rest of the Army of the great King with such splendour and luster as is ineffable their Mouths also being filled with Songs of Victory and their Ears with the Echo of their own Melodie For the Air was miraculously tuned into Musicall Accents to their Divine Ditties as if some invisible hand had play'd upon the Concave of the Heavens as upon some well-strung Harpsicall or Theorbo So that my Soul was so enravished with the sight and with the Musick that my Heart melted mine Eyes flowed over with tears and my Spirits failed within me for very excess of Joy Philop. Certainly Theomanes was in a very great Rapture when he was thus affected Philoth. And he was thus really affected Philopolis as he told me and I dare believe him for he is a man of the greatest Simplicity imaginable Philop. But I have interrupted you again Philotheus before I was aware I pray you go on Philoth. But part of this pleasure was quickly intercepted by a sudden overcasting of the Heavens as it were with an universal thick Cloud of a rusty hue But I heard the Musick still whereby I might discern the motions of that Triumphal Pomp. But a more dreadfull noise presently put an end to that Rapture also For this Cloud of Night broke into a Chasm near the celestial Army which was instantly filled with a most glorious Light and through that lucid passage I heard a mighty voice like the sound of a Trumpet saying I am Alpha and Omega the First and the Last the Beginner and Continuer and Ender of Ages I am he that lived and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore and have the Keys of Hell and Death Whereupon the Chasm closed again and the Souls of the forsaken were filled with horrour For they presently expected the execution of that dreadful Sentence Matt. 25.41 Go ye accursed into everlasting Fire And indeed after some pause and silence wherein I again heard that Heavenly Melodie but a little farther off that Triumphant Company ascending higher and higher through the bright azure fields of peacefull Bliss the arched roof of this hollow Dungeon seemed all on fire with cross Flashings and Lightenings running all over Which had no sooner ceased but the seventh Thunder uttered its voice which was accompanied with a rowling and tearing noise every way over the whole Sky Whereupon the Clouds set a-raining one continuall sad and direful showr of Fire and Brimstone upon this forlorn Crew till the whole Earth became but as one round Lake or Pond of burning Sulphur Apoc. 20.15 And whosoever had not his name found in the Book of Life his portion was in this Lake of fire burning with Brimstone Apoc. 21.8 which is the second Death This is Theomanes his Vision O Philopolis of the seven Thunders Which contains in it the most distinct order and succession of Affairs in the Church from the beginning of the seventh Trumpet to the end of all things that I ever met with I must confess the Distinctions are but general but if I had had any thing more precise and particular that great sincerity and nobleness of spirit and hearty love and zeal for the Interest of the Kingdome of God which I persuade my self I discern in you would have obliged me to have imparted it to you with a very good will Philop. I give you many thanks Philotheus for your good opinion and bountiful intention But what you have imparted is more then I could merit or hope to obtain from any other hand and such as I must acknowledge my self competently well satisfied with as having some guess what every one of those Thunders mean but should be better confirmed in my apprehensions thereof if you would briefly communicate your thoughts of them Philoth. That I shall doe XXXIX A brief Explication of Theomanes his Vision and very briefly O Philopolis These seven Things therefore are orderly contained in the seven Spaces of the seven Thunders In the first the Effusion of the seven Vials In the second The settling or establishing of the Church into the State of the new Ierusalem come down from Heaven In the third That more full and universal Reign of Christ called the blessed Millennium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or in a more proper and eminent sense In the fourth The loosing of Satan or the visible vergency of the World to another Degeneracy or Apostasie from the Kingdome of Christ. In the fifth An Attempt of the apostatized part of the World to get the Dominion again over the Godly and the danger of the Wicked's again captivating the Iust. In the sixth The visible appearance of Christ in the last Judgement wherein he gives Sentence upon both the bad and the good In the seventh and last The Execution of this Sentence the Godly and sincere Believers ascending with the holy Angels towards their Heavenly Inheritance prepared for them while Hypocrites and Unbelievers are tumbling with the Devils in the Lake of Brimstone burning with Fire Philop. I thought there was some such meaning of this Vision and plainly see through the Symbols and Iconisms of it that there is nothing contained in it that is at all dangerous or Heterodox But the manner of his being affected in his receiving these orderly-ranged Truths seems to me something extraordinary Does not Theomanes highly relish such a peculiarity of Dispensation O Philotheus Philoth. XL The important Usefulness of Theomanes his Vision together with the Iustifiableness of his yielding to such an Impression Not at all Philopolis so far as I can discern He onely expresses himself well pleased with the Reasonableness and Usefulness of the Vision For he professes it consonant to both Scripture and Philosophy and has taken notice severall times in my hearing how useful it is both for the digesting all those Visions in the Apocalypse that appertain to the last Trumpet into their right Order according to Synchronism and also to discover the Ignorance of some that have pretended to Inspiration who guessing that the last Trumpet is the Trumpet of the last Judgement in a Politicall sense but not discerning these distinct parts of it I mean the distribution thereof into the seven Thunders have adventured to conclude to the prejudice of the Apostolick Faith that there is no other Judgement but this nor any other Trumpet to raise the Dead and to summon them before the Tribunal of Christ then the Evangelization of a certain Doctrine of their own broaching But assuredly Philopolis that Resurrection which S t. Paul treats of in his first Epistle to the Corinthians is not a Moral nor Politicall Resurrection as cannot but be palpably manifest to any one that impartially peruses his Discourse and therefore the last Trumpet there mentioned cannot bear a mere Moral or Politicall signification As it is manifest that cannot in his first to the Thessalonians For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout 1 Thess. 4.16 17. with the voice of
Empire in Constantine's time became the Kingdome of God but were no particular members of the Church at that time in any thing reprehensible Whether the Reformation cease to be the Kingdome of God for the wickedness of some of that denomination let our Adversaries be judges who never spared to style themselves Holy Church for all the abhorred ungodliness of the Heads their Holinesses at Rome and universal pollution of the members and that because they took themselves to be the true Christian Church and to hold the right Faith and to retain the Rites and Religious Practices as to the externall Worship of God though they were indeed an Antichristian Church and all overrun with abominable Doctrines and Idolatrous Practices and Diabolical Cruelties against the true Worshippers of God Of how much more right therefore ought the Reformation to be held the holy people of God and his peculiar Kingdome who profess the Apostolick Faith entire without any Idolatrous superadditions who murther no man for his Conscience and make the infallible Word of God it self the Object of their Profession and the platform of their Religion Cuph. The truth is the disparity is infinitely great if the Roman and Reformed Church stood in competition which of them two should be the Kingdome of God Bath But it being so plain that the Reformed Church is the true Externall Kingdome of God forasmuch as they make pure profession of the Gospel of the Kingdome cleared from all the gross Corruptions of men and teach Christ merely according to the Word of Christ and that also in this regard the Church of Rome by their Antichristian Doctrines is really a contrary Kingdome thereunto that is the Kingdome of Antichrist how abominably nauseous O Cuphophron must Indifferency in Religion be amongst Pretenders to Protestantism whenas the Romanists themselves scarce in the worst of times would have laid down their zeal in the behalf of that Christianity against Turcism though Turcism ought not to be more abominable to them then their Antichristianism ought to be to us XVII The Charge of Antinomianism against th Reformation For what can be more contrary then the Kingdome of Christ and of Antichrist Cuph. This would bear more weight with it Bathynous if there were no gross flaws in the externall Profession of the Protestants and that they were right in their declared Opinions For in my judgement Antinomianism and Calvinism I mean that dark Dogma about Predestination are such horrid Errours that they seem the badges of the Kingdome of Darkness rather then of the Kingdome of God Bath What you mean by Antinomianism O Cuphophron I know not But so far as I know there are but these two meanings thereof either a conceit that we are exempted by the liberty of the Gospel from all moral Duties a thing exploded by all the Protestant Churches as you may understand by the Harmony of their Confessions or else it signifies a disclaim of being justified by the doing our Duties and an entire relying on the Satisfaction or Atonement of Christ which rightly understood has no evil at all in it but is an excellent Antidote against Pride For those that profess such an Antinomianism as this and declare they look to be saved by Faith onely without the Works of the Law will not deny but that they are to live as strictly and holily as if they were to be saved by the integrity of their conversations and yet when they have lived as precisely as they can that they are wholly to relie upon the mercy of God in Christ. How lovely how amiable is such a disposition of a Soul as this who taking no notice of her own innocency or righteousness casts her self wholly on the Goodness and Merits of her Saviour and so like an un-self-reflecting and an un-self-valuing childe enters securely and peaceably into the Kingdome of God and into the choicest mansions of his heavenly Paradise Cuph. Nay if that be the worst of it Bathynous I am easily reconciled to Protestantism for all this Bath This is the worst of it O Cuphophron so far as I can understand And you know the orthodox Protestants universally adde their Doctrine of Sanctification or a good life to that of Justification by Faith onely so that I dare say they dealt bonâ fide but by a secret Providence directed so their style and phrase as was most effectual to oppose or undermine the gainful traffick of that City of Merchandises where the good works they ordinarily cry'd up so were nothing else but the good and rich wares those cunning Merchants purchased at cheap rates from abused souls the increase of whose sins were the advance of the Revenues of the Church and their externall good works as they are called an excuse for their want of inward Sanctification and real Regeneration the main things the Protestants stand upon which can be no more without Good works in the best sense so called then the Sun without Light Cuph. But are there then Bathynous no Antinomians in the ill sense amongst the Protestant Bath No otherwise Cuphophron then there were Gnosticks and Carpocratians in the Apostolick times There are but disallowed by general suffrage Cuph. Let that then suffice XVIII The Charge of Calvinism against the Reformation But this dark Opinion of Predestination how dismall does it look Bathynous black as the smoak of the bottomless pit out of which the Locusts came Bath What do you allude to the Turks and Saracens Cuphophron The Turks indeed are held great Fatalists whence some in reproch call this Point of Calvin Calvino-Turcism Who would have thought Cuphophron so Apocalyptical That you take so great offence at Predestination in that rude and crude sense that some hold it I do not at all wonder for it has ever seemed to me an Opinion perfectly repugnant to the nature of God that he should Predestinate any Souls to endless and unspeakable misery for such sins as it was ever impossible for them to avoid This is a great reproch in my apprehension to the Divine Majesty But that there is an effectual Election or Predestination of some to eternall life I must confess I think it not onely an Opinion inoffensive but true which seems to me probably to be intimated from such passages as these Apoc. 13.8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship the Beast whose names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world And again in another place of the Apocalypse And they that are with him are called Apoc. 17.14 and chosen and faithfull And also in the Epistle to the Romans Rom. 8.28 29. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them that are the called according to his purpose For whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate and whom he did predestinate them he also called c. These places considered together want not their force
standing upon the brink of the Sea of Glass and singing the Song of Moses the Servant of God and the Song of the Lamb of which I have told you the meaning already Philop. I remember it very well XXXVI In what part of the Revolution of Ages we now are with some Cautions for the right understanding of the style of the Apocalypse But if there has been already a Rising of the Witnesses in what part of the Revolution of Ages are we placed O Philotheus Are we not in the Seventh Trumpet Philoth. Yes it cannot be otherwise For upon the rising of the Witnesses it is said that the second Wo is past and the third is the seventh or last Trumpet wherein all the Kingdomes of the world are to become the Kingdomes of the Lord and his Christ but they must be taken in by degrees as Victories are gain'd more and more against the Beast Philop. Why is there such fighting against the Beast under the last Trumpet Philotheus Philoth. Yes For all the Vials are comprehended within the first Thunder of the last Trumpet The first Thunder contains the Seven Vials as the last Seal does the seven Trumpets And I conceive that this seventh Trumpet is called a Wo-Trumpet mainly for these Vials of the wrath of God that fill the first part thereof namely the first Thunder Philop. That is not irrational O Philotheus But I pray you tell us in what part of the seventh Trumpet are we now placed Philoth. In the first Thunder Philopolis Philop. And in what Vial Philoth. In the third Philopolis so far as my judgement reaches in these things Philop. Can you point then Philotheus to the Events orderly corresponding to the three first Vials Philoth. I do not know what you mean by orderly corresponding Philopolis nor am I assured that the Vials signifie such a continued orderly succession of individual Actions or Events the first ceasing with the first Vial the second with the second the like Vial with its Event never being reiterated or continued while some others are a-pouring out and that the seven Vials are not like the seven Heads of the Beast which signifie seven kinds of Governments of which some when intermitted were resumed again so I am not assured but these seven Vials may signifie seven kinds of Plagues rather then seven distinct and precise individual courses of so many kinds ceasing so soon as another begins and never beginning again when once ceased For there is mention of the Event of the first Vial under the fifth Apoc. 16.11 And indeed to prepare you at once for all I do think a man may miss of the more genuine sense of the Apocalypse by over-much leaning to humane Curiosity Which I think the Spirit of God does not at all go about to gratifie but in an high and majestick style conveys onely what is mainly useful for the Church to take notice of And therefore in that high noise and tempest of Prophetick Phrases and Iconisms rattling about our ears and beating upon our phancies we are to lie low and couch close and to listen to a more still soft and intellectual voice conveying a more inward and frugal instruction with it not tickling our natural spirit with the gratification of the precise knowledge of the time of the Events nor bearing us into a belief that the quality of them is so externally big and boisterous as the Prophetick Figures will naturally incline us to imagine if we stand not upon our guard but sweetly charming our attention to her more calm and still whispers she safely instructs us in the most true and useful meaning of the Prophecies as much as is sufficient to encourage us to side with Truth and faithfully to adhere to the Interest of the Kingdome of Christ. Philop. I do not well understand you Philotheus I pray you exemplifie your meaning in the very Point we are upon Philoth. It is the thing I drive at Philopolis I say therefore that that inward and still Instruction which this whole Vision of the Vials aims at seems to me to be no more then this That God will at last destroy and utterly rout all that Antichristian Power that has hitherto Pharaoh-like held the People of God in so great a Bondage For the alluding to the Plagues of Egypt in the description of the Vials intimates no more then so that these Plagues are prepared for that City that is spiritually called Egypt the Antichristian Church wherein Christ in his Members is crucified again and grievously persecuted Now in interpreting the meaning of these seven Plagues wherewith God will afflict and finally destroy this Mystical Egypt we may erre as well in learning too much to a more gross Political sense as to a Physical and it may be Swords and Cannons are no more made use of in this Contest with Egypt then Thunder and Lightening and Hailstones of a talent weight Philop. What then Philotheus would you make the Vision of the seven Vials onely a pompous Prophetical Parable signifying that Christ will slay the Man of sin by the breath of his mouth and by the brightness of his appearing 2 Thes. 2.8 onely this garnished with various Allusions to the Plagues of Egypt Philoth. Nay I can scarce abstain from telling you O Philopolis that the whole Book in a manner of the Apocalyptical Visions in reference to the Church seems such as if the Penman thereof did not industriously aim at any thing more then at a certain though aenigmaticall prefiguration and prediction of the Apostasy thereof into Antichristianism by the misguidance of the Church-men with an Indication of the time no preciselier then was useful and that this Antichristianism will be again chased out of Christendom and pure and Apostolical times return again These things are most certainly punctually and manifestly set out in the Apocalypse So that to me it is a very great wonder that any one that has parts and patience to consider things can doubt of the truth of that which is at least the main if not the sole scope of that Book of Prophecies But that every pompous Prophetical Expression is to have its distinct Event answering to it it may be is no more necessary then that every circumstance of a Parable should have a moral meaning in it Philop. For ought I know XXXVII The Application of the three first Vials to external Events there may be a great truth in what you say Philotheus if rightly understood But I hope this shall be no excuse to you from applying the three first Vials to the externall Events in the world Philoth. Because you will not be otherwise satisfied Philopolis it shall not Philop. What Event therefore I pray you answers to the first Vial which was poured on the Earth from whence there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men that had the Mark of the Beast Apoc. 16.2 and upon them that worshipped his Image Philoth. That Vial was
his Soul an Offering for sin he shall see his seed he shall prolong his days Gen. 50.22 23. so it is said of Ioseph that he lived an hundred and ten years and that he saw Ephraim's children of the third generation the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were brought up upon Ioseph's knees Wherefore the great increase of the Children of Israel after Ioseph's sufferings by his brethren in the Land of Egypt is a Type of the great increase of the Disciples of Christ or his Church after his Passion Resurrection and Ascension in the Roman Empire which till their deliverance in the time of Constantine was to them an house of sore bondage and unsupportable affliction as the Land of Egypt was to the children of Israel till their deliverance by Moses And Egypt from hence has ever remained a Type of such Powers as are the Persecuters of the Children of God Whence it is also applied to the Pagano-christian Tyranny of the Pope in the Revelation of S t. Iohn Philop. XXII The Paschal Lamb and the Israelites passage through the Red Sea Truly Philotheus what you say seems not to me any-thing hard or incongruous But methinks there is no Type so significant of the Sacrifice of Christ's Passion as that of the Paschal Lamb whose bloud being sprinkled on the posts of the doors of the Israelites saved their first-born which some make a Type of the Soul from the destroying Angel Philoth. You say right Philopolis it is a most palpable Prefiguration of the Crucifixion of the Lamb of God that was to take away the sins of the world by virtue of his bloud and so to work Salvation for us But what think you of Pharaoh and his host's being overthrown in the Red Sea is that nothing Typical of the bloud of Christ Philop. In all likelihood it is and signifies our Redemption from the bondage of Sin and the Devil by the bloud of our Saviour Is there any thing more in it Philoth. It is manifestly applied in the Apocalypse to the escape of the Reformed Churches out of the bondage of the Roman Pharaoh the Pope For I pray you tell me Philopolis who can those be that are said to have gotten the victory over the Beast Apoc. 15.2 and over his Image and over his Mark and over the number of his Name but such as have renounced Popery and are redeemed from the Tyranny of that Church and Empire Philop. I must confess Philotheus I have not read Interpreters upon that Book with so ill success but that I am fully satisfied of that and therefore will easily admit that Reformed Christendome is concerned in that Description But these Philopolis are said to stand before a Sea of Glass mingled with Fire Apoc. 15.2 3 4. and having the Harps of God to sing the Song of Moses the servant of God and the Song of the Lamb saying Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God almighty Iust and true are thy ways thou King of Saints Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy Name For thou onely art holy for all Nations shall worship before thee for thy Iudgements are made manifest Philop. I cannot deny but that hereby is meant the Judgement of the Whore or little Horn with eyes begun in the Reformation and that this Song of Moses refers to that of the Israelites upon the destruction of Pharaoh and his Chariots in the Red Sea But is there any mention here of the Red Sea it self Philotheus Philoth. Yes manifestly Philopolis It is said in that Song of Moses which the Israelites sung Exod. 15.8 The flouds stood upright as an heap and the depths were congealed in the midst of the Sea that is to say the Red Sea became as Ice for its fixedness and transparency And here it is called a Sea of Glass for the same reason Are these Metaphors so different Philop. Hugely congenerous O Philotheus Philoth. And in that it is said to be a Sea of Glass mingled with Fire that in the letter may allude either to the colour of the Sand that shined through the water and some kinde of Red you know is called Colour de feu or to the fiery appearance of the Angel that shined into it as they passed through it by night Philop. This I must acknowledge is ingenious But well what then Philotheus Suppose this Sea of Glass the Red Sea in what sense is the Italian Pharaoh and his host said to be overthrown in this Sea of Bloud Philoth. Justification by Faith in the bloud of Christ for the remission of sins in opposition to enslaving Penances and hypocritical Good works in which consisted much the trade of that City of Merchandises this is the Red Sea wherein the Roman Pharaoh and his Chariots and horsemen were overthrown in their pursuit after the Israel of God those that bore the brunt of the first Reformation Bath And if their Successours on their part will fill up the Mystery of the Sea of Glass mingled with Fire in the more inward sense thereof that is to say in virtue of Christ's bloud and spirit which is compared to fire will perfect righteousness in the fear of God 1 Cor. 10.2 and not onely be baptized in the cloud and in the sea as the Apostle speaks alluding to their passage through the Red sea in the exteriour meaning but will drink the bloud of Christ in the true participation thereof and be baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire to the consuming all Hypocrisie and wickedness out of their hearts I do not doubt but their conquests against Pharaoh and his hosts will be infinitely more great and glorious then ever As it is said of the Israelites by Balaam when the King of the Moabites would have had him to curse them He hath not beheld iniquity in Iacob Num. 23.21 neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel and then it follows The Lord their God is with them and a shout of a King is among them Ver. 24. Behold the people shall rise up as a great Lion and lift up himself as a young Lion he shall not lie down till he eat of the prey and drink the bloud of the slain Num. 24.6 8. As the valleys are they spred forth as a Garden by the River's side which the Lord hath planted as the Cedars beside the waters God brought him forth out of Egypt he hath as it were the strength of an Vnicorn He shall eat up the Nations his enemies and shall break their bones and pierce them through with his arrows This success attends the uprightness and integrity of the Israelites of the Old Covenant and the same in Analogie is to be expected in the New Philop. XXIII The brazen Serpent the Tabernacle High-priest and whole Camp of Israel a Type of Christ and his Church True Bathynous But to return to the Prophetick Types touching the Bloud of Christ methinks there is nothing more
and Customes V. Of the barbarous Custome of going naked VI. Of the ridiculous Deckings and Adornings of the Barbarians VII The Lawlessness of the Barbarians and their gross Extravagancies touching Wedlock apologized for by Cuphophron Advocate-General for the Paynims VIII Of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the men of Arcladam that lie in Child-bed for their Wives IX Of the Pagans Cruelty to their Enemies and inhumane Humanity to their Friends X. Their killing men at Funerals to accompanie the dead XI The Caraiamites murthering good men to seise on their Vertues XII Of the Anthropophagi or Cannibals XIII Of the Atheism and the Polytheism of the Barbarians XIV Of their Men-Sacrifices XV. Of their worshipping the Devil XVI Of their sacrificing men to the Devil XVII Of Self-sacrificers XVIII The meaning of Providence in permitting such horrid usages in the world XIX The Madness of the Priests of the Pagans XX. Of their Religious Methods of living in order to future Happiness XXI Of their Opinions touching the other State XXII The Vnsuccessfulness of Cuphophron's Advocateship hitherto in reference to the ease of Hylobares his Perplexities XXIII Severall Considerations to make us hope that the state of the World may not be so bad as Melancholy or History may represent it The first Consideration The second Consideration The third Consideration The fourth Consideration The fifth Consideration The sixth Consideration The seventh Consideration The eighth Consideration XXIV Excellent Instances of Morality even in the most barbarous Nations The ninth Consideration The tenth Consideration The last Consideration XXV Cuphophron's rapturous Reasons why God does not dissolve the World notwithstanding the gross Miscarriages in it with Hylobares and Sophron's solid Animadversions thereon XXVI Hylobares as yet unsatisfied touching the Goodness of Providence by reason of the sad Scene of things in the World XXVII An Hypothesis that will secure the Goodness of Providence were the Scene of things on this Earth ten times worse then it is XXVIII Bathynous his Dream of the two Keys of Providence containing the above-mentioned Hypothesis XXIX His being so rudely and forcibly awaked out of so Divine a Dream how consistent with the accuracy of Providence XXX That that Divine Personage that appeared to Bathynous was rather a Favourer of Pythagorism then Cartesianism XXXI The Application of the Hypothesis in the Golden-Key-Paper for the clearing all Difficulties touching the Moral Evils in the World XXXII Severall Objections against Providence fetch'd from Defects answered partly out of the Golden partly out of the Silver-Key-Paper XXXIII Difficulties touching the Extent of the Universe XXXIV Difficulties touching the Habitableness or Unhabitableness of the Planets XXXV That though the World was created but about six thousand years ago yet for ought we know it was created as soon as it could be XXXVI Hylobares his excess of Ioy and high Satisfaction touching Providence from the Discourse of Philotheus XXXVII The Philosopher's Devotion XXXVIII The hazard and success of the foregoing Discourse XXXIX The Preference of intellectual Ioy before that which is sensual XL. That there is an ever-anticipative Eternity and inexterminable Amplitude that are proper to the Deity onely The Fourth Dialogue I. A brief Recapitulation of what has hitherto passed in their discourse page 1. II. The great force of a firm Belief of a a God and his Providence for the fixing a man's Faith in the truth of Christianity 3 III. The folly of Scepticism perstringed 5 IV. That there is a Divine Temper of Body requisite for the easilier receiving and more firmly retaining Divine Truth with the Method of obtaining it 7 V. Philopolis his Quere's touching the Kingdome of God 13 VI. What the Kingdome of God is in the general Notion thereof with a defence of the truth of the Notion 14 VII Of the absolute Sovereignty of God and whereon it is grounded 21 VIII The Kingdome of God withinus what it is 27 IX The means of acquiring it 31 X. The externall Kingdome of God properly so called what it is 39 XI When this Kingdome of God began 41 XII Of Christ's appearing in humane shape to the Patriarchs before his Incarnation 46 XIII Thy Kingdome come in what sense meant in our Saviour's time and afterwards 50 XIV The Easiness of the Prophetick style 57 XV. Where the Kingdome of God now is 59 XVI That smaller faults in Things or Persons hinder not but that a Church may still be the Kingdome of God 64 XVII The Charge of Antinomianism against the Reformation 67 XVIII The Charge of Calvinism against the Reformation 71 XIX The Charge of that horrid sin of Rebellion 78 XX. What Success the Kingdome of God has had hitherto in the World and how correspondent to Divine Predictions 93 XXI Historicall Types of what was to befall Christ and his Church as the Sufferings of Joseph and his Exaltation 99 XXII The Paschal Lamb and the Israelites passage through the Red Sea 102 XXIII The brazen Serpent the Tabernacle High-priest and whole Camp of Israel a Type of Christ and his Church 108 XXIV Vocal Prophecies touching the Kingdom of Christ and its Success in the World 113 XXV The Apostasie of the Church how consistent with the durableness of God's Kingdome in Daniel 120 XXVI The Kingdome of Antichrist how warrantably so called and whether the Pope be that Man of Sin spoken of by the Apostle 124 XXVII Emperours and Princes how frequently excommunicated by the Pope 148 XXVIII The Bishop of Rome how hugely guilty of the effusion of bloud in Christendome 160 XXIX Their murtherous Attempts in Poisoning and Stabbing of Princes 164 XXX Cuphophron's Apologie in the behalf of the Romish Idolatries 169 XXXI His Apologie in the behalf of their Impostures and Murthers 176 XXXII How the Man of sin can be said to sit in the Temple of God while his sitting there makes it the Synagogue of Satan 182 XXXIII Means to know that the Man of sin prophesied of is already come into the World 185 XXXIV Cuphophron's ridiculous Indifferency in the greatest Points of Religion 190 XXXV Some few Prophecies hinted at touching the Reformation 192 XXXVI In what part of the Revolution of Ages we now are with some Cautions for the right understanding of the style of the Apocalypse 195 XXXVII The Application of the three first Vials to externall Events 201 XXXVIII Philopolis his last Quere deferr'd till next day's meeting 212 XXXIX The Conclusion with the Song of Moses and the Lamb sung to the Theorbo by Bathynous 214 The Fifth Dialogue I. The Entrance into the Dialogue 217 II. Philopolis his last Quere touching the Success of the Kingdome of God till the end of all things 218 III. The Interpretation of the fourth Vial. 221 IV. The Interpretation of the fifth and sixth Vials 228 V. The Interpretation of the last Vial. 235 VI. The future Glory of the Church after the utter destruction of Babylon 258 VII The Extent thereof 263 VIII A more particular Description of the future