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
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
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
desirous did he shew himself to build God a Temple and notwithstanding all his great affaires and his many and mighty wars and abundance of troubles how he composed his Psalmes and directed them to the chief Musicians Asaph Altaschith Jeduthun and the rest and ordered the Priests and Levites to discharge the service of God and of the Tabernacle according as the Lord had commanded the same to be observed by his servant Moses So careful was he at all times and before all things to have the service of God rightly and duly performed And therefore herein he is said to be a man according to Gods own heart and God blessed him and established him and his seed in his throne for ever But Jeroboam though perhaps he was freer and more abstemious from many other sins then either David himself or many other men were and it may be a very just morall man yet when he came into his kingdom he wholly neglected to see the Lords service truly executed and out of a politick conceit as he conceived to secure himself and his posterity in his newly gotten power and authority he cast out the Priests of the Lord the sons of Aaron that were the lawfull Governours and the true servers of God and gathered together a company of novices and young fellowes the lowest and basest of the people that were not of the sonnes of Aaron and that for some small preferment would both say and do whatsoever he pleased and serve what god soever he commanded and with what service soever he liked he made them Priests of his high places to offer sacrifices to his golden gods And therefore is he said to make Israel to sin and God soon rooted him and his posterity out of that kingdom that God had given unto him And so he can do with all those Kings and Monarchs whatsoever they be that by their timorous conniving with Sects or a popular favouring either the greater part or the stronger side do think it the most politick course to be securely established and so suffer the service of God to be either neglected or perverted and the faithfull Governours of his Church to be suppressed through the impetuous importunity of aspiring emulators or the clamorous desire of ignorant vulgars whereas the best policy in the world to preserve them is to be men of courage to uphold the true service of God this fortitude being a vertue most necessary both for the Prince and the Preacher quia timiditas eorum est calamitas multorum because their fear will become the fall of many when the one dares not say the truth and the other will not do what is just or will do what is unjust for very fear whereas the upholding of Gods right service is able to uphold them against all opponents And therefore that the true service of God might be preserved uncorrupted and unchanged by all Kings and Monarchs which is the chiefest thing that God requireth at their hands and is the principal thing that can preserve them in their Majesty and perpetuate the same unto their posterity it is most requisite they should be very carefull in the choice of their spiritual teachers and guides to direct them for the preservation of the true worship of God for we know the Arian Bishops made Constantius an Arian Emperour and the Priests of Baal made Ahab and Jezabell so zealously affected to the service of Baal and so the Popish Priests make Papists and the Run-a-gadoes out of the Church do when they return make Sects and Factions in the Church and therefore as it had been good for Ahab if he would have hearkened to Elias and Micaiah as he did to the Priests of Baal and good for Constantius if he had as well favoured the Orthodox as he did the Heterodox and Arian Bishops so it will be good and the best course to guide all Kings Monarchs and Governours of the people for the setling of the true service of God to give ear unto and to countenance those who are appointed by God to direct them in Gods service rather then to any others for the grave and reverend Governours of the Church are like the discreet Counsellours of King Solomon and will advise them not to listen nor to relie so much upon the directions of any novices which may prove like the counsel of those young favourites of Rehoboam Thus I have freely exprest my mind to your Majesty so plain that he which runs may read it and reading it may easily understand it and I humbly beseech you to bear with my plain dealing for though it behoves not us to polupragmatize in things that are beyond our line and without the compasse of our calling and to intermeddle with the civil Government yet as John the Baptist told Herod of his duty to God so it behoveth us with the spirit of Elias to inform our Kings our Governours how they should uphold Gods service or if we neglect the same for fear of their displeasure we shall make our selves liable to the displeasure of God Almighty and so as Lucian saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shunning the smoak of mans anger we shall fall into the fire of Gods fury or as Job saith timentes pruinam opprimemur à nive that is as Saint Gregory moralizeth it by fearing the frost of mans hatred which we might tread under our feet we shall be oppressed and swallowed up with the snow of Gods vengeance that falleth down from heaven upon our heads and we cannot avoid it And therefore as Saint Clemens saith quae vobis expedire novimus tacere non possumus we must needs tell you what we conceive makes for your hapinesse so I humbly beseech your Majesty to raise the slain witnesses which the cruel beast hath kill'd and to redresse in Gods service what the long Parliament did amisse and so God will bless you and yours which is the daily prayer of Your Majesties most Humble Faithful and most dutiful Subject Gr. Ossory To the High and most Honourable COURT OF PARLIAMENT The humble addresse of Gruffith Williams L. Bishop of Ossory May it please your Honours THe Spirit of God long agoe hath foretold it out of his grrat love unto his Church what sad accidents and heavie disasters should fall upon her for the times to come even to the end of the world and amongst all the rest of her crosses that she must unavoydably undergoe this is none of the leaft if it be not of greatest importance that the beast which ascendeth out of the bottomlesse pit which is interpreted to be the man of sin and the child of perdition as Saint Paul calleth him that is the Great Antichrist should kill the two witnesses of Jesus Christ that is 1. The Monarchie or supreme Monarch that hath the soveraign Majesty and the supremest power to rule the people and to place other subordinate Magistrates and officers under him for the execution of justice in all the parts of his
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
a King and a Priest and so in denying him to be Christ he denieth him to be Jesus and a Saviour which he saith he beleeveth him to be and therefore he must needs be a great Lyar in saying that now which he presently denieth Question But here the question may be demanded How is it or how can it be that the Antichrist which professeth himself to be not a Jesuit from the name of Jesus but a Christian as they were first termed in Antioch from the name of Christ and saith he doth acknowledge and beleeve and will not and doth not deny Jesus to be both a King and a Priest yea his King and his Priest whom he doth above all others both honour reverence and obey as his King and as his Priest should notwithstanding be said and said truly without any unjust impuration laid upon him to deny Jesus to be the Christ that is the King to rule and the Priest to govern and to instruct his Church I answer that the Apostle meaneth not Respons That the Antichrist should in plain words positively and peremptorily deny Jesus to be a King and a Priest He that sayeth thou art my King and I am thy Subject but thou shalt not rule me neither will I obey thee is not he a Lyar as the Jews Turks and other Infidels do when as he confesseth publikely and in plain terms and never denieth with any manner of words that Jesus is not the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and that he is not a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchizedech but professeth the same as much and more than any man living and yet herein he is the great Lyar because that what he saith in words Factis negat he apparently denieth by his deeds which are the chiefest affirmation or negation of any truth and the best witnesses to confirm both what we say and what we deny as both our Saviour and his Apostle St. Paul do sufficiently testifie And so What it is to deny Jesus to be the Christ the meaning of denying Jesus to be King and Priest is not to be understood of any verbal denial but that the Antichrist though he doth in words confess him to be his King and his Priest and denieth him not to be anointed by God with the true Oyle of grace He that denieth Jesus to execute the Office of King and Priest denieth him to be King and Priest the oyntment of Gods Spirit above and beyond all others that ever were anointed to be the King and the Priest of the whole Church yet by his deeds and his actions he would most treacherously and maliciously deny and hinder Iesus to exercise and execute those Offices that is his Kingly Offices and his Priestly Office by those his deputies and Vicegerents whom he appointeth and placeth under him and in his stead to rule govern and to instruct his people here on earth for he being ascended into heaven executes these Offices of King and Priest none otherwise now in his personal absence than by his Substitutes and Deputies that he placeth to be Kings and Priests under him and whosoever denieth and hindereth them to discharge their duties and to execute those Functions and Offices of King and Priest denieth Jesus to execute the same and to discharge the duties of his Kingly and Priestly Office And we must not understand the Apostles words that the Antichrist denieth Jesus to be the Christ or his denial of him to be the true Messias and Saviour of the World and for that end to be anointed both for a King and a Priest which he never denieth or otherwise if this were his denial of him to be a King and a Priest to this end That thousand thousands deny Christ to be Jesus but the Antichrist only denieth him whom he confesseth his Jesus to be the Christ we should have ten thousand thousands of such Antichrists as Iews Turks and all the Infidels over all the World that deny Iesus the Son of Mary to be anointed for a King and a Priest to become the true Messias and to save his people from their sins for we know that all those do thus peremptorily deny Iesus to be the Christ or to be thus and to this end anointed to be King and Priest and yet they are not said to be the Antichrist nor the great Lyar which the Antichrist is said to be because their lye doth not contra mentem ire nor deny that which they affirm deny by their doings what they affirm by their sayings but their hearts and their tongues do conceive and confess the same thing that Iesus is not the Christ neither their King nor their Priest and the Antichrist doth the clean contrary saying in words that he is his Jesus and yet by his deeds utterly deny him And therefore by this ample Explanation of this mystical Sentence that the Antichrist is a great Lyar because he denieth Iesus to be the Christ I hope it is made plain enough that the meaning of the Apostle is that the Antichrist which mendaciously and falsely like a great Lyar professeth himself a Christian and acknowledgeth in his words that the Lord Iesus is the Christ that is his King and his Priest and himself his loyal Subject and the most faithful Servant of Christ will notwithstanding all this great profession maliciously deny and most rebelliously hinder and oppose the lawful Deputies Lieutenants and Servants of Christ our King and Priest to execute and to discharge their Kingly and Priestly Offices under Christ and in Christ his stead and will as I shewed you from the force and true meaning of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so deny them to execute their functions that nothing will satisfie or serve his turn untill he hath utterly destroyed both King and Priest and so denied them both to serve their Offices and to live in their places that is to be King and Priest Thus the Antichrist denieth Iesus to be the Christ by denying his Deputy-Kings and Priests He that resisleth Christ his Deputies resisteth Christ himself to execute their Kingly and Priestly Offices under him for as he that resisteth the lawful Magistrate resisteth the Ordinance of God saith the Apostle and so far as he resisteth Gods Ordinance he resisteth God himself because Man can make no other visible resistance of God than by the resistance of his Ordinance So he that revolteth from or rebelleth against the execution of these Offices of Christ by those deputies that he sets under him here on earth is rightly said to revolt from and rebel against Christ and so he that denieth them to execute their Offices of Kings and Priests under Christ may justly be said to deny Iesus to execute his Office of King and Priest even as you see he that resisteth against the Kings Sheriffe or Lieutenant is justly said to rebell against the King For though Christ be now in heaven yet he hath his Kingdom here
dasht in pieces the Altars or Communion-tables shall be trampled upon the Bibles torn and burnt the Chancels made stables and the whole service of the holy Church neglected contemned and prohibited the which things I suppose may very well be said to be a treading of the holy city underfoot for so the Angel saith the holy city shall be troden under foot fourty and two months Rev. 11 2. c. 11. v. 2. And here verse 9. he saith the witnesses shall lie unburied three days and a half which if you take a day for a year as Junius Bellarmine and most Interpreters do they do sunchronize and agree just with the fourty two months which do make up the three years and a half that the holy city shall be troden underfoot to shew unto us that while the witnesses lie without their honour and are suppressed the King disobeyed and rejected and the Bishops dethroned and despised the whole Church and people of God that would truly serve him and respect his Vice-roes and reverence his Messengers shall likewise be neglected despised and abused as we have most apparently seen it here amongst us how many good men have been despised and abused ever since the King and the Bishops have bin suppressed But though nocte pluit tota yet redeunt spectacula mane albeit heaviness may last for a night yet joy cometh in the morning for God is so good and so gracious that he will not alwayes be chiding nor shut up his loving kindness in displeasure Psal 30.5 especially towards those that serve him and to the uttermost of their power discharge their duties and therefore the Angel informeth our Apostle that after 3. dayes and a half which I conceive is not precisely to signifie 3. years and a half no more then I do take the 42 moneths for that just period and set terme of 3 years and a half without either more or lesse but indefinitely for some short space expressed here by 3 dayes and a half Why the time of the witnesses rising is expressed by the notion of after 3 dayes and a half as the time of the treading of the holy City is expressed by the space of 42 moneths not lesse then 3 dayes and a half because they should not have the honour equally with Christ to rise as soon as he that rose again the third day and was most justly to have a greater priviledge and preheminence in rising sooner then any other nor yet any more then three dayes and a half because then they should stink as Martha said of her Brother Lazarus that had been dead four dayes and therefore seeing that on the third day the dead Corps remaineth sweet and the flesh as yet seeth no corruption John 11.39 but doth begin to stink and to putrifie on the fourth day as the Physitians do relate God would not suffer these two Witnesses to lie in the streets to stink and to be corrupted but after 3 dayes and a half while they were yet sweet and their memories precious with all that feared God the spirit of life from God or the breath of life for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall enter into them and they shall stand upon their feet not that the good King and the Bishops or any others of the Martyrs witnesses of Christs that are killed shall rise again in their own persons that thought is too gross because they are now in glory The witnesses shall rise in their successors and great gainers by the malice of the beast that killed them and they should be much the worse and great loosers to be reduced and brought back again hither into this valley of misery but the meaning is that as our Saviour saith John Baptist was the Elias that was to come because he was endued with the spirit of Elias and was sent to do the work and to supply the place and to execute the office of Elias Mar. 9.13 so they that shall be invested with the abilities re-established in the places and confirmed with the power and authority of those witnesses that the beast hath killed and shall be enthroned and take possession of the seats offices and priviledges of the slain witnesses are said to be the witnesses revived and restored by the spirit of God to stand up again upon their feet and So Mr. Mede saith Mr. Mede p. 21. the witnesses shall be restored and revived in their successors when they shall enjoy the offices and the former estate of the slaughtered witnesses And so we may be sure when God seeth his time which is but a very short time expressed here under the notion of three dayes and a half these two witnesses that are slain by this beast that is as I shewed before the monarchicall and Episcopall Government by King and Bishops shall and will rise again and stand upon their feet And whether this be not now fulfilled let my Reader judge maugre all the opposition of their adversaries and then as the Holy Ghost saith v. 11. great fear shall come upon them that see them that is upon their enemies that had killed them either by themselves or by their predecessors and upon those also that consented and furthered to put them to death and I believe they may very well and ought very much to fear to see that God is so mindfull of his witnesses and therefore will without question be revenged on them and their Posterity for the slaughtering of his anointed Servants Then the Holy Ghost setteth down Verse 12. v. 12. the means and the manner of the rising and restauration of the slain witnesses saying that they shall hear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great voice from Heaven that is a powerfull call from the Church and from the People of God How or by what meanes the two witnesses shall be revived which is here meant by Heaven for they onely shall restore them and shall say unto them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 come up hither that is ascend and take your former places your offices and your dignities that the beast and his adherents have taken away from you and from your Predecessors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they shall ascend up to Heaven in a Cloud that is by the help and assistance of a multitude of unperceived And let my Reader judge whether the King be not thus restored And we hope the Bishops shall be so likewise and as it were Invisible friends that shall be as a Cloud of Witnesses of their integrity and a Cloud of Intercessors to speak for them and to plead their causes to God and all good men against all their malicious Adversaries and a Cloud of powerfull Patrons to regaine unto them and to restore them if not to their Estates and possessions which in all likelihood the Beast had sold or bestowed or otherwise disposed of it and the takers of them perhaps had
miseries to our sorrowes taxes upon taxes oppressions upon oppressions and troubles upon troubles more and more shall be powred out and heaped together to fill up the measure of the second woe that shall be inflicted for the killing of Gods two witnesses But if this stroke that makes them speechless be the last blow that killeth them and that our late ever blessed King and Bishops be the very witnesses that are here meant in this Chapter as I conceive they are then do I expect their rising and do hope their restauration will be about June 1660. that is just about 3 years and a half after this last blow was given and is the very time prescribed for their rising by the holy Ghost for you must observe that although the actuall and litterall killing of the King and the Arch Bishop was done long before yet this mysticall metaphoricall and civilly finall slaughtering of the Ecclesiasticall witness the rest of the Bishops was not till about Novemb. 1656. when this last blow was given them and therefore seeing the spirit of God doth not say that the two witnesses shall be killed by the beast at the same time but that after they are both killed and lain both dead 3 dayes and a half though the one of them hath lain dead somewhat longer the spirit of God shall raise them up What time should we expect the restoring of the King and the Bishops it cannot be expected that the time of their rising taken to be as most Interpreters take it for the set time of 3 years and a half or thereabout can be to either of them untill about June 1660. and it may be to the other a while after and not both raised together as they were not killed together but that as the one was the longer before he was killed so he should be the longer before he should be raised and to expect the help of him that shall be first raised to raise him also which we hope will soon be effected that we may render the prayses and thanks that follow in this Chapter unto our God CAP. II. Who is here meant by the Woman Cloathed with the Sun Cap. 12. Of the Revelation treateth who is meant by the Dragon and by the Man child when the Church began to be freed from her bloody persecution how long she was freed from it what is meant by the War of Michael and the Dragon the last bloody War and persecution of the Dragon how long it lasteth how the Church is relieved in this bloody persecution and Junius his interpretation of this Woman rejected 2ly AS the Holy Ghost setteth down the slaughtering of the two Witnesses 1. Of the Vision of the Woman and what it signifieth the Magistracy and Ministry the Civil and the Ecclesiasticall Governours of Gods Church by the Beast that ascendeth from the Bottomless pit that is the Antichrist and the reviving of them againe in their Successors and restoring them to their former state and condition to execute their Offices as before by the Spirit of God that hath done all this for them in the 12th Chapter of this book so here in this 12th Chapter he setteth down the State and condition of the Church it self how she shall be persecuted and afflicted both at first and at last in her beginning and throughout her continuance especially in the time and by the meanes of this beast that is the great Antichrist for as the Apostle saith V. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there appeared a great Wonder in Heaven that is in the aire which in this place is signified by Heaven as where the birds of the Aire are called the Fowles of Heaven and what may that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great wonder be Psal 104.12 Jer. 7.33 Ezech. 31.6 It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Woman Cloathed with the Sun and what meaneth that surely this Woman signifieth the Spouse of Christ that is the Church of God and this Church is Cloathed that is inlightened not with the new lights of Phantastick upstarts that are but old errours and heresies heretofore buried and now revived by our Novices Deut. 32.17 even as Moses saith unto the Idolatrous Israelites that their new Gods were nothing else but old Devills but this Church and Spouse of Christ was Cloathed with the old and unspotted light of the Sun which is the Fountaine of our light wherewith she was girded and compassed about as with a bright shining garment for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that cometh of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 circundo cingo to gird about signifieth and this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sun wherewith she was inlighted and cloathed is none other then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Son of God Malachie 4.2 John 1.9 Jesus Christ who as the Prophet saith is the Sun of Righteousness and the garment that the Apostle biddeth every Christian man to put on and so she was Cloathed and enlightened with the true light What is meant by the Moon that lighteneth every man that commeth into the World And this woman thus Cloathed had the Moon under her feet that is the true Church of Christ trampled all sub-lunar and mutable things as is the Moon under her feet as deeming them no better then dust and dross and things of no value as the Apostle speaketh or as Mr. Mede saith by the Moon we may understand the Mosaicall Ceremonies as the Jewish feasts of new Moones Mr. Mede Pag. 33. of the Passover of Pentecost and of Tabernacles that were all ordered and observed according to the motion of the Moone all which the Christian Church Colloss 2.14 as they were shadowes of things to come as the Apostle sheweth trampled under her feet and cast them all away when Christ the true substance of them came in place or else the Moon which God made to rule the night may signifie the power of darkness Gen. 1.16 What is meant by the Crown of 12 Starrs as the Worshipping of Idols and all the gentile superstitions there following after their Oracles and the like works of darkness which the Church of Christ quite Cashiered and abandoned And this Woman had upon her head a Crown of twelve stars that is as St. Ambrose saith the glorious and Heavenly Doctrine of the twelve Apostles that is briefly comprised and knit together like an unvaluable Crowne in the twelve Articles of our Christian Faith which these twelve Apostles have composed and delivered to this Woman for the instruction of her Children and which therefore should be deerer unto them then the fairest Crowne of the purest Gold v. 2. though now our Presbyterians have cast them quite away And she being with Child cryed travelling in Birth and pained to be delivered even as other women that are with Child use to do for the Church as Rabbi Kimchi saith is compared to a Mother Rabbi Kimchi Hos 2.2.3 in respect of Vniversality and
bour Kings and States being made afraid of that power that could so suddenly subdue these three Kingdoms should very gladly yield themselves to become friends and Associates and to make a league of friendship with this Beast which Exposition may possibly be very near unto the truth when we see little lesse then this already come to passe The Commentator supposed to be Grotius makes these 10 Kings to be the Kings of Armenia Thracia Galatia Judaea Arabia c. which were under the Roman Empire and the Ministers of their Idolatry Et sic alii atque alii aliud atque aliud opinati sunt And truly I do not wonder that these learned men transported with a desire to make the World believe that the Pope is the great Antichrist and so misunderstanding whom the Holy Ghost meaneth by this Beast should in like manner mistake what or whom they should conceive to be the heads and horns and all other parts of this Beast quia uno absurdo dato mille sequuntur one absurdity draweth on another But how far those Expositions of Junius and Alcazar and that likewise of Mr. Mede and of all others that would have these 10 horns to signifie 10 Kings pertaining to the Roman Empire are from the meaning of the Holy Ghost in this Text will most evidently appear if you consider that the particulars of the description of these 10 horns do no wayes square and cohere with these 10 Kings that they speak of for these 10 Kings The former expositions rejected and the reasons shewed in the Text have interest but in one kingdom as you may see in the 17th Chapt. v. 12. and 17. where the spirit of God speaks in the singular number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they had received no Kingdom as yet v. 12. and in the 17. v. it is said that God hath put it in their hearts to fulfill his will and to agree which those Kings never did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to give their Kingdom unto the beast and not their Kingdoms whereas the Kings that were under the Emperour and are become under the Pope were and are properly Kings and have every one of them his own proper and peculiar Kingdom neither can it be said of them as it is said here of these Kings that they have received power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one houre with the beast that is a very very small time when as they came to their power and dominion by descent or by Conquest and did not receive it as these did from any Master that gave it them and they continued therein during their life some of them very long and some of them at one time and some at another time yielded themselvee unto the Pope and all of them were of so different a time one from another that it can never agree The unlikelihood of Mr. Medes Exposition with this one houre or a short space wherein these 10 horns do agree to give their strength and power and Kingdom which they have received unto the Beast Neither is there any likelihood that those 10 Kings which Mr. Mede nameth should be the 10 Kings here meant because they were but transient by the success of Warre and of small Provinces half or quarter of a Kingdom as Vortimer and Hengist here in Ingland Childerick and Gunderick and Theodorick in Gallia and Sumanus but in a little Continent between the Rhene so that they might be better termed Reguli then Reges and because also they were as I said before of a different time one from another which might be the reason as I conceive that made Junius to passe them over un-named because he saw the unlikeliness of these men to be the 10 Kings that are here meant neither could they be said to be the horns of the Roman Empire because they revolted from it and became horns against it and pushed very hard to overcome it but as I said dato uno absurdo mille sequuntur so these learned men mistaking the beast did easily mistake both his heads and his horns But if that by this Beast you understand the long Parliament The 10 horns paralelled with the Parliament you shall finde that as all the other particulars which are here set down in this Prophesie do in every point seem to accord and agree with that Parliament so doth all the description of these 10 horns that is these 10 Kings that had no Kingdom The 10 Horns may be taken to signifie one of these three things 1.10 Of their prime Commanders but the power Authority and strength of Kings which is potestas vitae necis the power of life and death and is the greatest power that any King can have and which they give unto the Beast v. 13. that is use for the service of the Beast doth agree with the Parliament if we understand by these 10 horns either 1. Ten of the prime Generalls and Commanders of that long Parliament which you will confess had no Kingdom and yet had the honour and power of Kings Or 2. If by these 10. horns we understand all their Chieftains 2. All their Chietrains and Commanders whereof not one of them had any Kingdom and yet each one of them had the power and authority of Kings for one hower that is for a small time and you may well remember the best and greatest of them had it not very long and you know likewise they all devoted this their power and strength for the service of them from whom they had received it and they were all of them as the Holy Ghost saith of one mind Gen. 31.7 41. 1 Sam. 1.8 Job 19.3 Eccles 17.19 Revel 2.10 and did all run the same way to fight against the Lamb to overthrowe the true Church and to slay the witnesses of Christ and yet they did all of them as they said hate the Whore the Whore of Babylon that is as they expound it the Church of Rome and all the Romish superstition for 10. being a perfect number the Holy Ghost doth in many places put down this number as he doth many other perfect numbers for an uncertain number as when Jacob said unto Laban Thou hast changed my wages ten times that is many times and the Holy Ghost saith unto the Church of Smyrna thou shalt have tribulation ten dayes that is sever all times so by these 10 horns or 10 Kings we may understand many Chieftains that had the power of Kings which they all imployed for the service of that long Parliament or else 3. If by these 10 horns we understand the greatness and perfection of that power strength and authority which was given and was shewed in those Generalls The horn an Emblem of Strength Psal 18.2 Psal 22.21 Psal 75.10 and they used for the advancement of the Parliament for the Scripture useth to express our strength and power by the Epithite of a horn as you may most frequently finde it in
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 the eares of the Lord from off the Earth And so all their Narratives of their extraordinary Victories and most fortunate successes in Ingland Ireland and Scotland do not prove them to be the Saints of God nor their doings acceptable in his sight but they do sufficiently prove that they have made Warre with the Saints and have overcome them and as the Prophet Daniel hath typically prophesied of the Beast The Parallel Dan. 7.25 2 Thes 2.3 have worn out the Saints of the most high and they may confirm the faith of those that believe them to be the Beast here spoken of and the great Antichrist that is prophefied of by the Apostle Yet to shew the weakness of flesh and blood and the blindness of frail man to understand and to judge of things the Holy Ghost saith v. 8. that the Victories and successes of the Beast do so far prevail with all that dwell upon the Earth that is all earthly and worldly minded men And as H. Grotius rightly saith morem ejus imitari that they are moved thereby to worship the Beast that is to admire him to adhere unto him and to assist him in all his projects and persecution of the Saints which is done as the spirit of God saith by all those whose names are not written in the Book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the World that is by all carnall and worldly men that are not inlightned with the truth of Gods spirit But I would advise both them and all men else seriously to consider how fearfull is the condition of those Worshipers and assistants of the Beast when as God himself doth testifie they are not in the Catalogue of Gods Children but are bletted out of his Book as Reprobates to be tormented with the Beast in the Lake of fire burning with brimstone for evermore And therefore our good God gives a Caveat to all the Servants of Christ in the next verse saying if any man have an ear to hear that is a will and desire to hear let him hear that is so attentively and considerately that he might rightly understand what he heareth for that is not a matter of small moment and slightly to be passed over but they that have any regard of their eternall salvation or desire to avoid everlasting destruction ought carefully to examine who are meant by the Beast and then seriously to weigh in what sad and lamentable condition the Worshippers and adherents of this Beast do remain in Then for the comfort of the persecuted distressed and subjugated banished Captives and for a just reward and retaliation to the oppressing Conquerours Of the end and downfall of the Beast that is the body of the Antichrist the spirit of God addeth v. 10. He that leadeth into Captivity shall go into Captivity and he that killeth with the Sword must be killed with the Sword for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth and you know the Proverb must is for the King truth it self hath spoken it that it must be so and he hath spoken it often therefore it shall undoubtedly be performed and the Beast shall not rule for ever Let my Reader judge if this Prophesie of the downfall of the Beast be not now fulfilled blessed be our good God for it nor the persecuted Saints be oppressed for ever but the Saints shall be delivered out of the hands of the Beast and the Beast shall be excluded out of his Dominion and shall receive his pay when God the just avenger of all wrongs and specially of all blood unjustly spilt shall render their due deserts unto all the members assistants and adherents of this outragious monstrous Beast in the time that they look not for it onely let the Saints with patience constantly expect it and with faith assuredly believe it even as the Holy Ghost hath said Here is the patience and the faith of the Saints i. e. patience quietly to suffer while they are under the rule and the rod of the Beast and faith undoubtedly to believe the dethroning and the downfall of the Beast which will be but the beginning of his sorrowes when as his greater punishment and destruction is still behind and I shall more fully declare it unto you hereafter Liber Tertius CHAP. I. Who is to be understood by this beast of the earth not Mahomet nor the Idolatrous Priests of the heathen Temple when S. John was banished into Patmos That the Preachers of the antichrist and not the Bishop of Rome and his Clergy but the assembly of Presbiters Independants and Lay Preachers are the Prophets of the first beast when the seed of this beast of the earth was first sown and when it became first apparant in these parts and that this beast of the earth is far worse then the first beast that arose out of the sea THen after that the Evangelist had exprest the forsaid particulars of the seven headed and ten horned beast 4. The vision of the second beast which is as the soul of the Antichrist he proceedeth verse 11. to tell us of another vision how he saw 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 another beast coming out of the earth where the holy Ghost followeth the same method as he did with the Prophet Ezechiel Ezech. 8.6.13 15. to shew him greater abomination then he had formerly seen in as much as the most opposite place to heaven is the earth and is farthest from it and a far baser Element then the Sea so is this beast that rose out of the earth far more wicked more odious and more abominable in the fight of God and all good men then the other that arose out of Sea as the Sequel of what we read in this thirteenth Chapter will make it plain unto you But first we are to inquire who is to be understood by this beast Who is to be understood by this beast of the earth that can be worst then that beast that ascended from the bottomlesse pit and is the same with the great Antichrist And I find some Divines as Rupertus and others that think this beast of the earth and the other beast of the sea to be the same beast that first rose out of the sea Not the same with the beast that rose out of the sea and then was seen again to spring out of the earth But the description of this beast and his actions likewise do so far differ from the first beast that it cannot be the same especially considering the Evangelist saith plainly it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 another beast therefore not the same with the former And yet as the soul and body that are not the same do notwithstanding constitute and make up one and the same man so doth this beast and the other former beast make up the same man of sin and the same great Antichrist this being as the form that as the matter this as the soul that as the body
to deceive them and St. Paul saith this I know that after my departure shall grievous wolves enter in among you not sparing the flock also of your own selves that is questionlesse among the Lay people shall men arise and not be sent speaking perverse things Act. 20.29 to draw away disciples after them and these are the young novices and Lay Trades men that as St. John saith went from us but were never of us that is neither called nor approved by us but intruding themselves into our Office and separating themselves from the old way which as the Prophet saith Jerem. 6.16 is the good way do preach strange doctrines to gather to themselves Churches out of the Church of Christ and to lead them out of the fold of Christ unto the dens of the destroyer from whence as out of Cacus den vestigia nullae retrorsum there can be no deliverance without great repentance Saint Peter likewise saith 2 Peter 2.1 that as there were false Prophets amongst the people of the Jews so there should be false Teachers among us who privily should bring in damnable heresies and many shall follow their pernicious wayes and these be our itinerant Preachers that wander from Parish to Parish and go from house to house and so privily as the Apostle saith do lead men into Schismes and most damnable heresies and of these Saint Jude prophesied saying Jude v. 12 and 13. that they were wandring stars without light and clouds without water carried away with the wind Nay more then all this St. Paul tells us the time would come as we see now it is come when men would not endure to hear sound Doctrine but after their own lusts should heap to themselves Teachers having itching eares which they shall turn away from the truth unto fables 2 Tim. 4.3 4. for if you search all times from St. Pauls time to these very times I would fain know when was there such heapes of Teachers and such an inhibition to hear the truth and to Preach sound Doctrine as now it is for whereas before the Teachers of errors and heresies were not endured now very few Congregations where I live are permitted to be content and to injoy their old setled and well known Pastors but they must have some wandring starrs to inlighten them and such Teachers to instruct them as neither understand the state of the Flocks which we should be carefull to know as Solomon saith Prov. 27.23 nor know the diseases of the sheep and therefore must needs be ignorant how to apply any remedies to them lest they should give them poyson in stead of medicines And if the old Doctors and the Faithfull Ministers of Christ undertake to Preach they are affronted as I foreshewed and so threatned and terrified that the people are afraid to hear them whereby you may see that as the Apostle saith the sound Doctrine and True Service of God cannot be endured to be heard by reason of such heapes of false Prophets and wandring stars that are sprung up amongst us And yet our Saviour tells you how these false Teachers should come unto you How the false Prophets deale with the people and exclaim against true Prophets in sheepes cloathing that is with smooth flattering speeches pretending that they come for your salvation but withall he tells you that in very deed they are inwardly ravening wolves and their wayes lead you to destruction for they speak you faire and cry out against the trus Governours of Gods Church that never admitted such intruders to be Gods Ministers and they roare and raile against all the Learned Preachers of the Gosspell as if wisdom and knowledg and learning were odious unto God and to be excluded out of Heaven where they think none shall come but folly and ignorance 2 Chron. 18.23 and simplicity and therefore they smite their Governours and these Learned men on the cheekes as Zedechia did to Michaiah that is they throw dirt in their faces and beslubber their reputation with most scandalous aspersions that they are Popish superstitious and the very limbs of the Antichrist and that they have not Gods Spirit which they presume to know as if they were of Gods Counsell and all is to no other end then to seduce the people to renounce their true Pastors as they have now done and to take them for their gracious Protectors But How King Philip sought to seduce the Athenians and how Demosthenes prevented him let the people take heed lest these new Teachers deale with them as Philip of Macedon intended as Demosthenes said to deale with the Athenians when before he Warred upon them he sent unto them word that all his quarrell was against their Philosophers and Orators that suggested rebellions and disobedience unto the people and therefore if they would renounce them apprehend them and transmit them unto him he would become their true friend and loving Patron whereupon the learned Orator told the Athenians that the wolves on a time sent unto the sheep to tell them that their shepherds dogs hunted them and worried them and very often bit them sore and sometimes killed them and therefore advised them to lay hold upon their dogs and send them bound to them and so they should be freed from their persecutors and they would become their friends to protect them from all dangers whereupon the silly sheep being glad to be freed from their dogs and itching after novelties and desirous to make triall of their new masters found a way to catch their dogs and so delivered all their faithful preservers unto the faithless wolves who as soon as ever they got the dogs into their hands fell upon the sheep without resistance and destroyed them all at their pleasure without pitty even so said Demosthenes will King Philip deale with you when you have delivered your learned Philosophers and grave Oratours into his hands and he was herein a very true Prophet And I pray God these false Prophets upstart novices and unlawful unlicenced intruders into the sacred calling of the Ministery deale not so or worse with our people for if the blind lead the blind Matth. 15.14 both must needs fall into the ditch if young ignorant Schollars lead old ignorant men both must fall into new and old errours and if the tradesmen teach the husbandmen and the country-men teach the citizens and the souldiers teach them both the way to heaven I fear they will but walk apace towards hell when as this is but the devils new policy to obstruct the old way of verity and a hellish trick to put out the heavenly light for as Moses tells the Israelites Deut. 32.17 that their new Gods that came newly up whom their fathers feared not were but old devils so I may truly say that these new teachers are but old bereticks and false Prophets and their new lights are but ignis fatuus infernall torches to lead the people to everlasting darknesse
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