Godliness 2 Tim. 3.5 and thereby 2 Tim. 3.5 saith the Apostle they shall turn the Grace of God into wantonness that is turne the true Service of God into vain jangling and a foolish senceless prating and so probably prove themselves to be just like Jannes and Jambres that resisted Moses who was their chief Governour and King in Jeshuron and like Corah Dathan and Abiram that as the Prophet saith angred Moses in their Tents and Aaron the Saint of the Lord Psal 106.16 and so despised rebelled and would have destroyed both the Civil Magistrate and the Ecclesiastical Governours of Gods Church which Offices themselves desired and aimed at and would have obtained if God by his fearful Judgment had not prevented them And according to these Prophesies and Predictions That all the aforesaid things came to pass according as they were foreshewed and the like 1. Of Deceivers and Corrupters of Gods Truth 2. Of a Faithful Reformation of all in-crept Errours and Abuses And 3. Of a Faithless Apostasie and Rebellion against the Reformers of the same and the Defenders of Gods Service by a company of Hypocritical Zealots we find by the successes saith one and I think very right that all these things happened just as they were fore-shewed by the Apostle as in other places so likewise in this our Church of Ingland For after that the Pope and the Church of Rome had fallen away from some Points of the true Faith Arise Evans in his voice from Heaven p. 18 19. and had privily as I shewed before brought in divers Errours Abuses and Superstitions which defiled the Purity and blemished the Beauty of our Church as of many other particular Churches besides Martyn Luther steps up and falls out with the Pope for and about the Sale of his Indulgences by his Factor Tercelius whom the Pope then employed for that business and then he bitterly inveigheth against his Holiness for this and the other Corruptions of the German Church that were no less as they said than centum gravamina a hundred grievances Fasciculus rerum extendarum King Hen. the 8. writes against Luther which were presented to Pope Adrian the 6th with an earnest desire of a speedy redress as you may find it in fasciculo rerum expetendarum Hereupon King Henry the 8. it may be in Requital of the Popes favour that granted him a dispensation to marry his Brothers Wife writes a Book against Luther and therein blames him very much for apostatizing and starting aside from his Mother the Church of Rome and contrary to his Faith and Oath and all good manners so eagerly to oppose and so bitterly to rail against his holy Father the Pope and so to the uttermost of his Learning that was both an understanding wise and Learned King he defends the Faith together with the Corruptions of the Roman Church or rather maintaines the Errours and Superstitions of that Church together with so much of the true Faith as the Pope and the Church of Rome did then profess King Hen. 8. his double recompence for his book against Luther 1. Recompence and for this Royal Engagement of the King against Luther the King receives a double Recompense 1. The one from Luther his great Antagonist 2. The other from the Pope his dear Client For 1. Luther in the heat of his Fury and the heighth of his German spirit railes as much against the King and calls him as I read it in his own Book and not out of any other Transcriber asinissimus Rex an unseemly term as I conceive for a poor Monk to give to so great a King and as I said none of the meanest Clerks as he had formerly done against the Pope which bitter Invectives against a Father in the Church and the Patriarch of all the Western Churches Tilenus exeges pag. 29. Aphor. 104. p. 20. as the Primitive Counsels term him qui in ordine primus fuit inter Patriarchas primum ordine in Apostolorum collegio eum esse non inviti concedimus saith Tilenus and such uncivil behaviour towards Kings Luther blamed for his too much bitternesse and unseemly terms Matth. 11.29 that are the Lords Anointed be they what they will when I read not upon the credit of others but in his own Tractates as I thought very well of many things that he wrote so I should have thought much better of all the rest but that I conceived so much bitterness mingled with such a measure of Gall and Vinegar as dropped from his Pen not against the sins but against the Persons of men could not be distilled from the spirit of God which is a Spirit of Meekness and Lowliness as our Saviour testifieth But 2. 2. Recompence The Pope for this Scholastick Defence of the Faith of the Roman Church by the King which the Pope himself should have done by his Pen and desired the King to have assisted him by his Sword gives to him and to his Successors the Kings of Ingland the just good and honourable Title of Defender of the Faith that is the True and Christian Faith or the Faith of Gods Elect which was pretended to be then in Rome and is now defended by the King And though King Henry obtained this Eulogy this Title and this Authority upon a wrong ground because he defended a wrong Faith yet as Jacob got the blessing upon an untrue suggestion that he was his father Isaac's eldest son even his first-born Esau but being once gotten he still retained it So did the King Genes 27.19 when he fell out with the Pope and fell from the Pope about his divorce from Queen Katherine which the Pope upon good grounds would not admit still retain that Title How the Faith was defended in Ingland and especially the truth and substance of that Title and maintained the same as a King with his sword which he had gained as a Priest with his pen and so did his son and his Successor after him Edward the 6th continue a royal defender of the true faith and when Queen Mary would have remitted the Title and permitted the faith to be undefended and the truth to be corrupted in this Kingdome the witnesses of Christ his Gospel the holy Martyrs of our Church Cranmer Latymer Ridley 3 reverend Bishops and the rest of those holy Champions stood up and defended the same unto death with the sheding of their blood and the loss of their dearest lives And after Queen Maries time Q. Elizabeth like another Deborah with the advice and assistance of all the godly Bishops and the best of all the Divines in her Kingdom concluded and set forth the Articles of our Church and that perfect form of Godliness the Liturgy and book of common prayer and service of God which they composed with a free liberty from her majesty at home and without any fear either of Pope or any other forraign Authority abroad And this faith
neither of these can be said to have been and not to be and yet to be at the same time as the Holy Ghost affirmeth of this Beast for though Domitian was chosen by the Souldiers whilst his Father Vespasian was in Judaea Vide Caracott◠pag. 52. and then gave up his right and title to the Empire when Vespasian returned to Rome yet this doth not cohere with he is not and yet is which is affirmed of this Beast and though it might have been said that he was and is not and yet shall be if this Vision of the Beast had been shewed to St. John in Vespasians time but it could not possibly be said that he was if according to Epiphanius his Testimony St John was banished to Patmos and had these visions revealed unto him in the Emperor Claudius his time because that after Claudius Nero reigned 13 years Galba seven moneths Otho four moneths and Vitellius eight moneths before Vespasian was made Emperor nor could it be well said that he was whilst Vespasian was in Judaea when he was but an Vsurper and an Intruder while his Father lived or though it might be truly said in some sence that he was and in some other sence that he was not yet can it not be said in any way or in any sence that he was and is not and yet is as the Holy Ghost saith of this Beast How then shall we unfold this Riddle and untie this Gordian knot I answer That the Words in c. 17.8 do seem most coherent to the long Parliament That 1. Was a true Parliament that I have often thought of it and assayd it divers wayes and yet could never see how this Testimony of the Holy Ghost touching this beast that he was and is not and yet is can be applied either to Domitian or to any other of all the Emperours or Kings or Society of men so fitly and so probably agreeing with the meaning of Gods spirit as it is or may be applycable to the long and lately dissolved Parliament for that was a true Parliament when the King called them together and they sate to consult with their King de arduis rebus regni about the great affaires of the Kingdom and took their Oaths and made their solemn Protestation to protect the Kings Person and to maintain the true Protestant Religion 2. Is believed to be no Parliament But I heard many wise men judge it no Parliament when they did expell and cast out their guides and their leaders the Messengers of Christ from among them and endeavoured as the Giants did of old 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make Warre against God and raised an Army against their head and with all their might did fight against their King and at last like did most disloyally cut off his Head that was the head of them and of us all and as the Prophet speaketh of the like godly King 3. And yet still is a Parliament the breath of our nostrills and yet still it is a Parliament in their own esteem and with their adherents and by their peremptory Acts and Ordinances that are still accounted most excellent and binding and are so urged and observed by their adherents and compelled to be observed by all others and by the greatness of that power and authority which they assumed unto themselves and do by their Acts and Lawes execute over all people to this very day more then any other ordinary Parliament ever used whereby you see how this may be understood that is said of the beast that he was and is not and yet is though I leave it to the judicious Reader to judge whether he conceives this to be the meaning of the Holy Ghost or not or whether all this may be so as may thus be coherent and applicable to that long Parliament or not And as this which I have now expressed doth seem very shrewdly to prove Some conceive it thus to be fulfilled I will not determine it the long Parliament is or may be here signified by this beast so that which is set down by the Angel in the 17th Chapter and the 10th verse which is the explication of this vision that is here shewed c. 13. doth more fully seem to illustrate and confirm the same thing for there he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and there are seven Kings that is which have been and will be great and grievous extraordinary persecutors of my people The 5 Kings that were fallen before this Revelation was shewed whereof five are fallen that is dead and gone which we understand by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fallen and these five saith Junius are 1. Servius Sulpitius Galba the seventh Emperour of the people of Rome 2. Marcus Salvius Otho 3. Aulus Vitellius 4. Flavius Vespafianus 5. Titus the Sonne of Vespasian and one is saith the Holy Ghost that is saith he Flavius Domitian another Sonne of the foresaid Vespasian in whose latter Reign saith he St. John wrote this Revelation and another is not yet come saith the Text that is saith he Cocceius Nerva and the beast that was and is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our Translators render Junius in annotat in c. 17. joyned to Beza's Translation even he is the eighth even he especially to be observed above any of the other seven saith the Angel and this even he saith Junius is Nerva Trajan that is as I conceive him Cocceius Nerva the last that was aforenamed or rather as the stories shew Vlpius Trajanus qui hic vario respectu Septimus octavus appellatur who himself in divers respects is called here the seventh and the eighth for that although in number and order of succession he be the eighth yet saith he because this man obtained his power and authority with Nerva and did execute his consular office with him when Nerva died he is also said to be the seventh c. 17.11 and is reckoned together with Nerva as if Nerva and Trajan were but one head according to which sence our former Translation though very corruptly reads the beast that was and is not is even the eighth and is one of the seven or as the Geneva notes do understand those Kings The 1. is Nero. 2. Galba 3. Dr. Hammond in permonit pag. 907. Ex Hugone Grotio qui conjutatur Maresio pag. 169. Otho 4. Vitellius 5. Vespasian 6. Titus 7. Domitian 8. Nerva or as Doctor Hammond saith which is more likely to be right if St. John was banished to Patmos in Claudius his time and far more unlikely if his banishment was in Domitians time the 1. is Claudins 2. Nero. 3. Galba 4. Otho 5. Vitellius 6. Vespasian 7. Titus 8. Domitian But indeed all these Expositions and the like annumeration of these Kings that were fallen and extant and to come which would be too tedious for me to rehearse do seem to me to be far wide from the meaning of the Holy Ghost in this place
the Civill State decayed and the Power of the Emperors was so usurped and transferred unto the Pope because this Power which they now unjustly exercise was the just Power of the Emperor and of other Kings whom the Pope and his Cardinalls subjected Volater l 22. Authropolog in Alexand. 3. Hoveden Math. Paris in Reg. Joh. ursburgens in Fred. 1. as the Histories do relate unto themselves Sol. I answer that the Holy Ghost meaneth not that this second Beast took away and usurped the Power and Authority of the first Beast but did all Acts and exercised all his jurisdiction and his function by vertue of the power and under the protection and the countenance that he received by and from the authority of the first beast as the Sheriff exerciseth the power of the King for the service of the King for so the words do plainly intimate that this two horned Beast exercised the Power of the former beast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the presence of him or before him that is for the service and to the use and behoofe of the former Beast because that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In conspectu Jehovae saith Tremelius 1 Sam. 2.18 is here equivalent to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the dative case as when it is said that Samuell was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ministring in the presence of the Lord or before the Lord it signifieth as it is also expressed Cap. 3. 1. that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ministring to the Lord so this second Beast exercised all the Power of the first Beast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the use service and setting forward the practises and designes of the first Beast and this appeareth very cleare from the words immediately following in that this second Beast causeth the Earth and them that dwell therein 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cap. 13.12 that they should worship the first Beast that is not to ascribe any Divine Honor but to submit themselves to obey and to serve and assist the first Beast And we know the Pope and his Cardinalls and so all the Roman Clergy That the Bishop of Rome and his Clergy cannot be meant by the second Beast cause all the Rulers of the Earth and all the Iuhabitants thereof to worship Honour and serve themselves as those that are most worthy of Honour for the care that they take to save the soules of the people rather and before the other Beast that is the Civill Magistrate which careth onely for our Temporall estates and the things of this present life and therefore deserves not so much worship as the other that by the Testimony of the Apostle are worthyer of double Honour because they labour to bring us to eternall life in which respect we find how the Popes exacted Platâ—na in vita ejus French Epit. p. 93. and required the greatest Kings and Emperors to serve and to worship them as Gregory the third did to Leo Iconomachus Gregory the seventh to Henry the fourth Pope Zachary the first to Childerick King of France Allexander the third to Frederick Barbarossa Celestine the third to Henry the sixth Speed in the life of King John Hoveden Annal p. 2. sub Rich. 1. Innocent to King John Adrian the fourth that made the Emperor to hold his stirrop and the like that you may find in the Annalls and the lives of the Kings and the Emperors and therefore questionless the Pope Cardinalls and Clergy of Rome cannot be understood by this second Beast But all that is here specified and spoken of the second Beast The Parallel That the Assembly of Presbyterians and the Independant and Lay Preachers of the Parliament are the second Beast and the false Prophet doth in every particular point agree and most aptly cohere with the Parliaments Heterâ—geniall and Laâ—dicean Assembly of Divines that sat at Westminster together with their dispersed Disciples wheresoever inhabiting within these Kingdomes and with the swarme of Independant and Lay-Preachers that sprang up since the beginning of that Parliament for these Presbyterian Divines that contrary to their Oathes contrary to the Commands of their King and contrary to their Faith given in the presence of God and in Gods House when they were admitted to Holy Orders and the rest of the Independant and Lay-Preachers have as the Text saith exercised all the Power of the Parliament they sat in Westminster under the wings of the Parliament and with the rest of their Associates wheresoever dispersed trusting to the Power and Protection of the Parliament they Preached Consulted and Determined all things by the Power and Authority and for the service and advancement and behoofe of the Parliament for the overthrowing of the King See also what the Author of the last Will and Testament of Sir John Presbyter saith Edwards in his Gangraena p. 26. the rooting out of the Bishops and the utter defacing of Gods Church And I think all the people of this Land knoweth this to be so true that I need not use any argument to confirm it and so the Independant Sectaries do avouch that the Presbyterian Government is the false Prophet and the Beast here spoken of and the third part of the great Citty Revel 16.19 and on the other side the proud Presbyterians do as confidently aver that the Independants and Lay-Preachers are this Beast and so Clodius accusat moechum Catelina Caethegum and I out of their own mouthes will take it pro confesso and conclude them both to be partes constitutivas the chiefest constituting parts that make up the second Beast That the false Prophet is three foldâ— and the false Prophet And this false Prophet is like the three-headed Cerberus consisting of three speciall branches or three sort of Preachers 1. The Presbyterians And to begin with the last 2. The Independants And to begin with the last 3. The Lay Preachers And to begin with the last 1. The Lay Preachers may rightly be said to be one of the heads of Cerberus and the false Prophet in two speciall respects 1. In respect of his eutrance into his Office 2. In respect of his ignorance to discharge the duties of his Office For 1. 1. The Lay Preacher a false Prophet in two respects 1. His unjust entrance Malach. 2.7 that the Priest is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts and the Apostle tells us that no man taketh this Honour unto himselfe that is to be a Messenger and an Embassador sent from God but he that is called of God as was Aaron and how was Aaron called First by the inward inspiration of Gods Spirit Secondly least he should be mistaken in the inspiration of the Spirit because there are many spirits by the appointment and Ordination of Moses that had his Authority from God to approve of his Vocation and to confirm him in his Priestly Office thus was Aaron called and yet more then this Heb. 5.4 the Apostle saith that Christ himself who is the
' Ο ΑÎΤΙΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ The Great ANTICHRIST REVEALED Before this time never discovered AND Proved to be neither Pope nor Turk nor any Single Person nor the Succession of any one Monarch or Tyrant in any Policie BUT A collected pack or multitude of Hypocritical Heretical Blasphemous and most scandalous wicked men that have fulfilled all the Prophesies of the Scriptures which have forespoken of the coming of the great Antichrist and especially have united and combined themselves together by a solemn League and Covenant to slay the two witnesses of God Moses and Aaron as Christ interpreteth them They have Moses and the Prophets Luke 16.29 that is The supreme Magistrate of the Common-wealth and the chief Pastors and Governours of the Church of Christ And the Christian world is requested to judge Whether the Assembly of Presbyterians consulting at Westminster Together with the Independents Anabaptists and Lay-Preachers be not the false Prophet and the mystical soul of that great Antichrist And Whether the prevalent Faction of the long Parliament termed of late the Rump Parl. and their Adherents that killed the two witnesses of Jesus Christ 1. Charles the first King of Great Britain and in him civilly all his Magistrates 2. William Laud Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and civilly all the suppressed Bishops and silenced Preachers of these 3 kingdoms be not the grosse and visible body of the same Antichrist By Gr. Williams L. Bishop of Ossory Impii homines qui dum volunt esse mali nolunt esse veritatem qua condemnantur mali August Me me adsum qui feci in me convertite ferrum Virg. Jehovae Liberatori London Printed at the charge of the Authour 1660. A strong faith fenced with a golden helmet Need not fear the beast his hatchet But his wicked deeds will ring And shew the prayses of the King Whom the cruell beast hath kill'd And all the Prophesies fulfill'd Of our blessed Saviour Christ Touching the accursed Antichrist The Authours Protestation I Call God to be my witnesse and heaven and earth to testifie against me if I aym at any thing or desire any thing by the publishing of these books but the glory of God the true service of Jesus Christ and the good the peace and the happinesse of the Church of Christ and the people of these Kingdomes without envie to any mans good or hatred to any mans person or the ambition and desire of any place profit or preferment for that I thank God I have learned in any state to be contented Et contemnere contemni The Authours Prayers which Morning and Evening he useth to say to Almighty God and to his Saviour Jesus Christ The Authours first addresse to Almighty God Our Father which art in Heaven c. O Eternal Almighty Lord God our good God sweet Saviour Jesus Christ Holy and blessed Spirit glorious Trinity three persons and one God have mercy upon us most miserable sinners have mercy upon us most miserable sinners O Lord God pardon and forgive us all our sins those great and many sins that we have most hainously committed against thy divine Majesty Lord enter not into judgement with us thy servants for no flesh is righteous in thy sight and deal not not with us according to the multitude of our transgressions but according to the multitude of thy mercies and compassion do away our offences and give us thy grace that ever hereafter we may serve thee in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life make us truly thankfull unto thee for all those mercies and favours and loving kindnesses that thou hast continually so graciously and so mercifully bestowed upon us for thou hast created us after thine own image thou hast redeemed us with the precious blood of thy dear Son Jesus Christ and thou hast called us and sanctified us in some measure with the graces of thy most blessed Spirit thou hast delivered us out of all our troubles from all dangers and from the hands of all that hate us from the snare whereunto we were fallen and from those dangerous Sea-voyages wherein we had utterly perished if thou hadst not most mercifully preserved us thou hast given us meanes and maintenance whereby we were inabled to serve thee and thou hast restored the same to us again when we had utterly lost it thou hast given us faith to believe in thy Son Jesus Christ hope to attain to eternal life love and charity both towards thee and our neighbours for thy sake repentance for our former sins and a resolution ever hereafter to lead a holy and a godly life thou hast blest us in all our wayes prospered all our journeys delivered us from all evill helped us in all our necessities preserved us in health and restored thy servants to life when they were at the point of death for all which and for all other thy mercies and loving kindnesses both spiritual and temporal we heartily praise thy glorious name and magnify thee with all our souls we honour thee we blesse thee we praise thee we thank thee and we will magnify thee for the same for ever and ever And we do most humbly beseech thee of thy goodnesse O Lord to continue still thy loving kindnesse towards us and to preserve us still from all evill and mischief from all sin from the crafts and assaults of the devil from thy wrath and from everlasting damnaation save and defend us from shame reproach and discredit in this world from violent and sudden death and from the malice and hatred of all our enemies O let them never prevail against us let them never have the upper hand over us and let them not say There there so would we have it neither let them say We have devoured them but be thou with us be our helper and defender be our shield and our buckler be our strong Tower whereunto we may alwayes resort and we will not fear what man can do unto us We pray thee also good God give me wisdom and understanding O Lord I beseech thee give me wisdom and understanding memory boldnesse and utterance help and assist me at all times and in all places to preach thy holy word for the glory of thy name and the benefit of thy people And as thou hast helped and assisted me the last time and all other times heretofore for which I do heartily praise and thank thy glorious name so I do most humbly beseech thee to help and assist me the next time and at all other times hereafter that I may set forth thy praise and glory blesse O Lord the holy Catholick Church blesse and preserve thy servant Charles that is our lawful King and all the servants of Jesus Christ that are with him comfort them now after the time thou hast chastised them and for the years wherein they have suffered adversity give them patience to endure whatsoever thou layest upon them and in thy good time deliver them out of all their troubles and restore them to their
Divines there be that think it is probable and most likely the Mahometan Religion and the Turkish State that profess and uphold the Religion of that false Prophet may be conjoyned in association with the Pope and Papacy to constitute and make up the great and transcendent Antichrist that shall most virulently oppose the State and Kingdome of Christ and oppress the true servants of God for though these two states of the Turk and Pope be opposite ad invicem one against the other in temporalibus in respect of their temporal Rule and Government yet they may both combine and be alike in oppugning the truth of Christ and corrupting his true service though differently respectu mediorum in respect of the wayes and means that either of them doth it B. Montague in his apello Caesarem as the Turk directly and the Pope obliquely the Turk vi aperta by fire and sword and the Pope fraude insidiis by fraud and deceit and yet both of them respectu finis to aim at the same end to uphold their own wicked state and polity by opposing the Gospel and suppressing the Kingdom of Christ And for my part I shall never be any Advocate to plead for either of them neither would I have any man to imagine that I would ever seem to diminish or lessen much less then The Author excuseth neither the Turk nor the Pope to excuse the wickedness and impieties either of Turk or Pope the Christian world knoweth that either of them and both of them are bad enough each of them an Antichrist and a very great Antichrist the best of them that hath much opposed the Kingdome of Christ and blemished the true service of God with many errors Heresies and superstitions Yet as I said of the Pope so I say of the Turk that I cannot believe him to be that great and egregious Antichrist which the Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaketh of because I cannot see him fitted and filled with all the marks signes and actions of that Antichrist Why he believeth neither the Pope nor Turk to be the great Antichrist to the full so as no acception can be taken against the proof thereof in any point or because I cannot finde nor can it be found by any other that all and every one of the marks and Characters and all the actions that are foretold by the Prophets and Apostles should be done and seen in the great Antichrist are fully seen to be done and fulfilled either in the Pope or in the Turk but that there are many particular things and acts foretold us should be done by that Antichrist that can no wayes be found in them nor done by them or fulfilled in either of them as hereafter in this Treatise I shall more fully declare the Particulars that are unful filled by them and the marks and Characters of that great Antichrist that are no wayes applicable to either of them And so Zanchius miscel lib. 3. Lambert in apoc Andren◠tort torti Montagu appello Caes pag. 159. as I said before the more moderate Divines and for learning not inferiour to the best as Zanchius Lambert Andrews Montague and many more are of the same opinion and do believe that neither the Pope nor the Turk is that great transcendent Antichrist but do conceive that out of these two estates polity and Government different in the means the one from the other but agreeing in the end to oppose the Kingdome of Christ or else out of some other estate polity rule and Government in many things like to these and in some things unlike to either of them but in some respects far worse than the worst of both the other the great enormous Antichrist that singular notorious Antichrist prophesied of in the holy Scripture shall arise and come and in fraudulent malicious craftiness and execrable wickedness shall through heretical impostures and lying miracles go beyond all others against the honor of Christ and the service of God and do more mischief unto his servants than any other that ever lived in the world The doings of the great Antichrist more odious to God and more destructive to his church than the acts either of Pope or Turk and so shall do such feats and acts as in some respects are more odious and detestable in the fight of God and more pernicious and destructive both to the bodies and soules of men than are the doings either of the Pope or Turk And therefore seeing we finde so many of the most learned men varying in their opinions and judgements about the Antichrist and the concomitants of that great beast spoken of in Revel 13. and about the Prophesies and mysteries of the holy Scriptures that do concern that man of sin because the secrets of the spirit of God are like the deep ocean not easily wadeable but as St. Gregory faith deep enough for the greatest Elephant to swim that is surpassing the Reach of the quickest wit The Scriptur◠like the deep ocean sea and no waies intelligible unless they be revealed by the same Spirit And because the Prophesies that are contingent and to come are not perspicuous and cannot be well explained by the best expositors before we see them fulfilled Prophesies not well understood untill they be fulfilled and therefore Patrum Doctorum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 venia non insectatione dignos censemus but as Riddles are never perceived what they be or what they mean until they are unfolded but are clear enough when they are explained so Prophesies are hidden until they be fulfilled but perspicuous and plain enough to them that will look and search after them when they are accomplished and already past In respect whereof Irenaeus saith most truly that certius sine periculo est expectare usque ad impletionem Prophetiae quam temerè divinare it is a surer and a safer course without danger to expect and wait for the fulfilling of a Prophesie than rashly and presumptuously to go about to explain it before we see it fulfilled And therefore I do not so much wonder that many of the Fathers and the other Learned men afore-named have erred which by seeing some things come to pass that the Apostles said should be done and happen in the time of the Antichrist did presently apply them some to the Pope and others to the Turk and concluded them to be the Great undoubted Antichrist because they did anticipate and made such a Conclusion before many other things of the Prophesies touching the Acts Markes and Characters of the Antichrist were fulfilled and made manifest unto the Church But I hope I may the more freely pass with less censure to set down what I and others that are of my mind do conceive concerning the Great transcendent Antichrist when I shall only treat in this Discourse and set before you these three Points 1. What the Scriptures say by what way the Great Antichrist should
to forget the Afflictions of his Church And therefore I cannot sufficiently wonder that Mr. Mede Maresius Tilenus the Gappe Synod and others of the Divines aforenamed should imagine that God would be so regardless so unmindful and so severe though in Justice we confess he might be much more severe unto the Christian Church Note this well as to suffer the Great Antichrist the greatest and the cruellest enemy unto his Church that ever the world bred to reign and rage against his Saints and Servants for so many hundred of years as the Pope and Turk have now ruled since they conceive them to be the Antichrist and the Great Antichrist that should be so signally revealed 3. 3. That the Antichrist was to arise not out of a true planted Church but out of a truly reformed Church I say that it is manifest the Antichrist should arise not out of a true converted Church from Paganisme and the serving of their Idols to Christianity as both Constantinople and all the rest of the Eastern Churches were when Mahomet corrupted them and also Rome and the Western Churches when the Pope replenished them with his Superstitions but the Antichrist was to spring and to appear out of the true and purely Reformed Church after it should be purged and cleansed from all Heresies Errours and Superstitions For it was prophesied and fore-shewed by the Apostle St. That it was foretold us seducers false prophets should come into the Church Acts 20.29 30. 1 Pet. 2.1 Paul that after his departure Seducers Corrupters of Gods Word and false Prophets should creep into the Church and introduce many damnable Doctrines amongst Gods people to poyson the Souls of the Flock of Christ And St. Peter likewise foretels us that there should come False Teachers into the Church who should privily bring in damnable Heresies And so we find that not only Ebion and Cerinthus two Heretical Jews and after them Arius Pelagius Manichaeus Nestorius Entyches and the like brought in most wicked Errours and Heresies that did most palpably and grossely infest and trouble the Church of God and therefore were the sooner perceived and the easier prevented and confuted by the Grave and Godly Fathers but also the Church of Rome the Popes and their Parasites have privily that is insensibly and unperceived by the very Doctors of the Church brought in many strange Doctrines and thereby corrupted in many things the true Faith of Christ and defiled the Church of God with many most Pernicious Errours as specially in forbidding the Priests to marry commanding us to abstain from Meats besides many other Superstitions and Points of less moment and most of all in that strange Metaphysical and incredible Doctrine of Transubstantiation and the consequents of that Doctrine in the Idolatrous adoration of the consecrated Host and other very frivolous Superstitions which have brought much Misery and have been most Pernicious unto the Church of Christ That a reformation of the abuses in Gods service was foreshewed And after that the Field of Gods Church should be thus overgrown with Tares and with Thornes and Thistles the same Apostle sheweth that God would look upon his Church and there should come a Reformation and he would raise Reformers to root out those erroneous weeds and Bastard Plants and to prescribe a form of Godliness or a set form of Gods Worship whereby the Church of Christ and Servants of God should be guided and directed how to serve God aright in the true Faith of Jesus Christ And these Reformers of the foresaid Errours and Prescribers of that set form of Gods Service and Teachers of the People to worship God according to that form of wholesom Doctrine are stiled by St. Paul as they were indeed good men and the good Ministers of Jesus Christ 1 Tim. 4.6 1 Tim. 4.6 Hypocritical proud Saints the worst of all sinners And because the Devil can never rest quiet but when we strive to be best then will he labour and strive to make us worst of all and to become proud Saints that are more odious in the sight of God than the greatest sinners when they be humbled for their sins as our Saviour testifieth the same quick-sighted Argos being illuminated by the Divine light of Gods Holy Spirit saith there should spring up a company of Hypocritical Professors that would be proud and boasting of their knowledge though it were never so erroneous and proud of their Godliness though they were never so great worldlings and Hypocritical Dissemblers And these E. H. rightly termeth the black guard of the Antichrist and he counteth eighteen Troops or as I think he might have rather said eighteen Legions of them 1. Self-Lovers which is the Root of all Mischief That abundance of hypocritical professors no lesse then 18 troops or legions should under the pretence of Religion corrupt Gods service and destroy his servants 2 Tim. 3.2 3 4 E. H. de Antichristo p. 145. 2. Covetous men that long for the Lands and Livings both of King and Priest 3. Boasters of what great things they would do 4. Proud men of their strength of their Knowledge and of their Goodness and Holiness 5. Blasphemers of God of the King and of the Saints of God 6. Disobedient to Parents especially to their Spiritual Parents the Bishops and the Church 7. Unthankful men to those that have best deserved and done them most good 8. Unholy men without any spark of true Holiness or Religion in them 9. Without natural Affection to their Kins-folk and those of their own flesh and blood 10. Truce Breakers without any regard of their Oaths Promises or Articles of Agreement 11. False Accusers and Make-bates by charging men with those things that they never knew 12. Incontinent and given over to all uncleanness and all fleshly lusts 13. Fierce and cruel men thirsting after the Lives and blood of those whom they hate and nothing satisfying them but their death 14. Despisers and so haters of those that are good 15. Traytors that is Betrayers of their King of their Governours and of their Friends 16. Heady that is obstinate and wilful men that will have nothing done nor said but what they themselves think good 17. High-minded men and such as from a low estate and mean extract aimed at great matters and aspired to high places to be Knights Lords and Princes 18. Lovers of Pleasures more than Lovers of God whatsoever Pretence they made of their love to God yet indeed their own Pleasure was and is their god and their main end is for their own good And all these eighteen Troops which the Apostle cloatheth in the same Livery that is a pretended form or shew of Godliness and a Directory to seem more zealous in Religion and to bear a greater love and care of Gods Honour than all others but should notwithstanding all their Pretences their Zeal and their Saintship deny the Power and vertue of the right and true Form of
without adding the prevalent faction as sometimes for brevity sake I may omit I desire my Reader to remember that I mean only those and that party of whom it is demanded Whether they have not all and every one of the notes and marks of the great Antichrift and have done all the things and fulfilled all the Prophesies that should be fulfilled and done by the Antichrist And because the event of things are the best commentaries upon Prophesies The Events of things are the best Comments upon Prophesies if so it be apparent that all the things sayings and doings that are prophesied and foretold should be done by the great Antichrist are all manifestly seen to be done and fulfilled in them and by them aforenamed and by their confederates and adherents I know not how to give satisfaction to them that demand this question or how to deny them to be the Antichrist and to acquit them from that suspicion But I will leave the answer of these demands and resolution of those Questions to be de ermined by those unpartial Judges that are quicker sighted than I am and I will proceed not to foretel any thing but to explain unto you what the Prophets have foretold us should come to pass and should be done in the time and by the members of the great Antichrist and for the application of those Prophesies as fulfilled in these dayes and by these men I leave it to the better observers of the transactions of our time whether they can rightly do so or not And first That Apostasie or rebellion is the door through which the Antichrist entereth into the Church I finde the Apostle telling us that the door and breach or gap whereby the Antichrist shall have way to enter into the Church and sheepfold of Christ to destroy his flock will be apostasie or rebellion for when the Thessalonians had heard that such a great egregious Antichrist should come and thereupon did presently expect him and then thought the day of Christ his coming to judgment should instantly follow because they had heard that his coming should be towards the end of the world and but a little before the day of Christ his coming the holy Apostle to rectifie their misapprehension of what they had heard and to explain the truth and time of both their comings saith the day of Christ shall not come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quin venerit defectio prius until there be first a failing or falling away 2 Thess 2.3 as Beza translates it or nisi venerit prius rebellio unless there comes a rebellion first as the Syriac hath it and as very many of the best Interpreters say the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth because every rebellion is a falling away from what we should be And this rebellion is conceived by some Authors to be that which the people made in Rome against Nero and by others it is thought to be that which the Jews made against Florus or that which the grand rebell Barchochebas made against Rufus in the time of the Emperour Adrian who did therefore sufficiently chastice the Jews for their apostasie and revolt and others of no small esteem do understand it of the ruine of the Roman Empire and the Provinces revolt from the Roman Empire under the Turk and other apostate Governors of the Provinces as Niger Albinus and the rest that proved false against their Emperors but Mr. Calvin which is ever held the best textuary B. Hall in his Revelation unrevealed Ensebius l. 4. c. 6. even since the Apostles time as B. Hall saith wonders that so many learned men as understood these words of the Apostasie or rebellion of those revolters from the Roman Empire should so far mistake the Apostles meaning nisi quod cum errasset unus turmatim alii sine judicio sequuti sunt eum unles sit be that when one hath erred others without judgement or any further search for the truth have followed him which is an usual fault and a great fault amongst many writers where they see one run they are often ready like sheep without reason to follow after him And yet I wonder not so much herein as Mr. Calvin doth because the Apostle might well mean The rebellion against the Magistrate doth ever precede a recession from the faith and Gods service both the apostasie and rebellion from the temporal Monarchy of Rome as the type or Prodromos and also from the spiritual Kingdome of Christ which is the Church as Estius Anselmus and very many more of our best Protestant writers do interpret it because commonly they that rebel against the one will never stick at the other but when they kick against the Magistrate they will presently spurn against the Priest and God requireth obedience to be observed towards the civil Magistrate as well as to the spiritual Minister neither shall you ever finde that any departed from his true and obliged obedience to his lawfull Governor but he presently apostatized and made a recession from the true service of God as when Jeroboan◠rebelled and made a recession from his obedience to his King he presently made a defection from the true God and a discession from his worship to serve his golden calves and when the Satrapasses and Tetrarchs of the Provinces rebelled against the Roman Emperors they presently fell away from the Church and instead of Christ took Mahomet for their Prophet and the Jews tell us plainly we have no King or will have no King because we feared not the Lord to shew unto us Hosea 10.3 that a discession from Gods service doth ever accompany the rebellion from the civill Government and the rebellion against our Governors is the fore-runner of our discession from the true service of God and the faith of Christ because that our Governors which have the charge to see that the true faith and right service of God be preserved do while they are obeyed hinder this Apostasie and falling away from Gods service but when they are resisted and the bond of our obedience to them broken there is no stop of this apostasie but that every one may be of what faith and do what service he pleaseth and as he pleaseth unto God And therefore I take this apostasie and rebellion that the Apostle speaketh of here What apostasie or rebellion is here meant by the Apostle to be chiefly meant for a civil rebellion against the supreme Magistrate as he is custos utriusque tabulae the defender of the faith and preserver of Gods publique service and a spiritual opposition or withstanding of our spiritual Governors and the discipline of Christ his Church and so a falling from the true Doctrine and the faith of Christ which is the end of that progression and last step of this apostafie that begins in our disobedience and rebellion against Moses and Aaron and ends with our discession from God and Gods service for thus S. Paul saith the Spirit
God maketh because it is better to be a just man than to be a man But we ascribe nothing to our selves but all to our Saviour Christ when we say with the Apostle that we are justified freely by his blood Rom. 5.9 And so we make our justification perfect because it is Christs and our Sanctification we acknowledge to be imperfect because it is ours for that it is done by us though by the help and assistance of the Grace and Spirit of Christ And therefore you see the difference to be so great as it is to say Christ justifieth us by his righteousness made ours by Faith and to say we justifie our selves or are justified by our own inherent righteousness or good works the former we reach to the praise of God and glory of Christ and that no man should boast of any thing that is in himself and the latter the Church of Rome stiffly defendeth to the praise as we conceive of themselves and that they might boast in the Lord as Bellarmine saith and so exalt themselves herein like Babylon in pride against the Lord as we say 3. In the point of Satisfaction they are as injurious to Christ 3. In the point of Satisfaction as in the other point of our Justification For though our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ by the shedding of his most precious blood and the suffering of the most bitter and accursed death of the Cross hath made there by his own oblation of himself once offered a full The excellent confession of our Church herein perfect and sufficient Sacrifice oblation and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world as our Church doth most Christianly confess in our Lyturgy Yet the Council of Trent doth affirm that by this satisfaction of Christ made upon the Altar of his Cross the fault is only pardoned but the punishment is not remitted until that by our own Penance and other sufferings it be fully satisfied for But because this seemeth too reproachful to the Justice of God to remit the fault and yet to inflict the punishment which would be nothing else but a meer mockery as if a King should say to a Traytor I will forgive thee thy Treason but thy Head must be cut off for a punishment therefore the Learned Cardinal wiser than the rest Bellar. l. 1. c. 4. de indulgentiis distinguisheth betwixt the temporary and the eternal punishment of our sins and he yields the eternal punishment to be fully satisfied for by Christ but the temporary punishment he saith must be discharged and satisfied for by our selves that is by our penance and other sufferings and satisfaction But I answer that if this were true then must it needs impeach that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great propitiatory Sacrifice which Christ hath offered for our sins of some great imperfection because it was but in part and for a part and not for all and we must needs thereby conclude that either Christ could not discharge us from these temporal punishments or else could and would not do it but to say either of these is most injurious unto Christ For to say he could not do it denieth his Power that is Almighty and to say he would not do it is to deprave his Goodness who is goodness it self And indeed this dimidiatory satisfaction were to cross the very Rules of reason that he which had done so much for us John 1.18 Phil. 2.7 as to descend from the Bosom of his Father to take upon him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the form of a Servant and to suffer the most bitter death of the Cross to make satisfaction for our sins and to deliver us from eternal vengeance and the wrath of God would be unwilling to satisfie his Father for our temporal punishment especially when it would cost him no more to satisfie for all than for part of all nay when as the satisfaction made by Christ is of far more worth than the Justice of God could require for all the punishments we had or could deserve quia modicam guttam sanguinis Christi propter unionem hypostaticam pro redemptione totius mundi sufficisse necesse est because it must needs be that the least drop of Christ his bloud by reason of the hypostatical union of the manhood of Christ with the Godhead should be sufficient to make satisfaction to the wrath of God and to procure the redemption of the whole world as St. Clemens saith and therefore this partition of satisfaction is both false and frivolous But you will object that God pardoned the guilt of Davids sin and yet he inflicted a punishment upon him for his fault and so he did and doth upon many others of his chosen Saints and dearest Children I Answer and confess that many times after the offence is remitted we see punishments inflicted upon the Offendor Why God inflicteth punishment after the fault is remitted but we say that is not to satisfie the Justice of God for that sin for which Christ hath fully satisfied but to amend us and to confirm us unto God that is not to make satisfaction unto God for the sns that are past but to be for a prevention unto us against all other sins that are to come and would otherwise be acted by us And this is the end for which we perswade men to fast and pray and to perform all the exercises of true Penance to shew the fruits and truth of their repentance for their sins past and offending God and to declare the willingness of their minds to do any Service and to undergo any labour and patiently to suffer any cross or disaster that might any waies be available for the prevention of all sins to come But to say that any penance or punishment imposed by the Priest or voluntarily assumed by our selves should any way satisfie Gods wrath for our sins committed against him we do utterly deny and detest as a most derogatory Doctrine to the all-sufficient satisfaction of Christ And the truth of this Doctrine sufficiently sheweth No need of Purgatory that there is no need and there can be no place nor use of any Purgatory to make satisfaction for sins after this life 4. 4. In the Doctrine of Merits In their Doctrine of Merit they exceed in Pride above all the rest For though our Saviour tells us that when we have done all what we can we are but unprofitable Servants and far short of what we should be And the Apostle plainly saith that by Grace we are saved through Faith Eph. 2.8,9 and that not of your selves it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast And the Holy Fathers are plentiful in the justifying of this point and teach quod sufficit ad meritum scire quod non sufficiunt merita that it sufficeth us to know that no merits can avail us any thing to merit any thing at the hands of God but the Merits
boasting and bragging or prae se ferens as Beza translates it pretending that he is God or as Tremellius saith ostentet seipsum ac si Deus esset he will carry himself as if he were a God that is in Gods stead the true King to rule the people and the right Bishop to govern the Church of Christ or That the Antichrist will wholly direct the Clergy and dispose of all things in the Church and about the service of God as some do read it he would be esteemed and taken tanquam sit Deus for such a supream Monarch and chief Governor over Gods Church as God said unto Moses he should be to Aaron his God to direct him in all the service of the Tabernacle and the whole worship of God so will the Antichrist be such a God to order direct and dispose of all the worship of God and how all the Clergie in order and without order should behave and carry themselves in the whole service of the Church which I take to be the true meaning of the Apostle in this place For this shewing himself or bragging that he is God is not to be understood that he would have himself believed to be the true and everliving God and worshiped with divine worship as the Historians tell us Alexander Antigonus Augustus Caligula Domician and divers others of the Caesars and Emperors were transported to that height of pride and ambition as believing themselves to be more than men to require the people their subjects to take them for Jupiter Apollo or some other of those anciently esteemed Gods and to ascribe the honor and worship that was usually given to those Gods unto themselves as Altars Sacrifices and the like whereof Virgil speaking of Augustus saith Virgilius eglog 1. Illius aram Saepe tener nostris ab ovilibus imbuet agnus And Horace also saith Horatius epist. l. 2. Jurandásque tuum per nomen ponimus aras But the meaning of the Apostle is that this man of sin the Antichrist will bragge and boast unto the people that he is all for God and for the honor and service of God and therefore sits in the temple of God to set out the right directory of serving God that so God through him and by his only means and endeavors might be rightly served and worshipped according to his directory as the Mahometans worship Mahomet according to his Alcoran and we formerly worshipped God according to the form prescribed unto us by our Governors in the book of Common-prayer and so he sheweth that he is God that is most godly and so a God by the participation of the godliness and holiness of God which exposition doth most fitly agree with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what he sheweth himself to be which is the rediest way to deceive the people And whether the long Parliament hath not usurped this ecclesiastical power and jurisdiction over all the holy things Let the Reader judge whether this be not fulfilled in the long Parliament and to set forth the sole Directory of Gods service tanquam sit Deus as if they alone had Aarons Office to order all the other Priests and Levites or had the spirit of S. Paul infallibly to direct the Church of Christ as well as Moses his Authority and the power of a King to rule the people Let the Parishes and people of God that have none other form of Gods service but what the Parliament Preachers and the observers of their Directory do use be the Judges both of what service and of what Doctrine is brought unto them I make small account though I will not pass it unsaluted of that Observation which some men have made that the Parliament House where the members of the long Parliament sate Arise Evans in his Voice from heaven was a Chappel consecrated by King Edward the 3. to be the Temple of God as appeareth by many Records because many other Parliaments have sate in that Chappel and yet not any of them all have usurped this power to be the supream disposers and directors of all the holy service of God the Commanders of all the Bishops and Priests of the most high God how to do his service and what service should be done unto him and to make themselves the sole Possessors the right owners to dispose sell or give all the Revenues lands states Tythes and offerings of the Church as it is said the Antichrist would do and which he may no better nor so well do as Scyrus and Procrustes the two vilest robbers that we read of could take thy purse and all thy mony by the High-way side And here also I cannot omit to observe Note the word fit in the temple that the Apostle saith that the man of sin shall not stand but sit in the Temple of God where the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifieth to fit as where it is said that Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 4.6 and 20.12 sate by the well and so the two Angells were seen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sitting in white raiments is to be distinguished from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which betokeneth and signifieth collocare to place or to set a thing in some place as it is where the Apostle saith if you have judgments of things pertaining to this life 1 Cor. 6.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set such or place them to judg who are least esteemed in the Church and so where it is said that the Disciples brought the Asse and the Colt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as it is in some Copies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they set him Matth 21.7 or placed him thereon And therefore it is rightly concluded by Maresius that this sitting in the Temple of God is ill applyed by Grotius to Caius Caligula his causing of his Statue to be placed in the Temple at Hierusalem but it may most properly signifie the sitting of the Parliament Let the Reader judge of this or the like society of men in that place where they intend to acquiesce and rest themselves whether the place be physical or Metaphysical And whether the Parliament resolved not only to stand in that their dignity and Authority for a while or intended to sit and acquiesce and continue themselves and their Successors for ever in the Parliament-House and in the Temple of God to govern the Church of God as God themselves know best I will not judge of their Intention CHAP. VI. That the Antichrist is a great Professor of Religion and a seeming Saint That he belyeth his Profession and is indeed the greatest Hypocrite in the world What the great Lye of the Antichrist is What 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth What it is to deny Jesus to be the Christ And how the Father and the Son may be denied two manner of waies 2. THough I might go on
Him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven and not without great cause and a very just reason for it even in any mans judgement for that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the word that St. John useth here and which our Saviour useth there in the place before cited What 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth doth signifie as the learned Criticks do witness not a bare and simple denial of some truth but a treacherous rebellious and unnatural revolt from ones lawful Prince or Master and a revolt accompanied with such a malice against his person that the revolter resieth never satisfied with any thing but in the bloud and utter destruction of the person denied for so St. Peter tels the Jews that had crucified Christ that God had glorified his Son Jesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom you have delivered and denied that is that he should live before Pilate when he was determined to let him go that he should live 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but you denied the Holy and Just that is you denied that Pilate should let him live and were never satisfied untill you had him crucified and so the Antichrist denieth Christ or Jesus to be the Christ and never leaves to prosecute and persecute the Christ not Jesus but the Christ whom he denieth Jesus to be untill he brings the Christ as the Jews did before bring Jesus down to the dust and unto death and so becomes the man of the sin that S. Paul had spoken of before unto his Thessalonians 2 Thes 2. that is the murderer in the transcendent and vilest kind and manner of man-killing And here also you must observe Another special observation that the Apostle doth not say This great Lyar denieth Jesus to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Son of God because this denial maketh not the Antichrist for so Arius the grand Heretick denied him to be and yet he is not said to be the Antichrist because he confessed and believed that he was the Christ neither doth the Apostle say The Antichrist denieth not Christ to be Jesus but denieth Jesus to be the Christ That this great Lyar is the Great Antichrist because he denieth Jesus to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Saviour of men or the Redeemer of Mankind for so his Name Jesus signifieth and so the Jews the Mahometans and all the Infidels deny him to be and yet they are not said for this denial to be the Antichrist though hereby they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and do absolutely deny to beleeve in him as in their Jesus and their Saviour as the Antichrist doth profess that he is the Jesus that is the Saviour both of himself and of all other men that do beleeve in him and therefore he is not said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Adversary or denier of Jesus but he is said to be the great Lyar and the Antichrist because he would make the World to beleeve that he loves Jesus and beleeves in Jesus and is the best Christian in the World and yet absolutely and peremptorily denieth Jesus to be the Christ Therefore we must take some pains to untie this knot and beg the assistance of Gods Spirit to explain this mystery Mark well this Aenigma that may seem as a Riddle unless we examine it very well to know why the denial of Jesus to be the Christ maketh the Antichrist and the Antichrist to be the great Lyar because he denieth Jesus to be the Christ and how it can be that he which beleeveth in Jesus that he is his Saviour and the true Messias that saves all mankind and as he saith that this his Jesus is Christ and his Christ should notwithstanding be the Antichrist and in all his sayings and profession but a great Lyar because he denieth Jesus to be the Christ he saith he is Christ and beleeveth in him as in his Christ and yet denieth him to be the Christ or to be Christ therefore we may well demand with Nicodemus Joh. 3. How can these things be I say very well or if they were not the great Antichrist could not be the great Lyar. But for the clearing of these points I confess that I must plough with E. H. E. H de Antichristo p. 82. and in his Proface to the Reader p. 3. his Heifer that gave mea the first inckling of the discovery of the truth of this double dealing of the Antichrist where he hath most truly and learnedly though briefly explained the sence and meaning of the Apostle and discovered the apparent great lye of the Antichrist in saying and unsaying affirming and denying the same thing at a breath that must needs make him a Lyar if any thing makes him for as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ signifieth anointed and Jesus was anointed to be both a King and a Priest for so the wise men say Where is he that is born the King of the Jews Simul natus Mat. 2.2 simul Caesar He was a King as soon as ever he was born and Pilate wrote upon his Cross Jesus of Nazreth King of the Jews Joh. 19.19 so that when his enemies bereaved him of his life yet they could not deprive him of his royal and Kingly Office and the more firmly to ascertain us of his Priestly Office The Lord sware and will not repent Psal 110.4 thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchizedech which was not like the Order of Aaron that was to be determined and to have an end but was an everlasting Order to continue a Priest for ever for these two Offices only were the chiefest and the ordinary Offices whereby the Lord ruled the people and governed the Church of the Jews these were the ordinary Rulers of that Commonwealth and therefore these two Offices of Kings and Priests That the Kings and the Priests only were ordinarily anointed 1 Reg. 19.16 and v. 19. were the only usual and accustomed Offices that were anointed in that Church and among that People for the Prophets were an extraordinary Calling and extraordinarily anointed and that but once as I find in all the Scripture and that anointing also not with oyle materially as the Kings and the Priests were but by the casting on of Elijah's Mantle upon Elisha which was termed an anointing of him but the other two were usually anointed with material Oyle And these two Offices of a King and a Priest are the Offices whereby Jesus redeemeth and saveth and also guideth and ruleth his whole Church and without which Offices he could not be a Jesus either to purchase and save or to rule and to instruct his Church and therefore whosoever denieth Jesus to be a King and a Priest denieth him to be the Christ and though he should confess him and beleeve him to be his Jesus and his Saviour yet he cannot save him if he be not the Christ that is anointed to be both
come A speciall observation of the time of this rejoycing and not before because that till now the Church was exercised either with bloody persecutions from without or with intestine broyles and heresies from within but now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the accuser and false traducer of our Brethren the Holy Prophets and the Apostles of Christ by misapplying their sayings misconstring their words and perverting their meaning and making them to say that which they never thought as all Hereticks do being cast out of the Church and quite vanquished consuted and silenced 1. By the blood of the Lamb that is by the faith which the true Christians had in the death of Christ and by the patient sufferings of the Martyrs for the defence of that faith in the former persecutions both of the Pagans and Arians when they loved not their lives unto death but valued them as nothing and yielded them most freely for the maintenance of that Faith which they had in the blood of the Lamb. and 2. by the word of their Testimony that is the breif Articles of their faith and the uniforme rule of Serving God and by the constant firme and faithfull justifying and maintaining the truth of that Doctrine and Service which they professed and published unto the people against all Hereticks whatsoever Therefore now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 12. rejoyce you Heavens Use 12 1. The rejoycing of the Angels and Saints the Church tryumphant and militant for the suppression of the Hereticks and ye that dwell in them that is the highest Heavens and all you Blessed Spirits and Holy Angells that do rejoyce at the Conversion of one Sinner rejoyce now much more for these great Victories and especially for this last victory that Michael and his Angels hath obtained against the Dragon and his Angels and you the Metaphoricall Heavens the Churches of God wherein God resideth rejoyce you as you have most cause to rejoyce that the accuser of your brethren and the false traducer of the Apostles and Holy Fathers of the Church is cast out from amongst you and your Churches are purely reformed the doctrine of faith truely taught and the service of God righty administred and all errors heresies and superstitions swept out of the Church But woe to the Inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea v. 12. that is Who are meant by the inhabitants of the earth and of the Sea to the Worldlings Hypocrites bloody men and loose livers for the earth signifyeth earthly men and the Sea is a loose roaring and raging element cold and moyst and therefore signifieth the loose and dissolute livers roarers and furious men that have not any heat of Love and Charity in them and those also that for the love of gaine and profit only and not out of love to benefit their Countrey and their Neighbours and to shew the bountifull goodness of God to all places but onely out of a covetous desire to inrich themselves do passe all Seas into all forreign Lands woe woe unto all those because that he which could not and can not prevail against the true Christians that do so firmly stand and so stoutly oppose him will be sure to catch these soon enough within his net and hold them fast enough to make them pay for all because as the Holy Ghost saith he hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great wrath and is exceedingly troubled and vexed not onely for his former foyl and his casting out of Heaven but also most especially for that now after these victories he knoweth or as the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he seeth that he hath but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a short space to recruit and to see if he can revenge his former foyls and therefore 2. 2. The bloody and the most malicious persecution of the Dragon after the suppression of the Hereticks He goeth presently among the Inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea and perswades them to throw all the stones of the Earth and to stir up all the waves of the Sea and to use all possible arts to vex and oppress the woman and to overwhelm the Ship of Christ which is the Church in the Seas of all miseries and afflictions And so now the Dragon begins a fresh to rage and to persecute the woman saith the Holy Ghost v. 13. which brought forth the man-child and to vex and molest all her Children all the true and faithfull members of the Church whereof most of them especially her lay children were left prety quiet while the spirituall and dogmaticall warre lasted that raged most of all amongst the Clergy but now that warre being ended the Church reformed superstitions expunged and all the Heresies confuted the Dragon vanquished his Angels suppressed and the service of God purely and rightly discharged the true Church and all her members the corrupted unreformed Churches he hath them in his hands already so that he need not trouble himself to meddle with them are newly molested and exceedingly persecuted with great wrath saith the Angel and that is with a bloody warre and a greater warre and a far more unnaturall and unchristian warre and a more violent and more malicious prosecution of the warre and persecution of them that were quiet in the Land then ever was done by this Dragon at any time before this time And the reason of the exceeding greatness and sharpness of this persecution of the true Church The reason of the sharpness of this persecution shewed signified by this woman is not omitted to be set down by the Holy Ghost for the comfort and consolation of all the persecuted Saints and distressed members of Christ and for to incourage them with the more constancy to persist and to withstand the assaults of the Dragon unto the end and that is because the Dragon that in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had many hundred years to prosecute that heriticall and dogmaticall war yet now knoweth and seeth that he hath but a short time to rage and to wage this newly revived bloody war and therefore he must bestir himself or he shall lose his Harvest that hath but a short time to gather in his fruit and that time that he is permitted thus to rage against the woman as the spirit of God sets it down Cap. 12.14 c. 11 8 v. 11. c. 13 5. c. 11.2 is but a time and times and half a time which signifieth the three dayes and a half that the two witnesses of Christ shall lie unburied in the streets of the great City and the 42 moneths wherein the beast should prevail against Gods Servants and should tread the holy City that is the purest Church under feet for all these times thus exprest by severall termes and expressions The suppression of the witnesses and persecution of the Church the same time as of time times and half a time and three dayes and a half and 42 moneths and do synechronize and cohere for the
So it was blasphemie in the Caesars to be called divi dii aeterni as Prosper saith in dimid temp c 7. Nam aeterna cum dicitur quae temporalis est utique nomen est blasphemiae 2. Way Psal 50.18,19 20.21 James 2.7 that upon the heads of this Beast there were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the names of blasphemies for so it is in some Copies and it agreeth better with heads then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the name upon many heads now blasphemy may be committed two special wayes 1. When we assume unto our selves that Deity and Divine Honour and Right either of power or knowledge which is onely due to God as when Christ told the Jews that he was the Son of God that is his essential and coeternal Son otherwise we are all his sons by Creation and the elect by grace and adoption the Jews not knowing and not believing him to be so said that he blasphemed because that he being but a man as all other men were and no more as they thought assumed to himself the honour and title of God or else when we give and ascribe the divine honour to any other creature whatsoever as all idolaters do and therefore idolatry in the Scripture phrase is usually termed blasphemie as you may see Ezech. 20.27 and Isa 65.7 2. When we derogate from God that Deity and divine honour and right which is due and we do ow to ascribe unto God or do conceive and attribute unto him any unseemly act or thing whether words or deeds which do no wayes agree with the excellency and purity of his divine Majesty as when we do oppresse the poor consent with Thieves and be partakers with the adulterers and then think wickedly as all such Actors for the most part do that God is such an one as themselves or as Jupiter Apollo and the rest of the adulterous gods of the Gentiles were that hath no regard of these things as the Prophet speaketh these do blaspheme that worthy name by which they are called as Saint James testifieth And is not the long Parliament The parallel That the Parliament Sectaries are said to Blaspheme both wayes 1. Way or some of their adherents justly said to be guilty of Blasphemy both these wayes for 1. Did they not assume to themselves or at least their flatterers ascribe to them those attributes and Prerogatives that are only due and proper unto God as among others to break the powers of the earth in pieces to levell the Hills and to fill up the Vallies to bruise the Nations with a rod of Iron and to break them in pieces like a Potters Vessel as my self have heard one of their Sword Preachers and adherent to the Parliament Preaching the same unto the people and as he ascribed unto them this attribute of Gods power which they made use of reasonable well in these three Kingdomes so do they not arrogate to themselves that attribute of Knowledge 2. Tim. 2.19 which as the Apostle saith is only proper and peculiar unto God and that is to know qui sunt ejus who are his for I refer it to the judgment of the people if these mens Chaplains and Preachers take not upon them to discerne and discriminate the elect from the Reprobate And the Independants gathering of Churches is a sufficient proof hereof The History of Independency part 3. pag. 28. 2. Way and so accordingly do what Christ did not to Judas exclude them from Christ and from the Communion of Saints and being such to assure their followers that they may justly rob and kill these Reprobates at their own pleasure as men that have no right to the good things of this world but are unworthy to live upon the earth as the Author of the History of Independancy witnesseth and which is a most dangerous and destructive doctrine to all humane society and if the ground thereof be not extreame Blasphemy let any sober christian judge 2. For the other way as the Worshippers of this Beast Blasphemed so did not the adherents unto the Parliament commit more Blasphemies and more odious Blasphemies then I am able to express for our Saviour saith Whoscever speaketh a word against the Son of man it shall be forgiven him but unto him that Blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost Luc. 12.10 Math. 11.32 it shall not be forgiven neither in this World nor in the World to come saith St. Mathew and yet did not that Parliament and especially the independant party of the Parliament and the whole pack of their proselites with all reverence be it spoken by me make the Holy Ghost to be the pack-Horse to carry all their vile and wicked sins upon his back and the spirit of God doth exceedingly complaine against this lewd practice of such wicked men saying supra dorsum meum fabricaverunt peccatores Psal 129.3 The Plowers Plowed upon my back these sinners do not onely commit sin but they will also build up their sins and fasten them all upon my back as if I were the Author the mover and contriver of all their wickednesse and impieties for when they are pulling down and setting up new Doctrines and new disciplines and change their Faith and Religion as the Nomades do change their Cottages as they are led by the Lesbian rule of their own fancies which is the very square by which they interpret the Holy Scripture The Common Doctrine of the Independents as you may see in the History of Independency do they not usually alledge that the Spirit which Sanctifyeth and illuminates them bloweth when and where he will sometimes this way and sometimes that way and oftentimes contrary wayes and therefore that they can make no profession of any certaine rule of Doctrine or Discipline because they know not which way the spirit will inspire them and to justifie this their inconstancy and their continuall chopping and changing of their minds and resolutions they abuse that Text of Scripture where our Saviour saith to Nichodemus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the winde or Spirit bloweth where it listeth John 3.8 and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it commeth and whether it goeth So is every one that is borne of the Spirit as every one of them is without question in their own conceit and therefore when contrary to their Oaths Protestations and Covenant they beheaded and murdered the King saith the Author of Independency part 3. if he saith true did they not pretend that they could not resist the motions of the Spirit and so when they break their faith their Articles as they did I know with whom their promises their Declarations and their Covenant do they not avouch that the Spirit moves them to it which is most true if they understand it right of the spirit of darkness which they make to be the Spirit of God And I would faine know what greater Blasphemy then these if these things be true as men
in Law and without neither could he be suffered to borrow money of his friends without being blamed and questioned for it Yet the long Parliament could have and would they not have whatsoever they desired Loanes Taxes Excise and what not men and money to make War and to conclude peace with whom they pleased they need no more but Vote it and they must have it what part soever of our estates they vote for if they may lawfully demand the 20th part thy may as lawfully demand the third part or the half or all if they please when their own will must be the Rule to guide them in all that they do And did not all the people upon the sight of this great transcendent and unlimited power of the Parliament crie out who is able to deal with them and to prevail against them Because they saw that whosoever did not submit to them or did seem to dissent and to be as they phrase it disaffected to them or else to be neuters Judges 5.23 as the inhabitants of Meroz were and the Gryphan when as the Poets feign the Battel was betwixt the Beasts of the field and the Fowls of the air they plundered their goods sequestered their Estates imprisoned their persons cut off their heads and destroyed all that opposed them and all their own Laodicean followers that would not be as violent for them as they are said to be virulent against both right and truth and the true Church of Christ and that not onely in Ingland but also in Scotland and in Ireland and more then this did they not the like to the French Dutch Danes Manks Moors Portugues and to whomsoever else of what kindred tongue or Nation soever he were as the Holy Ghost saith that durst stand to oppose them either by Sea or land Did they not all tast of the like sauce To whom then may this Scripture be applied if not to them And because of their Victories and successes more then ever seemed usuall among any Princes supra dorsum Dei fabricaverunt did they not as the Prophet saith lay all their wicked acts upon Gods back and as Pharaoh Necho King of Egypt 2 Chron. 35.21 How the Parliamentarians builded their sins upon Gods back Martial l. 4. Epig. 21. said unto Josias God hath commanded me to make this Warre so did they not say that God had done all that was done by them and the hand of God was seen and might easily be seen in all their doings which must needs therefore be all good because they all were done by God and the blessing of God followed all their proceedings and prospered all their actions And so the Parliamentarians Soldiers and abettors builded their doings and laid their very sins and all the injuries that they did upon God which puts me in mind of Martiall his Epigram Nullos esse deos inane coelum Affirmat caelius probatque Quod se videt dum negat haec beatum Which is thus englished by Mr. May accutely That in the Heavens no Gods there be Caelius affirms and proves cause he Still thinking so lives happilie For I think this may be applied to many of our Independant Sectaries and admirers of the proceedings and successes of the Parliament as well as to Martialls prophane Caelius Yet I shewed you before how the spirit of God tells us in the second verse of this Chapter it is not God but the Dragon that is the Devill which is indeed the god of the Beast that hath given this power and this great authority unto the Beast to make Warre with the Saints and to overcome them God giving leave unto the Dragon so to do without whose leave we know he could give no more power unto the Beast then he himself had against holy Job and that was none at all But seeing the Holy Ghost tells us that power was given unto the Beast and that as our Saviour saith unto Pilate he could have no power except it were given him from above that is from God so the Beast the Antichrist the Parliament and all the Tyrants of this World could receive no power from the Dragon except God the Fountain and the Authour of all power permitted the Dragon as his Instrument to give it them we do acknowledge the hand of God in the Victories and successes of that Parliament against the Saints and Servants of Christ which he gives them leave to obtain but not for any blessing or love he beares to them or any pleasure he takes in their doings but rather for a just Judgement against us because he is angry with his Saints and displeased with their sins committed or omitted in the performance of their duties either towards God or towards their Neighbours or else for the tryall of their constancie and faithfulness in the service of God In which respect we know that the more they are plundered persecuted and vanquished by the Parliament and his adherents the more they are loved and continuing faithfull shall be honoured and glorified by God and our Saviour Christ And this should teach men That we ought not to wonder to wonder no more to see the Parliament and their parties prevail and to get so many signall Victories over the Saints and Servants of Christ then to see the Inhabitants of Aj prevailing against the Israelites or the Tribe of Benjamin twice overcoming the 10. Tribes and slaying at both times 40000. of them At the Victories of the Beast Josh 7.5 Jud. 20.21.25 or the Philistines overthrowing the Army of Saul or Nebuchadnezzar a Heathen Tyrant carrying away the Jewes that were Israelites and Gods own peculiar people Captives into Babilon or Nebuzaradan leading the 10. Tribes into Assyria or now to see the Turks qui dum volunt Judaeâ—s esse christianos nec Judâ—i sunt nec christiani who patching Judaisme and Christianity together are neither Jewes nor Christians but do imbrace and uphold the abominations of Mahomet the Sonne of Abdalia Sir VValter Rawleigh in his History of Mahomet pag. 10. that by the help of a Jew Scribe his first Master and of Sergius a Nestorian Monke his next instructor penned the accursed Alcoran for his followers Bible to make both the zealous Jewes and the Religious Christians both his Tributaries and his Gally-slaves and to warre upon many others of them and to overcome them even as the Beast hath done unto the Saints and as you see the Parliament hath done to all King Charles his true Subjects But this ought What the successes of the Beast should teach the Saints as the Holy Ghost saith to teach us patience under our present burthens and repentance for our sins that are past and have pulld these punishments upon us with a constant care to shun and prevent all sins to come and continuall prayers to God that he would make speed to save us and make hast to help us and to deliver us from this more then the Egyptian bondage
wisdom of God yet glorified not himself to he made an High Priest but he that said unto him thou art a Priest for ever Verse 5. after the Order of Melchisedech And therefore none ought like these Lay Preachers thrust himself into the Office of a Priest or Minister of God but such as are Lawfully Called and sufficiently allowed and approved by them that have their Authority from God as Moses had to confirm Aaron to be Ministers of Christ because they are as the Apostle termeth them Embassadors of Christ and you know every Embassador must have his lawfull Commission or else he shall be taken for an impostor and a seducer as he that came from the King of Ingland to the States of the Low Countreys As the Answerer of W. Apollonius testifieth and was sumptuously entertained the first day but being found an impostor was clapt up in prison the next day which is the just reward of Intruders Therefore the Apostlos and Disciples of Christ though filled with the Spirit of Christ in a far greater measure then the best of these Lady Preachers yet went they not to Preach the Gospell Matth. 10.5.28.19 Marck 16.15 John 20 21. untill they had an outward injunction and Commission from Christ as you may see in Matth. 20.5 28.29 Mark 16.15 John 20.21 where our Saviour saith as my Father sent me even so send I you which is a plain and a full Commission to them that they were no intruders into the Sacred Function And so after the Ascention of Christ we never find that any of the true Servants of God did ever undertake this calling to be the Embassador of Christ and a Publick Preacher of Gods word but such as were Lawfully allowed and Canonically Ordained to that Function by those that had a lawfull Authority to admit them And that Ordination of them consisted chiefly of these two parts 2. Things requisite in the Ordination of Priests 1. Fervent prayers As you may see in Acts 6.6 2. Imposition of hands As you may see in Acts 6.6 Where the seven Deacons are set before the Apostles and when they had prayed they laid their hands on them so Timothy was ordained by Prophesie with the laying on of the hands of the Presbyterie 1 Tim. 4.14 and least we should mistake his meaning as the Presbyterians do by making this place their bulwark to protect their new erected Presbyterie St. Paul sheweth what he meaneth by the hands of the Presbyterie when in the singular number he saith I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee 2 Tim. 1.6 by the putting on of my hands because he had the sole Power of Ordination residing in him though as the Bishops now following his example do use to call two or three grave Ministers for their assistance so he called the Presbyterie that is some other of the Elder Ministers to lay their hands with him as he joyneth Sylvanus and Timotheus with himselfe 1 Thes 1.1 in his Salutation to the Thessalonians And so because Timothy was Ordained to be the first Bishop of Ephesus as not onely the postscript of his second Epistle testifieth but also Eusebius and all other Ecclesiesticall Writers without any contradiction do affirm St. Paul chargeth him in particular as whom it particularly concerned to lay hands suddenly on no man that is 1 Tim. 5.22 not rashly and carelesly to admit any kind of men to be the Ministers of Jesus Christ but advisedly to consider What the Primitive Church Ordered should be done about the Ordination of Priests and Religiously to Ordain such as he found most fitting for so High a Calling And therefore according to this Charge of the Apostle to Bishop Timothy the Bishops of the Primitive Church and the immediate successors of the Apostles took such special care to provide worthy Ministers for Gods Church that in imitation of the Apostles Acts. 14.23 1. They Appointed and Ordained that the whole Church that is 1. Thing all the faithfull people of God that Professed to believe in Christ should observe foure Ember weeks in every yeare wherein all the Christians should Fast and Pray to God that he would vouchsafe to send them godly and able Ministers because that 2. They Ordained that each Bishop on the next Lords day 2. Thing after each Ember week should with the assistance of some of his Grave Clergy Ordain such as they found most fitting and worthy of this High Calling and I feare that the neglect of the performance of this duty of Prayer and Fasting on those Ember weeks among the people have produced such defects as be in many Ministers and perhahs the Bishops as well as the people were not all so carefull and so circumspect as they ought to have been in the Ordination of their Clergy for as you may see in the 1 Tim. 3.10 and in Titus 1.5.6 1 Tim. 3.10 Tit. 1.5 6. those that were to be admitted Priests or Deacons were to be proved and examined and being found blameless and qualified as the Apostle requireth in the foresaid places prayers were to be made for them The great care taken in former times in the Ordination of Priests and Deacons and hands to be laid on them and then Authority was given unto them to execute that Holy Fuction so great was the care that was formerly used in the Ordination of Priests and Deacons and no man durst presume to intrude himself into this Holy Office nor any man was suffered to execute these Functions but such as were thus Religiously Ordained And no wonder fot this calling being fo transeendently high non collectio pecuniarum not the gathering of Rents or the Kings Revenues but custodia animarum the care and custody of mens souls which are the living images of the Eternal God The great care that should be taken in ordaining priests and Deocons and which is onus Angelicis humeris formidandum a burthen saith S. Hierome that is able to make Angels shoulders to shrink under it so heavy that St. Paul cries out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who is sufficient for these things And the Lord God himself sheweth unto Moses what care ought to be had in the choosing approving and sanctifying of them that were to serve at his Altar for Aaron and his sons that were but types and figures of the Evangelical Priests were to be consecrated seven daies together and a bullock was to be offered for a sin offering every day Exod. 29.35 before they were admitted to administer in their office Object But I know that our Lay-Preachers will object that these were Jewish Rites and shadows that are vanished with their temple and therefore no waies pertaining to us Christians Sol. I answer that the Old Testament or the Law Heb. 10. which was the shadow of good things to come and not the very image of the things is acknowledged by all
that place The fixth upon the river Euphrates which is to be understood not literally no more then the other places aforenamed but in the similitude for which the Holy Ghost applyeth it and that is as the great river Euphrates was like a wall of brass to the City of Babylon to preserve it from all invasion so will the Army of the beast the wealth and great riches of the Antichrist that he hath heaped together and the wit and subtlety of the false Prophet be as an impregnable fortress to protect them in all their impiety tyranny and oppression but as Cyrus divided the mighty river Gyndes that fed Euphrates into 360. brookes Hgrodotus l. 1. Clio. and then turned aside Euphrates out of her own channel into that huge poole which was formerly made by Queen Nitocris and so took away the strength and considence of the City and having thus made way for his souldiers he entered and took that great and famous City of Babylon through the Channell of this mighty river so will Christ by the ministrie of the first Angel divide all the strength and take away all the confidence of the remnant of the beast and will dry up or wast all the wealth of his adherents and befoole the wit and devices of the false Prophet and so remove all the impediments that were like the river Euphrates the hinderers of his servants to overthrew the kingome of the Antichrist and to take away his Rule and Dominion and to suppresse his tyranny over Gods servants And when all this will not avail to cause this shaked beast and disjointed routed armie of the Antichrist to return from his unjust wayes and most wicked courses but that three unclean spirits like frogs shall come out of the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet which are the spirits of devills working â—â—â—â—cles and going forth to the Kings of the earth and of the whole world 〈…〉 them to the battle of the great day of God Almighty that is a great many lying and deceitful spirits What is meant by the warre and battle that the beast maketh with God and false prophets because the number of three as of seven hath verie often none other importance then a great many shall be still sent forth to everie place to oppose the true service of God to lay his honour in the dust and to suppresse and trample his servants under feet which is all the war that the beast and all his hornes and all other beasts in the world can make against God Almighty then saith Christ Behold I come as a thief that is suddenly and unexpected and he will send the seventh Angell with the last viall of Gods wrath and the seventh Angel will pour out his Vial into the River and a great voice shall come out of the Temple of heaven Revel 5.14 2 Pet. 3.10 Esay 14.4 and from the Throne saying it is done that is the Preachers of Christ shall by the light of the truth tell the people that will not repent the time is at hand that Christ shall come to judgement and that the heavens shall depart as a scroule and the Elements shall melt with servent heat and there shall be an end of all things Then the Son of a man Jesus Christ ere it be long though how long or how soon no mortall man can tell shall come in the glorie of his Father with his Angels to take the heast that shall be then alive and the false Prophet and all his adherents and all those that past away before to make a finall and a total end of them and to throw them into the Lake of sire and brimstone and to render unto everie man according to his deeds to them that by patient conthâ—uance in well doing seeke for glorie and honour and immortalitie eternall life but unto them that are contentions rebellious murderers oppressors idolaters lyars and all such transgressors of Gods Lawes that obey not the truth but take pleasure in unrighteousness indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish and eternall destruction to everie man that doth evill And this is the end of the Antichrist Amen Jamque opus est exegi Et plena jam Margine libri Scriptus in tergo nec dum finitus Orestes But I look that some Alter ater Ecebolius Some bold blind and ignorant Presbyterian Zoilus like an Orlando furioso will run at me as Don Quixot ran against the Wind-mill and like an angry Wasp sting both me and my book animamque in vulnere ponet yet as gold is gold though the Chimick say it is copper and copper is but copper though the deceitful Mountebank say it is gold so the truth of my writings will be found true when their lies and raylings like another Rabsheka will appear of what stuffe they are unto the world si tantus amor if they have such love and longing desire of a rayling digladiation as one of them did against my Book The Grand Rebellion Mr. John Goodwin they may chance to find their mate that may fitter undertake them then it is for a man of my place and calling as leni fluit agmine tibris so will I gently and charitably pray that God would give them more grace to have lesse malice Trini vni deo sit omnis laus honor et gloria in secula seculorum Amen Amen Jehovae Liberatori FINIS