as 't is Idolatrous with a new kind of Idolatry that is with a Pagano-Christian or Papal Idolatry v. 8. The Beast that thou sawest was and is not and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit and go into perdition and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world when they behold the beast that was and is not and yet is This may seem to some to be a more obscure description of the Whore than the former but you must know that this is a description of the Roman Empire not simply according to its substance and politie but formally as respecting the quondam Church of Christ as Idolatrous again but with a new form of Idolatry worshipping the true God not after his prescribed way but it s own and the Saints of Jesus with such kind of worship as the Pagans worshipped their Ethnick Deities It 's a representation of the Roman Empire degenerating from pure Christianity into Paganizing or Idolatrizing Christianity which though it profess Christianity * 'T is said of Pope Gregory the seventh thus Qui titulo Christi negotiura Antichristi agitat That under the title of Christ he doth the work of Antichrist as Aventin Annal. Boior l. 5. p. 455. speaks yet bears the Image of the ancient Pagan Idolatrous Empire The Image of the beast that was and is not and yet is exactly answer the one the other and differ only in Objects but not in form of Worship Concerning which Empire Saint John foretold it might and would be said and found â—o be true when the Woman that is the Pope and his Hierarchy shall sit upon it and rule it and be carried and supported by it it was and is not and yet is The meaning of which in short is this The Roman Empire was Idolatrous and against Christ in all her six first Heads Kings Consulâ— Dictators Decemviri Tribunes and Pagan Caesars or Emperours The Empire was then purely Paganly Idolatrous it Worshipped Heathen gods and goddesses as Jupiter Mars Saturn Venus Juâ—â— Bacchus c. as St. Augustine shews in his Book of the City of God which they looked upon as Deities and worshipped their Images or rather by in or through their Images they worshipped them as Papists now worship God by Images Crucifixes Crosses Altars c. And is not that is purely Paganly Idolatrous as 't was before for the object is Christian And yet is that is is really Idolatrous in another form that is 't is Papally Idolatrous that is it is over-run and over-ruled with Pagano-Christian Idolatry as Dr. More calls it Whereas the Empire in her first six Heads or forms of Governmenâ—â— did Idolatrize by worshipping those Heathen men and their Ghosts and Images and Altars whom they accounted excellent and hated those that were against their Idolatries and Superstitions is now in this state or condition under the seventh and last Head over-run and over-ruled with Pagano-Christian Idolatry it worshippeth the true God in by and through Images it worshippeth Saints departed this life and Angels Altars Crosses and Relicks and Ordinances of God and it hateth and persecuteth the undefiled followers of Jesus Christ who will not defile themselves with women will not drink of the Golden cup of fornication of the great Whore of Rome or of any of her sister Churches but keep themselves close to Christs pure worship and interests and follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth And this Beast as thus Idolatrous shall ascend out of the bottomless pit that is as some will have it out of the Sea Revel 13. 1. which is as a bottomless pit for multitude of people Revel 17. 15. or as most will have it out of hell because 't is said Revel 13. 2. that the Dragon that is the Devil the Angel of the bottomless pit Hell Revel 9. 11. Revel 16. 13. as well as the old bloody Pagan Emperours gave him his seat his power and authority and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder after that is follow this Idolatrous Beast and submit to and practise his Idolatrous Worships The generality of Inhabitants that is reprobates only whose names are not written in Gods book of life shall admire and follow this beast but none of Gods Elect will totally and finally follow this filthy Beast that is thus ridden and spurred to Idolatry And he shall go into perdition as he is guided by the son of perdition Antichrist 2 Thes 2. 3. and ascended from the bottomless pit of Hell Revel 9 11. Revel 13. 2. 2 Thes 2 9. the place of perdition so he shall go into perdition he shall be destroyed as Idolatrous and be cast into everlasting perdition for his Idolatries and for his being ruled by the Woman the Pope and Hierarchy or Church of Rome and for persecuting and destroying of the faithful followers of Jesus Christ Revel 19. 20. Revel 21. 8. 2. This Beast which the Woman rides is described by the place where he sits by his seat which the Devil gave him Revel 13. 2. And this is said to be the place where the Woman that is where the Pope and his Hierarchy sit too Revel 17. 9. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sitteth that is Rome for Rome was the ancient seat of the first six Heads of the Roman Empire and was sometimes the seat of the Roman Emperours as thus Idolatrizing with a new kind of Idolatry and it is now the seat of the Pope of Rome and of his Hierarchy Now Rome is known to be built upon seven hills which are these viz. Palatinus Capitolinus Quirinalis Caelius Esquilinus Viminalis Aventinus Septem urbs alta jugis toti quae praesideâ— orbi The City mounting on seven Hills and over-ruling the whole Earth There 's no City but Rome that was built upon seven Hills that did in St. John's time reign over the Kings and inhabitants of the earth Therefore this description most properly belongeth to the City of Rome Revel 17. ult And the seven heads do not only signifie biâ—â—s on which the chief City or seat of the Emperour in St. John's timâ— and long after of the Empire was built and which shall at this time of the state of the Empire be the seat of the Woman that is of the Pope and his Idolatrous Hierarchy but it also signifieth seveâ— Kings 3. This Beast is described by the several sorts of Government that that City built on seveâ—â— Hills in St. John ' time and the Empire had been then was and afterward was to be subject unto v. 10. Tâ—â— are seven Kings that is sorts of Governments five are fallen viz. Kings Consuls Dictators Decemviri Tribunes And one is viz. the Pagan Caesars or Emperours And the other is not yet come that is the purely Christian Emperour who shall bring the Empire into 〈◊〉 pure state of Christianity as compared to what it was in some of the former heads
who gave direction for it to his General Joab and he is guilty of it too for following of David's unjust command 2 Sam. 12. 9. Thou hast killed Vriah the Hittiâ—e with the sword and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon So here what the ten-horned beast is said to do may be well charged upon the Church of Rome the Pope and his Hierarchy because he causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast whose deadly wound was healed and he deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of these miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast Rev. 13. 12 14. Rev. 19. 20. And therefore is the blood of the Prophets and of all the Saints and of them that were slain upon the earth for Religion said to be found in her Rome Revel 18. 24. 2. Their activity v. 14. These shall make war with the Lamb. In Rev. 13. 7. 't is said That this ten-horned beast shall make war with the Saints and overcome them But here in Revel 17. 14. he makes war with Christ and is overcome by him for he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings and they that are with him are called and faithful and chosen 'T is true that they that make war against Christs Saints do make war against Christ Act 9 4 Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Those Kings that make war against and persecute Christs Saints as such do make war against and persecute Christ himself and so he takes it and will reward it That this ten-horned beast is said to overcome the Saints and yet to be overcome by Christ may be both true of the same beast for he did overcome the Saints at first but he is or shall be overcome by Christ and his called chosen and faithful Soldiers at last and therefore 't is said That he that leadeâ—h into captivity shall go into captivity he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword here is the patience and faith of the Saints to suffer in the mean time and to believe and wait for the performance of this promise Rev. 13. 10. 2. The Whore is described more plainly by her large Dominion by the people upon whom she sitteth called in the first verse many waters which is interpreted by the Angel v. 15. And he saith uâ—â—o the waters which thou sawest where the whore sitteth are people and multitudes and nations and tongues which is a manifest description of the Roman Empire which consisted of many People and Nations and Tongues and upon these as well as upon the ten-horned beast or chief secular rulers did the great Whore of Rome sit that is reign and rule prick on and stir up to Superstition Idolatry and Persecution against Christs Church And therefore 't is said That the Kings of the earth that is of the Empire or earthly Church and the inhabitants of the earth have committed fornication and been made drunk with the wine of her fornication Revel 17. 2. she claims universal power over all this Terrestial world 3. This great Whore is described by her destruction And that 1. By the * A learned man by ten Kings understands their Kingdoms or people who against the minds of their Kings will thus destroy the great whore Antic p. 23. Revel 18. 9. instruments of her ruin and they are the ten horns or the ten Kings unto whom the Roman Empire was divided v. 16. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast these shall hate the whore c. 2. By the degrees of her destruction these ten Kings shall hate the whore and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire 1. They shall hate the whore of Rome the Pope his Cardinals Hierarchy and Clergy with whom they have committed spiritual fornication whereas before they loved her while the virtue of her intoxicating cup lasted but now seeing their own folly and her cunning craftiness selfishness pride covetousness luxury filthiness hypocrisie and cruelty that her whole Government Religion Worship pompous Ceremonies Purgatory Indulgences Excommunions Jubilees Processions Doctrines of the Popes Infallibility and Supremacy Justification of mens persons before God by their own good works traditions merits holiness of times places Churches Altars Vestments Copes Hats Palls Surplices Crosses Spittle Cream Salt Holy-water Auricular confession of sins worshipping of Saints departed Angels Images Reliques of Saints kissing of the Popes Toe of the Tayl of the Asse on which Christ rode adoring of the pretended Cross on which Christ was Crucified bowing to the East setting up of Altars and Crucifixes and Tapers on them and bowing to them as they do baptizing of Bells forbidding to Marry but allowing of Stews dispensing with Oaths incestuous Marriages holding of Plurality of Dignities Benefices with cure of souls and causeless Non-residency and many more such Doctrines and practises politick devices to uphold enrich and advance themselves their relations and servants and suppress the pure Doctrine and Worship of Christ and undo and destroy his most faithful servants and sincere Worshippers I say these Kings seeing these things and many more clearly their inordinate love is turned into well-guided hatred of her They hate her that is they separate from her they avoid communion with her they cease to commit any spiritual fornication with her 2. They make her desolate they do not only forsake her themselves but also they cause their subjects to do so too and that they do by setting up in their respective Kingdoms Gods pure worship and service without her proper ceremonies which she calls * Bellar. de effectibus Sacrament l. 2. c. 3. a. 20. badges and †Aquinas 12â— q. 103. a. 4. O. professions of her Religion and Gods pure word without her Legends Apocriphals and Traditions 3. They make her naked which they do both by words and deeds 1. By words by publick Preaching Confessions and Writings declaring and demonstrating her abominable filthiness that she may be detested by others 2. By deeds by with-drawing her gold silver precious stones first-fruits Peter-pence Abbies Friories Commendams Benefices Dignities and Revenues from her which were wont to be given her which the Whore by her pious frauds cunning craftiness got from the Ancestors of Kings and deluded people 4. They shall eat her flesh which is to be understood not carnally but mystically these Kings shall not prove Canibals and corporally with their teeth eat the flesh that is upon the bones of the great Whore of the Pope and his Cardinals but they will retain either to their own proper use or rather for the maintenance of Gods pure Worship and Interests those revenues which were paid to the Whore out of their Dominions as such to the upholding of her Pride and Idolatries Superstitions Luxuries and Bawds and they shall persecute her which in Scripture-language is eating of ones flesh Job 19. 22. Why do ye persecute
Habeant debitam reverentiam ad mensam Domini Heylin's Cypr. Anglic. l. 4. p. 403. Altare Christianum cap. 24. p. 175. A. B. Laud's Star-Chamber Speech pag. 48. l. 18. Laud and Dr. Pocklington argue for bodily reverence to the holy Altar or Gods board as they call it The Altar is the greatest place of Christs residence upon earth yea greater than the Pulpit for there 't is hoc est corpus meum this is my body but in the Pulpit 't is at most but hoc est verbum meum this is my word And a greater reverence no doubt is due to the body than to the word of our Lord and so in relation answerably to the throne where his body is usually present than to the seat where his word useth to be proclaimed Yea the Archbishop expresly calls this corporal bowing to or towards the Altar true Divine worship and he pleads for it upon a moral account in his Star-Chamber Speech p. 44 45. O come let us worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord Psal 95. 6. And in the 49 page of that Speech he saith That the Knights of the Garter are bound by their Order and Oath to give due honour and reverence Domino Deo Altari ejus in modum virorum Ecclesiasticorum to the Lord God and to his Altar and this in the manner as Ecclesiastical persons both worship and do reverence That is in plain English as 't was done in the time of King Henry the fifth by Idolatrous Priests in time of Popery which without doubt was worship not meer civil but as he calls it divine worship And Dr Pocklington in his Altare Christianum c. 24. p. 175. saith thus For as much as God hath put it into the hearts of the Governours of our Church to restore the Lords-Table to the ancient and true place it had in the Primitive Church and also to the honour and reverence â—hich of right belongs to it in regard of the presence of our Saviour whose chair of state it is upon earth Which honour and reverence he necessarily implies was adoration for chap. 21. p. 144. of the same Book he saith they honour reverence and adore towards it for his sake whose Sacrament is consecrated thereon And chap. 16. p 107. he saith the Archbishop of Constantinople whose example he brings and pleads for it did beseech his people to be quiet ut adoremus sanctum altare that is that we may worship or adore the holy Altar Religious reverence it is and must be that he saith is due to the holy Altar Where 't is observable that he makes to adore and to do reverence the same thing If bodily revâ—rence purposâ—ly performed to a religious thing called the most * Pocklington's Altâ—re Christ p. 157. holy place under the cope of heaven set purposely in a religious place or most holy place according to him and upon religious accounts of Gods most special presence or Christs true and real presence thereon Hoc est corpus meum be not religious or divine reverence which is worship I do acknowledg I do not know what it is But A. B. Laud saith That there is a reverence due to the Altar but such as comes far short of divine worship Star-Chamber Speech p. 49. But he doth not plainly say what it is meer civil worship he cannot mean for the reasons before given a meer negative reverence which is readily yielded is due he cannot mean neither for he pleads for a positive reverence expressed by bowing * Incurvation is by consent of Nations an appropriate sign of religious worship in a Temple saith Dr. H. More in his Mystery of Iniquity c. 11. p. 36. see more in him hereafter quoted Art 14. of this Book the body to the Altar it must therefore be a religious reverence which how it doth come far short of divine worship I do not yet see his Grace doth not tell us how to distinguish his reverence from divine worship I think that A. B. Laud's and his parties distinction between divine positive bodily worship and outward bodily positive reverence expressed by incurvation or bowing of the body to the holy Altar for it 's divine excellency is not much unlike that which the Papists make between their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they give outward divine worship to their Images but they call it only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reverence And do not A. B. Laud Dr. Heylin and others of his party give the same divine bodily reverence bowing the body to the holy Altar as such that they give God but they will not have it called divine worship but only reverence Which distinction saith Bishop Jewel is much like that of the Physicians wife who said Pepper is cold in working but hot in operation for their distinction is not in difference of matter but only words Cicero saith to one Bonum esse negas praepositum esse dicis Thou wilt not have worldly wealth called bonum but only praepositum dost thou thereby any thing abate avarice even so we say Mr. Harding ye will not have adoration of Images called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but Sir do ye by this any thing abate Idolatry So Bishop Jewel in his Reply to Harding Art 14. D. 12. p. 381 382. there ye may find Harding using almost the same words for reverence to his Images that our men use for reverence to their Altars It 's clear it is not a meer civil nor meer negative reverence that is by Papists and some of our men given to the holy and high Altar and it is as positive and as much external reverence as is given to God himself or would be given to Christ himself if he were corporally present on the Table and it is the same for substance that Idolaters give to their Altars Images and Idols and it is divine adoration when we bow the body upon some divine cause as Mr. Perkins saith in his Idolatry of the last times p. 824. Now yielding obeisance or outward reverence to or towards the Altar is done upon a divine cause viz. Gods special presence and therefore 't is called by them Gods Throne Gods chair of State and Gods mercy-seat And the same Mr. Perkins in the same Treatise p. 828. saith That Images themselves Reliques of Christ and Saints holy things as Temples Altars and such like are made Idols when they are adored and worshipped with religious worship for when we bow to them it is more than civil worship And p. 830. of the same Treatise he saith That if we will keep our selves from Idols we must take heed of keeping of Idols thas is Images that have been abused to Idolatry and are in likelihood still to be abused especially if they stand in publick places The commandment of God is to destroy the Idols of the heathen their altars and their high places Exod. 34. 13. Now 't is acknowledged by A.