in general and of the Heads and Horns and Actions of a Beast in that Prophecy There are a multitude of Instances there of the constant use of these figures in one and the same determinate Notion and it is generally agreed That St. John by the like expressions in the Revelations does every-where allude to them as the Original Copy of his Figures and as a Nomenclator to explain the meaning of them See References in the 5th Chapter There is also this further advantage in the Prophetical Usages of the mystical Expressions in Daniel That there is the concurrence of almost all Interpreters in the particular signification of them who yet differ from one another about the signification of the same Expressions in the Revelations And as I found this to be of very great effect for the silencing of mine own Scruples so is it the most certainly satisfactory method for the generality of the World The Prophecies of Daniel have indeed that advantage above CONSENT any other Mystical Writings of that nature that the things foretold in them are so plainly described That all who have considered them have in all Ages till this latter generally agreed about their Interpretation One or two Instances to the contrary in the space of so many Ages will be no material exception against it by Rule the 4th Porphyrie the Philosopher who is the first that is said to be of a different mind from the rest yet gives such a reason for his confining the date and matter of these Prophesies to the times of Antiochus Epiphanes as does unquestionably confirm the clearness S. Hierom. Prooem in Dan. of his Expressions in all his Visions St. Jerom acquaints us that his reason for it was Because it seemed plain to him That the Author must have lived about the times of Epiphanes from the distinct Account he gives us in the 11th Chapter of the Successions and Actions of the Syrian and Egyptian Kings under the names of the King of the North and of the King of the South till the time of Epiphanes And so he will have it to be an History of what is past and not a Prophecy of things to come Could there be a greater Testimony of the clearness of Prophetical Expressions than to see a profest Enemy to it acknowledge it to be so very plain that he could not believe it to be Cathol Expos Eccles in Apoc. Tanta enim dictorum fides fuit c. For the things were so plainly fulfilled that to Unbelievers he seemed not to have foretold things to come but to have related things before past and done any thing but an History of things past As for his suspicion of the Authority of it that is as satisfactorily answered as need be 1. By our Saviour's owning the Prophecy Matth. 24. 15. Which to Christians is an undeniable proof though it could not be so to an Infidel 2. Josephus who lived about the time of Christ not two hundred years after Antiochus Epiphanes does own the Prophecy of Daniel for the most considerable of any that they had and relates of it That it was shown to Alexander the Great by Jaddus the High-Priest upon the account of the 8th Chapter which did plainly foretel his Conquest of the Persian And that this was owned by Alexander and rewarded with many great Privileges to the Jews particularly that of being Tax-free every seventh year which no question remained to Josephus's Age as the publick Memorial of that Action What an unaccountable Forgery would that be which should be able to impose so strangely upon one of the most Learned Antiquaries in that Age and make him take a Writing concerning his own Nation not Two hundred years old for an Ancient Writing of Five hundred years standing 3. Especially when we consider that it had been long received into the Jewish Canon of Scripture in Josephus's days and had been constantly used in Greek Translations in their Synagogues as appears by our Saviour's Quotations which is impossible for a forged Book not much above One hundred years old to have been After this assurance Porphyry's suspicion that it was an History of things seen by the Writer of it is as great a confirmation as can be desired of the clearness of Daniel's meaning in his Prophetical Descriptions in some parts of his Visions And the general concurrence of almost all Interpreters about the determinate sense of the rest is proof enough of the plainness of his Expressions in all For what can give one a plainer ground to presume that it is easie to arrive at a perfect knowledge of the signification of the Mystical Schemes of a Prophecy than first to see it accused by an Enemy of having been wrote after the things were done only upon the account of the clearness of the terms that are used to express them And next to see all Interpreters of the most different Parties and Interests unanimously agreed upon the particular Application of them This is an encouragement sufficient to make one hope for the fullest satisfaction from the Visions of Daniel concerning the constant signification of the same Mystical Terms in both Prophecies In order to which The first thing that it is the most necessary to be resolved about as the general Basis of all that is to follow is this Proposition That the Kingdom of the Son of Man in Daniel the 7th v. 13 Proposit 13. 14. is some Kingdom of Christ Jesus upon Earth 1. That it is some Kingdom upon Earth is manifest from v. 27. where it is said that it is the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven 2. That it is the Kingdom of our Jesus is as certain as it is that our Jesus was the true Messias For there is no name of the Messias any-where so peculiarly owned by Christ as this name of the Son of Man is all over the Gospel And as by the note of reference joined with it it must refer to some use of that name in some places of the Old Testament where it is before mentioned so do we find St. Matthew 24. 30. what place of the Old Testament that is For our Saviour does there join that name of his with the very same Circumstances that it is mentioned with here in Daniel In that place of St. Matthew and in all the other Gospels beside in his Prophecy of his coming he calls it the coming of the Son of Man in the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory which is just the same with that in the 7th of Daniel about the coming of the Son of Man in the clouds of Heaven and his waving an Vniversal Kingdom given him at the time of that Judgment when there were infinite multitudes of Angels attending It is most certain from our Saviour's Examination before the High-Priest That it was the commonly received Opinion of all men in those days That the name of the Son of Man in those circumstances of his appearance that
but yielded which the Jesuit Alcasar * In v. 2. c. 11. Apocalyps Notat 4. item ante Notation See Preface to the Judgments of God upon the R. C. affirms to be necessary and the contrary of it to be not at all agreeable to the Enigmatical style of the Revelations that is That the 1260 days are to be taken in a Mystical and not in the literal sense Those Notes would be the surest confirmation that that Church must be the Great Babylon For as the Mystical acceptation of a Day in Scripture is a Year so is it impossible to apply the Characters answering to those Marks in the Revelations to any Ruling Power besides for the space of 1260 together since the writing of the Prophecy Ex. gr Where-ever was there an Empire since the writing of the Prophecy but that of the Roman Church that Note 1 was so Universal for 1260 years together as to have all that dwell upon Earth Peoples and Multitudes and Rev. 13. 8. c. 17. 15. Nations and Tongues to worship it What Ruling Power but that so Ancient as to have the Blood of Prophets and Saints and of all that were slain upon Earth of Note 2 that kind for that space of time to be found in it What Rev. 18. 24. Rule but that had ever so long a duration in the World as to continue set upon an Hill much less upon seven Hills Note 3 for so great a space of time or so as to answer the whole length of the time of the Saracen and Turkish Empires Rev. 9. 1 13. in the Two first Woes Never had any other Church Note 4 such an Amplitude or variety of Believers as to have all Nations drink of the Wine of her Fornication or so Rev. 18. 3 c. 13. 7. as to have a blasphemous power over all Kindreds and Tongues and Nations None but that was ever so eminently conspicuous for so long a time for the Succession Note 5 of its Bishops under one Supreme Patriarch as to be the Living Image of all the Civil Dignities of the Empire where Rev. 13. 12 14 15. it was under one Supreme Church-Head exercising all the power of the Civil Head or with Imperium in Imperio Nor did ever any Enemy of God's Church act for so long a time like the Red Dragon in its bloody Laws against the Note 6 Followers of the Lamb And yet so far agree with the Primitive Church in fundamental Doctrines as to answer the Character of a False Prophet with the Horns of Rev. 13. 11. the Lamb Christ but speaking like the Red Dragon to his Followers as the Church of Rome has done Whereever but there has there been such an union of Head and Note 7 Members for that length of time to apply the one mind Rev. 17. 13 17. of the Ten Kings to for their agreement together to give their power and strength and their whole Kingdoms to the Beast Never did any but that Church appear so long together with such a medly of Sanctity in some Doctrines Note 8 10. and outward appearances of a strict holiness of life joined with other abominable Doctrines and Practises to qualify it for the Horns of the Lamb and the Speech of the Dragon for the Idolatrous and cruel Commands of the Rev. 13. 12 15. Image Or for having the Form of Godliness in the latter 2 Tim. 3. 1 7. times and yet denying the power thereof Or for forbidding 1 Tim. 4. 3. to marry and commanding to abstain from Meats and yet maintaining Doctrines of Devils What Deceiving Power but that did ever shew so wonderful an efficacy Note 9 of its Doctrine as to make the Kings of the Earth and Rev. 17. 2. all Nations drunk with the Wine of its Fornication Or where did God ever send such an efficacious Delusion as to make men so strongly to believe a lye things clear contrary 2 Thess 2. 11. to the common Sense and Reason of all Mankind Note 11 The Glory of Miracles never appeared any where so long Rev. 13. 14. to make good the False Prophet's lying Wonders and his Matth. 7. 22. deceiving all that dwell upon Earth by the means of them And never was there but in the Roman Church so long a Reign of those that prophesied in the name of Note 12 Christ with Signs and Wonders to assure the Gift of Prophecy to them and so to answer the Character of the False Rev. 13. 14. Mat. 24. 24. Prophet working Miracles to deceive the World and even if it were possible the very Elect. Nor ever had any Power upon Earth so numerous Confessions of its Note 13 Adversaries for the application of these Notes of his Church in the Revelations to verify the Testimony of the Witnesses Rev. 11. 3. no Church or State in the World beside has made such an unhappy end of any thing near so many of its Enemies Note 14 as the Roman to assure us That it can be nowhere but there that the Image caused all to be killed Rev. 13. 15 16 17. that would not worship it nor receive its mark and name Nor did Temporal Felicity ever attend any other Note 15 Religion for half the time of the Roman Reign to make it possible to understand the Riches and Glory of Babylon to Rev. 18. 16 17. her last hour of any thing else If it should here be said That these 1260 years are to be verified of some Empire yet to come It must however be allowed That the present Roman Church is as like that Antichristian Empire for all the time that it is to continue and that for 1260 years as one thing can well be like another This would make one apprehend That Bellarmin was perfectly infatuated to make choice of such things for the marks of his Church as make it the very picture of Babylon the Great in the Revelations and shews the Use and great moment of the Notes of the Church as delivered by Cardinal Bellarmin So also for other Intricate Controversies E. G. If this Application of the Apocalypse were once secured who would much trouble himself to prove the formal Idolatry of the Church of Rome when it appears here to be the Mother of Harlots that has made all Nations Rev. 18. 3. drink of the Wine of her Fornication Or to defend any Reformed Church from the imputation of Schism when there is such an express Command to the People of v. 4. God to come out of her any ways with or without the countenance of Authority that they be not partakers of her Sins and so receive of her Plagues Or to contend much for the perpetual visibility of the true People of God when the Prophecy does so expresly distinguish betwixt them as unknown and a False Idolatrous and Apostate Church Ibidem Rev. 18. 4. c. 7. wherein they sojourn and does set them forth as persons
the judging the Dead v. 18. cap. 11. Apoc. which Grotius and those of Alcasar's way interpret of the time of Rome-Heathen cannot be fulfilled before the time of the last Judgment Comment in cap. 10. Apocal. Numer 20. The Censures of both the Two former Opinions by the most eminent of the Romish Interpreters may very reasonably plead an excuse for a Third advanced in their stead by the Protestants and that is this That the Beast in general is the Roman Empire but when taken for the Eighth King is The Present Ruling Power of the Roman Church That the Seven Heads of the Beast are Seven successive Changes of Roman Government That the Sixth of them said to be in being at the time of the Vision is the Imperial Government The change of that into another form the Rev. 17. 10. Seventh King And the next to that The Antichristian Soveraignty of the Roman Church is the Eighth which is of the Seven And therefore the Three Years v. 11. and an half so often mentioned by Months and Days must be so many Prophetical Years as there are days in that Period according to the Examples that there are in Scripture to take a Day for a Year in a Prophetical Sense For this they seem to have all the Premises which are the main foundation of their Conclusion from the opinions of the Roman Interpreters themselves The General Notion of the Beast for the Roman Empire they have from Alcasar Bellarmine c. to whom agree Grotius and Dr. Hammond As also their acceptation of the Seven Heads for Roman Governours from the same Their making the Seven Heads to be so many successive Lines of Roman Sovereigns each of which contains under it a long Succession of single persons of the same sort is according to Alcasar's Notion of the Heads And Ribera tho he makes them not Roman Heads yet contends much for In cap. 13. Apoc. sect 2. their being Seven general sorts of Sovereign Power each of which contains under it a succession of many In cap. 17. Apoc. num 15. single Rulers of that kind according to all the known Examples of Daniel and other places of Scripture And then since the Prophecy says of one of these Kings viz. the Sixth That he was in being at the time of the Vision that could be no other sort of Sovereign Power that contained a Succession of many single Persons under it but the Imperial Government of the Romans And the determining of this does thereupon make it necessary that the rest of the Heads or Kings should be other Titles of the Government of Rome And what then can be pitched upon for this end with more reason than those other Changes of the Government of Rome which are frequently recorded by the Roman Authors Kings Consuls c. Whatever were the Five first Kings yet it is less dubious that that which is called the Beast must be the next Change of Roman Government but one to the Imperial that was in Rule at the time of the Vision And the Roman History does assure us That there has been at least Two such Changes since that time and that therefore The Beast must be somewhere in being at this present in the Ruling Power of the City of Rome because he is described to continue with Babylon and the Seven Hills to the Universal Kingdom of Christ Therefore do they conclude That it must be the present Ruling Power of the Church of Rome because it is described to be a Roman-Church-Power and it cannot possibly be any where else than there THE HEADS OF THE BOOKS BOOK I. THE Uniform Notion of The Beast all over the Revelation BOOK II. The Constant Signification of A Beast and its Parts all over Daniel BOOK III. The Particular Signification of The Beast and its Parts in the Revelations BOOK IV. The Application of the Characters of The Beast ERRATA These necessary to be Corrected before the reading of the Book PAge 23. l. 27. for it the reade it The. p. 105. l. 17. r. pag. 102. So also p. 107. l. 5. item l. 22. r. the same p. 108. l. 30. r. pag. 107. And l. 35. no full point p. 130. l pen. r. Prop. 7. p. 141. l. 12. for and with the Seventh King r. revived p. 180. l. 11. r. Corol. 2. Prop. 8. p. 192. l. ult r. pag. 157 158. In the Marg. r. chap. 4. lib. 3. p. 206. l. ult and p. 207. l. 10. for 140. r. above 40. p. 211. l. 27. dele twice p. 245. l. 28. r. Prop. 25. l. 30. r. Prop. 26. So also p. 247. l. 3. p. 270. l. 12. r. 261. Appendix p. 19. l. 9. a full stop l. 10. to be continued with l. 11. p. 26. l. ult for never r. after Notes of References necessary to be Corrected before reading P. 138. l. 20. strike outa. p. 139. l. 1. strike outb. p. 142. l. 36. r. a Consuls p. 143. l. 2. for c r.b. l. 4. for d r.c. p. 158. l. 16. The Note e to be set the line before the Notes following e are anticipated in the References as far asl. And p. 165. l. 14. r. e Panciroll and l. 23. for e r. f c. p. 190. l. 17. r. this Chapter p. 219. l. 12. r. Note s. p. 242. in the Marg. r. Note 5 6 on Chap. 7. Lib. 3. p. 259. The Notes are right but p. 266. the Notes answering them are postponed for g r. h for h r. i c. to the end p. 278. l. 8 9. r. Notes on the 4th Chapter p. 286. l. 23. r. m Paullus bb sup p. 311. l. 6 7. Notes bb cc transposed in the References p. 315. P. 313. l. 2. r. Note b on the 5th Chapter p. 315. l. 35. r. Note c on the 5th Chapter p. 316. l. 8. r. Note m. l. 17. r. Note l on the 5th Chapter Lib. 4. p. 317. l. 10. r. Ch. 5. l. 22. Notes b c d e on Chap. 4. and Note a Chap. 5. Lib. 4. l. 23. r. Chap. 4. l. 24. r. Notes i l on Chap. 4. and i on Chap. 5. Lib. 4. Other Faults less Considerable P. 81. l. 36. for by some r. by Him p. 116. l. 23. strike out possible to be p. 132. r. in the Marg. Chap. 6. Lib. 3. ibid. l. 23. to Nation add or his Western and Eastern Empire p. 143. l. 6. dele part last p. 149. r. Chap. 2. Lib. 1. p. 172. r. Epagomenae and elsewhere p. 180. l. 6. to Prop. 6. add Prop. 7. p. 238. l. 11. r. five days and a quarter l. 14. r. Roman years p. 251. l. 16. no full point p. 288. l. 14. r. Romijith Latinos Proper Names and Latin Quotations sometimes mistaken THE Introduction Concerning the Authority of the Apocalypse which is shewn to be unquestionable THE Book of the Revelations is acknowledged by all contending Parties to be the only distinct Prophecy that we have of the successive fortunes of the Christian Church from its first