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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
word_n	person_n	scripture_n	trinity_n	3,376	5	9.9610	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66360	Ho Antichristos the great antichrist revealed, before this time never discovered, and proved to be neither pope, nor Turk, nor any single person, nor the succession of any one monarch or tyrant in any policies, but a collected pack, or multitude of hypocritical, heretical, blasphemous, and most scandalous wicked men that have fulfilled all the prophesies of the Scriptures ... and especially have united ... together by a solemn league and covenant to slay the two witnesses of God, Moses and Aaron ... that is, the supreme magistrate of the Commonwealth, and the chief pastors and governours of the Church of Christ, and the Christian world is requested to judge whether the Assembly of Presbyterians consulting at Westminster, together with the independents, Anabaptists, and lay-preachers be not the false prophet ... and whether the prevalent faction of the long Parliament ... that killed the two witnesses of Jesus Christ, 1. Charles the First ... 2. William Laud ... be not the grosse and visible body of the same antichrist / by Gr. Williams.	Williams, Gryffith, 1589?-1672.	1660 (1660)	Wing W2662; ESTC R25201	504,825	313

the Son and by rejecting and denying Christ that is the Son they reject and deny him that sent him that is the Father and so by denying hindering and suppressing these substitute officers of Christ that they shall not live to execute their office they reject and deny both the Father and the Son because these master and servant Christ and his Deputies as Kings and their Embassadours are Relatives and so indissolubly knit together that you can neither oppose suppress nor deny the one without the other and therefore quia per latera nostra Christus petitur because Christ is thrust at and wounded through our sides that are his servants Act. 9.4 he saith unto Saul Why persecutest thou me when he neither did nor meant any hurt to the person of Christ that was in heaven but abused and persecuted his servants that were on earth which is the true meaning of the Apostle in this place or otherwise if you expound these words literally of him that by denying the Son to be essentially one God with the Father denyeth the Father to be a God because the Father and the Son are so essentially one that no man can deny the one but he must deny the other then cannot this speech of the Apostle be properly applyed to the Antichrist because that if such a denyer of the Son to be one with the Father be the Antichrist you may finde many thousands of the Antichrists in the world But of such as profess to honor the person of Christ Let the Reader judge whether this be fulfilled in the long Parliament that is in heaven and yet quite deny suppress and extinguish his Deputies and Officers that should execute the Offices of Christ here on earth we shall finde none but the great Lyar that is the Antichrist will do the same And whether the long Parliament did thus deny the Father and the Son by denying them that the Son hath sent as the denyal of him whom the Father hath sent is a denyal of the Father as well as of the Son let the judicious Reader judge 2. 2. Way The great Lyar may be said to deny the Father and the Son when he professeth to believe in the Father and the Son and yet denyeth with the Arians Nestorians Eutychians and other old Hereticks the termes and rejecteth the notions and expressions whereby we come to understand and make the people likewise to have some competent measure of knowledg in the great Mystery of the holy Trinity how the Father and the Son and so the Holy Ghost are the only true God as our Saviour saith John 17.3 John 17.3 the which thing the Pope never did I am sure of it But whether the long Parliament Divines and their Proselites the false prophet 1 John 2.19 and the Independant Apostata's that are such Antichrists as the Apostlespeaks of that went out from us and were not of us and such sons of the Church Whether the Assembly of Presbyterians and Parliament Preachers may not be said to deny the Father and the Son let the Reader judge as S. Bernard speaks of Filii nequam filii scelerati qui scaeviunt in matrem do not thus deny the Father and the Son when they reject and refuse the words Essence person unity Trinity and the like words that totidem syllabis cannot be found in the Scriptures and do likewise cashier and exclude from Gods service the Gloria Patri Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost and cast away from all use that most excellent Hymn Te Deum laudamus te Dominum confitemur and others the like holy Hymnes and expressions of our Faith which S. Ambrose S. Augustine and other godly men and after them the whole Church of God Penes quam norma loquendi that hath the power to coin words to explain the truth have ever used to bring her children to some understanding and a competent measure of knowledge in that great and ineffable mystery of Godliness which is the unity of the Godhead in the Trinity of persons and è contra the Trinity of persons the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost in the unity of Essence or Godhead and to make the weaker Christians and the weaker Divines the better able to answer and to confute those wicked Hereticks that are alwaies ready to arise as now they do to deny the truth of these holy Mysteries let the wise and experienced Divines judge hereof For the Apostle meaneth not as I said before that he which in plain termes and with spen mouth denyeth the being or the God-head of the Father and of the Son is the Lyar and the Antichrist but as the crafty fool that durst not say it openly yet cunningly and secretly saith in his heart There is no God Psal 53.1 and 14.1 is a meer Atheist though he never uttereth that atheistical wickedness with his mouth so are they meer Antichrists and great Lyars that say they do believe these Mysteries and yet secretly and maliciously deny the Father and the Son though not directly yet by infallible consequences when they deny those notions and expressions whereby we come to know the Father and the Son though they profess the contrary in their words which makes them to be the Lyar because they say one thing and do another that is still the propertie of the Antichrist to do just so as they do And therefore Let the Presbyterians think of this and repent seeing he is the Antichrist that denyeth the Father and the Son as the Apostle saith and that he which denyeth and rejecteth them that are sent denieth and rejecteth him that sent them as our Saviour testifieth and that they also which deny the notions and expressions whereby we come to know the Father and the Son do by consequence and in very deed whatsoever they say to the contrary deny the Father and the Son it must needs follow that the deniers and suppressors of them that are sent by Christ and the diniers of those notions and the rejectors of those expressions whereby we come to know the Father and the Son must be the great Lyar and the Antichrist from which charge though I accuse them not yet I know not how the Assembly of the long Parliaments presbyterian Divines will excuse themselves and be quitted cum surrexerit ad judicandum Deus when the Son of God shall call them to an account for it let them think of it in the interim For What is to be understood by the name of the Lord our God as he that denieth my name whereby I am made known denieth me and he that denieth his own name denieth himself because his name is the chiefest note that makes him known and as when the Lord saith Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain because his name is that which chiefly makes him known to us and by his name there all Divines

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Augusta as Caesar himself was called Augustus nam Augustos Graeci 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocant for the Graecians call Augustus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Maresius but the Apostle understandeth as I said the ecclesiastical Governors of Gods Church whom we reverence and worship for their callings sake even as the same Apostle injoyneth the same Thessalonians to hold them worthy of double honor for their works sake that is for the administration of the sacred Mysteries the preaching of the Gospel and the deliverie of the blessed Sacraments with the powring forth of their pr●yers to God for a blessing unto the people and other the like religious acts and office they do in the service of God and above whom notwithstanding their sacred function and all the holy offices they do to God in the behalf of the people the Antichrist will exalt himself and throw those reverend Bishops whom all other good Christians honour unto the ground And therefore That the Pope cannot be here understood to exalt himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supra numen as this cannot be applyed to the Popes exalting of himself above the Emperors and the Kings of the earth because he had shewed this before how the man of sin would exalt himself above them and it had been but a frivolous repetition and tautalogie which S. Paul never used so suddainly to express the same thing twice and the later expression that should be plainer to be obscurer than the former contrary to all rules of Rhetorick so can it neither be any wayes applyed to the Popes exalting of himself above the rest of the Bishops and ecclesiastical Governors of the Church because he is one of those persons and a special one too whom the people worship and reverence for his calling and Religion sake and therefore it were a Solicisme and a very improper speech to say it was such a transcendent sin for a man that is worshiped for his Religions sake to exalt himself above him that is worshipped for his Religion sake which seems to be none other than to say he will exalt himself above himself or above those that are no wayes his superiors but his equalls at the most and at the best as many other men do besides the Antichrist But the meaning of the Apostle is that this man of sin being but a subject will notwithstanding lift up himself above his King that is in the place of God over him and being but a secular lay-lay-person he will for all that exalt himself above his spiritual Pastors whom he ought to worship and to honour as all good Christians do for their offices and calling and Religion sake this is the true meaning of the Apostles words And whether the long Parliament and their adherents have not been Adversaries Let the Reader judg whether this he not fulfilled in the long Paliament opposed and exalted themselves above the most reverend of all the Clergy whom the people honoured and reverenced for their Calling and Religion sake and not only above the dispensers of the holy things and sacred Orders and the chiefest of all that have or ought to have any Government in the Church but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above all the formes of Religion and religious worship in the Church of Christ let the indifferent and judicious Reader judg of it 3. 3. That the Antichrist will be an Usurper and an intruder into the office of the Church Governors as well as of the civil Magistrate The Apostle still goeth on to explain his former meaning and to shew further the impieties of the Antichrist and saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that he sits in the temple of God as God which words immediately following 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that thing or that person whom we worship for religion sake doth likewise confirm the former exposition of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie the Bishops and the dispensers of the holy things of the sacred Orders and of all the rest of the divine Mysteries because he exalteth himself above them to this end and for this very purpose that he as God may sit in the temple of God that is that he may be as well a Pope in the Church as a King in the Common-wealth the supream Governor and disposer of all things as well the Religious Worship of God as the civil Government of the people for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here which as Pasor truly saith cometh from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 habito to dwell must not be raken for the Jews Temple at Hierusalem as the Greek Scholiast testifieth which is the error of some Papists What 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifieth and of Grotius also because Caligula intended to set up his Statue in that Temple under the name of Jupiter optimus maximus which notwithstanding was not done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but it must be understood of the Church of God where God dwelleth and in the same sence as our Saviour useth the same word in John 2.19 John 2.19 where he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 destroy this temple that is where the Godhead dwelleth and I will rear it up in three dayes for so the Church of Christ where God dwelleth is every where in the new Testament called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Temple of God as Ephes 2.21 Apoc. 11.19 1 Cor. 3.16 2 Cor. 6.16 and so Theophilact saith he shall sit non in templo specialiter quod est Hierosolymis sed in Ecclesiis simpliciter in omni divino templo not in the temple specially understood which is at Hierusalem but in the Churches simply and in every divine temple and S. Hierome saith in templo dei sedebit vel Hierosolimis Hieron q. 11. ad Algas ut quidam putant vel in Ecclesiis ut verius arbitramur he shall sit in the temple of God either at Hierusalem as some think or else in the Churches as we more truly suppose And this clearly sheweth that the seat of the Antichrist can be neither at Rome nor at Constantinople as I have shewed to you before unless you will yield That neither Rome nor Constantinople but the true Church is the seat of the Antichrist either Rome or Constantinople to be the truest and purest Church that Christ hath on earth because the Antichrist will arise and settle himself in that Church saith the Apostle which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the dwelling place of God and not where he hath dwelt that so he may do the most dishonour unto God and the most mischief unto his servants and God dwelleth in the purest Church no man can deny it and therefore the Antichrist must arise and inthrone himself in the purest Church as I have fully proved before and there in that Church saith the Apostle he sheweth himself as God or as Erasmus doth best translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 demonstro ostentans

and new as well Protestants as Papists do believe the testimonie of Irenaeus and assent to his opinion that lived long before Epiphanius and therefore could better inform us of the time of his banishment then Epiphanius could that he wrote this Revelation in the later end of Domitiani reign and Doctor Hammonds reason to confirm his supposition doth no wayes infringe the allegation of Irenaeus which is the banishment of all the Jews out of Rome by Clandius Caesar for though Claudius banished them out of Rome yet we do not find that he confined any of them to this or that place but rather gave them libertie to go to dwell where they pleased so they departed out of Rome as it appeareth by Aquila and Priscilla that were driven out of Rome Act. 18.2 but were permitted to go to inhabit where they would and therefore these and the rest of the Visions of this book that were after the revealing of them to be fullfilled cannot be understood to be referred to any times or persons before Domitians time And though the holy Ghost saith these Revelations were of things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Revel 1.1 v. 3. which must shortly or suddenly come to passe and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the time i. e. of their fullfilling is at hand yet doth not this any way prove but that many of them might continue unfulfilled to these our times and many remain to be accomplished after our time in the ages that are yet to come because all the time from the first coming of Christ on earth to the second coming of Christ to the last judgement which is the last Age of the World is termed by this our Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the last hower John 2.18 Pet. 4.7 and by St. Peter it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the last time And he saith further 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the end of all things is at band and St. Paul saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet a very little little while Heb. 10.37 he that is to come will come and will not tarry And Christ speaking of his coming to the last judgement as appeareth plainly by the manner of his coming with his reward with him to render unto every man according as his work shall be useth the very same word as is here alleaged for the speedy fullfilling of these Prophesies Revel ult v 12. saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 behold I come suddenly and therefore whensoever any of these Visions is or shall be fulfilled it is shortly and suddenly absque mora without delay even as the holy Ghostsaith And he that would see this error of Grotius more fully discovered and confuted Mares p. 169. let him look into Maresius in his dissertati● de antichrist● where he shall find the truth of what I say more largely and most excellently confirmed And so Hyppolitus Carocotta saith Epiphan heresi Alogor c. 33. that the authority of Epiphanius who in the herefie of the Alogors affirmeth St. John to be in Patmos and to have written this Revelation in the time of Claudius is of no validity And he further saith that solenne est Epiphanio caespitare in Historia Epiphanius faileth often in the History and he sheweth how Petavius the Jesuite noteth in the Margin Epiphanium mendose Claudium posuisse pro Domitiano and then produceth St. Hierom. de script Eccles and Eusebius in Chron. and Baronius that putteth this his banishment in the ninth year of Domitian Baron an Christi 92. Sect. 1. Three others understand by this beast the preachers of the Antichrist Bellar. l. 3. c. 15. de rom pontifice Junius annot c. 13.11 in c. 17.12 which was 35. years after the death of Claudius But to return to this beast other learned men as St. Greg. Aretas Rupertus and as Bellarm saith Richardus Anselmus and Haymo by this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beast that rose out of the earth do understand the Preachers and Proclaimers of the greatnesse and the worthinesse of the Antichrist And so Junius likewise in his Annotations saith it signifieth the Ecclesiasticall Hierarchie quam pseudo prophetissam vocat and further addeth that à Johanne pseudo prophetae appellatione donatur the Evangelist St. John calleth this very beast the false prophet as you may see in cap. 16.13 and cap. 19.20 therefore this beast must signifie some Preachers that pretend to reach the wayes and will of God unto the people And truly I am in part of Junius his opinion and I do subscribe to the judgement of the aforesaid Fathers that by this beast we are to understand some Ecclesiastical Persons that undertake the preaching of Gods word either lawfully called or illegally intruding themselves into the Sacred Function of the Ministery and both sorts most wickedly corrupting the truth and seducing the flock of Christ and so Irenaeus one of the most Antient Interpreters of this book of the Apocalyps hath observed and it will so appear to any one that will compare cap. 13. v. 13.14.15.16 where you may see how this beast is subservient to the other beast with the 19. chap. v. 20. where the other ten horned beast was taken and with him the false Prophet that wrought miracles before him and with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast Mr Mede p. 65. So this beast is none other then the false prophet And so Mr. Mr Mede p. 65. Mede taketh this beast to signifie some Ecclesiastical Persons and so do I. But with their favour I take them not as Junius takes them for the Roman Clergy nor as Mr. Mede meaneth for the Pope and his Cardinals which is the same that Junius meant This second beast exerciseth all the power of the first beast c. 13.12 but the Pope exerciseth his own power but I say that this beast cannot signifie these men because the practice of this beast doth no waies agree with those Prelates nor those Prelates of the Roman Church do any whit cohere with the particulars of those things that are here mentioned to be acted by this beast for the Pope and the Cardinals of Rome as all men know and our men tax them for it do exercise their own power and use their own authority and not the power of the other beast which Junius and his followers make to be the Rom. civil state or imperial dignity and those Prelates say as you may obviously see it in Bellarm. Becanus and the rest of that Church that as the Moon borroweth her light from the Sun so should the Civil state take and receive all her directions and form of Government from the Church and the Governors of the Church of which they pretend to be the chief Object And if you say as our men do that would have the Pope and his Cardinalls to be this second Beast that they exercised the Power of the first Beast when the Empire was weakned and

his Father with his Angels And the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is derived of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which fignifieth to appear to be made manifest or to be brought to light because the proper signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in lucem proferre to bring into the light that which was not seen doth here signifie that coming of Christ which in the most proper sense is called his glorious coming The glorious Majestie of of Christ his coming to judgment 1. In respect of the person coming Rev. 13 14. or his coming in great Majestie and that is onely his coming to judgment when as his coming in the flesh was manifested but to few and his coming by his spirit is invisible to all imperceptible and unperceviable to most men but his coming to judgment shall be made manifest to all the men in the world and therefore is and may most rightly be termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a most glorious appearance and that both in respect of the person that cometh clothed with a garment down to the foot and girt about the paps with a golden girdle his hairs as white as Snow his eyes as a flame of fire his feet like unto fine brass his voice as the sound of many waters his mouth sending out a sharp two edged sword and his countenanc as the Sun shineth in his strength and everie way glorious as he appeared to this our Evangelist and secondly in respect of the glorious train and companie that shall attend and wait upon him 2. In respect of the companie that attend him which are thousand thousands of Angels and all the heavenly saints of Almighty God And though this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the glorious manifestation of him doth sufficiently shew the time of the quite rooting out and totall destruction of the Antichrist not to be till the last judgment yet here is another word that the Apostle useth which putteth the matter out of all doubt for he saith that the man of the sin shall be destroyed by the glorious appearance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth the coming of the Person of Christ of his Personal presence for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being compounded of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 co vel ad sum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 essentia doth import and must needs expresse the coming of the Person of Christ to destroy the Antichrist which made some expositors to suppose as I shewed before that his coming will be to begin the 1000 years felicitie here on earth whereas St. Peter tels us plainly that Christ never cometh in his own Person but the heavens must containe him untill the times of the restitution of all things which is the day of judgment and therefore the whole body of the beast Act. 3.21 Ob Et sic Hugo Grotius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christi interpretatur de ilius adventum suum ad particulare judicium i● Judaeos v. 1. and all the adherents of the Antichrist shall not be quite rooted out till Christ shall come to the last judgement But against this E. H. and others do object that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth doth not alwayes signifie the Personall presence or the essential appearance of Christ and to prove this besides the judgment of Mr. Leigh whom he rightly termeth our noble English Greek Critick that saith fateor quidem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saepe illum juditii adventum significari sed id perpetuum non est this word I confesse doth often fignifie his personal coming to judgement but not alwaies he quoteth certain places of Scripture where the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth the powerful coming of Christ by his Spirit and not the personal appearance of Christ as where St. Peter saith we have made known unto you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.16 which saieth he signifieth his powerful coming by his Spirit to convert the Souls of his people But Sol. I say that both the precedent and subsequent words and the very scope of the Apostle in that place doth most plainly prove that he meaneth not his spiritual coming to worke his graces in us but rather the first coming of Christ in the flesh which he saith was no devised fable because they were eye witnesses of his Majestie which they could not be of his powerfull coming by his spirit and therefore this place is wrested to make good their sence but clear enough to prove the word to signifie his personal presence whereof they were eye witnesses 1 Jo. 1.3 when the word was made flesh as St. John likewise testifieth 1 John 1.3 Obj. 2 2. He saith our Saviour vseth the like phrase in S. Mat. c. 16 28. There be some standing here Mat. 16.28 which shall not tast of death until they see the Son of man coming in his Kingdome and that is his powerful coming by his Spirit to work faith in his elect to increase his kingdome of Grace which is his Church and not his personal coming to receive his Saints to the Kingdome of glory before which time all and every one of them did tast of death Sol. but I say these words are no thing and of no force to prove that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth this his coming in his Kingdome or any other his powerful coming by his Spirit either to propogate his Gospel as some do understand that place of S. Mat. or to execute Judgement upon the Jewes as some others do understand it or upon any other enemies of Christ as some of our late interpreters think because the words which our Saviour useth are they shall not tast of death until they see the Son of man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 coming in his Kingdome where you see our Saviour doth not use the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie this his Spiritual and powerful coming by his Spirit but the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and we deny not the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie his gracious and powerful coming by his Spirits but we say that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is never found to signifie such a coming or any other besides his personal coming yet Obj. 3. He produceth the 24 of St. Mat. v. 3. and 30. Ma● ●4 v. 3. and 30. where in the 3. v. indeed we have the Disciples asking the question of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what shall be the signe of thy coming and and here you see they use the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the coming of Christ but I demand what or which of his comings do they mean his gracious and powerful coming by his Spirit to build his Church and to destroy his enemies or his glorious personal coming in all Majesty to the last judgement I hope the next immediate words that are subsequent will shew you plainly

that they demand not the figne of his spiritual coming to inlarge his Church but of his personal coming to the last judgement for they say What shall be the signe of thy coming and of the end of the world and I doubt not but you will confesse he will come in his own person at the end of the World to judge both the quick and the dead And for our Saviours answer unto their question in the 30 th ver he useth not the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but he tels them the signe of his coming which I conceive to be not the signe of the Crosse as some Papists foudly imagine but as our Bibel notes upon the place do say the exceeding glory and Majesty of his coming that shall be as the light which precedeth the rising of the Sun and the sorrowes and mournings of all the kindred of the earth for fear of that great and terrible judgement which formerly thy regarded not and now they see so neerely approaching and they must undergo it and then he sheweth the manner of his coming how they shall see the Son of man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 coming in the clouds of heaven just as the Angels say he shall come Act. 1.11 with power and great glory Act. 1.12 and therefore I am confident that whosoever transferreth either this question of the Disciples or this answer of our Saviour wherein he useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to any other coming of Christ then to his last and personal coming to judgement I may justly say with Pet. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they wrest or as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifieth they do stretch them as shoo-makers use to stretch their leathers with their teeth 2 Pe● 3.16 that they may reach to be nailed upon their last so do they stretch the Scriptures to make them reach to make good their own fancies And so Maresius proveth at large against Grotius that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth constantly almost in every place Maresius in dissertatione de autichristo pag. 43. signifie the coming of Christ to the last judgment and to prove the same he quoteth Mat. 24.3 and Exo. c. v. 36 37. 1 Cor. 15 23. and saith sic non alia significatione usurpatur 1 Thes 2.19.3.13.4.15.5.23 Jacobi 5 7 8 2 Pet. 3.4 1 Jo. 2.28 and then addeth that semel tantum ali● sensu extat propriori Christi adventu in carne 2 Pet. 1.16 the which place I have so expounded to you before Hereby then it remaineth clear that though the Antichrist his strength and government shall be dissolved the feircenesse and violence of his persecution abated and the combination of his members and adherets vntwisted and they made to vanish away and to be scattered and brought to nothing very easily with the breath of Christ his mouth as we have seen a word of the Lord general that Christ used as his instrument hath blowne away the members of the long Parliament yet the whole body of the beast and all the members of the Antichrist the generation of these vipers and the succeeding Schollers and disciples of the false prophet shall as they do still continue and oftentimes recrute and gather some kinde of strength though never as they had formerly prevailed to vex and molest the Church and the true servants of Christ until he that sat upon the white Cloud and had on his head a Golden Crowne and in his hand a sharpe Sicle and that is the Son of man Christ Jesus in his pure and unspoted humanity shall come to reap and to cut down all the wicked persecutors of his servants and prophaners of his service And this also seemes most manifest unto me To think the Autichrist to be one single persone is the ground of many errors because the Holy Ghost saith that in the great battle betwixt the beast and the Lamb which you must not literally understand for any pitched Field betwixt Christ and the Antichrist or betwixt the Soldiers of Christ and the followers of Antichrist which is the error of them that understand the Antichrist to be but one single person and is the ground and foundation of many other errors but we must spiritually take it for that continual opposition that the beast maketh to the honour of Christ and to the service that the true Saints do render unto him which is the warfare of the christians the beast and the false prophet are said to be taken alive Rev. 19.20 and not killed but cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brymstone for so the Scripture saith that all the wicked which remain upon earth when Christ cometh to judgement shall be taken alive and shall be cast alive into that burning lake And I do likewise conceive this to be fully confirmed by the words of our Saviour Christ when he saith this generation shall not passe Mat. 24.34 till all these things be fulfilled for by this generation we must not understand all the people that were then alive because all those things that our Saviour spoke of were not fulfilled within the age of the longest liver of all them that were then alive when Christ spake this as specially the preaching of the Gospel to all Nations ver 14. and the signe of the Son of man in Heaven ver 30. and the mourning of all the Tribes of the earth and the like that came not all yet to passe but by this generation we must understand This generation shall not passe what it signifieth either the generation of Gods Children and Christians that then began to believe in Ghrist or the generation of vipers the successive brood of Christs enemies and the members of the Antichrist that then began likewise to spring as the Apostle sheweth of the mysterie of this iniquiy should not passe away and be destroyed 2 Thes 2.7.1 and quite hindered to prophane his service and to persecute his servants but should be suffered to be as the tares among the wheat untill they see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory v. 30. for it is well known that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth not only atas or seculum an age but also Gens Natio Progenies a Nation or Progeny as where our Saviour saith Matth 23.36 Verily I say unto you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all these things shall come upon this generation that is the nation of the Jewes and again the Son of man must be first rejected 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à Gente ista saith Beza of this Nation And therefore Saint Chrysostome applyes these words of Christ This generation shall not passe away Genti Christianae to the generation of Christians which he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the generation of them that seek the Lord and I apply it here both to the generation of the ungodly reprobates and wicked persecutors and also to