the first-fruits are in future to come then these pretenders incult and careless of true Christian practice cannot be the first-fruits for others to follow Such Professors cry up with vain acclamations old Errors and Deceits for new Lights and are so far found lyars We shall now enquire Fourthly What is here meant by Mount Sion in the Text It s Type had its higher and lower parts It s higher part contained Moriab Sion and Calvary On Moriab stood the Temple On Sion was the Tower and City of David On Calvary was Christ crucified Jerusalem was built on the lower part of it The upper and lower parts had the denomination from its highest part of Mount Sion Sion and Sinai are Synantitheses or directly contrary So was the Wilderness and the Land of Promise As Jerusalem was the Metropolis of the Land of promise and Sion the chief place of note therein So Sinai was the Head and Symbole of the barren Wilderness Their disparities appear thus expresly from the Text. Tell me saith the Apostle Do ye not hear the Law for is written That Abraliam bad two sons the one by the Bond-Maid the other by a Free-Woman which things are an Allegory For these are the two Covenants The one from Mount Sinai which is Hagar and engendreth to bondage But he of the Free-woman was by Promise And Jerusalem above the Mother of us all is free The Mother of us all That is of all Sarah's Seed the sens of promise Wherefore Sion and Sinai as Types differed as Hagar and Sarah as the two Covenants as Grace and the Law Life and Death Bondage and Freedom Type Sion was a threefold foundation the substructure of the Temple of the City of God of the City of David Thither the twelve Tribes came to keep the Passover Therefore Type Sion was a Figure of the Foundation of the Church of God and a literal place But Spiritual Sion no literal place shall be the antitype-Antitype-foundation of the gospel-Gospel-Church For the Lamb and with him 144000 having his Fathers Name written in their foreheads shall stand there Ch. 14.1 The Foundation of the Church of God is transcendent Secondly Derivative The Transcendent Substructure is Deus in Christo pacatus God reconcil'd in Christ This Foundation the Rock and Pillar of Truth from eternity stands for ever The Derivative Foundation of the gospel-Gospel-Church is the knowledge and love of the Truth or a fruitful Faith in the Promises of God through Christ Christ said to his Disciples But who say ye that I am Peter said Thou art Christ the Son of the living God Jesus answered Thou art Peter and upon this Rock will I build my Church Matth. 16.15 This Derivative foundation of the Gospel-Church was the Faith which Peter confessed and it had respect to and was built upon that first and transcendent Foundation This Derivative Foundation a living and fruitful Faith shall be that Mount Sion Ch. 14. where those conscript 144000 the Antitype of Solomons Temple shall stand and whereon the City of God shall be built Chap. 21.2 The Prophetick-promises are express and the Texts full and clear that prove it which notwithstanding many may object and say That this Foundation was laid long before The Assertion I confess and grant that this foundation was laid long before even in the Primitive times But a falling away was to come and a departing from the Faith 1 Thess 2. 1 Tim. 4.1 For the Church at least in a very large measure forsook the Rock of her safety the Foundation of her standing fell from Heaven where she stood and fled into the Wilderness for 1260 years Revel 12.1 6 14. So the Prototype-Church Jacobs family fell away departed out of the Land of Promise fled into the Wilderness and into her place there prepared of God To wit Egypt the most barren place in that Wilderness were it not miraculously prepared of God and as it were in the middle of it and returning thence through part of the Wilderness turned aside there also They were then far remote and long removed from the Type-foundation Sion literal where Abraham would have offered his son Melchizedeck was King of Righteousness and where the Lord was twice seen in abundant Grace and Mercy So their Antitype the Gospel-Church was long removed as aforesaid into the Spiritual Wilderness from the foundation of her standing But as many of the captives carried to Babylon were mindful of Sion and would not forget Jerusalem Psal 137.5 6. So some of the faln servants of God in the Gospel-Church have had some weak desires of Sions welfare and are somewhat though very little mindful of their first foundation But may some say this foundation Faith in the Promises stands still firm I Answer Sion stood after the City and Temple built upon it were turned to ashes but it was left desolate the living were departed the dead only and the slain were left there as the Lamentatious declare at large And so the Faith of the Antitype revolted-Church in the Spiritual Wilderness was and is a desolate Faith a Faith fruitless or far from being fruitful in the practice of good Manners and at least drawing near to a dead Faith and therefore no way fit to be the Foundation of the Gospel-Church adorned to be the Lambs Bride Ch. 21.9 But Antiype Sion shall be a fruitful Foundation a living Faith giving life to the City of God that shall be built thereon For Such as the Tree is such is the Fruit and such as this Foundation shall be the Superstructure upon it But these 144000 the Antitype of Solomons Temple built thereon shall be undefiled and withour fault saith the Text vers 4.5 That is Their Righteousness shall be so perfect in a fourfold conformity but there is no man that sinneth not I Kings 8.4 6 that it shall be a sweet Savour and a Sacrifice well-pleasing to God But the Faith of the Gospel Wilderness-Church is as was that of her Prototype a barren faith affording very little fruit to Gods glory or the good of men The Wituesses we read were to be killed And this faith is much after the manner of the Carcasses of those killed Witnesses And indeed their Carcasses was such a Faith a dead or dying faith having some small insensible and almost unperceivable true life For Faith without Works saith the Apostle is dead a Carcass of Christian Profession without power James 2.17 20. And such a Carcass of the killed Witnesses or somewhat like it the Spiritual Gentiles kept unburied to be a foundation to build the Apostacy of Antichrist upon and it 's the Pillars of it to support it Nor are inanimadversive clypt inconform half-performances any fruits of a living but the deceits of a dead faith Such a faith Such a fruitless foundation is Sinai not Mount Sion and most unfit to be the Substructure of the Church of the living God Nor can it procure his favour but his anger or enmity for so Sinai signifies
What is TRVTH OR The Patern IN THE MOUNT WHEREIN Many places of Scripture are in pursuit of Truth and the Churches Peace explained AND Therein most false Opinions and Heresies both Modern and Ancient are clearly detected and refelled By Tho. Harby This is Zion whom no man seeketh after Jer. 30.17 They shall no more hurt nor destroy in all mine holy Mountain saith the Lord Isa 65.25 O magna vis veritatis quae contra hominum ingenia calliditatem solertiam contraque fict as omnium insidias facilè se per se defendit Cic. in Orat. pro Marc. Coelio LONDON Printed for the Author 1671. The AVTHOR Reader THY satisfaction whosoever in the solution of Pilat's Question and the Title of this Treatise is my Design therein Therein also I have with some care and diligence endeavoured to add all due brevity to perspicuity and to decline the too common Compilation in taking much Matter and many Errors out of other Authors to bring a Book into a large Volume to little or evil purpose and pretend it to be my own The Quotations I confess which the Reader may well dispense with if quoted to truer tendencies may differ in their ends for which many quote them Nor are the foot-steps of fore-going Writers my Rules to follow but not wedded with some to vulgar Errors nor affecting selfish singularity my Design is to exert the sober Truth The Reader may perhaps find some parcels of this Treatise in Books lately or not long extant yet they differ much in their Ends something from the manner that I wrote them Wherefore of the Writers of them I may have cause in part to say as some did Quem recitas meus est O Fidentine libellus Sed malè dum recitas incipit esse tuus For so careless were some Trustees of my Protographs others so intent to make the Notions in them their own and themselves the reputed first Assertors of them that I could not shun those occasions I only therefore request the Reader not to impute to me That I take any Notions by them abused but at first my own out of the Works of those pilfering Writers This Treatise because the way of dilucidation therein and the matter of it is somewhat unusual may seem at least in primo limine a little hard to some but is made more easie by reading on in order and so it clears it self But some perhaps not trusting to the Title would see substantial Testimonials from persons of worth and estimation of the accounts they give of it and I were much unworthy and unfaithful should I hide the Candles of such Burning-lights under Bushels Take therefore out of many First The Testimony of the Right Reverend Doctor Saunderson late Bishop of Lincoln to whom I read of it four hours every day for four days when it was but an Embrion and not come to that Form and Perfection that now it is Secondly The Testimony of sundry Ministers consentient in the same Record Lastly The Testimony of the Learned Beck of Ipswich who read it all He was sometimes Captain in the King's Army and faithful to his Trust and might be a Leader to many for Learning Piety and Integrity of life Of him the Right Reverend Bishop Hall affirmed That he was the best Scholar that ever he ordained as Mr. Stinit of Bacton in Suffolk who was ordained with him witnesseth The Testimonies follow Reader farewel Thy Friend T.H. The Testimony of the Right Reverend Doctor Saunderson late Bishop of Lincoln VVHereas sundry persons as well Ministers as others have under their hands the hand-writing of one of whom is to me well known given approbation to a Treatise written by Mr. Tho. Harby the Bearer and entituled The Pattern in the Mount of the Contents and purpose of which Treatise the Author having read part of it to me gave a fair and rational account I do hereby testifie That so far as I am able to judg by the proportion of what I heard read I do conceive the said Treatise may be profitably published as conducing to the fuller and clearer understanding of sundry Prophesies of holy Scripture and that the Author deserveth encouragement and furtherance towards the publication of the same Rob. Saunderson Rector of Boothby Paynel Linc. VVE have read over the First Part of Mr. Tho. Harby's Treatise which for Brevity Language Order and chiefly for Matter of necessary use and not usually found in Authors may seem in our opinions to surpass most Works of Modern Writers at least of this nature Nor have we found such full satisfaction in any And we conceive it may be a most powerful means to evince and unite a work most needful and grateful in these times dissenting-Brethren Sects and Heterodox Professors And those many and material Additions which he to our knowledg hath made therein fully assure us that he must be the Author of it John Green Rector of Owsden in Suffolk Isaac Key of Margetting in Essex These not eye-witnesses of the said Additions nor doubting in the least of the truth of them witness all besides above written John Smith Rector of St. Maries Colchester Dan. Sutton Rector of Chilton in Suffolk TRact atum hunc cui Titulus Quid est veritas egregià Domini Harby operà exaratum vel doctissimorum lectione dignissimum pronuncio April 3. 67. Cave Beck Rector St. Helenae Gippovisensis These Suffrages because perhaps none fuller can be given may serve Therefore I pass by for brevity the Testimonies of sundry Doctors in Oxford and elsewhere and of many other Divines What is Truth ALL men both good and bad busie themselves about Truth or Error both which have their rerespective Seats or Subjects The more proper Seat of Truth Theological amongst men is the Mystical Body of Christ the Church of God which is called The Pillar and Ground of Truth 1 Tim. 3.15 Wherefore what Truth and what Error is and what their Subjects the true Church and true Church-Opposers are is the grand Duty of all Ministers and Magistrates especially to be resolved in for if they seek to support Truth and suppress Error and know not what the true Church or her Antithesis is nor what that Truth is that discovers both they but beat the Air both in preaching and practise or at least their best endeavours bring forth little wherefore that we may clearly discern betwixt Truth and Falshood and thereby betwixt the true Church and all Societies that falsly take the title of it we shall consider that great City the Subject of Errors which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt where also our Lord was crucified Rev. 11.8 For that City because the Witnesses of Christ were killed in it and Christ was crucified in the Type of it must needs be that City of grand impugnation against the Gospel-Church by Prophets predicted This City had conform to its own Triplicity three Heads The Dragon the Beast and the False Prophet Chap. 16.13 We shall shew First
Church For He and his Brother Archadius with their Councils for they had both Orthodox and Heterodox Councils co-operating to some good were the two Wings of that Great Eagle Theodosius the Great which were given to the Gospel Church to flee into the Wilderness into the secret subterfuges of obscure latency for 1260 years as from those two texts unfolded will plainly appear Revel 12.6 14. The Orthodox uncorrupt in manners were in Innocent's time when the Grand Apostacy began very few The Heterodox Papal for I pass by all other Sects of those times were very many The false Doctrine of those Heterodox was not then manifold but very much dangerous to Princes to the Primitive Faith to all true Professors They held that the Church was built upon Peter and so upon the Pope as Peters Successor The Orthodox held that the Church was built upon Christ whom Peter confessed This Doctrine of the Heterodox was very dangerous to the true Church because a Doctrine contrary to the Foundation of the true Faith holding the Head Christ Col. 2.19 Secondly A Doctrine dangerous to Princes For if the Church was built upon Peter and so upon the Pope as his Successor Then all Kings and Councils must submit to him as the greatest because the Church cannot be built upon the greatest of them Thirdly This Doctrine was almost universal in the body of Apostacy and so violent in its course that the Pillars and chief Fathers of the Primitive Church seemed shaken therewith For Crediderunt Hieronymus Augustinus Ecclesiam super Petrum fundatam sed retractantes ambo dixerunt Super Petram Christum quem Petrus agnovit Both Jerom and Augustine were induced to believe that the Church was built upon Peter but both retracting said upon Christ the Rock whom Peter confessed This was the Doctrine of the pride of the Son of Perdition never delivered to the Church by Christ and his Apostles a Doctrine of blasphemy against God of deceit to men of rebellion against Princes A Doctrine perhaps inconsistent with any true Church or sincere Professors but generally held forth and earnestly contended for as the chief part of their Faith by Papal Rome in the very beginning of the grand Apostacy Secondly The Manners of these men and times these Texts shew Rev. 18.2 5. where they are fitly compared to a Cage of every unclean and hateful Bird to an habitation of Devils c. The Reader may also see the Learned Hammond quoting Salvian Also St. Jerom Augustine and others set down in the sequel Innocent's Successors added many Nations and Italy more absolutely to the Papal Decarchy of which in its due place Here the Reader may easily observe both a manifest and a manifold concurrence of Prophetick Scriptures with the performances of them As first with the final excision of the first Dragon the fall of Imperial Rome the profligation of the Primitive Church And all these were powerful and prevailing Impediments till then thus taken out of the way that letted the rising up of Papal Rome 2 Thes 2.6 7. Secondly With the rising up of the second Dragon by whom these impediments aforesaid were taken out of the way the Church driven into the Wilderness her Witnesses killed Chap. 12.14 Chap. 11.7 Thirdly With the rising up those Impediments thus removed of the Decadiademick Beast Secular and Papal Chap. 13.1 Fourthly With the wounding of his first and best Head by the Sword of the second Dragon vers 3.12 14. Fifthly With the healing of that Head by the second Dragon's Donation of Authority to him induced to it chiefly by the design and procurement of the false Prophet as will after appear vers 2 3 12 14. Sixthly With the Primitive Churches flight from the face of that second Dragon for 1260 years Chap. 12.6 14. Seventhly With the two Wings of that great Eagle which were given to the Gospel Church to flee into the Wilderness vers 14. For all Ages past and to come cannot possibly afford a time so inevitably necessary and appositly consistent wherein the two Eagles-wings could be given to the gospel-Gospel-Church as only this very juncture of time aforesaid These two young Princes or Emperours governed both by bad and good Governors had which signified the truth of this Series of things this Word or Motto Summa cadunt subitò intimating That the taking away or fall of him that letted to wit Rome Pagan and Imperial and the profligation of the Primitive Church fell out as in Scripture predicted in their time A threefold cord is not easily broken But this sevenfold concurrence of sacred Prophesies with the performances of them and those performances coinciding in the fame time may irrefellibly prove the certain commencement of the grand Apostacy Pagan Rome's final ruine Rome Papals Aera the exact time of the rise of the Sea-born Beast her Secular Head the fixt period when the first Dragon finally expired and second aspired As also how and when that second Dragon gave began to give his seat and power to that Sea-born Beast How he continued to give his power in Italy and other Nations for about 200 years I leave it as too long to relate here to its proper place Prophesies and their performances thus concurring are called saith Weames Parallels and give saith he the greatest light to the Scriptures that is to the readers of them To the Readers of them Not because they are fulfilled but known when and how they were fulfilled For all these Prophesies came to pass above twelve hundred years since yet have not given much greater light so far as I find to any by their being so long fulfilled because they were never perhaps in all that time known whether they were fulfilled or not or when or how they were fulfilled This may fully refel that common fond and wicked Conceit of Hypocrits and too much of true Saints Prophesies say they when they come to pass need no other Explication That 's the clearest fullest unfolding of them We shall therefore wait patiently upon God till they be performed and then we are sure to find their true and certain meaning Events best shew what those texts intend This is the common Plea not only of some true Saints perhaps but chiefly of Hypocrites as it was of their Type the Pharisees by whom our Lord was Crucified They expected still expect the Messiah in future to come who came before therefore Crucified him come whom they earnestly desired should come according to the Scriptures which with due sedulity to search they profanely neglected They had no doubt as Modern Hypocrites have their prejudices against Prophetick Scriptures and in them against the things that belonged to their peace might say in the proud folly of furious Jehu What peace do such Scriptures produce So their Antiype formal Professors have like prejudices of pride and ignorance against the same Scriptures and in them against those things that principally belong to the peace and
by taking peace from the Earth this is as it were all in the world the supream object she looks after For this was her grand design till Phocas not perhaps by free grant confer'd it upon her wherefore these three lusts though link'd by a promiscous complication in many Professors are all the efficient and object of all wickedness that is saith the text in the world And If the Spirit of Truth assert That this threefold lust is all that 's evil in the world then how can any man doubt or dare deny That these three lusts are all that constitutes and denominates the whole body of Antichrist in their proper subjects its three parts Spiritual Sodom and Egypt where also our Lord was crucified The Premises are also plain in those three Temptations wherewith Satan assayled our blessed Saviour He first tempting him to sensuality said If thou be the Son of God command that these Stones may be made bread Secondly He tempting him to worldly Covetousness shewed him all the Nations of the world and said All these will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me Lastly The Devil tempting him to the most desperate lust of Spiritual pride and sin of presumption set him upon a Pinacle of the Temple and said Cast thy self down for it is written He shall give his Angels charge over thee And why did not the Devil tempt him to something more or by something else than these three lusts Because there was nothing else or more to tempt him to or to tempt him by for all that is evil in the world is the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and pride of life And therefore must be all that constitutes and compleats the whole body of Antichrist Thirdly The truth of the premises appears in the Parable of evil grounds for we find three evil grounds the High-way the Thorny the Stony and no more because there are no more grounds mystically and truly evil but only Sensual Secular and Spiritual Antichrist serving the lusts of the flesh the lusts of the eyes and pride of life and therefore called spiritually Sodom and Egypt where also our Lord was crucified For Fourthly The Apostle plainly explicates those former texts by a threefold Epithite James 3.15 The wisdom saith he of this World is Earthly Sensual and Devilish These three Epithites abundantly confirm the truth of this City's triplicity and also shew what I mean by Antichrist Sensual Secular and Spiritual And First By Sensual Antichrist I mean such Professors as are profanely loose carelesly ignorant or grosly heretical Secondly By Secular Antichrist I mean such Professors as are according to the Apostles Epithite Earthly that is for so the word sometimes imports Worldly Covetous or Earthly-minded Professors whether Civil or Ecclesiastical I also oft use it as it more usually imports for Lay Persons and Powers Civil or Temporal Thirdly By Spiritual Antichrist I mean such Professors whether Temporal or Ecclesiastical as exert or hold forth Spiritual wickedness to wit spiritual pride busie ignorance bloody faction blind and rash censures c. that is such in the Antitype as by such practises most crucifie Christ mystical and kill his Witnesses as their type the Pharisees were chief of those that crucified Christ in Person Wherefore I mean by Antichrist Sensual Secular and Spiritual such in all Sects whose wisdom or indeed whose lusts are according to the words of this text Sensual Earthly and Devilish And this the Reader may observe as a rule in reading the sequel of this Treatise All that is in the World saith John is the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and pride of life Joh. 2.16 And the wisdom of this world saith James is sensual earthly and devilish That is The threefold Antithesis to Gospel-Truth and the Church of God is sensual secular and spiritual Wickedness which in those three sorts of Professors aforesaid wholly constitutes this threefold City Fifthly That which confirms yet more fully the truth of this City's triplicity is that threefold division of it which should forerun its final dissolution Rev. 16.19 And the great City was divided into three parts These words well understood fully prove That those three sorts of Professors are in opposition to the holy City or true Church the triplicit matter of this threefold City This City called in the 11th Chapter spiritual Sodom c. is called in this 16th Chapter Babylon the Great We shall therefore further enquire what this City was and why thus called in two different texts by two different Appellations And first What this threefold City in the 11th Chapter was for matter and form we shewed before And that City divided into three parts in this 16th Chapter is the same City which we find in the 11th Chapter made up of the same three parts Nay say some Assertors of gross absurdities there are but two parts in your supposed threefold City For Sodom and Egypt where also our Lord was crucified are but two parts because but two places are exprest The folly of this common Cavil will easily appear thus Suppose I name two places and infer a third As Leicester Lutterworth where also our late King was beheaded So the text names two places and infers a third Spiritual Sodom and Egypt where also our Lord was crucified Here 's the same numeral parity mutato nomine of parts or places But it were absurd beyond belief for a man to say There are but two places in the instance illated because but two Leicester and Lutterworth litterally exprest For The King was beheaded in neither But there was a third place where the King was beheaded as clearly infer'd as if it had been litterally exprest which place was then the saddest and most direful place of all the three So it 's no less sensless to say The City in the text had but two parts because but two places spiritual Sodom and Egypt are litterally exprest For Christ was not crucified in Sodom nor Egypt But a third place both in Type and Antitype is as clearly infer'd as if it had been litterally exprest to wit In the Type that bloody City of blind Devotion Proud Factious Pharisaical Jerusalem where our Lord was crucified So this Antitype City necessarily infers a third spiritually proud factious hypocritical Polity that though not primarily should especially crucifie Christ Mystical and kill his Witnesses Rev. 11.2 Dan. 7.25 But Some not thus satisfied say That City was but one So say I so say the texts but that it subsisted of a threefold matter or of three parts the texts say expresly And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great City There that City is but one But called spiritually Sodom and Egypt where also our Lord was crucified There 's the three parts or threefold subsistence of that City And the great City was divided into three parts chap. 16.19 There 's that City in existence one but of a threefold subsistence
and black Conspiracies against the best of Saints was as Rome Papals sins now are fully ripe immediately before her final downfal Therefore Theodosius that great and good Emperour loathing to die upon such a dunghil liv'd with St. Ambrose Jerom fled as from a Captivity from her before her approaching fall and God called his People out of her lest they should partake of her sins and receive of her plagues But Contrarily Papal Rome though mystical also and called a Spiritual City chap. 11.8 was called The place prepared of God to preserve his Church for 1260 years from the rage of the second Dragon chap. 12.6 14. For those two texts in one and the same chapter are not only a twofold Witness in the Word of Truth but the Experience of Ages doth also witness That there was never any other place that ever did or possibly could preserve his Church in such sort so long but only Papal Rome with her Subdivisions She was more a Nursing-Mother than a Stepmother for about eight hundred years to the Gospel-Church a fit place prepared of God for her defence as aforesaid and ever had and still hath which the sequel will clearly shew a reverend esteem for St. Jerom as chief of the primitive Fathers whom Apostate Rome primitive by joynt confederacy conspired against Therefore this City in the 11th and 16th chapters and not that in the 17th and 18th chapters must be the tenfold Spiritual 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or City of Papal Rome humbled and somewhat reformed at first and so prepared of God by the then late dreadful fall and translation of Imperial and Christian Apostate Rome I pass by for brevity in this place those several joyful Acclamations and Alleluia's of the Church in the 19th chapter which she exprest in under and at the beginning of Rome Papal after the fall of Christian Apostate Rome which Alleluia's as also above 800 years of the first Dragon 's binding fell out and were fulfilled in the first times of the Beast and false Prophet Papal chap. 19.20 chap. 20.4 But the perfect dilucidation of these things though intelligent Readers may at present perceive them appertain to their due places in the sequel where we handle them at large Sixthly This threefold City and the Holy City co-indent in a contrariety But the Court without leave out for it is given to the Gentiles and the Holy City shall they tread under foot c. chap. 11.2 The Holy City There 's the City of God the Gospel-Church troden under foot They those Gentiles that trod her under foot There 's this threefold City in the 8th verse more fully set forth Both are Cities Therein they co-indent The Holy City shall they tread There 's their enmity or contrariety This contrariety and its cause is threefold And first The Holy City is contrary to Spiritual Sodom in opposing sensuality Contrary to Spiritual Egypt in impugning sordid tenacity Contrary to Apostate Salem in opposing factious pride and ignorance This threefold opposition from the Holy City is the sum of all Christian duty Herein or in nothing must all Ministers exercise their Preaching and they and all Saints their practice for their own Salvation and examples to others The contrary opposition from this threefold City is the summe of all iniquity in the tenfold body of the Apostacy of Antichrist What that threefold Iniquity because wrapt in the darkest mystery of deceit is we shall shew in its due place and so seek to remove many gross mistakes in manners amongst all Sects Societies of dissenting Brethren and too much amongst true Saints that so men may better know how and what to reprove or preach against and a right means to true peace and prosperity plainly appear For How shall they preach the Text sayes unless they be sent And we may say I say not of all of too many How shall they be sent to reprove that know not how to reprove or to preach that know not what to preach know not what Manners what Opinions to approve what to preach against By this means deadly strife and discords are built upon mistakes frequently every where but Peace inviolable is not built upon the pillar and ground of truth But The Holy City or true Church is no literal but a Spiritual City For her Type the Jewish Church was a Spiritual and no literal City but sometimes scattered in all the 127 Provinces from India to Ethiopia Esth 8.9 9.30 So her Antitype the Holy City or Gospel-Church is no literal but a Spiritual City scattered in many Nations and Church-Societies Her Saints sit down some in Spiritual Sodom some in Spiritual Egypt some in Apostate Salem Some are setled in this Society of dissenting Brethren some in that Sect. And so her Antithesis Papal Rome called Babylon the great in the 16th chapter is no literal but a mystical City because called spiritually called Sodom and Egypt where also our Lord was crucified chap. 11.8 And because extended as far in all Sects and Nations as the Holy City troden by her under her feet is scattered For Seventhly This City say the texts in the 11th 16th chapters was a great City Nor Sodom nor Egypt nor Pagan Rome nor Apostate Salem could ever equal her greatness Literal Egypt was a large Nation and the place to the whole Type-Church of her refuge and defence from the famine So this City called expresly Spiritual Egypt chap. 11.8 was also the place prepared of God for the whole Gospel-Church Her place I say of refuge and defence from the face of the second Dragon for 1260 years chap. 12.6 14. Wherefore As Type Egypt was a National City So this City Antitype Egypt complex of many Sects and Nations is a City of Nations and so the Text expresly asserts v. 9. And they of the People and Kindreds and Tongues and Nations c. And Nations And what of them shall see their dead bodies where in the street of this great City ver 9. This City as Egypt was a Nation was a City of Nations That those Nations in this City were at least ten we shall shew in the sequel But Literal Rome that now is is by the estimate of many Writers but the tenth part in extent to Pagan Rome And it were very absurd to imagine that Rome that now is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of modern Writers but the tenth part as many modern Writers account of the greatness of Rome-Pagan can be Babylon the Great or the tenfold Body of the grand Apostacy Herein therefore Papists and Reformists are both mistaken All Papists few or scarce any excepted misapply all those texts in the 11th 16th 17th 18th chapters that mention a City to the City of Heathen and Imperial Rome and bless themselves in their security as not at all concerned therein In those texts of the 17th and 18th chapters they are not mistaken but much mistaken in those texts of the 11th and 16th chapters which intend
in the sight of the beast but that he might be assisted by him The three Heads were co-assisting this building the Dragon afforded matter and power the beast was the Magazine of both and made by the false Prophet the instrument to use that matter and power to perfect this threefold City the false Prophet was the Master builder of it For the Dragon by the false Prophets procurement gave his power and Authority the Supremacy therein to the beast And the false Prophet was the disposer or chief orderer of it that he might usurp Power over all unto himself therefore he sought to strengthen that beasts hands exceedingly subjugating by deceit the Nations under him And therefore the Text saith he deceiveth those that dwell upon the Earth by means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast Miracles were for confirmation of Doctrine and to ratifie the Offices and Messages of Prophets and Apostles Exod. 4.5 8. Heb. 2.4 So the false Prophets miracles terminated as in their next and immediate effects in the deceitful confirmation First of his message and next of his seeming sound or somewhat Fundamentally sound but shallow Doctrine which was though Homousian and so far fundamentally sound both carelesly corrupt and shallow And first To confirm his pretended Apostolick message to them that dwelt upon the Earth that he might build the Nations in the political body of his beloved City and make them by deceit the matter of it therefore the false Prophet pretence to be sent to preach for how should he preach unless he were sent was one principal means at first and in all his Sects whereby he deceived them that dwelt upon the Earth And this means his supposed message or pretence to be sent to preach is the first means in order whereby he deceived them that dwell upon the Earth and built this City The second means was the next and immediate end of his pretended message his Doctrine of deceit which was somewhat fundamentally sound as we shewed before but carelesly corrupt and shallow For such Doctrine served best to make him deceive and be deceived The third means and that in order to confirm both his message and Doctrine was his false miracles And he deceiveth them saith the Text that dwell upon the Earth by means of those miracles c. where we clearly see that the Spirit of truth asserts That the false Prophets chiefest power to deceive the Nations was as the fountain of deceits in his false miracles For the Text saith not He deceived them that dwell upon the Earth by his false Doctrine or pretended message though he did that by both but he deceiveth saith the Text them that dwell upon the Earth by means of those miracles c. Every simple Impostor can deceive by unsound Doctrine but these miracles which the false Prophet wrought were as it were miraculous deceits Those miracles what they were and when and how wrought we shall shew afterwards Them that dwell upon the Earth There 's the matter of this threeforld Cities building And he deceiveth them there 's the manner and chief means in his Apostolical pretence doctrine and miracles by which he built this threefold City He the false Prophet there 's the Master-builder or it And If he had power in such sort to deceive them that dwelt upon Earth and could thus compel frame and mould the Nations by deceit then he must needs have power to deceive the second Dragon did deceive him caused him to accord with the wounded beast and give him his power and caused both to communicate or consign their powers to himself Rev. 13.2 4. Dan. 7.25 For there were two Dragons as we shewed and shall after more fully shew The first was Rome Pagans power secular till about 324 when his former might was much abated But he retained some strength till about 412. The second Dragon was at first the prevailing power of the Nations of the North that began to translate Rome Imperial about the year 407. This second Dragon by his military atchievements and enrichments thereby became the fountain of power to Papal Rome and a free dispenser of it For he gave his power seat and great Authority the Supremacy therein to the by himself wounded but after Decadiademick beast secular and papal But the false Prophet that seduced the Nations deceived this second Dragon opened his mouth of deceit and the earth opened saith the text her mouth and swallowed up that Dragons mighty floud chap. 12.15 He in some sort swallowed up that Dragon also That is He the mouth of the earth or Oracle of that mouth drew by deceit that Dragon with his forces and Nations to embrace the unity of the Church of Rome which was chiefly done from about 407 in the space of 200 years He gave but the false Prophet perswaded him to give his seat and power the Supremacy therein to the then rising beast secular and Papal and perswaded both to give or submit unto himself the pre-eminence of power For the first five hundred years after the false Prophet began to put his deceitful hand to this wicked work were times of reciprocal donations and receptions of great gifts to and from the Dragon Beast and false Prophet and from those that dwelt upon the earth And so the text saith expresly Rev. 11.10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall send gifts one to another As we shall also amply shew in its due place from Church-History therefore those gratifying times by sending gifts one to another were the false Prophets chief edifying times wherein he was most successful in building by deceit this threefold City For as Christ that Prince of true Prophets built his Church upon the sure rock of truth So this false Prophet Bicorne built her Antithesis this threefold City upon the seeming rock of false appearance and deceit And that it was the false Prophet that built this City by deceit the text expresly tells you chap. 19.20 Where this grand Master of false miracles is expresly called the false Prophet that wrought miracles before the beast to deceive He had the unhappyness to tie not the True-love-knot of Christian Charity but ternos tribus nodis colores three heterogene twists in a threefold cord of wickedness That threefold twist was begun but weakly begun about the year 407. But about the year 620 it was a threefold cord not easily to be broken then the false Prophet seemed somewhat to slack his hand that work never went on so well after But about 250 years before Atropos should cut that cord by a final excision it began to be divided into three parts and much raveled into Modern Sects Into three parts perhaps Papists Turks and dissentors from both And the great City saith the text was divided into three parts Lastly To these Arguments and Scripture evidences sufficiently proving that the false Prophet was the Master builder of this threefold City we shall add
internal and more properly spiritual Her Graces were dead or ready to die Therefore their fruits her works differing little perhaps in true appearance from dead works were not found perfect though their doctrine might be so sound and profession so strict that from thence she might be famed or have a name that she lived chap. 3.1 2. For Hypocrites judge of spiritual life by outward forms and empty verbal professions and not by obedience conform to Gospel-rule This inward death of the witnesses properly spiritual was presignified sometimes by sleep like death sometimes by death real and literal And first By sleep like death we read That a deep sleep and an horrour of great darkness the Sun going down fell upon Abrabam Gen. 15.12 Abraham as a Prophet suffered this passive prophesie as the vision of outward affliction and inward darkness and desertion which was after fulfilled literally upon his seed after the flesh in literal Egypt and likewise upon his spiritual seed in Egypt spiritual where such an horrour of great darkness and deep sleep fell upon them that the text saith expresly they were dead And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great City called spiritually Sodom and Egypt c. they were spiritually dead because dead in spiritual Egypt and the means of their Resurrection from that death was by the Spirit of life from God entering into them that is their Graces were dead Or sick dying Graces They did not awake unto Righteousness but slept a sleep like death in sin and disobedience They held forth a Righteousness inconform to Gospel-rule such as some Sects Heathens and Hereticks hold forth and might dream that to be true obedience scarce thinking upon true Righteousness in practice which we shall after shew what it is Had Abraham not slept yet that horrour of great darkness that fell upon him had been sufficient to hide all things from his sight that he could see little or nothing and do as little But besides that darkness a deep sleep fell upon him so that he might seem dead in that sleep buryed in darkness yet Abraham was not dead all that time So a lasting Lethargy like death and a deep sleep of insensibility and spiritual security was to fall upon his spiritual seed the Gospel-Church and her Witnesses for 1260 years yet neither they nor she could be quite dead all this time but should retain some inward sick secret but living Graces all the time of their lying as dead in that threefold City For Secondly I sleep saith the Church but my heart waketh Cant. 5.2 She slept after the similitude of her Patriarch Abraham a deep sleep like death but was not dead The Members of her body both for action and understanding hands feet head were exceeding drowsie or in a deep sleep but her heart awaked She was not dead but lived by some weak sick but living inward Graces An inseparable sign of such a deep spiritual sleep is the difficulty to make her or her Members know that such a Lethargy lies upon them with a great impugning unwillingness to be awaked Secondly that inward spiritual death was also prefigured by death literal For the drybones were the whole house of Israel not so much legal as Evangelical And those bones were dead Ezek. 37.3 11. For the Witnesses the subordinate heads of the Church could not be dead but the Members of the same body must be much more dead Secondly I might here shew that Jonah our blessed Saviour presignified prophetically not only that outward threefold death aforesaid but also this inward and spiritual death of the witnesses towit Jonah by a seeming death and our Saviour by a real death The durations of both which three days and an half artificial or 42 hours are exactly conform as prophetick types to the duration of the death of the witnesses to wit three days and a half that is three years and a half or forty two months of days Annual which are 1260 years as we shall more irrefellibly shew in the sequel The Eighth Epoche IS of the treading of the Gospel-Church and her witnesses under foot by those Gentiles the spiritual Gentiles of this threefold Mystery of Iniquity whom we finde fitly described in the 8th and 9th Verses of the 11th Chapter to wit the Spiritual Ethnickes Gentiles in practice by profession Christians of Anti-christ sensual secular and spiritual And the Holy City the Gospel-Church and her witnesses shall they these very Gentiles tread under foot for forty two moneths saith the text chap. 11.2 That is they shall persecute convitiate rashly censure and contemn the Gospel-Church and her witnesses and her and their testimony for forty two moneths Here needs no Daniel to read the sins of the revolted Church too easie to be read in her just punishments And what were the Gospel-Churches chief sins She and her Saints trod under foot contemned sleighted neglected at least too much substantial knowledge of the truth true obedience and the witnesses of both and perhaps under a blind pretence of minding things plain and most necessary espoused a trivial shallow superficial knowledge of the truth with like obedience And where read you this Her just punishment renders it in Capital Letters she for treading under foot or not promoting and advancing with due diligence things most sacred profitable and honest was given into the hands of the Gentiles to be troden under foot forty two moneths And what those forty two moneths are the very next Verse tells you expresly That they are 1260 days to wit days annual or year swherefore the Epoche of the thus treading under-foot of the Gospel-Church and her witnesses which also imports their death fully shews both the time and manner of it is the same with the former All synchronizing The Ninth Interval IS of the Witnesses sackcloth prophesie And I will give power to my two Witnesses and they shall prophesie a thousand two hundred and sixty days cloathed in sackcloth Rev. 11.3 Our blessed Saviour and his Disciples prophesied as in sackloth to the legal and Jewish Church a Rebellious and gain-saying people for 1260 days literal predicted by Daniels half week of years He also wept over Jerusalem for the then chiefly spiritual desolations of Zion we have also shown that the Prophets in Ahabs time while Rain was restrained prophesied as Proto-types in great affliction and sorrow as it were in sackcloth for 1260 days So their Anti-type the Gospel-witnesses were to prophesie also in sackcloth in great sorrow and affliction for 1260 days to wit days annual or 1260 years which the ensuing Epochaes and sequel of this Treatise will also fully shew The Tenth Epoche is of the six Trumpets sounding THe six Trumpets sounding and the witnesses sackcloth prophesie though of different denominations are the same thing and the duration of both the same time Lift up thy voice saith the Lord to the Prophet like a Trumpet shew my people their transgressions c. So
porters of evil reports dyed immediately by the Plague and all Israel whom they had infected with the Pestilence of that Apostacy all to a man from twenty years upwards two excepted dyed in the wilderness ver 29. And all that sad Prophetick story is told as it were mutato nomine of their Anti-type the body of Apostacy who by their generality pretend to be the Church Catholick who cast away look not after the Promises in the Prophetick Scriptures nor after substantial truth and obedience but basely espouse a trivial superficial shallow though somewhat literally sound knowledge with obedience conform which is the productor of evil reports blasphemies persecutions and the path-way that the son of perdition came when he came with all deceiveableness of unrighteousness about the year 412 as will instantly appear For this way is deceiveableness it self most deceitful and that sin chiesly that shuts Heaven whiles they and their complices conceive it to be the only Key to open it This was the way of his coming about the year four hundred seven ten or twelve let us turn therefore our eyes to about that time to see more clearly both the time way and manner of his coming St. Hierom's Record and he 's the fittest testator here best occurreth his commencement at such a time and in such a manner as the Apostle predicted and I here have briefly described Of him Erasmus as Clarkes Church-History witnesseth thus writeth Quis doces aptiùs quis delectas urbanùs St. Jerom was in Erasmus esteem as it might appear the best Teacher and most delightful writer of all the Fathers He also lived and was at Rome in that very juncture of time when the Christian world was turning upon the hinge of Apostacy and commencing that grand revolt which â—he Apostle speaks of Therefore his Authority the best of any may here stand good But he about the year 406 as we shall shew call'd Rome-Christian the Meiropolis of the then revolting world a receptacle of Devils and faln Babylon And St. Jerom sure a most vigilant Father of the Church and a sober Writer would not have called Rome-Christian then-reviloing faln if he had not seen good reason or rather real truth for it that she was then faln or in falling But he gave sufficient reasons and those reasons we shall afterwards abundantly shew to be real truths For it follows * When I livea saith he in Babylon an inhatitant of the purple whore after the Roman Laws I would have written something of the holy Ghost and have dedicated the Treatise to the Bishop of that City And behold that seething pot which was seen in the Prophet Jeremy looking out of the North beginneth already to buil and the Senate of Pharisees cryed out at me all at once Neither was there so simple a Scribe in all that ignorant Rabble which conspired not against me wherefore I am now as it were out of Captivity neturned to Jerusalem c. Tempora mutanfur A sudden change into a strange Antithesis Rome of late the City of Righteousness revolted as in a moment to be the Head of the Mystery of Iniquity and her Professors once fruitful in all good works were turned Pharisces And the Senate saith he of Pharisces cryed out at me all at once neither was there so simple a Scribe in all that ignorant Rabble that conspired not against me Against whom Against St. Jerom whom the Papists themselves acknowledge to be a Reverend Father of the Church Ah persidious people of the City of Apostacy How soon is the Metropolis her self of the Primitive Church become unstable as waters and the once firm sear of her faithful Witnesses revolted from Faith and manners For the manners of that upstart proud Catholick-Church pretending Apostacy were mores Iniquissimi most inhumane above Heathens insolencies even to St. Jerom one of the ablest and most worthy Fathers of the Church who apparently had more serious and real worth and solid depth of good ground in him then all the petty pibble Quarry of that proud Senate of Pharisees had And this anti-type Church-Catholick pretending Apostacy when she but began to put forth her rebellious head and first opened her blasphemous mouth against the faithful Witnesses of the truth had as much as all her Types had deceitful grounds sufficient to pretend to a Church-Catholick and might and probably did thus plead Why Jerom do you coms by your Dedications to dictate to us as if we needed your instructions in the tenents of the Homousian Faith Had we needed your help we had sent for you And what need do you think can the Supream Representatives of the Catholick-Church here have of your help a single and obscure person And will you insult alone over the Catholick-Church tax ber with covetousnesse rash censures want of Charity Oppression Apostacy and we know not what Is this your Christian meckness and submission Cannot the City live in peace for you nor the Church in quiet We all all here as one man disdain your daring boldness and detest your pride And the Senate of Pharisees said Jerom cryed out at me all at once c. The Apostacy the truth-opposing Apostacy was or then seemed Catholick and the true Catholick-Church fled or was then flying away into the Wilderness That wicked apostacy even in her Infancy had aspired to the false title of the true Catholick-Church whom she most persecuted and conspired against her most faithful Witnesses And that if the Records of many besides Jeroms may be believed in the Metropolis of the true Primitive but then revolting Church This Apostacy therefore as her Types were seemed general or Catholick and did deeply deceive her self and those that dwelt upon the Earth with the falsly arrogated or stoln title of the true Catholick and Apostolick Church St. Jerom was no base Porter of evil reports no morose â—ash tâ—â—ie accuser but the most faithful of all the Fathers at least then living to reprove exhort correct rebuke instruct Et quis docet aptiùs None taught with more sincere and true Christian candor But relapsing Rome thus reproved plainly by him pay'd dear for her Apostacy and obstinate impenitence For about the very next year and that fully confirms the truth of his reprooss and the equity of his just complaints was Rome besieged made tributary and the body of her Christian Empire began to be translated And about five years after the City the second time besieged was taken plundred burnt and almost totally depopulated by the Plague Sword Famine Fire Then might that miserable City call on Jerom and cry Solon Solon Then was the first and best head of the Sea born beast secular and Papal wounded as it were unto death upon the day of his Birth or so soon as he was brought forth And then Rome Papal or the tenfold body of Apostacy persisting still obstinate and impenitent was with her revolting head or Metropolis the Ruines of Rome literal given up
by a most just judgment to persevere in that grand blind Apostacy and Rebellion against God for 1260 years In which Epoche Heaven should be shat that it should not Rain at least that promised Rain of special mercies and divine Graces and yet be open all that time to send down to pour forth the six Vials full of the Plagues and wrath of God upon the obstinate impenitent Anti-christian world And this grand inundation of dreadful evils temporal and spiritual flowed as from its proper fountain from the Churches too free contributing to the general Apostacy by falling some wholly some in part from Faith and manners to affect a careless shallow fruitless knowledge with obedience comform From faith and manners That is not from Faith of Doctrine though she fell from that by degrees in part That was in the beginning of the Apostacy somewhat competently sound but profanely and carelesly shallow chiefly because it wanted right and charitable application But from Faith and obedience that is in her true members though that but in part from her and their first Faith of veracity and obedience conform to Gospel rule For sound Doctrine is vas continens a fit Vessel to hold forth sincere obedience either in a full or a more remiss measure And as fit by the abuse of it to carry on that grand defection aforesaid And when began this grand Apostrophe or diversion of the Gospel-Church from Faith and obedience St. Jerom gives you an infallible character a most sure mark of the time of this revolt expresly in these words And behold that Seething-pot which was seen in the Prophet Jeremy looking out of the North beginneth already to boil That is the fire of affliction from the Natitions of the North the Gothes Scythians Francks and sundry others began to make the Pot of Apostacy the falling Professors of the revolting Church boil in affliction that their filthy profaneness their careless contempt of solid truth and sincere obedience might boil out But it did then but begin to boil beginneth saith he already to boil for it had not then reached Rome the Metropolis or middle part of that Pot This complaint therefore and that Apostacy or the nearest proximity to it as is then appeared to St. Jerom might be or begin about a year before she was made tributary in 407 or about six years before she was taken plundered and burnt by Alaricus in 412. For then that fire of affliction made that Pot boil in the middle The full conclusion and clear inserence is this That Apostacy or nearest proximity thereto of and for which St. Jerom so grievously and most justly complained might appear to him to begin or be apparent about the year 406. For the next year was Rome besieged and paid tribute the next year after Then that Pot did more then begin to boil And about four hundred and four it did not begin For then Stillico subdu'd Radigusus kill'd and took all his Army consisting of two hundred thousand He also about that year beat Alaricus two or three times and drave him into Pannonia Then the fire of affliction scorched sore those barbarous Nations and the Pot of which Jerom spake was scarce touched or little afflicted therewith Therefore that grand degeneracy of which Jerom thus complained must appear to him to be or begin about the year 406 when the Pot of Apostacy began to boil and when the Powers of Rome-Christian and Imperial and of the Primitive Church began to be translated into the succeeding Kingdoms of the second Dragon Beast and false Prophet as to the far larger part of that Power for 1260 years Howbeit I see no necessity that we should bind the ingress of this Apostacy or the Commencements of the other Epochaes by a strict-limitation to any one certain or fixt year But they all brought forth as it were together began circa haec tempora much about those times To wit more apparently and especially about the years four hundred and seven ten or twelve But may some say St. Jerom's testimony and you produce no other is too weak to sustain the truth of the Commencement of the Apostacy of Anti-christ so far as to shew how and when it began I Answer I shall add the ample witness of sacred Writ of many Writers and of some Councels Fathers to his testimonies and so make a twisted cord or a manifold Record not perhaps easie to be broken St Jerom then lived in that very time wherein those sacred Prophesies pointing forth Primitive Romes fall under the Figure of Babylon were fulfilled saw and might observe the fulfilling of them He therefore had those advantages above all the Fathers that might render him the fittest expounder of them For Chrysostom dyed at the beginning of their fulfilling St. Ambrose dyed in or soon after the fulfilling of them St. Jerom only was an Eye-witness of their fulfilling and lived after about 13. years For then St. Augustine was scarce grown to the repute of a Father nor so fit to take notice of those transactions He survived St. Jerom about fifteen years was a powerful impugner of Primitive Sects and so far prevailed that many owned the Orthodox Faith and embraced the unity of then revolted Papal Rome whose Faith was then excepting as aforesaid but little heterodox That Church not withstanding his high deserts and great pains persecuted and excommunicated him until his dying day as we shall instantly shew partly by his own complaints partly from the Authority of a Cloud of faithful Witnesses and expresly from the testimony of Boniface the second We shall therefore first see how St. Jerom as the most competent for it paraphraseth upon those prophetick Scriptures that foretold the time and manner of the ingress of the grand Apostacy And first the text faith Babylon is faln is faln Apocal. 18.2 And St. Jerom applyes those very words to Imperial Rome in Name Christian not much less in outward Profession and Doctrine in that very juncture of time when the grand defection first commenced called her then expresly as the text also then did faln Babylon We find this assertion It is faln Reduplicated in the text And not improperly For Rome Imperial and more in name then thing Christian then fell in a double to wit both Temporal and Spiritual respect And first She fell temporally about the year four hundred and ten or twelve as a great Mill-stone cast into the Sea ch 18.21 And a Millstone so cast is seen no more for ever The whole Chapter is an entire description of her twofold fall and plainly shews that the terminus a quo of her temporal fall had no terminus ad quem and in that respect should be eternal Here Doctor Hammonds Paraphrases may supply the place of St. Jeroms Noting saith Hammond upon the 14th and 21th Verses that Rome shall never be the barbourer of Heathen Idols her former Idols or the seat of the Empire any more The same saith Morney
literally sound doctrine destitute of right application from any principle of Charity or right understanding For Here I may hint which I shall after handle at large this threefold clear Character of and signal distinction betwixt the false Prophets sensual fecular and spiritual Doctrine grosly corrupt with manners conform are the Image and superscription of the sensual false Prophet and his followers He 's a Political false Prophet and they false professors because their faith in its outward form of words is grosly false or their practice visibly profane But The false Prophet secular is no single person but a Political false Prophet also and his followers false professors not because their doctrine of Faith is false though that may be in many things unsound but because their Charity through Covetousness is false and their practises and applications from the same extract corrupt and false as in the Pharisees Thirdly The False Prophet Spiritual is a Political false Prophet and his followers false Professors not because their Faith in its literal form of words is false though that may be much unsound but because their Charity extracted from censorious pride is false and their practices and applications from the same spring most corrupt as in the Pharises also For the Pharisees held forth as a Figure of him the Bicorn beast or his two hornes versant about pride and covetousness And as we say Omnia sâ—ingratum dixeris So we may say All their Religion devotions duties and obedience are most false if their Charity and applications though their doctrine be never so sound be corrupt and false as aforesaid This Triplicit Monster the sensual secular and spiritual Antithesis to Gospel truth and the witnesses of it thus described is the three headed Cerberus that barks forth day and night all evil reports rash slanders and cavils against them and it For The very Heathens might have some glimpse of those three sensual secular and spiritual lusts the three yelling mouthes of this infernal Beast and did most fitly figure them by that feigned monster But the yells of those two last from principles of pride and avarice are by far the fellest and most loud Therefore The Senate of Pharisees not the Heathens or gross Hereticks in Rome cryed out against Jerom all at once Therefore The Pharisees and not the Publicanes cryed out against Christ For Sooner may men silence doggs then those men from cursed speaking before they know what for what or against whom they speak For The two last led by the most greedy and pernicious lusts of pride and covetousness are the cruellest cursed speakers violently carryed on with canine appetites to derogate from the best deserving ut inde diruant that thereby they may destroy them For The superintendents of the two last are the two Horns of that Bicorn beast Revel 13.11 The two representatives Spiritual of the Son of Perdition that under the Lamblike Formes of Religious Zeal in doctrine and profession void of Charity and right application cryed down Christ Mystical as the Type Pharisees cryed down Christ personal And cryed down the Primitive Church with all her rights power and priviledges as the Senate of Pharisees as he calls them cryed down Saint Jerom all at once For That Lamblike Bicorn Beast spake saith the Text as a Dragon These are the meanes those very meanes whereby that Bicorn Pseudoprophetick beast diruit Ecclesiam pulled down the Primitive Church He spake as a Dragon cryed down the true Church the truth of the Gospel the faithful witnesses of both as the first Dragon did day and night and that with many Cerberous mouthes all at once Thus he pulled down the Primitive Church alienated her rights destroyed her proprieties Diruit aedificavit He destroyed and built Of his Diruit we have briefly done Or what and how this Bicorn False Prophet pulled down what opposed we have briefly hinted from the testimonies of Saint Jerom Augustine Boniface the second and from the sixth Council of Carthage which is most evident in the Letter of that Council to Caelestin and in the Canons of that Council His aedificavit or what he built in the place of what he pulled down we shall handle with like succinctness The False Prophets further proceeding in building the body of Apostacy having first pulled down what opposed HE in the next place went about to build wherein his main care was to keep his new found foundation his perverted Tu es Petrus with all diligence For The Council of Chalcedon having about the year 450 much invalidated his claim of Supremacy from the Nicene Council Gelasius about the year four hundred and ninety two alledged not for himself either the Nicene Council or the antient observation of the Church but held himself fast to his Tu es Petrus This goeth not saith he by any Synodal Constitutions but by the very voyce of the Gospel Tu es Petrus Upon the Rock Christ whom Peter confessed did Christ that faithful Faber and true witness build his Church And the false Prophet Bicorn his Anti-faber built her Antithesis the Tower of Babel upon this Chimaera Rock of his misapplyed Tu es Petrus He spent much time in pulling down what opposed before he could go fast forward in his building The First Nation that conferr'd her self as part of it to the False Prophets intended Fabrick was France under Clovis the first Christian King thereof about the year 485. Justinian about the year 533 in his Letter to John the second submitted and united to his holiness all the Bishops of the East The East Empire which Justinian as his Letter witnesseth submitted and united to the See of Rome contained these Nations that were before Provinces of Pagan Rome To wit First Greece and Thrace Secondly Natolia Thirdly Syria and Palestina Fourthly Aegypt Fifthly Mauritania But the two last had submitted before to Boniface the second as we shewed before These five at first Provinces under Pagan Rome after Kingdoms in Rome Papal with France aforesaid made six Nations of the false Prophets Decapolity Richaredus King of Spain honoured this grand Seignor and his supposed sacred Papal City by adding his Kingdom as a seventh part of it to his soon after Decarch-superintendency about the year 586. This grand Master builder took great care in the time of Gregory the great and about the year 590 of the British Isles to bring them as an eight part of it into the building of his beloved City Germany the ninth part of this Decapolity came in by parcels Part probably might come in with Clovis an 485 whose Off-spring and people of his Kingdom were Germans in Franconia which we find not Conquered from him Part the Burgundians might bring in about the year 416 who were about that time Germans and turned Christians Part the Lumbards brought in about the year 570 and 607. Bavaria and Austria brought in their large parts about the year 615. Thus the second
Dragon gave by degrees his Seat and great authority to the Ten-crowned Beast Papal by submitting his Nations to this Bicorn Builder who had power to deceive those Nations by means of his Miracles Ch. 13.14 to become the matter of his ten fold Polity which his industrious hand was then contriving Lumbardy and Scotland both Kingdom I leave to the Readers liberty Lastly Italy was the tenth Nation which the False Prophet edified upon his Tu es Petrus in this ten fold Tripolity His operating hand was first upon it and last in framing of it to his absolute purpose He to that end supplanted the Kings of the Lumbards in Italy Conspired against and by conspiracy slew the Exarches and Officers of the Greek Empire residing in Italy Here saith Baronius was an end of the Dukes and Governours whom the Emperour was wont to send to command in Rome and places adjacent And here we end our brief discovery how the Bicorn beast built up the Papal Decapolity out of the matter of the Apostacy I approve not that common Opinion of many Expositors that find ten petty Kingdoms and those to no purpose in Europe They placing them chiefly betwixt the Rheyne and Danubius thus name them Alemanni Ostrogothi Visogothi Hunni Saxoni Suevi Alani Vandali Burgundiones Franci most of which were petty if I may so call them Kingdoms of no continuance And so as if Caesars Effigies upon his Coyn could be greater then his person or the Mapp of a Country larger then the Country it self the Nations of the Prototype-Monarchies Chaldaean Persian Greek Roman must be far greater then the ten Nations of their Antitype Rome Papal whom they did but prefigure or shadow forth Their tenent so trivial I reckon not worth refuting But the ten Nations aforesaid were large Provinces under Pagan Rome after under Rome Orthodox And Lastly were ten large Kingdoms in Papal and Decapolite Rome That is they were all at least freed from the bondage and power of Rome Imperial The Supream secular powers of those ten Nations were the ten crowned horns of the Sea-born beast ch 13.1 Here the Reader may observe That three distinct powers secular are represented in the Apocalyps by three different and distinct beast The first is Bestia decem habens cornua sine coronis a Beast with ten Horns uncrowned The second is Bestia decem armata Cornibus coronatis a Beast with ten Horns crowned The third is Bestia Gentium Regna transferens vel bestia intermedia the beast that Translated the Kingdoms of the falling Empire The first with ten Horns uncrowned was the first Dragon or the powers secular of Pagan Rome whose five first heads were fallen before our blessed Saviour was born five are fallen saith the Text ch 17.10 He letted and should let the rising up of Papal Rome till he was taken out of the way Him the 12 17 and 18 Chapters as also Thessal 2.7 hold forth The second Beast with ten Horns crowned was this Seaborn-beast Secular and Papal or the Secular powers of those ten Nations aforesaid whom the false Prophet deceived into a Papal-Decapolity by means of his false Miracles which he had power to do ch 13.14 The five first heads of the this ten-crowned beast were so far from being fallen before Christ was born that neither was that beast nor any one of his heads in being for above four hundred years after the birth of our Saviour This Beast these Texts hold forth ch 13.1 2 3. c. ch 16.13 The third Beast Bestia Regna transferens was the second Dragon who took away him the first Dragon that letted the rising up of Papal Rome and gave added his power and great Authority the Nations which he took from him to her crowned Beast secular being induced thereunto by the deceit and procurement of the Bicorn beast as we have shown immediately before This intermediate Beast or second Dragon these Texts hold forth ch 11.7 ch 13.2.4 ch 16.13 In these things I confess and many other I do as a duty to be done of necessity stear my course contrary to the Currents of all at least all modern Writers whereby I am incident to incurre the displeasure of many Howbeit it seems to me no small fault of injustice and ingratitude in those that being by long assuetude cemented to their errors wherein all Writers perhaps have misled the way cannot be content to be inconsentient to the truth themselves but are apt to conceive a prejudicious amaritude and that before they read or know what they write against those that would by undenyable eviction of reason convince them of their errors and manifest to them nolentibus volentibus not only the great dangers but the grossness of their mistakes The Premises aforesaid may at present fully refel many that pretending to unfold them pour forth confusion as a flood upon sacred Scriptures and make them much more obscure and dark by their confident false glosses and Expositions They may serve also to undeceive many sincere but seduced professors and sober Writers that are led away with the same errors But I return The superindents of the False Prophet Pagan the Roman Emperours who were summi Pontifices fell rather short of this expansive superintendency over which the false Prophet Papal presided And what was the means by which he built this tenfold City He cometh saith the Text withal deceiveableness c. That is He deceived those that dwelt upon the Earth those Nations chiefly aforesaid by meanes of those Miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast Of which miracles I have hinted something before but shall insist upon them more fully afterwards Secondly He laid his forged or at least falsely applyed Foundation by deceit in Doctrine He perverted the Text to cause them that dwelt upon the Earth to believe contrary to truth and the true Faith That Peter was the foundation of the Church that the Pope his supposed successor was the same by succession sole Apostolick-Bishop Primate over all Churches and Supream over all Kings and Councils Those that dwelt upon the Earth those thus deceived ten Nations chiefly There 's the matter of this tenfold Cities building He deceived them There 's the meanes his pretended message doctrine of deceit and false miracles by which he built it His Doctrine was a shallow fruitless but somewhat literally sound Doctrine destitute of right and charitable application And such meanes is fittest to make way for lying miracles and both these the most effectual meanes eruere Ecclesiam aedificare mysterium iniquitatis to destroy the Church and Saints all solid knowledg of the truth and true obedience by slanders evil reports and wicked contrivances against all that is good For That 's proper especially to such profane affected shallow knowledge and obedience Therefore The son of perdition was not to come in the Van of Apostacy with gross Heresie and open scandalous practices like the Arrians or Mahumetans
This is not the way of his coming nor could he come this way This is via non satis deceptiva There 's not deceit enough in such open enormities to deceive the Nations This had been the way to deceive none and to be seen of all Had he come this way not of deceit but apparent wickedness he had not laid his foundation of fraud in his misapplyed Tu es Petrus had not had power to pull down the Primitive Church nor to assume her proprieties and priviledges to himself to build his Apostacy therewith in her place Nor could he have drawn the Nations those that dwelt upon the Earth saith the Text nor the Primitive Church her self to be the Burgers of his new built City had he come with open hostility profaneness and gross Heresies This had been the way to affright her and them and to make both fly from his presence as the Church then also did from the face of the Serpent or second Dragon ch 12.14 For Such professed hostility open profaneness and gross Herefie best befits the Pseudoprophetick superintendent of Antichrist sensual seated in Spiritual Sodom and her head that Dragon who about the year 407 came not like this Bicorn Lamb-like builder with all deceivableness but with open violence armies of gross Hereticks Heathens and Arrians to kill the Church and her witnesses or to cause her saith the Text to be carryed away of the flood To wit By that flood of Military Forces vers 15. wherewith he vanquished Rome Imperial That so neither she nor any part of her being quite carryed away might be ever seen any more Therefore He did not deceive and draw her by fraud but by force drave her to fly with two wings of a great Eagle as into her subterfuge into this Tripolity of deceit which the false Prophets hands had constituted or was in constituting of it of ten Nations For That City of deceit and persecution but of her preservation from corporal and total destruction by that second Dragon the Text calls Her place prepared of God ch 21.6 And the woman fled into the wilderness where she hath a place prepared of God that they should feed her there 1260 dayes The same place and the same time is set down the second time in the same Chapter vers 14. For Though the False Prophet by Gods permission built this ten-fold City of Apostacy yet it was a place prepared of God for the purpofe aforesaid To wit To preserve his Church not from all persecution but from a total destruction by the rage of the second Dragon from whose face the Church then fled for 1260 years ver 14. For the false Prophet built that City a City both of affliction and refuge to the flying Church But God gave him power all power into his hands to crect that Decalabyrinth of errour Whose coming is with all power saith the Apostle 2 Thes 2.9 He shall wear out well nigh wear out the Saints of the most high and think to change times and Laws and they shall be given into his hands the Laws of power or all power as it were by a Law shall be given into his hand for three times and an half or 1260 years to be a refuge as well as a scourge to the Church so long Dan. 7.25 For as God prepared a Fish and that Fish to be a place for flying Jonah not as a Tombe to interre him in lasting oblivion but as a Womb to preserve him for a future birth to a better life So God prepared Rome Papal with her Sects for his flying Church as a womb to preserve her from perishing and for a future production of her to a far better reviction And the Woman fled into the wilderness into her place prepared of God where she is nourished for 1260 dayes from the face of the Serpent Apocal. 12.6.14 The time in Type and Antitype and how God prepared Rome Papal with her Sects to be a place to preserve his Church for 1260 years from perishing by the second Dragon we shall shew afterwards And therefore Male creditur Hosti It s dangerous trusting to Turkes and Mahumetants the main continued stem and Off-spring of this second Dragon For though they pretend to some slavish allowance of liberty to Christians and Sects for which some Sects and wicked professors wish them before Papists and indeed above others more Orthodox it may be undoubtedly expected That had they the power absolute in their own hands over all Christians they would Massacre all as they did formerly in Spain for the very name of Christ For so their like Pagano-arrian predecessors at the ingress of this second Dragon about 407 came with flood-like armies and with full purposes to destroy utterly the Gospel Church But The false Prophet came with all deceivableness Laid his foundation of deceit pulled down Church priviledges and built his Decapolite state of Apostacy under a strict and specious pretence of the Catholick and Apostolick Faith confirmed by many dreadful false Miracles and in shew of all meekness as being the servant of the servants of God and the tender Father of all the Fathers of the Church when all was nothing but a strongly deluding fraud in a superficial affected shallow knowledge and profession fruitful only in persecution and in bringing evil reports upon the best men then living A knowledge and profession casting the imputation of innovations upon their antient Catholick and most solid Truths as in the examples of the sixth Council of Carthage Saint Basil Jerom Augustine and others And calling their own Innovations Antient and Catholick Truths and Customes So Innocent the first did about his pretended antient right of Supremacy in his Epistles to the Bishop of Roan Augustine and others You have saith he to Saint Augustine had due regard of the Apostolick honour I say of him who hath the care and charge of all Churches in asking advice of him in these perplexities and intricate causes following therein the antient Canon which you know as well as my self to have ever been observed in all the world And yet Augustine and the sixth Council of Carthage clearly proved this his pretence of an antient and Catholick practice in all the world to be a notorious and remarkable lie in those four first Fabers of the Apostacy To wit Innocent Zosimus Boniface and Caelestin For The Son of perdition in all his Sects and Off-spring seeks seeks diligently to suppress solid truth and sincere obedience by casting the lying Imputation of innovation upon it and to preferre a shallow fruitless knowledge in a proud careless covetous practive as antient Catholick and Apostolick Thus he cast down the power of the Primitive Church and built his Apostacy in her place That is the Bicorn Seer by deceit by all possible deceivableness built this City And as the bands of the blinded Syrians sent to Dothan came instead of it to Samaria so these ten Nations with the Dragons floodlike armies or they
Almost all Professors and many Saints much deceive themselves by being of this or that Sect or Church-Society and by being therein vainly consident whereas a Sect signifies nothing But sincerity is the substance of true obedience Saul so desperately deceitful are half-performances paid a large price of exemption from obedience to God and doing good to himself his Country and Family He went saw and overcame Amaleck as God commanded brought away their best Catcle c. Who could nor could he himself imagine that more to please God could be done that service Nor scarce could Samuel beat him out of the strong confidence of that misbelief But Samuel told him that all that large price of exemption for it seemed to exceed an half-performance from true obedience was as Witchcraft and Rebellion Why as Witchcraft Because half-performances deceive unsealed Hypocrites more than Witchcraft and would deceive were it possible the very Elect But the practice of the good Samaritan is a perfect Patern in a fourfold conformity for all Men and Nations to follow having due respect to all the Principles of right in it self A Quo Quid Cui Quantum Quoties c. And such Works and they only are the sacred Harmony of the Harps of God And I looked and lo a Lamb stood upon Mount Sion c. We shall and so conclude the first Part of this Treatise further enquire First Who that Lamb is Secondly What is here meant by Mount Sion Thirdly Who those Harpers shall be Fourthly Why they are called the first-fruits Fifthly What is meant by those Harps of God And first That the Lamb on Mount Sion shall be Christ is not doubted I suppose nor deny'd by any Not that Christ shall then stand corporally in his Hypostatical person there or any where else upon Earth either for 1000 years or more or less time when these 144000 shall attend him But by the Lamb in this Text is meant Christ's Substitutes his revived Witnesses Religious Ministers and Magistrates raised from the sleep of Spiritual Death to the Life of Animadvertency and to mind to do right and shew mercy after the Patern of the good Samaritan in a fourfold Conformity which only is Christian true practice For As Michael and his Angels are said to fight with the first Dragon And to bind him c. Ch. 12.7 Ch. 20.2 It was Michael's Delegates and Substitutes Constantin with his Armies and Officers that fought and not Michael personally and literally on Earth So the Lamb in the Text upon Mount Sion shall be his Witnesses and Representatives Religious Kings and Ministers standing firm as upon Mount Sion upon lasting Principles of sound Faith and good Manners Nor was it God and Christ literally but the said Substitutes with their Successors that reigned on Earth when the 1000 years began Ch. 12.10 Nor shall God and the Lamb literally but their Representatives be the Temple in the conscript-City of God Ch. 21.22 Secondly We shall further enquire who this conscript-number that shall accompany the Lamb shall be and see wherein they differ from Locusts and Hypocrites And first They clearly appear to be the gospel-Gospel-Church after lier Wilderness-Pilgrimage brought to and built upon immoveable Foundatious of Truth and Peace For two Texts in one and the same Chapter expresly tell us That the Woman fled into the Wilderness and was to remain there at least 1260 dayes dayes annual which are 1260 years Ch. 12.6 14. And the duration of that Desert-condition by her finished we find her immediately or very soon after firmly seated upon Mount Sion And it is well known to all that know any thing that Mount Sion was never in the Wilderness Ch. 11.11 13 15. Ch. 13.18 Ch. 14.1 That Mount was the Type-Seat of true Worship This the Antitype That for a time This till time be no more That was literal This shall be Spiritual To wit Lasting and inviolable Principles of true Faith and good Manners whereon the Gospel-Church firmly built shall perform true obedience to God and good Works to Men in a fourfold conformity Therefore Locusts and Hypocrites can be none of this couscript-company their Harps of pride strife and ignorance if such Instruments can be called Harps sound forth rash and foolish questions cavils and impugnations against that which is right Their works and true Saints too off practice the same are torn Sacrifices clypt fragments half-performances good beginnings never finished works of negligence and careless forgetfulness or wicked exemptions from good works They scatter some fragments the worst Simony to be rid of doing good whiles they relieve the poor reward the well-deserving but strengthen not their hands as Sodom did not by relieving or rewarding of them Their works not performed in a fourfold couformity are contrary to the Patern in the Mount and the practice of the good Samaritan Therefore being laid in the ballance they are ever found wanting This company having the Name of God in their foreheads may be called Coetus Virgineus vel Chorus incontaminatus the Virgin or undefiled company These were not defiled with women saith the Text for they were Virgins vers 4. They seem to differ from the Profuga or sealed Church only as Christ transfigured in the Mount differed from what he was before Christ in the Mount was not another man but a Man the same Christ of another manner So these 144000 conscript in the Mount shall be the same Gospel-Church that was sealed before that fled into the Wilderness and was fed there for 1260 years Not for matter another Church but a Church of other manners transfigured as it were in the Mount of God and not floating as the Ark in the flood upon unstable waters not driven to and fro with every wind of false Doctrine and different Opinion not broken by proad Billows of swelling Schisms and Subdivisions but shall be immovably fixt like the Ark at last upon a sure Rock which can never be shaken Many rich Prophetick-promises to the Gospel-Church are held forth in the 7th Chapter from the ninth verse to the end But those manifold promises of the richest mercies seem to be made chiefly to the conscript-Church and were not so fully fulfilled to the sealed servants of God in that Chapter For after the sealing of them the Text saith After this I beheld and loe a great multitude c. vers 9. For as God did not begin to smite Egypt with the Plagues of Excision till his people were first sealed in the Fronts or Door-posts of their habitations with the blood of the Lamb Exod 12. So these their penultimate Antitype were first sealed in their foreheads before God smote Imperial and Apostate Rome about the beginning of the fifth Century But as his Prototype sealed servants the people of Israel finished forty two journeys in the literal Wilderness So these sealed servants of God in the 7th Chapter were to fulfill forty two moneths Prophetical 1260 years in the Spiritual Wilderness before they should stand
and profitable to Man For so their site position and number import We find them not wandering in the Wilderness nor sitting under shadows of Death as they did before when the Woman fled into the Wilderness and her Witnesses were killed for 1260 years Revel 12.6 14. Ch. 11.7 9 11. But we find them situate and built standing no doubt after the Patern of the Lamb upon Mount Sion where Solomons Temple was built and so the Antitype of it Ch. 14.1 For We find their number to be 144000 Ch. 14.1 3. And the quadrate dimensions of Solomons Temple were 144000 Cubits thus cast up It s length 60 Cubits multiply'd by its breadth 20 Cubits makes its product 1200 Cubits which multiply'd by 30 Cubits the heighth of it makes 36000 Cubits whose square is 144000 Cubits And we find this sacred company to be 144000 to stand upon Mount Sion That is To be the Antitype of Solomons Temple or the true Gospel-Church returned out of the Wilderness and turned back to obedience That is To have the Name of the Father of the Lamb written in their foreheads which necessarily infers That this Caetus Virgineus must needs be Chorus Agni the Church of Christ That is The City of God re-built upon Mount Sion To wit upon inviolable Principles of Truth in Faith and Manners For Secondly Both their number and position imports a Quadruplex-conformity in practice For this City saith the Text lieth four-square in 12000 furlongs Ch. 21.16 It s Quadrate Dimensions it 's so easie and evident that it needs no casting up are 144000 furlongs which principally imports That the Righteousness of this Chorus incontaminatus should be of a Quadruplex-conformity or every way conform to that which is Right in it self A righteousness of arduous industry and acquisition directly contrary to the Goldlike-Crowns and deceits of Locusts and Hypocrites Thirdly The Name of God shall be in the foreheads of his servants the inhabitants of this holy City saith the Text Chap. 22.4 And his Name shall be written in the foreheads of these 144000 Ch. 14.1 Therefore these 144000 shall be that City of God I omit for brevity many other comparityes betwixt this conscript 144000 Ch. 14. and the holy City Ch. 21. The Position of the Prototype twelve Tribes about the Tabernacle was in a fourfold figure And their Antitype this 144000 Ch. 14. are of a square number And the holy City Ch. 21. is to be both of a quadrate number and figure And this fourfold congruity betwixt both in their number in the Name of God in the place of that Name and in their quadrate position signally proves that these 144000 Ch. 14. shall be the same City of God Ch. 21. And likewise that the practice of that quadrate polity for such as the Tree is such is the Fruit shall be a righteousness of a quadruplex or fourfold conformity which only or what tends thereunto is substantial and true Righteousness All other is but deceits We have already shown who that Lamb upon Mount Sion shall be Secondly Who these conscript first-fruits that shall attend him are to be And Thirdly We shall further enquire why this conscriptcompany is called The first-fruits redeemed c. Or from what and for what they shall be so redeemed And first from what they shall be redeemed To which I answer They shall be redeemed from doing the works of Heathens and Hypocrites that are contrary to Gospel-rule And from those obscure commixt works of proud careless true Christians that are inconform to Christs Commands and render them though true Saints doubtful to themselves and others whether they be such or not Secondly We shall enquire for what they should be thus redeemed The Text expresly answers this demand in these words These are the first-fruits That is They should be thus redeemed to be the first-fruits or foregoing examples for all Ages to follow To wit To draw the Nations both Heathens Sects and Saints to practise good works conform to that which is right in it self For the works of Hypocrites have no power to draw others to practise sincere obedience because they by their works give not nor can give any good examples for Papists Jews or Turks to follow Nor can careless true Christians corrupt in Manners draw others nor be drawn without those first-fruits for them to run after their examples Therefore All Sects and Nations without these first-fruits and the Lamb for their Patern must remain statu quo prius ever unconverted never truly united but be as they are and long have been Or be if that be possible worse than ever they were Sic subitò deterrima deteriora si sint sequentur Saecula For corrupt careless slothful true Christians cannot run nor draw others to run the ways of Gods Commands They though their Doctrine were most sound they strict and devour their gists great and many have more need to be drawn than power to draw others by their examples Their drawing is rather a drawing back of themselves and a with-holding of others from pressing forwards For the proud covetous careless conversations of such true Saints have no attractive force to good draw forceably to evil Their slothful pains of careless Levity Pride and Avarice are usually fond and rash impugnations of censorious ignorance against the practice of that which is right Therefore the secret and scarce discerned Graces of such true Saints are too feeble to draw others by solid Doctrine or depth of Knowledge which they never seek after Or by good examples which they never give These are no attractive first-fruits though they may in due time be drawn by them But The Righteousness of these first fruits shall be opposite to the works of darkness Justitia manifesta works of Light made thereby manifest and for that cause forceable to draw he Nations Men Sects and Saints to God and to bind the attentive ears of all to hearken and obey by its delicious harmony Nor shall that sacred company serve for Paterns of practice to posterity but be Gnomon judicij vel Norma judicandi the Rule of Right Judgment to all Saints Sects and Professors that pretend to extraordinary gifts of the Spirit of God and to be endowed with power from above above their brethren of present or former times Such may try and judge themselves and discern and be discerned by others in a very large measure whether they be led by the spirit of delusion or by the Spirit of Truth and Sobriety For The Gospel-Church was to be in the Wilderness vailed in great obscurity involved in great distresses and decaying daily in Graces for 1260 years and until these first-fruits her Off-spring should begin to stand upon Mount Sion Therefore all Sects and Professors that pretend to be endowed extraordinarily with Gifts and Power from above before this time expire appear inevitably and may appear to themselves by undeniable Record of Sacred Scripture to be so far Impostors and Seducers of others For if
Eremite-Pilgrimage did and doth cover all people But In Antitype Sion the promised Jerusalem there shall be no more Sun-darkening smoake of refined deceits Nor shall any clouds of universal darkness cover any more all people nor any Vail of Ignorance overspread all Nations For In that Mountain will God destroy the face of the covering cast over all people and the Vail that is spread over all Nations Isa 25.7 He hath promis'd it and will certainly and speedily persorm it Nor shall any Cloud then guide the Church by day nor any Pillar of fire by night But the glory of God shall enlighten it and the Lamb shall be the light thereof Chap. 21.23 To be short Antitype Sion and the gospel-Gospel-Church built upon it shall be the persection of beauty and pure Gold as it were transparent Glass Psal 50.2 Rev. 15.12 Ch. 21.21 There the beauty and harmony of Truth both in Doctrine and Practice shall be plainly and powerfully illustrated to all ages And this is Sion whom no man seeketh after Jer. 30.17 We shall now further enquire Fifthly What those Harps of God are Ch. 15.2 I answer They are called The Harpes of God and therefore cannot be made by the Art of Man but must be Harps framed by Gods hand to found sorth to the good of all his praise and glory That is They shall be the hearts of Men and Saints turned backwards How long said Elijah halt ye between two Opinions If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal follow him and they answered not a word 1 King 18.21 And they answered him not a word why not Decause their hearts were no Harps of God nor then turned backward But hear me Lord said Eliah and let this people know that thou art the Lord God and that thou hast turned their heart back again Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt-Sacrifice and the Wood and the Stones c. Vers 37 38. And when all the people saw it they fell on their faces and they said The Lord he is the God the Lord he is the God vers 39. The Lord be is the God And whence was this great acknowledgment of the truth to Gods glory The hearts of the people were become the Harps of God and were turned backward That was done in a Type and being more in word than in works continued but for a time But these Harps of God shall be the Hearts of Men and Saints turned back and turning others back from blind Sacrifice to sincere obedience Not in word but in deed Nor for a time but to eternity Harps that by good works wrought in a four-fold conformity shall greatly sound forth Gods glory and procure the general good of after-ages For Secondly Eliah we read repaired an Altar of the Lord that was broken down ver 30. And took twelve stones according to the number of the Tribes of the Sons of Jacob c. rebuilt it and offered upon it This was not written for nothing that Eliah did thus But be repaired the Altar of the Lord God accepts no Sacrifices but what are offered upon his own Altars He took twelve stones according to the number of the twelve Tribes Twelve is a quadrate number and the Root or Basis of twelve times twelve thousand or 144000 that adumbrate the Gospel-Church Ch. 14.1 Ch. 21.16 which principally denotes a quadri-formity or a fourfold conformity in the practices of all truly reformed Saints or rightly repaired Altars of God who are far from those Formalists and Hypocrites of blind inanimadvertency that mind not in their practices of good manners to conform their intellects to that which is right in itself or to come to the knowledge of the truth in practice that they may be saved Nor care to conform their wills to their right-informed intellects nor their works to both These are the Baalitish Altars of blind obedience such Altars God abhors hates such Sacrifices But these Harps of God shall be the repaired Altars of the Lord prepared by his hand to practise right in a fourfold conformity Such Altars only God accepts with such Sacrifices only is be well-pleased For The only Original Altar transcendent and above all is Christ But the Harps of God the hearts of men and Saints purifi'd by Faith and made conform to Christ are derivative Altars which God accepts in him And with their works wrought in a fourfold conformity is he well-pleased For God affects not Fables nor Fig-leaves of deceits fragments or half-performances but substantial Righteousness wrought in a fourfold conformity which only is Christian and true Righteousness Lastly Elijah when the people halted between two Opinions brought them to be of one mind And turned back their hearts that with one mouth they gave glory to the God of Heaven So shall their Antitype do Rev. 14.7 We shall here further shew First From what the hearts of Men and Saints shall be turned back Secondly To what they shall be turned Thirdly What their exceeding great danger is if their hearts be not turned back Lastly What their inestimable benefits and safeties shall be by having their hearts turned back again And first From what the hearts of Men and Saints shall be turned back I answer They shall be turned back from the practise of those sins of which they have not yet repented And the rest of the men saith the Text which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands that they should not worship Devils and Idols of gold and silver and brass and stone and of wood which neither can see nor hear nor walk Neither repented they of their Murthers nor of their Sorceries nor of their Fornication nor of their Theft Rev. 9.20 21. Yet repented not This Particle of time yet is the period of the six Trumpets sounding and terminates the 1260 years of the Witnesses Sackcloth-Prophesie Noah preached 120 years to the Old World and not a man that we find more than of his own Family repented at the period of that time And the Witnesses Prophesied 1260 years and men yet repented not Many repented no doubt by a feeble secret and almost unperceivable true repentance whereby they were saved but not according to that repentance promised to the Gospel-Church whereby God might be effectually glorified And the rest of the men yet repented not saith the Text. The Caldeans praised Gods of Gold and of Silver of Brass of Iron of Wood and of Stone Dan. 5.4 The words in Type and Antitype are literally almost the same ver 23. Rev. 9.20 We shall examine what some of these sins are that so the Christian World for praevisi mali mollior ictus may foresee and shun the punishments that must fall for those sins The first sin in the Antitype is Idolatry They worshipped Devils and Idols of Gold and Silver and Brass and Stone and of Wood which neither can see c. In the Type they were literal Idols but these in