BABELS FALL In the Foolish Virgins Sleep Among which Presbytery lyeth with Predictions of the great disputes to be at the raising of the true Ministry Written by a Witnesse of the Truth John Brayne Ely to Samuel 1 Sam. 3.17 What is the thing the Lord hath said unto thee I pray thee hide it not from me God doe so and more alâ—o to thee if thou hide any thing from me of all the things God hath said unto thee Samuel to Ely 1 Sam. 3.18 14. Samuel told him the in quity of Elies house shall not be purged by Sacrifice nor offering for ever The man of God said to Eli 1 Sam. 2.35 God hath said I will raise me up a faithfull Priest which shall doe according to that which is in my heart and in my minde and I will build him a sure house and he shall walke before mine anointed c. Ely said to Samuel It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good LONDON Printed for T. B. in Kings-street at Westminster MDCXLIX To the Honourable John Lisle one of the Lords Commissioners of the Great Seal Honourable AS David and the Apostles before me said We believe and therefore speak so I believing the truth of the Scriptures did presume to write you of many things strange before but now evident since accomplished I am once more bold to write you from the Gospel of things shortly to be fulfilled which will seem strange but will prove most true in its time however mine enemies are stirred up to hate and oppresse me for it the day will come they will be ashamed at it Sir I hope I have deserved no other but your love wherewith you have loved me and the love of those love God in the Country and those hate me doe it without a cause even for my standing for and witnessing to the truth of the Gospel with which I am intrusted which should occasion their love were they of God and not hate to the defence whereof you are called and blessed shall you be if you contend for it and consent not to the detaining of the discovery thereof which the Lord preserve you from and keepe you to immortality and life and set you with Christ in his sight to the full enjoyment of himselfe for ever Is the hearty desire of your Servant in the Gospell John Brayne Aprill 1 1649. TO THE READER THe predictions following are drawn from Propheticall Scriptures and are no Inthusiasticall Dreams they seem strange indeed at first but strong is the Lord that doth them for hath he said and shall he not performe it God hath foretold us when hâ— shall build up Sion he will appear in his glory which sets us now upon the expectation of glorious things these are therefore written that God may be glorified Magistrates may be directed Ministers instructed and the Truth revealâ—d Concerning all which in much confidence I affirm if the Lord give me leave to live but a little while I shall not be ashamed of what is herein written Thus leaving thee and them to the Lord to declare himself herein as he please to the glorifying of himselfe for ever And this I dare affirm so far off as thou seest we are from seeing these things so far off are we from seeing peace and deliverance and as men act against this they act against their own deliverance from which the Lord prevent us graciously I rest thine in the Lord John Brayne BABELS FALL In the foolish VIRGINS Sleep The Kingdom of Heaven that is the state of the Church under the Gospel Administrations are usually set out by the Lord significantly in Parables some whereof have thâ—ir allusions drawn from Marriage and Marriage-Feasts corresponding with the predictions of the Prophets foregoing and in especiall that of MAT. 25. from Vers 1. to Vers 11. IN which ye have the estate of the Church Ministry and Government thereof unto the end of the world according to the wisdom of the infinitely wise God held out and commended unto us under the notion of a Marriage in which Christ is the Bridegroom the Church is the Bride and the Ministery the Virgins I know the Expositions extant of these are quite contraryâ— Aug. lib. 83. Q. 59. Inter parabolos à Domino dictus solet quarentes multum exercere ista quae de decem virginibus posita est 〈◊〉 quidem hinc multa senserunt quae non sunt praeter fidem sed quoâ—â—dò partibus omnibus ejus conveniat expositio id elaborandum est He that hath a minde to see the diversity of constructions given by the Ancients of this parable let him read Salmeron in parabolas who hath taken the paines to collect them together Those that have written lately understand by the wise and foolish Virgins the severall Members of the Church In which are wise and foolish from whence some would confirme mixt societies But that this cannot be meant is plainly evinced in this that the Church-Members are to be understood in the Bride which is the Church that is the Lambes wife and therefore the Virgines are such who are ministerially imployed about the Marriage of the Church to Christ 1 And that which helps most clearely to open the Parable is this That the Lord mainly aimeth at the discovery of the state of the Church under Antichrist in taking the parable from a Night-Marriage 2 And the restoring of the Church to its quendam primitive estate after his tyranny 3 And briefly sheweth what things were to happen concerning the Ministery both true and false as the one related to Christ and the other to Antichrist untill the second taking of the Gentiles to himself againe Object Parables serve onely to illustrate and prove nothing Reply I know it is so generally conceived but let me tell you that the Church practise and many precious prophesies of the Church are so laid up in them and to be proved from them and so from them as from no Scripture like them the Lord sets not out the state of the Kingdome but by parables 2 The Kingdomes Government is never to be clearly knowne but by them and to be proved thence 3 The Lord declared the Government in parables as being most fit to conduce to the maine end of Gods hiding the Church from the world And this is plainly seen in the answer of Christ to his Disciples Mat. 13.10 to the end of ver 15. who demand of Christ why he taught in parables who answers To you it is given to them it is not given to know the mysteries of the Kingdome but to the parables it selfe 1 The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then is a note of time and relates to the predictions of the former Chapter ver 15. the abomination of desolation or time of the tyranny of Antichrist ver 29. the darkning of the Sunne of earthly glory the Moone shall not give her light the sad estate of the Common-people and the Starres shall fall from Heaven the fall
the Churches hid estate which is computed to be by the Spirit of God 1260 days prophetically yeares Revel 12.6 which is the full time of Antichrists reign of whom I commend these things to be considered of 1 That the two witnesses comprehend not the whole Ministry of any age but only such who in each age of the predicted time did oppose Antichrist maintaining the Gospel truth against his errours in doctrine discipline or Church Constitution in the several times and ages they lived in so that ones witnesse may differ from another according to the measure of knowledge God had communicated unto them in their day one witnessing against his corrupt doctrine of iustification c. Others against his Idolatry c. Against whom God had still some to oppose and direct the Church to this day this being a part of that time 2. Their witnesse is but for a limited time even the time of the Churches hiding and then ends Revel 11.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There Testimony is not long before it be fulfilled if not already after which they shall teach no more as they have done before 3 Consider but Him that is to put an end to their Ministry and then the time is known when this and by whom it shal be effected Rev. 17.3 I saw a woman that is the Papacy sitting on a Scarlet coloured beast that is the Roman Empire now here Revel 11.7 The beast that is some part of the Civill State of the Roman Monarchy set down Vers 13. By a tenth part of the City which England is being one of the 10 Kingdomes of the Roman Monarchy and a tenth part of the City gets up out of the bottomlesse pit or Antichrists prison the Key whereof the fallen Star keepeth Revel 9.1 which proves her authority thereof 4 The beast thus having broken the prison makes war with the witnesses by questioning their ministry the witnesses could not war with any other weapons then the word and then overcomes them and kils them not slaying their persons but nullifying their ministry 5 Into their carcasses that is into their now dead ministry comes the spirit of life from God that is God comes to restore in their stead the true ministry into the Church againe now that this is meant of their successors not themselves I desire you to observe 1 Their ministry is fulfiled that is that they were to doe by their ministry they have done and are to do no more in the Church 2 Their time being set is now accomplished and are no longer to continue and if they then sure the other antichristian Ministry that is not of God is much more to end 6 The spirit of life entring into their carcasses is the right call and abundance of gifts God shall blesse the succeeding ministry with 7 That the successors of these vers 12. Are called into heaven that is they are acknowledged by the Church to be the true Gospel ministry 8 On this the 10 part of the City falls vers In which a full and perfect deliverance is given to one of the ten Kingdoms from the Antichristian estat and not before Aplic England see where and in what time thou art in and what is to be done in thee for thy cure and how neer thy comfort and Salvation is 2 How contrary the actings of men are to Gods minde the sole cause of all our troubles 3 I cannot passe this by that the witnesses Prophesied in sackcloath Revel 11.3 And so did weare none of the Popes Scarlet or the Bishops silks or had they the rule of States with the Presbytery but were during their whole time of ministry in a sad and suffering condition lamenting their own and the Saints calamities being alwâ—ys under antichristian persecution for the truth and never having publicke Government in their hands as Presbytery hath had at all 4 These witnesses rise again in the restauration of the true Gospel ministry foretold of God Revel 20. ver 4.5 You shall see in this how God makes good the judgment written of her when shall be fulfilled on her that she did on the messengers of the Gospel that she may say as I have done the Lord hath requited me Revel 18.6 Return to her even as she hath returned to you Now the word is verbum factivum that which God saith here Do shall be done when the time is come people be to whom these words are written For as the Apostle 1 Pet. 1.12 not to themselves but us they did minister these things so these things are ministred to those men that live in that tâ—me God will have these things done when the Word shall fill their spirits with might to do the will of the Lord. 1 Who is to be returned unto that is her the false Church of Rome 2 How she is to be rewarded and that is as she hath rewarded the true Church of Christ 3 He shews the Rule God wil have observed in returning to her which is That as she hath done she shall be done unto 1 Now consider by policy she first destroyed the Gospel Ministry God will take down hers by the purity and power of his Word again and set up the Gospel Government in her stead 2 By cruelty and disgrace shee destroyed these Witnesses which taught the Gospel of Truth in the time of her Reigne now to this the holy Spirit alludes as being the way of Gods judgment in â—hâ—ch the Saints are to be executionâ—rs and to do to her that is Antichrist as she hath done 3 The thing God aimed at herein is to shew Antichrists tyranny used against those God raised up to preach the Gospel by degrading them as in the History of John Huss at Constance and of John Sawtrey the first English Martyr the History in brief being thus The Bishops cause him to be apparelled in Priestly Vestments and to be brought to appear before them when the Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Arundel 1399 saith I denounce thee William Sawtrey in the Habit of a Priest as an Heretick I do condemne thee in the name of all my fellow brethren the Bishops c. and of the whole Clergy I do degrade and deprive thee of thy Priestly Order in signe whereof we take from thee the Patent and Chalice and do deprive thee of authority of saying Mass we pull from thy back the Casul and take from thee thy Vestment and deprive thee of all manner of Priestly honour And then having proceeded in manner of pronouncing sentence against him as before he proceeds Wee put thee from the order of a Deacon in token we take from thee the book of the New Testament and the Stole and do deprive thee of reading the Gospel and all dignity of a Deacon As a Subâ—eacon they depriveâ—â—â— of the Albe and Maniple As a Acolite they take away the Candlestick and Taper As a Exorcist the book of Conjuration As a Reader they took away the book of the Church Legend As Sexton they
all these are implyed by the Apostle Revel 20. ver 4 5. in which are two dead 1 Those that were beheaded aâ—luding to John the Baptist by which means their Ministry ceased who had not worshipped the Beast nor his Image nor had received his mark in their foreheads or hands they lived againe that is came againe to exercise their Ministry in the Church by their Successors 2 They had not worshipped the Beast but were before him and extinguished by him nor shall those that are to be be of him at all 3 It s preciously alluded to John the Baptist that Eliah which was said to come in Christ's time and now againe in some other to come as in Malachy the 3d. Turning the hearts of the fathers to the children and children to their fathers 4 There are others dead which received the Marks and they lived nor again untill the 1000 years were finished which are the other minâ—stry opposed to that lived are the foolish wise Virgins Ver. 8. The foolish said to the wise give us of your oyle for our Lamps go out Before this great time of Judgement or tryall of Ministry the Ministry of Bishops Arch-bishops and Presbyters may be said to be blown out that is by violence be made to cease they indeed being by no means at the time of putting out otherwise to be put out and shall we think Presbytery will not be put out as the rest and not go out untill the time the rest do go out with her 2 At this time of tryall they all will go out of their own accord so that there remains another way of causing the cessation of the past Ministry in the Church then any yet hath been seen which will be by the power of the Word proving the unsoundnesse of it and so kindly and quietly cause it to cease 3 The whole ministry goeth out in this grand commotion and none untill now now men will acknowledge that their standing by Bishops or by Presbyters is not Evangelical they go out There is much difference between blowing out a Lamp and the letting of it burn so long untill it can burn no longer for want of oyle when it goeth out of it selfe and there is no lighting of it again there being then left them no plea to minister by 4 They say to the wise signifying an acknowledgment or ingenious conviction of them of the unsoundnesse of their ministry even to the wise Virgins from their own mouthes 5 Give us of your oyle which implyeth a great desire in men to have renewed their Ministry and signifieth an honourable esteem the faithfull Ministry of the Gospell should have of others in that day 6 An acknowledgment of the lawfulnesse of the Gospell Ministers Ordination however it shall be restored which is to be thought to be as before by the Magistrates approbation and thence desires to be ordained by them 7 It may be by Give us your oyle may be meant a desire of the foolish that the wise would acknowledge them for true Ministers of the Gospell and give them the right hand of fellowship to minister in the Church with them And this seems fitly to suite with the words of the Text following Ver. 9. But the wise answered not so lest there be not enough for us and you 1 Signifying that whether it be Ordination or associtation or acknowledgment of their Ministry or what ever else they are denyed it of the Gospell ministry 2 The Reason is satisfactory viz. least there be not enough for us and you signifying this they could not acknowledg their Ministry to be true and their own not be false or if their own were true then were the others false Again the truth had acknowledged one true in calling them wise and the other false in calling them foolish 3 Hence it seems to me that presbytery that so highly declared against Episcopacy for Antichristian hath it's day now approching to be declared against in like manner and I hope no man will be so vainly minded as to say this Construction was taken of Master Lillies Astrology for the future as some maliciously have objected Object A man may see by the coarse of things 1 It is near two years since I first affirmed this since which there is more likelyhood then before but is there any likelyhood it falls in Scotland are not all for it there is not a Schismatick allowed it is long since I was perswaded of its fall there there are many in this Kingdom that have to shew it under my hand as those letters may shortly in part shew that I wrot to several of the presbytery who have spared no pains to plague me in name or goods for it as I intend to shew at large hereafter when I have done my intended Exposition on the Revelations if God permit they provoking Authority therunto like another whore riding the Beast The Lord knoweth I write not this to offend any man nor hath any man cause to be offended if it be truth as the Apostle Gal. 4. ver 16. Am I therefore your enemy because I tell you the truth Ver. 9. But go rather to them that sell and buy for your selves 1 If the words were spoken sarcastically then it is as if they should bid them go to the Pope who sold the ministeriall calling 2 Or rather they containe an advice to them to adjoyn themselves to a true Church rightly constituted and from them to take a call thereunto it being delegated of God to them to give 3 It is intimated that in these times there will be much care had of keeping the Gospel Government entire in the Church and that nothing in her Government shall be done irregularly as in the times past they have been Ver. 10. While they went to buy 1 They take the advice given so that it should seem it was not spoken sarcastically if it had they would have discerned it I think they would not have gon to Rome for it 2 Christ is sayd to come when there will again be a visible and sensible difference of Christs presence in the Ministry and means of what there was formerly he was then absent as if not at all in prayer preaching c. 3 This coming or manifestation of God in the means provokes the Ministry the more to desire to be admitted to the exercise thereof Ver. 11. Those that were ready entred with him to the Marriage 1 At the Coming of Christ it is implyed some shall be ready that is shall be indowed with gifts calling and ministry according to the Gospell who shall be made use of to celebrate the Nuptials of the Lambe 1 Before it is said while they went to buy the Bridegroome came 2 See what hinders the Lord wil not come until their lamps be cut and they gon to buy 3 This is the destroying Antichrist by the brightnes of his coming he consuming her by pieces and parts now a little and then a little The doore was