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
put forth For so it is here said There was given him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies and he opened his mouth accordingly abundantly against God and against his name and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven Every thing of God he did with open mouth blaspheme Let me a little open the words and the Doctrine for the doctrine is in a manner the words of the Text. There was given him a mouth what mouth had he more then other men The meaning is he had such liberty of speech as no man had There was given him liberty and power and authority to speak great things Given him by whom 1. It was given him by God in his just judgment that gave up men to efficacy of delusions 2 Thes 2. 11. 2. It was given him by Satan in the efficacy of whose power Antichrist comes with all deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse 2 Thes 2. 9 10. 3. It was given him by the generall consent of Princes and States Ecclesiasticall and Civill In Ecclesiasticall Councels great was the authority that was given him none of all them thought themselves equall to him And for the Civill State God put it into their hearts to give their power and Throne unto the beast Rev. 17. 17. What power did they give him to speak great things and in particular blasphemies It is an allusion to the horn in Dan. 2. 8. There came up a little horne which had a mouth speaking great things whether it be the same Beast or a type of him I will not now stand to determine but great things he spoke as indeed this was a great thing that the Catholick Church had power to speak for he did open his mouth to speak great things that is such things as for other men to speake were too great arrogance and too much affectation of inordinate Vain-glory but for this Church or the head of it to speak they had a mouth given for the same purpose And Blasphemies They make many distinctions in Schools of Blasphemies which I will not trouble you with they may be brought to two heads either in attributing to God something unworthy of him things incompatible to his divine nature as in Acts 17. 29. It is blasphemy to ascribe to God likenesse of four-footed beasts or creeping things and the like Or otherwise if you attribute to the Creature that which properly doth belong to God you hurt the name of God and crush it when you so speak Now what is it for the Beast to open his mouth to speak great things and blasphemies The phrase is very significant in the Hebrew It implies three things 1. That a man speaks upon the meditation He opens his mouth to speak that is to say he hath something to say and power to deliver it and he sets himselfe of purpose to speak it I will open my mouth in wisdome and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding Psal 49. 3 4. He tells you of his meditation and then he will open his mouth and declare it 2. To open the mouth implies an audable and full and bold and confident expression of a mans minde that a man doth not whisper but lift up his voyce and declare with open mouth what he hath to deliver as in Exod. 3. 23. Open thy mouth and tell them that is speak boldly Though they be a rebellious People and will brow-beate thee yet open thy mouth and speake unto them speak boldly and confidently as one that goes not behind the door but speaks plainly And I put in plainly with boldnesse because they are ever concomitants If a man speak boldly he doth not extenuate what he hath to deliver but speaks it plainly 3. This opening of the mouth doth imply that hee speaks fully and abundantly his heart was full of it and he doth accordingly powr out that which he delivers As Elihu tells you in Job 32. 18 19 20. I am full of matter the spirit within me constraineth me Behold my belly is as wine which hath no vent it is ready to burst like new bottles c. So the meaning is this That as the Pope saw which was the head of this Beast that he had a mouth given him that is uncontrollable liberty to speak what he would He did not sodainly or rashly speake some inconsiderate or erroneous or arrogant speech which he did eate in againe but he spake advisedly in his grave and considerate Councell upon advised judgment he did speak great things and blasphemies And this he did plainly and boldly not in ambiguous or obscure phrases but plainly in such expressions as could beare no other meaning and that with such confidence that you may see he cared not who heard nor what Construction might be made of it And this he did not in a word or two that dropped from him but as flowing from him Hee was full of matter as 2 Cor. 6. 11. O ye Corinthians our mouth is open to you our heart is enlarged He did poure forth his matter with no little State it was stout matter that he did poure forth to the world What did hee speake that which was given him to speake What was that Great things As for instance to sum up the great things he speaks The Catholick Roman Church in Scripture is accounted the mother of Harlots and abomination of the earth Rev. 17. 5. There is not such an adulterous Church in the world 1. And yet is not this a great word and a great blasphmy for the mother of Harlots to hold forth her selfe as the only immaculate Spouse of Christ upon the face of the Earth Is not this a grand word for a common Harlot the mother of Harlots the lewdest Harlot that ever the earth bore for her to arrogate this stile as the only Church of Christ And that which is parallel to this that the Pope who is the head of this Beast is the head and Husband of this Church and is without controule He hath a mouth given him and he is not ashamed to speak great things and blasphemies 2. It is a great word to make himselfe the infallible Interpreter and absolute judge of Scriptures that cannot erre in derision or determination of any controversies of Religion nor may it be for any mortall man to controll his judgment nor practice In Judgment he cannot erre in practice though he may erre yet other men may be judged but God hath put such an uncontrollable power upon him as he thinks that none may meddle with him Though he should carry millions of soules to Hell yet no man must say Sir why do you so Councels may not judge Princes may not judge inferiour States may not judge him all the world may not judge him He stands and falls to the Canonists his owne well-studied Canonists have so determined it A great word to be infallible judge of Scripture and to be uncontrollable it is a great matter and greater then any man can reach unto Never
have power over the estate of the life to come 1. Over Heaven Hee claimes transcendent power in that and doth abuse that place in Mat. 16. 19. To thee will I give the keyes of the Kingdome of heaven that whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Therefore he can open the gates of Heaven to them that are dead 2. They have power over Purgatory Upon so much done and given they can help them out of Purgatory They make account the torments of Purgatory are equall to the paines of Hell but that Hell is for ever and Purgatory but till the last Judgment 3. They have power over Hell they have not absolute power to deliver out of Hell only Gregory is said to have delivered Trajans soul out of Hell but though they cannot deliver out of Hell yet they can ease the torment The witnesses of this will hardly owne it but it is the judgment of the most devout to that Sea So that he gave to the Catholick church his power of signs and lying wonders of all kinds of efficacy of delusions and power of making Warre and he gave him great authority over the Scriptures over mens Consciences over the treasures of the Church over Kingdomes and Princes and Powers of the world to come and over Purgatory and Hell And therefore consider if this be not a vast power which is here given and acknowledged to be given by himselfe to the Catholick visible Roman Church You must not wonder that the Catholick Church did not claim all this at first but came to this by degrees and more faster grew to this especially at that time when this second Beast that received in spiritualls his power speaking like a Dragon had got all this transcendant power In the mean time from the very first you shal find this power in the representative Catholick Church They quartered them into severall Jurisdictions into Bishopricks and when they had done that they rested not till they had set one over the rest and that was this of Rome And besides this was devillish Authority to make Laws to bind all Christian Congregations to take their Government from them 3ly In every Councell they devised some new Doctrine and some new form of worship and Government which was the seed out of which this transcendant power was hatched For the reason of the point you may aske how hee should give all this power which he never had himself how he should give that which never was his to a Beast so as to carry all things with that transcendant power for divine power he had not himself he was cast out from it how then could hee give this to any State in the world First from Gods divine Justice and heavy Judgment upon the unthankfull world That look as God in former times did give up the Roman Pagan world to be ruled by Satan as the god of it and therefore he is called in 2 Cor. 4. 4. the God of the world So now God gave up the Roman Christian world as he did the Pagan world before the Scripture tells us so 2 Thes 2. 8 9 10 11 12. Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved he gave them up to efficacy of delusions to believe lies That they all might be damned who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse They loved not the simplicity of the Apostles Institutions concerning Churches and Laws and Doctrine and Apostolick government but did affect high preferments and setled endowments and carnall excellency Now the Lord therefore gives Satan wonderfull power that as of old he was once the God of Pagan Rome so now in the Church he gives them Church-power that what he could not retaine in his owne hands that he substitutes and gives to the Roman Catholick Church to carry it along with great successe and that 's the first Reason the judgment of God upon the unthankfull world A second Reason is taken from the effectuall means which Satan used to advance the Roman Church by to exalt his Church above all others what were the means The means were these First Ignorance raising a smoak out of the bottomlesse Pit darkning all the light of the Church Rev. 9. 2. The Sun and the Aire were darkned by reason of it There was a mighty dark mist as it were They regarded not the love of the truth they studyed it not and so the Lord left them to palpable grosse ignorance in so much that at that time when the second beast arose had we seene any that lived in the former time of Religion and that lived now we would not have thought they had been the same men such palpable darkness were they left unto of ignorance Now palpable ignorance is the mother of all Superstition and Idolatry and the misguidance of all things in the Church A second means which he used was terror of Conscience which he set on effectually by the Locusts Rev. 9. 3 5. There came out of the smoak Locusts and unto them was given power as the scorpions of the Earth have power They had such a notable power to sting the Consciences of men that men would seek for death and could not finde it and take desperate courses drowning or hanging or any thing rather then to live in that terrour They that shall read Parsons Resolutions Granatensis shall find what terrible threats there are applyed to terrifie but never shewed them the way to come to Christ to binde up such broken souls Now the Conscience broken and not healed is fit to sow any superstition in A third means was the superstition and hypocrisie of the votaries and of all afflicted but unsetled consciences Terror of conscience makes them greatly devout They tell them of a state of perfection and that they shall shrowd themselves in such a Monastery and there they should live devoutly and be kept from the pollutions of the world Many Princes have been thus taken and have given large endowments to pray for their souls their consciences being wounded A fourth meanes was the subtilty and sophistry of the School-men suppressing the reading of the Scriptures and mixing Philosophy with Divinity that they might as well have studied a point of Aristotle as their divinity and make as good use of the one as of the other They left studying of Scriptures and read Peter Lombard which was mentioned in Latine and this was a notable meanes A fifth meanes was the policy of the Canonists who had gathered together all those Canons that tended to Christs powerfull Government and fastned them upon the Catholick Church and the Bishop of Rome being head he had it all committed to him a notable means to bring in Tyranny Last of all lying miracles 2 Thes 2. 9. Whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signes lying wonders Thus you see the means how the
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
is such power as is far above the reach of man None of them all have such power as he not those that are called Gods So they admire his power what he can do to inward or outward man to publique or private States And they do not only admire the Catholick Church and the head of it and adore them but in both these they adore the Dragon that gave all this power to the Beast The meaning may be exprest in two branches 1. The Dragon is expressed as animating heathen Rome for that hath seven heads and ten horns which are the armes both of heathen Rome and of this Beast Now he is called the Dragon as he acted heathen Rome and as he was Lord of heathen Rome he gave all this power to the Pope For they thought it meet since it was the Imperiall City when it was Pagan that therefore it should be the mother of all Churches And being the Imperial City it was the bloud-sucker of many millions of the souls of Gods servants that caused the Dragon to put that honour upon Rome 2. But that is not all There is another branch comes neerer the full meaning of the Text that was for the honouring of the Bishop of Rome and of the Catholick Church viz. taking another doctrine for the Gospell their Idolatry for pure worship their Government for the discipline of Christ their pardons for Justification of sinne by Christ In all this they doe indeed give true worship to the Dragon for what are all these but Images they are none of Gods Ordinances if you referre them to the heads of Scripture they are but Images of Christ In stead of the Ministery of Christ you have doctrines of men In stead of justification by the righteousnesse of Christ you have justification by works In stead of pardon of Sin from Christ you have it from the Pope All things are in another forme an Image of another forme set up devised contrary to what the word establisheth Now you shall finde this to be true if you doe vary from the kingdome of God and Christ then you worship the Dragon You read in 2 Chron. 11. 15. Jeroboam ordained him Priests for the high places and for the Devils and for the Calves which he had made he had no Preists but for the golden Calves and what were they they were but Images and his intendment was not to bring in another object of worship but another manner of worship Jeroboam worshiped Jehovah in Images which God had not appointed and so he worshipped the Divill and not God And you shall read when the Turke was brought in to revenge the Idolatry of Christendome Rev. 9. 20. It is said The people that were not cut off with the plague they repented not of the worke of their hands that they should not worship Devils and Idols of Gold and Silver and brasse and Stone and of wood which neither can see nor hear nor walk which shews that when men worship Images that is God in Images it is not God that is so worshipped but the Divill and all such worship doth not advance the kingdome of God but the kingdome of the Devill therefore it is reall honour to him and therefore this their taking all this vast honour all Churches receiving all from them is none of Gods Institution but the Devils practice for it was the Devill that gave him his power and great authority Therefore saith the holy Ghost they worshiped the Dragon who gave power unto the Beast and they worshipped the beast This worship of the beast they gave it all to him that gave this power to him which was to the Dragon and therfore you read that he had the key of the bottomlesse pit Rev. 9. 1 2. And he opened the bottomlesse pit and there arose a smoke out of the pit as the smoke of a great furnace and there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth There went out Monks Friars and a rabble of all superstition Now if you shall aske the reason why people upon the healing of this wound did so mightily admire both the visible Catholick Church and the head of it and adore both and Satan himselfe in both The reason was First from the wrong Interpretation of some Scriptures which were very frequent with them in those dayes and are still and that was that the Catholick Roman Church was builded upon a rock and that rock was the Bishop of Rome and into his hand the Lord Jesus by Peter had given the keys of the kingdome of Heaven and these keys had absolute universall power to binde on Earth and upon his binding on earth Christ would bind in heaven this was an error in judgment that did so possesse their hearts that upon the healing of this wounded head all the world did admire him Therefore Bellarmine makes a large discourse Behold I lay in Zion a chief corner stone and they that trust in him shall never be confounded and so never was there any man that was an enemy to the Catholick Church but was confounded nor never did any man stand for the Catholick Church but was preserved and so they did admire him A great inundation of barbarous Nations were all driven out by the piety of the Bishop of Rome they were able to overturn the Emperors of the East and it was overturned and bring them to his feet and all to be at his disposing This was some confirmation to them that he was the successor of Peter that now whoever is saved it must be by the power of this key or else never look for any saving in this world A second reason may be taken from the correspondency and plausablenesse of such a kinde of Religion and Government to carnall reason especially when it is subdued by any terrors of consceence for it was a season and that held many years together wherein the Priests Friers and Monks had marvellous power to sting the consciences of men with the loathsomnesse of their sinne in the sight of God and they had admirable dexterity therein These foure things were all the matter of their Sermons Vertue and vice Heaven and Hell If you be vertuous then you shall go to Heaven If you be vicious then you must go to Hell Now they would so convince mens consciences and upon conviction binde the conscience under terror as eternally shut out of Heaven for want of virtue which they had not that indeed when these mens consciences are thus perplexed and wounded here is a Religion that findes them so many salves and medicines as ease the power but not remove the cause of the disease that is they set men a course well though you be vicious and though Hell be dreadfull yet Purgatory may ease you by Prayer and you may be dispensed with from going to Hell especially by the Popes pardon or by your own workes by your confessions by selfe-whippings and scourgings or by going a Pilgrimage you may be
discharged of this burden This was very plausable to carnall reason especially if they gave so much to such a Monastery that they may offer so many Sacraments for them for they look at the bread in the Lords supper as a propiatory Sacrament here were so many means to satisfie the consciences of those that were superstitious as nothing could be devised to give better content to the spirits of men in those dayes any man that knowes it shall finde it true that when the conscience is terrified with the curse of Gods Law and never shewed the true way of fellowship with Christ no man is so tender and conscionable in the performance of all duties as they If you will have them kisse the Popes foot or give so much to a Monastery and by this means Hell shall be shut against them and Purgatory discharged But for assurance of Salvation in Christ they could not endure that they that stood for that they tell them what you will not have men doe good workes away with that faggot and halter for such Hereticks Thirdly there was a third Reason and that was from the great reverence of all Councells and Synods to the Sea of Rome The City of Rome had wont to be the imperiall City now in such a case as this they thought it but reasonable In heathenish Rome they gave all worship to them and so let Christian Rome give all their worship to the chief Head there and so to their mother Church all Catholicks would incourage others so to doe and so by this means there were such incouragements laid for admiration and adoration that you may not wonder at what the holy Ghost saith That when the wound was healed all the world wondred after the beast saying who is like unto the beast who is able to make war with him Not the Emperors of the East and West not the King of England France Spain nor all that have been of greatest force they were none of them able to hold up their heads against this great Beast The use of this point is thus much First you may observe from hence that Universality and Prosperity though they be given for two notes of a true Church by the Papists yet indeed they are but sopisticall deceitfull delusions They are not such marks of a Church as are peculiar to a true Church here is Universality All the world wondred after the beast and here is Prosperity all the world adore and admire the Beast Who is like unto the beast who is able to make war with him Not all the Princes of the world So that here is externall prosperity for so they call it here are both these concur and they doe indeed argue a Catholick Church as Bellarmine saith but note this that Catholick Church which is visible which is the Roman visible Catholick Church the Scripture holds it forth as a great and ugly and monstrous Beast look not therefore at these as any good marks and signes by which Jesuites and Seminaries are wont to draw to deep devotion to the Catholick Church for all the world have run this way there is but a handfull a few of such as are otherwise minded what is Genevah and some others to Rome what have they been able to doe in comparison of the Church of Rome which is the Church of Churches none have been able to doe as they Secondly we may see the danger of this admiration and adoration the deadly and desperate danger of adoring the Catholick visible Church and the Dragon It is the cunning of these Priests and Jesuites to draw men by all means to be at least devoted to the Catholick Church and to submit their power thereunto for they say there is no union with Christ the head unlesse you be united to the visible head on Earth this is their usuall plea Now marke what the holy Ghost speaks in this Text he doth say that all the worship of this mother Church is but the worship of the Dragon Men are devoutly adicted to give up their souls to the Devill when they give up themselves to the Catholicke visible Church the Lord professeth he is not honoured by them they professe honour to he-Saints and shee-Saints and dead Saints and to all relicks and remnants of them the honour of them is given unto the Devill and not to God That look what Paul saiâ—h of heathen Rome John speaks of christian Rome This I say saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 10. 20. That the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to Devils and not to God and I would not that ye should have fellowship with Devils And so this saith John the holy Apostle equall to the Apostle Paul or next him but here guided equally with Paul in the Authentical word of God he saith They that worship God according to the prescript of the Church of Rome they worship the Devils and not God they worship the Dragon the old Serpent So that it is not so light a matter as Gallants at Court and great Kings apprehend they will be reconciled to their mother Church they will goe a Pilgrimage that is devised by the Pope and perform duties as their ghostly Father directs them and have their bead-prayers In all this what do they doe This is a worship to the great beast but this is the issue and substance of it they doe indeed worship the Dragon It is not the Lord Jesus nor God the Father nor the blessed spirit that is thus worshipped but this is indeed the worship of the Devill Thirdly this may serve to teach us to blesse the name of the Lord that hath delivered us from this admiration and adoration from this wofull Captivity and Calamity whereto our Fathers have been enthralled All those of them whose names are not written in the Lambs book of life they were all led this way and it is a marvellous deliverance that God hath wrought for us in taking our Religion from universality and from outward prosperity It is sometimes a snare to Christians this kinde of Government that we have and they are apt to say what doe any of the great Nations of the world for worship and Government did you ever know any such thing authorised in any Kingdome There is an inward principle in us by nature to doe as all the world doe what are we more wise then they It is a great temptation but we have cause to blesse God that hath wrought deliverance for us But what if all the world did worship the Devill as time was when they did what if all the world worship the Beast and the Dragon that gave power to the Beast must we doe so And as they are not grounds of our worship so they are fit grounds of unfeigned thankfulnesse to God that hath delivered us from that Religion by which all the world was bewitched to give their Crownes Honours Bodies and States to the devotion of the visible Catholick Church and to the
did any earthly Prince challenge that he could not erre nor that none must controll him if he did There have been Laws made to controll the greatest Princes Nebuchadnezzar was taught to be controlled that in the end Shadrach Mesech and Abednego goe away rewarded 3. The Catholick Church and the Pope is the head of it claimes a power of binding and loosing To bind mens consciences by his Laws and to loose mens consciences by his Indulgences and that not ministerially as Ministers do from the Word but by a Juditiary power to dissolve the bond of naturall Obedience incestuous Marriages Oaths and Covenants in Marriage Natural relations between Parents and Children and morall Relations between Princes and Subjects There is not any bond that he cannot loose nor any liberty which he cannot restraine And this not over a few only but over the vast world so far as it is Christian And 4. It is a great thing he speakes and he speakes it not behind the door when he challengeth Soveraign dominion in way of advancement of Religion over all Kingdoms so as to depose their Kings and dispose of their Kingdoms leave any State to choose where he hath power If his Crowne be to be fetched from Rome as it was in former times when it was most active He will set it on but dash it off againe out of the plentitude of his power to â—et up and throw downe at his pleasure He opened his mouth to speak great things He is never so in his element as when he doth hold forth such vast authority and divine propriety proper to the Father Son and holy Ghost Now as he speaks great things so blasphemes against God and wherein Against his Name and Tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven Against his name All these are blasphemies against Gods name to attribute all these divine properties to a beastly man to a great beast And it is blasphemy to ascribe any divine honour or to put it upon any creature Images served the holy Ghost calls blasphemy Isa 65. 7. You have blasphemed me upon every green hill And in Ezek. 20. 27 28. he complaines of the like blasphemy that they blasphemed him by their Idolatires In Mar. 2. 7. Why doth this man speak blasphemies who can forgive sins but God onely It were to speak blasphemy in any but in Christ Secondly It is against his Tabernacle that may be either meant the body of Christ as 1 John 14. He tabernacled amongst us Or it may be meant the visible Churches such as are instituted by him For the body of Christ it is blasphemy to go to every Masse Priest to make him the body and blood of our Saviour Or if you understand the Tabernacle to be the Church that is the Temple of God 1 Cor. 3. 16. Now to call the Church of Christ a Conventicle of Hereticks and Schismaticks it is blasphemy and so they count all the Churches here And for the Saints in heaven to put upon them divine worship to build Temples to them to put up Prayers to them to keep Holy-dayes to them it is blasphemie to them it is a great dishonour Paul and Barnabas when they saw men to come and offer sacrifice to them Men and brethren why doe you these things you cannot do us a greater injury And for the Saints in heaven that is pure Churches he condemns them for Hereticks and Schismaticks and as unworthy of Christian communion and Christian burial these are blasphemies So you see the meaning of this Scripture There was given him a mouth to speake great things and to blaspheme God in his Name in his Tabernacle in those that dwell in Heaven Thus hath he done many yeares and thus doth hee still Now for the reason of the point you see the point stands upon two branches 1. That such power was given him 2. That he did effectually and abundantly put it foâ—â—h He opened his mouth Let mee give the reasons of both 1. Why such power was given him it was First from God in his just judgement to punish the unthankfull world that received not the love of the truth Therefore the Lord gave them over to efficacy of delusions to believe lies That they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse 2 Thes 2. 10 11. This is the just judgment of God that since they refused the simplicity of wholsome Doctrine and had itching eares they should have such men as came with the subduing word of the Law to speak great things and they should have what they aske This is from Gods just jugement A second Reason is from Satan for God concurred and Satan concurred and Christian Princes concurred herein Satan concurred for this reason that he might be avenged of God and despight the name of Christ that had cast him out and dethroned him from his divine power That whereas he was the great God of the world and the God of Israel but a puny God of the lesser Nations now hee is to be no God to trust on but like a Toad or Serpent this doth so enrage the venome of the old Devill that he powrs forth a flood of malice and venome against the Church and Christ as much as may be to testifie to the world hee would be Lord and the Lord Jesus should not prevaile And if he may not be God he will set up a Beast that shall be adored as God And it is a great despight to Christ to advance a Beast that shall carry great State and power and dare and will speak greater things then all the Churches of Christ I as great as the Lord himself shall speak look what one speaks the other wil speak it all and speak it abundantly As the Devill himselfe sometimes said to Christ All these will I give thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me The same doth he speak at this day and he will speak without controll Another reason that binds Satan so to speak is not only his old enmity to Christ but from his malice against the Church When hee saw that the seed of the woman had thus dethroned him and cast him out of divine power he powrs forth a flood of malice after her and he sends forth an ugly Beast that if he can may root out the face of Christianity and root her out from the face of the earth Rev. 12. 15. These are the Devils reasons that mooved him to stirre up the Beast and to give him a mouth to speake so boldly as hee did But why will Christian Princes be so prodigall to submit themselves to him God had committed to them the care of the Churches that all Churches should live peaceably and quietly under them in all godliness and honesty why would they so degenerate and suffer the Bishop of Rome so to arrogate and speak such great blasphemies The reasons were 1. Because they were ignorantly blinde It was a time of palpable darknesse darknesse
a kinde of sacred Authority in the consciences of men because he had this absolute power in Churches a great power for 1260. years together whether you reckon from Constantines time or Theodosius his time he had a marvellous power in Kingdomes Nations and Common-wealths But notwithstanding he had this power in those times yet Christ kept the interest in his own chosen as in Rev. 14. 1. where he had 144000. that were spotlesse virgins Answ â— The Lord Jesus will at length challenge all his own purchase them into his own hand when at the calling of the Jews all the Kingdomes of the world shall be given to the Saints of the most high Dan. 7. 26 27. The Lord will take them all into his own hand and power and jurisdiction but he must first throw down this enemy that hath usurped over his purchased possession But in the mean time this Beast swallows up all for so many Ages together For the use of the point First it may be to refute the Papists that give this as a true note of the Church namely amplitude of dominion as the Catholick Church had They give this for an infallible note of the Church now that note you see is here evidently ascribed to the people that worship the great Beast of whom the Lord saith here ver 8. their names are not written in the booke of the Lamb. So that this is a note not of an Apostolicall Church but it may be a note of an Apostaticall Church that is fallen away from the Apostles Doctrine It is a true description of that State of the Church You see here Power was given over to the Beast over all Kindreds Tongues and Nations And therefore amplitude of dominion is not an inseperable character of the Spouse of Christ for it may be given to those that are not the Church of Christ even to those that are but a Beast in the sight of God not his Spouse I may rather say the contrary that amplitude of Dominion was never a note of a Church of Christ since the world began For in the old Testament the State of the Church was Nationall and they had power over one Nation and sometimes conquered others as in David and Solomons time they conquered the Philistims Ammonites and Moabites and Edomites but it was never over all the whole world and that dominion which they had they did not challenge it by Church power but left them still to their own Religion for the Common-wealth propagated their power by arms having first occasion of warre given them by their arrogance to them In the dayes of the new Testament the Church that Christ instituted reacheth no further then to their own members and their own members reach no further then to one Congregation that all might hear and all might be edefied 1 Cor. 14. 23. So that if Church power extends no further then the bounds of one Congregation then that Church that swelleth and strecheth forth her power all the world over Kindreds and Tongues and Nations what an out-ragious swelling Beast is that that reacheth such vast dominion beyond the proportion that the Lord gave to his Church If you should see a body swell to such a vast bignesse that his armes shall reach from one end of the world to another would it not be counted a monster So in this case the Lord hath limited the power of the Church within it selfe it is a great power that they have but not so great as to binde conscience unless it be Ministerially and so they have power to binde Kings in chains and Nobles in lincks of Iron but to have power judiciary power over the Scriptures and over the conscience over and above the application of the word it is such as the Lord never gave to any Church but it is arrogated and usurped by the man of Sinne. Secondly it may serve to teach you the prouenesse of your natures to that which is evill above that which is savingly and spiritually good This power over all Kindreds and Tongues and Nations the Lord hath purchased by his death Rev. â— 9. He dyed and rose againe that he might be Lord both of quick and dead Rom. 14. 9. And upon his resurrection all power was given him in Heaven and Earth Mat. 28. 18. He prayed for this power and the Lord promised to give him it Psal â— 8. Aske of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the Earth for thy Possession This hath the Lord bought with his pretious bloud and paid for by the power of his eternall Spirit and yet never did the Lord Jesus enjoy this power to this day which the man of Sinne hath enjoyed for so many years together He will enjoy it at lenght when he shall call in the Jews and with them the fulnesse of the Gentiles and reigne in Soveraigne Authority both in Church and Common-wealth according to all the Councell of his word and will But yet it was never known to this day that so many Nations did submit their thrones to the Dominion and Government of Christ and to the Truth of Christ and to worship him with the servants of God notwithstanding the purchase which Christ hath made of this Soveraignty and notwithstanding the efficacy of his prayer for obtaining this power that hee might have dominion over all As soon as Constantine brought the world to become Christian the woman she fled into the Wildernesse The true worshippers of Christ were soon troden under the hatches a mountaine of corruption in Church Government overwhelmed them amain that you cannot set the time when so many Nations served him and were as ready to take up arms in his quarrell as they have done for the man of Sinne. You will say did they not for the recovery of the holy Land many Churches conspire and lay their heads together and engaged themselves for this Warre why when they they undertook that Warre was it Christ that commanded any such thing that Churches should engage themselves and their Estates and Lives and Souls and all for the recovery very of the holy City was it not meerly undertaken by the Bishop of Rome and by the motion of the Catholick Church in a Generall Councell The Roman Catholick Church met in a Generall Councell and they agreed to set about this expedition They promised pardon of Sinne to the people and in hope of that and such like things they went about it It was service to the Beast not to Christ God never acknowledgeth it as any service to Christs Kingdome It was for the advancement of the head of the catholick Church but as any grew more wise they grew more afraid of them So that it is a wonder to see never did the the Christian world give that Authority to Christ as they have done unto the Pope and his Institutions which are not Ordinances of Christ Yea let me say another word which is above
is the note The Bishop of Rome exerciseth all the Authority of the first Beast that is of the Roman visible Catholick Church he causeth all that dwell on the Earth to worship that Church he doth worke wonders even to the fetching of fire from Heaven and by his wonders procures all christian States to make an Image to the first Beast and gives such life and power to the Image of the Beast that it is able to speak and it shall cause such as do not worship it to be put to death and finally he leaves an impression or imprints a character upon all sorts of christians and will suffer none to enjoy spirituall or civill communion with them unlesse such as will receive either his marke or his name or the number of his name I put them into a doctrinall frame because they are the sum of the words of the Text. Let me breifly open them all First He doth exercise all the Authority of the first Beast Let all that are acquainted either with the writings of the Romanists or of our Divines that bear witnesse against Rome be testimonies in this case what is there that the Catholick Church claimes but the Pope can do it all There are six or seven trascendant â—cts of power which that Church claymes and the Pope familiarly exerciseth them all 1. The Pope hath power to convent generall Councels or if the Emperours will call a general Councel it shall not stand in â—oâ—ce unlesse the Catholick Church and the Bishops meet in a representative Synod it concludes with their determination this he pleads for to this day it belongs not to the Emperors nor to Christian Princes but to the Bishop of Rome It is one of Bellarmines affirmations that one Church shall have power to call all Churches be it to Florence or Basseil thether they must go whether he will 2. As the Catholick Roman Church did usurpe power to make Laws and Canons to binde all Churches So the Pope doth challenge the same power to make Laws to binde all Churches he pleads for it and will not be content without it 3. Look as the Catholick visible Roman Church doth claime Authority of ratifying Scriptures if they put in the Apocrypha it shall be good Scripture and if the Church do not approve the Gospel of Matthew in Greek but in Hebrew it shall be that or if they refuse both them and take the vulgar Latine that shall stand This power the Catholick Church challengeth power to do and the same doth the Pope 4. If the Roman Catholick visible Church challenge a power of interpreting Scripture and judging of controversies with infalibility of judgement The Pope challengeth that to himselfe when he interprets Scripture or decides controversies about Religion he cannot erre and so they make account he is a fit Judge therein 5. Look as you see the Roman Catholick visible Church had power of binding and loosing challengeth all applealâ— and great things they will do by that priveledge excommunicate some of many Churches that are absent some they excommunicate for seven years some to their death that the shall not be reconciled All this the Pope challengeth in a larger measure then the old Roman visible Church did challenge This the Roman Bishop challengeth to binde conscience to loose oathes and covenants between Prince and people between man and wife to loose vows and oaths and natural relations between parents and children if they will shrowd themselves in a Monastery and will dispence against the Apostle Paul in case of incest this is such a power to loose the bonds of Gods commandments and Gods oaths and relations to God and his servants it is such Transcendant power the Roman visible Catholick Church never challenged greater 6. The Roman visible Catholick Church never challenged so great power till it was animated and acknowledged by the Pope to take upon them to set up one King and to take down another King John in England Frederick the first and Frederick the second Henery the fourth and Henery the fifth he crowns and discrowns whom he will and this out of the plentitude of his power And lastly he doth challenge this beyond the Church it selfe Immunity and Impunity from all Civill and Ecclesiastical power and judicature The Church is above all jâ—dicial power and the Pope the head of it is above it and therefore may not be brought into order by any censure of any Church nor by the civil sword And therefore he 〈◊〉 well called one that exerciseth all the power of the first Beast and rather puts more power to it whatever the Catholick Church may do that he can do where they can dispence and make Laws where they can bind or loose c. So farre as they may go he can go and he doth all in the name and sight of the Church And he causeth all that dwell on the Earth That is carnal christians whose conversation is not in Heaven To worship the first Beast How to worship He speaks of divine worship not civil adoration This is an aberation from a Church but a beastly Church it is a monster The Church of the first institution was of one particular congregation and for all the Churches of the world to be subject to one Cathedral it is far beyond all comprehension of rule Now he causeth all that dwell on the Earth to worship that Beast Wherein are they to worship him 1. It is made a matter of necessity to salvation to be reconciled to that Church and more care is had of being reconciled to that Church then of being reconciled to God in Christ All pleas of being reconciled to Christ will not stand in their judgment unlesse you be reconciled to them 2. Except you be bound in conscience to that state he will allow you no communion he will have all the decrees of the Church as binding the conscience 3. This is divine worship you shall take no doctrine but that is of his stamp nor worship nor Government but of his acknowledgment nor no dispensation of them but according to his Canons And all that dwell on the Earth must worship him all run upon the Beast the Pope doth not so much challenge it to himselfe as to the Church and that which is given to the Church he takes to himselfe Thirdly He doth great wonders so that he makes fire come from Heaven on the Earth in the sight of men And it is said Antichrist shall come in all power of signes and lying wonders 2 Thes 2. 8 9. Their Legions are full of these wonders And in particular for this point of causing fire to come down from Heaven It is an allusion sure to the fire that the old Prophet fetched from Heaven As Eliah fetched fire from Heaven to consume the sacrifice 1 Kings 18. 38 39. And that was a fire that expressed Gods gracious acceptance that made all the people cry the Lord he is God But this the Pope did not fetch
sure he never fetched any acceptance from Heaven But you read of another fire fetched from Heaven by Eliah and that was to destroy those that mocked him 2 Kings 1. 10. 12. Which practise when James and John would have followed in Luke 9. 54 55 56. You shall read that they being offended with the Samaritans because they would not receive them Master say they shall we call for fire from Heaven to consume them as Eliah did Our Saviour utterly rejects that You know not saith he of what spirit ye are Now minde you that fetching fire from Heaven which is to destroy mens lives and not save them that James and John are taught to refusâ— as being incompatible to the Gospel But that which they refuse the Successour of Peter as they call him takes up if any Scribe or Pharisee or Samaritan refuse him then fire comes down from Heaven consuming fire and vengance and wrath and blood-shed and extreamity of outraged evils he causeth to come down upon them and in pretence from Heaven to destroy the Church and people of God that I take to be the cheif parâ— of the meaning of that But if any man will urge the letters of the Text which you need not in mystical Scriptures yet it is not without truth therein Gregory the seventh he declares this that he had strange power when he had much people about him he would have shaked the sleeve of his gound and caused fire to come down Now it is evident it might be for he was a Conjurer and 22. Popes together as their own storyes do record they were wiâ—ches and gave their soules to the Devil that they might obtaine the Popedome but they were but lying wonders for miracles require divine power but the Devil cannot go beyond the power of nature so that you may take it in the proper meaning their own men do much magnifie it and make it one of the markes of their Churche whereas Protestants that want miracles are not Churches So that those censures by which they thundred against christian Emperors they did follow with such success that they made all wonder that none could stand against them not Henery the fourth nor Henery the fifth not Leo the Emperour nor the King of Fraunce none of them all were able to take up armes against him they did all admire him Who is able to stand against him end to make Warre with him And that gave such free passage to his Laws that all christian States presently took up what injunctions he put upon them Fourthly by these miracles and the mighty successe of them he had power to cause them that dwell on the earth to make an Image to the Beast that had the deadly wound and was healed that is the Roman Catholick visible Church What is this Image of the Beast he causeth all the earth that is all earthly States to receive it he will suffer none to be without it what is this Image an Image not of their own making they must make an Image by his appointment It is an Image of the first beast not of the second directly and consequently the officers of that Beast must represent this second Beast but be an Image of the first if the first Beast was the Roman Catholick visible Church then if he causeth all the Earth to make an Image to that Beast then he causeth all Churches and Common-wealths to frame their State and platforme according to the Image of the Roman Catholick visible Church and therefore he causeth all Christian Princes to erect all their Churches in a Roman Catholick way what is that Metropolitan National Provnciall Diocesan Cathedral and Provincial Churches These are all lively characters of the Roman Catholick Church reserving stil pre-emenency to their mother Catholick Church of Rome but otherwise they are the lively Image of such a Church even as daughters are of their mothers and being overcome with the power of his miracles and deceits and delusions as you heard by the Policy of Canonists by carnall Policy and by their Votaries and by working miracles signes and lying wonders it is a wonder to see what power he had that all the power of the Popedome and of the Catholick Church was in a model and representation drawn in all Churches in Christendome during the time of 42. moneths which is 1260. years and then a great part of his Image was marred in a great part of Christendome but yet he still continues so then there is a lively Image of the Roman Catholick Church though it may be some are drawn from subjection thereunto and yet though they be drawn off from subjection to it yet still the Image and representation is written in the very foreheads of such Churches that is a fourth thing Fiftly He had power to give life to the Image of the Beast what life that it should both speak and cause That as many as would not worship the Image of the Beast should be killed How doth he put this life into the Image of this Beast to speak It is to speak with authorty as in verse 5. A mouth speaking great things He would speak and speak with authority that now these Diocesan Metropolitan and Provinciall Churches they can speak with authority as the Roman Catholick Church doth and their words must take place and he puts that life into it by his own canons and laws which they take up the canons and laws made by the Church of Rome do so animate Provincial and Diocesan Churches that they speak the same language not altogether so corrupt but with like authority and require like subjection of all persons and by your leave they grow to it for very conscience sake that those things which were indifferent before yet being laws of the Church now they must binde conscience this is to speak great things Now they have power likewise to cause as many as will not worship the Image of the Beast they shall be killed a signe none of them took that power like the beast but yet though they have not power to kill them yet to deliver them to the Secular power and they must kill them â— whatever the Diocesan Church doth agree on against her Hereticks that will not obey the Government or doctrine of the Church what then The deliver him to the Secular power then they cause him to be put to death and they deliver him to fire and faggot so you see the mighty power of this Beast There is one thing remaining of his power and that is the sixth and last effect He causeth all both small and great rich and poor free and bond to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads Kings and Princes Ministers and Clergy men as they call them high and low whatever they be he causeth them all to receive a character or marke either in their right hand or in their foreheads A marke in the hand that character themselves call an indelible character and
heart we are not returned from Babell but every new occasion puts us to a new plantation and when we are there we cannot rest And therefore I feare because we have not judged our selves for our inordinate walking in polluted Churches but have rather sought for our own peace then purity from these pollutions which there have defiled us or do not see any great need of judging our selves in that kinde thence it is that to this day the Lord hath much ado to quiet our hearts in his peace and purity and in power but still we are much destitute of inward purity and power of godlinesse and therefore dead heartednesse hangs about us to this day And therefore as we desire the power and purity and peace of Ordinances stamped upon our hearts so we are to bewaile the contagions we have had in this Image of the beast with Officers or people that so the Lord may give a reviving according to the desire of our hearts Lastly let it be of much praise and thanksgiving to God that hath delivered us and ours from these Contagions and pollutions in which you see all that dwell on the earth have been intangled and polluted in time past That he hath delivered us from the power of this Beast the Roman Catholick Church that he hath freed us from making an Image to that Beast we own none of his Ordinances and that God hath removed us from the marke of this Beast that we desire not to be accounted Catholicks nor Hirarchies nor stand members of a Diocesan or Provinciall or Cathedrall or Nationall Church but beare witnesse against them all And also that he hath freed us in some measure from the number of his name that many things that are of number and account with them are not of any number with us if there be any thing of the Beast in it And therefore it is matter of great praise to God You shall read of the hundred and forty foure thousand that God had gotten victory over the Image and mark of the Beast and over his name and the number of his name or had not left them in any bondage they sung as it were a new song before the Throne It is great matter of praise that here we may enjoy no head but the Lord Jesus Saul indeed was head of the Tribes of Israel but not of the Church 1 Sam. 15. 17. That the Lord hath given us to enjoy Churches and Congregational Assemblies by his Covenant to worship him in all his holy Ordinances that he 〈◊〉 given us to look for no Laws but his word no rules nor forms of worship but such as he hath set downe in his word no platforms of Doctrine but such as are held forth in the word of the Prophets and Apostles It is such a priviledge that for 1260. years the Christian world knew not the meaning of it unlesse it were here and there a few whom God had sealed this was the priviledg of a few sealed ones but this the Lord vouchsafeth to us this day above all Nations that have power of the civill sword It is true there is a great deale of these things in sundry other Churches but yet there is a tang of the image of the Beast that a company of Elders and Ministers they shall have power to impose Officers upon Churches and to excommunicate Officers and Members It is too much the image of the first Beast and too much of the power of both Beasts and therefore it is to be lamented but that the Lord should give us such liberty that all our Churches are not subordinate one to another and none arrogate nor plead Supremacy but are preserved and kept from all contagion of the first and second beast this calls us to abundant thankfulnesse and wee are to desire that the Lord would keep us at such a distance that we may never return to the image of either of the beasts Rev. 13. the last vers Here is wisdome Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast for it is the number of a man and his number is six hundred threescore and sixe THese words are some part of the description of the second Beast which arose after the former continued from the 11 th verse of this Chap. unto the end of it The former beast as you have often heard is the Roman-Catholick visible Church described at large from the first verse to the end of the 10 th The latter Beast is the head of the Catholique Church the Bishop or Antichrist of Rome and he is here described 1. By his Originall He came out of the earth 2. By his resemblance which is three-fold To the Lamb in his hornes To the Dragon in his tongue and speech and to the first beast in his power He exerciseth all the power of the first beast 3. As he is described thus by his Originall and by his resemblance so he is described by his great power and his power exerciseth it selfe in divers acts First He exerciseth all the power of the first beast Now the first beast being the Roman Catholique Church he exerciseth all the power of the Roman Catholique Church that look what the Roman Catholick Church can do the Pope can do with them or without them He can call Councels and make their Canons authenticall He can make Lawes to bind Conscience he can make Lawes to bind whole Churches as well as the Aecumenicall power of the whole Councell He can forbid any other doctrine or worship or government but what himselfe establisheth He can adde to the Scriptures the Apâ—crypha and he hath infallible power to judge Controversies Hee can binde and loose Conscience he can depose Kings and dispose of their Kingdoms and he can absolve Subjects from the oath of Fidelity He hath power to pardon sinne and to sell out pardons to them that buy them All that the first beast can do he will do and more but yet he doth it as the Text sayes in the sight of the first beast that is in the face and countenance of the first bâ—ast He is so modest that he will not take all that honour to the head but the whole body and derives all that honour expresly to himself The second act of his power He causeth all that dwell on the earth to worship the first beast The third act of his power He doth great wonders even to call downe fire from Heaven in the sight of men Not the fire of Acceptance which Eliah brought to consume the Sacrifice but the fire of Vengeance upon the Rebellious as the Prophet called for fire upon the Captains that came to attach him 4. He doth by his miracles deceive all that dwell upon the earth 5. He causeth them all to make an Image like unto the first beast The first beast as you heard was the Roman visible Catholicke Church then the image of the beast are all such like models and forms of Churches as are Diocesan
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now it is true in the Greek account they do reckon numbers by the letters of the Alphabet and from the first letter Alpha to Iota they are for singular units for Alpha is one and Beta is two c. and they put in Sigma and make that six Iota is the tenth letter and so is ten in number and from Iota to Rho they are reckoned by tens as Cappa is twenty Lambda thirty Mu fourty c. and so till you come to Rho and that is one hundred and then the rest that follow are so many multiplied as Sigma is two hundred Tau three hundred c. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 six hundred So that if these be understood as holding out the numbers as here the words expresse then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is six hundred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sixty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is six which being summed together they make up six hundred sixty six Now a man would wonder that the holy Ghost should delight in such Arithmetical riddles but since it pleaseth him thus to expresse himselfe we must not look at it as a cabalistical curiosity nor as an unsearchable mystery but they that labour herein shall finde that which may solace themselves and others For though by the arme of flesh no man shall be strong yet by the wisdome of God the servants of Christ shall see light and babes shall see the mystery of it Therefore to cleare up this point so far as God shall give light consider with me I pray you six or seven several observable passages of the holy story of the Revelâ—tâ—on that may hâ—lp us in some measure in enquiring and counting this sum of six hundred three score and six what it may point at Let it not be wearisome to you for though to us that are Ministers we think we are most properly in our element when we preack Christ and the need of Christ yet forasmuch as Antichrist is opposed to Christ and is an enemy to Christ the one contrary may be the better known by the other and no part of Scripture but is worthy our consideration we may not be so squemish as to neglect to seek what may be the councel of the holy Ghost in this point Observe therefore what the Scripture doth observe about this number First you shall observe this to finde out the meaning that such as have this number they all have liberty of commerce either in the Catholick Roman Church or in the Image of that Church they may trade with them whether in spiritual or temporal businesses they will not grudge you you are a currant market man among them you are a vendable commodity and you may passe with them and your mony is good silver as in Verse 16 17. But if you be not a Preist of their order nor a Roman Catholick nor have his number you may not buy nor sell that is something then Secondly Marke this that this number of the name is the degree of commerce with the Roman Catholick Church for so he doth discend Verse 17. No man may buy or sell but those that have the marke or the name of the Beast or the number of his name As who should say they were of the lowest they were the least sort of them yet to them it did pertaine that had the number of the name yet there is so much real difference between them that he saith plainly They that receive the mark or his name they shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation And they shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels and in presence of the Lamb And the smoak of their torment shall ascend up for ever and ever and they shall have no rest day nor night Rev. 14. 9 10 11. Which shews if they continue in it they cannot be saved There was a cry of the Angel with a loud voyce If any man worship the Beast and his Image and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand c. It shews the danger is very great to receive the mark of the Beast or the name of the Beast But the number of his name I do not read of any such judgement pronounced to be inflicted upon them though it be great wisdome to avoyd it and it will wonderfully advance their heavenly good to get free from it For wherein lies wisdome but in attaining our cheife good and to know the best means that leads to that good that is in communion with God in his Ordinances purely dispenced that is a second thing Thirdly there is this recorded of this number of the name that the choicest christians and the best christians they gave God thanks for victory over the number as well as over the Beast Rev. 15. 2. They got victory over the Beast and over his Image and over his marke and over the number of his name so that they sung the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb saying great and marvellous are thy works Lord God almighty c. They had got the victory over the number of the name of the Beast and they are more abundant in thanksgiving for deliverance then they that had onely victory over the marke and that is their Preistly order or profession of Roman Catholick Religion so that this will come neare some Churches conformed to the Image of the Beast that is National Diocesan or Cathedrall Churches but these have got victory over that not onely over the Beast and his Image and his mark and his name but also the number of his name The fourth observable thing in Scripture is I am occasioned to gather up little beaâ—s of wisdome which the holy Ghost hath scattred that so we may gather up this account that this number of his name is not said to be the number of his years It is neither the number of his years when he began nor the number of his years when he shall end They cannot make it the beginning of his years for though there be some that thought that Antichrist did first arise to a name in the year 606. yet they cannot cleare it by story It is 〈◊〉 in 606. or rather 604. Boniface took upon him the title of cheif Bishop that is spiritual advancing which was a part of Antichrist yet Antichrist was begun and 606 is not 666. there is 60. years difference and it is like the holy Ghost would not have varied so much in such an expresse number therefore this number is not for the time of the beginning of this beast Neither is it the end of his years for the beast continues still to this time which hath been almost a thousand years since 666. But some say in this round number something is omitted as when we say 88. we mean 1588. yet in Scripture phrase such small numbers are not
which so much concerns posterity may be established for my own part while we live I am not greatly solicitous thereabout yet for future we know not what Governors may arise and what may be put upon our posterity needful therefore that things were put in a right frame that whatever men say yet the Lord may say here is wisdome and here is neither marke nor name nor number of name but all carried according to the laws of the 12. Apostles and this will require some humiliation and if Moses stood in need of 40. days we much more of one day And for our native countrey we do not know what conflicts there may be there about the number of the name of the Beast we are come from them in bodily presence and therefore cannot helpe them by a word of advice but this we may do put up supplications to heaven and we may intreat the God of wisdome and the Prince of peace that he would put in amongst them that they may see the whole fabrick root and branch of the man of sin that so there may be a perfect combination of the two great Nations that the Parliament may be for the better not for the worse but purity of ordinances if it be the blessed will of God may be established however we shall finde a blessing and some of our brethren shall fare the better and if things wax clearer and zeal warmer they will begin to suspect the number as well as the name and as the head of the beast otherwise the three innocent ceremonies as they call them they are grown to six and being multiplyed by ten they may grow to 60. yea to 600. for ought I know Let us help them what we can by Prayer FINIS A TABLE of the principall Heads contained in this Book A THe amplitude of the Popes power page 113 Amplitude of dominion not an inseperable character of the Church 121 Angels created the first day of the weeke 188 Antichrist described 243 It is Antichristian to assume Gods titles 52 Transcendant authority dangerous to be admitted 72 Albingenses and Waldenses slaine to the number of 1000000. 100 B. Backsliders punished page 43 The first Beast what it is page 7. Described p. 2. Not the Pagan Empire p. 4. Not the Christian Empire pag 5. Whence it did arise p. 9 The Beast and the head of the beast is one and the same 44 The Beasts head when wounded and cured p. 35. his great words p. 62. the Beasts time how long p. 80. Why counted by monethes p. 86. When it did begin p. 86 The Beasts power p. 98. From whence p. 115. Why Saints worship not the Beast 139 The second Beast described 223 Bishoply power to be prayed against 38 Blasphemy what 67 Blessed are the sufferers for Christ page 219 Bodie of death what 185 Booke of Providence and booke of Conscience and the booke of life what 132 The Popes Buls are but baubles 90 C. IT is a Character of the second Beast to be without controul p. 236 Christs Government over all Nations 12â— Christ both the subject and the author of life 130 Why Christ answered not Pilate 157 Christ the Lamb slaine p. 154. Christ slaine from the beginning of the world how 189 Christ the stone cut out of the mountaine without hands p. 196. the head of the Church 37 Christians may make a defensive warre 108 The Church Catholick is not visible 13 The power of the Church 13 The Roman Catholicke visible Church a beast p. 14. They receive their power from the Devill 22 Nationall and Diocesan Churches an Image of the beast 16 Christs Church is such as meet in one Congregation 15 No Communion to be held with Antichristian Churches 239 Scripture Computations most exact 95 D. THe Popes Decretals the number of the Beast page 253 Dwellers on the earth who 230 Defensive war of Prorestants p. 104. Defensive warr lawfull 108 Denmark one of the ten horns 81 Devill cast out of heaven when and where 88. 92 E. EAre to heare what it meanes 206 Election a booke of life p 135. in what sence it is sayd to be sure p. 150. How we are said to make it sure 150. 153 England one of the ten horns p. 10. 81. F. FAith the victory whereby we overcome the world page 108 The Faith of Romanists is the saith of the Devill 210 No Falling from grace 149 France one of the tenne horns 81 Fryars are Incendiaries 101 Fundamentall power is in the people 72 G. GRace and workes opposite page 210 God most exact in his computations 94 Christs Government over the world p. 122. It is hard to be set up in England 12 Governours are subject to law p. 109. they may be resisted and when 109 Gregory sent for England 51 H. HEadship of the Church is Christs priviledge page 39 Hints of Providence should be taken 45 To keep Holy-dayes is blasphemy 67 Tenne Horns of the Beast 81 I. IMmunity and impunity from all censures is the Beasts claime page 230 Image of the Beast what p. 223. that all Officers Governments and worship not instituted by Christ are but Images 238 Diocesan Cathedrall and Nationall Churches are Images of the Beast 239 It is impossible for Saints to fall finally 148 The Judgment upon persecutors 217 Justification is from free grace 163 K. THe Kingly power of Christ page 122 L. CHrist the Lamb slaine p. 154. 168. Why called a Lam p. 155. Why slaine p. 170. What the book of the Lamb p. 135 Lex 〈◊〉 unto persecuting Tyrants 98 Boundlesse Liberty dangerous 71 The Lyon of Babels language 12 The Love of God most free 146 M. MAgistrates power should be limited page 73 Magistrates subject to the Churches censures 126 The fifth Monarchy 120. 122 The 42. Moneths the same with 1260. dayes 83 Why the Beasts time is numbred by Moneths 86 When these Moneths began 93 Opening of the Mouth what it meanes 64 Morall vertue is but a silken or golden chaine 197 N. NAvaâ—â— one of the tenne Horns page 81 No Name whereby to be saved but Christ 201 Number of the Beasts name 247 O. VVHat Obedience Subjects owe to Princes page 111 Opening the mouth what it meanes 64 Opportunity to wound the Beast ought not to be neglected 45 P. PArishes a part of the beasts Image page 20 A Papist by his Religion cannot go beyond a reprobate 143 The People can give no power but what the word of God allows 72 Peace with Idolaters dangerous 105 Persecutors rewarded in their kind 98 Gods judgement on Persecutors 217 Pontifex Maximus the Popes style 88 Pope the head of the Beast that was wounded p. 34. When wounded p. 35. When cured 35 Pope is the seventh head p. 47. Hee rules the world p. 52. Hee assumes divine power 53 Pope is the head of the second Beast p. 215. Why compared to a wild beast p. 226 what power he challengeth 229 Popes have been Conjurers 232 Popery a worm-eaten Religion p.