brought back the worship of Daemons The Heathens to render these Daemons or these Demi-Gods favourable to them erected their pictures and made Images of them all the world knows that They consecrated these Images and perswaded themselves that by vertue of that consecration the spiritual Gods came to dwell in that matter to which they had given a shape The makers of Images saith Tertullian give bodies to the Daemons One may see this Theology very distinctly expressed in a Dialogue entitled Asclepius attributed to Hermes Tresmegistus which at least is of some antiquity and was in some esteem among the Heathens seeing Apisleius took the pains to translate it into Latin. 'T is a marvel saith he that surpasseth all other marvels that man hath found a way to make Gods. Our Ancestors were greatly deceived by their incredulity touching the Gods and had but little regard to religion and the purity of the Divine service They invented an art of marking Gods Because they could not make souls and join them to insensible bodies they called the souls of Daemons and of Angels to put them into their Images and in the holy mysteries by which means these Images obtain the power of helping or hurting See altogether pure popery They may say what they will that they believe not that there is any vertue in the Images yet however it is true First That in the Papism an Image that hath not been consecrated according to the Ritual cannot be exposed to the publick devotion of the people Secondly That Images not consecrated are reputed of no vertue whereas those that are consecrate do often work miracles or the he and she-Saints work miracles by them But if you would have any thing that is yet more like to the Doctrine of the Heathens touching the power of consecrations to draw the Gods into their Images you will find it in the Doctrine of Transsubstantiation and the real-presence As the Heathens believed they did by their invocations draw down their Gods into their brass and marble so the Papism by the vertue of consecration draws down its God into a morcel of bread and there encloses it fast The ancient Heathens defended themselves in this matter just as our new Heathens You deceive your selves said they we worship neither copper nor silver nor gold nor other matter of which the Images of the Gods are made c. But in these signs we adore and worship the Gods. Lastly the Heathens did adore and serve the Reliques of their dead men and of their Daemons 'T was to the honour of these dead men that the feasts were made that are called inferiae parentalia parentationes and novemdialia and a hundred other things whence we have elsewhere shew'd its perfect conformity with the services of the papism for the dead We have heard Plato quoted by Eusebius telling us we must worship the sepulchers of the Hero's Clemens Alexandrinus Arnobius Eusebius c. tell us the Temples of the false Gods were nothing else but the Tombs of the Heroes And this is exactly what the papism imitates its Temples and its Altars are garnisht with Reliques and it would believe that a Temple would not have all that it must have if there were not some bones of a Saint under the Altar Thus you have that which perswades me that the Apostle designs the worship of the papism by the doctrine of Daemons 'T is this exact conformity that is found between the ancient Doctrine of Daemons and the mew I think nothing can be objected but this viz. that the word Daemon in the H. Scriptures is never taken in a good sense It always signifies those wicked spirits that seduce men in this World and must torment them in the other Whereas the Heathens in their Theology by Daemons understood those kind spirits which are the mediatours of commerce between God and men Joseph Mede answers to this two things The word Daemon in the Scripture is not always taken in an ill sense First That the usage of this word Daemon in the sense of the Pagans for Gods of the second rank was not unknown to the writers of the new Testament Saint Luke in the 17th Chap. of the Acts introduceth the Athenians saying of Saint Paul that he is a setter forth of strange Daemons In the same Chap. Saint Paul saith that he found the Athenians too much addicted to the worship of Daemons In the 9th Chapter of the Revelation Saint John saith that the horrible plague that fell on men hindred them not from worshipping of Daemons The people there spoken of that came from above Euphrates horsemen to the number of twenty thousand times ten thousand are in all likelihood the Turks And those that are smitten with that plague are the Christians to whom the adoration of Daemons is attributed because they worshipped Saints and Angels The second thing that Joseph Mede answers which is very certain and very solid is that the Heathens sacrificed and render'd their homage to evil spirits and not as they pretended to Angels The Heathens the Papists in believing they worship good Genius's serve the wicked spirits and to the happy Spirits that are Administratours under God. Because these holy creatures are too much given to the service of God and too much in the interests of their great master to arrogate to themselves and receive any of that homage that men would render to them The Heathens therefore in their intention served good Genius's but indeed the wicked Daemons 'T is the same with the Heathens of the Antichristian Empire They intend to serve the Saints and Angels but those pure and happy Spirits have no mind to receive such worship It goes to them that refuse it it goes not to God who abominates it It goes therefore to the Devils that take it for themselves and rejoyce in it so the Antichristian Idolatry may justly be called by the same name as the Heathen Idolatry For they have the same model ' the same principles the same ceremonies and they go to the honour of the same Prince of darkness whose Empire they encrease CHAP. XXI What is the Character of those that were to establish Idolatry in the Christian Religion They are Priests and Monks Authors of the Laws of Celibacy and of fasts How many fables and fictions have been invented by these men seared in their Consciences WE are much obliged to the H. Spirit speaking by the mouth of S. Paul that he would in this Text add the Character of the persons that were to cause Apostacy What must be the Characters of those that should teach Doctrines concerning Daemons and teach this doctrine of Daemons For at last these terms of Apostacy and the doctrine of Devils or of Daemons being general the Subjects of Antichrist would always have been able to have saved themselves by the help of the doubtfulness and ambiguity of them in saying that every heresy is apostacy and every lye is a doctrine of
the Bishop of Tours stufft their Books with these Fables designed to establish Idolatry and make us invocate the Saints as our patrons He of Tours made a book on purpose entituled de Gloriâ Martyrum These Fables go to this very point of impudence as to bring in the martyrs themselves desiring of God that the men that invoke them and the prayers that are made in their name The Fables of Simeon Metaphrastes tending to make men invocate the Saints may be heard Simeon Metaphrastes reports that Saint Barba as she was a dying desired of God that all those who should in their prayers make mention of her combat and her martyrdom should be kept from all sorts of contagious diseases and that they should not be touch'd with any evil in their bodies and their persons And he saith of St. Blaise that on a certain day he pray'd to God in these words If any evil happen to any man or child or even any beast and my name be called upon over them saying Hasten to help by reason of the intercession of thy servant Blaise give presently a cure every where to the glory of thy holy name He makes him also speak after the same rate to a Woman to whom he had restored her Hog which a Wolf had eaten up and who return'd him thanks for it Woman always celebrate may memoâ—y and nothing shall be wanting in thy house and if it shall come to pass that any other in imitation of thee shall celebrate my memory also be shall obtain of my God a perpetual Blessing all the days of his life One may easily see whither the spirit of lying in these Fables tended it was to cause men to invocate these Saints We must also see the History of the establishment of Images and how many miracles were wrought to introduce this abominable devotion 'T is the same with respect to the Adoration of the Sacrament of which they have made an Idol Books are full of fabulous miracles which the Devil wrought or made the Monks write for the establishing this Idolatry This is so notorious that it would be useless to bring proof of it The Authors of the Legends had consciences seared insensible and hard The Apostle to perfect the pourtraiture of these Impostors that have corrupted the Christian Religion in introducing Antichristianism saith that they are seared in their consciences All parts where the Fire and the Searing-iron have passed become callons hard and consequently insensible The Apostle could not better describe to us the disposition of these Authors of Lies that have written Legends for us For in truth they have lost their sense they are such fools stupid and senseless There is nothing that is ridiculous and absurd which they were not capable of digesting The most plain absurdity and impiety they are not sensible of and their conscience is as if it were of iron and marble They have a heart of lead and a mouth of iron said Canus Bishop of the Canaries concerning them The Fables of Heathenism are not more filthy nor more shamefull than theirs They introduce the Virgin Mary embracing the Monks suffering them to feel her bosom giving them milk out of her breasts wedding them and marrying her self with them They make Images of wood and stone to speak they make their Saints do filthy and foolish actions which they would have to pass for miracles This may be seen largely proved in the second part of our just Prejudices The pronoun Some doth not exclude the multitude I know not of any thing further in this Oracle of the fourth Chapt. of the first Epist to Timothy that can leave any scruple behind it unless it be the pronoun Some for this word doth not seem to agree with this so general and Apostacy seeing on the contrary it seems to signify that the number of Antichristian Apostates shall not be great in comparison of others 'T is answered 1st That the pronnoun Some doth not always exclude the multitude but only signifies there will be Exceptions We need no other instance than that of the Jews of whom St. Paul speaking in the 11th Chap. to the Romans saith Some of the branches were cut off 'T was the revolt and rejection of the Jews that was signified thereby And what is this Some that is to say almost all For the entire Nation of the Jews is engaged in this revolt There was but a small number of the Jews that believed on Jesus Christ and believed truely And certainly the proportion that is between the small company of the faithful that love not the Beast and those that adore him is greater than that which was between the converted Jews and those that have remained unbelievers these 16 hundred years The same Apostle speaking of the Israelites in the Wilderness that worshipped the golden Calf 2 Cor. 10.7 saith Be not ye Idolaters as some of them were Now these Some Exod. 32.3 were all for Moses saith expresly that all the people brake off the golden ear-rings which were in their ears In the same manner he saith in the same place Let us not tempt Christ as some of them tempted him Let us not commit fornication as some of them committed Now it is certain that these some signify the far greater part and it only shews that there were some exceptions The Apostle might the rather use this like expression because the Antichristian idolatry and Apostacy were shadowed forth by these revolts of the people of the Jews in the Wilderness To this we may add that the Apostle St. Paul considers this evil not in its last period but in its beginning Now it is certain that the introduction of idolatry into Christianity began by a small number of bigots superstitious men and false devoto's Other persons besides those against whom we dispute may wrangle also about this term the later times and say that we cannot reasonably call the times that last 12. or 13. hundred years and that began so long before the end of the world the later times The Papists I say against whom we dispute can't make use of this difficulty because they apply this Oracle to the Encratites and the Manichees the first of which were known in the second Age and the others in the third Those were times yet further distant from the end of the world than those ages where we place the Antichristian Empire When we shall speak of the duration of the Antichristian Empire we shall have occasion to say why the ages of its Empire are called the later times These words with which the Oracle begins the Spirit saith remarkably or expresly would well deserve some consideration to know whether they ought to be understood of some Oracles in the Old Testament so that the sense should be The Spirit hath said expresly by the ancient Prophets or of a present inspiration so that the Apostle would say the Spirit gives me to understand very clearly But 't is of
Monks nay I found this explication very serviceable I ranked the Monks into three Classis begging not begging and mixt as the Jesuites are who have according to their Statutes no Estates or possessions and yet do not begg as the Custome is 'T is certain that these are unclean spirits for all the corruption of the Christian Religion is come from them they go out to the Kings of the earth to unite them against the true Religion but however exact this notion seems to be I could never find in it the setled rest of a mind which believes that it hath found the truth At last I found that rest and three things by the assistance of God gave me light about this matter the word mouth that of spirit and spirit of the mouth and that of Armageddon these three words have fully perswaded me that these unclean spirits signify papal Laws and the Oracles of the Seat of the Beast armed with excommunications and Curses The three unclean spâ—rits are the Oracles of the Pope as the seven spirits of God are the Divine Oracles First that the term mouth is taken for speech examples are so many that 't is scarce necessary to cite any Put away from thee a froward mouth that is Put away from thee perverse speech A wicked man walketh with a froward mouth The mouth of the just is a fountain of life i. e. the speech of the just The Messiah speaking by the Prophet Isaïah chap. 49.2 he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword i. e. my speech or word this is a figure which is usual in all languages Secondly the term spirit signifies so often word or Oracle that the places cannot be numbred The 7 Spirits are the 7 Oracles Revel 1.4 Chap. 3.1 Chap. 4.5 Chap. 5.6 In the beginning of this book mention is made of seven spirits and from the seven spirits which are before his Throne these things saith he that hath the seven spirits and the seven stars And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne which are the seven Spirits of God and Christ himself is represented as having seven eyes which are the seven Spirits of God seni out into all the earth 'T is certain that these seven spirits are the same thing with the seven thunders of the 10th Chapter i. e. the seven words or Oracles which sound like thunders Now 't is clear that by these seven spirits we ought to understand the Divine Oracles which were inspired into the Prophets and Apostles by the Holy Spirit First because these are joyn'd with the seven stars Ch. 1 2â— he that hath the seven spirits and the seven stars for the seven stars are the Angels of the seven Churches i. e. the seven Pastors and this signifies the seven Oracles which proceed from the seven stars Secondly these seven spirits are called lamps he had seven lamps which are the seven spirits and this is the proper title of the word of God Thy word is a lamp unto my feet Ps 119. And 't is the proper office of the word and Oracles of God to serve as a lamp to enlighten souls and the world Lastly 't is said that these seven spirits of God are sent into all the world This can signify nothing but the sacred Oracles which are sent and preacht by the Apostles through the whole earth 'T is in this sense that our Saint John takes the word spirit in the fifth Chapt. of this first Epistle There are three that bear record on earth the spirit the water and blood By water and blood I cannot doubt but that the two Sacraments of the Church are understood Baptism is the water the Eucharist is the blood and the third or rather the first and principal of these witnesses is the spirit i. e. the word Lastly this is the name which Saint Paul often gives to the Gospel 2 Cor. 3.6 the Letter kills but the Spirit quickens we are Ministers not of the Letter but of the Spirit 'T is certain that the Letter signifies the word of Moses and the Spirit the word of Jesus Christ The three spirits of Antichrist are opposed to the seven spirits of J. Christ I cannot therefore doubt but that the Holy Ghost by these three unclean spirits of the Beast and the false Prophet intends the false and impure Oracles of popery opposed unto the seven Spirits of God who are before his Throne and go forth from him The opposition is so sensible that it cannot but be discerned the Spirits of God are sent out into all the Earth the spirits of the beast likewise go unto the Kings of the Earth The Spirits of God are lamps which being set on some high place do give light but these are like the froggs creatures of the night and of darkness that croak in the night and love the bottoms of waters As therefore the Spirits of God are undoubtedly his Oracles there is no cause to doubt that those unclean spirits of the beast and false Prophet are the false Oracles of Antichrist The spirit coming out of the mouth always signifies word In the third place Spirits coming out of the mouth so clearly denote words that it cannot be enough admired that none hath seen this First every thing which comes out of the mouth in a figurative style See also Ch. 1.16 2.15 Isa 11.4 signifies words 'T is said in the 19. Chapt. v. 15 that out of his mouth came a two-edged sword All know that this signifies the word of God that comes out of the mouth of Jesus Christ Isaiah saith that the Messiah shall smite the Earth with the rod of his mouth and slay the wicked with the breath of his lips a notable passage for explaining plaining that upon which we now are spirit or breath is there taken in the sense that we lay down the spirit of his lips is the speech of his lips And the rod that comes out of the mouth of the Messiah is also evidently his word or speech This is usual in all languages 't was said that lightnings came out of the mouth of Pericles we say every day there come flames arrows c. out of the mouth of such or such every one understands that this signifies words but above all the spirit of the mouth is never taken in any other sense Saint Paul saith that Jesus Christ will come and destroy that wicked one by the spirit of his mouth we have even now heard Isaiah call the word of the Messiah 2 Thes 2.8 the breath or spirit of his lips Ps 33.6 The Prophet David saith that the Heavens were made by the word of the Lord and all their host by the breath or spirit of his mouth There is none who is not perswaded that the word that formed the heavens and the breath or spirit of the mouth of God are the same thing Besides the figure is so natural and comely that we necessarily fall upon
the H. Scripture uses such high words to describe the popish Idolatry and higher than those it makes use of to describe the Pagan Idolatry Pag. 183 Chap. XX. The deceiving Spirits which St. Paul speaks of are Evil Spirits The Doctrine of Daemons is that Doctrine that hath Daemons for its Objects and not that which hath Daemons for its Authors There is a perfect conformity between the Theology and the Religion of the Heathens about Daemons and that of the Papism about Saints and Angels mediatory Spirits Pag. 199 Chap. XXI What is the Character of those that were to establish Idolatry in the Christian Religion They are Priests and Monks Authors of the Laws of Celibacy and of Fasts How many fables and fictions have been invented by these men seared in their Consciences Pag. 215 Chap. XXII The Characters of Antichrist in the Papism confirm'd by the great type of Antichrist Antiochus Epiphanes That which is spoken literally of this Antiochus agrees mystically to the Pope and the Papism Pag. 228 Chap. XXIII A notable Prophecy of the Mahuzim that Antichrist was to worship The whole found admirably accomplisht in the Papism What is the literal sense of the Prophecy with respect to Antiochus An Explication of the beginning of the 12th Chap. of Daniel applied to Antiochus and the Papism Pag. 241 Chap. XXIV In which are gather'd together 35. Characters of Antichrist that perfectly agree to the Papism and cannot agree to any but it Pag. 255 Chap. XXV How Antichrist came to be mistaken being so well Characterised in the Prophecies A comparison of I. Christ and Antichrist in the accidental circumstances of their coming Pag. 263 The Table of Chapters of the Second Part. Chap. I. OF the duration of the Kingdom of Antichrist A refutation of that dream that it must last but three years and a half Ten Arguments which demonstrate that that supposition is false and impossible Pag. 3 Chap. II. The last Argument against the Chimaera of three years and half taken from the time during which the Temple was prophan'd by Antiochus Four quite different times set down for that in Daniels Prophecies An Explication and a reconciling of those four times An application of these four times to the Kingdom of Antichrist and the ruin of that Kingdom Pag. 17 Chap. III. What the last times are It doth not signify the end of the World. There are many times with reference to the Church and with reference to the World. If Antichrist must reign 1260 years he is come Mahometanism is not Antichristianism Pag. 29 Chap. IV. Some Principles to discover when the Antichristian Empire began and when it must end Three Characters of that Empire Idolatry Pride and corruption That these three Characters began to appear in the fourth Age and did infinitely encrease in the fifth Pag. 38 Chap. V. That we must look for the point of the birth of Antichristianism in the fifth Age. It must end about the year 1710 or 1715. Pag. 48 Chap. VI. The circumstances of the fall of Antichrist re-establisht in their order An Explication of the fifteenth Chapter Principles for the right understanding the sixteenth Chapter Divers interpretations given of it and their visible faults Pag. 62 Chap. VII An Explication of the three first VIOLS and the three first PLAGVES Pag. 78 Chap. VIII The fourth plague the encrease of the heat of the Sun denoting the encrease of the Papal Authority which had almost utterly ruin'd the World and the Church The fifth plague is the desolation of ROME when the Pope retreated to Avignon and the diminution of the Papal Authority by the grand Schism of the West Pag. 87 Chap. IX The sixth Plague are the Turks who pass over the Bosphorus and invade the Greek and Latin Empires The three unclean spirits which come out from the mouth of the false Prophet are the Papal Laws armed with Excommunications Pag. 97 Chap. X. The seventh Plague is the preaching of Luther and other Reformers by which the Latin Church was divided into three parts Papists Lutherans and Reformed Pag. 216 Chap. XI The Explication of the 14th Chapter The vision of the harvest and the vintage the harvest of the Reformation made in the age last past the vintage is the Reformation which shall be made this present age Pag. 224 Chap. XII The Explication of that part of the 11th Chapter where the last persecution made by Antichrist is fore-told which is the present persecution in France The death of the two witnesses who shall not be buried by means of the succour brought by the enemies of France Pag. 236 Chap. XIII The resurrection of the two Witnesses The Reformation shall within a few years rise again in FRANCE after that it shall be establisht by Royal Authority FRANCE shall renounce Popery and that Kingdom shall be converted Pag. 251 Chap. XIV Observations upon the 17 18 19. Chapt. of the Revelation concerning the fall of Antichrists Kingdom A brief Methodizing of the events which the H. Ghost had displaced in the Visions Pag. 270 Chap. XV. The Reason why in this work we speak of some things so positively The linking together of our Principles suffers us not to doubt that we now are at the end of the reign of the Papacy Pag. 277 Chap. XVI Of the thousand years reign That in all the past time there is not a time to be found wherein Satan hath been bound Four heads of arguments to prove this reign The first is the fifth Monarchy so plainly promised to the Saints Pag. 285 Chap. XVII The second spring of Arguments to prove the thousand years reign is the reign promised to the Iews The promises made to them have not been fulfilled but must be The conversion of St. Paul is a Type of that of the whole Nation Pag. 294 Chap. XVIII The third Head of Arguments for the future Kingdom of Christ and the Church So many Prophecies which concern the compleat Victories of I. Christ the Holiness of the Church and its perfect prosperity which have never yet been accomplisht Pag. 312 Chap. XIX The fourth Head of Arguments for the reign of a thousand years are the Types Four Types of this Period the Principal is the seventh day of the Creation which is not an immediate Type of Eternal Rest but of the Peace of the Church on Earth Pag. 321 Chap. XX. The Type of the Creation hath not been well explained We must make a System of it Principles to establish that System the division of the duration of the Church into seven Periods answering to the seven days of the Creation Pag. 326 Chap. XXI The Explication of the Mysteries signified by the Chaos by the Creation of Light by the separation of the Waters and by the Creation of the Plants The first days of the Creation and the three first Periods of the Church Pag. 334 Chap. XXII Explication of the Mysteries of the four last days of the Creation Pag. 345 Chap. XXIII A farther Confirmation
necessary to premise in the first place an Observation which I call the Key of the Revelation 'T is that this whole Book is nothing but a Paraphrase on what Daniel saith in the seventh Ch. of his revelations touching the fourth Beast Certainly this fourth Beast is the Roman Empire the fourth Monarchy And if some great strange events be found therin 't is always with respect to the Roman Empire that must endure to the coming of the Kingdom of J. Christ on the Earth VVhy God hath nor taken notice of other States in the Revelation The reason why God taking no notice of so many great events that happen without the bounds of the Roman Empire of the great Empires that are establisht the nations that are overturned the bloody Wars that are every where insists only on the fourth Monarchy or the Roman Empire is because god reveals not future events but with respect to the Church which he loveth which he conducts which he will instruct concerning his will. Now the Church was to be enclosed in or very near within the bounds of the Roman Empire I know that there were Christian-Churches in Persia it may be some in the Indies But all this was but a small matter Euphrates was the bounds of Christianity it spread it self but a little beyond it The Church therfore had no need to know that which should happen on the other side Euphrates nor to understand the foundation of the Empires of the Tartars the Kings of Persia the Mogulls the Chinois for all this had no respect to her Wherfore the Revelation saith not one word of them The Spirit of God also had no intention to instruct us in the adventures of the Empire of the Saracens that of the Turks but with reference to the fourth Monarchy Therfore we shall not see these two Empires that of the Saracens that of the Tarcks but only by the by in the fifth sixth Trumpets we shall not see them there but as the Scourges of God that fall on the fourth monarchy to vex to destroy it This observation is the Key of the Revelation For first it removes that difficulty which many make so great a stir about viz. that the Revelation as t is usually explained doth not at all touch on or if it doth 't is but by the by the greatest Revolutions of the World that happen'd in the East since 1200 years Yet once more it was not the work of him who would speak of nothing but the Church those Events that have in immediate reference to the Church Secondly This observation will teach us rightly to divide the times of the Revelation properly to apply the visions to each time to discover the events that are signified by those Visions We must know therefore that the fourth monarchy without comparison the greatest The division of the fourth Monarchy into two Periods most distinguished in the Prophecies is divided into two great periods The first is from the birth of Rome ab urbe conditâ which was the great Epocha of the Romans to the division of the Roman Empire into ten Kingdoms which was after the death of Valentinian the third about the year 455. For then the Empire was torn in pieces between the Greeks the Vandals the Goths the Burgundians c. it was I say divided into ten principal parts The second period of the fourth monarchy is since the division of the Empire among ten Kings the reunion of those ten Kings under one sole head that calls himself the universal Bishop to the end of this monarchy the coming of the fifth which is that of J. Christ on the Earth These two periods are very near of the same length viz. 1200 years or a little more The Lord J. Christ came into the world Anno V. C. 754. or 752. as Dionysius the lesser pretends The Empire was divided into ten Kingdomes about the year of J. Christ 455. i. e. in the year 1209 or 1207 of the city of Rome since that time under the Roman Gothish Kings the counting ab urbe conditâ was continued till the time of Dionysius the lesser a Roman Abbot a Scythian by nation who died in the year 540 according to Baronius who made his Paschal cycle in the year 527. T is about the year 530 that the Christian Aera began to be in use the counting by the years of J. Christ Then men left off counting ab urbe conditâ after they had used this Epocha about 1280 years However that be the period from the building of Rome to the division of the Roman Empire among ten Kings is more than 1200 years The second period of the fourth monarchy since its division among ten Kings to the end must be also above 1200 years The Prophecy makes it 1260 prophetical days i.e. 1260 years Now we must observe that in the time of St. Iohn i. e. in the time when he wrote the Revelation there was above two thirds of the first period of the fourth monarchy past gone For the wrote about the year 850 after the building of the city There remain'd therfore but a little more than 350 years of this first period But he had before him the whole entire second period of 1260 years Wherfore t is not very strange that he enlargeth himself much more on this later part than on the former So that we shall not find properly more than two chapters the sixth the eighth that respect this first period of the fourth monarchy and all the rest from the ninth ch inclusively to the 20th exclusively contains the events that belong to the period of the 1260 Years which is the second of the fourth Monarchy To render this truth more plain that the Prophecy of Daniel touching the fourth Monarchy is the Text on which the H. Spirit treats in the Revelation we must here view the Prophecy of Daniel apply it to divers parts of that of St. John. After this I saw in the night visions Dan. 7.7 behold a fourth beast dreadful terrible strong exceedingly it had great iron teeth It devoured brake in pieces stamped the residue with the feet of it it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it it had ten horns Daniel having asked the explication of this vision the Angel saith to him hereupon The fourth beast shall be the fourth Kingdom on the Earth v. 23. which shall be diverse from all Kingdoms shall devour the whole Earth tread it down break it in pieces This refers to the establishment of this Empire its conquests that were begun under the Consuls Dictators were finisht under the Emperours of which St. John. had seen a part some followed after him under whom also the Empire was always enlarged or at least preserved in its greatness even to the children of Theodosius It broke in
have already done 't is enough to fulfil the Prophecy which saith That God sent them to kill the men of the third part of the Earth i. e. of Europe And the number of the Army of the Horsmen was 200. Thousand Thousand The Turks certainly are originally Scythians Tartars and Nomades people that had nothing but Horsmen in their Armies The formidable Infantry of the Turks which they call the Jannizaries was not instituted till about the year 1300 by Ottoman the Founder of the Empire which at this day possesseth Constantinople Before that their chief strength was in Cavalry The Prophet maketh it prodigious for its number All the World knows the thing happen'd exactly according to the literal sense He also describes them in a hideous manner They that sate on the Horses v. 17. had Breastplates of Fire and of Jacinth and Brimstone That is to say the heads of these Horsemen were like globes of fire whence came forth flame and smoke The heads of the horses were as the heads of Lions out of their mouths issued Fire Smoke Brimstone This Fire this Smoke and this Brimstone seem to be a description of Gun-powder and its effects And this may well signify that the Turks should make their principal desolations in the Empire of the fourth Monarchy after the invention of canons and fire-arms whence come forth lightnings flames sulphur smoke which indeed did come to pass These horses that vomit up flame smoak have also tails like unto Serpents with which they do hurt viz. in spreading their poison And this is common to them with the Locusts of the fifth Trumpet 'T is the venom of the wicked Religion of Mahomet which the Turks have established spread in all places where they have establisht their dominion They that were not Killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands that they should not Worship Devills idols of Gold Silver Brass Stone Wood which neither can see nor hear nor walk Neither repented they of their Murders nor of their Sorceries nor of their Fornication nor of their Thefts This signifies to us that the Periods of the sixth Trumpet and the ravages of the Turks is that of the corruption of the Church in the fourth Monarchy in the Antichristian Kingdom a period during which there reigned Idolatry worshipping of Demons or second Mediatory Gods Images placed in the Temples Oratories depravation of manners by Poisonings Assassinations Sodomies Incests Adulteries and other impurities Thefts Robberies and Violent Dealings And in truth the Roman Church since the tenth Age fell into such shameful Idolatry and such horrible Corruption of Manners that never was any thing like it seen in the History of the World. This point may be seen justified at large in our just Prejudices against Popery CHAP. VIII The Explication of the Tenth Chapter of the Revelation THe ninth Chapter ends the first part of the Revelation and the tenth begins the second wherin is what we seek after viz. Antichrist the time of his continuance and the circumstances of his end This tenth Chapter is properly the preface to the second little book We must explain it here before we proceed And I saw another mighty Angel come down from Heaven clothed with a Cloud v. 1. J. Christ appears a second time for a second vision a Rain-bow was upon his Head his Face was as it were the Sun his Feet as Pillars of Fire 'T is clear by this Pomp that this Angel is Jesus Christ They are very near the same colours wherwith he was described in the first chapter of the book his Countenance was like the Sun his Feet like unto fine Brass This is an Argument that here a new Prophecy begins a second act of this great piece 'T is Jesus Christ the Prophet of Prophets that must cause these Visions to enter The differenes between the first little book of the Revelation the second He had in his hand a little Book open he set his right Foot upon the Sea his left Foot on the Earth See here a little book different from the first which was given to the Lamb in the fifth chapter Another argument that 't is a Revelation wholly new of another order The first book contained the Destinies of the Empire and this contains the Destinies of the Church The first book was Written without within by reason of the multitude of events that were to befall the fourth Monarchy the adventures wherof God would foretel until the coming of the fifth Monarchy that is to say the Kingdom of Jesus Christ The first book was Sealed with seven seals But this later one is a little book opened 'T is because the first part of the Revelation which respects the destinies of the Empire is incomparably more obscure more difficult to be understood than the second The destinies of the Church are more Clearly predicted than those of the Empire In this second part which respects the destinies of the Church Antichrist is very plainly seen all those things that must befall the Antichristian Empire But the first part of the Revelation which contains the destinies of the Empire is so obscure that hardly any thing of it is understood tho at this day all the events are come to pass the prophecies fullfilled Joseph Mede in my opinion is the first that understood any thing of it He set his right foot on the sea his left foot on the Earth This signifies his Empire over the whole terrestrial Globe composed of Earth and water it signifies also that what he was about to fore-tell respected all the men that dwell in the world He set his right foot on the Sea. The Sea in respect to the land of Canaan was on the West this signifies that the West should be the principal Theater of the Adventures of the Antichristian Empire which he was going to describe And he cried with a loud voice as when a Lion roareth v. 3. when he had cried seven Thunders uttered their voices This roaring of a Lion was a presage that that which he was about to predict was terrible As in truth nothing is more fatal to the Church VVhat voices thunders signify in the Revelation especally in the second part than the Empire of Antichrist Seven thunders uttered their voices In this Book Lightnings Thunders Voices always signify the words oracles of God. The seven Thunders of this second little book are exactly the seven Spirits of the former For both the seven Spirits the seven Thunders signify the divine Oracles Spirits because of him that dictates them Thunders because of their efficacy because they beat down to the ground they astonish they shake Seven because of their perfection When Jesus Christ by his roaring had given the presage of Future Events the Oracles were given pronounced concerning those Events
More proofs that the Characters of the Antichristian Empire do agree to the Papism A Proof drawn from the fourth Chapter of the first Epistle of St Paul to Timothy The translation of that passage amended SOme persons reading our second just Prejudice against popery have admired that to make up the character of Antichrist we have not among other places of Scripture inserted that Text of St. Paul in his first Epistle to Timothy in the beginning of the fourth Chapter Now the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the later times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of Devils speaking lies in hypocrisy having their consciences seared with an hot iron Forbidding to marry and abstaining from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them that believe The reason why this Text was not made use of in the book of Prejudices against Popery 'T is certain this is one of the clearest Oracles of the New Testament and one of the most lively pictures the Holy Spirit gives us of the Antichristian Apostacy But I could not make use of it in drawing my prejudices against the Roman Church because prejudices must be drawn from things either exceeding notorious or confessed and granted My prejudice was not this No Religion that hath Antichrist for its head can be the true Religion Now the Roman Religion hath Antichrist for its head c. If I had formed it thus I had been obliged to bring all the proofs that are to be met with in the H. Scripture to maintain that the Roman Religion is the Antichristian Empire and then I must not have omitted this But I argued otherwise in that prejudice and said I judge not but I prejudge I do not pronounce that the Pope and his religion are Antichrist But I say it is very strange and surprizing that all those places of Scripture where by the consent of Interpreters of all ages and of all parties Antichrist is spoken of may be so easily and so justly applied to the Pope and his religion Though at the bottom popery should not be pure Antichristianism yet there is no likelyhood that God would describe Antichrist and his reign in such equivocal terms that all that that is confessed to be spoken concerning Antichrist may be adopted to him that should be the Vicar of Jesus Christ and to a Society that should be his faithful Spouse 'T is plain that to reason thus I was to look for no other Texts but those that are not contested such as are the second Chapt. of the second Epistle to the Thessalonians the seventh of Daniel the 11 13 17 and 18th of the Revelation whereas the Romish Doctors do dispute about all in the words of St. Paul in the fourth Chapter of his first Epistle to Timothy They dispute about the particular sense and the general scope of it They turn this Oracle off on the Encratites Manichees c. Now that I am not a drawing prejudices but do dispute I must prove and though the proofs are contested yet we must not abandon them in a controversy We must only make them so evident that they may be clear to all reasonable men And this is that which we are about to do in pursuing the History of the Characters of the Antichristian Apostacy by this passage of St. Paul according to that sense of it which the learned Joseph Mede gives us who hath given us abundance of light into the Prophecies but into none of them more or more happily than into this The division of Chapters and Verses in our Bibles is not authentique First of all we must rectify the translation of this passage and in the beginning give notice that the divisions of our Chapters being not altogether authentick and being often times made with little judgment no regard must be given to this that the 4th Ch. of the 1st Epistle of Timothy begins with these words Now the Spirit saith expresly that in the later times c. For in truth the sense begins at the last verse of the foregoing Chap. and we should read thus Without controversy great is the mystery of Godliness God manifest in the flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angells preached to the Gentiles believed on in the World and received up into Glory But the Spirit saith expresly that in the later times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devills This observation alone is enough to perswade all those that sincerely seek after the truth that the Apostacy which the Apostle speaks of is the Apostacy of Antichrist For he makes so clear an opposition of this apostacy to the Mystery of Godliness that 't is impossible not to discern that he opposes Mystery to mystery religion to religion the mystery of Godliness to the mystery of iniquity of which he himself hath spoken to us in his 2d Ep. to the Thessalonians And as by the mystery of iniquity all the world acknowledges that he means the religion of Antichrist so all the world ought to acknowledg that in this place the Apostacy of the later times opposed to the Mystery of Godliness is the Antichristian Empire and Religion And that the reason why the Apostle hath not here repeated the term of the mystery of iniquity is because he did believe that it would be easily understood It seems natural that after he had said the mystery of Godliness is great he should say but the mystery of iniquity shall publickly appear which shall be an Apostacy from the faith He would without doubt have thus exprest himself were it not that having spoken elsewhere of the Mystery of iniquity any one might easily perceive that in this later place he makes an evident allusion to it and that so it might easily be seen in the Apostacy which he describes Our common translation doth not well represent St. Paul's sense Our version renders the Text of St. Paul thus Now the Spirit saith expresly that in the later times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils speaking lies in hypocrisy having their conscience scared with a hot iron forbidding to marry commanding to abstain from meats which God hath created for them that believe Looking on the Text in this form the first sense that offers it self to our sight is that these Doctrines of Devills are those which he adds in the following words viz. Forbidding of marriage and abstinence from meat Now I confess that ever since I understood how to read and understand I have always suspected this and I did not understand how and why the Apostle St. Paul should characterise those opinions that seem so little criminal as the forbidding of Mariage to certain persons and abstaining from certain meats at certain times by such black names as the Apostacy from the faith and the Doctrines of Devills I did conceive that the law of Celibacy in
the Priests and Religious persons might well be called a Doctrine of Devills by reason of those impurities that are the consequences of it but as for abstinence from meats in Lent and on certain days one cannot deny but that it is a very extravagant expression to call it a Doctrine of Devils It must be observed therefore that apostacy from the faith and the Doctrine of Devils do not refer to the forbidding of marriage and of meats as the Genus referrs to the Species as if these forbiddings of marriage and of meats were themselves Doctrines of Devils They are only the Characters of those that are to teach the Doctrines of Devils that is to say that they shall be persons that shall make a profession of great austerity to that degree that they shall abstain from marriage which God hath instituted and from meats which God hath allowed us to use And so this is the sense of the words The true sense and the true translation of this Text of St. Paul. In the latter days there shall happen an apostacy and a revolting from the faith men shall give up themselves to seducing spirits to doctrines of Demons which Doctrines shall be taught by hypocrites lyars men whose consciences are seared with a hot iron and who making a great shew of their austerities shall abstain from marriage and from meats which God hath created imposing a necessity on all their devouts to observe celibacy and the Laws of their fasts that consist in distinction of meats And to translate it exactly according to the Greek Text the sense is clear without a Paraphrase I. Now the Spirit saith expresly that in the latter times some shall revolt from the faith giving themselves up to deceiving Spirits and Doctrines of Demons II. And this through the fictions of lyars men whose consciences are seared with a hot iron III. Forbidding to marry commanding to abstain from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving by the faithful and by them who know the truth Those that understand Greek and the rules of Grammer will easily see that the words cannot be otherwise translated For the Greek pronoun some and the participle giving up themselves to cannot be construed with lyars and forbidding seeing the pronoun some is in the nominative case as they call it and the other words are in that which they call the Genitiue So that it must not be translated some giving up themselves and teaching lies But lyars and forbidding must be construed with these words through the hypocrisy and be rendred through the hypocrisy or through the fiction of lyars For the proposition that signifies in signifies also by or through And our French Interpreters have so translated it teaching lies through hypocrisy But instead of teaching lies it should be translated through the hypocrisy of those that teach lies or lyars This Text thus rectified by a right translation presents two things to us the first is the Antichristian Apostacy and its Characters the second is the fountain of this Apostacy the men that must cause and promote it The first is the apostacy from the faith to give up themselves to seducing spirits and the doctrine of Devils or Daemons the second is the hypocritical Authors of the Law of celibacy and of abstinence from meats Let us examine whether these two things do well agree to the Papism CHAP. XIX That the term of Apostacy is not too big to express the Papism by that Apostacy signifies rebellion and Idolatry why the H. Sâ—ripture uses such high words to describe the popish Idolatry and higher than those it makes use of to describe the Pagan Idolatry THe first Character of the Antichristian Empire that appears in this place is apostacy some shall revolt from the faith 'T is exactly the very same word which Saint Paul uses in the second Chap. of the second Epistle to the Thessalonians where by the confession of all he describes the coming of the Antichristian Empire That day shall not come except there come a falling away or an apostacy first and that man of sin the son of perdition be revealed The Idea which the word Apostacy raiseth in the mind This term of apostacy at this day begets a dreadful Idea in mens minds 'T is used to signify an entire renunciation of the faith Especially when 't is joined with the word faith as it is here They shall fall into an apostacy from the faith it seems to signify as much i. e. an utter renunciation of the Christian faith Now the Papism makes great use of that and pretends to prove it cannot be called an apostacy and a renunciation of the Christian faith because it retains that entire receiving the Apostles Creed the Nicene and Athanasius's in the sense of the Scripture and of the Church Before we shew that this makes nothing against our hypothesis The word Apostacy which signifies Antichrist shews he must not be a Jew I will observe one thing which I have not found any as yet have sufficiently confirm'd 'T is this that the term of apostacy which signifies the Empire of Antichrist evidently shews that the Antichrist of the Romish Doctors is a meer Chimaera According to them he must be a Jew that must style himself the Messiah assemble all the Jews at Jerusalem make war on the Christians and destroy Christianity If he be a Jew by nation and religion he will not be an Apostate For according to the Scripture usage of the word and that of the languages at this day none are called Apostates but those that abandon the true religion to embrace a false one So that see here is a new proof that Antichristianism must establish it self in Christianity and the Subjects and Prince of this Empire must be Apostates from the Christian religion which cannot agree to the Jews We must not say that this Empire of Antichrist is called an apostacy because it will cause the Christians to revolt and make them Apostates For it is plain that the head of this Empire must himself be an Apostate That day shall not come except there be first a falling away or an apostacy and the man of sin the son of perdition be revealed One may plainly see that this signifies before the apostacy of the man of sin happens The revolt of the Papism from the faith is very well called an Apostacy At the present to make appear that the revolt of the Papism from the faith is very justly styled an apostacy divers things must be observ'd And first That this word in its original doth not signify all that that men at this day would signify by it The verb whence this word is derived signifies no more than to depart from any person or thing They that understand Greek cannot be ignorant of that So Apostacy originally signifies a departure 't is to depart from the obedience which is due to any one 'T is to refuse him either the whole or a
God and Baal at the same time Yet it is described in higher terms It appears therefore that the Idolatry of the Heathens who worshipped none but false Gods was more criminal however the Holy Spirit speaks against the Idolatry of Israel with a thousand times more violence and vehemence than against that of the Heathens The Prophets describe the heathen Idolaters as fools as brutish persons that had lost their senses who of the same log of wood made a God and a foot-stool But when they speak of the Idolatry of Israel they do it in such terms as make persons of any modesty to blush For there are no odious Ideas in the most infamous prostitution which the H. Spirit doth not bring in in his description of them We need but consult the 16th Ch. of Ezech. and many more places of the other Prophets where the Idolatrous Iewish Church is represented as a woman void of shame that prostitutes her self to every comer that sits in the cross ways that offers her self that opens her bosom that speaks such words as modesty can't hear and doth abominable actions The reason of this difference is plain 't is because the Idolatry of the Heathens is consider'd only as a simple fornication The Idolatry of the Church is most criminal and why and the Idolatry of Israel as adultery Every one knows the difference between simple Fornication and Adultery Almost all nations have punish'd adultery with death But the Heathens did scarce think that fornication was a sin the Jews themselves counted it as a trivial matter A man sees the worst of crimes committed upon a woman that belongs not to him without being much moved at it but the least debauches of his own wife stir up his jealousie and kindle his anger He can't speak of them without vehemence and in terms that signify the greatness of his grief And 't is not an unreasonable resentment A woman with whom he hath made no treaty that hath not plighted her troth to him nor he his to her doth him no wrong there is no shame redounds to him thereby whereas the crimes of his wife cover him with infamy 'T is the same with God the Idolatry of the Heathens in his opinion is but a simple fornication he hath made no treaty with them who are without the covenant no shame nor dishonour is reflected on him from their debaucheries But he hath treated with the Church she is his Spouse he calls her so 't is a figurative expression that he every where uses We need not therefore wonder if he be more sensible of those wrongs that are done him on her part Although the Idolatries of the Heathens were greater considering them precisely in themselves than the Idolatries of the Church yet however God would not be so much offended by them A Husband is more offended by the light debaucheries of his Spouse than by the greatest crimes of one that is only his Kinswoman It signifies nothing that this woman doth not deny her Husband her favours if she suffer others to share with him her crime is not the less It signifies nothing also that the Church doth not refuse to give adoration to the true God if she suffer the creatures to be sharers with him she is not less criminal she is still an Adulteress and her crime is an abomination It is easy to apply all this to the Christian Church the bands of the sacred marriage that unite her to her God are much more noble glorious and strait than those that united God to the Synagogue So her adulteries also are much more worthy to be condemned It signifies nothing that she commits them with those that are called the friends of God. A King is not the less offended by the disorders of his Spouse that prostitutes her self to his favourites than if she prostituted her self to strangers And thus I think enough hath been said to justify this that the Papism is a true Apostacy and that that term and others though higher are not too big to signify the abominations of the Antichristian Empire CHAP. XX. The deceiving Spirits which St. Paul speaks of are Evil Spirits The Doctrine of Daemons is that Doctrine that hath Daemons for its Objects and not that which hath Daemons for its Authors There is a perfect conformity between the Theology and the Religion of the Heathens about Daemons and that of the Papism about Saints and Angels mediatory Spirits Evil spirits are the first Authors of this Popish Idolatry SAint Paul continuing to describe the future Antichristian Empire saith that this Apostacy shall be joined with the spirit of seduction They shall give up themselves to deceiving spirits 'T is very indifferent whether by these deceiving spirits or spirits of errour as some copies have it we understand men or spirits separated from matter for both the one and the other yield a true sense It is true that the Antichristian Apostacy was formed by the deceit of certain deceiving spirits who being mad upon a false devotion seduced others both by their examples and also by their bad arguments Yet I rather encline to believe that by deceiving spirits we are to understand evil spirits which were the first Authors in the first place of the worthip of Reliques afterwards of the invocation of Saints and at last of the adoration of their Images This was the way whereby superstition began to be establisht viz. the visions by which Reliques were discover'd We learn from Saint Austine that the bodies of the Martyrs Gervais and Protais were found out by St. Ambrose by the help of a dream Confes l. 9. c. 7. The same time God revealed to this holy Bishop in a dream where lay the bodies of the Martys Gervais and Protais who many years were kept in the secret of God and preserv'd free from corruption to the end they might be discover'd to stop the fury of a woman that was Empress and mother of the Emperour The visions whereby Reliques were revealed came from the father of lies I will not wrong Saint Ambrose so far as to accuse him of feigning this vision to deceive the people to work false miracles that he might make the party that were for the word consubstantial to triumph over Arianism But this is certain it was a deceiving spirit that did abuse St. Ambrose and did discover these Reliques to him to make Idols of them because then the Reliques of the Saints began to be abused The Miracles that were wrought by Reliques either are fabulous stories of Impostors or the productions of him who is the father of lies Saint Austin saith that those who were possess'd were deliver'd by them Besides that the greatest part of those that were possessed in those ages were melancholy persons it is not hard to conceive that the Devil would play these pranks to establish Idolatry that was then receiving its birth He could do no less than go out of a body feigning to be
to the time of the end many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increas'd 5. Then I Daniel looked and behold there stood other two the one on this side of the bank of the river and the other on that side of the bank of the river 6. And one said to the man clothed in linnen which was upon the waters of the river How long shall it be to the end of these wonders 7. And I heard the man clothed in linnen which was upon the waters of the river when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time times and a half and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people all these things shall be finished 8. And I heard but I understood not Then said I O my Lord what shall be the end of these things 9. And he said Go thy way Daniel for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end 10. Many shall be purified and made white and tried but the wicked shall do wickedly and none of the wicked shall understand but the wise shall understand 11. And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away and the abomination that maketh desolate set up there shall be 1290. days 12. Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days 13. But go thou thy way till the end be for thou shalt rest and stand in thy lot at the end of the days As Interpreters agree that these Prophecies in the literal meaning of them are concerning Antiochus Epiphanes the great persecutor of the Jews and the true Religion so almost all agree also that this mystically referrs to Antichrist And 't is a truth I do not at all doubt of Antiochus was a type of Antichrist we shall see such clear proofs of it that it will not be possible to doubt of it As the principle is commonly perceived I will suppose it and will not give my self the trouble to prove it any otherwise than in applying all that to Antichrist that is said of Antiochus I will only make some remarks to confirm this truth I. Both good and bad under the N. Testament have had their types under the Old. We must observe that all the things that were to happen under the New Testament had their types under the Old. It is not only Jesus Christ that had types for his person for his offices for his good works his enemies also have had their types The actions of the Saints have been typical the victories of Sampson over the Philistins those of David over Goliah were types of the victories of Jesus Christ All the world believes it and no one doubts it It must be acknowledged also that the criminal actions of eminent persons have been typical likewise If on one hand there have been persons and actions typical of the good there have been also persons and actions typical of the evil Cain was a type of the enemies of Jesus Christ coming of the seed of the woman he was a type of the seed of the Serpent and his action against his brother was a typical sin that representeth the persecution which the Devil was to bring upon Jesus Christ and his Church The sin of Esau that despised the right of primogeniture and sold it for a mess of broth was a type of those prophane ones that renounce the benefits of the World to come for the vanities of this present World. Lots wife that looked towards Sodom and the Israelites that turn'd their eyes towards Egypt after they were gone forth from it are types of those miserable persons who after they have been drawn from sin by the grace of Jesus Christ are eager after the World from which they were departed and return to it again As therefore Jesus Christ hath had his types Antichrist haâ—â— had his types as well as J. Christ without doubt Antichrist had his too and that in great number Cain Goliah Pharaoh Nebuchadnezzar and the other oppressors of the truth and the faithful have been types of Antichrist Among these types there was not any one more noted and more pâ—ain than Antiochus who made the continual sacrifice cease for three years and a half who made the Church desolate who made almost the whole Nation fall into Apostacy who prophaned the Temple and cruelly persecuted those that persevered in the true Religion So that as in the types of Jesus Christ we seek for and find his Characters in like manner in Antiochus and that which the Prophecies say of him we may find the Characters of Antichrist But we must observe there are two sort of Prophecies one that directly respect the principal subject the other that respect it only mediately and indirectly and by the means of some type to which the literal sense of the Prophâ—cy doth belong For example the Prophecy of the 53. Chap. of Esai respects J. Christ immediately and without the intervention of any type There are Prophecies wherein the things agree partly to the type partly to the person signified by the type But the 45th Psal and the second respect Jesus Christ but mediately and by the intervention of the type In the second Psal the type is David to whom belongs the literal sense of the Psalm In the 45th Psal the type is Solomon and 't is him the literal sense of the Text respects These two sorts of Prophecies ought to be handled differently Those of the first rank i. e. those that refer only and immediately to Jesus Christ must be applied only and uniformly to Jesus Christ in all their parts But those of the second rank are much harder to be disintricated For there are some things that belong only to the person that is the type Others that belong only to the person that is represented by the type and lastly others that belong both to the one and the other For example in the 45th Psal these words Thy throne O God is for ever and ever the scepter of thy Kingdom is a scepter of Righteousness c. O God thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above all thy fellows These words I say cannot without great violence be applied to Solomon For Solomon is not a God and it can't be to him that the H. Spirit saith Thy throne O God c. There are other words in the same Psalm which certainly respect Solomon as a type and J. Christ as the person represented by the type For example Thou art fairer than any of the children of men v. 3. Grace is poured into thy lips because God hath blessed thee for ever Lastly I am certain there are other words that agree only to Solomen and that it is not at all necessary to refer them to Iesus Christ For example these words v. 10. Daughters of Kings are among thy
it speech or words are formed in the mouth by the wind the breath of the lungs thus it is the breath or spirit of the body besides this it discovers the sentiments and thoughts and thus it is the breath or spirit of the soul After all this I do not think that any can in the least doubt but that these three spirits that come out of the mouth of the false Prophet are the false Oracles and Laws of this false Prophet These things are like those riddles which when they are unriddled we wonder that they were not sooner guessed for there was never any thing more easy to be understood The third expression which God made use of to enlighten my mind is that of Armageddon which Saint John saith is a Hebrew word the learned know The Syriak in the age of St. John was called Hebrew that the Hebrew language in the time of St. John was Syriack and Chaldee This is the language that our Saviour spake 't is that which is called the Hebrew tongue Acts 22.2 where 't is said that the people of Jerusalem kept silence while St. Paul spake to them in the Hebrew tongue He would not we are sure speak to them in Bible-Hebrew for they understood it not at that time 'T is this language which in the Gospels is often called Hebrew and yet the expressions set down are found to be Chaldee Armageddon signifies a cutting off by a Curse or Anathema or Syriack as Golgotha Talitha kumi Gabbatha c. Now the word Armageddon without any straining signifies in the Chaldee or Syriack Cutting off by a Curse or Excommunication Gedad signifies to cut off to cut asunder Giddou ilana cut down the tree said the Angel in the vision related in the third Chap. of Daniel so Geddon signifies cutting off The word Herem in the Hebrew and Harma in the Chaldee is a word which we find in our Bibles at every step under the phrases of cursing abstaining from the cursed thing This is accursed which the 70 have every where translated anathema this is the term which the Apostle Paul uses when he would excommunicate all those who love not the Lord Jesus Let him be Anathema Maranatha let him perish in Armageddon and 't is the same word that the Jews used in the time of Saint John and which they still used to signify their great Excommunication Thus if you joyn these two words Harma and Geddon you have exactly without any alteration A cutting off by a Curse by Excommunication or an Anathema Now what can be meant by the spirits which come out of the mouth of the false Prophet and which are gathered or placed in Armageddon i. e. under the shelter and under the defence of a cutting off by a Curse or an Anathema but the orders laws and false Oracles of the Popedom and the Antichristian head 'T is known that there is a Curse and a Armageddon at the end of the every Canon 'T is known that the Canon Law saith Decret Gratiani causa 2. quest 1. Canon gen We declare to be anathema and accursed for ever before God and a prevaricator against the Catholick Faith every King Bishop or other Magistrate who shall violate and suffer to be violated in any kind the Censures of the Popes of Rome Behold the scale of all the papal Laws Lastly 't is known that through one of the sorest judgements of God that ever was felt the subjects of the Popedom suffer'd themselves to be seized with such a fear of these Armageddons or Excommunications with a Curse that this very thing was a rampart and an inviolable asylum to protect all the attempts and all the crimes of the Clergy The whole strength of the Ecclesiasticks consisted in Armageddon but this supply never fail'd them whatever they did whatever they undertook men endured every thing out of fear of the Anathema and the Curse To avoid these imaginary thunderbolts Subjects revolted and broke their Oath of Allegiance Kings abandoned their Crowns as John King of England did who that he might obtain of Innocent III. the taking off of an Excommunication or Interdict laid upon England surrendred himself and all his Subjects to be the Popes slaves All publick service of God was made to cease in a great Kingdom Churches were shut up the sick died without Sacraments the dead remained unburied Excommunicated persons through a ridiculous sillyness of the people became odious to all that were not It matter'd not whether the Excommunications were unjust or no 't was enough that they were denounced By means of this the Clergy defended their plunders and robberies as Father Paul hath excellently remarkt in his Treatise of Benefices The people saith he were so afraid of Censures that nothing did terrify them more 'T was even amazing to see that Captains and Souldiers who plunder'd any man without the least concern at the sin committed against God as desperate and profligate wretched as they were yet with great respect spared whatever belonged to the Church only from the dread which they had of its Censures And on this ground many ordinary people gave their goods to the Church that so they might shelter themselves from the rapine of the Souldier Thus the Laws and Ordinances and goods and crimes and enterprises of the Church were all under shelter and in a place of safety in Armageddon I do not think that there can arise any doubt in any ones mind concerning what we have now said But to give the fuller confirmation to these truths let us go over all the expressions used in this Prophecy From whence these three unclean spirits do come And I saw three unclean spirits like froggs 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 The Dragon is the Devil the Beast is the Empire of the Popedom and the false Prophet is the Pope these are the three springs of false Oracles The Devil is he who inspires them all those decrees and those Canons which overthrow the true Religion of Jesus Christ can come from none but him They likewise come out of the mouth of the Beast for 't is the Church of Rome that makes them hence they are called the Canons of the Church the Laws of the Church and its decisions And lastly they come from the false Prophet for the Pope is the mouth of the Church he is in fallible when he speaks ex Cathedra all his decisions are seased with the word Armageddon and of the grand Excommunication Why three unclean spirits These spirits or Oracles are three in number not of the number seven for this number is sacred and proper to signify the sacred perfection of the Divine Oracles which thing the Holy Ghost intimates not only by seven spirits but also by seven thunders Nevertheless seeing the Oracles of the false Prophet of Antichrist are perfect in their kind i. e.
say are circumstances The substance is the harvest and the vintage which are reapt at two different seasons by the Angels who have commission thereunto The understanding of the circumstances depends upon the understanding of the substance therefore this later must be explain'd before we go about to explain the former I cannot tell by what spirit it is but at last I am strongly perswaded The harvest in the vision is the Reformation already made the vintage is the Reformation that shall be shortly made that the harvest and the vintage are the Reformations of the Church that which happened the last age and that which shall happen in the end of this age and the beginning of the next The harvest therefore is past the vintage must presently come In this matter Joseph Mede seems to be not more happy in his conjecture than others He makes the harvest signify the ruin of the city of Rome and the vintage the total ruin of the Antichristian Kingdom which must happen a little while after Rome shall be sackt But I am perswaded that they who will read me with some attention and without prejudice will prefer my thoughts before his Harvest taken in an ill sense Jerem. 51.33 The word harvest in the style of the Spirit sometimes signifies good and sometimes evil God speaks by Jeremy The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor it is time to thresh her yet a little while and the time of her harvest shall come And the Prophet Isaiah speaking of the desolation which should befall the ten Tribes by the Assyrians saith And it shall be Isa 17.5 as when the harvest-man gathereth the corn and reapeth the ears with his arm Ioel 3.13 The Prophet Joel also represents the day of Gods vengeance Put in the sickle for the harvest is ripe come get you down for the press is full the fats overflow for their wickedness is great In all these places the word harvest signifies destruction and ruin In other places harvest signifies something that is good The harvest is great said our Saviour Mat. 9.33 but the labourers are few speaking of the conversion of the Gentiles Lift up your eyes and look on the fields for they are white already to harvest Ioh. 4 35a 38. I sent you to reap that whereon you bestowed no labour Lastly sometimes harvest signifies both Good and evil together As in the Parable of the Tares in the field Matt. 13.30 Let them grow both together until the harvest And at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers Gather first the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them but gather the wheat into my barn The harvest is the end of the world the tares are the wicked the wheat is the good the reapers are the Angels the same harvest that shall cast the chaff into the fire shall lay up the corn in the garner The same judgment that shall adjudge the wicked unto Eternal flames shall gather the elect into glory The harvest therefore may signify something that is good but we cannot find that any where the term vingate is taken in a good sense The juyce that comes out of the grape The word vintage always signifies some evil hath the colour of blood which comes out of the veins of them that are murthred For this reason vintage always signifies anger wrath destruction vengeance shedding of blood I have trod the winepress alone their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments Isa 63. my own arm saved me my fury it upheld me In the 19 Chapter of the Revelation 't is said of him who sits upon the white horse that he treadeth the winepress of the wrath of God Almighty The term vintage that is never taken in a mild sense in this place determines the sense of the harvest that it must likewise signify a time or season of destruction And these are the two parts of the fall of the Antichristian Kingdom Already one half almost of its subjects hath been taken away in the last age the other part shall be taken away in this and the next which is the vintage But observe God hath exactly put the distance between these two parts of the fall of the Popish Kingdom in proportion unto that which is between harvest and vintage In our climates The distance of the two Reformations answers to that of harvest and vintage harvest ordinarily begins at the end of Iuly the vintage at the middle of September The same proportion is every where found where harvest begins sooner the vintage begins sooner also They are about fifty days distant one from another or a little more let us take fifty which is a sacred number made up of seven times seven Fifty days make the seventh part of a year which is the period of the sowing budding springing growth and ripeness of grains and fruits only there are ten days over Now divide the period of 1260 years which is that of Antichrist's reign of his budding his first birth his progress his consummation the steps of his declining and his destruction divide I say these 1260 years into seven parts and every seventh part makes exactly 180 yeas If now you reckon these 180 years from the year 1517. in which Luther began to preach against popery this brings us to the year 1697 If you reckon them from the year 1520 the date of Leo the tenths Bull this will bring us to the year 1700. from which last if you take away ten years because seven times 50 make but 350 whereas the prophetick year is 360 days or 360 years this will exactly fall upon the year 1690. And this is the time that I judge must be the beginning of the vintage for the witnesses shall then rise after which France must break off from the Pope in my opinion before the end of this age and in the beginning of the next the remainder of the Antichristian Kingdom shall be every where abolisht Thus every thing agrees with my calculation viz. that we cannot be far from the end of the Kingdom of Popery 'T is also to be observed that harvest and vintage are not gathered in a day Harvest vintage require some space of time The first and second Reformation must also take up some space of time there must be some time spent in reaping and gathering in the corn as also the grapes The first ruin of the Antichristian Kingdom in the last age took up about 30 or 40 years Germany began in the year 1520 Denmark and Sweden followed in 1525 and the following years England drove out the Pope in 1534. France embraced the Reformation under the reign of Henry II. In the same manner without doubt will the Reformation that we expect be carried on All those Countries that remain under the papal Empire will not fall off all at the same time this shall be done in the space of several years Spain in all
whether the Antichristian Kingdom shall be destroy'd by sword fire and bloodshed I see nothing in the whole Revelation which obliges us to believe so for though in this and several other passages the ruin of popery is painted out in expressions borrowed from war slaughter and bloodshed yea in the most terrible and high expressions nevertheless this may very well be understood figuratively for the destruction of Paganisme is painted out in almost the same expressions by the Prophets though it was brought to pass without bloodshed As the Kingdom of the Beast was formed without war by the sottish complaisance of the Kings of the Earth who suffered their power to be snatcht from them or rather did voluntarily surrender it so this Antichristian Kingdom may perish without weapon by a word of two Letters The Princes of the Earth need onely say NO and the tyranny of Antichrist will fall to the ground And as for Idolatry which is the other part of Antichristianism the word and grace of God must destroy it Nevertheless I am willing to submit to the general consent of Interpreters of both Communions who unanimously hold that in the ruin of the Antichristian Kingdom there shall be a great effusion of blood and that Babylon the capital City of that Kingdom shall be laid in ashes I am willing therefore to believe that there shall be some bloodshed not for any passages in the Revelation but for these two Reasons Rome must be miserably destroyed 1. The first that 't is not probable that the Pope and his Partisans will yield without resistance they will stand out and in defending themselves will attaque in which attaque they shall perish 2. The second it seems agreeable to the Divine justice that the City of Rome that for two thousand years is the Mistress of the World the tyrant of the universe which hath shed so much blood and has bin delug'd with so many impurities should be overwhelmed and the World be avenged Ierusalem who was not guilty of such excess is ruined by a dreadful destiny 'T is not probable that God makes ready a less destruction for the City of Rome Here the last lacking of Rome is fore-told If this be so this passage without doubt is one of those that foretell this bloody Tragedy The City which is spoken of here without the City must be Rome But we have said before and shall hereafter prove that this word ought to be taken only for Rome in conjunction with her Empire Here 't is Rome alone and not her Empire 'T is true but the reason is that when she shall be laid waste in the manner that is mention'd here she shall have no more any Empire all her Provinces shall be revolted she shall be left alone of her whole party so that in this place she ought to appear all alone And the City cannot signify any more then the City of Rome because she shall have no more any dependent Provinces excepting that which is called the patrimony of St. Peter which Joseph Mede believes is meant by these thousand six hundred furlongs For he saith that the Countrey that reaches from the walls of Rome unto the river Po contains 200 Italian miles which make exactly 1600 furlongs If this conjecture be true as 't is probable this signifies that all the forces which the Pope shall be able to get together shall be wholly destroy'd without the City i. e. without Rome in that part of the Country which lyes betwixt Rome and the River Po. CHAP. XII The explication of that part of the eleventh Chapter where the last persecution made by Antichrist is fore-told which is the present persecution in France The death of the two witnesses who shall not be buried by means of the succour brought by the enemies of France THe first Chapter in the Revelation where the ruin of Antichristianism is fore-fold is the eleventh We passed over it for the reasons above mention'd We come again to it at present and place it the last that we may place it according to the order of events We have observed that there is found in it an Epitome or short draught of the whole History of the Church from the resurrection of Jesus Christ untill his coming into the World to erect his Kingdom there The pure Church of the three first ages is hid under these words measure the Temple and the Altar and those that worship therein And the corrupted Antichristian one under the Gentiles who must tread under foot the holy City forty and two months That is the outward Court but the Court that is without the Temple leave out and measure it not for it is given to the Gentiles This outward Court as Vsher hath divinely explain'd it in his Prophecy signifies Christians in appearance whose Religion consists in the performance of some external duties of Christianiâ—y without having the inward life or the true Faith which should unite them to Jesus Christ But those who worship in the Temple and before the Altar are those who sincerely worship God in spirit and truth whose souls are his Temples in which he is adored and honoured with the most inward thoughts of their hearts and who offer unto him a constant sacrifice not onely of their lusts but of their whole selves Thus this holy man speaks and I confess that I see in his words the Character of the spirit of God. These are the true worshippers whom God does measure and whom he makes account of and these are those who possessed the Church during the three or four first ages But afterward the Church became an outward Court was filled with feigned worshippers who made Christianity to consist in an appearance of piety and in external Ceremonies Then God pronounc'd concerning this Court let it be given to the Gentiles for forty and two moneths Then Paganism Idolatry the worship of subordinate Gods Mediators and a thousand heathenish Ceremonies were introduced into Christianity And this outward Court these formal outside worshippers were given up to a spirit of error and superstition to begin Antichristianism and make it continue twelve hundred and sixty years We have also in this Chapter the Church under the Cross persecuted and hid in Babylon in the two Witnesses who prophesied cloathed in sackcloth a thousand two hundred and sixty days We have in it the sound of the last Trumpet and the thousand years reign of Jesus Christ and the Church For at the sound of the seventh Trumpet the Kingdoms of the Earch become Gods and his Christs Lastly we have in it a remarkable event which must come to pass at the end of the reign of Antichristian popery and 't is expressed in these terms V. 7. And when they shall have finisht their testimony the Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them and shall overcome them and kill them V. 8. And their dead bodies shall lye in the street of the great City
Among the considerations laid down by me in the Preface which induce me to believe that this persecution is the last I mention'd the singularities of it I named several such Behold one which in my judgement deserves to be added to the rest 'T is the horrible Edict which commands that the new Converts being sick shall communicate after the popish way This is the worst effect that ever was produced by the spirit of rage and reprobation And 't is not conceivable how a Clergy that will be called Christian can do such horrible actions The Edict ordains that they who will not communicate shall be sent to the Galleys if they recover There is none who is so mortally sick that is sure that he shall dye and fearing to recover he will also fear to go to the Gallies and this affrighting object is able to induce a sick man to communicate without faith and to worship that which he judgeth to be a piece of bread that is to say to commit a horrible sacriledge and an act of Idolatry and consequently to damn himself certainly So that properly this Edict is a trick of the Clergy to procure the damnation of all the new Converts This is perfectly to imitate that Italian who that he might take a compleat vengeance having his enemy in his power promis'd him his life on condition that he would deny God which having done he murther'd both his body and soul Will men never open their eyes to behold such objects as these The Reformation is foretold by three figures signifying three Methods And the spirit of life from God entred into them These words teach us how the Reformation shall be re-establisht in France for in these Prophecies I find three ways by which the Truth is establisht or re-establisht The first is by lightnings voyces and thunders thus after the seventh viol was pour'd on the air the Reformation in the last Age was made by lightnings voyces and thunders i. e. by the preaching of the Divine Oracles And the seventh Angel pour'd out his viol into the air and there were voyces and lightnings and thunders In this Prophecy thunders always signify the Divine Oracles The seven thunders that uttered their voyces in the tenth Chapter are the Oracles of God which ought to be uttered in the sequel Thus the Reformation was made in the last Age in a most sensible manner by the preaching of the word The Reformation shall come into France by way of internal grace But behold a second way of reforming A Spirit of life from God enters again into the dead Witnesses i. e. those who are at this day under oppression shall suddenly rise up again by a secret operation of grace and an extraordinary motion not by the means of preaching the word not by the ministry of some new Preachers but by a heavenly operation that shall open the eyes of them who are as yet in darkness and strengthen again the hearts of those who at this day have fallen through weakness At that time in all appearance the yoke of the Persecutor shall be broken a time of ease shall come and all those who at this day groan under the Captivity of Babylon shall lift up their heads and shall improve that season of calm to repair that which they are now forced to do by violence 'T is these words signify a Spirit of life from God not from any man nor by the ministry of any man but from God entred into them and their zeal was enlivened again But things shall not stay there God is preparing other wonders There is a third Reformation which shall be set on foot by way of Authority by the Royal power and this is expressed in the words that follow And the Witnesses heard a great voyce from heaven saying unto them Come up hither and they ascended up to heaven in a cloud and their enemies beheld them What heaven and lifting up to heaven signify in the Prophecies In the style of the Prophets heaven and lifted up to heaven is the Throne and to be exalted to dignity greatness and power even in the language of heathen Prophets for Apomasar in his Apostelismata insomniorum saith If a King dreams that he sits upon the clouds and is carried where ever he pleaseth this signifies that his enemies shall serve him But if he fancieth that he is carried up to heaven where the stars are this presages that he shall be lift up above all Kings The Prophets of God do also make use of these representations to signify the same thing Isa 14.13 Isaiah describes the exaltation of the King of Babylon by an ascending up into heaven I will ascend into heaven I will exalt my Throne above the stars And Jesus Christ saith of Capernaum that she had been lift up unto heaven but should be brought down unto hell 'T is therefore evident that God does here signify that some time after these three years and a half of death the Reformation shall be lifted up to a great glory but not every where 't is only in that place which is called the street of the great City and is after called the tenth part of the City for the total destruction of the Antichristian Kingdom must not happen untill some years afterward There will shortly be a Reformation in France by the Royal Authority And after These words signify that when the Reformation shall be establisht again in France by way of Divine immediate operation by which the zeal of the Apostates and of others who know the truth but with-hold it in unrighteousness shall be quickned again some space of time shall pass probably some years before France shall wholly throw off the yoke of popery That Kingdom shall not be entirely Reformed by way of Authority immedately after out Reformation shall be again set on foot by way of inspiration and recovering of zeal For and after signifies an interval of time but whether it shall be short or long is not expressed notwithstanding I see no likelihood that it shall be very long nor do I believe so They heard a great voyce from heaven Yet once again Heaven is the Throne 't is the Soveraign dignity which in a State is exactly the same that Heaven is to the Earth in light in lustre in good or bad influences in scituation and in elevation From Heaven i.e. from Authority and the Prince who reigns they heard a voyce they received an order not a small clandestinsilent voyce but a great voyce i.e. a publick command a solemn Edict and this voyce said to them Come up hither Then the Truth shall get up into the Throne and as God hath contrary to all probability given a popish Prince to England so God will give a Protestant Prince to France in spight of all oppositions of the Papists And the ascended up to heaven in a cloud i.e. Their elevation and that of the Reformed Religion shall be made publickly as the
not contemporary with 'em the seven seals carry the Prophecy almost as far as the fall of Paganism unto Constantine the first Christian Emperor The seven Trumpets divide the rest of the Time between Constantine and his Christian Successors to the end of the World. And the seventh Trumpet that sounds here is the beginning of the last Period which comprehends the fall of the Empires of the World and particularly that of the Antichristian Kingdom or the Papacy The seventh Angel sounded and there were great voices These are voices of Acclamation and joy That Thunders and Lightnings are joyned to those voices signifies the preaching of the Gospel And the four and twenty Elders who sat before God on their seats fell upon their faces and worshipped God saying we give thee thanks O Lord God Almighty c. 'T is the Song and subject matter of thanksgiving wherewith the Holy People should praise God during the reign of a thousand years when God shall have subdued all their Enemies Observe here that the four and twenty Elders appear alone and begin the Song whereas in the first Vision the living Creatures begun the Song and the Elders followed ' em 'T is not to exclude the living Creatures and the Ministry in the last Period of the Church but to signify that then the People shall be so filled with the Divine Spirit that they shall not need to wait the inspiration and assistance of the Holy Ministry to ingage them to praise God and perform holy duties The Nations were angry and thy wrath in come i. e. the Nations of the Antichristian People have executed their malice and fury and thou hast avenged it by destroying their Empire And the Time of the dead that they should be judged and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy Servants the Prophets and to the Saints and them that fear thy name small and great This doth not signify the last judgement or the last Resurrection 'T is the first Resurrection the Deliverance of the Church her coming to the expected Kingdom This is set forth after the same manner in the 20th Chapter of the Apocalyps as hath been already seen The Time of the Dead to be judged he saith not the Living and the Dead or all the Dead but speaks of the Church which lay as dead during the reign of Antichrist and shall rise again when that Kingdom is destroyed The Dead shall be judged And how 't is God will reward the faithfull and the Church by giving them Peace and a Kingdom 'T is a judgement of Grace and of Beneficence He speaks not of eternal Rewards as appears by what follows and to destroy those who destroyed the Earth Which is not a proper term to signify eternal punishments wherein nothing is destroyed men continue under them for ever so that the ruin of the Antichristian Empire must be here meant V. 19. Chap. 11. And the Temple of God was opened in Heaven and there was seen in his Temple the Ark of his Testament The Ark is the sign of God's Covenant with the Iews so this Prophecy of the Ark in the Temple of God signifies the recalling of the Iews The Temple of God was open The Church shall be open to all Nations all People shall resort to it and among others we shall see that People who derive their Glory from the Ark of the Covenant CHAP. XXIV The Characters of the Kingdom of the Church Eight are certain and five doubtfull What shall happen after this Kingdom What is meant by Gog and Magog There shall probably be a lesser kind of Antichrist a little before the end of the World. HAving confirmed the Truth of this Reign of Christ upon Earth we ought now to consider the Nature and Characters of it they may be divided into two Classes some that are doubtful and others certain It is fit that we begin with the certain We are not to reckon among the Characters of this Reign either the fall of the Babylonish Empire or the conversion of the Iews or the conversion of the remaining Gentiles For these three things are to go before it They can never be brought about but with confusion and Tumult The Popish Empire cannot fall but it must cost blood and make a mighty noise The conversion of the Iews must needs be attended with great Commotions among the People and it may be violent contradictions 'T is likewise impossible to conceive that the Conversion of the Gentiles can be brought about without the utmost endeavours of the Devil to hinder it he will raise all his forces every where to hinder the last establishment of this Kingdom of Christ as he did in the first Ages of the Christian Church So that we cannot doubt but he will cause great opposition not only by words but it may be blows Now this cannot belong to the Kingdom of Christ whereof the principal Character is Soveraign Peace Insomuch that we thus conceive of it 1. The Papal Empire shall fall 2. After that some years will be necessary to abolish Sects and Parties and compose the differences among Christians 3. That after this many Heathen Nations and the Iews shall be converted for it cannot be thought that they should be converted while Christians are so much at variance among themselves and seeking the destruction of one another 4. After the Conversion of the Iews the remainder of the most remote Nations shall also be converted Now for all this there must be time for should we think that God will act in a more miraculous manner in this than in the establishment of the first Christian Church Wherefore as the Christian Church was near an hundred years in its first setling no less will be necessary perfectly to resettle it and then shall that blessed Kingdom come which we expect not but that there is some probability that God may begin to compute the thousand years from the fall of Antichrist even before the Conversion of the Iews and Gentiles and so the fall of the Antichristian Kingdom and the Conversion of the Nations may in some sort be comprehended within the Reign of Christ for a thousand years But when we speak here of the Kingdom of Christ we speak of it as in its perfection which will not be till after these things are come to pass An extraordinary effusion of the Spirit the first certain Character Chap. 2.28 29. The first certain Character of this reign of Christ is the plentifull effusion of the Spirit of God upon men The Prophecy of Ioel to this purpose is one of those which is but in part accomplisht hitherto I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh and your Sons and your Daughters shall prophecy your old Men shall dream dreams and your young Men see visions also on the servants and the hand-maid in those days will I pour out my Spirit That lesser effusion of the Spirit which the first Christians experienc't is not enough to fill up the