this cause God shall send him strong delusions that he shall believe a Lie that he may be damned for not believing the Truth but having pleasure in Vnrighteousness And I hope very few will venture upon those Pikes This Doctrine can hardly fright any away but such as have an explicite minde and purpose fully to plunge themselves into the filth of sin But what a vast company has broke from the Reformed Churches into private Sects upon pretence that their Doctrine tends not sufficiently to Perfection can be hid from no man's eyes that looks never so little into the World So far is this Doctrine from being against the Interest of Reformed Christendome To all which you may adde that it need not be imposed as an Article but allowed In the mean time that general Languour and Remissness in all Duties of Life or rather that universal Deluge of open Lewdness and wickedness which for ought I know has broken in upon us for want of such Doctrines as would more effectually engage us in all Holiness of Conversation is by far a more formidable Dis-interest to the Reformed Churches then the Profession or Permission of this Doctrine we speak of any way can be For Providence has no obligation to continue their Religion to those be it never so true who have no more Conscience then to hold the Truth of God in unrighteousness Sophr. Nay your Answer I must confess Philotheus is very home and pertinent Philop. And so think I too and am hitherto which I must acknowledge with many thanks to you Philotheus very competently satisfied and therefore am the more unwilling to urge you any farther in any more Particulars touching these Heads feeding my self with hopes of future Conference from your own comfortable Intimation But however I cannot but give you the trouble of passing to the last Point XXXVI Of the Duration of the glorious Times of the Church to gratifie my Curiosity touching the Duration and Permanency of this excellent state of the Church and of describing to me in what order and distinctness things will proceed to the end of all Philoth. This is an hard Probleme Philopolis as well as curious the second part especially For touching the Duration or Permanency of the Church in that glorious Condition the holy Oracles plainly intimate it will be for a thousand years Apoc. 20.3 though I do not think it necessarie to understand that expression as if it should continue no longer For the meaning of that number may be symbolicall But for the order and distinctness of the proceeding of Affairs to the end of the World this a man cannot well know unless he understood the Synchronalls to the seven Thunders into which the last Trumpet is so distinctly distributed Apoc. 10.3 Which I must confess Philopolis was ever out of my reach till I fortunately fell into acquaintance with one Theomanes a very good man XXXVII The Character of Theomanes and most passionate well-willer to the Affairs of the Kingdome of God Cuph. That 's a peculiar Privilege of yours Philotheus to be so intimately acquainted with Theomanes For my part I have often courted him with the best skill and diligence I could but could never yet get into any familiarity with him Sophr. And I think in my heart never will do so long as your name is Cuphophron Philop. I pray you Philotheus what is this Theomanes for a man and what did he impart to you touching the seven Thunders Philoth. I gave you part of his Character already And if you do not yet understand me Philopolis I adde farther That he is a man wholly devoted to the Knowledge of his Maker from his very youth and quitted the World almost as soon as he was born into it having never any design upon any thing that the World is so mad after neither Honour nor Power nor Riches nor carnal Pleasures but his mind has been wholly set to search out true Knowledge in the Light of the Simplicity of Life in which quitting all Self-relishes he became an entire Servant of God and of the Lord Iesus Christ and a faithfull Minister of his Kingdome Philop. You give the Character of an excellent person But what did he impart to you Philotheus Philoth. The Vision of the seven Thunders if I may so call it for brevity sake But his meaning is the Vision of things synchronall to the seven Thunders Philop. You will infinitely oblige me if you please to communicate them unto us O Philotheus But is he not a man something Enthusiasticall or Fanaticall Philoth. The greatest Fanaticism that I know in him is this That he professes he understands clearly the truth of severall Prophecies of the mainest concernment which yet many others pretend to be very obscure whether he will or no. But he is so far from being Enthusiasticall or Fanaticall that whereas Enthusiasm is a false Surmise of a man's self that he is inspired when indeed he is not he on the contrary does disclaim his being at any time inspired though a man would think sometimes that he is But he imputes all to the Light of the Simplicity of Life the greatest Gift of God that is communicable to the Soul Neither does he boast that this Vision of the seven Thunders is any over-bearing Inspiration though it was the most involuntary thing that ever happened to him perfectly awake Philop. I pray you therefore tell us in what Circumstances it happened to Theomanes For I believe he would conceal nothing from you by reason of your Intimacy with him Philoth. Time will not permit to make any long Story of it The Circumstances therefore in brief are these Upon a time after he had much worn away and exhausted his spirits by a long and serious study in the Divine Oracles he thinking to take a long and leisurely walk into the fields to recruit his Strength by the open fresh air and to let his Mind be perfectly vacant for the relief of his Body of a sudden in the midst of the fields this Vision of the seven Thunders surprised him without his desire or expectation which took fast hold on his Mind and Phancy insomuch that he could not be quiet for the working thereof though it made him so weak that he could scarce go on his legs till he had committed the same to writing Philop. This is something extraordinary Have you a Copy of it Philotheus For the Narration of such things ought to be very accurate Philoth. I have a Copy of it both in my Pocket and in my Memory it has left so strong an Impress upon my minde But I believe you will think it most safe if I reade the Copy for it is yet light enough and I brought it on purpose foreseeing the need thereof in this day's Discourse Philop. I pray you Philotheus reade it to us Cuph. There are ordinarily Politicall and Philosophicall Gazetts but it is our Privilege it seems to have a Propheticall one
this Objection of yours O Cuphophron is as loud a Lie as ever the Devil invented had your great parts condescended to be as conversant in History as in the sublimer parts of Philosophy your self would long ere now have discovered Cuph. O how dearly do I love thee Euistor for this freeness But since my self has been taken up with higher matters I prithee declare the truth freely from thine own reading For indeed I have a great suspicion of Luther and Calvin whose names are most illustrious in the Reformation that they were abettors or exciters of Sedition and Rebellion Euist. I shall declare the truth freely and impartially to you Cuphophron touching these persons and by the manifest injuries done to them you may judge of the rest As for Luther he was so far from being an exciter or abettor of Rebellion against Secular Princes that he wrote a Treatise to exhort every Soul to be subject to the higher Powers and was himself a very severe and carefull practiser of his own Doctrine For at that Confederacy of defensive arms at Smalcald which the Romanists declaim against as such an example of Rebellion though it was not Luther was very shy and averse from giving his Assent thereto till he was throughly instructed by the learned in the Law touching the Constitution of the Empire of Germany For by the Magna Charta as I may so call it of the Empire the Princes of the Empire are invested in such Rights as if they be violated by the Emperour it is lawfull for them to take arms and resist sine Rebellionis aut Infidelitatis crimine And the skilfull in the Law abundantly satisfied Luther that the Emperour had violated these Rights Philop. The truth is Cuphophron since the Empire was made Elective and a perpetuall Power established in the Seven Electours the Emperour's Authority in many parts of Germany became little more then titular and an empty Honour without Power they that elect him having a right also to depose him for Mal-administration of the Affairs of the Empire The Electours and other Princes of the Empire govern their own Principalities without paying any thing to the Emperour but Homage and the Imperial Cities are most free from the Imperial Laws Must every appearing in arms then against the Emperour be presently Rebellion Cuph. I did not think there could have been so much said in the behalf of Luther Euist. And now for Calvin the Charge of Rebellion upon him is that he expelled the Bishop of Geneva who was the chief Magistrate of that City and changed the Government into an Aristocracy and so carried on Reformation and Rebellion at once Is not this that which you mean Cuphophron Cuph. I believe it is for I have not much interess'd my self in these Religious contests Euist. But this is a mere Calumnie against Iohn Calvin and without all ground For not so much as that is true that Calvin was one of the first Planters of the Reformation at Geneva and much less that he or any other Reformers expelled the Bishop out of the City It was Farrell Froment and Viret that by their Preaching converted Geneva in the Bishop's absence who fled away eight months before being hated by the Citizens for the Rape of a Virgin and many Adulteries with their Wives he being also in fear of his life for his Conspiracy with the Duke of Savoy to oppress the Liberties of the City for which his Secretary was hang'd But those that changed the Government were strong Papists and after main opposers of the Reformation Cuph. I perceive a man must take heed how he believes any charges of the Romanists against the first Reformers Sophr. The measure of truth with them is the Interest of Holy Church and therefore every Lie subservient to that end is holy Cuph. But if I mistake not Zwinglius cut his way for the Reformation violently with his Sword for they say he was slain in battel Euist. That 's another gross mistake Cuphophron For the Reformation was establish'd in Zurick at least ten years sooner by Edict of the Senate upon the peaceable preaching of the Gospel there and the Switzers had shaken off the yoke of the Empire two hundred years before So little ground is there of accusing the Reformation there of Rebellion Cuph. But as loud a noise of Rebellion as ever sounded in my ears begun in reference to Reformation is that of the Vnited Provinces shaking off the yoke of the King of Spain this sounds as high as that of Luther Euist. And is as loud a Falshood For the Reformed Religion was spred over the Seventeen Provinces many years before their union against the Spaniard nor did they unite upon the account of Religion but of State for the maintaining their Liberties against the Oppression of Spain And therefore they chose for their Prince Francis Duke of Alenzon a Roman Catholick which they had not done if the Protestants had been the greater part Nor was the King of Spain their absolute Sovereign but their Count. So that neither the Reformation was the Brat of this Union nor this Union more by the Protestants then by the Papists nor less justifiable afterwards in that they held it in the behalf of the true Religion also as well as of their Liberties and would not submit to one that was not their absolute Sovereign to have their Souls murthered by a false Religion or else their Bodies by adhering to the true Cuph. I did not think Euistor that these Aspersions could have been so easily wiped out There 's but one Instance more occurrs to my mind and that is of the Boisterousness and Rebelliousness of Scotland in the behalf of the Reformation If i be not mistaken I have heard a very ill report of that Nation in this point Euist. That 's very likely Cuphophron nor are they any way to be excused nor the Reformation to be accused of what appertains not properly to its spirit but is peculiar to the spirit of that Nation For before the Reformed Religion the Scots of an hundred and five Kings which they reckon till Queen Mary had killed thirty five besides five which they had expelled and three which they had deposed Cuph. The Collection thence is very easie Philop. And the like consideration is to be had of whatever unlawfull Risings of the Protestants there may have been in France It is not to be imputed to their Religion but to the Genius of that Nation who are so easily and so often drawn into Rebellion and where that crime is look'd so slightly upon as a Country-man of their own has ingeniously noted of them and has impartially drawn into view such things and circumstances as give good light how to estimate the measure of their transgression in this matter Which I would recommend to your reading Cuphophron I knowing you to be so great a lover of Truth and Vertue For the Authour has wrote very pertinently to satisfie you that the Reformation
call him so ever came to be canonized for a Saint Euist. Spondanus will tell you Deo utique gratissimam navare operam coronis dignam non solùm qui pro Fide Catholica illibata servanda à persecutoribus necantur sed etiam qui pro juribus bonisque Ecclesiae conservandis repetundis ablatis occiduntur Bath This indeed is at the bottom of all the Pope's Canonizations the Wealth and Interest of the Church for which they have framed and contrived their Religion that whole mass of Superstitions and Idolatries Whence I should think that Thomas a Beckket and Thomas Aquinas are Saints altogether upon the same score because they advanced the worldly Interest of the Church Hyl. That 's likely enough Bathynous But I pray you Euistor goe on Euist. The same Pope Innocent the third excommunicated also the Emperour Otho the fourth and deprived him of the Titles of the Empire And Pope Honorius the third excommunicated and deposed the Emperour Frederick the second as also did Gregory the ninth after him and that in most abominable Circumstances For the Emperour being gone into Palaestine upon the Pope's own errand yet he takes this opportunity of anathematizing of him and by his Preaching Friars of raising him enemies in Germany that taking the advantage of the Emperour's absence and those Combustions he might with better success send an Armie into Apulia and seize there on his Land Pope Innocent the fourth also excommunicated this Emperour and after his death gave away the Kingdome of Sicily from his Son to Richard Brother to Henry the third of England Boniface the eighth excommunicated King Philip the Fair of France and by a Decree of a Council deprived him of his Kingdome and gave it to the Emperour Albert. Philop. This is that Philip that answered that insolent Letter of the Pope with this couragious Preamble To Boniface calling himself Sovereign Pontif but little greeting or rather none at all Let thy most egregious Folly know that in Temporal things we are subject to no man Cuph. I believe the King spoke truth and declared but the Right of all the Secular Princes of Christendome as well as his own But did not that Vejovis of Rome shatter him all a-pieces with his Thunderbolts Euist. No such matter Cuphophron Resist the Devil and he will flee from you Philip the Fair held his own and made such friends in Italy that the Pope was surprised at Anagnia and disgracefully mounted on a poor Jade was brought Prisoner to Rome no man rescuing this terrible Thunderer either out of fear or love but Pride and Regret taking vengeance of him burst his swollen heart within a few daies and thus ingloriously he died his Successour Benedict the eleventh not onely absolving Philip but highly complementing him For the Popes use to fawn on those Princes whom they cannot bite without manifest danger of breaking their Fangs But to proceed The Emperour Ludovicus Bavarus was excommunicated by Pope Iohn the twenty third and deprived of his Empire which Sentence was also renew'd by his Successour Benedict the twelfth but so vehemently pursued by Clement the sixth that the Electours were at last prevail'd with to chuse a new Emperour Philop. That was Charles Son to Iohn King of Bohemia which was the occasion of great and bloudy Wars But what is most observable the Election of this Emperour was the very breaking of the back of the Empire Charles pawning the Tributes of the Empire to the Electours and swearing also that he would never disengage that Pawn Moreover he made that authentick Capitulation with them whereby without the crime of Rebellion or Disloyalty they were enabled to take up Arms against the Emperour and his Successours in defence of their own Rights This huge weakning of the Empire had the strong working Policy of the Popes at length brought about they ever phansying that the bringing down of the Power of the Emperour was an exaltation of their own But the wicked were here taken in their own Nets For the Power thus invested in the Princes of Germany proved at last mainly serviceable for the Reformation there and the Humiliation of the Pope it being not in the Emperour's power to succour him against that noble and Heroical Champion for the Truth Martin Luther But let me not interrupt you in your progress Euistor Euist. This is a very material Interpellation O Philopolis and such as I dare say Hylobares will thank you for who by this time surely is glutted with my so copious recitall of Instances Hyl. I do thank Philopolis for his so judicious Note on the Capitulation of Charles the fourth but desire you to hold on in your recitall till I say I am glutted Euist. That I will not promise However I will add some few Examples more seeing you have not yet said that you satisfied as that of Benedict the thirteenth who sent a Bull of Excommunication against Charles the sixth King of France But the bearers of the Bull were very coursly disgraced and sent back again to their Master with a flea in their ear Iulius the second laid about him like mad with both Swords and particularly against Lewis the twelfth of France whom the excommunicated and put his Kingdome to Interdict as Pope Innocent served Iohn King of England But he came off much better then this For the Emperour and the King of France having called a General Council at Lions which yet presently removed to Pisa Iulius was there condemn'd for an Incendiarie and deprived of his Papal Chair Philop. Was it not there that the King coined golden Crowns with this Motto Perdam nomen Babylonis Euist. It was so Philopolis and a well-boding Omen towards the Reformation For Truth was a-dawning afar off and at last rose to broad day But in Henry the eighth's time King of England it was but as yet a dim Twylight in comparison of after-years And yet that King could discern that the Pope's Excommunications were but a flash without a bolt and therefore contemned the Thunderings of both Clement the seventh and Paul the third How Pius Quintus excommunicated Queen Elizabeth and deprived her of her Kingdomes I intimated before And Gregory the thirteenth drove on the same designs against the Queen which his Predecessour had begun The memory of that Pope will for ever stink in the nostrills of all posterity for the abetting and applauding that devillish Contrivance against the poor innocent Protestants under the colour of celebrating the Nuptials of Henry King of Navarr and the Sister of Charles the ninth of France This Gregory sent Cardinal Vrsin as Legat into France to return thanks and bestow Blessings and spiritual Graces upon the King and the rest of his ungracious Complices for their successfull acting this worse-then Thyestean Tragedie Philop. You mean that horrible Massacre in France Euist. I do so which yet I think that train of Villany laid in the Gunpowder-treason-plot if it had taken effect would have far
such a Gift he keeping the knowledge thereof from us it 's a sign it was with a reservation of the right of Invocation to himself But if he has not so much as given them any such share of his Omniscience as I verily believe he has not 't is still more firm that they have no right of being invoked Sophr. For my part Philopolis I think that passage in Isay has no contemptible weight with it to assure us that God does not communicate any such share of his Omniscience to the holiest Souls departed Though Abraham be ignorant of us Isa. 63.16 and Israel know us not yet thou art our Father that knowest us and beholdest us and art ever ready to hear our Prayers For that this is the sense the verse immediately preceding doth plainly insinuate Look down from Heaven and behold from the Habitation of thy Holiness and of thy Glory c. And then follows that of Abraham Philop. Besides Cuphophron our mere having no commission to give away or communicate a known peculiar Right of God to the Creature on our own heads without any warrant or declaration from him for this power of Invocation he has intrusted us with as his Depositum for his own use for us I say to give this to any other invisible Power besides himself the very Law of Nature and common Reason will tell us it is Injustice against God And being it is the giving away part of his rights of Worship without his leave it is that piece of Injustice against him which is Idolatry And how gross a piece of Idolatry then is this Invocation when it is set out with those Pagan Circumstances of consecrated Altars Images and Temples to the Saint they invoke The case is so plain Cuphophron that I desire you would give your self no farther trouble touching this point See if your Apologie will succeed better in the next Cuph. XXXI His Apologie in the behalf of their Impostures and Murthers That of Imposture Why methinks Philopolis that is the easiest of all to be apologized for because the generality of men being so hugely devoid of all real Vertue and goodness methinks it is but a just and pleasant spectacle to see a company of subtile witty Lads timely train'd up for the game to play tricks with this wicked World to ride them and bestride them and sit as close as an Ape with a whip in his hand on a great Mastiff's back next to the Bearward chief Master over the Dogs and Bears The ordinary mass of mankinde gives no other milk then what is thus fetch'd from them by tricks of Legerdemain they being far more prone to believe Lies then to conceive Truth And were it not a great oversight then Philopolis for the Priests not to frame such as make most for their own gain and honour Philoth. Phy Cuphophron that you should so boldly apologize for that which is both the bane and shame of any Priesthood nay the subversion of all Religion and the filling of the world with Atheists and Unbelievers This is the genuine effect of the Imposture of the Priests They bring ruine upon Religion and shame and destruction upon themselves cheating and couzening being so vile so base and so hatefull a thing in the sight of all men Nothing ought to be more pure nothing more holy nothing more sincere then a Priest If these Fountains will not run clear all mens mouths must be filled with either poison or mud Matt. 5.13 Ye are the salt of the Earth but if the salt have lost its savour wherewith shall it be salted It is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and to be troden under foot by men Whence that prayer of the Psalmist will ever be seasonable Let thy Priests be cloathed with righteousness Psalm 132.9 and thy Saints with joyfulness Sophr. And I promise you Philotheus one will not easily be without the other For the Priests contriving their Impostures into a Law it must needs bring a sad Persecution upon the Saints of God Witness that one Instance of Transubstantiation a Figment made anonce for the honour and profit of the Priesthood in what bloudy Persecutions has this involved the innocent Lambs of Christ For thus stood the case before the Reformation the Pope with his Clergie having so wholly seised these parts of Christendome as Robbers entred into an house they that would not be bound and gagg'd they murthered It is but an homely comparison but sets off the case of the Empire in those times very truly and lively If any cried out against the Frauds and Impostures of the Roman Priests rejecting their Lies and Figments as instruments of their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of their Thefts and Robberies Apoc. 9.21 he was presently murthered by fire or the sword Philop. Do you see Cuphophron whither your pleaded-for Impostures carry even to savage Murther and Bloudshed What Apologie can you find for this Cuph. O Philopolis are you so well versed in Politicks and do not understand what a great difference there is in Right and Justice betwixt private man and man and private men and the publick This point the noble Philosopher toucheth notably in some of his Letters Philop. What then Cuphophron you think Reason of State may justifie any actions though never so barbarous even the Murther of innocent persons Cuph. There 's a great Subtilty in those things Philopolis Next to Metaphysicks they will require a very acute judgment Philoth. Truly for my part Cuphophron I am so dull as that I could never conceive any Power to have a right to doe another man wrong And certainly the slaying of an innocent man for standing to the Truth of God and declining Idolatry is the highest injury that can be done to any one The chief Priests and Pharisees indeed of old ran upon that Principle of Reason of State when they held a Council against Iesus If we let him thus alone John 11.48 all men will believe on him and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and Nation And thus by their wicked Policy at the end were they cast upon the murthering of the Son of God but by that fact brought upon themselves that horrid Destruction which they thought by this means to have avoided As Daniel also intimates who presently upon his mentioning of the Iews cutting off their Messias Dan. 9.26 adjoins And the people of the Prince that is to come viz. the Romans shall destroy their City and their Sanctuary c. And thus the carnal Pontifician Ierusalem that has committed so many Murthers on God's Saints and Children upon the account of Reason of State that is of their Church-state establishing their own Security as they think in the bloud of the innocent this murtherous Policy shall be their certain Ruine according as it is written and annexed as an Epilogue to the description of their predicted Destruction For in her was found the bloud
that part especially of his Opposers at this time that were Pagans or Infidels and did not believe the Apostolical Doctrine of Christ. So that taking the whole Conflux of men or entire Aggregate of the two opposite Armies before the Fight and dividing them they naturally fall into this Tripartition The true Christian and Apostolicall Party the Infidel Party distinct from the Beast and false Prophet and the Party Antichristian Philop. What then is meant by the Infidel Party's being slain and whoever else fell with them by the sword that came out of the mouth of the Rider of the white Horse Philoth. Assuredly Philopolis their Conviction and Conversion to the true Christian Faith For the Word of God can slay them no otherwise then so Philop. I but it is added And all the Fowls were filled with their flesh Philoth. Luk. 15.7 10. I tell you Philopolis the Angels of Heaven feast and make merry more upon the Conversion of one sinner then on ninety nine just persons that want no Repentance But I told you before that these phrases are onely Parabolicall and every passage of a Parable is not necessarily drawn into a particular Signification It may signifie onely in the general a very great Slaughter argued in a Parabolicall way from the consequences thereof Philop. I am pretty well persuaded that this may be the main meaning of this Vision of the Rider of the white Horse what-ever else there may be in it beside Philoth. Let us therefore now proceed to what is parallel thereto namely the seventh Vial which has seemed to me as obscure as any thing I have met with in all the Apocalypse But in the general I dare pronounce that the sense is more spiritual then is ordinarily conceived both because it is parallel to the Vision of the Rider of the white Horse and also from that Intimation Apoc. 16.15 Behold I come as a thief Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his Garments lest he walk naked and men see his shame This is the time that God will pluck off the Covering from off all Nations Isa. 25.7 and the veil of Hypocrisie from off the people as Isay foretelleth and he that keeps not to the right cloathing will be found most deformedly naked This therefore is not like a premonition against the day of a bloudy Battel where the bloud rises up to the Horse saddles for the space of a thousand six hundred furlongs together In so great a slaughter literally understood men are more solicitous of their lives then their cloaths and more afraid of being killed then of being exposed to some outward shame Philop. What may then be the meaning of that passage Philotheus Philoth. A timely forewarning to seek after Truth and Righteousness and to understand the Mysteries of the Gospel so well as when this day comes I mean the effusion of the last Vial we be not discovered to be such silly Sots and Bigotts as out of an ignorant and superstitious Conscience to take part of the Plagues and Distresses the Beast and the false Prophet will then be plunged into but through sound Knowledge and a purified minde timely to be adjoyned to the true Church the Body of Christ. For in that day a man shall be look'd upon as hugely naked and bare of all wit and common honesty that has so little of either as not to relinquish the Idolatrous and Imposturous Church of Rome and entirely betake himself to the Apostolicall party He will be a reproch and laughing-stock to all and will be able by no means to hide his shame he discovering himself to be so wholly destitute of the sense of Truth and Righteousness Philop. Methinks you have very peculiar apprehensions of things Philotheus that come into your minde which makes your converse more delightfull But give me leave now to ask your opinion touching other it may be more difficult passages As that of the Frogs going out of the mouth of the Dragon the Beast and the false Prophet which are said to be the spirits of Devils and that they work Miracles Philoth. These are the Emissaries Oratours Negotiatours or Solicitours of the Affairs of the Dragon Beast and false Prophet though they are called the Spirits of Devils according to the usual Genius and style of the Apocalypse putting Angels and Spirits for that company of men that may be conceived to be under their guidance But they have the shape of Frogs to betoken their Earthliness and Uncleanness and that the spirit and wisedome they act from is earthly Jam. 3.15 sensual and devillish contrary to that wisedom which is from above which is said first to be pure then peaceable but these Frogs call forth the Kings of the Earth and the whole World to battel even to fight against God and his Christ. But those ungodly Forces by the overpowering guidance of God Almighty pitch battel in such a place as is unfortunate to them from the very name For Armageddon signifies the Destruction of their Armies Nor can I omit how significant this Iconism of Frogs is to set off that power in them of working false Miracles to deceive the people according to the sense of the ancient Onirocriticks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Synops. Prophet lib. 1. c. 6. sect 17. Amongst which Impostures may be reckoned the falling into Trances Quakings Possessions by irresistible Powers pretended Inspirations and what else soever that carries from the Apostolicall Faith as well as those old Cheats and Juggles or lying Miracles of ancient Paganism or of modern Antichristianism properly so called But here again Philopolis I would have you above all things take notice that there is a Tripartition in this Conflux of people also For here is God Almighty and his Christ on one side with their Apostolicall Legions and then on the other side there is first the Dragon with his Pagan or Infidel Forces all such as believe not the plain and Apostolicall truth of the Gospel such as is comprised for example in the Apostles Creed and lastly there are the Antichristian forces properly so called such as appertain to the Beast and false Prophet So that this Tripartition is exquisitely answerable to that in the Battel of the Rider of the white Horse Philop. Well Philotheus what then Philoth. All these meet in a place which in the Hebrew tongue is called Armageddon Philop. They do so Philotheus But what is the meaning of the pouring of this last Vial into the Air to doe vengeance on the Legions of the ungodly Philoth. In the externall Cortex of the Prophecy it comports onely with the other Vials being poured out upon the Earth the Sun and the Sea as if God would stir up universal Nature in a rage against his enemies as I told you before But in the more inward and mysticall meaning it is onely an Introduction to these following Symbols of Voices and Thunderings and Lightnings c. Philop. What is the Mysticall
so a very learned Authour declares for the Appearance of Eliah before his second coming also Philoth. And for ought I know Philopolis that Opinion may be true if rightly understood that is to say neither of Elias the Thisbite nor of Iohn the Baptist personally nor of any one Person exclusively but according to the Prophetick style of the Spirit of Elias in a Company or Succession of persons In this sober sense I know not but this expectation of the coming of Elias first may not be vain Philop. What do you understand then by the Spirit of Elias O Philotheus that we may know where and when he doth appear Philoth. As touching that Philopolis we are not to excogitate what Character we please but casting our eyes upon History and Prophecy we are impartially to gather the true Character of that Spirit out of the Scripture Philop. How I beseech you Philotheus Philoth. XX The Character of this Elias gathered out of Prophecy As first out of Prophecy Admitting the Prophecies to have a double Completion as our Saviour seems plainly to imply a double coming of Elias forasmuch as when the Baptist was beheaded yet he said that Elias will indeed come and restore all things the description of the Messenger of the Covenant in Malachi is an admirable lively description of the Spirit of Elias Mal. 3.1 2 3. Behold I send the Messenger of the Covenant which ye delight in by whom the Hebrew Writers understand Elias behold he shall come saith the Lord of Hosts But who may abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth for he is like a Refiner's fire and like Fuller's soap And he shall sit as a Refiner and Purifier of Silver and he shall purifie the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering of Righteousness Therefore the Doctrine of casting away all Corruption Insincerity and Hypocrisy is one Note of the Spirit of Elias Again in the Prophet Isay Isa. 40.3 4 5. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness Prepare ye the way of the Lord make straight in the Desert an high-way for our God Every Valley shall be exalted and every Mountain and Hill shall be made low and crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places plain And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Philop. What Note do you gather out of that Philotheus Philoth. A Doctrine or declaration against the Distortion or perversion of the Simplicity of Christian Truth by proud and politick persons who have made Religion a Labyrinth for men to lose themselves in that they may the more easily take them up as a prize and booty The anfractuous serpentine windings of a false Church-policy that has so monstrously corrupted Religion in Doctrine and Practice is here declared against The Voice in the Wilderness bids take it away that the glory of the Gospel may be manifested to all flesh in the genuine purity and simplicity thereof and so all Nations be brought under the Sceptre of Christ. Philop. That meaning is marvellous easie and natural Philoth. A third Character of this Spirit is remarkable in the last of Malachi Behold Mal. 4.5 I will send you Eliah the Prophet before the great and dreadful Day of the Lord that is to say before the Battel of the great Day of God Almighty under the last Vial Apoc. 16.16 And he shall turn the heart of the Fathers unto the Children and the heart of the Children to their Fathers lest I come and smite the Earth with a curse That is to say This Spirit will be no Sectarian spirit to rend and tear but a reconciling spirit to soder together the affections of Magistrate and Subject in the Kingdome of God to prevent the Miseries of this earthly life that arise out of Dissension Tumult and War Philop. This is an excellent Spirit of Elias indeed I pray God hasten his coming Philoth. There is also another very remarkable Character of the Elias to come intimated by our Saviour himself in his discourse with his Disciples after his Transfiguration on the Mount before which time notwithstanding as I told you before the Baptist was beheaded Matt. 17.10 11. yet he being asked by his Disciples touching the Opinion of the Scribes That Elias must first come he answers Elias truly shall first come and restore all things Which effect however to accommodate to Iohn the Baptist I believe would be very hard Philop. Well but what Character Philotheus do you gather out of this Prediction Philoth. That the Spirit of Elias will neither abrogate what is authentick nor introduce what is new but be a Restorer onely of what useful Truths or Practices may seem to have been lost in the long delapse of Ages For the Decursion of Time is like that of a River which if there be not great care taken will bring down straws leaves and sticks but sink what is most solid to the bottome Philop. This consideration of Knowledge Philotheus puts me in minde of that Proverbial Prediction of the Iews touching their expected Elias Elias cùm venerit solvet omnia It seems then he will be a great Promoter of Wisedome and Learning will he not Philotheus Philoth. Such you do not mean Philopolis as the finding out the Quadrature of the Circle or a perpetual Motion Philop. To tell you the truth Philotheus I do not know what I mean I pray you what do you think of it Philoth. I told you before he will be a Restorer of usefull Truth and it may be of such clear and plain Principles as may solve the most concerning Difficulties that Humane Reason is subject to be entangled withall But I do not believe that he will be an Abettour of any useless Subtilties or of any Knowledge that promotes not Vertue and the common good He is that Voice in the Wilderness Prepare ye the way of the Lord and make his paths straight His wisedome respects onely the Promotion and Interest of the Kingdom of Christ. XXI His Character taken out of History But now for the Characters taken out of the History of Iohn the Baptist and Elias First it is observable in both their Persons how much sequestred they were from the World what haunters of Wildernesses and Deserts And more particularly of Eliah how his abodes were by Brooks and under solitary Trees 1 Kings 19.8 9 c. in Caves and Mountains as on Mount Horeb where God talked with him after there had passed before him the strong Winde the Earthquake and the Fire Philop. Shall then all that partake of the Spirit of Eliah be Eremites Philoth. That 's not the meaning of it Philopolis but that they shall be of a spirit separate from the World and untainted and unsophisticated by the unwholesome Converse of men that their
do in many things most wickedly calumniate and that those that are not Calumnies as concerning Fact are no such horrid Crimes as theirs that accuse them but more venial Infirmities or less commendable Humours Insomuch that notwithstanding all their Cavills I am not at all shaken in my belief of Reformed Christendom's being the true visible Kingdome of God and his Christ. Which is the first Document Philotheus that you gave us tending to the Interest of Reformed Christendome I pray you now therefore since I am so well satisfied in this proceed with what dispatch you can to the rest without any farther interruption Philoth. The Second Document then The Second Principle Philopolis is this That as Reformed Christendome is the Kingdome of Christ so the Popedome is the Kingdome of Antichrist This as it is a Truth in it self so it is of mighty consequence to be known believed and declared in the Kingdome of Christ to settle them and establish them in the Profession they are in For it is not at all beyond the capacity of the meanest to be fully ascertain'd of this Truth And yet though it be but one and so easie it is worth all the Arguments besides for the fixing a Soul to the Reformed Religion so hugely accommodate it is to strike their Imagination and satisfie their Judgement and settle their Conscience at once For if the Church of Rome be Babylon as most certainly it is then think you with your self Philopolis what mighty force that voice of the Angel will have in the Apocalypse Come out of her Apoc. 18.4 my people lest you partake of her sins and of her plagues Philop. That is to say It will be as potent to call others from the Communion of the Church of Rome as to establish our own in the true Faith they already profess And indeed methinks when they cast their eye upon the multifarious gross Idolatries and bloudy Cruelties of the Papacy and compare them with the Character of the Whore of Babylon whose very Whoredome signifies her Idolatry upon whose forehead is written Apoc. 17.5 6. Mysterie Babylon the great the Mother of Fornications and Abominations of the Earth and who is said to be drunk with the bloud of the Saints and with the bloud of the Martyrs of Iesus and it be plainly made out to them as it may that this cannot be understood of Rome Heathen but of Rome calling itself Christian methinks the Reflexion upon their known practices compared with their description in this Prophecy should so plainly convince them that they could not but presently run from her Communion with sudden horrour and affrightment Philoth. One would think so indeed Philopolis and that there is not a better Engine imaginable then this to beat down the Mysticall Babylon And that therefore it must be out of a great deal of either Unskilfulness or Unfaithfulness to the Interest of Christ's Kingdome that any should persuade us in our Oppositions against Rome to lay aside this weapon whenas indeed as David said to Abimelek concerning the sword of Goliah there is none like unto it 1 Sam. 21.9 And certainly our first Reformers found it so who generally made this Out-cry against the Roman Church And there are of their own Writers that confess how much prejudice has been done them by that Opinion of the Pope's being Antichrist Bellarm. de Rom. Pontif lib. 3. cap. 21. Wherefore the taking away of these Bulwarks against the forces of Babylon looks like the betraying of us again to the Tyranny of the King of that City Bath The thing it self Philotheus I am afraid looks thitherward But I believe withall that severall persons out of a consciencious tenderness over the Interest of the Reformed Churches may be so backward from charging the Church of Rome with being that Mysticall Babylon or the Pope the King of that City that is to say that notorious Antichrist for fear that by conceding that Church to be Antichristian they should therewithall acknowledge that it is not a true Church Whence that fearfull Inconvenience would follow that Succession were destroy'd and that we should thereby be at a loss to prove our selves to be the true Church of Christ. Philoth. XXVI Of the Church of Rome 's being a true Church If that be at the bottom Bathynous their well-meaning is commendable But I believe they fear where no fear is For we have more strings to our bow then one For none of those Titles that the Church of Rome may be perstringed by in the Propheticall parts of Scripture whether the City of Babylon or the Seat of Antichrist that Man of sin or the like do necessarily infer they are not a true Church but an extremely-faulty Church and such as God would have his people forsake their Communion if they will not reform as forfeiting their Salvation by partaking of such sins as have passed among them into a Law A Wife that is an Adulteress is a true Wife till she be divorced though a faithless one and a Ship with an hole at the bottom is a true Ship and an House whose Walls are besmeared with the Plague or Leprosie or infested with murtherous Goblins is a true House but that not to be sailed in nor this to be inhabited before they be reduced to an useful and safe condition The Form of a thing makes it to be true but the Sincerity or Integrity of it makes it to reach its end and become useful Wine is still Wine though some drops of Poison be convey'd into it but it 's such as no man that knows thereof will adventure to drink We will therefore grant that the Church of Rome is a true Church but in such a sense as a Ship that will sink a man to the bottome of the Sea is a true Ship or such an House as I described a true House Nay we will concede that it is the House or Temple of God but such as wherein the Man of sin sits that son of Perdition 2 Thess. 2.3 4. that exalts himself above all that is called God or worshipped Wherefore I say those reprehensive and reprochful expressions of Scripture against the Church of Rome do not imply her to be no true Church but a very impure and faulty one and grown not onely not useful to them that adhere to her but extremely mischievous She is a Cup of Wine mixt with deadly Poison in it an House infected with the Pestilence or infested with wicked Daemons Wherefore if we succeed in the true pattern of the House or Ship in the sincere nature of the Wine in the due Offices of a Wife and leave out the Adultery the Poison the Plague the Leprosie and the Devil himself is our Succession the less perfect If a Family were once sound and then diseased for some Ages and then some of this Family by skill in Physick or more then ordinary Temperance should grow sound again are these sound branches less
for a fuller and a more general understanding the obscurest Passages in the Divine Oracles The truth of this Assertion is so clear that it seems little better then Blasphemie to contradict it For to say the Holy Writ is in it self unintelligible is equivalent to the pronouncing it Non-sense or to averre that such and such Books or Passages of it were never to be understood by men is to insinuate as if the Wisedome of God did not onely play with the children of men but even fool with them This is but a Subterfuge of that conscious Church that is afraid of the fulgour of that Light that shines against her out of such places of Scripture as have for a long time seemed obscure The twenty sixth That there are innumerable Passages of Scripture as well Preceptive as Historicall that are as plainly to be understood as the very Articles of the common Faith and which therefore may be very usefull for the clearing those that may seem more obscure This wants no proof but Appeal to Experience and the twentieth Conclusion The twenty seventh That no Miracle though done by such as may seem of an unexceptionable Life and of more singular Sanctity can in reason ratifie any Doctrine or Practice that is repugnant to rightly-circumstantiated Sense or Natural Truths or Science or the common Christian Faith or any plain Doctrine or Assertion in Scripture The Truth of this is manifest from hence That no man can be so certain that such a man is not a crafty and cautious Hypocrite and his Miracle either a Juggle or Delusion of the Devil or if he was not an eye-witness of it a false report of a Miracle as he is certain of the truth of rightly-circumstantiated Sense of Common Notions and Natural Science of the Articles of the Apostolick Faith or of any plain Assertion in the Scripture And therefore that which is most certain in this case ought in all reason to be our Guide The twenty eighth That it is not onely the Right but the Duty of private men to converse with the Scriptures being once but precautioned not to presume to interpret any thing against rightly-circumstantiated Sense Natural Truth common Honesty the Analogie of the Catholick Faith or against other plain Testimonies of Holy Writ The truth of this appears from the Conclusion immediately preceding For why should they be kept from having recourse to so many and so profitable and powerful Instructions from an infallible Spirit when they are so well fore-armed against all Mistake and are so laid-at by so many not onely fallible but fallacious and deceitful persons to seduce them And why is there not more danger of being led into Errour by such as are not onely fallible but false and deceitfull then by those Inspired men that wrote the Scripture who were neither fallible in what they wrote nor had any design to deceive any man Wherefore there being no such safe Guide as the Scripture it self which speaks without any Passion Fraud or Interest it is not onely the Right but the Duty of every one to consult with the Scripture and observe his times of conversing with it as he tenders the Salvation of his own Soul The twenty ninth That even a private man assisted by the Spirit of Life in the new Birth and rightly-circumstantiated Reason being also sufficiently furnish'd with the knowledge of Tongues Historie and Antiquity and sound Philosophy may by the help of these and the Blessing of God upon his industry clear up some of the more obscure Places of Scripture to full satisfaction and certainty both to himself and any unprejudiced Peruser of his Interpretations That this Assertion is true may be proved by manifold Experience there having been sundry persons that have cleared such Places of Scripture as had for a time seemed obscure and intricate with abundant satisfaction and conviction But it is to be evinced also à priori viz. from the seventeenth and eighteenth Conclusions which avouch the Scripture to be the most Authentick Tradition that is as also from the twenty fifth that concludes it not unintelligible in it self nor to mankinde and lastly out of the first that asserts that Certainty of Faith presupposes Certainty of Reason For thus the Object of our Understanding being here certain and we not spending our labour upon a Fiction or Mockery and our Reason rightly-circumstantiated not blinded by Prejudice nor precipitated into Assent before due deliberation and clear comprehension of the matter if after so cautious a Disquisition she be fully satisfied she is certainly satisfied or else there is no certainty in rightly-circumstantiated Reason which yet is presupposed in the Certainty of Faith by the first Conclusion So that the Certainty of Faith it self seems ruinous if no private man have any Certainty of any Interpretation of Scripture that has once been reputed obscure Not to add that all the Scripture that has been once obscure and the Interpretation thereof not yet declared by the Church universal has been hitherto and will be God knows how long utterly useless Which is a very wilde Supposition and such as none would willingly admit unless those that would rather admit any thing then that Light of the Scripture that discovers who they are and what unworthy Impostures they use in their dealings with the children of men The thirtieth That no Tradition can be true that is repugnant to any plain Text of Scripture The Reason is because the Scripture is the most true and the most Authentick Tradition that is and such as the universal Church is agreed in The thirty first That if any one Point grounded upon the Autority of Tradition that has been held by the Church time out of minde prove false there is no Certainty that any Tradition is true unless such as it has not been in the power of the Church to forge corrupt deprave or else their Interest not at all concerned so to doe The Reason is because the Certainty of Tradition as Tradition is placed in this by those that contend so much for it that nothing can be brought into the Church as an Apostolick Practice or Doctrine but what ever was so from the Apostles Wherefore if once a Point be brought into the Church and profest and practised as Apostolicall that may be clearly proved not to be so this Ground for Tradition as Tradition is utterly ruined and considering the Falseness and Imposture that has been so long practised in Christendome can be held no Ground of Certainty at all As not Reason quà Reason nor Sense quà Sense but quatenus rightly-circumstantiated can be any Ground of Certainty of Knowledge so not Tradition quà Tradition can be the Ground of the Certainty of Faith but onely such a Tradition as it was not in the power of the degenerate Church to either forge or adulterate And such were the Records of the Holy Bible onely The thirty second That rightly-circumstantiated Sense and Reason and Holy Writ are