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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47362	Antichrist stormed, or, Mystery Babylon the great whore, and great city, proved to be the present Church of Rome wherein all objections are fully answered : to which is added, the time of the end, or a clear explanation of Scripture prophecies, with the judgment of divers learned men concerning the final ruine of the Romish Church, that it will be in this present age : together with an account of the two witnesses, who they are, with their killing, resurrection & ascention : also an examination and confutation of what Mr. Jurieu hath lately written concerning the effusion of the vials ... : likewise a brief review of D. Tho. Goodwins exposition of the 11th chapter of the Revelations, concerning the witnesses, and of that street in which they should lie slain, proving it to be meant of Great Brittain : and a brief collection of divers strange prophecies, some very antient / by Benj. Keach ... ; to which is annext, a short treatise in two parts : 1. The calculation of Scripture numbers by Scripture only, without the help of humane history, 2. Upon the witnesses, giving light to the whole book.	Keach, Benjamin, 1640-1704.	1689 (1689)	Wing K44; ESTC R19009	133,186	254

Great in respect of place or chief residence where this power and great people are seated and by way of eminency as a Mystical City it may indeed well bear the Bell away For what people have given further occasion to be spoken of in respect of power people and place of chief residence throughout the whole world as Rome has as will hereafter be made more evident III. Mystery Babylon is not only a mystica● City and Woman but a bad Woman and City a City of Confusion For so the word Babel or Babylon signifies viz. Evil or Confusion Parallel Rome Papal or Church of Rome is not only a mystical Woman City but a very evil Woman a City indeed of confusion there is the name of the lamb much spoken of but his doctrine contemn'd slighted and under valued and his Laws and Ordinances trample● upon and notoriously violated his institution not regarded nor his example imitated either by the Bishop himself his Cardinals or inferior Orders they having his humility and self-denial only in their mouths but none of it i● their hearts like those the apostle speaketh of who in words profess they know God but in work● deny him For under this verbal and pretended humility lies covered the greatest pride in the world and under this verbal meekness and self-denial the greatest oppression cruelty superstition covetousness vain glory and love of the world that ever was manifest as appears by their pompous and glistering garbs their cruel persecutions and the vast sums of money brought in from all parts of their dominions by sleights cunning and deceitful Cheats Besides a meer hodg-podg of principles one Order or Fraternity professing that which another writes against and cries down which is the more strange to come from a Church infallible and that cannot err Besides the strange mixtures in their visible worship of traditions and humane inventions of lying and diabolical tricks of blessing by a Cross Pardons and Indulgences for money consecrating holy water and cleansing by it which are too numerous and tedious to relate and less needful to mention because so well known to all men And let any people in the Christian world pretending to religion be compared to them for supernumeraries trifling ●nsignificant ceremonies crouded into their pretended worship Nay let all the people in the Christian world be laid in the ballance against the Church of Rome in this respect and they will be found inconceivably wanting for which we have this Reason to ●udge her to be Babylon or the City of confusion If there is more confusion in contrariety of principles practices contradicting pretensions supernumeraries foolish and unscriptur● inventions crouded into their visible worship in the Church of Rome than is to be found amongst any sort of people pretending to Religion in all the world besides then is Rome Papal or the Church of Rome the great Babylon or City of confusion But there is more confusion in the forementioned respects to be found in the Church of Rome than in any other Church or people in the world pretending to Religion Ergo Rome Papal is Mystery Babylon IV. Mystery Babylon is not only set forth 〈◊〉 a Woman and City of Confusion but is also called A WHORE a word which carries in it one of the highest Impeachments yet no other that was given to Israel Judah Jerusalem in the days of old upon the very same reason Isa. 57 3. and 16. 17. and Hos. 4. 8. 5. 3. For they being joyned in covenant with God as a woman is to an husband to be the Lords to serve him in Obedience and Subjection did like to an adulterous Woman break Wedlock and set up other Lovers or Idols in his stead and continued so a long time till a Bill of Divorce w● given and God proclaimed them Adulteresses and that he was not their husband nor they his wife but a whore and divorced Yet it is observable that they tho they worshipped Idols cryed The Temple the Temple of the Lord are we and would by all means be accounted the Church of God. Paral. Even so in like manner Rome Papal or the Church of Rome is not only called a Woman But according to Scripture History and notorious matter of Fact she is a whore having utterly adulterated from what she was once and so may justly bear that brand or black name for in the Apostles time she joined her self to the Lord to be his by firm tyes of a Gospel covenant and profession and as a renowned Spouse of Jesus Christ owned and professed him in the time of heathenish Rome and received the Apostles and Servants of God amongst them and withstood the fury of the Emperors suffering Persecution and had their faith spoken of throughout the whole World but yet after all this like Israel of old She left God Jesus Christ and almost all his Holy Laws and Ordinances and made Idols to her self of Saints Angels Reliques and Images upon which she doted and forsook the Son of God upon the working and appearance of the vile person or man of Sin who exalted himself into the place of Christ and became her head by which means she is so far degenerated from what she once was that she retains nothing of what really appertains to true godliness but the bare names of God Christ and Christian Religion having corrupted the true worship of the Son of God her first Husband and notoriously abandoned obedience and subjection to him taking this vile person the Pope to be her head and chief guide and setting him up in the place of and in dignity above Christ her first head and only guide of her youth and yet like Israel of old still cryes The true Church the Holy Catholick Church and Mother Church are we having on her forehead a strange mystery written i. e. God Christ Truth Verity Unity Universality Infallibility And yet with that on her forehead and in her heart too is written Devil Pope Lying Blasphemy Idolatry Deceit Perjury Blood and Horrible Cruelty towards the best of men professing Christ and Religion in uprightness and truth for which her abominable Idolatry and change of her first Head and Husband and setting up this vile Person with which she commits most horrid lewdness or Spiritual Whoredom together with the Kings of the Earth she is ranked by the Holy Ghost amongst the worst of Women and stil'd the great Whore and as her type and predecessor of old a well favoured Harlot but since her Spiritual Adultery and Whoredom hath been so apparently proved upon her by many worthy and eminent authors or Protestant Writers we shall conclude this black character with this following Argument and proceed to the next mark If there be no body of professing People in the Christian World that have so apparently declined or adulterated from what they once were deserting the holy headship doctrine example and right government of Jesus Christ having set up another visible publick and universal head

Patent 3. In his progress to the height of his dignity by leaving his fixed station as pastor of a Church and by Deceit Treason and Violation of all Laws mounts the Throne of imperial grandure 4. He rules by a supreme ecclesiastical power as well as temporal pretends to the Keys of Heaven as well as the Sword of Justice on Earth shewing himself to be the Beast that hath two Horns like a Lamb spoken of Rev. 13. 11. 9. This little Horn hath so many marks upon him that they are too numerous to handle distinctly after our usual methods and therfore we shall put the remaining part into a General rank and conclude this subject The Pope of Rome hath so many marks or characters upon him that are too numerous to be handled distinctly in a little room and therefore we shall but touch upon them so far as they shew the Text made good and form an Idea of truth in the minds of men 1. He must change times and laws 2. Continue a long a space of time 3. He is a vile person 4. Had not the honour he hath fairly given him either by God or man but gained it by flattery 5. Removed the proceeding by the Arms of a flood 6. He became strong by a small people 7. He shall have power over the fattest places of the Provinces and there scatter his Riches 8. Such as do wickedly against Religion he shall accept 9 Under him the Saints fall by captivity and spoil by sword and flame many days 10. Shall do according to his own Will not accounting himself tied to any Laws 11. He shall exalt himself above every God and speak marvellous things against the God of Gods. 12. Shall not regard the God of his ancestors 13. Nor the desire of Wedlock 14 Nor any God in a pious way 15. Shall give honour to them that have armed forces 16. Shall own a strange God with splendid Ceremonies Dan. 11. 38. 1. The Pope of Rome hath changed times and laws in two respects 1. He hath set up and pluckt down Kings which is called a Changing of times and seasons Dan. 2. 21. 2. He has made strange alterations of the Laws Orders and Institutions used in the Church in respect of Officers administrations of Sacraments and celebration of days 2. Hath continued above twelve hundred years 3. He is as vile a person as any in the World tolerates all kind of wickedness by his Dispensations Pardons c. 4. Had his exaltation neither by Inheritance lawful conquest nor rightful gift from rightful donators 5. He had the help of Phocas to kill the Emperor Mauritius and by the help of Gothes and Vandals enlarged his power 6. Became strong by a small People having only a declining Church and apostate Christians to assist him 7. He hath power over Italy which is reputed to be the Garden of Europe c. 8. He accepted entertained and encouraged the people of any nation that would turn wicked and sacrifice all Prety and Religion to serve his Interest 9. Under him the Saints have fallen by flames captivity and spoil many days 10. He hath done according to his own will and doth not look upon any Laws to be obligatory to him either from God or men 11. He the Pope hath exalted himself above every God that is such that are so accounted amongst men or Gods on Earth by excommunicating deposing treading upon their Necks and kicking off their Crowns by his Blasphemous Edicts and Injunctions he exalts himself above God himself and his written Laws c 12. He doth not regard the God of his Ancestors either the Idols of the Emperors or the God of the good Bishops that went before him 13. He hath been remote from the desire of Women in a lawful way nay and frights his Clergy from it too who are made uncapable of Spiritual promotion and censured as heinous transgressors if married 14. He hath not regarded in a pious way any God for tho' he doth name the true God often and in words profess him yet in works he doth defie him and profane his holy name 15. He gives honour to them who have armed Forces and lends them assistance to carry on his black diabolical designs 16. He hath owned a strange God a mark compleatly made up in the Mass which is adored with splendid Ceremonies 17. The people of the Saints 't is said shall take away his power to consume and destroy it to the end i. e. the Lords people in their representatives shall take away the Papal power c. and is it not done in part already here in England upon all we may frame this Argument If all these characters meet no where so clear and evident as upon the Pope of Rome then the Pope of Rome is the little Horn and vile person set forth in the Book of Daniel But all the aforesaid characters meet no where so clear and evident as upon the Pope of Rome c. Therefore the Pope is that little Horn. CHAP. V. Shewing that the Prophecies of our Saviour in Mat. 13. 15. Also that of Paul Acts 20. 29. and 1 Tim. 4. and 2 Thes. 2. 3. Concerning false Prophets and grievous Wolves as also of the Man of Sin may and ought to be applied to the Pope and Church of Rome FIrst The Lord Jesus foretold that Enemies should come in his name and deceive many and that they should appear in Sheeps clothing and under that Vizard hide their devouring Teeth see his words Mat. 13. 15. Beware of false Prophets which come to you in Sheeps clothing but inwardly are ravening Wolves that is have a design to destroy Now 't is most evident that the Popes of Rome and their long Succession have thus especially at first appeared i e. in Sheeps clothing covering their hellish designs under the name of Christ Vicar of Christ an Apostolical Bishop c. the true Church holy Church and Christian Religion but with an intent hereby to deceive for all their pretences of Jesus Christ's being the truth Christ hath been but as a Vizard to hide their wolvish nature and devouring teeth for whilst they under the notion of Christianity hide themselves they have carried on most pernicious and destructive designs and that in these three respects following viz. 1. If there have appeared any Kings or Queens in the Christian World that have been piously inclined they have forth with endeavoured to pervert them by their Diabolical Doctrine oft destroying them with their holy Poyson 2. If any Ministers or Men of Parts and Piety have risen up to set forth Gods holy truth and so bless the dark World with Gospel Light and Saving Doctrine they have either choaked them with Gifts and Preferments or affrighted them by dreadful fears or by a ravenous thirsting after their Blood and have most wickedly and treacherously destroyed their lives by cruel torments 3. If collective Bodies of pious Congregations of Saints or good Men

opinion was that Worthy and Learned Divine Mr. John Canne and some others time will open these things more clearly but I am perswaded whensoever those Vials and last Plagues come to be poured out Gods Judgments will be so manifest that they will be discerned and known of all and be quite different from all other Judgments that have fallen upon the Antichristian State and people from their first rise But since we are in the Judgment of all Godly and Learned men come towards the end of the wonders let none be discouraged for though there is very near a most dismal hour yet it will doubtless fall upon the heads of the wicked and such who are of Baby lons Race and Spirit the Godly shall see the Lord hath not forgotten them nor the righteous Blood that has been shed but will appear suddenly to plead Sion's controversie and set up his own Kingdom therefore let us be much in prayer and cry mightily to God and be ready to meet the Lord in his more glorious appearance for we are very confident a very dreadful hour is near and it will come upon carnal secure and all formal Protestants nay fear shall surprize the sinners in Sion tho' it will be a glorious hour to all that are found faithful to Jesus Christ I desire all enquiring persons to weigh well what we have said in the latter part of this Treatise and if it affords any further light to any of them let them bless God I am in hopes it will put many upon a further search into the Prophesies of the Scripture about the time of the end However I sha'l at present say no more but leave it to the blessing of the Lord till I see a little further what God is about to do and at present take my leave of thee and remain thy Servant in the Gospel Benj. Keach THE CONTENTS CHap. 1. Various Opinions concerning Mystery Babylon 1. Not the World of wicked men 2. Not old Chaldea Babylon 3. Not Jerusalem 4. Not the Turks and Saracens 5. Not Rome Heathen 6. Not Rome towards the end of the World after some Papists say Rome shall Apostatize to Paganism again 7. By Mystery Babylon is meant the present Papal or Romish Church proved from p. 4. to p. 38. Ch. 2. Proving all the marks that the Scripture gives of Mystery Babylon meet directly in Papal Rome from p. 39. to p. 102. Ch. 3. Literal Babylon a Type of Mystery Babylon shewed in 12 particulars from p. 103. to p. 116. Ch. 4. Shewing the little Horn Dan. 7. to mean the Pope in 10 particulars from p. 117. to p. 127. Ch. 5. Proving that our Saviour in Mat. 13. 15. and St. Paul in Acts 20. 29. and 1 Tim. 4. 2 Thes. 2. 3. pointed out the Papal Church from p. 128. to p. 135. Ch. 6. Shewing the Judgment of divers Eminent Writers concerning who the two Witnesses are and who not p. 136. That they have been lately slain and are risen or about to rise p. 140 141. What the Ascention of the two Witnesses are and that 't is near p. 145. Ch. 7. Where is shewed the Judgment of many English Writers about the seven Vials with an Answer to Mr. Peter Jurieu who has lately asserted in his Treatise that they are all poured out Proving by many Arguments that there is none of them as yet poured out nor will till the seventh Angel blows his Trumpet from p. 153. That England is the Street of the great City where the Witnesses were to be slain or lye dead p. 182 183 c. The Kingdom of Christ begins at the Earthquake or at the beginning of sounding of the seventh Trumpee and that 't is at the door p. 186 187 188. Divers strange Prophesies p. 188 189. Postscript Wherein you have the substance of what a late nameless great French Writer has said in Answer to Mr. Jurieu about the Non-effusion of the Vials p. 193. Antichrist stormed Or Mystery Babylon the great Whore and great City proved to be the present Church of Rome or Papal Hierarchy CHAP. I. Wherein the various Opinions concerning Mystery Babylon are discovered and all their Objections Answered who deny by her is meant the Papal Power or present State and Church of Rome 'T IS evident to all who are men of any Reading that most of our Eminent Protestant Writers both Ancient and Modern do affirm without the least doubt that the Church of Rome is the great Whore spoken of Rev. 17. called Mystery Babylon yet we find that most worthy men who have of latter times so well defended the truths of the Gospel in opposition to Popery have not so much bent their Study this way I mean directly to prove that which is our present task as it hath been to detect divers or most of her erroneous principles and detestable practices which is rather to Lop off some of the Branches of this Evil and Cursed Tree than to Dig it up by the Root for if it be clearly proved that she is that great Whore viz. Mystery Babylon the great Mother of Harlots down she goes at once and if we have not done it so effectually as it may be desired yet we are in hope wherein we have been defective it may stir up some abler Pen to perfect what we have anew undertaken But to proceed for the more orderly management of our present work it may not be amiss if we give you the various opinions that have more or less presented themselves to the World about who or what People this great Whore Mystery Babylon is which may be reduced to these seven following heads 1. And first of all as Reverent Mr. Pool observes some would have it to be the whole World of Wicked men 2. Others would have this Woman ●or this Babylon to be old Chaldean Babylon 3. That it is Jerusalem and that for two Reasons 1. Because the man of Sin or last Beast that is to Head this Babylon is set forth by St. Paul to sit in the Temple of God shewing himself to be God. 2. Because this City where the Beast reigns and shall slay the Witnesses is Spiritually called Sodom and Egypt where our Lord was Crucified Rev. 11. 8. 4. That it is the Turkish Empire or Power of the Saracens which Mr. Mede somewhat touches and in a brief way most Learnedly argues against in his third Book pag. 644 645. 5. That it is indeed Rome the Seat of the Fourth or Last Empire but Rome in its Heathen state under the Idolatrous and Persecuting Emperors so the Rhemists would have it if there be a necessity to fix upon Rome to be this Apocalyptical or Mystery Babylon For this opinion the present Romanists have no better Advocate than Dr. Hammond who hath done very worthily at other turns but here has doubtless greatly mistaken his way see his Annotations upon the 17th Chapter of the Apocalypse 6. That it is the present power Church of Rome who under

he could have been made of the rage of the Croisades In all Languages and in all sorts of stile a Sea of Blood Rivers of Blood streams of Blood signify a very great slaughter Now the proper character of the Croisades is slaughter Murther which falls not upon the head of the Antichristian Empire but upon the people all was turned into Blood. Never was there such a prodigious effusion of Blood in the Sea i. e. among the peoples in the first Croisade there died more than 2 Millions of men in 3 or 4 years 't is evident that God did lead these wretched creatures as it were to the shambles that they should find the punishment of their crimes he took so great a quantity of Blood that he might cure the Ulcers of Christendom for that he might purge it of that vast rabble he permitted the Devil to inspire them either with such sottish superstition or an extravagant ambition that they must go and deliver the Holy-land or go and conquer Kingdoms in the East this Plague lighted only on the Sea not at all on the dry land upon the subjects of the Popedom not at all upon the Popes On the contrary the Popes Improve that evasion to greaten their power to plunder whole Countreys to make Generals of Armies to act as soveraign Monarchs and to lay a heavyer yoke upon Kings whom they ordered to march and sent them as their slaves into the East and during their absence plundered their Kingdoms We must not saith he imagine that all the Plagues laid down by St. John must tend to the ruin of the See of Rome or to the diminution of its power for some are to light upon the head of that Empire to crush it others upon the people to punish them because they worship the Beast the Plague of Blood and Slaughter is for the people This Plague of Croisades saith he is divided into two Plagues because of its long duration for it lasted 200 years from the end of the eleventh age until the end of the thirteenth this he Judges the time of the 2d Vial and Plague The third Vial or Plague fell upon the Rivers or lesser Waters which he fixes upon some particular nations as of France under the conduct of St. Lewis The fourth Vial poured out on the Sun 't is known and confessed saith he of all who know any thing of Prophecies Dreams and Visions that the Heavens the Sun the Constellations and the Stars are Emblems of Dignity and Grandeur on Earth c. The Sun does always signify the Soveraign the Stars inferiors Magistrates and so by the Sun under the 6th Seal 't is always understood the fall of the Pagan Empire that the Antichristian Kingdom is treated of here saith he is generally agreed to therefore it cannot be doubted that the Sun is the Soveraign of this Kingdom And he fixes upon the increase of Antichrists authority and power in the thirteenth and fourteenth Centuries to be meant hereby when the Sun by his excessive scorching heat i. e. the Pope by his usurpt authority tyrannized over Kings and Emperors p. 89. deposing and taking away their Crowns c. The fifth Vial and Plague poured on the feat of the Beast he affirms with other Writers to mean the City of Rome and when was it that this Vial of Gods wrath fell upon the seat of the Beast i. e. Rome it was saith he when Rome lost its Sun which is spoken of in the foregoing Plague i. e. the Pope the Papal Court that like a Gulf or Whirl-pool drew to it all the riches of the Kingdoms of Europe In the year 1305. Clement the V. left Rome to go to Avignon the City that was Mistress of the World then became desolate when its Masters kept their seat at Avignon p. 94. The sixth Vial and Plague he affirms are the Turks who pass over the Bosphorus and invade the Greek and Latin Empires at this I can't a little wonder because most expositors conclude and I think with good reason that the rise and increase of the Turkish Monarchy began under the sixth Trumpet and not only so but because 't is said the Angel poured forth his Vial upon the great River Euphrates and mark the Water thereof was dryed up c. which seems to intimate the decay and wasting of the Turkish power and not the increase of it but he would have us understand the Kings of the East to mean the Turks and not Euphrates p. 200 201. the time that this Vial was a pouring forth he says was about 125 or 130 years viz. from 1390. until 1526. by this he must believe the Battel of Arma-geddon is long since past which he runs into a mystery by shewing that Arma-geddon signifies a cutting off by a Curse or Excommunication which he applys to the Orders Laws and false Oracles of the Popedom and the Antichristian head there is saith he 't is known a Curse and a Arma-geddon at the end of every Canon The seventh Vial and Plague he affirms was by the Preaching of Luther and other reformers by which the Latin Church was divided into three parts Papists Lutherans and Reformed I suppose he means the Calvinists the Voices and Thunders and Lightnings that are said to be under the seventh Vial mean he says the Voices of Preachers who labour'd in the reforming the Church page 217. The great City he affirms is the Antichristian Kingdom and this City under the pouring forth of the seventh Vial is said to be divided into three parts this he says is exactly come to pass i. e. one part remained with Antichrist one part did separate from him under the name of the Ausburge confession A third part did separate under the confession of those who are barely stiled the Reformed Sweden Denmark and a great part of Germany make the second part England and the united Provinces the reformed part of France and part of Germany make the third part these saith he are the three grand parts that divide the western Church which is the great City Let this be attentively minded saith he for I affirm that this passage does as it were speak with a Tongue is able alone to convince that our Systeme of the seven Plagues is most undoubted truth this division of the great City into three parts so clearly points out the three communions of the Latin Church that to deny it can proceed only from unreasonable passion and opinionativeness And if we have hit upon the truth in this point we have done so in all for if this character of the seventh Plague is true and is already accomplisht all other Plagues are also accomplisht and if they are accomplished I do boldly affirm they cannot be applied to any other effects than those to which we have applied them He further shews that England cannot make a fourth part because in doctrine she agrees with other reformed communions in which she differs from the Lutherans p. 220. who

those who worship the Beast and his Image and not upon the Beast himself and false Prophet To which our worthy Author replies that it is Impossible that an Empire should be smitten with Plagues and Judgments of God in order to its being weakned and impaired and that its head and Soveraign should in the mean time no ways suffer to which I might add but contrarywise great strength thereby the union saith he that is between the head and the members is wholly inconsistent with any such a notion whensoever the body is very sick the head is in a very ill condition and this holds more truly in reference to a Political body than to the body Natural whereas 't is a Spiritual Empire viz. Antichristianism the Judgments that are to be executed upon it are to be Physical and Penal evils which as punishments are to weaken and subvert it the Judgments of God against an Empire whose criminalness from the very nature of it lies in its Errors i. e. Idolatry Tyranny c. which comprehends in them the corruption of manners cannot consist in evils of offence but the first 4 Vials according to Jurieu import evils of crime not of punishment do strengthen and advance the Empire or Papistry in all that is essential to it instead of depressing and enfeebling it for it never had so great power and Splendor as it enjoyed from the 10th to the 14th Century and that is the time according to Mr. Jurieu for the effusion of the 1st 4 Vials never man was certainly more mistaken our author proceeds and confutes Jurieu as fully in respect of what he affirms to be the effects of the other 3 Vials which I have not room to insert p. 17. In p. 24. our Author confesseth that Luthers reformation was a Judgment of God upon the Papal Kingdom yet not the effects of the 5th Vial according to Mr. Jurieu nor the 1st Vial according to some of our English Writers for he withal says that it was an effect of the 6th Trumpet which continueth to represent the War of Antichrist against the Church of God till then Antichrist had been always victorious against the Saints for more than a 1000 years but then came to receive a disaster now this misfortune befel the Papal Empire saith he under the sixth Trumpet which being the last save one was the season that the War was hastning to an end and that the last Trumpet was about to sound under which this War will both actually end and all the Vials come to be poured forth but the damage which the reformation hath done the Papal Kingdom tho' it hath dismembred it is only a beginning of its sorrows and is but an effect of the War which was to continue 42 months during the time of all the six Trumpets and which shall be finished thro' the effusion of the Vials under the 7th Trumpet to which let me add what greater reason have our English Writers to fix the pouring forth of the 1st Vial about the time of Luther's reformation wrought by his preaching above others who go as high as Waldo nay with Jurieu to the tenth age since there was some worthy men in every Century that bare a brave testimony against the Papal Idolatry and wounded the Papistry very sorely tho' 't is granted not to such a degree as in the last age Besides what reason is there to conclude the Harvest of Gods wrath is come till 't is fully ripe and why should we conclude it will be fully ripe till the 42 months are expired which seems to be the set time of cutting down I do conclude the slaying of the Witnesses of Christ quite fills up their measure and so makes way for the 7th Trumpet and Harvest of Gods wrath when the measure of the Churches afflictions shall come to their height and the Beast will have filled up his number and measure of wrath against Gods people then will the time of Gods fury break forth which will be as he observes when the 6 Trumpets cease sounding and the seven Vials which are the seven Plagues shall arrive and begin to take place against the Papacy and against Mahometism 't is saith he for this reason that 't is said by the seven last Plagues which are the Vials the wrath of God is finished from whence it followeth that the Vials are not contemporary with the sixth Trumpet and that it is not the sixth Trumpet that is subdivided into the seven Vials but that this subdivision is to be assigned to the seventh Trumpet the sixth as well as the five preceding speaketh nothing save War against the Church of God so long as it lasts Antichrist abates nothing of his fury but constantly makes the same Efforts for the oppressing of the Truth and such who do profess it But as soon as the seventh Angel comes to sound the case will be quite altered the Wrath of God will break forth and the Vials empty themselves And this is the reason why the Vials are called the seven last Plagues by which the Wrath of God is fulfilled Lastly He shews us that the seven Vials or last Plagues do manifestly allude to the Plagues of Egypt because they are called Plagues as well as Vials and are also poured out upon Spiritual Egypt and seeing saith he the Plagues of Egypt did take up but a short space of time we may not allot years nay may be saith he not allow months for the Execution of all the Egyptian Plagues why then should it seem strange that all the Vials should be poured out within the space of fifteen or eighteen years The third woe cometh quickly under which all the seven last Plagues shall be poured out which signifieth that all the Plagues shall be poured out saith he close upon one another in this he so agrees with what Mr. Canne hath written upon the same account directly let us remember that there is no natural Agent which acteth with the rapidity that fire doth our God is a consuming fire and 't is a terrible thing to fall into his hands the fire of Gods wrath will burn doubtless when it begins to seize upon the combustible matter of the Antichristian state with great fury God will make a short riddance of his Enemies the second woe is past and behold the third woe cometh quickly Rev. 11. 14. We are to observe saith he that this is not said in prediction of the two first woes all that is said of them they shall come but this quickly is not added save in the prediction of the third woe When we may conclude that the seventh Trumpet shall immediately follow the Resurrection of the Witnesses whose death as it fell out in 1685 so their Resurrection shall ensue within three years and a half in this he agrees directly with Jurieu it will be well if they do not both prove mistaken However there is no doubt but we are near the time of the end and I hope the Witnesses

are risen or suddenly here in Great Britain will rise Bone methinks is coming to his Bone or already have not we seen of late a day like that spoken of Ezek. 36. 7 8. A noise like that of shaking and the Bones came together Bone to his Bone and Sinews and Flesh coming upon them and is not Breath come into them and do they not begin to live is not their hopes revived and are they not up upon their feet They ●ay be a very great Army in due time Look about you O ye Saints what is your expectations are ye ignorant of the sign● of the times and willingly ignorant do you not look for great things or are ye still as men that dream know ye assuredly that the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ is near nor let none perswade you there is no greater glory nor different Kingdom state approaching than what hath been since the Resurrection and Ascention of Christ for 't is not till the ending or the latter end of the fourth Monarchy that the God of Heaven will set up his Kingdom in the glory of it when the knowledge of the glory of the Lord shall fill the Earth as the waters cover the Seas all the Kingdoms under the whole Heavens shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most High. Dan. 7 Look suddenly for a fearful and an amazing Earthquake for it will come it cann't be far off and it will be such a dispensation that England has not known it will be the time of Jacob ' s trouble but he shall be saved out of it woe to the Earth to the wicked to those who have had a hand in the slaying the Witnesses who are Enemies to the power of godliness who strive to keep up an Antichristian state their day is near and the time they must be judged God will now turn his hand upon his Enemies his wrath is come and the day in which he will plead the Controversie of Sion the Decree is gone forth and it cannot be reversed watch and pray take heed you are not found in the Earthly Spirit for if you are you will be shaken in pieces and full with the Enemy and rise no more yet I doubt not but the Enemy will strive kick and struggle exceedingly like a Beast that has received its deaths wound just as they go off the Stage and somewhat like this methinks we plainly see at this very time But tho' the work may seem to be obstructed yet I doubt not but it will revive again and in due time prosper and be accomplished The Mystical Numbers in Daniel and the Revelations calculated by the H. Scriptures only without the help of Humane History By a worthy Minister of the Gospel GOD having given the Scriptures to his Church 2 Tim. 3. 16. for her use and benefit here on Earth so the Times Numbers part thereof have are and will be of use to her Therefore the Angel Dan. 10. 21. for the opening the Vision and the confirmation of his Faith in the Will of God revealed therein v. 14. concerning his Church and what should befal her for times to come here on Earth tells him that he would shew him what was noted in the Scriptures of truth And although this part of the Word hath been most hard to be understood yet besides that common advantage to our Faith that the times are set by God not only in his own Eternal purpose but his revealed Will which is a good Foundation of Faith to believe and expect accordingly the more particular knowledge of them as truly opened must be of special use and help to our Faith both to prepare for suffering and expect deliverance With what diligence then should we with unbiassed minds make our applications to him that is the Revealer of secrets An Essay towards which followeth First I premise there is as sweet a Harmony in this part of the Word as in any other Secondly That this harmony and the right understanding of the Times set is to be found out in the Scriptures them selves The first number I shall begin with is that great number of 2300 days a day for a year as is usual in Scripture Dan. 8. 14. Which I conceive includes all the lesser in Daniel and the Revelations all of them being but parts of this God in his wisdom having so divided this number according to the several Circumstances of Providence the Church was to come under I conceive this number of 2300 was headed or doth take its beginning from the year God translated the Babylonian Monarchy to the Medes and Persians which was the third and last of Belshazzar's Reign who was also the last of the Babylonian Kings 1. Because I find no times set in Scripture to begin before they are given forth tho' several a great while after 2. The Question Dan. 8. 13. is How long is the Vision to give both the Sanctuary and the Host to be trodden under foot and the answer is to 2300 days So that time relates to the suffering of the Church then to come 3. Daniel chap. 8. 1. dates it in the Third of Belshazzar in the year he saw the Vision tho' when he saw it he was in Shushan a chief City in the Province of Elam which is in Persia. Daniel was in Babylon call'd to Expound the Hand-writing when the City was taken chap. 5. 13 30. But when Darius the Median had taken Babylon and had so inlarged his Dominions by the Kingdom of Babylon he for the better Government of the whole Dan. 6. 1 2. set over the Affairs of the Kingdom 120 Princes and three Presidents over them of which he made Daniel chief so that there is great reason why he should be in the Royal City Shushan But this falling out in the third of Belshazzars Reign that he lost his Kingdom Daniel dates the Vision that year tho' he was in Persia when he saw it God chap. 7. and in the first of Belshazzar's Reign shewed in Vision unto Daniel under the representation of four Beasts the four Monarchies which should rule in those parts of the World where his Church then was and was to be in after times during all her suffering state till Christs Kingdom on Earth was to come Dan. 7. 27 28. God having before shewed by Jeremiah chap. 25. 11. the sufferings of his Church under the first of these for 70 years The ending of that Monarchy and the 70 years was to be together in the self-same year which was also to fall out in the Reign of Nebuchadnezzar's Grandson Jer. 27. 7. which was this Belshazzar Now in the last of this Belshazzar and the first of the Medes and Persians God shews to Daniel how long the Church was to suffer under the three that were to succeed and 't was to be for 2300 years longer before the Churches deliverance was to be compleated and Peace and Righteousness established in the Earth under the blessed

not of him afterward For Ezra who came up the seventh of Artaxerxes and Nebemiah who came the twentieth of his Reign both Governed and set things in Order themselves according to the Commissions they had And what Ezra writes of Zerubbabel is but Historical of things past and done But if this be not right they that go by History must be much more out who make the time between Cyrus his decree and the sixth of Darius his Reign in which it was finished to be at least a hundred twenty four or six which is almost double seventy Obj. 3. is about the one and twenty days Dan. 10. 13. Some reckon it in the time of Cambyses Reign and so part of the time of the interruption upon the work after the Foundation was laid but this could not be For Daniel lived but to the first of Cyrus absolute Government Dan. 1. v. last He prospered all the Reign of Darius Dan. 6. 28. and in the Reign of Cyrus that is to the first of his absolute Government and then dies For he came not out of Captivity which doubtless he had done if he had lived being a man whose heart was set upon the work of God and the good of his Church Others take it to be the one and twenty natural days of Daniels fasting as v. 2. But this cannot be because the holy Spirit that we might not be misled reckons them twice by weeks of daies as v. 2. 3. That we might not take them for the time after v. 13. Of one and twenty days as usual in Scripture a day for a year And in what sense can we suppose that the Prince of the Kingdom of Persia could withstand an answer from God of Daniels prayer when the Angel tells him that from the first day he set his heart to understand c. he was heard v. 12. Therefore to conclude what Persons Histories say did Reign which the Scripture knows nothing of or the time they say they did Reign is nothing to me For I cannot think that God in his Word would have been so distinct and particular in the persons Reigning and their time had it not been for a guide to us to calculate by Therefore let others go by what Rule they please I desire to abide by that word which I know is a sure word of Prophesy and cannot deceive any that have the mind of God in it An Essay towards the understanding the Time set in the Scriptures respecting the Witnesses left in the Word for the Use and Benefit of the Church AND First why two Witnesses First Either because the Scriptures tell us That in the Mouth of two or three Witnesses every thing shall be established Two are sufficient and less cannot holding forth this truth to us That let God's faithful Servants be never so much reduced as to their number yet he hath not left himself without sufficient Witness in this World. Or Secondly To signifie unto us the greatness of that Apostacy that should be from the truth of which the false Church should be composed the whole Earth wondring after the Beast and that but few comparatively should be found faithful in the time of the Holy Cities being trodden under footby the Gentiles Or Thirdly Signifying to us That as the Church at the time of Christ's coming was but one National Church therefore represented by one Candlestick Zech. 4. 2. Now under the Gospel the true Church of God the Mystical Body of Christ her Head consists of several visible Churches and therefore is represented by two Candlesticks Rev. 11. 4. Secondly Who those Witnesses are Ans. Leaving them to their own thoughts who take them to be either the two Testaments or Magistracy and Ministry or two particular Persons I conceive them to be the faithful people of God that have obtained Grace to hold the truth of Christ in all Ages in a faithful adherence to him under all the Apostacies that have been made from them and Oppositions that have been made by them that have Apostatized from them that have not loved their Lives unto the death for the Love they have had to Christ and his Gospel Thirdly The time of their Prophesie is set down Rev. 11. 3. and is 1260 days that is so many years which time is contemporary with the Gentiles treading under foot the Holy City for forty two Months Now although in forty two full Months there are more days by about eighteen than 1260 yet the Text seems to give us to understand that these times shall begin and end together though thus differently reckoned the one by the Sun the other by the Moon as may more fully appear in the next consideration of their work Fourthly Their work is implied in the name given them they are called Witnesses To make a Person a true Witness he must have a full knowledge of what he says or testifies 1 John 1. 1 2 3. Therefore they are Gods Children here intended that have experienced the things they testifie unto so the matter of their Testimony is that Act. 1. 8. to testifie to Christ his Person and Offices the alone Mediator as revealed opened and held forth in the Gospel which is that upon which the true Church of God is Built Eph. 2. 19 20 c. And which is the Temple not given to the Gentiles whilst the Court and Holy City is given to them to tread under foot forty two Months all which time the Witnesses here intended are to Prophesie and Testifie to those truths that others under a name and profession of Christ Apostatized from and intruded their false Doctrines and Corruptions instead of the truths and true worship of God Acts 20. 28 29 30. 2 Thes. 2. 1 2 3 12. c. 1 Tim. 4. 1 2 3. c. 2 Tim. 3. 1 2 3 4 5. 1 Pet. 3. the whole chapter 2 Pet. 2. the whole chapter the Epistle of Jude all are Prophetical of great Apostacies that would be from the Truths and Purity of the Gospel Now I say the work of the Witnesses is to stand up for the defence of the Gospel and they shall do so for 1260 years together and then they are slain and lye dead for three days and a half that is three years and a half then the Spirit of life from God shall come upon them Fifthly Their finishing their Testimony this must either respect their Testimony it self or the time allotted to them that is the 1260 years I conceive the first is intended for after or when they are upon the finishing it there is a fresh War made upon them in which they that make the War upon them prevail so as to overcome them and kill them and then they lye dead for three years and ½ now how long time this shall take up is not said And if the holy Spirit who had been so exact in setting down the time of 1260 years of their Prophesy and the three days and ½ of their lying dead had omitted