the Beast is hath been before shewed Secondly the name of the Beast is to be considered For the manifestation whereof let us consider and minde that those which did preach and professe Christ and his doctrine are said to haue and to beare his name The Lord Christ Iesus said unto Ananias in a Vision concerning Paul That hee was a chosen Vessell to Acts 9. 15. beare his Name before the Gentiles and Kings and the children of Israel By the name of the Lord here was meant that Paul should preach the doctrine of Christ and those that beleeved by his Preaching were said to beleeue in the name of Christ and were therefore baptized into his name and called Christians †Acts 11. 26. The Disciples were first called Christians in Antioch Also the disciples and followers of Christ are said to haue the Lambs Fathers name written in their forehead According to this is the meaning of the name of this Beast which the Holy Ghost setteth down in a mysterie in the 17. chapter and 5. verse Babylon the great the mother of Harlots and abominations of the earth But the Papists call it not Babylon the great but the great universall or Catholick Church not the mother of Harlots but the mother of all true Beleevers not the mother of all abominations of the earth but the Pillar and ground of Truth that cannot erre This is the difference betwixt the name which God giveth them and which they take and attribute unto themselues But let them speak the best of themselues and let us consider and answer them in their own language they call themselues the Catholick Church and their professed vassals and subiects are therfore called Catholicks and whatsoever they bee that do either preach or professe the Catholick faith that is beleeue as this Catholick Church beleeveth that it is mother of all true Beleevers that it cannot erre c. they are Catholicks such persons wheresoever they liue if they thus beleeue although they never receiued the marke of the Beast nor can receiue it yet this profession is enough to entitle them in the right of buying or selling these foresaid wares such persons haue the name of the Beast and therefore they may buy pardons of the forgiuenesse of part or all their sinnes and use any of these things which they suppose necessary for their soules health but indeed destruction yea after their death they may for a summe of mony given to the foresaid Marchants by their charitable successors be released out of Purgatorie thus by their owne description wee haue found out the name of the Beast and who they are that haue received it The third condition is the number of his name as the Beast had one generall name which the Catholick Church whereby he was known from all other States and Kingdomes in the world so it hath a number of names belonging to the particular parts and members thereof to distinguish one from another as in the 17. Chap. and third verse The Beast was full of names of blasphemy As the true Church which is that body whereof Christ Iesus onely is the Head is compleate and furnished when it is coupled and knit together by every ioynt and member which Christ Iesus hath given for the furniture thereof namely Apostles Prophets 1. Cor. 12. Ephe. 4. 11. Evangelists Pastors and Teachers So this false Church being furnished with those parts and members which that great red Dragon hath invented and set up under the title of Ministers of Christ to worke upon the children of disobedience namely the Pope Patriarches Cardinalls Arch-bishops Bishops Deanes Arch-deacons Abbots Priors Prebends Canons Chancellors Commissaries Registers Doctors with the rest of the selected Synode or Councell so I say this Church or Beast being furnished with these his parts and members is an intire body and these members are the full number of his name that is they are the number of whom the Catholick Church consisteth and from them all inferiour power and offices of Ministerie as Monkes Fryars Parsons Vicars Curats and Iesuits are derived This I understand to be the number of his name and this exposition agreeth with that in the verse following where it is said let him that hath understanding count the Number of the Beast By the number of the Beast what can bee understood but the Number of the particular parts whereof he consisteth And where it is said For it is the number of a man What can bee understood but that it beareth the resemblance and likenesse of a man as followeth to be declared Thus wee see who may buy and sell in this Kingdom and who may not Here is wisedome let him that hath understanding count the number of the Vers 18. Beast for it is the number of a man and his number is 666. Here is shewed first what is required in searching out this mysterie and that is wisedom and understanding not such as is from beneath but from aboue which commeth down from the Father of lights from whom commeth every good and perfect gift hee it is that giveth wisedome to the simple and the understanding of his secrets to those that feare him which should teach those that desire to know the Mysteries of his will to labour to be such as to whom he hath promised to reveale them then whatsoever we aske we shall receiue of him for to such hee giveth liberally and upbraideth not Secondly here is shewed a direction how to imploy a mans wisedom in finding out this Mysterie and that is by counting or reckoning the number of this Beast Thirdly a reason why the number of the Beast is to be counted Because it is the number of a man that is it agreeth with and is answerable to the parts of a man and so is the more easily to be found for as wee know the true Church of Christ is compared in the Scriptures to the naturall body of a man as in 1. Cor. 12. 12. For as the body is one and hath many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body so also is Christ Jesus And in the 27. verse the Apostle speaking of the church of Corinth hee saith Yee are the body of Christ and members in particular c. So in the Ephes 1. 22. 23. Christ is given to be head ouer all things to the Church which is his Body Thus as the true Church is called and compared to a body so the catholicks affirme that they onely are that church and that body and that the particular parts and members of their church are the full number thereof Now whereas they say they are the church let us say they are the Beast and whereas they say their particular parts and members make up the number of the Church let us say their particular parts and members make up the number of the Beast and so we finde the true interpretation of this Scripture Further here is set downe the number
and being so transubstantiated to offer it vp vnto God a sacrifice propitiatorie both for quick and dead Thus the wounded head of Priesthood was cured and revived and so became the worlds wonder as now it followeth to bee declared according as Iohn here witnesseth And all the world wondred after the Beast That is The people of the Nations hauing this Priesthood set over them and commended unto them to bee of such power and dignitie as that they could make them a visible God not onely to behold with their eyes and looke vpon but also to eate and that their maker and redeemer to their everlasting salvation And being so effectually deluded as that they beleeued these lyes hereupon they wondred and followed the Beast Well might they wonder to see bread and taste bread where was no bread and to see wine and taste wine where was no wine for so were they made to beleeue and to eate flesh and drinke bloud and yet neither to see nor taste flesh nor bloud this was a wonder to wonder at and who would not follow him for a guide that had power to worke such wonders But they did not onely follow the Beast as the Iewes did Christ when they saw his miracles But they worshipped the Dragon which gaue Ver. 4. power vnto the Beast and they worshipped the Beast saying who is like vnto the Beast Who is able to make warre with him To worship is to heare and obey and by worshipping the Dragon was shewed that they wholly addicted themselues to be directed and ruled by the Beast whom the Dragon used as his instrument to worke his will and to whom he had giuen authority and power to that end thus orginally they worshiped the divell Secondly they worshiped the Beast as being the instrument of the divell and they became subiects in all things obedient unto the Beast as being of such holinesse and truth as that it could not erre nor deceiue others and of such power as what they loosed on earth was loosed in heaven and what they bound in earth was bound in heaven therfore such a power as had no match or peere so that they boasted and said of it Who is like unto the Beast As David considering the power Psal 71. 77. and wonderfull works of God saith Who is like unto the Lord So doe the Nations boast of this Beast saying Who is like unto the Beast And further they sayd of him Who is able to make warre with him As if they should say This our holy Mother hath power to excommunicate and deliver to Satan all of what estate condition and degree soever they be that will not heare her voyce beare her yoke and be ruled by her Who therefore is able to make warre with her that is make his party good against this our holy Mother Of such admiration was this Beast in the earth thus hath the world thought and spoken of her And moreover there was given unto this Beast a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies and power was given him to make 42. moneths Ver. 5. As the mouth is the meanes and instrument whereby men do declare their mindes so this Beast had a mouth to declare and utter her minde by which mouth was signified a Ministerie of false Prophets and lying Spirits namely Doctors Schoole-men Monkes Frvars and all sorts of their Preachers who teach for doctrines the commandements of the Beast and declare and utter the minde and will of the Beast as being equall to Gods Word this their Canons Lawes Books and Monuments do manifestly witnesse The effect of that which this mouth uttereth is noted to be great things and blasphemies They boast of this Beast that she is the holy Catholick Church Militant the Mother of all true beleevers the chaste Spouse of Christ the Pillar and ground of Truth that it cannot erre c. And that all which will haue God to be their Father must haue her to be their Mother Finally that out of her lap and communion there is no saluation These and many other such great things speaketh the mouth of this Beast which are indeed great things and being so spoken are great blasphemies For is it not great blasphemy to call that Holy which is most abominable To call her the Mother of all true Beleevers which is the Mother of fornications and of all abominations To call that the Pillar and ground of Truth which hath corrupted the earth with her errours and fornications and caused all Nations to drinke of the wine of the wrath thereof To say there is no saluation but in her followship whose end and iudgement is to go to destruction Beware of false Prophets and teachers of lyes for such are the mouth of this Beast And it is further to be minded that it is said of this Beast that the mouth which she had was given her for had this Beast no more to maintaine this mouth then she hath of her own by discent and heritage she could not haue so many to speake for her as she hath But Emperors and Kings Princes Nobles and other great sinners became benefactors to this Beast giving unto her Lands and Tenements rents revenewes to maintaine this mouth to utter great things and blasphemies and more then this Power was given him to act or make two and fortie moneths For the better understanding of this point let this be considered In the Antichristian Kingdome they haue a rule how to proceed in every cause but not given them of God but of their own making which they commonly call the Canon Law concerning vvhich Law here we may learne by vvhom it vvas made how long it was in making These makers usurp the name of the Church of Christ but the true Church is the Kingdom of Christ and being the Kingdom of Christ it hath him onely for lawgiver they therefore which under the title of the Church presume to make lawes are fitly worthily resembled by a Beast For what is more unreasonable then for those whose greatest dignity glory happines consisteth in hearing obeying administring of Gods Word to fall from this and Lucifer-like to exalt oppose themselues against their Maker as though they were vviser iuster then God to adde unto his Testament vvhich is sufficient to instruct us in all vvisedome to make the man of God perfect in every good work and to take from the same 2. Tim. 3. 17. Testament at their pleasure vvhich is not lawfull to do to any mans testament vvithout great offence and injustice as the Apostle sheweth Gal. 3. 15. yet this is the way wherein those great doers the authors of the Canon Law haue vvalked It is said of those Actors that Power was given them c. Where first vve may obserue that of themselues they had not this power for then it could not haue been said to be given them but given them it was it is therefore to be
kept they must hide their Talent in the earth and put their candle under a Bushell lest men by the light thereof should come to the knowledge of the truth and beleeue it Also it is to be observed as a generall rule that none good or bad learned or unlearned can be suffered to receiue their Orders of Priesthood or Deaconship or be admitted to preach or execute a Ministerie in their Parish Churches unlesse they sweare to conforme to the worship and ceremonies prescribed by these Prelates and also submit to their Antichristian rule and governement which they challenge to themselues as being Lords over all Thus by swearing they make their inferiour Priests to sell themselues to work wickednesse which trick they haue cunningly devised to bring the Land in subjection to their Antichristian yoke And upon the taking of this Oath they receiue the Prelates Marke which is called in this Chapter the Marke of the Beast which is understood to be the Letters of Orders under the Prelates hand and seale to testifie that they are made Priests or Deacons according to the order and canons prescribed in that behalfe in this their Convocation as wee may see in the 36. 48. and 50. Canons And for refusing to worship them in these things many are put back and those that formerly haue been ordeyned for refusing so to doe which they call revolting haue had their penall Lawes executed upon them which is Suspension Degradation and Excommunication and after these many other afflictions in body goods and name being accounted factious and seditious persons that haue no right to buy or sell their wares Concerning the people whereof the Church of England consisteth it is necessary that wee finde them such as the Scriptures doe require otherwise they cannot be accounted the Church of Christ and to this end obserue these few places following Ezeckiel 44. 19. Thus saith the Lord no stranger uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh shall enter into my Sanctuarie And the people of Israel for suffering such uncircumcised strangers to enter into the Sanctuary of the Lord hee calleth them a rebellious people that had polluted his Sanctuarie and broken his Covenant And in the 23. verse The Lord teacheth his Ministers to put difference betweene the holy and prophane the cleane and uncleane And according to this was the practise of the Apostles in the primitiue Age who by preaching the Word gathered none but such as beleeved and voluntarily submitted themselues to walke according to the profession of the Gospell and if any did cunningly creepe into the fellowship of the Saints and not walk accordingly they were to bee cast out by the Church as in the 1. Cor. 5. Likewise the Apostle Paul hee separated the Disciples of Ephesus from those that beleeved not so the Apostle Acts 19. 9. taught the Corinthians 1. Cor. 6. 14. 15. c. Bee not unequally yoked together with unbeleevers for what fellowship hath righteousnesse with unrighteousnesse And what communion hath light with darknesse And what concord hath Christ with Belial Or what part hath hee that beleeveth with an Infidell And what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols For yee are the Temple of the living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walke in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people Wherefore come out from amongst them and bee yee separate saith the Lord and touch not the uncleane thing and I will receiue you Now if we compare the Church of England with these Scriptures we shall finde that the practise and proceedings thereof hath been and is contrary The people thereof for the most part are such as visibly and apparantly liue in all kinde of licentiousnesse and in their workes deny God being abominable and disobedient For these Lordly Prelates being armed with the sword of Civill authority and having the Law of their side they haue not laboured by painefull preaching to draw men to the obedience of the faith and to the fellowship of the Gospell apart from the prophane and wicked that speake evill of the wayes of the Lord but they haue compelled and inforced all sorts of people both religious and prophane not onely such as feare God but also such as feare him not by bodily punishments to be conformable to the profession which is by their Canon Law established in this Church As if the Word of God that sword of the Spirit were not mighty enough in operation for the gathering together of the Saints That this is their practise is plaine by the 90. and 114. Canons where it is said that Ministers and Church-wardens must present all persons aboue the age of 13. yeeres that come not to the Church and receiue the Sacraments after which presentation if they doe not conforme they shall bee excommunicated imprisoned and haue their goods attached This is the meanes which hath been used for the gathering of this Church of England whereby they haue confounded and mingled them together whom God hath commanded to be separated wherein what do they lesse then thinke themselues wiser and stronger then God The Word of God is the seed whereby the Church of God is begotten and those that are begotten by any other meanes are bastards and not sonnes for as that woman is an Harlot which hath children by any but her lawfull Husband so that Church whose members are gathered by any other way or meanes then by the Word of God perswading and mouing their hearts the same is not the Church of Christ But this hath been the manner of gathering the Church of England and therefore it is unworthy to be adorned with the title of the Church of Christ but ought to be accounted the Image of the first Beast before spoken of that is of great Babylon which is an habitation of divells an hold of sowle spirits and a cage of every uncleane and hatefull Bird. And for confirmation hereof by the testimonie of their own mouthes let us but consider the estimation which the members of this Church haue one of another Some there are amongst them who for making more conscience of their waies then the rest are in derision called Puritans or Precisians these on the contrary seeing the ungodly conversation of the rest of their brethren esteeme them as wicked prophane carnall and unregenerate men such as for the most part are mockers contemners and evill speakers of the Truth and in whom is no appearance of Religion and the feare of God and therefore they distinguish the better sort from these prophane persons by the name of Professors This is the estimation which they haue one of another which is a manifest note that they are not come into the order of the Church of Christ I deny not but there are many amongst them that are the Saints and Servants of Christ that are godly and zealous people which so farre as they know they labour to yeeld obedience to the commandements of Christ