Dragon gave him his power and Authority and such Authority that he exalts himself above all that is called God The use is thus much First it serves to shew the vanity of all that admiration of the Roman Catholick visible Church and devotion to that Church which hath so long for many Ages deluded the world and with which Jesuites and Seminaries doe to this day delude devout but carnall souls Here is great power given to them and great authority but whence hath the Church all this They pretend they have it all from Christ but they have it from the Dragon of the bottomlesse pit He gave him his power and seat and great authority It never came from Christ he never gave this power to any Church nor State in the world it is from the Dragon And whereas they plead it is the keys of the kingdome of Heaven Mat. 16. 19. It is verely as the Text calls it Rev. 9. 1. The key of the Bottomlesse pit There fell a star from Heaven to the Earth and to him was given the key of the Bottomlesse pit It is he that hath power to let out smoak out of the bottomlesse pit Not to let out men from thence as some have pretended or from Limbus which is the suburbs of Hell But to let out smoak damnable doctrine and false Government He hath power to open it but no power to shut it power to sting mens consciences but no power to heal them And therefore when Bellarmine makes the Roman Catholick visible Church to be the true Church he makes this the first note of a true Catholick Church whereas our Divines make Preaching of the word and administration of the Sacraments and holy Diâ—cipline he refutes them and sets down three other universall Catholick visible Church to be the true Church And the truth is it is the very Beast to which the Devill gave this great Authority and power Wherefore let not men be bewitched with them but let us know they are all but efficacies of delusions what ever have been in this kinde spoken If any man say shall we disclaim an Article of our Creed to despise the holy Catholick Church God forbid we doe believe the holy Catholick Church spread over all Nations But a Church Catholick that shall have one visible head and be the Mother Church verily we look at it as the greatest and ugliest beast that ever was raised in the world Take all other Monarchies that the Scripture describes the Leopard of Greece the Lyon of Babell and the Bear of Persiae and they are either of them but a beastly state but here all these Beasts are mingled and confounded in one And besides It hath seven heads and ten horns A Leopard a Lyon and a Beare they are orderly creatures according to some Institution But here is a Beast that runs besides all institution and description of Scripture and societies of men that ever was raised The Catholick visible Roman Church is the most monster God forbid we should blaspheme any Church but I do but speak Scripture Let the world be judg if the Scripture can be accommodated to any but to this Roman-Catholick mother Church It is evident in Scripture these seven heads and ten horns must be some Roman State the Roman Pagan State it cannot be nor yet the Roman Christian State and a Roman State it is but there hath been no other Roman State but the Roman-Catholick visible Church and that hath claimed such great power and authority which is doubtlesse as incompatible to Scripture as may be which by the wit of man hath not been invented but by the Dragon and yet so goodly in the eyes of the world which great Princes are deluded and besotted withall and happy they that can be reconciled to that State Secondly Learn we to magnifie the free rich grace of God that hath delivered us from this great Beast and the worship of it and hath restored us in a great measure to the government of primative simplicity that now we may meet every Lords day that all may heare and all may be edefied where every one may brign his offence if hee cannot be satisfied in private and may be heard and the case in due time searched into and healed according to God This is Primative simplicity and this is direct proceeding without Lordly Prelacy which overwhelms all the world like a great Sea And it i well called a Sea for it swallows up all like a vast Ocean And the more thankfull ought we to be that he hath delivered us from the Image of the Beast as well as from the beast it selfe A Catholick Church that beareth sway over so many hundred Churches and overwhelms them all Such Lawes they shall make as shall binde all Nations and whether they give consent or no they must subscribe to them in point of government Were we sensible how odious this Beast were in the sight of the holy Ghost and of the Apostle John it would affect us with strong thankfulnesse and hearty enlargednesse to God that hath delivered us from so great a beast and from any image and picture of it unto which all the world is subject unlesse in some few places Thirdly It may teach all Church Officers not to affect any Lordly pomp and state For Officers of a Church to take upon them any great State or to see a Church composed in any such form you see in the eyes of the holy Ghost it is a Beast There is nothing more disproportionable to us then for us to affect Supremacy for us to weare the hornes that might push Kings to throw downe any or to desire Magistrates to execute what we shall think fit verily it is not compatible to the simplicity of the Church of Christ Neither may they give their power to us nor may we take it from them That when an Excommunication passe in the Church then to leave it to the Magistrate that so a man being excommunicated is left Ipso facto to civill censure upon the Churches censure this will cause the Magistrates to submit their power to the Church unavoidably that if a Church censure the Magistrates must proceed against them Now it is good to have these two States so joyned together that the simplicity of the church may be maintained and upheld and strengthened by the civill State according to God but not by any simplicity further then according to the word Beware of all secular power and Lordly power of such vast inspection of one church over another Take heed of any such usurpation it will amount to some monstrous Beast Leave every church Independant not Independant from brotherly counsell God forbid that we should refuse that but when it comes to power that one Church shall have power over the rest then look for a Beast which the Lord would have all his people to abhor Fourthly let it be in the feare of God an use to beware how we take Satans offers This
may be the more able to finde the free passage of joy and the power of godlinesse in all your private or publique conversation Revel 13. the latter part of the 2 d. verse And the Dragon gave him his power and his seate and great authority THe next note is this That the Dragon that is Satan as he had the government of the Pagan Roman Empire so being cast out of it he gave or procured and obtained to the Roman Catholicke visible Church his power and seate or Throne and great authority For so it is plainly here said That the Dragon gave to the Beast his power and his seate and great authority The Dragon who is that You heard the Dragon is the old Serpent called the Devill and Satan but the Dragon considered as he sometimes swayed the Roman Pagan Empire as in Rev. 12. 3. There appeared a wonder in heaven a great red Dragon having seven heads and ten horns they are interpreted by the Angell Rev. 17. 3 4. 9 10. 12. 18. The seven heads to be the seven hills of Rome and the ten horns so many Kings that arose with the last head of the Beast Therefore he means the Dragon as he sometimes swayed the City of Rome and so the Seate and State of the Pagan Roman Empire And being now cast out and seeing he cannot maintaine his State and divine honour as before to whom doth he give his honour what to the Roman Christian Empire No his rage is against them and the Church amongst them Neither did he give them his Seate they sate not at Rome but at Constantinople Neither can he easily fasten upon the civill State such delusions as to cause the Christian Emperours to take to themselves divine honour though the Pagan Roman Emperours had so done But now hee doth choose to fasten them upon the Ecclesiasticall State and thinks he shall more prevaile with Church-men as I may speak to drinke in an inundation of Heresies in Doctrine and Tyranny in Government and Superstition in Worship he thinks he shall sooner prevaile with the Ecclesiasticall State then with the Civill Therefore upon this Beast which can neither be Roman Heathen nor Christian Empire but the Roman Church doth he fasten his power and seate and great authority His power A three-fold power did the Devill fasten upon the Roman Catholick visible Church 1. The power of signes and lying wonders Hee gave him great power to worke great wonders 2 Thes 2. 9. Of which there is more spoken in the sequell of the Chapter where some of his miracles are mentioned 2. He gave him the power of effectuall Sophistry or as the Scripture calls it 2 Thes 2 9 10. of deceit of unrighteousnesse partly in the Schoolmen and partly in their Votaries or Cloyster-men and partly in their Canonists By the efficacy of Sophistry in School-men he corrupted all Doctrine By the deceit of the Cloyster-men the Monkes he corrupted all their devotion and worship And by the policy of their Canonists he corrupted all Church-government and this was carryed with such efficacy of deceit that those School-Divines were accounted the most profound and the Monks most devout and the Canonists most judicious and exquisite Polititians Now these three did mightily deceive the Christian world by their power and all this power Satan gave to this Beast 3. He gave him the power also of making war for in vers 7. It was given him to make warre with the Saints and to overcome them putting into the hearts of christian Kings to give their power to the Beast and to wage all their Battels at their own charges whiles he sate still this was the power which was given him by the Dragon And for his seate what was it It was the City of Rome which ruled over the Kings of the earth Rev. 17. 18. And for that end he would not suffer Constantine nor other Emperors to dwell at Rome If they were in Italy they should dwell at Ravenna So that the Dragon granted his owne Seate or Throne not to the Emperors for they never cared for it but he reserved it for this Beast to be the center and chief Seate of the Roman Catholick Church And he gave him also great authority transcendently great indeed Great Authority 1. Over the Scriptures 2. Over the consciences of men 3. Over the treasury of the church Over Church-Rulers and Churches over the merits of Christ over Kingdoms and Common-wealths over Purgatory and for mitigating the paines of Hell All this he gave to the Roman Catholick visible Church 1. He gave him power over the Scriptures 1. As Judg of them The Church is the Judg of controversies and the head of that Church is the Judg of all places of Scripture by his authority it is authenticall This the Catholick Church doth challenge 2. He doth prefer the vulgar Latine before the Originall Scripture a transcendant power 3. It is in his power to make Apocrypha Scripture to be of like power with the canonicall Scripture 4. It is his power and authority that gives unwritten Traditions like power with the canonicall Scripture 5. He takes upon him to be the infallible Interpreter and Judge of the meaning of Scripture and that is Blasphemy 6. He takes upon him power to dispence with Scripture Hee hath power to dispence with the morall Law of God in point of Marriages even in incestuous Marriages this is a power beyond Scripture 2. He hath great authority over the consciences of men making Laws and Canons to bind the conscience and releasing and loosing them from the power of Gods Lawes either in point of Marriage or in point of Oaths and Covenants or in point of naturall relation He can dispence with children in respect of duty to Parents if they come into Monasteries and with duty which Subjects owe to Magistrates 3. They have power over the Church Treasury by which they meane the supererogation of the merits of Christ and of the Saints They say Christ merited for a thousand worlds and because he saved but a few it is free for the Pope to take the surplussage of merit He can take them and apply them by Indulgences for the pardoning of them that pay well for them And thus they who despise Gods imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ for justification they take upon them to impute it to themselves and to this and that notorious wicked man 4. They have power over Kingdomes and Common-wealths to depose Kings and to dispose of their Kingdoms as they please and to absolve Subjects from all Allegiance to civill power and for that end to nullifie their Oath for that end you know what the Pope sent to Henry the fourth Christ say they gave this power to Peter and Peter to the Pope and to that end abuse Jer. 1. 10. See I have this day set thee over the Nations to root cut and pull downe and to destroy and to throw downe to build and to plant 5. They
prevailed to break his power there and so in Ireland where she set her hand she brake mightily his power and the power of Catholick Prinâ— though mightier then she She renounced the Catholick Church that is this great beast and cut off his head to her best understanding which was about the sounding of the seventh Trumpet Rev. 11. 15. When the Kingdomes of this world became the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ For then did begin the seventh Trumpet to sound which brought the conversion of Kingdomes and States that though the beast still continued yet he still lost his Authority which he had before what he did approve before that stood and what he did not that fell to the ground Now he hath so much power that if France be more pravalent or Spaine he will take with them as he thinks he may with his Catholick Sons for his own security but his power is so blasted that though he doth continue still and will continue yet a great Beast that rules all the world that power the Catholick Roman Church hath lost though he prevail with his superstitious inventions with those that are his in a carnall way or from an opinion of their fathers honesty c. But yet the power is not left to the Bishop of Rome to doe all things as in those former times he might his word is not a law nor his decrees so Authenticall they are now considered of even among Catholicke Princes It is not now in his power to take up Controversies between France and Spain if they will make war Time was they durst as well have eaten a Bears foot as have ventured upon any war without his likeing but that was the time when the armes of his power and his jawes were not broken Thus if you take this Scripture as Brightman takes it from Constantines coming to the Crown it will expire then about the time when the Bull came forth against Qâ— Eliz. and as they thought would be sufficient to blast her and all the Huguenots with her But yet that makes but one beginning and ending of this account whereas the Text makes two for in Chap. 12. 6. when the child was caught up to God and to his throne and the woman fled into the wildernesse then there was a great battle that battle lasted 90 years and then was the Devill cast out of Heaven and his Flamins and Arch-flamins were blasted with him they had no power in Theodosius time from that time the Dragon was cast out of Heaven and persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child and there was given to her two wings of a great Eagle that she might flee into the wildernesse Now I say according to this there is another computation of this time there was no more place found for him in heaven w ch was in the year 395. for two or three years we must not pinch much it is hard to keep exact account by reason of taking up one year from the Predecessor which in so many years come to sometimes more sometimes lesse Now if you shall take the Computation from that time t is true from Constantines time the Church might fly into the wildernesse for it is true the Church is made a wildernesse if you set the doores of the Church so wide and pull down the walls that whereas before it was a Garden inclosed Cant. 4. 12. now you let in vast territories bring in the whole world now you make it Catholick now though it had no Catholick power a Garden is made a wildernesse if you pull down the pales take down the narrow watch of Officers and let in all men that will thrust in ambitiously to gratifie them The Church was full of covetousnesse whoredomes adulteries deceivers haters of God and the true power of Godlinesse even in his time and so forward was almost worn out and never was so in all the time of persecution but after that the Bishop of Rome had taken the stile of Pontifex maximus and Theodosius slept with his Fathers then the Church grew more transcendantly Catholick and that they thought he would be Lord Paramount but yet his transcendant power did spring as he was cheif Bishop then he was universall Bishop for his power grew by degrees Now I say if you take this latter computation which also the Text doth then if you reckon from 395. years and adde to that 1260. years putting these two together they will expire in the yeare that shall be according to the Roman account 1655. I will not be two confident because I am not a Prophet nor the Son of a Prophet to foretell things to come but so far as God helps by Scripture light about the time 1655. there will be then such a blow given to this beast and to the head of this beast which is Pontifex maximus as that we shall see a further gradual accomplishment and fulfilling of this Prophecy here You must not think it strange that some Prophecies receive a graduall accomplishment Sometimes you have a Prophecy of the 70. yeares captivity which is accomplished by the redemption of the Church out of Babell yet a more full accomplishment shall be when the Church shall be delivered from this whore of Rome and the Church of the Jewes shall be called againe So it is here according to the different computation of time the wise God hath all seasons in his hand he doth foresee and foretell to his people when they shall come to passe So that though the arme of his glorious power be broken and his bones broken that he is nothing that beast in power that he was and hath not been since the sending of that dreadfull excommunication which was thought to be so dangerous to the famous Princesse I spake of yet a power he hath over many Churches and the power given him by the ten horns they are not all broken as in Chap. 11. 13. The tenth part of the City fell by reason of the earthquake There was such a fall that a tenth part fell but yet a great part stands still to this day in some measure that will take their Religion from him as they see cause but not all in Religion neither for the King of France will not yield to the Councell of Trent to this day it falling out that his Ambassadors did not sit in the cheife place he will not authorize that Councell Thus is his power broken but yet it continues in some measure till a further accomplishment of it but for two or three years I cannot limit that for there may be some uncertainty by reason of the variation of Chronicles that have sometimes more sometimes lesse in the beginning and ending of the Reign of Princes But otherwise about that time will be the expiration of the power and great authority of this Beast But already we see by the blessing of God his power weakned but we look for a further accomplishment The matter hath
day by day were fashioned c. In the providence of God there was a deliniation of all creatures and actions that should come to passe There is truly also the booke of conscience for also in that God registers all our actions according to which we shall be judged the conscience bearing witnesse about our persons and actions so farre as they are enlightned by God And you read also of another booke The word that I have spoken that shall judge them at the last day John 12. 48. he shall judge all the world by it Rom. 2. 16. In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel These books will be opened the booke of Gods Providence the booke of the Scripture and the book of conscience by which we shall be judged But there is also the booke of Life by which wee shall be judged in Rev. 10. 12. Now for the book of life that hath a double exception in Scripture for sometimes it is put for the Church register in which all are registred as those that were the living in Jerusalem Isa 4. â— It is said Every one that remaineth in Hierusalem shall be called holy even every one that is written among the living in Hierusalem Or as the word is in the margent or bigger Bibles written To life in Hierusalem In the Originall it is capable of both constructions Every man capable of life is written in Hierusalem There is a book written of them that live there of which it is said Psal 87. 6. the Lord will recount when he writteth up the people that this or that man was born there Of this book also you read in Ezek. 13. 9. where the Lord doth threaten the false Prophets that his hand shall be upon them that see vanity and devine lyes they shall not be as members of my people nor shall they be written in the writing of the house oâ— Israel they shall neither have fellowship with Church nor Common-wealth There is a writing therefore a Register a Record of them which in the Old Testament were counted Geneologies and very carefully did they keep them that if they could not shew their pedigree from this Geneology they were as polluted Ezra 2. 59. as also vers 62. where he tells you of sundry that came in among the people of Israel but because they could not find their names in the Register they were left aside till they could finde further proof of their pedigree they might be received as other Proselytes but not as native Israelites who were counted of the Church from the line of their Parents and some of the sonnes of Barzilli some of the Priests they thought it more honour to fetch their pedigree from their father Barzilli whom David had advanced to sit at his Table and they thought it more honour to be counted of the house of Barzilli then of the order of Aaron And they when they would have presented themselves to the Priests office they were not received why because they were not found in the Churches Register and they had no direction from the Word to take Noble mens sons to be Priests but only of the sons of Aaron So this is the book of Life it is called The writing of the living in Hierusalem This is the book of life the Church-book it is nothing but a counterpane of the book of life but not exactly agreeing to it sometimes we put in more then God doth and sometimes lesse There be that belong to life whom we do not receive Others they do not present themselves or we do not receive through some failings in them or us but if they belong to life they are written in the Lambs book of life they may not be written in the Church book but this is not the book here spoken of the book of the life oâ— the Lamb The Church is the body of the Lamb but they cannot discern who are his The Lord knows who are his so do not we nor the members of the Church therefore you heare here of a distinct booke of the Lambs book of life of which book it is expresly written Rev. 20. 15. That whosoever was not found written in the Lambs book of life was cast into the lake of fire All men therefore that are written in the book of Life or in the book of the Lamb they are written to life Now this we cannot say of the Church-book for as hath been observed of ancient time there are many wolves within and many sheep without Sometimes the Church hath cast out her most precious members both Officers and Members sad experience hath made it true in our times therefore that is not a certaine rule that if a man be left out of the Church he is left everlastingly unlesse there be such contempt of means of grace as in those whom the Lord hath branded for such whom he takes no pleasure in to eternity For it is said whoever was not found written in the Lambs book of life was cast into the lake of fire Therefore this is some other then that booke of the Church What book is that no other but the eternall record and register of Gods election that is the Lambs book whoever is not found he is indeed cast out into the lake of fire being shut out from salvation by Christ and then what hope of salvation is there in himselfe Now of this book it is of which Moses speaks Exo. 32. 33. If thou wilt not forgive the sin of thy people then blot me out of the book which thou hast written not which the Church hath written but which thou hast written which the Lord hath written of life in Christ in which the Lord hath written all the names of his Elect This is the book out of which hee desires to be blotted out of such was the extasie I cannot say of his zeale but he was filled with such ardent zeale that rather then such a reproach should be cast upon God that he was not able to bring them to the Land of Canaan let him be blotted out of the book which he had written let damnation it selfe fall upon him rather then the name of the Lord should be reproached by the uncircumcised Heathens and in that sence Paul wisheth himselfe separate from Christ for his brethren his kinsmen according to the flesh Rom. 9. 3. He doth not say he would be cast out of the Church but he found that zeale for the whole Church and for the Lord Jesus that rather then the Gospel of Christ should be hindered if it may stand with Gods liking he could rather wish such a wretch as he should be cut off then that the whole body of his people should be cast off This is the Lambs book of Life called the book of Life not because the Lord stands in need of a book but because those whom in his eternall purpose he hath decreed to save his unchangeable purpose doth fixe them as
they receive that who receive any orders from the Pope and are reconciled to the Roman Catholick visible Church This Beast causeth all to receive a marke that is they shall sweare fidelity and loyalty to the Roman Catholick visible Church this they make indelible wherever they come they are Priests for ever after the order of Melchesidech Or on their foreheads they have a marke answerable to their name their name what is that but Roman Catholicks or else there is no fellowship with them and all must at length have that name and go under the number of that name Roman Catholicks there is the number of that name but I leave that to the next time as being too large to enter into at present In the mean time you see these things thus opened touching the nature and character of this second Beast Now to make some use of all First it may be an evident conviction and demonstration and designation of this Beast who it is Is hath been much disputed but all the parts of this description doth directly fall upon the Bishop of Rome that if John had lived in these dayes he would have seene all this with his eyes which he saw in a vision No man can tell where to bestow all this description for 1260. years but upon the Bishop of Rome that is of such a wilde nature that no Church no law of God no society of men no Kings nor Princes can rule and all the world that knows this Beast knows this to be true of the Pope whose Original all Christians know springs from the Earth to keep men in unity and to preserve the Empire from inundations of Barbarians to keep Christian Princes closer together and in better order all carnall policy out of which he springs yet incensibly and slowly that he is not discerned for many years together And he hath horns like a Lamb that he pretends nothing but Saint Peter as they call it the Keys of the kingdom of Heaven But he speaks like a Dragon as if he had the Keys of the bottomlesse pit he thunders such sentences gives dispensations both against the lawes of Paul and Moses to dissolve oaths and covenants and relations they shall marry whom they will their own sisters he will venom with such noysome doctrine as the breath of them will stinke he will speak so terrible that time was when Princes were to tremble he hath spoken as a Dragon The Devil himselfe as he ruled the Roman Pagan Empire hath not spoken greater words then he Those that spake Whoever will not worship an Image set up shall be cast in a fiery furnace it is not a greater word then he speaks Secondly this doth justly reprove all the Popish admiring and adoring of the man of Sinne They look at him as their holy Father and Bishop of Christ and Vicar of God as one that hath an infallible judgment that cannot erre that he is above all power of censure If he should draw missions of soules to hell no man must say Sir why do you so they have this opinion of him No matter what they conceive he must be judged by the King of Kings and by the God of Gods and by the Saints of that God that judgeth according to the word and they look at this Father as a Monster as a wilde beast whom no Scripture no Church can keepe in awe but he is Lord paramount above them all they look at him as the Dragon of the bottomlesse pit as he that destroys the Christian world and however he may pretend as if he had nothing but Lamb-like power yet hee speakes like a Dragon thus John saw him Thirdly Observe from hence a reason of a note that troubles many Interpreters That if this beast have such power why doth he not cause the earth to worship himself why doth he not provide for his own honour but for the first beast The reason is plain the first Beast being the Roman Catholick Church and the head of that Beast all the honour that redounds to the beast falls upon the head of the beast and it is upon himselfe He exerciseth all that power that the first beast hath and therefore no marvell if he labour to draw all men what he can to worship not himselfe but the Roman Catholick Church to be reconciled to it and receive decrees from it and submit in conscience thereunto and receive no worship nor doctrine but from them nor government but established by them no Lawes to be enjoyned and transacted but by them for he knows that this honour will redound to him He knows all this power doth rest in his own breast and it is he that acts the Roman Catholick Church and he can do with a Councell and without a Councell what the Church can do and he failes not to do it from time to time Wonder not therefore that he puts off the honour to the first beast the old Roman Church there he layes all his devotion but in conclusion it is all for himselfe Fourthly you may see the corrupt Originall and dangerous State of corrupt religion and of such kind of Churches as are drawn out by the modell of the Roman Catholick visible Church any image of that beast I do not trouble you with what others think to be the image of the Beast I should but weary my selfe in so doing but if the first beast be the Roman Catholick Church as it must needs be then the image must be according to it though not of equall authority yet of the like frame whereas the Lord hath instituted no other but particular Congregations to bring in a whole Nation that may containe a thousand Congregations into one Church what an image is this of the Roman visible Catholick Church It is not Catholick indeed it is short of that but so large as it carries a Nation it exceeds Diocesan and Diocesan exceeds particular Congregations Now see the danger of this you see the first rise was from the power of this beast He causeth all the earth to make an Image of this Beast He did not bring them to make one in number but one in England and one in Scotland and one in France and one in Germany and in every Countrey according to their divisions and Princely Potentates that all that dwell in the limits of that Jurisdiction they have one Cathedral Church to which all other Parochiall Churches do belong this hee causeth them to do and when he hath done it giveth it the very like breath of the Roman Order though not in so vast a measure yet in a faire modell that they are like the image of this holy Father and so by this meanes it comes to passe by his Laws and Canons which he perswades all to receive and which is a wonder since they have cut him off from being head of the Church yet still they reteyn the life of Papacy in the State of such Chancellors and Parators and such