which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt where also our Lord was crucified V. 9. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three dayes and a half and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put into graves V. 10. And they that dwell upon the Earth shall rejoyce over them and make merry and send gifts one to another because these two Prophets tormented them that dwelt upon the Earth V. 11. And after three days and an half the spirit of life from God entred into them and they stood upon their feet and great fear fell upon them which saw them V. 12. And they heard a great voyce from heaven saying unto them Come up hither and they ascended up to heaven in a cloud and their enemies beheld them V. 13. And the same hour was there a great earthquake and the tenth part of the City fell and in the earth-quake were slain of men seven thousand and the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to God. The Witnesses who prophecy cloathed in sackcloth are the faithful who preach under the Cross As to what concerns these two witnesses i.e. what is signified by them I have not changed my opinion since I wrote the book intitled Lawfull prejudices against popery Though as to all the rest the studious attention which I have used in reading these Prophecies hath given me quite different apprehensions I do therefore still believe that these two Witnesses who must prophesy 1260 days cloathed in sackcloth are the small number of the faithfull who during the reign of Antichristianism must keep themselves from its corruption and condemn its idolatries and tyranny God calls them witnesses because these are they who bore witness to the Truth which but for them would have been forgotten They prophesy cloathed in sackcloth i. e. they preach under the Cross For we must well observe that these two Phrases one used in our language the other in that of the Holy Ghost to prophesy cloathed in sackcloth and to preach under the Cross are absolutely of the same signification He makes them onely two in number to express that those faithfull who shall preserve themselves from the corruption of Idolatry shall be but a very small number And indeed experience hath too much verified this prediction Nevertheless he makes them two in number to signify that however small the number of true Christians is it shall notwithstanding be great enough to support the Truth and keep it from falling for in the mouth of two witnesses every word shall be establisht How these witnesses have power to change water into blood and shut up heaven v. 6. God ascribes to these two witnesses power to shut Heaven that it rain not in the dayes of their prophesy and power over waters to turn them into blood and to smite the Earth with all plagues as often as they will. Joseph Mede gives a very ingenious reason of this which I believe is very solid viz. That the Holy Ghost borrows his Emblems from the histories of the Old Testament and alludes unto several Pairs of eminent witnesses which God raised up at several times as Aaron and Moses at the coming out of Egypt Joshua and Caleb at the conquering of the promised Land Elijah and Elisha at the time of the grand Schism of the ten tribes Zerubbabel and Jehoshua at the return from the captivity Among these witnesses Elijah and Elisha had power to shut Heaven to hinder rain for three years and to make fire come down from Heaven Moses and Aaron turn'd the waters of Egypt into blood Joshua and Caleb brought the people of Israel into the Land of Canaan and smote the ancient Inhabitants with a sore plague To this the Holy Ghost alludes But we must further add that God ascribes to these witnesses 1. The shutting of Heaven that rain no in the days of their prophecy to signify that during the 1260 years of their Prophecy and of the reign of Antichrist there should be a great drought of grace and a barreness of virtues and gifts in the Church 2. The turning of waters into blood and the smiting of the Earth with all plagues Because all the heavy judgements of God that during the course of these 1260 years came upon the Antichristian Church were sent on the account of these two witnesses and to punish oppression under which it held both the Truth and those who were willing to profess it Here is fore-told a last persecution that must happen before the end of Antichrists reign The seven verses which we even now have read concerning the persecution which these two witnesses must suffer and the consequent of that persecution contain a grand event which must come to pass before the last fall of the Antichristian Kingdom And 't is one of the principal circumstances of this fall First we must observe the circumstance of time and when they shall have finish their testimony Mark this testimony must last a thousand two hundred and sixty days My two witnesses shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days cloathed in sackcloth Now these thousand two hundred sixty days of the prophesying of the witnesses are the forty two moneths of the Antichristian reign for forty two moneths make exactly 1260 days All the World is agreed that these are the three years and a half of the reign of Antichrist and that Antichrist and these two witnesses are absolutely and exactly contempories 'T is therefore the very same as if the Holy Ghost had said And when the Beast or the man of sin shall have finisht his reign of 1260 years it shall make war against the two witnesses This is therefore a persecution of Antichrist against the faithfull and a persecution that must happen before the end of Antichrists reign These words when they shall have finisht must not be understood as if the Holy Ghost would say when the 1260 years shall be finisht For after the 1260 years are finisht there can be no persecution seeing the Beast shall have lost his power So that this persecution must begin and end within the 1260 years but yet at the end of them 't is the ordinary custome not only of Scripture but of all men to say that something comes to pass when this or that is finisht because it happens when that things is finishing and very near its end This is therefore the last persecution of Antichrist against the Church This persecution hath its Characters 1. It must continue a long time Characters of the last persecution for 't is compared to a war The Beast that comes up out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them 2. This war or persecution must end in a victory over the two witnesses and shall overcome them and kill them Mark that God does not reckon the death and martyrdom which the faithfull suffer for the Truth as a victory that the Devil gains over them on the
that the destroying Angell of Spiritual Egypt might pass over them spare them And they were to be sealed before the seven Trumpets sounded because the ruin of the Church was to happen under these seven Trumpets Thus you have the whole mystery of the 7th Ch. In the beginning of the 8th Ch. after the opening the seventh seal there was silence for about half an hour plainly by way of allusion to what was done in the Temple where while the incense was offering the musick ceased all was in silence The seven Trumpets are given to seven Angels Every thing is made ready for the sounding of these Trumpets The first Angel sounded â— 8 there followed Hail Fire mingled with Blood they were cast on the Earth a third part of the Trees was burn up all green grass was burnt up The seven Trumpets continue to concern the Roman Empire as the seven seals had done The first Trumpet begins where the sixth seal ended The sixth seal brings the Roman Empire to the total fall of Paganism which happen'd under the two Theodosius's Father son The first Trumpet begins under Theodosius the younger signifies the first irruptions of the Barbarians The first Trumpet then must begin at the same time Hail mingled with Fire Blood falls on the Earth 'T is is a lively good representation of the inundations of those barbarous people who in the reign of Theodosius the younger came out of Thrace under the conduct of Alaric ravaged first of all Macedonia Thessaly Greece Achaia Corinth Argos Sparta Epirus Italy it self Afterwards about the same time the Vandals the Alanes the Marcomans the Herules the Sueves the Allemans possessed desolated Gaul Spain Afrique 'T is a Hail mingled with fire blood For these barbarous people fell on like a storm of hail with violence in a sudden manner The carried fire every where bathed the Earth with blood Is 28.2 â—0 3. 32.19 We may see Hail used for the like inundations of strange people in divers places of the Prophets So is the coming of Salmanassar his Assyrians expressed by the Prophet Esay And the third part of the Trees was burnt The third part signifies the Roman Empire It must be observed that this third part appears again in all the Trumpets this third part certainly signifies the Roman Empire The reason of it is evident 'T is because this Empire did possess doth still the third part of the World. Geographers divided the world into three parts Europe Asia Africa The Roman Empire took up one of these three parts viz. Europe So that when the Prophet saith that the several plagues of the Trumpets afflict the third part of the world 't is as much as to say they afflict Europe It will be said that the Roman Empire extended it self also into Asia Africa But 1st there was also in Europe a great extent of Northern countries that was not possessed by the Romans So that what it had in the other parts of the world could only serve as an equivalent for what it had not in Europe So that it always remained true that the Roman Empire did not reach to above a third part of the world 2ly Moreover Europe being the seat of the Roman Empire because Rome Constantinople are both of them seated in this third part of the world it is clear the Roman Empire can't be better represented than by Europe or a third part of the world Lastly 'T was Europe chiefly that was harrassed by the inundations of the barbarous people Therfore by the third part we cannot understand any thing but Europe The third part of the Trees was burnt See here a Grammatical figure that must be well observed for it is much used in the three following Trumpets That is to say the trees of the third part of the world viz. of Europe was burnt Now the Prophet represents this first inundation of the Babarians as having yet afflicted the Trees only of Europe or the Roman Empire because the following plagues made so very much greater havock This first tempest if I may use the expression touch'd the Trees only did not cause such terrible desolations as the following ones did the Barbarians contented themselves with the spoils of the fruits of the Earth mens goods And the second Angel sounded v. 8. as it were a great Mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea the third part of the sea became blood And the third part of the Creatures which were in the sea v. 9. had life died third part of the ships were destroyed And the third Angel sounded v. 10. there fell a great Star from heaven burning as it were a Lamp it fell on the third part of the Rivers upon the fountains of Waters And the name of the Star is called Wormwood v. 11. the third part of the Waters became Worm-wood many men died of the waters because they were made bitter The second third Trumpet signify the effusion of blood the bitter afflictions which the Barbarians caused in the Roman Empire These two plagues of the second the third Trumpet are very like those two of the second third violl in the 16th Ch. of the Revelation For in this later place the two vialls fall as they do here on the sea the rivers They produce the same effect which is that they turn the Waters into blood into liquor of Worm-wood The second third viall is but one plague continued so the second third Trumpet is but one the same plague continued So that these two places of the Revelation may give much light one to the other not that they signfy the same events but very like ones See. Jer. 51.36.44 Ezek. 31 4. Is 19.5 In the one in the other 't is certain the sea the Rivers signify people 'T is the resemblance emblem which all the Prophets use particularly St. John. We shall see the whore sitting on the Waters i.e. on the people For in all languages in the style of the vulgar in that of Orators Prophets to make a sea of blood always signifies to make a great slaughter We shall see that the sea of blood in the 16th Ch. signifies the great Slaughters caused by the Crusados Here the sea of blood signifies the slaughter which the Barbarians make in the whole extent of the Roman Empire This mountain burning like fire this great star like a Lamp at the bottom signify but one the same thing excepting that the Mountain of fire hath the same proportion with the Star like a Lamp as the sea hath with the Rivers The Mountain of fire falls into the sea the star or the great Lamp of fire falls into the Rivers i. e. the great fire falls into the greater Waters the lesser fire
into the lesser waters For here a Mountain of fire is much more than a star of fire tho in truth a star is a thousand a thousand times bigger than a Mountain But the H. Spirit frames his speech according to appearances hath chiefly are spect to those fires that are often seen falling from heaven which are called Falling-stars Joseph Mede with all other Interpreters would find in this Mountain of fire this Starlike a Lamp much more of mystery than is in it pretending that this means some great person distinguisht by his dignity as a king or an Emperour or by his knowledg as a great Doctor Therfore many by this star understand a great Prophet But 't is not so This must be explain'd with relation to the first Trumpet we must know that this is but the sequel of the history of the destruction of the Roman Empire by the Barbarians The first part of this destruction was but Hail mingled with Fire a common storm such as often happens in summer wherin thunder lightning in hot countries are always mingled with the hail But afterwards this inundation of the Barbarians increased in such a manner that it was no longer an ordinary storm There fell not only Fire mingled with Water Hail this Storm becomes wholly pure fire a fall of terrible Lightning a true Mountain of Fire that fell on the Roman Empire over-whelm'd it Afterwards the fire continued to fall on a third part in truth no longer as a Mountain but as a fire-brand such as the stars are that appear to fall in the air See therfore here three fires The First is mingled with Hail The second is meer fire great as a mountain The third is as a great Lamp. The First afflicts the Trees of Europe or of the third part of the World. The second falls into the sea changes it into blood The third falls on the rivers fountains makes their waters bitter This evidently signifies the three first degrees of the Barbarians invasion They come at First like fire mingled with hail which burns the trees like a storm that spoils the fruits of the Earth They pillaged the Goods the Riches of the Empire The mountain of fire that falls into the sea is Alario that made Italy desolate took Rome 2ly They come like a meet fire that consumes devours They fell on the sea By that I understand the people of Italy the taking of Rome by Alaric Italy was in respect to the Roman Empire what the sea is in respect to the rivers The sea is the center the rivers are all round about it The sea is the gulf the rivers come from all parts to pay their tribute to this gulf Rome Italy was the midst of the Empire Rome was the sea whither all the Provinces came to pay their tribute their riches Alaric his Goths falls like a burning mountain on Italy the city of Rome he takes it and sacks it This sea becomes blood Italy was filled with slaughter After this the Barbarians suffer'd themselves to be appeased Alaric after he had taken Rome and made there a new Emperour named Attalus with whom he went to besiege Honorius in Ravenna gave peace to Honorius quitted Italy retired among the Gaulls where with his Goths he establishthimself The Vandals possessed Spain The Burgundians staid on the Rhone The Huns inhabited Pannonia And then the Fountains the Waters i.e. the people that depended on Rome felt the force of this fire of the judgment of God. But this fire did not turn the waters into Blood because then the slaughter ceased the opposition ceasing the Barbarians saw themselves Masters But they turned the Rivers and the Fountains into Wormwood i. e. They reduced the Roman Provinces into a bitter Servitude And by reason of this the name of Wormwood is given this last Fire that is to say this last Judgment and Punishment less than the former but yet so great as to make the people live in Bitterness For the Goths spoiled them of their Lands Goods See the Mystery of the second and third Trumpet I have no need to give notice that the third part of the Sea and the third part of the Rivers signifie the Sea and the Rivers of the third part of the World i. e. of Europe For I have given notice already of that once for all In truth they were the People of Europe that suffered these Desolations V. 12. And the fourth Angel sounded and a third part of the Sun was smitten and the third part of the Moon and the third part of the Stars so as the third part of them was darkened and the Day shone not for a third part of it and the Night likewise The Fall of the Reman Empire 'T is still the same Figure that rules that is to say that the Sun of Europe which is the third part of the World was darkened in like manner the Moon and Stars We must remember that in the Prophecies the Sun Moon and Stars alwayes signifie the Powers of a State. The Heaven of the politick World is the superior Region of Dignities that sheds kind or malignant Influences on the People We shall see this constantly observed in this Book in such manner that in all places where the Sun Moon and Eclypses are spoken of 't is unquestionable that we must understand the darkening and destruction of the sovereign Powers in the State or Empire spoken of Now what Empire is it that is here spoken of 'T is the Empire of Rome For yet once more we must stick to this Principle as one of the principal Keys of the Revelation viz. that it moves wholly on the Roman Empire and that 't is properly nothing but a Comment on what is said of the fourth Beast in the 7th chap. of Daniel The Roman Empire and în part the Invasions of it by the Goths and other Barbarians being here treated of there is no room for doubting but that the Sun of the third part of the World which is smitten signifies the Sovereign of Rome the Roman Emperor the Moon is the Imperial Dignity the Stars are the Grandees of the Empire And 't is the Extinction of the Roman Empire of Italy that happen'd in the year 455. after the Death of Valentinian the 3d when Genseric came from Africa with his Vandals took Rome and sackt it fifteen days one after another after which the Empire was torn among tell Kings according as St. John foretold it in the sequel of this Book CHAP. VII An Explication of the Visions of the fifth sixth Trumpet wherin are seen the Empires of the Saracens Turks THis fall of the Imperial dignity at Rome in the fourth Monarchy is a great affair Therfore the H. Spirit stays upon it makes a pause as a mark of distinction as we have before observed But that which follows also is a great affair
throughout the whole 18. Chap. The frequent repetition of the same thing is to note the certainty of it The three following Chapters viz. the 20 21 and 22. contain the History of the third last general Period of the duration of Christianity It is the reign of J. Christ upon Earth The matters contained in the 20 Chapter are so remarkable that they deserve a particular attention But seeing that hereafter we shall have occasion carefully to examin them it is not necessary to stay about them at present So much suffices for a general Idea both of the Chronology of the History of the twelve last Chapters of the Revelation which contain the destinies of the Church CHAP. XI Several things that all are agreed on in reference to Antichrist which will serve to clear up those wherin we are not agreed WE seek First the Character of the Babylonish Empire 2dly the time of its duration 3dly Its Establishment end 4thly What must happen after its ruin The two first points respect what is past or present shall be the subject of the first part of this work About the first of these four things there is no controversy among the Orthodox But there is a great dispute about it between the Papists the true Church However we have one great advantage for the determining this controversy viz. there are some certain principles in which both sides do agree In controversies where men are agreed in nothing but where every thing must be proved it is very hard to determin any thing But where men are agreed in many things ordinarily those things which they are agreed in serve for the clearing up of those things wherin they are not agreed I think it best therfore before we enter upon the Characters of the Babylonish Empire to consider those things wherin the Papists as to this matter do agree with the true Catholicks All agree that the little horn in the 7th of Dan. is Antichrist 1st We are agreed about almost ll the places whence we are to draw the pourtraiture of Antichrist and his Empire 'T is confessed that the Little horn in the 7th Chap. of Daniel is Antichrist that 't is of him that the Prophet speaks I considered the horns Dan. 7.8 and behold there came up among them another little horn before whom three of the first horns were pluckt up by the roots and behold in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth speaking great things v. 24 25. The ten Horns out of this Kingdom are ten Kings that shall arise and another shall rise after them and he shall be diverse from the first and he shall subdue three Kings And he shall speak great words against the most High and shall wear out the saints of the most high and think to change times and laws they shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time We are agreed that the First Beast in the 13th of the Revel is the same with the fourth Beast in the 7th Chapt. of Daniel The two Beasts of Rev. 13. are Antichrist and that both the one and the other signify the Roman Empire 'T is acknowledged that the ten Kings that must be born of this Beast which are represented by the ten Horns of the fourth Beast in Daniel and of the first Beast in the 13th of the Revelation are the ten Kings which in the time of Antichrist are to divide the Roman Empire among them and give their power to Antichrist 'T is confest that the little Horn i.e. Antichrist must be grafted on the Roman Empire enter into its place and the last that shall possess the Roman Empire Antichrist saith Bellarmin Bellarm. part 1. c. 3. sect 15. Respondeo priorem c. shall be the last head of the wicked and the last King that shall possess the Roman Empire but yet without the name of a Roman Emperour The same Author in the very same place confesses that the head of the first Beast which received the deadly wound in the 13th Ch. of the Revelation is Antichrist This miracle of a feigned Resurrection saith he must be attributed to Antichrist in the opinion of Primasius Beda and Haymo and many others whom he names We are agreed that the two Beasts of the 13th of the Revelation do both of them signify the Antichristian Empire Bellarm. ubi Supra According to the opinion of Rupert The second Beast in the Revelation signifies the very same Antichrist For Antichrist is represented by two Beasts by the one his royal power and tyranny by which he will offer violence to men is represented And by the other his magical power and crafty tricks by which he will seduce them But according to Richard and Anselm and many others the second beast signifies the Preachers of Antichrist Thus it agrees to the Babylonish Empire to be the seventh head of the Roman Empire however without bearing the name of a Roman Emperour to be a head wounded unto death and raised up again to have ten Horns on its Head ten Kings for its subjects to have a false Prophet with two Horns like those of a Lamb which causes the image of the Beast to be worshipped whose name contains the Number 666 and who makes all those that he causeth to submit to hi Empire to bear his mark in their foreheads We are agreed that a time times and half a time the 42 Months the 1260. days do denote the time of the duration of the Antichristian Empire and that all that while the Church must be afflicted beaten down obscured as it were hidden swallowed up by persecution 'T is acknowledged that the great Whore in the 17th of the Revel and the city with seven Mountains is Rome Some would have it be Rome Pagan The Papists are forced to confess that Babylon in the Revel is Rome but others shewing either more knowledg or more sincerity do confess that Rome in the 14th and the 17th Ch. of the Revelation is not Rome Pagan but of Christian become Antichristian Estius and some others go a little further and are forced to acknowledg that Rome must be the seat of Antichrist Others as Ribera Viega Cornelius a Lapide retaining the common hypothesis among the Papists viz. that Jerusalem must be the seat of Antichrist are however forced to confess that Babylon in the Revelation is the city of Rome wherat the end of the times an Idolatrous Empire persecutor of the Church and Enemy of God must arise who say they shall join himself to the Empire of Antichrist when he shall be come Cornelius a Lapide confesses that the Waters on which the great Whore sits signify all the Nations and people which Rome shall command over who shall agree together in their subjection and in the vanity and idolatry of Rome as their lady and the mistress of the universe i.e. Rome become Idolatrous after having been
into perdition See here an eighth King that belongs to the Roman Empire And this eighth King is of the seven he is of the number of the seven Governments It must necessarily be that this eighth King must come from hence that one of the seven is divided into two And 't is the Head of the Roman Emperours divided into two For the Roman Emperours are either Pagans or Christians The conversion of the Emperours made so great a change that the Christian Emperours deserved to be reckon'd for an eighth head However because they last but a short space and because in respect of their Temporal they were perfectly like the fore-going Emperours the Holy Spirit ranks them under the seventh head And when he cometh he must continue a short space That is to say when the second part of the Head of the Emperours shall become viz. the Christian Emperours it shall not continue long Indeed the Christian Emperours did not possess the Empire but from the conversion of Constantine to Valentinian the third about 130 or 135. years Besides the transposition of the words which I have supposed doth not make any difficulty here for if I made a commentary I could easily bring examples much more harsh in the writings only of the N. Testament And the ten Horns which thou sawest v. 12. are ten Kings which have received no Kingdom as yet but receive power as Kings one hour with the Beast These are the ten Kings or the ten Kingdoms into which the Roman Empire was rent when the Imperial power was destroyed in the West And the same time that the ten Kings were made the Beast that is to say the second Beast of the 13th Chapter the Beast with two Horns the Roman Church began to form its Empire This is one of the most remarkable places of the Prophecies to find the point of the birth of the Antichristian Empire Therfore it deserves a larger reflection which shall be found afterwards in its proper place v. 13. These have one mind and shall give their power and strength unto the Beast These ten Kings or these ten Kingdoms shall voluntarily submit themselves to the yoke of the Roman Church For she shall not obtain her dominion by the way of Conquest but by the way of illusion of seduction and perswasion She shall perswade the Kings of the Earth to give her their power In truth this did so happen The Princes doating on this Idol of St. Peter's Chair the Apostolical See raised this throne so high that it was like afterwards to have swallowed them up These shall make war with the Lamb and the Lamb shall overcome them v. 14. They shall lend their arms and their power to the Roman Church to smother the truth But the truth of Jesus Christ shall surmount them shall enlighten them and get such a victory over them as shall be happy for those that are overcome England Sweden Denmark and many other States have been already overcome in this manner And he saith unto me v. 15. the waters which thou sawest where the whore sitteth are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues This Woman this corrupted Church shall have the multitude for her she shall ascribe great honour to her self from thence and make use of that as an argument that she is the true Spouse of Jesus Christ And the ten Horns which thou sawst upon the Beast these shall hate the whore v. 16. and make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire c. We shall have occasion afterwards more than once to reflect on these words Therfore we shall say nothing of them at present The woman which thou sawest is that great City v. 1◠which reigneth over the Kings of the Earth The great City is not precisely the City of Rome 't is the Roman Church that hath its seat at Rome on the seven Mountains This is an important truth that the great City in the Revelation signifies not Rome precisely but Rome conjunctly with its Ecclesiastical Empire It should be proved but we must reserve the proofs for another place where it will be very material for us to fix this what the City signifies CHAP. XVII Babylon in the 17th and 18th Chapters of the Revelation is Rome Antichristian and Papal and not Rome Pagan THe 17th Chapter is one of those wherin the description of the Antichristian Empire is certainly contained We have applied it to the See of Rome with the same success as we have done the foregoing Prophecies But we have some considerations to add to prove that that City spoken of in that Chapter is Rome together with its Empire of Christian become Antichristian That Rome Christian and not Pagan is Spiritual Babylon the seat of Antichrist 'T is a place where the Papists find themselves reduced to mighty straits They have confessed that the 11th and 13th Chap. of the Revelation spoke concerning Antichrist But because in the 11th Chap. the seat of Antichrist is called the City where I. Christ was crucified they will not acknowledg it to be Rome And because in the 13th Chap. Rome is not named they will by no means have it to be found there But in this 17th Chap. they are forced to see Rome in the city on seven Mountains and in that great city that reigned over the kings of the Earth This brings them to the last extremity and we need but see what they say on this point to convince them that their Holy Roman See is the seat of the Antichristian Empire 1st They say that Rome in this 17th Chap. is Rome Pagan and not Rome Christian Bellarm. l. 3. de Pontif Rom. c. 13. The falsness of this supposition is evident First it is clear that the Beast which carries the woman The first Beast of the 13th Ch. and that of the 17th are the same is the same with that Beast that ariseth out of the Sea in the 13th Ch. This had seven heads and ten horns and upon his horns ten Crowns and upon his heads the name of blasphemy The Beast in the 17th Ch. is described after the same manner The Woman sate upon a scarlet-coloured Beast full of names of blasphemy having seven heads and ten Horns Secondly the Beast of the 13th Ch. ariseth out of the Sea. C. 13.1 C. 17.3 And I saw à Beast rise up out of the Sea. That of the 17th Ch. ascends out of the bottomless pit or the deep Chap. 17.8 The Beast that thou sawest was and is not and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit or the deep Now the deep and the sea in the visions are the same thing Thirdly Chap. 13.3 'T is said of the first Beast that all the World wonders after the Beast That all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him v. 8. whose names are not written in the book of Life 'T is said also of that in the
to the time of the end many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increas'd 5. Then I Daniel looked and behold there stood other two the one on this side of the bank of the river and the other on that side of the bank of the river 6. And one said to the man clothed in linnen which was upon the waters of the river How long shall it be to the end of these wonders 7. And I heard the man clothed in linnen which was upon the waters of the river when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time times and a half and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people all these things shall be finished 8. And I heard but I understood not Then said I O my Lord what shall be the end of these things 9. And he said Go thy way Daniel for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end 10. Many shall be purified and made white and tried but the wicked shall do wickedly and none of the wicked shall understand but the wise shall understand 11. And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away and the abomination that maketh desolate set up there shall be 1290. days 12. Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days 13. But go thou thy way till the end be for thou shalt rest and stand in thy lot at the end of the days As Interpreters agree that these Prophecies in the literal meaning of them are concerning Antiochus Epiphanes the great persecutor of the Jews and the true Religion so almost all agree also that this mystically referrs to Antichrist And 't is a truth I do not at all doubt of Antiochus was a type of Antichrist we shall see such clear proofs of it that it will not be possible to doubt of it As the principle is commonly perceived I will suppose it and will not give my self the trouble to prove it any otherwise than in applying all that to Antichrist that is said of Antiochus I will only make some remarks to confirm this truth I. Both good and bad under the N. Testament have had their types under the Old. We must observe that all the things that were to happen under the New Testament had their types under the Old. It is not only Jesus Christ that had types for his person for his offices for his good works his enemies also have had their types The actions of the Saints have been typical the victories of Sampson over the Philistins those of David over Goliah were types of the victories of Jesus Christ All the world believes it and no one doubts it It must be acknowledged also that the criminal actions of eminent persons have been typical likewise If on one hand there have been persons and actions typical of the good there have been also persons and actions typical of the evil Cain was a type of the enemies of Jesus Christ coming of the seed of the woman he was a type of the seed of the Serpent and his action against his brother was a typical sin that representeth the persecution which the Devil was to bring upon Jesus Christ and his Church The sin of Esau that despised the right of primogeniture and sold it for a mess of broth was a type of those prophane ones that renounce the benefits of the World to come for the vanities of this present World. Lots wife that looked towards Sodom and the Israelites that turn'd their eyes towards Egypt after they were gone forth from it are types of those miserable persons who after they have been drawn from sin by the grace of Jesus Christ are eager after the World from which they were departed and return to it again As therefore Jesus Christ hath had his types Antichrist haâ—â— had his types as well as J. Christ without doubt Antichrist had his too and that in great number Cain Goliah Pharaoh Nebuchadnezzar and the other oppressors of the truth and the faithful have been types of Antichrist Among these types there was not any one more noted and more pâ—ain than Antiochus who made the continual sacrifice cease for three years and a half who made the Church desolate who made almost the whole Nation fall into Apostacy who prophaned the Temple and cruelly persecuted those that persevered in the true Religion So that as in the types of Jesus Christ we seek for and find his Characters in like manner in Antiochus and that which the Prophecies say of him we may find the Characters of Antichrist But we must observe there are two sort of Prophecies one that directly respect the principal subject the other that respect it only mediately and indirectly and by the means of some type to which the literal sense of the Prophâ—cy doth belong For example the Prophecy of the 53. Chap. of Esai respects J. Christ immediately and without the intervention of any type There are Prophecies wherein the things agree partly to the type partly to the person signified by the type But the 45th Psal and the second respect Jesus Christ but mediately and by the intervention of the type In the second Psal the type is David to whom belongs the literal sense of the Psalm In the 45th Psal the type is Solomon and 't is him the literal sense of the Text respects These two sorts of Prophecies ought to be handled differently Those of the first rank i. e. those that refer only and immediately to Jesus Christ must be applied only and uniformly to Jesus Christ in all their parts But those of the second rank are much harder to be disintricated For there are some things that belong only to the person that is the type Others that belong only to the person that is represented by the type and lastly others that belong both to the one and the other For example in the 45th Psal these words Thy throne O God is for ever and ever the scepter of thy Kingdom is a scepter of Righteousness c. O God thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above all thy fellows These words I say cannot without great violence be applied to Solomon For Solomon is not a God and it can't be to him that the H. Spirit saith Thy throne O God c. There are other words in the same Psalm which certainly respect Solomon as a type and J. Christ as the person represented by the type For example Thou art fairer than any of the children of men v. 3. Grace is poured into thy lips because God hath blessed thee for ever Lastly I am certain there are other words that agree only to Solomen and that it is not at all necessary to refer them to Iesus Christ For example these words v. 10. Daughters of Kings are among thy
hath hit upon the truth Principles for the understanding the 7. viols in the 16th Chap. of the Revel 1. Principle The 7 viols are 7 judgements of God upon the Kingdom of Antichrist The Principles are there 1. The pouring out of the viols and the several plagues which follow upon their effusion do certainly signify the judgements of God upon the Kingdom of Antichrist But we must not imagine that they are as so many steps which sensibly carry it to its ruin God does afflict Common-wealths by Pestilence Famines and Wars and yet they do not perish by these calamities They continue a long time under them and sometimes do regain their former lustre after them This principle must be carefully minded because all other Interpreters have been mistaken either through their not attending to it or their not due understanding of it This they have understood that we ought not to place the beginning of the pouring out of the viols untill after that we see the Empire of Popery sensibly to fall Hence some have not placed their beginning till after the preaching of Luther 2. Principle These 7 viols signify 7 periods of time 2. The second Principle That these seven viols do certainly signify seven periods of time which ought to be distinguisht one from another As the seven Seals and seven Trumpets in the preceding Chapters did signify seven periods which succeeded one to another the figurative expression of viols borrowed from hour-glasses which measured time signifies this thing more naturally then the Seals and Trumpets And this again is a Principle which other Interpreters have not at all regarded whence it is that they confound the viols and make either all or almost all of them to be poured out in the same Period 3. Principle The viol does differ from the plague 3. The third Principle That to every Period or viol a plague is annexed but we must distinguish between the viol and the plague The viol signifies the period of time the plague signifies the judgement of God which falls out during the period 'T is true that the plagues are not alwayes restrained unto the duration of the viol or of the Period marked by the viol but sometimes do reach both before and after it the reason of which we will give hereafter This again is a Principle which hath not at all been taken notice of the viols and plagues have been confounded by Interpreters as if they were one and the same thing and almost all of them have been placed in the same time 4. Principle Nothing but evil is denoted by the viols never any good 4. The fourth Principle That all that is denoted and signified by these viols is evil to be inflicted on the Antichristian Kingdom So that nothing but Judgements can be found in them But it must be considered that these Judgements do fall sometimes upon the head of the Antichristian Kingdom alone and sometimes upon the body alone and sometimes upon both together And we must not imagine that all those plagues do denote evil or mischief unto Antichrist i. e. the head of the Antichristian Kingdom This again is a Principle which hath not been minded for men have imagined that every one of these seven viols must be fatal to the power of the Beast 5 Principle The Antichristian Empire is represented under an Emblem of the systeme of the World. 5. The fifth Principle That the Antichristian Kingdom is here represented under a figure drawn from the Systeme of the World Hence it is that mention is made of the Earth of the Sea of Rivers of the Sun. The Earth is the entire Globe composed of Land and Water and this signifies the whole mass of the Antichristian World both the head and the members The Sea and the Rivers signify the people according to the constant style of the Prophets But the people distinguisht from their head and soveraign the Sun denotes the soveraign of this Kingdom as will be made out clearly in the sequel All these Principles in my judgement are clear and whoever will examine them well by the Text and the Commentaries annexed will not doubt of their truth Let us see how ill the modern Interpreters have followed them Seven Interpretations of the first plague The first Plague is a noysom and grievous sore upon the men that had the mark of the Beast 1. Forbes understands by this the filthiness of the Clergy their pride covetousness and other vices but he does not restrain this to any period affirming that this corruption is to be considered as taking in or reaching unto the whole duration of the Antichristian Empire 2. Cocceius understands this of the schisms and divisions and disputes which have been and still continue in the Popedom Instances disputes about Images about the single life of the Clergy about Investitures the several schisms of Popes the grand schisme of the West the disputes between the Scotists and Thomists the quarrels about the Authority of the Pope So that according to him this plague hath lasted near a thousand years i. e. ever since the contentions betwixt the Iconoclasts and the Iconolatres or Patrons of Image-worship untill our times It is not possible that a man should be more mistaken then this Author and I wonder that an Author who had so much studied Prophecies should not perceive that the viols signify here Periods and different times and consequently that we must not make run the same plague to all these times Besides there is no exactness in this conception nor any agreement between divisions and a noysome sore 3. Joseph Mede takes this noysome sore to be the fury and rage with which the papists were seised upon the preaching of the Waldenses 4. Dr. More follows him in this as almost in all other things 5. De Launay also will have it to be that vexation of Spirit which the subjects of Antichrist must feel when they shall see his compleat ruin 6. Testard is of the same opinion 7. James Durrham a Scotish Minister at Glascow asserts that the Earth in this first plague is the Authority of the Pope and that this noysome sore signifies the diminution which that Authority hath suffer'd by the Reformation Seven Interpretations of the second plague The second Plague is The sea turned into blood and the fishes dying in the sea One would think that Authors have with earnestness strove who should keep farthest from the very likeness of truth in this matter 1. According to Forbes this sea turned into blood is the universal reproach under which the worship of Popery is fallen together with its doctrines for instance its worship of Images its Purgatory its sacrifice of the Mass c. Behold what an agreement there is between this and a sea of blood 2. Cocceius asserts that this sea signifies the reduction of the Lombards Hungarians Poles Bohemians Vandals Goths Danes Saxons Franks c. in a word of all the Western
a very bad smell which hath reacht even to us it formed a most frightfull object upon which the adorers of the Pope and of the so called holy seat cannot even now adays reflect without horror and indignation This plague fell upon the Earth i. e. upon the globe or whole mass of the Antichristian world For the members and the head the whole and the parts were cover'd over with this dismal corruption This corruption was and is 20 this day a terrible blow to Popery And further it cannot be express'd how great a plague how sore a blow this See received from hence For this gave occasion to the Emperors to meddle with the affairs of Rome and its Bishops The Successors of Charlemaine having let go this fair patrimony kept themselves in Germany during which time the Popes got strength and made themselves Masters But the excesses of the Court of Rome obliged the Otho's Emperors of Germany to march into Italy there they corrected and deposed some Popes and chose others to their mind They revived the ancient right which the Emperors had of confirming Popes after their election which was a very sore mortification of which they did not recover untill Gregory the VII And besides this corruption rendred the See of Rome contemptible to all nations In some Countries men took liberty to write very bitter invectives against it some of which are come to our hands This is a wound that bleeds even at this day and affords us a very strong argument against the pretentions of infallibility and supremacy challeng'd by the Church of Rome For we will never cease to object and very rationally that God is too good and too wise to suffer the Seat of his Vicar and of an infallible Vicar to be infected with so dismal a corruption These considerations let us see that none ought to object against us that we make one of the plagues of the Antichristian Empire to be that corruption which is one of its Characters The same thing we shall see in the fourth plague where we will make it appear that the tyranny of the Antichristian Kingdom which is one of its Characters is notwithstanding become one of its plagues When these Characters are risen to an immoderate height they become sensible they discover Antichristianism and by discovering it they destroy it for its safety consists in being a mystery it is a mystery of iniquity This is the first plague and the first period of Antichrists declining this period lasted above a 150 years for this corruption continued for a good space of the eleventh Age. The second and third plagues are thus set down v. 3. And the second Angel pour'd out his viol upon the sea and it become as the blood of a dead man and every living soul dyed in the sea v. 4. And the third Angel pour'd out his viol upon the rivers and fountains of waters and they became blood Waters signify people the sea of blood the Croisades Observe that the sea and waters in Prophetick visions signify people or nations this is so well known that it needs not to be proved And supposing that this Emblem is not common in other Prophets it is most evidently so in St. John. Come saith the Angel to him Chap. 17. v. 15. I will shew thee the judgement of the great whore which sits upon many waters The waters which thou sawest where the whore sits are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages The first viol was pour'd out upon the earth i. e. upon the whole Globe for earth contains both dry and moist The corruption of manners was spread over the head and the members over the papal Seat and all its subjects But this second viol is pour'd only upon the waters the sea and the rivers i.e. upon the people of the Antichristian Empire or upon the different Nations Tribes and Languages as the Spirit does express it it falls not upon the Head and the Seat on the contrary it is the Seat of the Beast which contributes to this Plague The waters of the sea were turn'd into blood and every living soul dyed What more native and lively representation could have been made of the Rage of the Croisades In all languages and in all sorts of style 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 there turn'd into blood Never was there such a prodigious effusion of blood in the sea i. e. among the peoples In the first Croisade there dyed more then two millions of men in three or four year '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 the took away 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 a 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 improved that evasion to greaten their power to plunder whole Countries to make Generals of Armies to act as soveraign Monarchs and to lay a heavier yoke upon Kings whom they order'd to march and sent them as their slaves into the East and during their absence plundred their Kingdoms We must not 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 the Croisades is divided into two plagues because of its long duration for it lasted 200 years from the end of the eleventh Age untill the end of the thirteenth The third viol which makes the third plague fell only upon rivers i. e. upon lesser waters because after a hundred years the fury abated there was no more marching of the whole West unto the East only that of some particular nations as of the Freneh among others under the conduct of St. Lewis and consequently the effusion of blood was much less there were only rivers of blood whereas the former Croisades had made a sea I shall add this explication which I have given does exactly agree with the Genius and Emblems of the Prophets The Prophet Ezec. 32.6 says to Egypt I will water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest even to the mountains There must be no less then a sea of blood to overflow a Countrey
Abraham it began to assume a new form she had then Sacraments and the distinction of People began By Moses the Church took another form quite different from the Preceding By Christ she became incomparably more perfect By the rise and growth of Antichrist the Church was intirely changed By Antichrist's being at the Height the Corruption was also at the Highest and at length by the fall of Antichrist she must put on another face This being supposed that the seven Periods answer to the seven days we must observe in every of those Periods such Events and such things as answer to the several works of the Creation done on every day so that what was made on the first day may resemble that which happened in the first Period of the Church and that which was done on the second day be the image of what happened in the second Period and so of the following If we find a perfect correspondence between the Copies and the Original between the Types and the things which we pretend were represented by them we shal have reason to believe that 't is some what more than a sport of wit or the effect of Fancy and Imagination which is the next thing we are to consider CHAP. XXI The Explication of the Mysteries signified by the Chaos by the Creation of Light by the separation of the Waters and by the Creation of the Plants The first days of the Creation and the three first Periods of the Church I Intend not to stay long upon what is well known and hath been said already and therefore shall speak but little of the Chaos We see plainly that this confused Mass without form and void which was properly nothing but a vast Abyss covered with darkness was the image of that sad estate to which sin had reduced the World. It was without form spoiled and defaced by sin for it had nothing at all of beauty It way confused for every thing there was in disorder that which should have been above was below God was blasphemed instead of being worshipt and self-love had placed the Creature on the Throne of God. It was empty and void for nothing that was good could be found in the World. It was covered with darkness for a stupid ignorance might be observed to reign there This was the state of the World out of which the Church was to be drawn as a new World God was doubtless the Creator of unshapen Mass and I doubt not but we have an account of its Creation in the first Verse In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth 'T is not as is commonly thought an abridgment of what is more amply and by particulars related afterwards 'T is the Creation of the Chaos called Heaven and Earth because it possessed that place which the Heaven and the Earth now do possess and because it contained the matter of them This is plain enough by the second Verse and the Earth was without form and void c. 'T is the description exactly of that Earth which he was speaking of in the first Verse Why 't is not said expresly that God created the Chaos Nevertheless though God created the Chaos 't is but implicitly said so for Moses saith not that God made the Earth without form and void Which may import that though God do govern that which we call the wicked World and that enormous Mass is not formed without his Providence nevertheless he will not be acknowledged the Author of it because he is not the Author of Evil. God appoints no certain day to this Chaos which is the Image of the corrupted World. 1. Because this Chaos hath its reign and extention during the whole six days of the spiritual Creation VVhy the Chaos hath no assigned day for 't is the perpetual fund whence God draws all the parts of the intelligible World which is his Church as the Chaos was the fund from whence by little and little God drew all the parts of the Vniverse 2. God assigns it no particular day because 't is the Empire or darkness into which the Light and the day cannot enter He produced not the Chaos by a Fiat saying let there be a Chaos as he created the Light because the Word of God doth not make the wicked World by its efficacy this World produceth it self by its own corruption Lastly he gives it not his Approbation he says not and God saw that it was good he blesseth it not as he did the works of the six days because God seeth nothing good in the carnal World instead of blessing it it is under his curse VVaters in all the Type of the Creation signify People In the mean time the Spirit of God moved upon the waters Waters in the Language of the Prophets and of the Types do signify People This we have observed before and is too well know to need to be proved This we must remember that Waters signify People in all the Type of the Creation The Spirit of God moved on the waters of the Chaos to prepare that matter to bruise and reduce it into little parts and to introduce the dispositions to receive that form which he intended to give it God intending to draw his Church out of the World and from among the Nations hath presided over them by a wise providence What is signified by the Spirits moving on the Waters If he had intirely abandon'd the World to it self after the entrance of sin it had been impossible to draw thence the intelligible World. It would have fallen into a total deprivation of Light Equity and Goodness and into that Spirit which the Scripture calls a spirit of slumber past feeling and a reprobate sense But the Spirit of God hath presided over these Waters he hath preserved and kept up in the World some fragments and remainders of Light Conviction Conscience the knowledge of God the distinction of right and wrong and the apprehension of future rewards and punishments We may see every where this motion this action of the Spirit of God on the Waters that is the People of the World even to the approach of the fourth Period which is that of our Lord Iesus Christ God was then about to give a Form to the Church to this intelligible World which properly speaking it never yet had Then he caused in the World such things as would dispose to this great work he prepared his matter by the study of Philosophy which drew men from that stupidity that before rendred them uncapable of receiving the Light of Truth He dispersed the Iews who carried every where the knowledge of the true God and made an infinite number of Proselites He caused the Bible to be turned into the Greek Tongue which then spread and prevailed in the World and guided the Heathen insensibly to a dislike of their Idols and their Religion This is the Mystery of the Chaos The Mysteries of â—he first day of the Creation In
the first day God said Let there be Light and there was Light. The first day answers to the first Period of the Church which lasted from Adam untill Abraham 1. By what did the first day begin by Light. Jesus Christ the Messiah is the Light which inlightens every man that comes into the World 'T is from him that the Creation of the intelligible World takes its beginning from the first moment that Light hath shined in that famous Oracle The seed of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head The first day hath two parts It was Evening and it was Morning the Light of the Evening was the first but the dimmer of the two the Light of the Morning was the second but the clearest The knowledge of Christ began by that Oracle The seed of the woman c. The Period ended in Abraham by the same Light viz. the knowledge of the same Messiah but proposed less obscurely in that prophecy And in thy seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blest This was the Morning for the Light began to increase 2. By whom was this Light produced By the Word of God His Eternal Word He said i. e. by this Eternal Word by his infinite Wisdom by the fruit of this understanding that God manifested to Adam and Abraham this Light to conduct and guide them 3. This Light preceded the Creation of the Sun. This knowledge of a Redeemer was given to the first World before the Messiah its Sun was produc't before the Word was incarnate 4. The Light which appeared on the first day is originally the same with that which was put into the Sun The seed of the woman revealed to Adam is the same with the word made flesh many ages after 5. The Light of the first day was doubtless obscure its seat in the illuminated Waters was not yet well prepared the Earthly parts were not separated and the Light could not have a very free passage through that thick matter In the first Period of the Church knowledge was but dim People were not yet well disposed to receive it it had not yet entred into them 6. After all to what purpose was the Light of the first day to enlighten a Chaos The Church before Abraham was without form and an unformed Mass To what end also was the Knowledge of the first Period from Adam untill Abraham to inlighten a Chaos and that Chaos was not only in the World but in the Church it self for then the Church had no form she had no Pastors no Priests no Flocks no Assemblies no Solemn days appointed no Sacraments no Holy Scripture no Discipline no Censures Every head of a family was both Prophet and Priest of his own house Here was an Idolatrous family there just by was another family where God was worshipt It was a true Chaos so the Iews say well that the Church was two thousand years be thohou in the Chaos and two thousand years under the Law. The Patriarchs made their Feasts as they thought fit on what day they pleased and invited whom they pleased 7. God made the distinction between the Night and the Day He separated the Light from the Darkness for he is the Author of that distinction that is between the World and the Church between the good and bad yet 't is not said that he made the night because God is not the Author of Evil. 8. He made this distinction from the first day because from the beginning of the World and in all ages there is a separation between those who are of God and those who are of the Devil 9. He made that separation of that Light and Darkness of the Night and the Day but he blessed it not he saith not and He saw that it was good In like manner God doth not bless and approve the separation of the World from the Church tho he hath made that distinction because it carries with it in respect of the World curses crimes and miseries 10. He began with the Evening which belongs to the Night and is apart of it because he draws light out of darkness begins the composition of the Church by some degrees of imperfection The Mysteries of the second days the first division of the People In the second day God made the Firmament or Expansum that it might separate the waters from the waters Here begins the second Period of the Church which lasted from Abraham untill Moses let it be remembered that Waters alway signify People 't is necessary it should be so that the Spirit of God may be uniform and like unto it self If the Waters are People the work of separating the Waters must signify the division of the People 1. In the first day the Waters were mixt and confounded both among themselves and with the Earth so in the first Period from Adam untill Abraham the People were confused and mixt one with another God had not yet made choice of any certain peculiar People Among all Nations there were some Holy and some who were Enemies of God were to be found every where 2. But in the second day God began the work of the separation of the Waters i. e. that in the second Period should begin the distinction of the People He took Abraham drew him out of his own Country set him apart and gave him the seal of his Covenant 3. But this work of the division of the waters was effected in two days this work of the division of the People is also accomplisht in two Periods from Abraham unto Moses from Moses unto Christ 4. The separation of the Waters made on the second day was but imperfect God only separated the Waters which were above i. e. the Clouds from the Waters which were beneath i. e. the Seas The distinction of People in the second Period from Abraham unto Moses was but imperfect for we must not imagine but that God did preserve some Elect from Abraham unto Moses besides those in the family of the Patriarchs to think he did not is injurious to the mercy and wisdom of God. There were then at that time some of the faithfull scattered in all places But as the family of Iacob became a great People so by little and little the Spirit of God withdrew from other Nations From the time of Moses there was yet some little remainder of that Spirit among other Nations as is evident by Balaam who was 't is true a very wicked man but yet was not a false Prophet But when the race of Abraham became a great People and had a Country apart to themselves then the Spirit of God withdrew altogether from the other Nations and then was made a perfect division of the People 5. In the separation of the Waters that was made on the second day the Waters which were above i. e. the Clouds were nothing in comparison with those beneath i. e. the Seas So in the second Period wherein was a division of the People the
superior Waters which were the family of the Patriarchs were nothing in comparison with the rest of mankind And hereby we have the reason why in that great work of the Creation God would make so much account of so small a matter as the Clouds are in nature even to assign a perticular day for their creation 'T is because they were the Image of the families of the Patriarchs who were very inconsiderable for their number but yet were to make so great a figure in the History of the Church 6. The superior Waters were little or nothing as to their extension but had this advantage above the waters which were beneath that they were near Heaven so the families of the Patriarchs little in number had this advantage to be admitted to secret and special communion with God. He conversed with the Patriarchs as a man with his intimate friend 7. The Clouds are lifted up to so high a place by the rays of the Sun and the attraction of Heaven the families of the Patriarchs were advanc't to that glory of being distinguisht from all others by the mercy of God. 8. The Clouds are the fruitfull springs whence proceed the rain the fruitfullness and blessing of the Earth God would make the Patriarchs the springs of blessing to the Church In thy seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed Therefore the Iews did always in their prayers make mention of the Covenant made with Abraham Isaac and Iacob 9. God put the Firmament or Expansum between the upper and lower Waters 't is that large vacuity of Misery and sin which separates the World from the Church 10. From the Clouds 't is easy to fall into the lower Waters but the Waters which are beneath rise with difficulty to the Clouds The fall is easy from the Church to the world and sin but 't is difficult to pass from the world to the Church In the third day was made a perfect separation of the waters i. e. that work of the separation of the Waters was finisht and this is the reason why God blessed not the work of the second day We must not look for a Mystery in that or imagine that on that account the waters must needs signify sin God blessed not the work which he had not yet finisht We find no Benediction in the second day but to make amends we meet with two in the third for those words and God saw that it was good are repeated twice 't is because in that third day we find two works the compleating the separation of the waters is one and the Creation of Plants another and God said Let the waters that be under the Heavens be gathered together into one place and let the dry Land appear 'T is an image of a perfect separation of People into one place i. e. into the World which is a great and vast abyss full of darkness and impurity into that I say let the Waters run there let the reprobate People gather together 2. And let the dry Land appear the holy People who till now had appeared mixt with the men of the World let them appear seperate from all other People 3. The World is represented by the Sea the Church by the Earth and dry Land so since that time in the stile of the Prophets and of Preachers the Sea hath always been an image of the World. The Ark of Noah which floated on the waters of the Deluge is the Emblem of the Church beaten by the waters of this world Jesus Christ sleeping in the Ship which was tost by a Tempest is the Image of the Church where Christ seems to be asleep while she is beaten and afflicted by the World. 4. The Sea is the habitation of Monsters the world is the residence of the wicked where we may see Monsters of covetousness of Ambition of Impurity and violence The greatest Animals upon Earth are not to be compared with those which live in the waters There are disorders to be found in the Church 't is true but they are nothing in comparison with those which are in the world 5. The face of the Waters is barren and produceth nothing whereas the superficies of the Earth is fruitfull The World doth inwardly nourish Monsters and in its outside produceth no solid good or true vertue 6. The Earth is the Synagogue of the ancient Church she is incompast with waters on all sides the People and Nations of the World. 7. She is continually afflicted by them and if we regard the violence of the waves one would think she should be overwhelmed 8. Nevertheless she stands her ground and remains victorious 9. The waters of the Sea have no setled foundation they are always in motion but the Earth is fixt the People of the world are unstable always changing The Church is a Land that hath its roots in the foundation of the world in God's eternal decrees 10. The Sea makes a frightfull object especially in a Tempest but the Earth presents our eyes with an agreeable diversity of Mountains and Hills of Trees and Flowers of Fruits and Blossoms The world is a deformed spectacle by reason of its disorders and uniformity of its faults But the Church shows us an agreeable diversity of gifts greater and less of vertues of good works of good Fruits for the Plants and Fruits are to the Earth that which vertues and good works are to the Church The Plants have their roots in the bowels of the Earth they appear on the outside of it they serve for ornament and use and need the kind influences of Heaven to make them grow All this agrees well to the vertues and good works of the Church God said Let the Earth bring forth Grass as if the Earth produced Plants by its own vertues 't is because he will have us act as if our vertues proceeded from our selves as if we were the Authors of 'em that he might thence take occasion to reward us for ' em But among the Plants of the Earth which are thus good usefull there are some hurtfull ones some poisons among the good Fruits of the Church there are some wicked works 12. Lastly the nearer any Land is to the Sun the better its Fruits the nearer any Church to God the Sun of Righteousness the better its works CHAP. XXII Explication of the Mysteries of the four last days of the Creation THe fourth day answers to the fourth Period of the Church 1. In this fourth day God created the Sun the Moon and the Stars 'T is easy to take notice therein of Christ the Sun of Righteousness of the Church who derives all her Light from the Sun and the of Teachers of the Christian Church which are as the Stars of the Intelligible World. This alone should open all mens eyes and make it evident that we ought to search after the Church throughout the whole work of Creation for this is the Key of the whole Mystery This fourth Period is from Iesus
Christ unto the birth of Antichrist i. e. till the middle of the fifth Century In this Period we have the Sun of Righteousness so Jesus Christ is called by the Prophets and Evangelists John c. 1. The Light which inlightens every man that comes into the world So by the Apostles The Father of Lights in whom is no shadow of change James 1. i. e. a Sun that hath no Tropicks The Parrallel of the Moon with the Church The Parrallel between Iesus Christ and the Sun is too manifest and easy to make to be long insisted on I will rather speak somewhat of the Moon which is an admirable Emblem of the Church 1. The Moon hath all her Light from the Sun The Church hath all her Beauty Holiness Vertue and Glory from I. Christ 2. The Moon retains some spots and those considerable ones in her borrowed Light the Church hath many great and plain defects in her vertues 3. The Moon hath no fixed Light she often changeth and is sometimes more and sometimes less inlightned The Church remains not long in one state she is always rising or falling she looseth some of her Light and then receiveth more she defiles herself and then is cleansed and hath Periods almost as regular as those of the Moon 4. The Moon besides her constant and periodical decrease suffers Ecclipses and sometimes total ones The Church besides her ordinary declensions is sometimes so Ecclipst as not to appear which is more or less according to the inundations of Herely or the corruption of manners 5. 'T is not the fault of the Sun but of the Moon it self that these Ecclipses happen she plungeth herself in the shadow of the Earth and so deprives herself of the Sun. The Ecclipses of the Church by the loss of Truth or vertue happen in like manner because she falls into sin and falshood which is shadow and darkness the product of Earth and Hell. Your sins have separated between God and you 6. When the Moon is Ecclipst she becomes black and puts on a frightfull Aspect when the Church suffers herself to lose the Light of the Sun her visage becomes deformed by her disorders and crimes Why doth not the Church appear but in this fourth Period since she was created from the beginning of the World so the Moon which was a figure of the Church should have been created on the first day I answer that the Church may also be found in the three preceding Periods but in the first and second day 't is a Land covered with waters The Church is mixt and confounded with the People of the World and even covered and hidden among 'em In the third she appears as a dry Land that is visible but as yet it is but Earth producing Plants and Fruits In our fourth Period she is advanc't from the quality of Earth to the dignity of the Stars she becomes a Moon a luminous body which may be seen afar off which spreads its rays throughout all the world Stars of six magnitudes images of the six orders of Teachers In the fourth day there were also Stars which are of six different magnitudes from the first to the sixth In our fourth Period we have several Teachers as shining Stars but they lessen by degrees The Apostles are the Stars of the first magnitude Apostolick Persons were Stars of the second magnitude their Disciples who lived in the second Century were Stars of the third the Doctors of the Church in the third Century were Stars of the fourth magnitude Those of the fourth Century were of the fifth magnitude Lastly in the fifth Century when the good days of the Church ended there were more Teachers more Stars in number but they were but of the sixth magnitude their Light began to be obscured by mixing with the darkness of Superstition and Heresy After them in the following Ages we see no Stars but under a Cloud the witnesses covered with sackcloth Christians concealed and hidden among the multitude of those who were sunk into error and Idolatry In this Period there is also another sort of Stars viz. Confessors and Martyrs who shined as Stars of the first magnitude and the common sort of the Faithful who are truly Stars though but of the sixth magnitude Lastly in the fourth Period we find Planets wandring Stars Apostates Iudas's and such as Hymenaeus and Philetus who concerning the Faith made shipwrack Mysteries of the 5th day We proceed to the fifth day of the Creation The fifth Period is that from the rise of Antichrist to his Completion from the fifth Century to the eleventh In the fifth day God said Let the waters bring forth Fishes abundantly or moving Creatures which have life and Fowl that may flie above the Earth in the open firmament of Heaven Behold two sorts of Creatures Birds and Fishes and they are to be Emblems of men who should rule in the fifth Period of the Church It may be the name of Bird may prove a good Omen to some one would think we should find something of good there because Birds are a kind of Coelestial Creatures but we must remember that in the two following Periods we shall meet with nothing that is good because they belong to Antichrist If there be any thing good in these two Periods 't is the remnant of the fourth for all is evil that belongs to their perticular Character So that by Birds we understand men of rash and daring spirits who would pierce beyond the Clouds attempting to reach unto God himself and have done violence to his Holy Mysteries by their bold Inquiries Such was Arrius who would dive into the mystery of the Eternal generation of the Son and was there stumbled Such was Macedonius who would fathom the Mysteries of the Procession of the Holy Spirit and not being able to effect it made him a Creature as Arius did the Son. Such was Eutyches who not being able to fathom the Mysteries of the union of the two natures in Christ did confound them Such was Nestorius who lost himself in searching into the manner of the Vnion of the humane Nature with the Divine Person and so establisht two Persons in Christ and I know not how many more such Birds there were men of bold and daring spirits who did great mischief to the Church We need but consult History to be informed 'T is true among those Birds there were some whose flight was happy enough The fourth and fifth Centuries produced some Eminent Doctors in comparison of the preceding The first Doctors of the Christian Church after the Apostles were but poor Divines they could flye but a little way There is more Divinity in one piece of St. Austin then in all the three first Centuries Origen excepted who was the Eagle of his Age. But those Birds who made some happy flights were yet guilty of great faults and often lost themselves by endeavouring to go too far The Fish of the fifth day are Antichrist
and his followers The other sort of Creatures are Fishes Creatures that make their abode in the waters that swim and descend into the Deep Creatures among whom there are some of a monstrous bigness Creatures that live upon filth and mud and are the lively image of the second sort of People to be seen in the fifth Period which is that of Antichrist rising and growing to perfection We there see the great Leviathan of the Abyss Antichrist himself the Monster of the great waters who devours all the other Fish and subjects them to his Government There we see all the followers of Antichrist Fishes of the second order All these Creatures i. e. all these men 1. Have their abode in the waters which denotes a Collection of much People they have the multitude on their side they reckon it their honour they glory in it 2. They descend into dark Abysses for whereas the Doctors of the fourth and fifth Century would be too knowing those of the following ages fell into a most stupid Ignorance They descend into the darkness of superstition and as for the most part Fishes adhere to the rocks or to the mud so those false Doctors addict themselves to Creatures and rise not towards Heaven where is the Creator In those times sprung up the adoration of Reliques the invocation of Saints the worship of Images and even the sublime wits who are the Birds of the fifth Period who flie so high by their lofty speculations as did Gregory of Nazianzen and Ambrose of Milan do sometimes fall from their elevation into the mire of a carnal and superstitious worship as Eagles after a flight into the highest regions of the Air fall down as it were in a moment to fix upon Carrion Lastly Fishes puddle and roll themselves in the mud and slime a good Emblem of that dreadful corruption into which the last ages of this fifth Period were plunged viz. the nineth and tenth we have already spoken of that corruption and you need but look back to what hath been said to perceive how justly we may compare the men of those Times to Fishes that live in mire and dirt Some will doubtless make an objection here on this account that God is said to be the Author of these Birds and Fishes Which there is no reason for in the thing represented by the Type because God is not to be lookt upon as the Author of the Heresies Idolatries and corruption of the Papacy I might reply that no Typical relations ought to hinder but that God may be said the Author of and give his blessing to those Creatures which were good in respect of their natural being he did not bless the Chaos 't is true but it was because that in its natural being it was neither fair nor good no more than in its typical relation But if any will that the mystery be carried farther it may be observed that God saith Let the waters bring forth every moving Creature c. 'T is the waters that immediately produce'em To the same effect as he said before Let the Earth bring forth Plants For this end that God would our works should be reckon'd as our own that we might receive the rewards of 'em So the waters i. e. the multitude of degenerate mankind are said to produce those corruptions and false Doctrines that they might suffer the punishments annexed to 'em and that it might not be imputed unto God. But it will be said that God blessed these works He saw that it was good Once more I may ask why should not God approve those Creatures which in their own natures were good and which were typically to represent such Events as the Providence of God would appoint for his own glory For doubtless the false Teachers who corrupted the Christian Religion in the fifth Century must come within the decree of God as such things whereby he would glorify himself Mysteries of the sixth day In the sixth day God made two works 1. Insects creeping things and four-footed Beasts 2. The Man and the Woman This sixth day answers to the sixth Period of the Church from the tenth Century to the Period of the Reign of Antichrist These four-footed Beasts Insects and Creeping things cannot be thought to signify any thing that is good under Creeping things are comprehended Serpents venemous and the most accursed Creatures among Insects are Caterpillers and a thousand other hurtfull Creatures among four-footed Beasts are Wolves Lions Tygers Leopards and Bears all cruel and bloody Creatures which live upon prey This is the true Character of the Men who lived in the sixth Period of the Church which is the second of the Antichristian Empire There we meet with Men like Bloodsuckers Caterpillers Worms devouring Insects that ravage and consume and destroy and gratify their Covetousness by a cursed Simony There we meet with Doctors like Serpents and Basilicks who poison by their very breath and spread the venom of their false Doctrines with piercing sharpened tongues I mean the Schoolmen who with subtile Arguments whetted and set in order as so many darts and spears diffuse Heresy Impurity Poison and Idolatry Moreover we there meet with wild Beasts bloody and cruel Men who delight in blood and slaughter and glut themselves therewith as so many Lions and Tygers We may there see multitudes ingaged in an Holy war against Infidels who went to the Holy Land to conquer it but carried with them the Lions Tooth for they rent and devoured every thing which came in their way Especially may we there take notice of those cruel Persecutors of the Church killing burning and committing outrage and massacres in all places This should be carefully observed that we meet with Birds and Fishes in the fifth day answering to the first Period of Antichrist or the fifth of the Church and some of those Creatures live upon the spoil but do not prey upon Man. We do not see that Birds and Fishes go out of their own Element to fall upon men and destroy them So in the fifth Period there were 't is true some Hereticks and a great corruption but there was not much persecution little blood spilt at that time upon the account of Religion That sort of rage began not to be much imployed but since the eleventh Century in the sixth Period Mysteries of the creation of the Man and Woman In the same day God created the Man and the Woman who are the Images of Christ and of the Church his Spouse The Parrallel between the first and second Adam and between the Woman and the Church hath been made so often and is so easy to make that I need not dwell upon it and therefore shall only take notice that the Type doth exactly correspond with the Mystery At the end of the sixth day God finisht his work he then gave the last stroke to it by the Creation of the Man and the Woman an Emblem of Christ and his Church and of their Union