and none of them is lost save the Son of Perdition Joh. 17. 12. In the next words the Apostle doth describe him according to his nature Ver. 4. Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or is worshipped So that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God For his opposing himself this is spoken in relation to Christ as he is King Priest and Prophet So the Beast in the Revelat. is set in immediate opposition against the Lamb as if he were another Christ the Rival of his Kingly Power and Dignity And whereas he doth exalt himself above all that is called God Interpreters do ordinarily take this for Magistrates whether Inferior or Superior above all which Antichrist must advance himself The expression above all that is called God is a style too diminuent to express the true God by There be maâ—…y that be called Gods yet to us there is but one God 1 Cor. 8. 5. This is spoken of Magistrates that they are called Gods and above all these Antichrist as he doth pretend himself Universal Head of the Church shall exalt himself Further whereas it is said that he sits in the Temple of God this is meant of the Church of God where God is worshipped in the time of the New Testament as he was in the Temple of Ierusalem of old Now that the Church is called The Temple of God is clear from that of the Apostle Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God and The Temple of God is holy which ye are 1 Cor. 3. 16. The result of the whole speech is this That Antichrist shall sit in the Universal Church as in his Episcopal See for so the word in the Original doth signifie Cathedraticâ potestate praesidere By these words it is plain That the formality of Antichristianism lies in the Universal Headship For when the Apostle doth describe the Great Antichrist by his nature he saith That he sitteth in the Church of God as the supreme Lord and Ruler Therefore if that be true which I have so largely dispured in the Body of the Treatise That the Name of the
Constantine the Great After these things he sheweth the fall of the Empire and the rising of the Ten Kings by the Emblem of a Beast with ten Horns that came up out of the Sea Chap. 13. ver 1. This Beast doth signifie the Roman Tyranny in the last and the Antichristian Edition And he further addeth in the latter times of this Kingdome that the Eternal Gospel shall be preached to every Kindred Tongue and Nation Chap. 14. ver 6. 7. Then also the deceived Kings shall be undeceived and The Kingdomes of this world shall become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ Chap. 11. 15. That is those Kingdomes which formerly were the Kingdomes of the Beast shall become subject to the Laws of Christ and of his Gospel Here is a plain Example though not in the Age of the Apostles of whole Christian Nations in the times of the Gospel I willingly yield That the preaching of the Gospel is that by and through which primarily and immediately Churches are gathered yet by the Authority of the Magistrate the same Gospel also is countenanced Laws are made Parishes are divided Ministers maintained and the Body of the Nation brought to attend to that which is or at least may be the mean of their Salvation I cannot think but with great horrour what would ensue if the Designs of some men should take place It would be the very Abaddon and Apollyon to the Church of God But let us look what is spoken of the Kings of Europe They shall hate the Whore and make her desolate and naked and shall burn her flesh with fire Chap. 17. If they shall hate the Whore then they shall destroy the Idolatries and Superstitions of that Church which they did formerly so love and admire and on the contrary part they shall countenance the Gospel bring in their People and do as much for the Church of Christ which they did formerly persecute and hate Of the New Ierusalem it is said The Kings of the Earth shall bring their glory to her Chap 21. But lest any should think That this is meant onely of the Glory of the Church in Heaven Let sundry passages of the Prophet Esay be considered The scope of all whiâ—…h is to shew That the Kings of the Earth shall bring their Glory unto the Church There is much spoken also of the coming in of whole Nations of the Conversion of Kings and the adorning of the Church by the bounty of Kings Reade Chap. 60. per totum with many other places If these things were rightly considered men would not have such prejudices against a National Constitution and setting up of the Gospel by the Authority Power and Command of Kings and Princes What shall we make of the Reign of Christ upon the Earth Is it not directly and diametrally opposite to the Reign of the Beast And the Reign of the Beast let the Angel himself together with our own experience shew wherein the formality and the being thereof doth consist So he speaketh The Horns which thou sawest are ten Kings which have received no Kingdome as yet but receive power as Kings one hour with the Beast These have one minde and shall give their power and strength unto the Beast These shall make war with the Lamb but the Lamb shall overcome them for he is the Lord of lords and King of kings Rev. 17. ver 12 13 14. The effence of the Kingdome of the Beast lyeth in the Confederacy of Kings and in their yielding themselves to the Name and Headship of the Bishop of Rome This is the Reign of the Beast upon the Earth So by the Rule of Proportion the Reign of Christ and of the Lamb shall be in the holy association and concurrence of Christian Princes to set up the Gospel of Christ his Name and Headship as the Regent-Law among the Nations From all that hath been said it is cleer That this Doctrine is not contrary to the Authority of Magistrates nay it is most forcible and effectual to establish the Laws and Government of the Church Upon the same grounds I do here desire to speak a word or two and Oh that I could speak it with tears The Reformation in Germany and now lately in England hath been and yet is much deformed by abalienation of the Churches Revenue and in passing away that which former Ages have bestowed I may speak of a great part at least upon the preaching of the Gospel These are Scandals to the Enemy Let our Consciences in the mean while judge Whether this be not a Scandal given rather then a Scandal taken Whether we do not open the mouthes of the Enemies of the Lord to speak evil of the Reformation And whether we are not faulty in this Point Moses went in Gods way and by his Command and it was a glorious work to deliver Israel from the Bondage of Egypt yet withall when he was in the discharge of so excellent a work then the Lord stood in the Way to kill him Exod. 4. 24. Our Armies are going forth against the Enemies and the Proteâ—…ant Armies are like to go forth more and more These are the times or at least do border upon the times of the Suâ—…per of the Fowls of the great Vintage of thâ—… Batâ—…el of Armageddon There are like to be great Commotions of State Army against Army in the times of the end of the Beasts Kingdome And therefore by collation of all Circumstances we cannot be fat off from the performance of all that hath been foretold It is meet for us to see our own sins and specially that which I have hinted before we go on in the Lords work These things I have thought good to annex by way of Appendiâ—… My purpose is not to speak any thing to please or diâ—…please any Party Neither can I tell how any Party will be pleased with me it may be I may displease all However I do desire to please mine own Conscience in delivering that which I conceive to be a Truth of God There is one thing whiâ—…h I think meet more â—…ully to explain my self in I have in the preceding Treatise made it a good part of my work to prove the Roman to be the Fourth and the last Metal Kingdome and that the Roman doth begin in the consideration and notion of such a Kingdome when the Church and the Conâ—…inent of the Church came under the Dominion and Soveraignty of the People of Rome This I know the followers of Iunius will not away with and many learned men in these times do follow this way of Interpretation But because we will not unnecessarily controvert and make our selves more enemies then needs we will be content to say That the Roman doth begin at the end or ending of all four Metal-Kingdomes and where they end in the method order and way of account the Roman doth begin And whereas we have endeavored Chap. 6. pag. 116. to prove the beginning of the Roman as The fourth Metal-Kingdome to be at that instant of time when the Church came under the Dominion of that People the same Arguments mutatis mutandis will prove the beginning of the Roman at the end of all four Metal-Kingdomes And so the followers of Iunius and we shall agree in the substance of the Interpretation Let us compute the Name or Universal Headship of the Bishop of Rome as Decreed and Enacted under the Emperor Phocas and in that series and way of account it will be 666 years from the beginning of the Roman as that great Empire doth succeed at the end of the four Metal-Kingdomes Here is the Name of the Beast and the Calculation according to the Number of a Man according to the Divisions and Parts of the Body of Man in Daniels Image If we go either way the Account will be made good FINIS Hier. in Levit. Quot verba tot mysteria quot syllaba tot sacramenta 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iren. lib. 2. c. 39. l. 3. c. 3. â—…us l. 3. c. 23. Epiph. Haeres 51. Rev. 16. Acts 1. 7. * In his Treatise concerning the Kingdom of Christ upon the Earth Note Note Note Note * And besides the Testimonies of Josephus Dio the Historian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iews 〈◊〉 Taxâ—…d by Gabinius 〈◊〉 3â—… Note