others before them at his instigation have done the cause whereof I shall now a little enquire into When this unwearied Enemy of mankind after whose ruine he thirsteth perceived that by means of the wonders lies and delusions of Antichrist a great multitude even the third part of the sons of men were to be Apoc. 9. 18. subdu'd and invassal'd to him and so perish he took care to conceal him and give in a wrong and false information of him to the world well knowing that many would follow him headlong to destruction being partakers of his sins must also partake of his misery and judgments who otherwise had they understood who he was might have been aware of his Deceipts and escaped Wherefore he craftily infused into mens minds a false notion of Antichrist setting him out in counterfeit lying colours one while perswading the world that he must be a Spirit otherwhile that he should be Nero who in th' end of the world a little before the Day of judgment should be rais'd up to torment th' inhabitants of the Earth And then which most prevail'd that he must be a Jew of the Tribe of Dan and at 30. years old appear with a vast Army and in three civil years and an half over-run and subdue all the Kingdomes of Europe and bring in subjection most of th' other habitable parts of the Earth as it is written Power was given to him over all kinreds tongues and Nations and that he should be a most potent Monarch Apoc. 13. 7. far exceeding all that were before him and raign from sea to sea and from the River to th' ends of the Earth and that he must raign in Jerusalem and kill Enoch and Elias and at last mount Oliveâ— cleaving asunder be there swallowed up and sink down quick into Hell with divers other such Legendary fancies as our In Apoc. 13. 18. Author noteth never ment not sent from God And all this hath been chiefly mannag'd and carry'd on by th' art and contrivance of Fryers Monks Jesuits and others sworn Vassals of the Beast on design purpose thereby to raise a dust and cause a mist to darken the truth divert the worlds eye from beholding the great and very Antichrist sitting at Rome and domineering in the Church of God unto a fictitious imaginary one that must never come 19. But all these proving forgeries and devises and the Romanists case being grown desperate and past recovery they are at last befriended by the subtle Familists who have the forehead to affirm in their canting language that Antichrist is the Tower of Babel or the self-will of the Ham-like man c. and that the Babylonish Whore is Sin or the Soul captivated in vanity or the self-born will c. with other like idle ridiculous fancies absurd inventions as you may see in Behmens Mysterium magnum and the rest of his monstrous writings And herein whether the very Jesuits and other learned writers of the Church of Rome have not been far more honest and ingenuous I refer my self to th' impartial Reader For they being convinc'd and overborn by the light of truth and many direct evident places of Scripture do in their Commentaries on the Revelation and other writings confesse the matter and plainly tell us that by Babylon in the Apocalyps is to be understood no other then the very City of Rome in Italy where the Pope now reigns and which they also grant and affirm must be burnt with fire and utterly laid wast before th' end of the world by the Kings of the Earth who formerly had given their power to the Beast Two or three of the chief whereof for the Readers satisfaction and to put the matter out of doubt I shall here produce and cite their very words as they fairly lie in their own writings 20. And first let Ribera the Jesuite speak Scriptores qui aliter interpretati fuerant veritate coguntur nobis favere Romam esse hanc urbem fornicariam vastandam c. The writers Saith Ribera Com. in Apoc. 17. n. 20. 22. he who did otherwise interpret are forc'd by the truth to yield to us that this whorish City to be destroyed and laid wast is Rome Et verba praecedentia Deus dedit in corda eorum ad desolationem incendium Romae pertinent c. And the following words God hath put into their hearts have respect saith he to the desolation and burning of Rome c. And Id. in Apoc. 14. n. 39. elswhere he writeth That under the name of Babylon is to be understood Rome non solum qualis sub ethnicis Imperatoribus olim fuit sed etiam qualis in fine Seculi futura est not only as it was under the heathen Emperors but as it shall be towards th' end of the world Again whereas she saith in her heart I 〈◊〉 a Queen and am no Widow c. he clearly alludes saith Id in Apoc. 18. n. 18. 19. he to the words of Isaiah c. 47. concerning the Chaldean Babylon which was a figure of this second Babylon c. And he addeth concerning her punishment he likewise saith These two things shall come upon thee in one day losse of Children and Widdow-hood But the words of John saith he are not to be taken as spoken of Rome when the Apostle lived but they are to be understood of the latter age of the world when the servants of God are commanded to depart out of her lest they be punished with her c. Thus Ribera To him consents Viega of the same Society Vt intelligeremus saith Blas de Vieg in Apoc. 17. Com. 1. Sect. 3. n. 5. he sermonem esse de urbe Romana c. That we may understand that the words are concerning Rome the Angel concludeth And the woman that thou sawest is the great City that raigns over the Kings of the earth For in St. John's time the City of Rome had command over almost all the Kings of the earth Again Cum fidelibus Id. in Apoc. 18. Com. 1. Sect. 1. n. 16. praecipitur c. When the faithful are commanded to depart out of Rome lest they be involved in her calamity 't is thence evident saith he that not onely Ethnick Rome is there by ment but that which shall flourish in the latter end of the world With them accords Cornelius a Lapide Dico Babylonem saith Cornel. à Lap. in Apoc. 17. 1. he hic Capite sequenti est Roma c. I affirm that Babylon both here and in the following Chapter is Rome as it was in the time of St. John and as it will again â—e in the time of Antichrist In another place thus he Id. in Apoc. 18. 4. writes Audivi aliam vocem è coelo dicentem c. I heard a voice from heaven saying depart out of her my people He warns the Christians saith he to flee out of Rome heathenish in th' end of the world when it is to be destroyed Again
number is 666. 10. And then all Kingdoms and People shall see th' eternity of that Amm. Marcel l. 14. c. 13. l. 15. c. 17. Aeterna in antiquis inscriptionibus nominatur Ortel Thesaur voc Roma In numis antiquis insidens Scuto Roma victoriam dextrâ scipionem sinistrâ gerens cum hac inscriptione visitar Romae aeternae Martin Lex Philolog voc Roma eternall City as one of her own calleth it and th' immortality of her soul meaning the Soveraign power and supremacy of her Caesars and high Priests to wither die and forsake the earth for ever And as Babylon her Mother left unto her th' inheritance of her pride and prophanations so shall she also leave unto her the heritage of her Death and Judgements for as her glory hath been great so shall her dishonour when all her excellency shall be translated into shame and sorrow 11. And here by the way I thought fit to note and let the Reader know that it is now well understood and received as a truth as it ought that the Pope viz. the succession of Popes for 1260. years namely from the year 406. to 1666. is the very Antichrist the Man of sin foretold in the Scriptures and Rome Babylon signifyed under the name of Babylon Apoc. c. 17. 18. now denied almost by none except the blasphemoâ—s Sect of the Familists who violently wrest the Scriptures into sensless Notions inextricable monstrous Allegories pervert hide and darken their genuine true direct meaning by strange unheard of Dreams and Enthusiasms strains of Philosophicall inventions Exotick affected termes barbarous forreign and Uncouth Language whereof the writings of Henry Nicholas Jacob Behmen Dr. P. and other namelesse Impostors of our Age are ample testimonies It being the design of the said J. Behmen with his Translators and Abbettoâ—s as it seemeth by the multitude of irrational Atheistical Books which they have lately published and yet promote to undermine and subvert the true Christian Apostolical Faith and Doctrine of the Gospell and knowledge of Christ crucified and in stead thereof introduce and spread amongst us the horrible darknesse of the Gentiles vain Philosophy preferring their muddy poyson'd puddles before the pure wholsome fountain of Gods word their abstruse perplexed Speculations before the plaine comfortable saying doctrine of Christ his Prophets and Apostles that if it were possible they might draw in others into the same Condemnation with themselves Of which I thought fit to admonish the Reader that he may beware of their train and avoid the snares which they have craâ—â—ily spread throughout our Israel It being an undoubted truth that to entertain the doctrines of Familisme is to renounc the Christian Faith leave the way to Life everlasting because they are altogether repugnant to and inconsistent with the true estate of a Christian and means of salvation For these Familists have arrived to this height of impudence not to be asham'd to affirm That perfection may be attain'd in this life that there is no Resurrection of the body but what is past already that there is no Judgment to come but that Christ is now at this present upon his Throne and Seat of Judgment within every one judging and condemning the world that there will be no eternal Condemnation Reward or Punishment but that all at last must go into God and as a drop of water falls into the vast Ocean so all must as they dream be swallow'd up and involv'd in th' immense and boundlesse Abysse of Eternity c. From which sad and deadly imaginations the Lord preserve every poor humble penitent soul they being no other than the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 profunditates the depths the profound Profunditates Satanae sunt abditae latentes ejus cogitationes in speciem bonae honestae apparentes quando se in Angelum lucis transformat 2 Cor. 11. 14. Sed cum Paulus dicat se non ignorare profundas illas Satanae cogitationes 2 Cor. 2. 11. simplex erit sensus si profunditates pro sublimioribus quibusdam mysteriis accipiamus Acsi diceret qui non cognoverunt errores illos pestiferos quos ipsi haeretici profunda dei mysteria jactant cum tamen ex Satanae officina prodierint Marl. in loc Adverte non esse hic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut de elatione superbia accipias sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. profunditates quibus versutiae nequitiae diabolicae fraudis intelliguntur Zeger in loc Impostores quales hodie sunt Familistae blasphemias suas vocabant profunditates seu profunda mysteria abstrusam sapientiam longè perfectiorem quam quae ab Apostolis praedicaretur Christus concedit esse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 profunditates sed Satarae à malo Doemone ex Orco inspiratas eoque aversandas exterminandas procul Par. in Apoc. 2. 24. wiles and deep delusions of Satan 12. And yet some of this Generation have had the face to affirm that this excellent Author was of their minde in this matter and thereupon have preferred and commended his writings to their Proselytes as a means to bring them to their principles Whereas on the contrary they might if they would have understood what their woful estate is like to be and what his minde thoughts concerning them were while he ranks them with such as are to be excluded from the holy City and Land of rest for ever writing thus And all those that so poison doctrines of death lifting To the Ch. of Rome p. 37. up their bold and shamelesse voice like Cantibanks in market places avouching the goodnesse and proofs of oyls and ointments which cannot give a foot to the lame nor Eye nnto the blind as Arians Vbiquitists Libertins Familists Coinonists or any such other Antichrists like to these shall be cast out and reap their part with Lyars and Sorcerers whose worm dyeth not whose cry is everlasting and shall not enter into the rest of God for ever nor see his holy City 13. But that these Enemies both of Scripture and reason may have no colour or occasion to alledge Behm myst mag c. 36. n. 15. I speak without book I shall declare the matter in their Rabby's own words as I find them rendred by his Translator who was best acquainted with them The Antichrist saith Behmen who is the Tower of Babel viz. the self will of the Ham-like man domineereth in the Temple of God and there hath set up himselfe in the place of the holy Spirit Sect. 16. He tells us That the temple of God is the formed word of the humane languages and tongues in mans understanding as it is written the word is nigh the namely in thy mouth and heart and the seat and habitation of the opposite adverse Divell is the monstrous property out of the dark world Sect. 17. In this formed word of divine understanding the Antichrist viz. the will of self out of the properties of nature hath set up
that day falleth downe dissolved into water beseecheth him to looke upon his Lord and Redeemer in him and for his sake to cover his fault and offence committed calling him to witnesse unto his poor and dryed soul how that the Sun hath not gone down upon his anger that day and seing the weaknes wherein he dwelleth the power and pride of unrighteousnesse wherein he 's as with a Garment mantled in great and strong teares cryeth unto his God and Father to deliver him from th' Aegypt and wounds of th' enemy that no temptation may lead him to commit evill in his sight And therewithall in quietnesse and sure trust reclineth himselfe upon th' arme of his Heavenly Father knowing in it dwelleth all strength Kingdome and power to save and deliver the soul that putteth trust in him And thus and so prayeth he in forme and manner as his Lord hath taught him Thou watchest and risest early like him that waiteth innocent blood and comming forth bowest thy selfe before the tranâ—gression and abhomination of th'Heathen and not considering the Sunne is darkened openest thy bold and filthy mouth blaspheming his Tabernacles which are in Heaven setting them up as did thy Fathers in the Wildernesse Moloch and Repham gods of Aegypt to grieve th' ears of the Holy Ghost For as betweene God and the sinner there is but one Mediator and Reconciler Jesus Christ the righteous so there is but one onely Advocate and Intercessor betweene God and the beleever namely the Spirit which proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne whose right hand dwelleth in the bosome of the Redeemer and left in th' heart of the beleever and lifting up from hand to other his poore and broken voices pointed with teares placeth them before the Throne of God and giveth them such grace through his presentation that they stand among his holy Angels beholding his face day and night depart not his eye nor memory till all their requests be granted And this is the great and honourable Advocate whose iâ—tercession so farre excelleth in power in worthinesse in grace in glory th' intercession of the mother of Christ his brethren his sisters his Prophets his Apostles his Servants his Saints and Martyrs as is the blood of the Lamb of God more excellent and precious then is the blood of Abel And this is the high and holy one that beareth record with his poore servant which wrote these things and we know that his record is true thereunto bearing witnesse thousand sighes and tears and that it might be confirmed under three the love of God diffused in his heart the Garment dipt in the blood of the Lamb cryeth out unto yee testifying with him these things are true And being compassed with testifiers in number so sufficient in quality so honourable yet have yee not received our witnesse and behold on earth there are none to be found that have or may or shall beare witnesse to the truth but these three alone Murtherers may yee compare your pilgrimages with his behold thou goest from Citie to Citie from one place to another and weariest thy selfe in wayes and labours which no man requireth at thy hands and when they say unto thee Goe into the wildernesse to this or that Hermites Cave there shalt thou see the life and imitation of the Lambe and of his servant John or come to this grave goe to that here at Loretta there at Compostella there shalt thou see the powers of God and of his holy one thou â—not caring noâ— considering they are the commanâ—ements of abhomination that â—itteth in the place â—here he ought not goest beleevest adding to thy â—lasphemy scorne and derision offering to the Highâ—st the labour and stinke of thy feete for the sinne â—f thy soule This man all the dayes of his life are the dayes of his pilgrimage wherein like the childe that beâ—aileth the death of his Mother covered with darke â—nd mourning colours wandreth the desarts of this â—ife in an assured hope one day to come to a Citie â—romised whose walls are made of everlasting stones whose foundation is the strength of God whose towâ—r's his glory And if any voyce say to him goe into â—he wildernesse to this or that Fremites denne there â—halt thou see Christ to these or to those dead bones â—here shalt thou see his works of wonder he abhorâ—eth it for he remembreth the commandement of his Lord. But goe not beleeve not take heed behold I have foreâ—old yee all Murtherers may vee compare your fastings with his Behold thou eatest fish once and twice a weeke to honour God withall Egyptians who hath required this honour at your hands careth he whether thou eate the flesh of fish or the flesh of Beasts hath he not made meat for bellies bellies for meats and shall he not destroy both it and them And knowest thou indeed that which entreth into the belly goeth out into the draught and duâ—st presume t' honour him with either one or other wherefore thus saith the truth the sacrifice and fasts of Hierusalem shall â—ise in judgement against th'offerings and fish-fasts of Babylon and had yee knowne what that Scripture meaneth No man drinking old Wine will straight way commend the new for he saith th' old is better then had ye never condemned the new and true fast t' establish a fast more vile and filthy then was the fast of Pharisies This man all the dayes of his pilgriâ—â—ge are a continuall fast night and day fasteth he his bread is become affliction his wine is turned to trouble because the Bridegroom is taken from him and his Lord whom he loveth so is gone into a farre Country And as concerning meates and bellies this man is taught of God that besides the person of a Christian in which respect all the creatures of God are clean unto him received in godlinesse moderation and thankesgiving he sustaineth the person of a Citizen and knowing his King his Governours or State whereunder he is placed for good and probable causes tending to the peace and maintenance of the many which God especially will have preserved have authority to command and forbid in meates in drinkes in cloath in dayes and such like so eateth so drinketh so weareth so keepeth he as his Prince commandeth giving to his Prince th' obedience that to a Prince belongeth and honoureth his God with th' honour which to God appertaineth Murtherers may ye compare your almes and mercy with his Behold thou devourest the widdow and waterest the seed of adulterie and sayest thou feedest Orphans arrayest thy selfe with the spoile of Kingdomes and nourishest Dragons egges of Serpents and every unclean bird and sayest thou feedest the sonnes of Prophets Foole how canst thou give a drinke of cold water to a Prophet thy selfe being none of the generation of Prophets Balaam doest thou know him that wrote these things or hast thou considered his hunger and his wants as thou regarding passest by like one of the dead and rotten graves of Sodome
are Caesars and unto God the things which are Gods Which many blind and fleshly humours not considering have laboured and brought forth such errour and distraction as we see every where this day Some so drunken with the primacies and prerogatives of Caesar as that they feare not to revile the freedome appertaining to the Kingdome of God Others so headlong carried with a false pretended liberty and freedome of a Christian as that they care not to deny the lawful sword and authority of Caesar so that amongst so many so few from time to time are found that can discerne how Saints are free and yet subject to Caesar But God loveth Sion and hath chosen it for in her is truth without confusion And this is the generation of the counsell and wisedome of God and the true description of all her children which if you understand and doe thereafter then shall you discerne those reprobate times and save your selfe from the visitation to come What man is he that travelling by desart places and seeing the day at his going downe hasteth not to recover his Inne for feare lest the night leave him in distresse Hasten then after the counsell and correction of God whilst yet the day lasteth for behold the night commeth And these are all which I advertise you few as they be and simple as they goe yet if truth deceive me not their right understanding is far finer gold then is your Scepter and much more honourable then your Fathers house And this shall be for a signe that I speake not of my self Behold the Mountain which you fear so much I mean the Beast the Man of sin Lucifer Son of the morning the Horne that hath so many hundred years blaphemed heaven and oppressed earth behold I say tho now he be so great as that the makes the earth to Isai tremble and shake with a word only the very roots of Kingdoms the â—ime hasteth and is at hand â—herein he shall be made so little as neither name nor remnant of him nor son nor sons son shall be found upon the earth For his days are numbred signed and sealed up in the bâ—ok of God and yet seventy and seven days and his number 666. shall be fulfilled And all his Princes his Sorcerers and multitudes of people which now rejoyce and â—lap their hands drunken with the whoredoms and prosperity of Babel shall then lie comfortles and wring their hands as fast for Beltis their God is dead And the death of Babylon shall be the life of Sion but her light may not long endure as testifieth the Prophet and then and in those dayes shall be finished the secret knowne to the Lord alone even the great mystery and redemption of God forespoken of by the Dan. 12. 22. mighty Angel who stood upon Sea and Land and swore by him that liveth for ever and ever That time should be no more And when these things shall come to passe as Revel 10. 6. verily in their appointed time they shall then shal they kâ—ow that in the days of their rebellion there was a voyce of a servant of God heard amongst them 1 T. L. restifie these things with mine owne hand in sober humbleneâ—â—e commending them to your Majestie onely in regard of my duty and for no other reward Give your promotions to those sons of Beor that rise so early â—nd saddle their Asses to post after them for I your servant have bread and water enough thanks be to my God and am therewith as well content as if my Lands were as large as are the royalties of the little bird who possesseth all the fields over which it flyeth Proverb 1. Because ye have despised all my counsell and refused my corrections I will also laugh at your destruction and mock when your feare commeth FINIS BABYLON IS FALLEN OR A Prophesie that had lain hid above two thousand years Foreshewing The rising continuance and fall of the Empire and Supremacie of Rome with all matters of moment that were to come to passe during the reigne of the Emperours and Popes The last being the vanishing of the Germane Empire lately fullfilled The next the dividing of the Kingdome of France by the Sword of Spaine The third that of Spaine by the Sword of other Nations The fourth the destruction of Rome and desolation of her Church in the yeare 1666. The fifth the descending of the Kings of the East and of the whole world unto the battell of the great day of God Almighty The first title was onely Babylon is Fallen with these words of the Prophet For I heard the railings of many and how they watch for my halting saying it may be that he is deceived Jer. 20. 10. LONDON Printed by M. S. 1651. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE ROBERT Lord DEVOREUX Earle of Essex REading of late my Lord a Chapter of Esdras folding up in a mysticall and dark discourse a living Representation of a long time whereof the most is past and some little to come â— thought it no lost labour to take my Pen and unfold the same that therein wee may behold which naturally all desire to see as well the issues of things to come as what is past or now in being and thereafter to qualifie and moderate our hopes and call our troubled thoughts which otherwise run with reins on Neck within the Circle and limitation bounded and drawn from above And finding this Prophesie written by a Man greatly beloved of God and thereto which rare is a Princes Favourite high in grace with a King of Persia I presumed the rather to present this my Labour to your Hon. Lordship as upon whom God hath vouchsafed like great and rare graces ' Tsufficeth that your Honour read it greater favour Esdras seeketh not He Labours not to praise or please which now a dayes finds many friends but to admonish and forewarne which fataly finds none till 't be too late He fears not the Noble and Learned Reprover of supposed Predictions for he hath heard him honour the Prophesies of Holy Writ wherein himselfe hath no less honour gotten then given His other Enemies have wisht me to conceal and tâ— reserve them to a more open hearing But Esdras is at thâ— next leaf my Lord and craves your Honours patience for an Hour BABYLON IS FALLEN ESDRAS 4. Chap. II. Vers 1. Then I saw a Dreame AFter this the Prophet saw a Vision concerning the beginning continuance and fall of th' Empire and supremacie of Rome And this Vision was shewed him in the dayes of Artaxerxes King of Persia About four hundred years before the first stone of Julius Caesar her Empire was laid And behold there arose from the Sea an Eagle And there arose among the Nations the fierce and fearfull Kingdome and Empire of Rome seene in Vision by the Prophet Daniel some few years before Which had twelve fethered wings Wherein should arise and raigne twelve Emperours which should spread their Power like wings
For may Israel dwel safe and the kings of th' East not know it Nay verily they shall arise and Dan. 12. 12. Ezek. 39. come downe like a storme and like a cloud shall cover the earth and compasse round the tents of the Saints and the beloved City till fire descend from God out of Rev. 20. 9. heaven as it is written and devoure them And in those days shall be finished the mistery of God fore-declared to his servants the Prophets and witnessed by the mighty Angel which came down from heaven stood upon the sea and upon the earth and raised up his hand and voice to heaven and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold it is come and it is Rev 10. Ezek. 39. done saith the Lord this is the day whereof I have spoken For the hope of which day the stones of Syon dye day by day tho little â—steeming seven thousand deaths in regard of the precious assurance ingraven in their breasts that they shall then and in that day behold the L. that hath so mercifully gathered them from among the Nations That hath so wonderfully preserved them from the sorcery of Babylon which hath destroyed all the earth That daily leadeth them in and out before the scorners the covetous and foolish wise of this world so prudently and so invisibly that they seeing are not seen and living are not known That hath bestowed on them a thousand treasures more then these so secretly as no man suspecteth but they that have them That hath so surely and fully perswaded them that tho they now goe on their way weeping yet they shall then returne againe with joy and bring their sheafes with them and all the earth shall then know which now is hid how much the Lord their Redeemer loved them and night and day shall praise and magnifie the just judgement and mercy of him that â—ath done all these things for them Which day in due time He that is Highest shall manifest to all He that is Prince and Lord above all who onely hath immortalitie and dwelleth in the light which none can attain unto whom no man ever saw nor can see unto whom be all honour and power everlasting Amen Zach. 2. 7. Save thy selfe O Zion thou that dwellest with the daughter of Babel ANd thus my Lord at length I am come a shoar delivered from a dangerous scopulous sea as any is in all the Ocean of the scripture praying if I have made too bold t' impart my voyage to your Lordship you would be pleased to ascribe it to the common humour of Travailers who cannot chuse but tell what adventures they have passed and what wonders they have seen Strange and long were it to tell your Honour all I saw and I fear in respect of your hours I have been too long to tell so much too much doubtlesse in regard of my Pen which is so sad and so uncourtly as were it not for that naturall engraven Noble courtesie wherewith your Honour is beautified above all comparison your Honour might not endure her plaine and carelesse apparition And thus most humbly commending my service to your Honours disposing take a shorter leave then else I would because I am setting forth to sea againe in hope God willing if bread and water fail me not to discover the Revelation and to make knowne to my gracious Soveraigne Princesse that I also among the rest may be bold to speake though I care not to be known FINIS A BREIFE EXPOSITION OF THE XI XII and XIII Chapters of THE REVELATION WHEREIN MOST OF THE GREATEST MYSTERIES conteined in the whole Book are unfolded The Contents are in the next Page LONDON Printed by M Simmons in Alderse-gate-Street 1651. The Contents of these Three CHAPTERS TH' estate of the Primitive Church before her dispersion The Churches first persecution by the Heathen Emperours The Flight of the Church into the Wildernesse The two Witnesses The rising of Antichrist his seven heads and ten hornes The second Beast and his two hornes The practise of Antichrist and his Clergy against the Church The Image of the Beast The Marke of the Beast The Name and Number of the Beast The End of the Beast and destruction of his City The yeare of th' End of the World discovered by th' Author TO His dread and Soveraigne Lord JAMES the first of England Scotland France and Ireland King c. Grace and Peace HOw many there are most Noble King that have aimed at the unfolding of this divine and hidden Prophecy would require the skill and vertue of a Prophet to refer 'T sufficeth to know they have all left the mark very faire and open for others to hit Wherein howsoever their Zeale by priviledge of charity may find excuse yet their ignorance and errour within these cases â—â— no lesse hurtfull to the Reader then dangerous to the Writer may not find the like grace What I have seen or dreamt I feare not to offer to the censure of time the discoverer of error and Mother of truâ—h appointed from above th' only indubitate touch stone of all divine and Propheticall enterprises And although your Highnesse may doubt of my bold and hardy direction in this dangerous and scopulous sea wherein so many great and learned Pilots have overshot the Cape as one that feareth all Physitians for that he hath fallen into the hands of so many unskillfull yet forasmuch as the Church is sicke and the physick of this prophesie needfull I could not chuse but speak the things I know leaving to your Princely gust to iudge whether the Needle of my Compasse bee truer toucht then theirs And for this prophesie was directed chiefly unto Kings unto a King I have the rather presumed to recommend the same and unto You most noble King before all other whofe fame of wisedome Justice and goodnesse hath advanc'd your name and Scepter higher then any power of greatnesse can doe And although it bee presented by one awaked out of time yet if it may find but litle protection under your gracious favour for a season yeares and age I doubt not will give it aâ—â—â—iration and honour enough 〈◊〉 hope of which grace most humbly I reverence your most Princely hands commending all their labours to the God of Heaven who hath exalted your arme so high and made you so honourable throughout his world CHAP. XI 1. The regenerate Christians only are the Church and heritage of God 3. The residue are outcasts and refused 7. Of the two testifiers and preservers of truth 13. Antichrist killeth them but the Lord restoreth them life againe 15. Great dissention ariseth thereupon the day of judgement is foreshewed VERS 1. And there was given me a reed like unto a mete yard and the Angel that stood by me said Rise and measure the Temple of God and the Altar and them that adore therein AS in a common field a good Surveyor doth measureout
the Lambs but in truth the divels calleth also their lying signes heavenly fires saying So that he made fire to come downe from heaven to the earth in the sight of men not that they were in deed and in truth so but that they seemed so to be in the eyes of men because they were wrought by these vagabond exorcists under a pretended and colourable imitation of the name of the Lord Jesus who of all heavenly powers and fires is the true Lord and soveraigne commander so these Clerks of Antichrist must be sutable in their wickednesse that as their doctrine was opposite to the truth of Christ so their wonders might contrary the power of Christ by a colourable imitation of the miracles of Christ and might be a true and perfect depravation of the same VERS 14. And he seduced the inhabitants on the earth through the signes which were given him to doe in the sight of the Beast saying unto them that dwell on the earth that they should make the image of the Beast which had the stroke of the sword and liveth ANd the Spirit further disclosing the happy successe of these unhappy brokers and slaves of Antichrist touching their mists and miracles foretelleth us that as the first Elias by the miracles of heavenly fire did induce and draw the good unto the feare of God so these imposters of Antichrist by the lure of their false and lying fires should seduce and draw all dunghill and earthly minded men from the feare of God in such sure and devoted sort as that they should perswade them to make the picture and image of the Beasts Religion and to embrace and erect such a Christianisme as should in all points counterfeit and represent the Paganisme of the Dragon attiring and decking Jupiters prophanation with the holy and honourable names of God Jesus Spirit Scriptures Church Sacraments Saints c. like excellent Comedians who deck themselves with Crownes Scepters Purples and representations of Kings when as indeed they are but the idlest and basest of the people And as the Loâ—d commanded his servant Moses to erect such a tabernacle of witnesse here on earth as should be in all points after the idea modell and platforme of that divine and eternall Tabernacle which he saw in the mount so Antichrist Lord of misrule commaâ—ded his propudious Clergie to cause all people nations and Kingdomes to set up such a Christianity as should in all points answer the idea modell and platforme of that prophane and execrable heathenisme wherewith he saw the Gentiles enamoured and hereby so strongly seduced the inhabitants on earth that they verily thought the mystery of iniquiry to be pure and undefiled christianity and that the abomination of desolation forespoken by Daniel the Prophet is the only true ancient Catholique and Apostolique religion teaching them that perish by consenting unto lies that they ought to worship God as the Gentiles did worship Jupiter perswading them that as the Gentiles had their Arae so Christians must have their Altars and as the heathen had their bloody Sacrifices so Christians must have their unbloody sacrifices and offer bread and wine to God as the heathen did to Ceres and Bacchus and as the Pagans had their Pontifex maximus so Christians must have their Pope and as Ethnicks had their Sacerdotes so must Christians have their Priests and as the Gentiles had their Gods and Goddesses so must Christians have their he saints and she saints and as the Dragon had his Pantheon so Antichrist must have his All saints and as theheathen had their idolls so Christians must have their images â— and as the Pagans did consecrate their Temples to idolls so Christians must dedicate their Churches to Saints and as the Ethnicks had their supplications so Christians must have their processions and as the Gentiles had their Lustrations so Christians must have their holy water and as the Dragon in his Church-service had his Cerei so Antichrist in his Church-service must have Candles and as the Dragon had his Acerrae or Thuribles so Antichrist must have his Censors and as the Dragon had his Novendiall sacrifices so must Antichrist have his Masses of Requiem and as the Dragon had his Hecatombes so Antichrist must have his Trentals and as the Dragon had his Colledges Sodalium and Arvalium fratrum so must Antichrist have his Cloisters of Monks and Friers and as the Dragon had his Vestals so Antichrist must have his Nunns and Sanctimonials and as the Dragon did celebrate the birth dayes of his Caesars so Antichrist must solemnize the nativity of his Saints and as the Dragon had his Annals so must Antichrist have his Legends and as the Dragon had his secularia Spectacula to Antichrist must have his Jubilees and as the Dragon had his Bacchanals so Antichrist must have his Carnivals and as the Dragon had his Lupanaries so must Antichrist have his Stewes and as the Dragon had his inchanters so Antichrist must have his Exorcists and as the Dragon had his Asyla so Antichrist must have his Sanctuaries and as the Dragon had his Exequies and Parentals so Antichrist must have his Diriges and his de profundis and as the Dragon had his comitia centuriata so Antichrist must have his Councels oecumenicall and as the Beast had his comitia curiata so Antichrist must have his Councells Provinciall and as the Dragon did divisie his Caesars so must Antichrist Canonize his Saints and as the Dragon enacted civil lawes so Antichrist must enact canon lawes and as the Dragon had his imperiall Rescripts so Antichrist must have his Decretal Epistles and as the Dragon had his Tribunitiall intercessions so Antichrist must have his uncontrollable interdictions and as the Dragon had and used his Proscriptions so Antichrist must have and use his excommunications and as that Beast commanded his heathen to please their goddesse Iuno with Cane vota libens so this Beast commanded Christians to please their God with vowes and as the Dragon had his Triceps Hecate so Antichrist must have his Triple Tiara to signifie his triple pretended jurisdiction and as the Dragon had his Hexaphorom so must Antichrist be carried up and downe briefly as the Dragons Priests did teach the heathen to worship Iupiter as God so Antichrists Clergy must teach their Christians to worship God as Iupiter and look what forme of religion what manner of life the Dragon led the same must Antichrist in his person parallel and maintaine And to the end we may undoubtedly discern what and of whose image the Apostle speaketh the Spirit remembreth now the third time his recured wound which here speaking more plainly out he calleth the stroke of a sword not that it was the only stroke for many swords did pierce the Dragon as his had pierced many but the first stroke of a sword which from the beginning and rising of the Dragons Empire and regiment by Caesars did remeasure the fury of the sword upon his own head and
chair of state as the Spirit noteth saying which had the stroke of the sword and liveth VERS 15. And it was given to him to give spirit to the image of the Beast and that the image of the Beast should speake and should make that whosoever honoured not the image of the Beast be slaine ANd such art and perswasible power was given to those inchanters and apostates of Antichrist that they infused such a quickning spirit such a life giving animation into the Ethnick dead and desolate image of the Dragons religion by guilding it over with the reverend divine and honorable names of God omnipotent Christ Jesus the righteous his holy Spirit his precious blood his sacred word his blessed Sacraments c. that they easily perswaded the blear eyed world to think and beleeve that the execrable forme and image of Jupiters abomination commanded by the Dragon and his Caesars was the very true worship and service of God commanded by the Lamb and his servants and that the picture of Jupiter Olympius which their Lord Epiphanes had set up and placed in Sanctum Sanctorum was the very Ark and propitiâ—tory of God set up and erected by Moses his servant and their abominable mysticall Masse the Sacrifice of an unbloody Messias made of bread of their owne baking which the Patriarks Prophers and Apostles never heard nor dreamed of is a Sacrifice not Eucharisticall but propitiatory and so all sufficient for the atonement and reconciliation of God unto the sinner as if it were figured and sealed in the precious blood of the Lord of the Covenant and that the horrible prophane and detestable supper of Thyestes is the very true holy and comfortable commemoration of the Lords love in giving his life for the children of the Church and their thankfull communion and celebration of the same And by these and such like inchantments these Proctors of Antichrist so baffled and blinded the Princes and Protectors of their synagogues that they inzeal'd them to authorize and erect inquisitions executions and torments against all such as refuse to honour and adore the idol-service and desolation of their Antiochus and that all such as doe but mutter against the magnificence of their Church and her worship which all the world adoreth should be accounted as Infoelix Lolium weeds Lollards Heretiques excommunicates and sonnes of death to the admirable confirmation of the Spirits prediction in this place saying that it was given to him to give such spirit to the image of the Beast that the image of the beast should speake and make that whosoever honoured not the image of the bâ—â—st be slaine VERS 16. And he should make all little and great rich and poore free and bond to have a Character in their right hand or on their fore-heads ANd the power of these prostibulous Clerks was so catholique and universall that they caused all Kingdomes and Nations figured here by a numeration of their estates conditions and callings little great rich poore bond free to confederate and unite themselves by a resolute and determinate purpose of believing and living after the laws and prescriptions of Antichrist which league of voluntary and resolute subjection the Spirit calleth the character of the beast for as unity and love in truth and a resolved purpose to live after the Commandements of God is the Character and cognizance of the Lamb so unity conspiration and banding against the truth with resolution to live after the traditions of Antichrist is the crest and character of the Beast Which profession of obedience was so studiously embraced and with such joy received of all the clients and creatures of Antichâ—ist that the Spirit saâ—th they did no lesse pâ—ide themselves in their errors and abominations then in the wearing of their braceleâ—s and abillements delivering it in manner of speech usuall with holy Scripture when it intendeth to expresse an ardent and hearty affection approved both by word and action by practise and profession as Deut. 6. 8. and 11. 18. where the holy Ghost useth the selfe same phrase in their right hand or on their foreheads VERS 17. And that no man may buy or sell but he that hath the character or the name of the Beast or the number of his name ANd in further proofe that Antichrist and his apostaticall Clergy should drive the Naâ—le of their impâ—ety home to the very head the Spirit saith that by them and meanes of their authority it should be enacted that none should trade or live for so much the inhibition of buying and selling doth inferre but such as acknowledge and adore the prerogative royall religion and discipline of the Beast and his holy Catholique Church for so by a figurative kind of blasphemy she must be called as is confirmed by Antichrist himselfe then named Martin the fift in his Bull directed to the inquisiâ—ors of hereticall pravity for so it pleaseth him to terme the profession of the truth Nec domicilia habeant nec larem foveant nec contractus ineanâ— nec negotiationes mercaturas exerceant nec humanitatis solatia cum Christi fidelibus habeant c. All which their domineering rage or madnesse the holy Ghost by way of prevision most admirably epitomizeth in these words And that no man may buy or sell no one excepted out of the King of Babvlons decree save those onely that carry his signing and flesh-mark in their hands or hearts as Beasts doe in their fells meaning such as under or above boord privately or in publique are obstinately and resolutely devoted to live and dye as the Beast commandeth which the Spirit unfoldeth in saying But he that hath the Character or are oâ—herwise allied as it were by way of cognomination unto Antichrist or his Church Catholique and are hereafter cleped Papists or Catholiques revealed in these words Or the name of the Beast or last of all are sound to adore within the very verge or lists of his reigne and Empire Pontificiall here butted and bounded within the circle and comprehension of these words Or the number of his name of whichmore at large in the verse following VERS 18. Here is wisdome he that hath understanding let him count the number of the Beast for it is the number of a man and his number is six hundred sixty six THe holy Ghost intending to reveale in this verse the secret councell and purpose of God concerning the period and finall end of Antichrist and his Church-dominion prepareth his Reader to attention by a little short Preface intimating that it is the discovery of a mystery and point of high understanding saying Here is wisdome wherein lest we should over-rashly judge as many have done the Spirit maketh choice of his auditors and addeth for a bar not he that will but he that can and hath understanding let him audite and count the number of the Beast He that hath understanding let him count the number of the Beast whom lest we should imagine to be a spirit