were ever seen Nay if we should interpret these changes which ought to happen onely by those which fell out in the last age surely we may say that never were greater and more surprizing alterations The Earthquake signifies the great change of the world by the Reformation In less then twenty or thirty years a great part of the Christian World was Reformed And at the same time there were dreadfull wars troubles and sheddings of blood in Germany in Flanders in Holland in England and in France as every body knows V. 19. And the great City was divided into three parts Behold something which does furnish us with a plain Character of this last period and of this last viol These words have not hitherto been understood but I perswade my self that it will be judged that they can be understood We have already said and shall hereafter prove it that the great City is not Rome strictly taken but Rome made up and joyn'd with its whole Empire In a word this City is the Antichristian Kingdom otherwise called the Latin Church A remarliable prediction of the division of the Latin Church into three principal parts Papists Lutherans and Reformed This City upon the pouring out of the seventh viol was to be divided into three parts This is exactly come to pass at the preaching of the Reformers the Antichristian Kingdom was divided into three one part remain'd with Antichrist one part did separate from him under the name of the Ausburg Confession A third part did separate under the Confession of those who are barely styled the Reformed Sweden Denmark and a great part of Germany make the second part England the Vnited Provinces the reformed part of France a part of Germany make the third part These are the three grand parts that divide the Western Church which is the great City Let this be attentively minded for I affirm that this passage does as it were speak with a tongue and is able alone to convince that our System of the seven plagues is a most undoubted truth This division of the great City into three parts so clearly points out the three Communions of the Latin Church that to deny it can proceed onely from unreasonable passion and opiniatrety And if we have hit upon the truth in this point we have done so in all for if this Character of the seventh plague is true and is already accomplisht all the other plagues are also accomplisht and if they are accomplisht I do boldly affirm they cannot be apply'd to any other events then those to which we have apply'd them And it must not be hoped that to obscure this evidence a fourth part may be made viz. the Church of England because of the controversies about Church government for the Church of England never refused to receive other Reformed ones into her Communion nor have these again ever refused to receive her into theirs We have alway professed the same Religion with the Church of England on the account of the perfect agreement of our Doctrine notwithstanding the difference of discipline and government When as the Lutherans have constantly refused to receive the Reformed into their Communion There is among the Lutherans themselves a difference in point of government Sweden hath Bishops Denmark hath none at least not such Bishops as those of Sweden and England and nevertheless this makes not a different Sect. There is also the same difference among the Reformed on this side the Sea for the Superintendants who are in many Reformed Churches of Germany are real Bishops and notwithstanding the Reformed are not divided one from another Thus in truth there are but three grand parts into which the Latin Church is divided i. e. Papists Lutherans and Reformed as they are called by one another or Catholiks Reformed Evangelici as they style themselves And the Cities of the Nations fell i. e. they fell with respect to Popery they departed out of the Antichristian Kingdom in the same sense that in the eleventh Chapter 't is said that the tenth part of the City fell And great Babylon came in remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath These words let us see that the expression It is done did not signify the very point of the final ruin of the Antichristian Kingdom For behold after 't was said It is done Babylon comes in remembrance before God to give her the cup. Now these expressions signify both the future and the present time And indeed 't is within the duration of this period that God will remember Babylon to give her the last cup of his wrath And observe it that the great Babylon comes not in remembrance before God to give her the cup i. e. the last cup of her ruin till after her dividing into three parts This division is not her total ruin but after that she shall be thus divided into Papists Lutherans and Calvinists then God will prepare to give her the last cup of his wrath Which signifies that the division of the Latin Church into three parts must continue untill the compleat ruin of popery V. 20. And every Island fled away and the mountains were not found This is nothing but a Paraphrase and a description of the Earthquake which he had spoken of a little before for these are the effects of Earthquakes where mountains once stood they are not to be seen new Islands are produced and the old ones are often swallowed up But yet if any will interpret Islands to signify lesser States and Mountains great ones I do not contradict it for 't is really true that the Reformation hath already taken away from the Popedom and shall yet take away all States both small and great V. 21. And there fell upon men a great hail out of Heaven i. e. upon the Subjects of Antichrist this signifies the judgments of God which fall upon this Kingdom and these judgements are well known for it hath suffered of all kinds wars famines pestilences mortalities And men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail The Subjects of the Popedom have not hitherto been converted by all these chastisements but have always stuck firm to the Kingdom and Seat of the Beast whose head is cover'd with names of blasphemies The seven hour-glasses being run out the Kingdom of Autichrist must be at its end This is the seventh and last viol or hour-glass which thanks be to God will in a little time be run out now we have that which we seek namely an evidence that the Antichristian Kingdom is near its end We need not longer wait for the accomplishment either of all the seven plagues as some of our Interpreters say or of some of the seven plagues as others say It is done all is accomplisht we are in the last period of the seven yea we are at the end of the seventh period I am informed that since the first Edition of this work some
first Forbes would have this be that Period of the Church in which the Church began to reform her self in which the good separated from the evil i. e. the Church from the Albigenses to Luthers time Now I leave every wise man to judge if a small number of Albigenses Waldenses that separated from the Church of Rome that endured so short a time could deserve from the whole Christian Church so generally corrupted the fairest of all the praises that the H. Spirit gives to the seven Churches Thou sufferest that woman Jezabel that calleth her self a Prophetess to teach to seduce my servants to commit fornication This Jezabel I confess very much resembles the Antichristian Church But Why should the Albigenses be blamed for suffering the Roman Church How could they destroy it who were so weak Did they not cry out upon her as Babylon as much as they were able Sardis is the fifth Church to which the H. Spirit writes according to Forbes 't is the Reformed Church in which neither Jezabel nor Balaam nor the Pope nor Popery are any longer tolerated because she broke with the Roman Church But why would we have the Ages of our Reformation since Luther to be branded with so black fatal a Character Thou hast a name to live but art dead Be watchful strengthen the things which remain are ready to dy for I have not found thy works perfect before God. I think our Reformation deserved at least as much praise as that of the Albigenses The Zeal thereof was great the Doctrine pure Philadelphia is the sixth Church signifies according to Forbes the Church that shall carry the Reformation to its greatest height that shall have but a small number of members but they shall be very Zealous Laodicea is the last Church or the last Period The Holy Spirit terribly blames it Thou art neither hot nor cold Thou saist I am rich have need of nothing c. dost not know that thou art wretched miserable poor blind naked According to Forbes this is those Churches that making all their glory to consist in their having quitted Babylon do fall back make Religion to consist in nothing but duties purely external This last Period must be placed at the end of the World. Thus you have Forbes's system Let us proceed to that of Cocceius According to this later Author the Church of Ephesus is the Apostolical Church i. e. that wherin the Apostles preached The Explication of the mystery of the seven Churches according to Cocceius So that this Period must be extended to the death of St. John. The Nicolaitans spoken of in this first Epistle are Hereticks in general Nicolaos in Greek signifies the Conquerour of the People 'T is the Character of Hereticks to make themselves masters of the people by seducing them The Church of Smyrna signifies the Church suffering in all places especially that of the three first Ages The persecution of ten Days according to this must signify the ten Persecutions which the Church suffered during those three Ages under the Pagan Emperours This doth not fall out ill but I fear it was chance that made this hit for the rest doth not fall out in the same manner The holy Spirit saith Some of you shall be cast into Prison that ye may be tryed This is very feebly to express the great number of Martyrs and the cruel Sufferings to which the Church was exposed during these three first Ages of the Church 'T is much more probable that this signifies some light Persecution that was to befal Smyrna in which Persecution the Evil should not go beyond the imprisoning some perticular Persons The Epistle to the Church of Pergamus is the third according to Cocceius 't is the Church from Constantine's time to the birth of Antichrist Pergamus is the name of a famous fortress of Troy. Rome signifies strength or fortress 'T is in Rome that satan's seat is But why should the seat of satan be fixed in Rome converted by Constantine It had been much better to have fix'd it in Rome Pagan or to reserve it for Rome Antichristian that was to follow immediately after Antipas the martyr signifies saith he the Orthodox that maintain'd the consubstantiality of the Son. Antipas for Antipatros Antipatros for Isopatros equal to the Father I have nothing to say hereupon but it doth not please me every well The Church of Thyatira is the fourth signifies according to Cocceius the Church under the reign of Antichrist Jezabel that appears in this Epistle is the Antichristian Church They that suffer Jezabel the Prophetess are the elect mingled among the Antichristian Idolaters That sickness that God would send on Jezabel in casting her on her bed are those mortifications which Antichristianism was to receive by the several disasters that befel the Roman Church till the Reformation This falls out pretty well but 't is by meer chance for how can that magnificent Elogy be applied to this period of the Antichristian church I know thy works thy charity thy patience that thy last works are more than the first Never was the church so void of saints of good works as in this sad Period Sardis is the fifth Church the fifth Period according to Cocceius as well as according to Forbes 't is the Reformed Church But I say hereto as I said before on occasion of Forbes why should we say of our Reformation thou hast a name to live behold thou art dead strengthen the things which remain are ready to dy Philadelphia signifies brotherly Love this is the sixth Church which carries in its name the character of a Church yet to come wherein love and charity shall reign but among a very small number of people This church shall be persecuted Attempts will be made to shut the door against its conversions Yet after this the Kings of the Earth shall submit themselves to it This is in after ages So that we have nothing to say about it Laodicea signifies the Church that shall immediately precede the time wherein God shall pass that judgment spoken of in the 11th ch v. 18. i. e. when the reign of J. Christ shall come to be establisht on the Earth That is to say that immediately before the Kingdom of J. Christ comes on the Earth the Church must fall into that dreadful decay meant by these words Thou art neither hot nor cold thou art poor blind naked I do not well understand how all this hangs together The Church oâ— Philadelphia which is the sixth after it hath been persecuted shall remain victorious over all the Kings of the Earth which signifies that all the nations of the Earth shall be converted see here the reign of J. Christ on the Earth And yet after this comes a seventh Period wherein religion shall almost entirely perish before the Kingdom of J. Christ comes on
of the Antichristian Empire If it can be made very plain and certain that the three years and a half of the duration of this Empire must not be taken for natural years but for three prophetical years and a half it will also be very certain that all which the Papists say concerning Antichrist is false For if the Antichristian Empire must last 1260 years Antichrist can never be only one single man seeing there is no man that hath lived doth or can live 1260. years Nor will it be more true that Antichrist must not come but just at the end of the World For the duration of 1260. years and the end of the World are not one and the same thing Neither will it be more true that the Gospel must have been preached in all the Nations of the World before the coming of Antichrist For there is no prophesy that saith or doth so much as insinuate that the Gospel must be preached every where 1260. years before the last coming of our Lord Jesus Christ It will be as false that Antichrist is not to come till after the total ruin of the German Empire For although we do not exactly know the time the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ however this is held for certain that the World is not to endure yet two or 3000. years longer as it must do if Antichrist be not yet como and must reign 1260. years For besides these 1260. years we must find out a 1000. years of peace for the Church before the end of the World. Neither will it be true that Antichrist must be a false Messiah received by the Jews an enemy of God and of all Religion For God would not suffer that His wisdom would not permit it There is nothing in the Scripture that gives us any ground to presume that an Infidel an open enemy of Jesus Christ and of his Religion must remain master of all the World for 1260. years 'T is plain therefore this is the principal controversy on which all the rest do depend Let this be remembred We will handle this controversy in its proper place In the mean time we shall say something in this Chapter to lay open the falseness of the other pretended characters of Antichrist Antichrist is not only one single man. I. He must be onely one single person and not a series of men If this be so why did Saint Paul say that the mystery of iniquity began in his time Why did Saint John say in his first Epistle that Antichrist was already come into the World He was come in his fore-runners saith Bellarmin I acknowledge it But do the fore-runners use to go 2000. years before him whose fore-runners they are Types indeed are and may be two or 3000. years before those persons of which they are Types But 't is not so with fore-runners Why is Antichrist represented as a Beast if he be but one single man Is it not usual in Prophetical visions to represent an Empire i. e. all the successive Kings of that Empire by a Beast So the Monarchy of the Babylonians and Assyrians with all their Kings is represented to us by the first Beast in the seventh Chapter of Daniel which was like to a Lion The Empire and Emperors of Persia by only one Bear and so of the rest At least this makes it undeniably clear that there is no necessity that we should understand one single person by those two Beasts in the Revelation that represent Antichrist How can this be reconciled with that which these men have confessed that the fourth Beast of Daniel and the first Beast in the thirteenth of the Revelation all are the same beast Seeing the fourth Beast in Daniel by their own confession signifies an Empire and a series of men 't is necessary also that the first Beast in Saint John should signify a series of Kings and Tyrants 'T is true the Scripture often speaks of Antichrist as of a particular person It calls him the man of sin a King a Horn c. But it speaks of Empires also in the same manner They are Kings the ten Horns are ten Kings They are beasts and one Beast in the singular number The Empire of Persia is one Beast that of the Greeks is another the Empire of the Romans makes the fourth Beast The Spirit saith concerning the seven Heads of the Roman Empire the seven Heads are seven Kings i. e. they are seven sorts of Governours and Governments That Antichrist must not be a Jew II. Antichrist must be a Jew of the Tribe of Dan. of a mean birth and must style himself the Messiah of the Iews Where are the proofs of this He must be a Iew and of the Tribe of Dan because it is written Gen. 49.17 Jer. 8 16. Dan shall be a Serpent by the way and an Adder in the path that biteth the Horses heels The snorting of his Horses was heard from Dan. Doth this deserve a confutation And because some of the ancients have been taken with these visions must we therefore receive them as Oracles Among the things that are certain Bellarmin places this that Antichrist shall be a Iew but doth not give us any shew of proof for it besides the testimony of the Ancients But as to that we must take all or nothing Either the Authority of the Ancients must be wholly received in this matter or else be wholly weak If we must admit what the Ancients have said concerning Antichrist we must believe that it will be the Devil that shall incarnate himself in the bosom of a false Virgin as the Son of God did in the bosom of a chast one We must believe that Nero was Antichrist In a word we must admit of a hundred dreaming opinions about it which at this day are unanimously rejected If the Authority of the Fathers be not good in many places 't is good in none 't is doubtfull every where We must have proofs drawn from the Scriptures to shew us that Antichrist must be a Iew. But see Bellarmines great proof III. Antichrist must be received by the Jews as their Messiah Antichrist must not be received by the Jews as their Messiah And the Jews would never acknowledg any for their Messiah that was a stranger uncircumcised and one that was not of their own nation But where do they find this that the Jews must receive Antichrist for their Messiah These Gentlemen that have a more piercing sight than the Angells themselves find it in those words of our Saviour I am come in my Father's name and ye have not received me if another come in his own name him you will receive He that will come in his own name and whom the Jews will receive shall be Antichrist who will call himself the Messiah Have these men any shame left in them Bellarm. l. 3. de Rom. Pontif. Cap. 12. Sect. praeter to put this at the head of such a proof viz. Sunt alia
is the Devil as far as they follow the Doctrine of Devils which is Idolatry though they are of different communions yea and excommunicate each other I therefore make no scruple to affirm that the Babylonish Empire is in all places where-ever tyranny pride corruption of worship manners and Government mingled with Christianity are to be found And that which I say in respect of places must be extended to times also 'T is in those ages where pride tyranny corruption of manners and idolatry have been visibly establisht in the Church that we must look for the birth and beginning of the Antichristian Empire And in the process of this discourse this observation will be usefull to us to find out that which we principally seek for in this work i. e. the time where we are to begin the 1260. years that are assigned for the duration of Antichristianism Mens mindings no other Character but that of tyranny hath made them mistake the time of Antichrists birth 'T is this chiefly that hath caused our Interpreters to be at a loss about the time of the birth of the Antichristian Empire They have looked only to Tyranny as if that were the only Character of this Empire Monsieur du Plessis hath made a great Book about it with this Title The Mystery of Iniquity in which he traces this Tyranny of the Church of Rome and the Popes from its birth to its perfection as if the Mystery of Iniquity signified nothing else Whereas on the contrary the mystery of Iniquity doth not so much as principally signify that He that says a Mystery saith a Religion This ought to have been minded So then in this term the Papism is described with respect to its Religion and Idolatry And its tyranny and impiety is properly meant in these words that exalts himself above all that is called God. Some mens heads have run so much upon this Character of Antichrist viz. Tyranny as if that were the only one that they will not find Antichrist even in the Papism before the time that the Pope began to act the part of a temporal Prince which they find he did towards the Year 755. This is the opinion of Monsieur du Moulin in his accomplishment of the Prophecies This also is the reason that he hath so widely mistaken the time of the birth of Antichristianism and that he hath set the time of his ruin so far off For he thinks that Antichristianism will not be at an end before the year 2015. so we should have yet 330. Years longer to suffer He should have remembred that Idolatry is more Antichristian than Tyranny or at least as much And therefore that there is no reason to exclude out of the Antichristian Period the sixth seventh and eight centuries wherein Idolatry was so strongly established Corruption and looseness of manners were introduced into the Church and were the way for Antichristianism its progress followed by the introduction of Idolatry And at last Antichristianism was consummated by Tyranny These are the three true Characters of that Empire the union whereof will shew us the true point of its birth CHAP. XIV That the three Characters of the Antichristian Empire do perfectly agree to the Empire of the Papism Proofs out of History and Prophecies Reflections upon the Prophecy in the second Chapter of the second Epistle to the Thessalonians and upon the end of the Roman Empire WE have seen in the fore-going Chapter that the names of the Antichristian Empire are Egypt Sodom Babylon and that its Characters signified by these names are Tyranny Pride Cruelty extream corruption of manners Idolatry and Paganism We have fixed this Babylonish Empire every where where these Characters are to be found We have reckon'd the Papism for the center and the body Rome for the capital place and the Pope for the head We must now prove that these Characters do perfectly agree to the Papism to its capital place and its head But we do pretend that as to us this thing hath been already done we have done it in our just prejudices against Popery aswell as we are able and indeed that whole work is but a proof of this proposition that all the Characters of the Antichristian Empire do agree to the Papism The Character of Tyranny agrees to the Papism If any desire a proof of this that the Papism is an Egypt and that tyranny is exercised there he need only read the twelfth and thirteenth Chapters of the first part where he will see that the Empire of the Papism is an Empire purely temporal under the shew of a spirituality and the fourteenth Chapt. where its purely humane politiques are so clearly brought to light that not so much as a shadow remains unscatter'd If any would be assured that the conduct of the Papism is a most horrible Tyranny he need but read the 21. and 22. Chapters of the first part where is an account of the insolent tyrannical and proud actions and speeches of the Popes towards all men without excepting even Soveraign Princes That of Pride agrees to it also In the same Chapters will be found the proof that Pride another Character of the Antichristian Empire perfectly agrees to the Papism For there its Pride will be seen in its opinions and Divinity the pride of its Clergy and Priests that call themselves the Kings and Emperours of the World the Pride of its head who calls himself a God upon Earth who causes Divine honour to be given to him who domineers with authority over the Kings of the Earth who spoils them of their Crowns who gives away their Kingdoms to others who dispenses with their Subjects Oaths of Allegiance who treads them under his feet and puts his foot upon their throat who as for his own person is clothed with purple and all the pomp of the Roman Emperours The Empire of the Papism is an Egypt for cruelty In the 26th and 27th Chapters of the second part it will plainly be seen that cruelty perfectly agrees to this Empire For there you will find an Epitome of all the cruel persecutions which the Church hath suffered by this mystical Babylon the blood she hath spilt the fires she hath kindled the witty punishments she hath invented and the incredible number of the faithful that she hath murder'd If enough of this be not found in that piece you may have recourse to our History of Popery The 2d recrimination is wholly spent in shewing that the Papism since more than 700. Years ago is like a cruel beast armed vvith teeth claws that tears in pieces devours all that opposes its greatness and that one cannot follow it in History but by the track of innocent blood that it hath shed It will appear in all those places that the Papism is always the same and that at this very day as well as formerly it is cruel bloody and tyrannical which we have proved by the persecutions of Bohemia Hungary
visibly a Church engraffed and sitting upon an Empire 'T is the Roman Church engraffed on the Roman Empire But we shall touch again on this reflection in the following Chapter And the woman was arrayed in purple v. 4. and scarlet colour and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls 'T is not the Beast only that is of a scarlet colour the woman also is clothed with purple The Church which is engraffed on the Empire hath taken the colour of the Empire The Pope the Cardinals the Ministers of the Court of Rome are distinguisht by the imperial purple and scarlet The gold the pearls and the stones encrease the magnificence Nothing is more proud than the pomp of the Roman Court. She holds a golden cup in her hand full of abominations Poculum Aureum Plenum Abominationum 'T is a wonderful accident that the four initial letters of these four words P.A. P.A. make the name of Papa in the Bible of the Latins and of the Roman Church Let him believe it that will that this was purely by chance but I can't believe it This Woman is a Prostitute an adulterous Woman a Church unfaithful to Jesus Christ her Spouse She is represented to us making the Kings of the Earth drunk with the Wine of her Fornications These are her Abominations her Superstitions her false Worship her Idols and her false Religion wherewith she makes people and Kings drunk by her unhappy perswasions The figure is borrowed from those debauched Women that give delicious liquors to their Gallants to enflame them The cup of gold into which all these abominations are poured out is the pretended infallibility This Doctrine contains all the superstitions and the errours of the Roman Church as a Cup. It retains and unites them together Without this all would run out as wine out of a vessel 'T is a Cup of gold for this pretended priviledge of infallibility would be the most precious thing in all the World to him that should have it This Cup of gold signifies also that pompous out-side of ceremonies and those so glittering externals which contain disguised abominations and idolatries The People drink the poison by favour of the Cup. They receive the idolatry by favour of the pomp and the fair out-side Vpon her fore head was a name written MYSTERY Babylon the great v. 5. the Mother of Harlots and abominations of the Earth 'T is the description of the Roman Church She bears written on her fore-head MYSTERY for it is the mystery of iniquity as we have seen before All there is Mystery all there appears like Religion 't is the proper name of Religions but the truth is 't is a mystery of iniquity a Religion full of abominations 'T is a very remarkable thing that the Popes did sometimes bear this name MYSTERY written in the fore-part of their Miter A Venetian Author assures us of it and Ioseph Scaliger saith that he had seen them so marked 'T is the great Babylon We have seen why she is so called Babylon was once the Fountain of all Idolatries And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the Saints v. 6. 'T is no longer the Beast that sheds the blood of Martyrs 't is the Woman 'T is no longer the ancient Roman Empire 't is the false Church 't is the Roman Church that uses the paws of the Beast the Arms of the Empire and of Kings to persecute the Church As in the second Beast of the 13th Chapter the image of the Beast the Roman Church though she is but an image of an Empire gives order for the killing of the Saints The Beast that thou sawest was and is not v. 8. 'T is the Angel that speaks explaining the vision to Saint John. The Empire which thou hast seen represented by the beast is the Roman Pagan Empire that tends toward its end and of which two thirds are already past He must ascend out of the bottomless pit and go into perdition That Empire must very speedily be brought to nothing But after it shall have been destroyed it shall arise again out of Hell under another form under the name and the form of a Church 'T is the head that was wounded to death and which was to revive But this second Empire that must raise up the first again and spring from its ashes shall finally perish whereas the Empire that shall be given to the Saints shall never perish And they that dwell on the Earth c. shall wonder when they behold the Beast that was and is not and yet is And the Inhabitants of the Roman Empire shall comprehend nothing of this mystery They shall see that the Roman Empire shall be abolisht Rome shall cease to be the Mistress of the World by the fall of the Emperours and all on a sudden they shall again see Rome mounted up again to the same dignity The Beast was The Roman Empire hath been He is not the Empire hath ceased And yet is and yet they shall see this Empire return without knowing how This prodigy will make them dizzy and enchaunt them Here is the mind which hath wisdom The seven heads are seven mountains v. 9. on which the woman sitteth We have seen seven Heads on the Beast on which the Woman sate These seven Heads signify two things 1st Those seven Mountains on which the Roman Church is raised by reason of the seven Mountains of Rome which is its Metropolis 'T is a Character that makes her remarkable for she hath always been called Septicollis These seven heads are also seven Kings v. 10. five are fallen and one is and the other is not yet come These seven Heads signify also the seven Kings that is to say the seven sorts of Soveraign Governments under which this Empire hath passed and must pass along First Kings 2d Consuls 3d. Decemvires 4th Tribunes of the people 5th Perpetual Dictators These five are fallen these five Governments were passed in St. John's time The one is viz. the sixth that is the Government of the Emperours and the other is not yet come that is to say the seventh Head which is that of the Popes is not yet come And when he cometh he must continue a short space I formerly believed that these words might be applied to the Pope and to the Papism but I believe it no longer and to understand them we must read the following verse And the Beast that was v. 11. and is not even he is the eighth and is of the seven and goeth into perdition 'T is it may be designedly that is to say to render the Prophecy more obscure that the H. Spirit hath inverted the words We must therfore resume the last words of the foregoing verse join them with these here and place them all thus And the eighth King is also of the Beast which was and is not He is of the seven and when he shall come he must continue for a short space and then goeth
seventeenth Chap. 17.8 That they that dwell on the earth shall wonder whose names are not written in the book of Life when they behold the beast that was and is not and yet is Fourthly The Beast in the 13th Chap. makes war with the Saints Chap. 13.7 and 't is given to him to overcome them That in the 17th Chap. carries a Woman Chap. 17. â— that makes her self drunk with the blood of the Saints Fifthly The Beast of the 13th Chap. receives a deadly wound in one of his heads which dies and rises again The Beast in the 17th Chap. was and is not Chap 7.7 8. and must ascend out of the bottomless pit or the deep was and is not and yet is Who doth not see that the latter is an explication of the former The Beast was and is not because his head hath been mortally wounded He is however and must ascend out of the bottomless pit because his deadly wound shall be healed and the Beast shall rise again Sixthly The Beast in the 13th Ch. hath ten horns which signify ten Kings That in the seventeenth hath likewise ten Horns and the ten Horns which thou sawest are ten Kings Why there is not a Woman sitting on the Beast of the 13th Chap. as there is on that of the 17th These so exact and perfect resemblances plainly shew that these two Beasts are one But why is there a Woman seen sitting on the second Beast and none upon the first we have already hinted the reason In the thirteenth Chap. there are two Beasts which by the confession of all Interpreters even the popish ones themselves signify one and the same thing only the Beast with the seven heads signifies the Empire and the Beast with two horns like those of a Lamb signifies the Religion And these two Beasts together signify the Roman Empire raised up under the name of the Church and under the outside of Religion In the 17th Chap. the second Beast which signifies the Religion doth not appear but in the place thereof appears a Woman riding upon the Beast to signify the Religion And this for the greater clearness because the seventeenth Chap. is an explication of the visions of the thirteenth For the greater clearness I say for the corrupted Church is much more clearly signified by a Woman than by a Beast In all the Scripture the Church is always represented to us as a Spouse and a Woman and the corrupt and idolatrous Church as a debauch'd Woman and an Adulteress This is too well known to need any proof Behold therefore this corrupted Woman this adulterous Spouse of J. Christ And the H. Spirit could not have described her in a more lively manner and more proper for us to know her This being supposed that the Beast in the thirteenth Chap. of the Revelations is the same with that in the seventeenth the later cannot be Rome Pagan because by the consent even of all the popish Interpreters the two Beasts in the thirteenth Chap. represent the Empire of Antichrist On this confession and upon what we have just now proved we argue thus The Woman in the seventeenth Chapter by the consent of the popish Interpreters is Rome And by the consent of the same Interpreters the Beast in the thirteenth Chap. is Antichrist Now according to what we have just now proved the Beast of the seventeenth Chapter and the thirteenth are one and the same Beast Whence it is clear that Rome must be the seat of Antichrist and that Rome in the seventeenth Chapt. is not Rome Pagan That Rome in the seventeenth Chapter is not Rome Pagan appears not only by the comparison Rome in the 17th Chap. is not Rome Pagan which we just before made of the two Beasts but also if we consider the Beast of the 17th Chap. all alone and without reference to that in the 13th Chapter God never calls the Pagan Societies VVhores and Adulteresses I. First of all there is a prostitute adulterous and debauch'd Woman sitting upon this Beast Every one knows that in the Holy Scriptures Adultery figuratively signifies Idolatry Now we shall never find any one single instance where the Holy Spirit calls the Pagan Societies Women and Spouses Whores and Adulteresses This name is given only to a corrupted Church And the reason is plain because the Pagan Societies having never plighted their faith to God have not broken it and never were his Spouse they are not therefore unfaithful and adulterous in his account So that this adulterous Woman cannot here be Rome Pagan but that Rome that hath plighted her faith to Jesus Christ and broken it that Rome that styles her self the Spouse of Jesus and yet doth prostitute her self to others Secondly This Women is represented to us as having in her hand a Cup of abominations of her whoredoms of which she makes all the World to drink i. e. she endeavours to draw all the Nations of the Earth to her Idolatry Now Rome Pagan never troubled her head to change the Religion of those people she had conquer'd nor to force them to worship the same Gods as she did On the contrary every one knows she carried strange Gods in Triumph and built Temples for them within her own walls Thirdly These words the Beast which thou sawest was and is not and must ascend out of the bottomless pit or the deep can by no means agree to Rome Pagan For this plainly signifies that the Empire spoken of must perish and be swallowed up and afterwards be re-established Now Rome Pagan and its Empire have been swallowed up but as Rome Pagan it is not raised up again Besides we may observe by the by that we do not deny but that Rome Pagan is represented by this Beast for the Beast represents the Roman Empire in its whole duration and in both its periods the Pagan period and the Antichristian period The Beast which thou sawest was and is not there is the Pagan Period and must ascend out of the bottomless pit or the deep there is the Antichristian period Fourthly It is said of this Beast And the Inhabitants of the earth whose names are not written in the book of Life shall wonder seeing the beast which was and is not and yet is This signifies that men shall give him homage and that this homage shall be given to him only by the enemies of Jesus Christ and the Reprobates It is not therefore Rome Pagan for the true Christians obeyed and gave a voluntary homage to the Roman Empire in its Pagan period just as the other subjects of the Empire But since it was raised up again and is no longer what it once was they have no longer obeyed it Fifthly That which is said of the ten Kings can by no means agree to Rome in its Pagan Period The ten Horns which thou sawest are ten Kings which have not yet begun to reign but shall receive power as Kings one hour with the Beast v. 12.
More proofs that the Characters of the Antichristian Empire do agree to the Papism A Proof drawn from the fourth Chapter of the first Epistle of St Paul to Timothy The translation of that passage amended SOme persons reading our second just Prejudice against popery have admired that to make up the character of Antichrist we have not among other places of Scripture inserted that Text of St. Paul in his first Epistle to Timothy in the beginning of the fourth Chapter Now the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the later times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of Devils speaking lies in hypocrisy having their consciences seared with an hot iron Forbidding to marry and abstaining from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them that believe The reason why this Text was not made use of in the book of Prejudices against Popery 'T is certain this is one of the clearest Oracles of the New Testament and one of the most lively pictures the Holy Spirit gives us of the Antichristian Apostacy But I could not make use of it in drawing my prejudices against the Roman Church because prejudices must be drawn from things either exceeding notorious or confessed and granted My prejudice was not this No Religion that hath Antichrist for its head can be the true Religion Now the Roman Religion hath Antichrist for its head c. If I had formed it thus I had been obliged to bring all the proofs that are to be met with in the H. Scripture to maintain that the Roman Religion is the Antichristian Empire and then I must not have omitted this But I argued otherwise in that prejudice and said I judge not but I prejudge I do not pronounce that the Pope and his religion are Antichrist But I say it is very strange and surprizing that all those places of Scripture where by the consent of Interpreters of all ages and of all parties Antichrist is spoken of may be so easily and so justly applied to the Pope and his religion Though at the bottom popery should not be pure Antichristianism yet there is no likelyhood that God would describe Antichrist and his reign in such equivocal terms that all that that is confessed to be spoken concerning Antichrist may be adopted to him that should be the Vicar of Jesus Christ and to a Society that should be his faithful Spouse 'T is plain that to reason thus I was to look for no other Texts but those that are not contested such as are the second Chapt. of the second Epistle to the Thessalonians the seventh of Daniel the 11 13 17 and 18th of the Revelation whereas the Romish Doctors do dispute about all in the words of St. Paul in the fourth Chapter of his first Epistle to Timothy They dispute about the particular sense and the general scope of it They turn this Oracle off on the Encratites Manichees c. Now that I am not a drawing prejudices but do dispute I must prove and though the proofs are contested yet we must not abandon them in a controversy We must only make them so evident that they may be clear to all reasonable men And this is that which we are about to do in pursuing the History of the Characters of the Antichristian Apostacy by this passage of St. Paul according to that sense of it which the learned Joseph Mede gives us who hath given us abundance of light into the Prophecies but into none of them more or more happily than into this The division of Chapters and Verses in our Bibles is not authentique First of all we must rectify the translation of this passage and in the beginning give notice that the divisions of our Chapters being not altogether authentick and being often times made with little judgment no regard must be given to this that the 4th Ch. of the 1st Epistle of Timothy begins with these words Now the Spirit saith expresly that in the later times c. For in truth the sense begins at the last verse of the foregoing Chap. and we should read thus Without controversy great is the mystery of Godliness God manifest in the flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angells preached to the Gentiles believed on in the World and received up into Glory But the Spirit saith expresly that in the later times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devills This observation alone is enough to perswade all those that sincerely seek after the truth that the Apostacy which the Apostle speaks of is the Apostacy of Antichrist For he makes so clear an opposition of this apostacy to the Mystery of Godliness that 't is impossible not to discern that he opposes Mystery to mystery religion to religion the mystery of Godliness to the mystery of iniquity of which he himself hath spoken to us in his 2d Ep. to the Thessalonians And as by the mystery of iniquity all the world acknowledges that he means the religion of Antichrist so all the world ought to acknowledg that in this place the Apostacy of the later times opposed to the Mystery of Godliness is the Antichristian Empire and Religion And that the reason why the Apostle hath not here repeated the term of the mystery of iniquity is because he did believe that it would be easily understood It seems natural that after he had said the mystery of Godliness is great he should say but the mystery of iniquity shall publickly appear which shall be an Apostacy from the faith He would without doubt have thus exprest himself were it not that having spoken elsewhere of the Mystery of iniquity any one might easily perceive that in this later place he makes an evident allusion to it and that so it might easily be seen in the Apostacy which he describes Our common translation doth not well represent St. Paul's sense Our version renders the Text of St. Paul thus Now the Spirit saith expresly that in the later times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils speaking lies in hypocrisy having their conscience scared with a hot iron forbidding to marry commanding to abstain from meats which God hath created for them that believe Looking on the Text in this form the first sense that offers it self to our sight is that these Doctrines of Devills are those which he adds in the following words viz. Forbidding of marriage and abstinence from meat Now I confess that ever since I understood how to read and understand I have always suspected this and I did not understand how and why the Apostle St. Paul should characterise those opinions that seem so little criminal as the forbidding of Mariage to certain persons and abstaining from certain meats at certain times by such black names as the Apostacy from the faith and the Doctrines of Devills I did conceive that the law of Celibacy in
forced to it by the vertue of Reliques and merit of a Saint A blind man received his sight by putting a cloth to his eyes that had touched the Coffin of the Martyrs The people by their credulity make such sort of Miracles every day The Miracles were false ones St. Austin had a good share of this credulity But though it were true the Devil might do things much harder than this of restoring sight to a man that had not seen for some time Besides God that was willing that his decrees should be accomplish'd let loose the rains to the spirit of illusion We need but follow the History of the Church and the Legends of the Saints and there we shall find every where these dreams these visions these apparitions of Souls Saints speaking the Virgin Mary appearing to her devotoes the whole designed not to confirm the Doctrines of Christianity but the invocation of Saints the adoration of the Virgin the adoration of Images the Mass Purgatory and other parts of the Antichristian abomination And this fountain of seduction was open'd in part by deceiving spirits among men wicked superstitious wretches Priests and Monks in part by the wicked spirits that perpetually surround men to deceive and mock them The last Character of the Religion of Antichrist here express'd is the Doctrine of Devils or of Daemons giving up themselves to deceiving spirits and to Doctrines of Daemons The Doctrines of Devils or of Daemons what they are The common opinion is that by the Doctrines of Devils or of Daemons we are to understand those Doctrines of which the Devil is the Author and inventor and that bear upon them a Diabolical Character Joseph Mede hath made a new conjecture upon it and which I believe we owe to him He understands by Daemons not wicked spirits that are represented as dwelling in Hell but those spirits which the Heathens worshipt as Mediatours between God and men whom in truth in their Theology they called Daemons For then the word was not taken in an ill sense and Daemons were properly in the Heathen Religion secondary Gods subject to the great Gods. By the Doctrine of Daemons he understands a Doctrine of which Daemons are the object not the authors And according to him the sense is that men in the Antichristian Religion would renew the Divinity and the worship of these mediatory spirits called Daemons that Paganism shall be introduced into the Religion of Jesus Christ that therein shall be establisht a second order of Divinities besides the three adorable persons of the Trinity that dead men shall be invocated in this new Paganism in the same manner as was practised under the old that their Reliques shall be honour'd Statues shall be erected to them Images shall be consecrated for them which shall be worshipp'd that Temples shall be built for them and sacrifices be offer'd to their honour that apotheoses or canonizations shall be renew'd that Miracles shall be feign'd to be done by these Images and these Demy-Gods that Trees shall a new be set up with Trophies which are the Crosses before which men shall prostrate themselves that it shall be pretended that God comes to dwell here below in a piece of consecrated bread just as in the ancient Paganism it was pretended that the Gods by vertue of the consecration came to dwell in their Images Popery hath certainly Devils for its Authors Which interpretation soever we follow 't is certain that Antichristianism is found here It is composed of Doctrines that are truely Diabolical and that have Devils for their Authors 'T is a Doctrine of Devils that hath establisht that Tyrant in the Church who hath exercised so much fury there who pretends to be King of Kings and Lord of the Lords of the Earth who exalts himself above all that is called God who saith he can't be judged by any one but though he should lead men to Hell by troops he must be suffer'd to do it and be left to God to be judged 'T is a Doctrine that hath the Devil for its Author which sets up other objects of worship besides God that gives Iesus Christ companions and believers other Saviours It was no other than the Devil that could inspire Christians with the thoughts of adoring Images and bringing in afresh that Paganism that was once buried 'T was the Devil the father of lies that form'd that monster of Transsubstantiation that hath contrived that prophane sacrifice of the Mass and who of a Sacrament hath made a wretched Idol of it and so to keep to the common opinion the true Religion will not lose any thing by it By Doctrines of Daemons we must understand Doctrines that have Demi-Gods for their object However I confess I have resolved on Joseph Mede's sense It hath not been without weighing things and I did a long time believe that this interpretation was much more ingenious than solid But after I had well thought on it I judg'd the quite contrary and that for these reasons I. First This expression Doctrine of Daemons doth not more naturally signify that the Doctrine spoken of hath Daemons for its Authors than it doth that it hath them for its Object For it is certain that in all languages these sorts of propositions are aequivocal We say the love of God to signify the love of which God is the object more naturally than to signify that love of which he is the Author We say the knowledge of bodies to signify that knowledge of which bodies are the objects the knowledge of the stars to express Astrology a treatise of Angels to express a book not made by the Angels but treating of them The same aequivocal speech and the same usage is to be met with in the sacred books In the sixth Chapt. of the Epistle to the Hebrews the Apostle speaks of the Doctrine of Baptisms Heb. 6.2 i. e. of the Doctrine that hath Baptism for its object St. Luke saith that the Pro-consul Sergius was astonished at the Doctrine of the Lord Act. 13.12 i. e. the Doctrine treating of the Lord. Gal. 2.20 Acts 3.16 The faith of the Son of God and faith of his name is the faith not which hath Jesus Christ for its Author but its object And thus you see we have already gain'd one point viz. that Grammar can put in no obstacle to this Interpretation By the Doctrine of Daemons must be understood the Idolatry of Popery II. My second reason is because explain it how you will I am perswaded that by the Doctrine of Devils or of Daemons is meant the Idolatry which Antichrist was to re-establish in the Church For this is that which distinguishes that Religion from the Christian Religion and which renders it abominable It will be said that there are some things in the Papism which are not less abominable than its Idolatry that is the usurpation of Jesus Christs power by the Pope I confess it But besides that this
usurpation is joined with Idolatry seeing they make an Idol of the Pope I say there is in Antichristianism an Empire and a Religion The Empire is Diabolical Tyrannical Antichristian and may well be called and Empire of Devils as having them for its Authors And 't is in this respect of an Empire and a Tyranny that St. Paul principally considers Antichristianism in the second Chapter of the second Epistle to the Thessalonians For there he represents the head of this Empire as a Tyrant that sits himself down on the Throne of God and was to possess the Empire when he that then held it was cast down 'T is true that he considers siders it also a little as a Religion for he calls it a Mystery and saith it shall be establisht by false signs and false miracles But in this fourth Chap. of the first Epistle to Timothy he considers Antichristianism purely as a Religion and not as an Empire Therefore he speaks only of Apostacy Spirits Deceivers and of Doctrines Now that which is most abominable in the Papism as 't is a Religion is without doubt its Idolatry and not its heresies and consequently this is what we must here understand by the Doctrine of Devils or of Daemons For the Apostle intends by that to note that which is most criminal in the Papism Seeing therefore we must necessarily understand by these words Doctrine of Daemons the Antichristian Idolatry why should we not believe that the Apostle Saint Paul calls it so by way of allusion and comparing it with the heathen Religion and Theology Antichristianism is considered in the Prophecies sometimes as a Religion somtimes as an Empire I have just before made a distinction which I desire may be observed because 't is of great use for the understanding the Prophecies of the Revelation on this argument of the estate of Antichrist 'T is this that the H. Spirit sometimes speaks of it as of a Religion sometimes as of an Empire Indeed he considers it much oftner under the notion of an Empire than under that of a Religion In the 13 14 16 17 and 18th of the Revelation where Antichristianism is represented as a Beast vith two horns or seven heads and ten horns â—nd as a City called Babylon 't is under the Idea of an Empire For in the Prophetical visions Beasts always signify Kings and Empires But in the 11th Chap. Antichristianism is represented as a Religion for it is called Paganism and is shadowed forth under the emblem of a Temple that is prophaned Leave out the Court which is without the Temple and measure it not for it is given to the Gentiles In those places where it is represented as a Whore where the Cup of its abominations is spoken of and where it is said it shall seduce the inhabitants of the Earth by the signs that it shall work it is consider'd as a Religion because worship idolatry miracles and signs belong to Religion The Doctrine of Daemons Antichristian Paganism are the same thing III. The H. Spirit 's representing the Antichristian Religion as a Paganism is to me a new reason that perswades me that in the Text of St. Paul which we are now discoursing of by the Doctrine of Daemons we must understand that doctrine of which Daemons are the object For I look on these two Texts as Parallel this of the Revelation the out ward Court is given to the Gentiles and this the apostacy of the son of perdition shall be a Doctrine of Daemons Now it is certain that in that Text in the eleventh of the Revelation is precisely meant that Paganism that Pagan Theology and that Pagan service that were introduced into the Christian Religion and consequently here by the Doctrines of Daemons we must understand the Pagan Religion that worshipt Daemons or Antichristianism that hath made for it self a Religion altogether like it in worshipping new Daemons God could not but predict the introduction of Paganisin into the Christian Church IV. But the principal reason that persectly perswades me is the â—â—â—…ent which is always the best or rather the oâ—â— sure Interpreter of prophecies One thing is curtain viz. that there is a perfect conformity between the Thelogy and worship of the ancient Paganism and the Antichristian Religion of the Papism This was not done by chance God permitted it God foresaw it and without doubt God hath predicted it For there is no likelihood that having carefully marked in the Prophecies events incomparably less considerable he should forget this 'T is true one may say that the Prophecy of it is found in these words of the Revelation the outward Court shall be given to the Gentiles and in those places where the Antichristian and popish Religion is compared to adultery and the corrupted Church to a whore But the first seems to me to be too obscure and the second too general I can't believe but that God would leave us some Oracles more clear and less general to predict this admirable conformity which is between the worship of the ancient Paganism and that of Antichristianism Now this Text more express and more clear then the others I do not find elsewhere To set forth this last proof in all its strength we must consider some points of this conformity They may be seen already in those two Chapt. of the second part of our Prejudices where we have shewn the conformity between Popery and Paganism But not to give any the trouble of leaving this book to find out the proof of this truth that the worship of Daemons among the Heathens and this of the Saints in the Papism are alike we will here give an abstract of it The Articles of the Pagan Theology Religion touching Daemons The Pagan Theology about good Daemons is reserred to these Articles I. They said that besides the great Gods there were inferiour Divinities that received all their power from the superiour Gods. II. The inferiour Divinities were either consecrated Heroes and deified souls or spirits naturally and originally separated from matter III. Their office was to be mediatours between men and the great Gods to execute their orders in favour of men and carry the prayers of men to those superiour Gods. IV. To the honour of the one and the other i. e. of Daemons or spirits as well those that were consecrated souls as those that were naturally separated from matter they made Images built Temples and by vertue of the consecration they made them come and dwell in those Images and Temples V. Besides this they did adore and worship the ashes and the reliques of their Heroes These are the Articles to which the Theology of the Pagan Daemons was reduced Paganism acknowledg'd inferiour Gods called Daemons First They held inferiour Divinities that were infinitely beneath the great Gods. 'T is a thing so known that there is no need to prove it They called their great Gods Dii superi Dii coelestes Soveraign Gods and heavenly
Devils But see here that which makes the meaning of Saint Paul exceeding clear The doctrines of Daemons were to be taught by Hypocrites enemies to Marriage and such as shall forbid the use of meats By the hypocrisy or fiction of lyars seared in their conscience that will forbid to marry and command to abstain from meats which God hath created for them that believe It may be there is nothing in the Prophecies more admirable and more particular We have already observ'd that we must not take this as if it were here the doctrines of Devils which the Apostates from the Christian Religion were to teach The. Holy Spirit shews it us by what they have of fair and specious to the end we may know them by those particulars for which they greatly value themselves We here see their Character and afterwards the means whereby they are to advance this Apostacy and worship of Daemons Their Character is that they greatly affect outward austerity in abstaining from Marriage and depriving themselves of the use of ordinary meats The means they use to establish this Worship of Creatures and the theology of Daemons is Hypocrisy Fiction and Lying I know not whether one cannot see in this pourtraiture the Roman Clergy in general and the Monks in particular that so greatly value themselves upon the Law of Celibacy their Fasts and their abstinence from certain Meats And hereupon Idolatry was establisht in the Church the same time the Laws of fasting and Celibacy were by the Monks that we may see how admirably the event answers to the Prophecy we must observe that idolatry began in the Church precisely the very same time and tin the very same age and which is more by the very same Authors as the Laws if Celibacy and the Monastick life did It was in the 14th age Paul the Theban and Anthony the two Patriarchs of the Monks lived pretty late in this fourth age Saint Anthony died Anno 358 and Paul the Theban was dead a little before 'T was at the same time that men began to speak of the Reliques of the Martyrs to seek after them and attribute Miracles to them And a little time after the Monks that had been hid in the deserts of Syria and Thebais spread themselves every where Saint Bazil in the East assisted by Gregory Nazianzen and Gregory of Nyssa establisht them in Greece from a Hermites life he made them pass to a Monastick one and gave them rules Saint Ambrose in the West was as great a Zealot for the monastical life In the same age Lent and the Fasts that consist in the distinction of Meats began to be establisht And it was the authors of an zealots for these ill-understood austerities that pushed forwards also the worship of creatures For St. Basil St. Ambrose and the two Gregories are the most ancient Authors in whom we begin to find the worship and invocation of creatures If we prosecute the History of the Monks we shall admire how they have been in all ages the promoters of Idolatry and Superstition We have a passage of Eunapius the Heathen who lived in the time of Theodosius the great which informs us that the Monks were the original cause of Idolatry the guardians of Reliques In the life of Edesius he makes a long complaint concerning the violence which the Christians had offer'd to the Temples of the false Gods in Egypt and saith that Monks were establisht in the place of Canopus instead of intelligible Gods to worship slaves So he calls the Martyrs for Christianity and adds that these Monks reducing into ashes the heads and the bones of persons condemned to death for their crimes made Gods of them and prostrated themselves before them Let us see what they did in Saint Austin's time Satan Lib. de opere Monachorum saith he spread abroad a great number of hypocrites who in the habit of Monks run over all the Provinces without being sent never staid long in one place never stood and never sate they sold the members of a Martyr false or true They addressed themselves to all the World and required a reward of a rich poverty or of a false and appearing holiness Gregory of Tours that lived in the following age Histor Franc. l. 9. c. 6. i. e. in the 6th saith that the Monks came to Rome in the night digged up the bodies near the Church of Saint Paul and that being gone away they confessed they intended to carry them into Greece and there make them pass for the Reliques of the Martyrs He also gives us the History of a Monk that pretended to come from Spain with Martyrs Reliques and it was discovered that they were only roots of certain herbs with rats teeth and some other such like things He adds that there were many the like cheats at that time who ceased not endeavouring to seduce the poor people and the ignorant They were the same Monks that were the zealous defenders of Images in the seventh and eighth Age on which account they suffer'd so much The Monks are zealous defenders of Imager which gives occasion for the sad complaints of those both ancient and modern Historians that are worshippers of Images on account of the great violence that was offer'd to the Monks by the Emperours that were breakers of Images constantine surnamed Copronymus was their mortal Enemy as well as he was so to Images He made some of them be whipt and others of them be dragged through the streets He is accused of having burnt a whole Convent with the best Library of the East He did crush as far as he was able this generation of vipers and did severely chastise those that would not renounce this sort of life full of hypocrisy The Monk Theophanes and lately the Jesuite Maimbourg in his History of the Iconoclastae describe these pretended cruelties in a tragical manner There is somewhat of lying without doubt in what these Authors say but however 't is true Constantine did use some severity against the Monks because in a violent manner they opposed the design which the Emperours had to cleanse the Church again from the abomination of Images This is not a point that needs proof the Historians that are for the worshipping of Images confess it and glory in it Monks are the authors of all the corruptions introduced into the Church In the following Ages the new orders of Monks were in the West the corrupters of Religion They were those that brought Transubstantiation and the Corporal Presence of J. Christ in the Sacrament into the World. It was one Paschase a Monk of Corbia which first lick't this Bear into shape They are the mendicant Fryars that have carried the worship of the creatures of Saints and the blessed Virgin to those extravagant heights that they are at this day abhorr'd by all men of good sense without excepting the Papists themselves One need not have very much understanding in History to be assured of this
to the time of the end many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increas'd 5. Then I Daniel looked and behold there stood other two the one on this side of the bank of the river and the other on that side of the bank of the river 6. And one said to the man clothed in linnen which was upon the waters of the river How long shall it be to the end of these wonders 7. And I heard the man clothed in linnen which was upon the waters of the river when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time times and a half and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people all these things shall be finished 8. And I heard but I understood not Then said I O my Lord what shall be the end of these things 9. And he said Go thy way Daniel for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end 10. Many shall be purified and made white and tried but the wicked shall do wickedly and none of the wicked shall understand but the wise shall understand 11. And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away and the abomination that maketh desolate set up there shall be 1290. days 12. Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days 13. But go thou thy way till the end be for thou shalt rest and stand in thy lot at the end of the days As Interpreters agree that these Prophecies in the literal meaning of them are concerning Antiochus Epiphanes the great persecutor of the Jews and the true Religion so almost all agree also that this mystically referrs to Antichrist And 't is a truth I do not at all doubt of Antiochus was a type of Antichrist we shall see such clear proofs of it that it will not be possible to doubt of it As the principle is commonly perceived I will suppose it and will not give my self the trouble to prove it any otherwise than in applying all that to Antichrist that is said of Antiochus I will only make some remarks to confirm this truth I. Both good and bad under the N. Testament have had their types under the Old. We must observe that all the things that were to happen under the New Testament had their types under the Old. It is not only Jesus Christ that had types for his person for his offices for his good works his enemies also have had their types The actions of the Saints have been typical the victories of Sampson over the Philistins those of David over Goliah were types of the victories of Jesus Christ All the world believes it and no one doubts it It must be acknowledged also that the criminal actions of eminent persons have been typical likewise If on one hand there have been persons and actions typical of the good there have been also persons and actions typical of the evil Cain was a type of the enemies of Jesus Christ coming of the seed of the woman he was a type of the seed of the Serpent and his action against his brother was a typical sin that representeth the persecution which the Devil was to bring upon Jesus Christ and his Church The sin of Esau that despised the right of primogeniture and sold it for a mess of broth was a type of those prophane ones that renounce the benefits of the World to come for the vanities of this present World. Lots wife that looked towards Sodom and the Israelites that turn'd their eyes towards Egypt after they were gone forth from it are types of those miserable persons who after they have been drawn from sin by the grace of Jesus Christ are eager after the World from which they were departed and return to it again As therefore Jesus Christ hath had his types Antichrist haâ—â— had his types as well as J. Christ without doubt Antichrist had his too and that in great number Cain Goliah Pharaoh Nebuchadnezzar and the other oppressors of the truth and the faithful have been types of Antichrist Among these types there was not any one more noted and more pâ—ain than Antiochus who made the continual sacrifice cease for three years and a half who made the Church desolate who made almost the whole Nation fall into Apostacy who prophaned the Temple and cruelly persecuted those that persevered in the true Religion So that as in the types of Jesus Christ we seek for and find his Characters in like manner in Antiochus and that which the Prophecies say of him we may find the Characters of Antichrist But we must observe there are two sort of Prophecies one that directly respect the principal subject the other that respect it only mediately and indirectly and by the means of some type to which the literal sense of the Prophâ—cy doth belong For example the Prophecy of the 53. Chap. of Esai respects J. Christ immediately and without the intervention of any type There are Prophecies wherein the things agree partly to the type partly to the person signified by the type But the 45th Psal and the second respect Jesus Christ but mediately and by the intervention of the type In the second Psal the type is David to whom belongs the literal sense of the Psalm In the 45th Psal the type is Solomon and 't is him the literal sense of the Text respects These two sorts of Prophecies ought to be handled differently Those of the first rank i. e. those that refer only and immediately to Jesus Christ must be applied only and uniformly to Jesus Christ in all their parts But those of the second rank are much harder to be disintricated For there are some things that belong only to the person that is the type Others that belong only to the person that is represented by the type and lastly others that belong both to the one and the other For example in the 45th Psal these words Thy throne O God is for ever and ever the scepter of thy Kingdom is a scepter of Righteousness c. O God thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above all thy fellows These words I say cannot without great violence be applied to Solomon For Solomon is not a God and it can't be to him that the H. Spirit saith Thy throne O God c. There are other words in the same Psalm which certainly respect Solomon as a type and J. Christ as the person represented by the type For example Thou art fairer than any of the children of men v. 3. Grace is poured into thy lips because God hath blessed thee for ever Lastly I am certain there are other words that agree only to Solomen and that it is not at all necessary to refer them to Iesus Christ For example these words v. 10. Daughters of Kings are among thy
they are at a prodigious distance from it So the Prophet looking on these two resurrections the first and the last it is not strange that beholding them at so great distance he looked on them as joined together though they are a 1000 years distant from each other Moreover the H. Spirit from this first resurrection in which the Church must be deliver'd and which it may be is but a figurative resurrection would raise us up to the contemplation of the last and general resurrection because this first resurrection that must be before the 1000 years of the reign of Jesus Christ must be but an Embleme of the great deliverance of the Church when it shall be in one body translated from earth to heaven by the last resurrection 'T is usual with the Prophets to have holy sallies that from temporal things do transport them to spiritual and eternal ones Isaiah speaking of a sign that God would give to Ahaz and which he refused passes over many ages leaves there Ahaz and his sign Esai 7. and saith the Lord God shall give you a sign behold a Virgin shall bear a son The rest of the twelfth Chapter is not less profound but as it respects the duration of the persecution of Antiochus literally and mystically the time of the duration of the Kingdom of Antichrist we shall reserve it for that Chap. where we must speak of the duration of his Kingdom CHAP. XXIV In which are gather'd together 35. Characters of Antichrist that perfectly agree to the Papism and cannot agree to any but it A short portraiture of Antichrifi and his fearures AFter sounding all the fountains whence the pourtaiture of Antichrist is drawn I believe it will not be unuseful to gather together here all the strokes that we may see them all with one view and that we may discern the perfect conformity that is between that Antichrist and the Papism 1. It must be an Empire Rev. 13.1 for it is called a beast now in the Prophetick style a beast always signifies an Empire when Kings are treated of The Papism is an Empire in all the forms of worldly Empires ancient and modern We have proved it with the greatest evidence in our prejudices 2. It must also be a Religion 2 Thes 2. for it is called a mystery and it must be a false Religion for it is called a mystery of Iniquity and an apostacy There is only the Papism in which an Empire and a Religion are found both together 1 Tim. 4.1 8. 'T is true Mahomet made an Empire and a Religion at the same time But in Mahometanism the Religion is not the Empire nor the Empire the Religion and the Priests are not Soveraign Lords under the pretext of Religion Mahometanism is divided into many Aempires and yet there is but one Religion a proof that the Religion and the Empire are not the same thing The Papism is the only Religion that boasts of a Prophet always living Rev. 19.20 3. Antichrist must have a Prophet i. e. a man that saith he is infallible and that pretends to pronounce Oracles as well as the ancient Prophets For with the beast is joined the false Prophet The beast was taken and together with him the false Prophet that wrought signs before him There is no Religion in the World but the Papism that pretends to have an infallible head always pronouncing Oracles when it is necessary always speaking and always living This is a very peculiar Character and which should make us well discern him 4. The corruption of the Religion of Antichrist must principally consist in Idolatry 1 Tim. 4. 2 Thes 2. Rev. 17. for it is called apostacy a Doctrine of Daemons spiritual whoredom The Papism is a Religion in which Idols are re-establisht under new names We have also clearly proved it The Idolatry of Antichrist must be an idolatry of Christians Rev. 17. 5. This Antichristian Idolatry must be an idolatry of Christians which must be exercised in the Church and not without by the Spouse of Jesus Christ and not by a stranger For this idolatry is called adultery and conjugal unfaithfulness The Papism with its Idolatry retains the foundation of the Church and preserves Christianity 6. The chief City of this Empire and of this Religion must be a City seated on seven Mountaïns Rev. 17.9.18 and the great City which in the time of Saint John ruled over the Kingdoms of the Earth that is to say Rome The Papism hath for the capital of its Empire and Religion new Rome built where the ancient one was 7. This Empire was to form it self not by force but by craft by seduction and by the consent of the Kings of the West Rev. 13.13 that were to give their power to the beast The power of the Papism and the Bishop of Rome come by illusion rather than by the violence that both Kings and people have suffer'd 8. This Antichristian Empire must be a continuation of the fourth Monarchy which is that of the Romans Dan. 2.7 Rev. 13. as hath been shewn by the vision of Daniel's Statue by that of the four beasts and by the beast of the 13th of the Revel The Papism is a true continuation of the Roman Empire having the very same seat and very hear the same Provinces 9. This Empire must be only an Image of an Empire an Image of the Roman Empire Rev. 13.14 15. Yet this Image must speak and must be worshipped in all the Earth The Papism hath no arms nor citadels that really make an Empire it hath nothing but superstition and foolish fondness for all its arms however it speaks it threatens it promiseth it teacheth it seduceth and by this means it reigns 10. The Empire of Antichrist must have ten horns Rev. 13. end 17. that is to say ten Kings vassals and subjects props and upholders of its throne The Papism hath always had under it ten principal Kings that have worshipt and maintain'd its power 11. Antichrist must speak great things in his own behalf Rev. 13.5 but against God for they must be blasphemies The Papism saith of it self and its capital great and mighty things saying that Rome is eternal that she is infallible that the Pope is Superiour to all the Kings of the Earth the Spouse of the Church the Vicar of J. Christ God upon Earth his Holiness and most holy Lord. And these arrogant pretensions are true blasphemies against God against J. Christ and against the true Church the Spouse of J. Christ 12. Antichrist must raise wars and cruel persecutions on the account of Religion Rev. 13.7 For 't is given to him to make war against the Saints and to overcome them The Papism hath bathed it self in humane and Christian blood for six or seven hundred years 13. The Empire of Antichrist must be an Empire raised up again Rev. 13.3 an head mortally wounded but healed again The Empire of
the Papism is the Roman Empire that was brought to nothing by the Goths and Visigoths but is raised up again by the Popes 14. Antichrist must ascribe to himself two powers Rev. 13.11 like to those which J. Christ hath Now the Lord hath temporal and spiritual power There is no Potentate in the World that saith he hath this double power but the Pope the head of the Papism 15. Antichrist must be an Empire Rev. 13.18 as hath been proved and the name of this Empire must contain the number 666. The number 666. must be in the name of an Empire and not in the name of a man. There is no Empire in the World whose name contains 666 but that of the Latin and the Roman which is the name that the Papism glories in And this should be well observed to lay open the vanity of the observations of the Papists who to elude this so plain a Character seek for certain names of men in which they would find 666. They would fain find it in the name of Luther and very lately M. Simon would find it in Roterodami We must let them know they do nothing that here 't is not the name of a man but of an Empire that is treated of Now they will search in vain they will not find any Empire in the world whose name contains 666 besides the Roman or Latin Empire 16. The Kingdom of Antichrisi must be a Sodom Rev. 11. full of impurities and abominable crimes The Papism in all the fore-going ages hath been a sink of all the abominations of the Earth There are no filthy and odious crimes of which its Clergy and its subjects have not made themselves guilty The proof of it at large may be seen in our just prejudices 17. This Antichristian Empire must be a cruel Egypt a Babylon Rev. 18.4 in which God will preserve his people notwithstanding its corruptions Come forth of Babylon my people There is no false Religion that hath possessed the Church more ages and in which God hath been able to preserve his Elect than the Papism 18. Antichristianism must be establisht in the Temple of God i.e. in the Church There is no Kingdom Empire and corrupt Religion together with it that is establisht in the Christian Church but the papism 19. The Antichristian Empire must be exceeding proud 2 Thes 2. For its head must sit in the Temple of God as if he were God. The papism hath carried pride beyond whatsoever can be imagin'd 'T is notorious 20. Antichrist must worship Mahuzim i. e. Patrons and Protectors The Papism worship its Guardian Angels and Saints under whose protection it puts it self 21. Antichristianism must be a Paganism raised up again Rev. 11. For the outward Court must be left to the Gentiles for 42 months The Papism hath all the parts of a paganism built on Christianity as hath been so evidently proved 22. Antichrist must usurp the power of J. Christ For he shall have the horns of a Lamb Rev. 13.11 and shall speak as a Dragon The Papism hath usurp'd all the power of J. Christ The Pope acts speaks censures absolves damns dethrones Kings c. in the name and by the authority of J. Christ The Empire of the Papism ascended out of the Earth by little and little 23. The Antichristian Empire must not be formed with noise this beast must not ascend out of the sea as a monster that comes out of the deep very great and wholly formed in the twinkling of an eye and which devours as soon as it is on the Earth It must arise out of the Earth as a plant that is nothing in the beginning and which after many years grows a great Tree Rev. 13.11 For the second beast ascendeth out of the Earth and not out of the Sea. The Empire of the papism came by little and little as a Tree which for many years hath been but a little herb 24. The Empire and the Religion of Antichrist must be establisht by false signs and false wonders 'T is impossible to reckon up the false miracles Popety is the only religion that boasts of working signs and miracles which the papism hath produced to establish its superstitions and its power 'T is at this day the only religion in the World that pretends to work miracles 25. The Christian Apostacy must be promoted by persons given to lies lovers of fables 'T is the true signification of the word which St. Paul uses Pseudologoi 1 Tim. 4. There never was a religion in the World that hath produced so many fables as the papism I have proved it in my just prejudices 26. The Teachers of Antichristianism must have a great appearance of Austerity they must despise and discredit marriage and command abstinence from meats The Teachers of the papism make it necessary for them to remain unmarried and think they merit greatly by abstinence from meats 27. Antichristianism was to appear in the world when the head of the Roman Emperors was beaten down The papism in the time that the Roman Empire was destroyed by the Goths and the Vandals began to be sensible in its idolatry and its tyranny 28. This Empire must have its course in the later times 1 Tim. 4. It is unquestionable that we are in the later times therefore the Empire of the papism at this day subsisting is the Empire of Antichrist 29. The Antichristian Empire must subdue three Kings of the ten The Empire of the papism Dan. 7. besides that it hath subdued more than a third part of the temporal power of the Western Kings it hath actually subjected to it self in fief and temporal homage many Kingdoms Among others that of the Lombards of which he possesseth one part the City of Rome and its jurisdiction and the Kingdom of Naples for which even at this day he makes homage be paid him every year 30. The Antichristian Empire must put to death the Witnesses of the Truth of God. Rev. 11. The papism uses all imaginable attempts to extinguish those Societies that give testimony to the truth and that oppose Superstition and Idolatry 31. The Antichristian Empire must interdict fire and water Rev. 13. i. e. all commerce with those that will not pay homage to it and carry its mark and its name The Papism excommunicates damns proscribes and puts under interdict all those that will not submit themselves to its Laws and that will not bear the names of Roman Catholiques 32. Spiritual Babylon must be a Merchant Rev. 18. and there must be great traffique in all precious things even in souls Therefore they that live of its Traffique shall weep bitterly upon her ruins Of all the Religions in the World there was never any where avarice simony and the sale of spritual things reigned to that degree as they have done in the papism If any one can tell of any one they would much oblige us to
a consequent from what we have said of Antiochus Epiphanes and the duration of the persecution to which the Prophet assigns four times 2300 mornings and evenings that is to say 1150 days Three years and a half that is to say 1260 days 1290 days and 1335 days We have said that the number of 1260 days is that of the time of the duration of the prophanation of the Sanctuary till the time that Judas Macchabaeus having taken out of the Temple the Idol of Jupiter Olympius began the cleansing of the Sanctuary that he was a month in taking away all the impurities wherefore Daniel after the number of 1260 days adds 30 thereunto and saith that it shall be for 1290 days Lastly we have supposed that Judas Macchabaeus spent 45 other days in preparing all things for the dedication of the Temple The order in which the enrite restoration of the Church must be effected That the type may answer the truth if the Empire of the Papism must fall and be abolisht about the year 1710 we may believe the Church shall not be perfectly reformed and cleansed for all that It may be that all Christians although they agree to chase away Idolatry and beat down Tyranny yet they will not agree in every thing So that I suppose 30 years shall pass for the reuniting all Christians in the same communion and that this union shall be effected about the year 1740. This reunion shall be a path-way for the calling the rest of the Pagan and infidel Nations who are yet almost innumerable For we must not hope that Pagans and Infidels shall enter into the Church while they see it divided Into what part of it should they put themselves It shall be the unanimous consent of all Christians in one only Religion that shall overcome the obstinacy of the enemies of Jesus Christ To effect this reunion of all Christians no less than 30 years as I suppose will be necessary and that was figured by the 30 days which Macchabaeus employed in purifying the Temple of Jerusalem After the purgation of the Temple he spent 45 days to prepare the vessels for the dedication I suppose that in like manner when the re-union shall be effected no less than 45 days that is to say 45 years will be requisite to run overall the Earth and convert the Nations that are strangers to the Covenant to prepare them for the last dedication Add 45 to 1740 that will fall on the year 1785 in which shall come the glorious reign of I. Christ on the Earth of which we shall speak afterwards And 't is in these 45 years that the Jews shall be converted and shall finish the conversion of the Infidel Nations their obstinacy shall hold out to the end and shall not be overcome but by an extraordinary event and more extraordinary than the fall of Babel shall be The Empire of Anchrist must be destroyed before J. Christ comes There is no ground to believe that the Kingdom of Jesus Christ shall come in the time that God shall employ in the destruction of the Antichristian Empire For that Empire shall fall with noise wars troubles effusion of blood Now the Spirit of God is not in the wind that breaks the rocks 't is in the thin and gentle one When Jesus Christ shall come there must be a profound peace on the Earth Neither shall he come in the time wherein men shall endeavour the conversion of the Infidel Nations for that shall be a time of contesting and disputings those things must cease when Jesus Christ shall come A type of the time in which images were introduced The number of 2300 evenings and mornings which make 1150 days to me seems to signify precisely the days in which the daily sacrifice was interrupted an interruption that began not till some months after the Sanctuary had began to be prophaned by impure sacrifices added to the daily sacrifice that yet was continued And even the Idol of Jupiter Olympius seems not to have been brought into the Temple till two months after the cessation of the daily sacrifice So that the introduction of the Idol was not till six or seven months after the prophanation of the Temple This seems to me to have a typical relation to that which happened in the Christian Church by the introduction of the adoration of Images They were brought into the Churches in the fifth Age but we do not find that Images were adored and served before the sixth Age from the year 560 to the year 600. Now one may say that then the abomination the Idol of Jupiter Olympius was introduced into the Temple and placed on the Altar one may say that then the daily sacrifice entirely ceased whereas the Divine service had been only polluted by the invocation of Saints it was entirely spoiled by the adoration of Images Compute this cessation of the daily sacrifice that is to say of the service of God from the year 560 or thereabouts add thereunto 1150 years of interruption by the adoration of Images this will fall on the year 1710 or thereabouts the time wherein Images shall be entirely abolisht with Popery Although Antichristianism began in the fifth Age all the Christians of that time were not damned See what I had to say to confirm my notions about the time in which I do believe that the 1260 years of the Antichristian Empire must begin and end Without doubt some Protestants together with all the Papists will judge that I ascend very high and that in placing the birth of this Empire in the Popedom of Leo the first I haye made Antichrists of many good Bishops of Rome to Gregory the great inclusively and all the Christians since that time the subjects of the Antichristian Empire But they that make this objection do not consider that Antichristianism is properly nothing but the corruption of Christianity that all corruptions go gradually and that the first degrees of a corruption are not mortal There was Antichristianism mingled with the Christianity of the Christians of the fourth fifth and sixth Age but it doth not follow that this Antichristianism did from the beginning ruin the salvation of those that did partake of it When the Antichristian corruption was come to its full and became mortal then God by his mercy and the means that are known to him shewed grace to the Elect that were in Babylon so that they did not participate of her mortal idolatries The good Bishops of Rome in the fifth and sixth age were no more Antichrist than the Christians then were Antichristian and if God did tolerate the first beginnings of Antichristianism in the faithfull people he may also as well have born it in the Bishops Before Boniface the third Successor of Gregory the Great no Pope called himself Bishop of Bishops or Vniversal Bishop and so till that time the Bishops of Rome were not Antichrists perfected they were only Antichrists begun Degrees of the
pass over the Archipel and the Bosphorus they went still forward untill the year 1526. when they ceased to gain ground upon the West Now 't was at this time that the body of the papal Laws styl'd the Canon Law was compleated the Clementines had been publisht by John XXII about the year 1320. he likewise publisht the Extravagants But the Common or the common Extravagants appeared not nor were compiled till the end of the fifteenth Century So that 't is properly in this sixth period of the viols that this work of darkness was wholly finisht Now 't is natural when something is to be brought upon a great Theatre that it may be shown to stay till it be finisht and therefore the Prophet ought not to speak sooner of these papal Laws Second reason The 15th Censury was an Age of Excommunications Besides there never had been any age or time wherein there were more Armageddons Anathema's and Excommunications then in this period The Popes at Rome and Avignon did excommunicate one another Within this period the Councils of Pisa Constance Basil Florence and the Lateran under Julius II. and Leo X. were held and it s was nothing but anathema's excommunications canons decisions censures either against Popes or pretended hereticks as the Wickliffites Bohemians Taborites and lastly against Luther c. Lastly these spirits are most fitly placed under the period of the sixth viol because then the Bulls Third Reason decisions decrees of the Church of Rome gathered the Kings of the Earth to battel against the Bohemians And Zisca having gain'd such signal victories that they might well be called the battels of the great day of God Almighty a Croisade was publisht against him and all those who stood for the Truth in Bohemia and the neighbouring Countries CHAP. X. The seventh plague is the preaching of Luther and other Reformers by which the Latin Church was divided into three parts Papists Lutherans and Reformed ANd thus behold we are come to the seventh and last viol V. 17. And the seventh Angel pour'd out his viol into the air and there came a great voyce out of the Temple of Heaven from the Throne saying It is done It is done does not signify the final ruin of Antichrist This expression It is done hath deceived all the Interpreters who have confounded this moment or space of time with that of the seventh trumpet when it must be proclaim'd It is done the Kingdoms are brought under our Lord Jesus Christ The great Babylon is wholly destroyed c. They have believed that this expression It is done signified the total destruction of the Antichristian Kingdom at that very moment But certainly they are mistaken It is done is nothing else but It is done with the viols The viols comprehend and signify periods of some length this is the last this is the last period of the Antichristian Kingdom and which shall comprehend its total ruin We have remarkt already that every period contained in every viol took in a considerable space of time a hundred a hundred and forty a hundred and fifty years and more Therefore there is no reason not to allow some length of time to this seventh viol it ought to have as much as least as the others yea more because 't is the last and consequently it must have about two hundred years allowed to it And this is the period that comprehends the total ruin of Antichrist which ruin as we shall see anon is divided into two parts the harvest and the vintage the harvest hath been in the age last past the vintage must be at the end of this and the beginning of the next age This last viol begins exactly at the preaching of Luther and as an hour-glass must run untill the total destruction of popery And I hope none will doubt of this when we shall have made out how exactly all that follows in the Prophecy agrees with the times and things which have been seen since the Reformation This seventh viol is pour'd not upon the Earth or the Sea or the Sun or the Seat of the Beast as the others were but on the air which is the seat of the voyce of sounds and thunders and we shall presently give you the reasons V. 18. And there were voyces and thunders and lightnings and there was a great Earthquake such as was not since men were upon the Earth so mighty an Earthquake and so great These voyces The seventh viol raiseth Preachers and voyces for the ruin of Antichrist these lightnings and these thunders are the voyces of Preachers who labour'd in Reforming the Church we shall afterward see that there are three ways of Reforming the Church the way of Inspiration the way of Authority the way of Preaching this last is signified by voyces and thunders And 't was this way that God used to reform the Church in the last age These voyces glittered like lightnings and passed with a prodigious swiftness from one end of the Antichristian Kingdom to the other All men saw them and would see them men studied Religion The very Grandees of the World persons who despise knowledge were concerned in these affairs Henry VIII wrote a book against Luther Charles the fifth made Laws about Religion now on the account of these lightnings i.e. the voyces of Preachers this seventh viol is said to be poured on the air for the air is the seat and vehicle of the voyce There was a great Earthquake In the Prophetick style this signifies a change of the face of the World the Earth plainly signifies here the frame and face of the Antichristian Kingdom We have already seen and shall afterward have occasion to see that Earthquakes in the figurative style of the Prophets always signify a change of the face of the World because Earthquakes do overturn not only Cities but Mountains Forrests hilly Countries and Vallies they set Mountains where Vallies stood and Vallies where Mountains stood in so much that the face of a whole Country is changed Now all know what a change the reformation made in the face of popery It took away from it at one clap several Kingdoms and a great number of Soveraign States And this Earthquake i. e. this change of affairs was so great that there had not been such since men were upon the Earth This may be truly spoken without any exaggeration For we must observe that this last period comprehending the harvest and the vintage the first and last destruction of Antichrist 't is undoubted that the face of the World was never so changed as it shall be changed after the total ruin of Antichrist the time of the first establishing of Christianity not excepted For at that time there were great numbers of men converted up and down among the Nations But at the time we speak of all the Nations and whole Nations shall submit themselves to the Faith. And thus this period shall make greater changes in the World then
all the Protestant States of Europe did concern themselves to obtain from the Duke a Peace for those poor people A persecution began in Poland a while after and the Reformed were involved in the same ruin with the Hereticks Socinians and Antitrinitarians they were driven out of that Kingdom and were scattered in Transilvania Hungary and Germany At the same time a persecution begun in France immediately after the Pyrenaean peace the project of the ruin of the Protestants was laid at Court and hath been prosecuted till it hath been executed as we see at this day In the year 1671. began the persecution of the Churches of Silesia Moravia Hungary the consequents of which are the almost utter extinction of the true Religion in the Territories of the Emperor The two witnesses will in a little time be dead through the total extinction of the profession of Religion The Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them This Beast is the papacy where ever it is for 't is not only in Rome that the Beast is found but 't is in the whole extent of the jurisdiction of the ten Kings 'T is not therefore necessary that a persecution should be exactly rais'd by the Bishop of Rome that so it may be ascribed to the Beast 't is enough that it be raised in the extent of the popish Kingdom And their bodies shall lye in the street of the great City 'T is evident from these words that this last persecution must be rais'd only within the circumference of the great City i. e. the Babylonian and popish Kingdom in the Countries where it reigns On this account probably those Kingdoms Countries and States who are out of the jurisdiction of the Popedom and whose Soveraigns are Protestants must have no share in it Further the Prophecy saith that the war must be made against the two witnesses that prophesy cloathed in sackcloth which is the same with what we call preaching under the Cross this therefore only concerns the faithful who preach and are under the Cross so that the persecution must onely be rais'd within the bounds of the City i. e. the Babylonian Kingdom and against those who preach under the Cross Holland Sweden Denmark and all other States which have Reformed Princes and where the Reformation is the ruling Religion shall not feel it And we have ground to hope that the torch of the Reformation shall not be extinguisht And though at present the King of England is of the Romish Religion I dare notwithstanding perswade my self that his Kingdom cannot be reckoned as one of the streets of the great City seeing popery is not the ruling Religion there though it be the Religion of him that rules Therefore I do not believe that we must understand the prophesy of Vsher in the letter or strictest sense who says that the persecution must be general over all the Churches of Europe for we may understand it of all those where popery does rule 'T is true he fore-tells a massacre in England but besides that those who wrote this prophesy from his mouth might be mistaken 't is also possible that this holy man through the violence of his sorrow went further than the Spirit did carry him Notwithstanding the English ought to remember the massacre in Ireland circumstances then were not near so favourable to popery as they are now Men must not trust to this that the King of England will never consent to so barbarous an action I believe he will not but the Papists do not trouble themselves about the pleasure of their Soveraigns when they see any prospect of advancing their cause by any kind of Methods Therefore if the Protestants be wise they will not put weapons into the hands of their enemies The bodies of the two witnesses shall lye in the street of the great City 'T is to be observed that in the Text 't is not in the streets in the plural as the French translation reads 't is in the street in the singular And I cannot hinder my self from believing that this hath a particular regard to France which at this day is certainly the most eminent Countrey which belongs to the popish Kingdom Her King is called the eldest Son of the Church the most Christian King i. e. the most popish according to the dialect of Rome The Kings of France have by their liberalities made the Popes great at this day it is the most flourishing State of Europe It is in the middle of the popish Empire betwixt Italy Spain Germany England exactly as a street or place of concourse is in the middle of a City 'T is also foursquare as such a place i. e. almost as long as broad In a word 't is the place or street of the great City And I believe that 't is particularly in France that the witnesses must remain dead i.e. that the profession of the true Religion must be utterly abolisht This is already done by the revocation of the Edict of Nantes and by the enormous cruclties of the Souldiers who have bin let loose upon the Protestants of whatsoever sex quality and condition If any stand firm they must either leave the Kingdom or be destroyed Thus within a little while the external profession of the Reformed Religion will be wholly abolisht there And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and Nations shall see their dead bodies and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put into graves i.e. The Truth shall be slain but it shall not be buried Burial is a degree beyond death and is always joyn'd with a total corruption and destruction And so 't is not an office of charity which is denyed to these two witnesses but a degree of ruin from which they are exempted The witnesses shall not be buried i.e. the Truth shall not be destroy'd And observe who they are who hinder their burial they are not the same with those who killed them Those who killed them are the Inhabitants of the street of the great City i. e. those who dwell in the most eminent part of the popish Kingdom which at this day is France Those who hinder their burial are the Tribes Languages People and Nations i.e. several neighbour nations yea 't is to be observed that the Propheey saith not simply The Tribes Languages and Nations but they of the Languages Tribes and Nations i. e. some chosen and elected out of the Nations the faithfull scattered in all the Nations of Europe shall hinder the burial and total destruction of the Reformation in France Nevertheless this does not wholly exclude those among the Tribes Languages and Nations who are not Elect. For 't is probable that all Europe shall contribute to hinder France from executing her design of extirpating the Truth But this signifies that the Reformed and the true Christians shall awaken Europe as well that part which is Roman Catholick as that which is Protestant to oblige it to look to
of the Truth shall be wholly suppressed but the Truth it self shall not be buryed nor layd in the grave nor forgotten 10. At the end of the three years and a half shall begin the third period of the seventh viol which the Holy Ghost calls the vintage This is the total ruin of Antichrists Kingdom and this period shall last 20 or 25 years 't is probable that it will begin about the year 1690 or a little while after 11. the first thing which shall be done in the third period of the seventh vial is the Fall of the tenth part of the City i. e. of the Kingdom of France which shall break with the Kourt of Rome and wholly change the face of Religion in that Kingdom This is the first action of the vintage 12. The Beast and the false Prophet the Pope and his Agents shall rally all their forces but God shall muster all his together and give the last blow to Popery then the Beast and the false Prophet shall be thrown into the lake and plunged into the bottomless pit Babylon shall wholly fall and it shall be said she is fallen she is fallen CHAP. XV. The Reason why in this work we speak of some things so positively The linking together of our Principles suffers us not to doubt that we now are at the end of the reign of the papacy IN the first Edition of this work I did here finish what I had to say about those events past and future which concern the ruin of Antichrists Kingdom Second Editions have this advantage that they may be suted to the pallates of the Readers of whom a tryal hath been made And were it possible for me to do it I would gladly use this piece of prudence with respect to a Remarque which very many have made namely that in this discourse we speak over positively and which too much confidence concerning things which at the most ought to be propounded only as conjectures Perhaps some time or other men shall know the principal reason which made me speak in so confident a manner and with such tokens of assurance In the mean while I desire their attention to several things which I have to say There are some things that are propounded only as strong conjectures The first is That I do not speak so confidently as 't is believed concerning the most part of those things which are yet to come for example I say not down the exact time of the resurrection of the witnesses I do not say that it shall be exactly in such a year for I have declared and do still declare that I know not from what time God shall please to begin the reckoning of the three years and a half Not but that I strongly hope that God intends to begin it at the time of the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes but this doth not rise to a full assurance That which concerns the rising again of our Reformation by way of inspirations the approaching Reformation of France by way of Authority the fall of the tenth part of the City i. e. of France which shall forsake the papal Kingdom this I say seems to me to be more than a conjecture I confess it and if things should fall out otherwise I should be very much mistaken But however if the fall of popery should begin in some other place I would ingenously confess that I was deceived That the Countries Kingdoms and States which are not under the papacy ought not to be accounted the streets of the great City and that they must not feel an persecution seems to me more than probable and I believe it But notwithstanding I declare that I do not make it an Article of faith and if it should fall out that God should send his desolating scourge upon all the Reformed Churches in Europe without excepting the places where our Religion at this day bears sway I grant that men will have right to accuse me that I have guess'd wrong but not that I made rash conclusions And truly when I consider the horrible looseness which every where prevails I confess that I cannot but fear lest Good should throw all into the same furnace What is propounded as certain Behold therefore what I assert namely that this is the last persecution which Antichrist must raise against the Church and that we are near the end of the twelve hundred and sixty years which is the Period of his Empire and that in the beginning of the next age this Empire must see its end If I should be mistaken nine or ten years and that this Empire should instead of ending in the year 1710 or thereabouts run on untill the year 1720 I do not think that any could justly treat me as a false Prophet and accuse me of rashness Many will not forbear to judge me rash because I propound my conjectures about these things as certain conclusions To this I have a second thing to say That none hath reason to be offended that I am possessed with and perswaded of that which I think I evidently see and that I find the proofs of what I propound convincing to my self I should do ill to demand of others the same assurance and oblige them to entertain the same perswasion I declare the contrary in express terms I am well content as I have said that my Readers should account these assertions to be conjectures provided that I may have the liberty to believe what I see or what I believe I see in the writings of the Prophets Besides it seems that there is no great necessity of punishing me for this pretended rashness seeing if so be that I am mistaken Time is preparing for me a mortification sore enough Let us leave Providence to work it will discover who is guilty of rashness and fond credulity Our principles must be considered The last thing which I would say for my justification is that before any condemns me of rashness as to what I hold that we are at the end of the 1260 years of Antichrists reign my principles must be duely weighed and that not each apart as perhaps some have done but conjointly Behold the principles and their connexion 1. The first is that the papacy is the Antichristian Empire of which these Prophecies speak 2. That Idolatry is the principal Character of this Antichristian Empire 3. That this Empire of the Beast must begin when the Roman Empire was divided into ten Kingdoms and when that Heads the Emperors which was in the Apostle Pauls time was destroyed Here are three principles which I know not how any Protestant can doubt of We shall presently see whither they will lead us 4. My fourth principle is that I have hit the truth in the explication of the seven viols so that stinking ulcer in the first is the horrible corruption of the Church of Rome in the tenth Age. The Sea and rivers of blood in the two following plagues are the Butcheries acted
Sense of this Prophecy 1. Because that did not extend very far the number was not great of those who did pertake of it 2. That did not last but a little while for even before the death of the Apostles the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit became rare So that what was then was properly but a presage and type of that large effusion of the Spirit which should be in the last Period of the Church not that all men shall then become Prophets and be inspired but all shall be assisted and led by an extraordinary and all-powerfull influence of the H. Spirit The second Character great Holiness 2. From this first Character will arise a second viz. great Holiness Great in respect of the degrees and of the extent of it In respect of degrees for such as shall then be Holy shall be incomparably more so than any are now who are reputed such and as to the extent of it because the number of Holy persons shall be greater Nevertheless 't is not to be understood as if men shall then be altogether without sin for they must dye There must therefore be some remainders of sin even the Holy Apostles did not cease to be Men by being Saints The like shall be in reference to men in this last Period Neither is it to be hop't that all men without exception shall then be holy but 't is credible that the number of the Good shall exceed that of the Wicked as much as 't is now inferior to it By Good men I intend not those who are commonly called Honest men of such there is yet a considerable number in the World but such as shall be distinguisht by an extraordinary Piety and Holiness The number of such is now but very small but the greatest part of Men shall then be so And for the Men of another Character they shall then be as rare as now they are common This great Holiness of Men in those days is abundantly proved by the many Prophecies already mentioned and which certainly have not hitherto been fullfilled The third Character Purity of worship Doctrine 3. From thence follows a third Character viz. Purity of worship and Doctrine Corruption in Religion follows the corruption of manners God cannot permit that any Church which is greatly corrupted in manners should for any long time preserve Purity of Doctrine and worship and therefore we find in the Papacy that natural conjunction of a great Idolatry with a great corruption in manners So on the other hand God cannot suffer that a Church that is eminent for Holiness should decline from the Purity of Religion wherefore we may be confident that the Church in its last Period shall not admit any alteration in the purity of its worship or of its Doctrine or in any thing of its Religion There shall no Heresy be received in that Church and I am perswaded that Pelagianism which is now so common shall be quite extirpated for then all men shall be full of God and perceive and acknowledge him in every thing Whereas the Pelagians who prevail in so many places do not see and own him any where but make a God of Man by making him Independent These men are far enough from having a right Idea of a Being infinitely perfect I dare say that God is not much in those men who feel and perceive so little of God. 4. Character Great Peace 4. The fourth Character of this Reign of Christ is a Soveraign Peace This is plainly revealed by many express Prophecies That the Wolf shall feed with the Lamb and swords be turned into plough-shares and men shall not hurt or destroy one another The Art of War which sprung from Hell shall return thither Nothing but the corruption and wickedness of the World doth now make it necessary The Devil of Covetousness and of Ambition the spirit of Revenge and the like shall return to the bottomless pit whence they came And it shall no more be a point of honour to know how to massacre mankind to storm Towns and gain Battels and destroy Countries and cover the Fields with dead Bodies 5. Character Deep Humility 5. This shall be a Kingdom of Humility All those vain Titles which now serve for ornament and pride shall then be vanisht Brotherly Love shall make all men equal not that all distinction and all dignities among men shall cease This Kingdom is no Anarchy there shall be some to govern and others to obey But Government shall then be without Pride and Insolence without Tyranny and without Violence Subjects shall obey their Rulers with an humble spirit and Governors shall rule their Subjects with a spirit of meekness and gentleness 6. Character The abolishing of unlawfull vain Arts. 6. All those Arts which now serve the Pride and Vanity of mankind shall then be abolisht 'T is a mysterious and deep design of God that his Providence permits the Reign of Vanity in the place of Charity which is retired and gone What a multitude of People are maintained by this Reign of Vanity for how could the Poor subsist without the vanity of the Rich who will have stately Houses gawdy furniture pompous garments of Gold Silk Point Lace and fanâ—â— deliciously and keep many attendants and domestick Servants by all these doth subsist that great Company of Artificers Goldsmiths Painters and those that work in Tapistry in Stuffs of Wool Gold and Silk Cooks Pastry-men Architects Taylors and such as make Point and Lace c. These comprehend above three quarters of the World and all these must dye of hunger if the several branches of humane vanity were not as so many secret and under-ground chanels whereby Divine Providence distributes food and nourishment to so many persons They therefore who would cut off all this Vanity before the season of returning Charity do confound the times and Characters of the different Periods of the Church These are the Vanities of the World and while the World reigns they must have their course but 't is certain withal that assoon as the Reign of Charity shall return all these shall be quite banisht 7. Character The return of Charity 7. And this is the seventh Character of the reign of Christ on Earth that fervent charity shall be restored and supply all the necessities of inferior persons By this a thousand Channels shall be opened for the relief of the Poor like those of vanity And they who now live upon the Vanity of worldly men shall then live upon the charity of the Saints Inferiors are now vain and proud as well as Superiors they learn and derive their vanity from that of those above 'em and as Diogenes trampled under his feet the Houshold-stuff and pride of Plato with a greater Pride and his so oftentimes the Pride and vanity of those who grow rich by the vanity of others is greater than that of the Rich themselves It shall not then be thus Every man shall
be content with what is necessary so that they to whom God shall have given plenty of wealth shall make no difficulty therewith to supply the necessities of the Indigent A community of Goods shall then take place like that which was seen in the first years of the Church at Jerusalem Not that Men shall lose their property in the Goods they have but every one shall dispense largely to such as need As they who gathered more Manna than the rest and nothing over and those who gathered less had no want That which thus happened in the Wilderness was not only an Emblem but a true Type of what shall be in this last Period of the Church They who have more than others in regard of possession shall have no more than others in respect of Vse 8 Character Uniformity in worship Religion 8. The face of the Church as to the external part of it shall be uniform in its worship in its Government and Ceremonies For that diversity and mixture of colours which is at present proceeds not from the Spirit of God. This uniformity it may be shall not be such as to remove every little difference but there shall be none left that is essential none that may be called evil all that which savors of Pride and Tyranny shall be banisht from the Government of the Church and that which serves only for Pomp shall not be admitted into its Ceremonies Thus much for the certain Characters 1. Doubtfull Character Christ shall descend from Heaven 1. The doubtful Characters are First The Descent of Christ into this World to reign visibly here The Prophecies of Saints Iohn and of Daniel seem to import thus much The latter saith that the Son of man i. e. Jesus Christ came to the ancient of days and that Dominion and a Kingdom was given him And St. Iohn saith that the Saints shall reign with Christ a thousand years I would not be too confident that this ought to be understood of a visible descent and abode of Christ upon Earth yea I do not believe it probable But to me it seems very Evident that this Reign shall begin with some miraculous appearance of our Lord in his Glory After which he shall go back to Heaven and from thence govern this victorious Church Mr. I. Mede and others after him would make this reign of Christ for a thousand years to be the Day of Iudgement and that within this time shall be the Resurrection of the dead Others say that the Resurrection and last Iudgement shall be before this Reign of Christ but I dare not determine that 2. Doubtfull Character whether all earthly Powers shall be abolisht Dan. 7.11 12. 2. It is likewise dubious whether all the Powers of the World must then be abolisht Which those words of Daniel seem to signify The Beast was slain and his Body destroyed and given to the burning flame Concerning the rest of the Beasts they had their Dominion taken away yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a Time. Beasts do certainly denote States and Empires so that it seems as if all Soveraign Power i. e. Monarchical should be taken away and that Christ alone should rule by his Vicegerents I leave this undesided But to me it seems probable that the government of the World shall assume the ancient form of the Commonwealth of Israel That it shall be a Theocrasy that God will establish Iudges and Governours by a a perticular instinct of the People and their guides that he will instruct them in his will by inspired Persons whose orders shall be punctually followed 3. Doubtfull Character whether the Martyrs shall be raised Rev. 20.4 3. 'T is also uncertain whether the Martyrs shall rise to be the Administrators of this Kingdom 'T is true St. Iohn seems to say so in express words the Souls of those who were beheaded for the Testimony of Iesus c. shall live and reign with Christ a thousand years Though I have some difficulty to be of that opinion yet I know not what to answer to that Text for if it intend only the deliverance of the Church in general under the Emblem of a Resurrection what need was there to mention only the Martyrs It is said that the discourse is not of Bodies but of Souls and that the original word doth not signify to rise again but only to live and the Souls of those who were beheaded shall live But first 't is well known that Souls dye not and consequently cannot be said to rise but as they reassume their Bodies 2. The learned know also that the Soul is often put for the whole person especially when the resurrection is spoken of witness that passage Thou wilt not leave my Soul in the Grave Lastly I am not subtile enough to discern the difference between living again and rising I always thought they were two words of the same import And I think it were easy to prove that those who have been beheaded cannot live again but by a Resurrection 'T is true in the fourth Verse 't is only said they shall live but 't is plain by the fifth Verse that to live and to live again in the Text are the same thing For 't is added that the Rest of the dead should not live again till the thousand years were accomplisht The other dead men spoken of v. 4. must then live again at the beginning of the thousand years Farther without this I know not what our Lord Jesus Christ would say to his Apostles in those words Verily I say unto you that you who have followed me in the regeneration Matth. 19.28 when the Son of man is sat on the Throne of his Glory you shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel What ever sense is given to these words I cannot find any thing that gives me satisfaction Should it be understood of the last Iudgement to the same effect as St. Paul speaks We shall judge the World and we shall judge the Angels that seems to be but a small matter that deserved not to be so solemnly ushered in with a verily I say unto you For after all 't is but in a figurative sense that we shall then judge the World by approving the sentence of Christ who alone shall be the Iudge Moreover I know not why our Lord should restrain that judgement to the twelve Tribes of Israel judging the twelve Tribes of Israel for the Saints as the words are taken shall judge the whole World even the wicked too Wherefore it cannot be said that the Church is to be understood by the twelve Tribes of Israel Once more the Saints shall judge the World more than they shall the Church for besides their approbation of the sentence given against the World they shall bear witness against them which they shall not do in reference to the Church I do not find much more reason for another sense of this Text which some
was given to him a great sword 'T is clear that this signifies a great Slaughter a great effusion of Blood. The 2d Horse signifies the Empire of Trajan Adrian Empire of Trajan his successor Adrian Never was there a greater effusion of blood the Jews revolted almost in all places whither the were dispersed in Libya in Cyrene in Egypt in Cyprus in Mesopotamia in Palestine it self in all the East under the conduct of their false Messiah Barchocheva In the beginning they made such a horrible slaughter of the Greeks Romans that they are made to amount to above six hundred thousaud persons Dion reports Osorius Dion Lyber Juchasin that their fury proceeded so far as to eat the flesh of men They did tear in pieces their entrails with their teeth They flead them made Garments of their skins They anointed themselves with their blood But they were fully requited History reports that Adrian put to death 12 hundred thousand in the whole extent of the Empire The Jews themselves confess that this civil war cost the Jews above twice the number of persons that went out of Egypt So that under the reign of these two Trajan Adrian there were more than two millions of souls that died a violent death Never was the like slaughter seen before nor since till the Crusado's This could not be better represented than by a Red Horse 't is the colour of Blood or than by a Great Sword the greater it is the better it signifies that the slaughter shall be great or than by Mens killing one another that signifies civil wars Now 't is in civil wars that there is the greatest effusion of blood This second horse comes out of the Western quarter Trajan was a Native of Spain which was the Western part of the Roman Empire At the opening the third seal there comes forth out of the South at the voice of the third living creature A Black Horse v. 5. he that sate on him had a pair of Balances in his hand v. 6. And I heard a voice in the mid of the four beasts say A measure of wheat for a penny three measures of barly for a penny see thou hurt not the Oylnor the Wine This certainly signifies an Empire that hath something of severity sadness The 3d. horse is the Empire of Septimius Severui Alexander the son of Mammaa by reason of the Black Horse But this doth not signify slaughter as the Red horse of the second living Creature This signifies also a reign of justice where every thing is done in weight measure according to the Balance Lastly this signifies a reign of plenty wherin by the care of the Prince Wheat Barley Oyl Wine do abound This the Character of the reign of Septimius Severus of Alexander the son of Mammaea Septimius Severus was an African of the Province of Tripoli Wherfore the living Creature of the southern quarter calls him Both of them were severe protectors of justice Both of them especially Alexander were sworn enemies to all Thieves publick private known or secret to all people that behaved themselves ill were unfaithfull in their offices They made exact strict searches after them Aurelius Spartianus Lampridius Septimius apud Lampridium severely punisht them Alexander made even his souldiers live in so great discipline that they dared not take away a Hen or an Apple from a Peasant or if that did happen he oftentimes punish'd them to the greatest extremity Lastly both of them both Septimius Severus Alexander the son of Mammaea gave admirable Orders for the distributing Corn Wine Oyl to the end all the World might have them there might be no want This is what Historians do expresly observe And when he had open'd the fourth seal v. 7. c. And I looked behold a Pale Horse v. 8. his name that sate on him was Death hell followed him power was given to them over the fourth part of the Earth to kill with Sword with Hunger with Death with the Beasts of the Earth The fourth Horseman is the Empire of Maximin his successors Behold visibly a reign sad black loaden with all sorts of Calamities Massacrees Effusions of Blood Plague War Famin Tyranny Violence 'T is the Character of the reign of Maximin his successors to Aurelian The fourth living Creature calls this Tyrant from the North Thence 't was that Maximin came who was a native of Thrace in the North of the Roman Empire This Maximin deserved to bear the name of Death for he was the most cruell of all Tyrants they gave him the name of Cyclops Busiris Scyron Phalaris Typhon Gyges He made men be flead crucified alive buried living men in the bodies of beasts massacred beat persons to death without distinction of sex age or condition He destroyed many thousands of men by all sorts of punishments Julius Capitolin us Trebellius Pollio de 30 Tyrannis in vitâ Gallieni Gallienus that is included in the Period here meant made himself remarkable also by his cruelty Oftentimes he made the throats of 3 or 4000. be cut in a day In this time reign'd a plague of fifteen years that began in Ethiopia Zosimus Lipsius de Constantia 2. 23. Euseb Hist l. 7. c. 17. ran throughout the Empire Lipsius acknowledgeth history speaks not of any that comes near it There was also a very great a very universall famin The Barbarians in the East made havok of the Empire horrible desolations therin At last there rose up near thirty tyrants in the whole extent of the Empire One may judg what desolation that caused Here end the four living Creatures the four horsemen about the end of the third Age. And when he had open'd the fifth seal v. 9. I saw under the Altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God for the testimony which they held And they cried with a loud voice v. 10. saying How long O Lord Holy true dost thou not judg avenge our blood on them that dwell on the Earth The fifth seal is Dioclesian's persecution See here what clearly signifies a Period in which the Church suffers a cruel persecution 't is that which was caused by Dioclesian his successors the most bloody that ever was longer more cruell than the nine others taken together Sulpitius Severus Orosius Scaliger de Emendat Temp. l. 5. For saith Orosius during ten years they ceased not to burn the Churches to proscribe the innocent to make Martyrs by Massacres Punishments In Egypt alone were Massacred 144 thousand men 70 thousand were banished Thence comes the name of Aera Diocletiana Aera Martyrum an Epocha famous in the history of the Church After this comes the sixth seal under which we have
said we must find the fall of Paganism Indeed a little time after Dioclesian Constantine ascended the Throne of the Emperours made the Christian Religion reign He his Successors ruin'd Paganism This fall of the Pagan Religion is thus represented to us And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal lo there was a great Earth-quake v. 12. the Sun became black as sack-cloth of hair the Moon became red as blood And the Stars of Heaven fell to the Earth even as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs v. 13. when she is shaken of a mighty Wind. And the heavens departed as a scroll when it is rolled together v. 14. every mountain island were moved out of their places And the Kings of the Earth v. 15. the great men the rich men the chief captains the mighty men every bond-man every free-man his themselves in the dens in the rocks of the mountains And said to the mountains rocks v. 16. fall on us hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of his wrath is come v. 17. who shall be able to stand The fixth Trumpet contains the fall of Faganism All these images are borrowed from the last judgment wherfore they are usually applied to it Because indeed this fall of Paganism is the most terrible judgment that yet ever fell since the beginning of the World on the Devil's Empire We must know that in the whole Revelation we see these three heads reigning the Dragon the Beast the false Prophet The Dragon is the Devil the Beast is the Roman Empire the false Prophet is the Pope The Dragon hath two Empires the First is pure Paganism purely Pagan The second is Antichristian Paganism mingled with Christianity See here the fall of the first Empire that is the purely Pagan Empire of the Dragon 1. There is a great Earth-quake In the style of the Prophets particularly of St. John an Earth-quake always signifies a Change of the face of affairs in the world because Earth-quakes overturn the Earth make it Change its face Now what change of the face of affairs in the world can be imagin'd greater than that which happen'd under Constantine his successors The Church had been beat down massacred it was bathed in its own blood all on a sudden behold 't is the Mistress of the world It is become rich powerfull it builds stately Temples it overturns the Temples of Idols 2. The sun becomes black as sack-cloth We must hold it for certain that the Sun the Moon the Stars in the Revelation always signify the Sovereign the Dignities Powers of the Empire treated of We shall afterwards see this every where Here the Empire treated of is that of the Red Dragon viz. The Devil So that the Sun is the Soveraign of that Empire who is the Devil himself The Moon is the Pagan Religion which borrowed all its power from the Devil as the Moon takes all its lights from the Sun. The Stars are the Pontifexes Priests of Paganism All these powers suffer'd an Eclypse were destroyed by the Christian Emperours tumbled to the ground like Figs by a great wind 3. Every mountain Every Isle were removed out of their places i. e. the Temples the Idols the Cities the places peculiarly consecrated to the devotion of certain Pagan divinities were changed superstition therin was abolisht The hand of God fell heavily on the Gods of the Romans as formerly it did on the Gods of the Egyptians 4. Lastly The King all men of every age condition are exceedingly terrified run up down flee hide themselves endeavour to escape the judgment the wrath of God. One might have seen above a hundred times more than what the Prophet here saith if one could have seen the commotions that then happen'd the terrors the distresses the frights that the invisible Empire of Demons suffer'd at the fall of Paganism All that the Devil suffer'd at the coming of J. Christ into the world was nothing in comparison of this He reigned notwithstanding he was master of Empires Crowns Temples Altars But all on a sudden at that very time when he thought he had entirely ruin'd the Empire of J. Christ by the persecution of Dioclesian behold him himself cast down on the Earth 'T is easy to judg that the Horrours Commotions of the evil Spirits were unconceivable And moreover who can doubt but that this great body of Pontifexes Priests Pagan Ministers felt a prodigious commotion when Constantine turn'd Christian his successors beat down run'd all the Temples of the Idols History tells us enough of this tho it said nothing it would be very easy to apprehend that the images here made use of are not too lively to represent the commotions of the Heathens of Paganism This Period brings us to Theodosius the great under whom Paganism expired but after whom also the glory quiet of the Empire was quite lost as we shall see hereafter The greatness of the Roman Empire Paganism fell at the same time This was a great matter of triumph to the Pagans who said The Gods had abandon'd the Empire since their Altars had been beaten down But God was providing for great events it was necessary the temporal Empire should fall to make way for the Spiritual Empire of Antichrist CHAP. VI. An explication of the four first Trumpets which are the five degrees of the Fall of the Roman Empire or the Soveraignty of Rome The 7th Ch. is a vision that interrupts the course of the seven seals The mystery of the 144 thousand sealed persons in the 7th Ch. Here God causes his Elect to be sealed their number amounts to 144 thousand We shall see in the process of this discourse that 144 is a sacred number appointed to signify the Church a number that arises from twelve multiplied by it self For the present it is sufficient to observe that God takes the time between the sixth seal the first Trumpet to cause his elect to be sealed because more unhappy sad much more fatall times were at hand than the foregoing ones In the ages of the Heathen Emperours under the Seals there were cruell persecutions men had suffer'd much in their bodies But under the Trumpets must come the dark Kingdom of Antichrist wherin the souls of the Christian-Church must be attack'd with Spiritual Temptations be swallowed up in Superstition Idolatry that in such a manner that the number of the faithfull should be almost as nothing The 144 thousand signify the Church the pure Church under Antichrists reign Now 144 thousand are almost nothing in comparison of that innumerable multitude that is in the reign of Antichrist This little number therfore was to be sealed to the end