AS in a common field, a good Surveyor doth measure out each intercommoners severall, by stake or by rod: so in the wide and common field of Christians, the Lord commandeth his servant John to survey and apportion out his Church and partage, which he severeth from the residue of carnall Gospel­lers, and such like outcasts; in recommending unto us their inward frame and renewed graces, under the appellation and names of the Temple of God, the Altar, [Page 2] and them that adore therein: meaning, that as in the Tabernacle of the congregation, the holy and most holy places (wherein stood the Table of the Shew bread, Candlestick, Altar of incense, Ark, propiti­atory and oracle of god, over-covered within and without with Angel gold, into which places none but the priests might enter & adore) were separated by a vail from the outer Court, where the brazen al­tar was erected for all the house of Israel to enter and sacrifice, & which therefore was call'd the Court of the people: so in the common field and Vniversitie of Christians, they onely are the Church and heri­tage of God, which are sanctified in heart, and holy in life and conversation, and separated (by the vail of regeneration, that is to say, by the tears of true repentance, and the assurance of pardon, and recon­ciliation unto God in Christ Iesus, ingraven in the ta­bles of their hearts by the finger of the Spirit) from all carnal professors and nominal Christians, in whom is but an outward face and protestation of the name of Christ onely.

BUt as for those Common Catholique Christians, here resembled to the base Court which is without the Temple, because they are but overcast onely with a profession of my name, which heare my word, & par­ticipate my Sacraments, and yet are separated by an unregenerate heart, as by a vai [...], from those Altars and priests, in whom my name is honoured, cast forth, saith the Lord, and measure not; for howsoever such unlea­vened [Page 3] companions seem to boast in the name of my Church, and in the protestation of a Christian call­ing, yet they are so farre from belonging to my pe­culiar, saith the Lord, as that I have given them up in reckoning with the reprobate of the Gentiles, and they shall justifie mine account and rejection of them, by their like uncircumcised carriage and hea­thenish conversation: for they shall no lesse defile my holy Citie, that is to say, they shall no lesse hate, accuse, persecute, and keep under water the true and sanctified Christian, then do the heathen and un­circumcised, as by over-long experience is wel known to the Church of God, which hath been, is, and shall be (till her captivitie be returned) opposed for melancholy, mad, new, factious, schismaticall, hereti­call, by Christian Catholiques, politicians, Atheists, carnall Gospellers, and such heathenish protestors like to theis.

And that the Church of God may not look for other or better entertainment at these her intercom­moners hands, she is here (by the predeterminate counsell of God) to be troden like a way, by these Gentiles and heathenish Christians, 42 moneths, meaning moneths of yeers, to every moneth ac­counting (by propheticall supp [...]tation) thirtie yeers, as in the verse following shall be further manifested; confounding therein the Remisa [...]ies of Rome, who sweat to perswade that they are but moneths of days, thereby to turne the worlds eye from the great Antichrist that now is, to a pettie Antichrist which shall never come.

DUring which time of the Churches disgrace and [Page 4] desolation, for the greater comfort of her Children, and judgement of her adversaries, I will, saith the Lord; I, by a wonderfull outstretched providence, will preserve unto the world the light and power of my two Testaments, to guide their knowledge and conversation into the wayes of peace. Whereby the Lord manifestly reproveth the grosse and vaine ex­pectation of those, that translate his meaning in this place to the coming of Henoch and Elias: whereas of Henochs return, either in flesh or in spirit, there is no syllable of promise in all the Scriptures, and as touch­ing the spi [...]ituall returne of Elias promised,Mal 4.5. Mat. 11.14. is alrea­dy performed as the Lord himselfe proveth.

Now touching the time of their keeping watch while the world sleepeth, the Lord vowe [...]h it shall be 42. moneths before mentioned; which being dissolved into dayes, afrer the Kalender of the He­brews (whose year did drive thirty dayes to every moneth, and twelve moneths to every year) a­mount to the just number of 1260. days here speci­fied: which computation of the years is observed throughout the whole Bible, Daniel onely excepted, who counteth after the use and stile of the Chalde­ans, in whose tongue, and amongst whom he wrote; and consequently the m neths being Prophetica [...]l, that is to say, mone [...]hs of years, to each accounting thirty years, the re [...]gne of Antichrist must needs en­du [...]e 1260. years. Which manner of reckoning years by dayes, though it seem strange, is usuall notwith­standing with the P [...]ophets of God,Ezek 4.6. Dan 9.24. and therefore is called Propheticall, as Ezekiel a day for a yeare, and Daniels seventie weeks are weeks of years, every week containing seven yea [...]s, as throughout this Prophesi [...]. Also the moneths are moneths of years, to every moneth accounting thirty years. From whence we conclude, Antichrists three years and a halfe, both [Page 5] here and in Daniel, deciphered by a time, times, and halfe a time, to be years of years, every year containing 12. moneths of years, which amount to 360. years, and multiplied by three and a halfe, do in the totall amount to 1260. years.

And to the end the world may take better notice of these his two testifiers and preservers of truth, the Lord commendeth the knowledge of the parties, by the description of their Garments, in saying, they are cloathed in sackcloath; thereby not onely dissever­ing their testimonies from all the soft and courtly commentaries of flesh and blood, which for the most are raised with infected matter, and vested with affe­cted st [...]le; but also teaching us that no man can re­taine to the Lord, before whom they minister, un­lesse he serve in the same livery that they doe, and can turne over the leaves of his life and pilgrimage in fasting and sackcloth, and true repentance, as these his servants the Prophets and Saints have done.

ANd these my two Testaments are those two O­live Trees (saith the Lord) described by my P [...]ophet Zachary, which stand and fructifie before [...]he Ruler of the earth for ever and ever. For their [...]ease, that is to say, their word and judgements shal either wither nor fade, though heaven and earth [...]ould perish and melt away. And they are also two Candlesticks, which carry in them the light of my [...]uth, and power of my Spirit, the great Moderator of [...]eaven and earth.

ANd if any man shall wrest their word from the aime and intention of their meaning (saith the Lord) or turne their Prophesie out of the way, by perverting or clipping the honour or purpose of their word, the fire of my wrath denounced by the the mouth of these my two Testaments (for though they be two, yet they have but one mouth) shall surely judge and execute those lovers and makers of lies: and for the more assurance of this sentence a­gainst them, the Lord doth iterate the curse and vengeance of his heavy displeasure, saying, And if any man will hurt them, so must he be slaine; meaning (I say) by hurting, all manner diminishing of the words of their testmonie by fals, blasphemous, and lying ex­positions, as some have done.

FOr the Lord hath touched the mouth of these his two Prophets, as he did the mouth of Jeremy & the rest of his servants, of whom he saith, Behold thi [...] day have I set thee over Nations and Kingdoms, to pluck up root out, destroy and throw down, build and plant. And in another place, Therefore have I cut them downe by m [...] Prophets, and slaine them by the wards of my mouth Such priviledges the Lord hath given to these hi [...] two Testaments, that if they once shut the heaven that it raine not in the dayes of their Prophesy [...] [Page 7] that is to say, if they denounce a famine of the bread of life, to wit, the word and knowledge of God; or pronounce a sword to come upon a Nation, King­dome, or People, which the Lord here signifieth by turning waters into blood; or if it pleaseth them to Prophesie (which the Lord here calleth to strike) of any Pestilence. Earth quake, or other judgement to come, such power is given them, that if they say the word, it is done, as it is written. Heaven and [...]arth shall perish, but the words of their Prophesie shall [...]ot passe till all be fulllfiled.

ANd when his servants the Prophets and Apostles shall have fulfilled their course, and be translated [...]rom the land of their labours, to the land of rest, [...]eaving to the world the inheritance (as it were) of [...]heir ministry sealed up in the two Testaments of God, [...]o preserve the feare of his Name, and the know­ [...]edge of his pleasure among the Sons of men, which [...]he holy Ghost calleth finishing their testimony; [...]nt christ the Beast, whose proper place, whence he [...], and whither he must, is here described by the [...]ame of the depth, shall not onely hurt and wound [...]hem by slanderous and lying Expositions, as his [...]lerks and Assects doe, but shall set his feet upon [...]eir Necks, and tread downe their divine authority [...]y the advancing of his cursed keyes, and the beauty [...]f his whorish Church above them, which the Spirit [...]lleth waging battell, inhibiting them to Prophesie, [...] teach the words of their testimony vulgarly. And [...]ot onely putting them to silence, but also repro­ [...]ng, condemning them for corrupters, seducers, [Page 8] and sowers of heresies among the people; which presumptuous blasphemy and murder, the Spiri [...] discovereth in saying that he shall overcome them and kill them.

ANd the letter or text of their testimony, whic [...] the Spirit calleth their corps or carkasses, shal [...] remaine in their Houses, Cels, Temples, hang a [...] their girdles through all the Cities and Kingdome [...] where the Beast and his Church is adored; whic [...] in regard of their number be here named the grea [...] City, so in respect of their execrable worship and adulterous service, contrary to God and his holy City, they are here called also spiritually Sodome; meaning, that as Sodome her Sister did forsake the lawfull use and prescription of nature, and wrought filthinesse against nature; so these loathing truth, an [...] loving lies, should erect strange oblations and propitiations, as contrary to the offerings and satisfactions of the Saints, as was the sin of Sodome opposit [...] to nature.

And the Spirit further calleth them by the nam [...] of Egypt, for that in blindnesse and hardnesse o [...] heart they every way match the presumptuous an [...] indurate Egyptians, still pursuing and persecutin [...] the truth, as Pharaoh did Israel, till the God of Israe [...] destroy them by the Spirit of his mouth, as he di [...] Pharaoh and his hoast by water.

And in further detestation of the cruell murthe [...] and immanitie of this Beast and his adherents, th [...] holy Ghost layeth the blood of the Prince of th [...] Covenant to their charge also, as cunningly as they [Page 9] think to convey his murther, and post it over to Je­ [...]usalem. For as the Lord doth lay the blood of his [...]ervant Abel to the charge of the Scribes and Phari­ [...]ees of his own time, although he were slaine long before those Pharisees were borne, or Jerusalem [...]uilded, because they were the very image and live­ [...]y imitation of his brother that murthered him: so [...]he holy Ghost doth here lay the innocent blood of [...]he Lord of glory to the Charge of this Crucifier, [...]nd his Citizens, because they are the Children and Generation of that high Priest, and those murtherers which cryed, Away with him, crucifie him, crucifie him. And that we should not marvell thereat, the holy Ghost in another place goeth further, and saith, In [...]er shall be found the blood of the Apostles and Prophets al­ [...]o, and all that ever for the testimonie of the truth were [...]laine on earth.

ANd all Nations and Kingdoms where the Beast is worshipped (whom the holy Ghost for their [...]rophanation in life and Religion, calleth Gentiles) [...]all have, handle, and gaze upon the letter and [...]orps of his two witnesses three days and a halfe, [...]at is to say, the time, times, and halfe a time, [...]herein the Beast shall Reigne and persecute, even [...]hree propheticall yeares and a halfe, accounting [...] as in Ezekiel) all dayes for years. Neither shall [...]ey suffer the word of their Prophefie to be read, [...]pened, understood, and laid up in the hearts of the [...]eople, the true and naturall monuments and sepul­ [...]ers, wherein the testimonie of their words ought to [...]e interred.

ANd all the worshippers of the Beast, here noted for their number, by the inhabitants of the earth shall clap their hands over their owne inventions and rejoyce in the death of the truth, and mak [...] merry with Bonefires, Vigils, Festivals, Processions and in token of joy, they shall send (as the Spiri [...] saith) gifts one to another. Kings, and Princes, an [...] people shall present and endow the Beast and h [...] Church with donations, immunities, possessions gold and silver offerings, &c. and the Beast (on th [...] other side) shall requite their kindnesse with titles bels, pardons, buls, and such like: and the Spiri [...] yeildeth a reason of this their wicked and ungodl [...] comfort, because they had put out the eyes of h [...] two Prophets, that their whoredomes and prophanations might not be reproved; then which, nothing can be greater torment to the wicked, no more unsavoury to them that perish.

ANd forasmuch as in the death and exterminatio [...] of Antichrist by way of dependencie, consistet [...] the life and resurrection (as it were) of the Scriptures; the Spirit foresheweth, that after the reign [...] and persecution of the Beast, which here (as in th [...] ninth verse) is determined by three dayes and halfe, God will raise up faithfull and prudent Priest [...] Shepheards of understanding hearts, who shal rightl [...] divide the words and testimonies of his two witne [...] ses, [Page 11] which the holy Ghost signifieth, in saying that the Spirit of life from God entred into them: for as the letter & text of the Scripture is the corps there­of, so their true intent and meaning is the Spirit and life of them; and by the faithfull ministry of such as the Lord shall raise in and about that time, and for that purpose, the testimony of his two Prophets shall be restored to their strength and (as it were) to their walking againe, which the Spirit signifieth in saying, They stood upon their feet, as well to the terror and astonishment of all lying and stupidious exposi­tors, as to the fear and admiration of the children and justifiers of wisdome, as the holy Ghost conclu­deth, saying, And great feare fell upon all that saw them.

ANd the restauration of the true meaning of the Scriptures, which their enemies so long kept un­der, bv all unjust and cunning shifts, shall be more famously knowne and published, then that they may any longer hinder or stop the glorious course of their wonderfull instauration, which the Spirit in­tendeth in saying, that I heard a voice from heaven, saying, Come up hither; meaning that it should be more possible for their enemies to stay Elias Chariot from ascending, or pull the wind back from pursuing his point, then to resist the wisdome of the same, the which shall vindicate the abuse of the Scriptures, and by the power of their ministry (as in the strength of a cloud) shall hold them up, and restore them to their spirituall and heavenly meaning againe: and the Beast with all his Sorcerers and lyers, which have been their long and ancient enemies, shall see the glory of their regeneration, and wonder, and die.

ANd at such time as it pleased God to begin his work of instauration, and to cause the day-spring of his Gospel to shine out of the night of Antichrists darknesse; the abominable and desolate profanation of the Beast, which had so long time over-cast the earth, was in such sort discovered, that the very root of his throne and usurped authoritie was dangerou­sly shaken, which the holy Ghost closely foldeth up, in saying, There was made a great earth-quake. And further fore sheweth, that out of this concussion there should arise so great defection, that the tenth part of his worshippers should revolt from him, and that this revolt and defection must cost the lives of many thousand men, which the Spirit uttereth in a manner of speech strange to us, but usual with the Scriptures, calling men names of men, as Chap. 3.4. and meaning by seven thousand many thousand, using the determin­ate number of seven indefinitly, and for a number indeterminate, as it is also in Scripture often. Which broils and bloodshed concerning the institution of religion, are so sufficiently reported in the Com­mentaries of Bohemia and Germanie, and in the troubles of France and Flanders, and other Nati­ons, as if it were purposely registred in proofe of this prophesie.

Lastly, the Spirit concluding, foretelleth that many kingdoms in this defection, should quite for­sake the Beast, and haste them out of Babylon home again to build the walls of Ierusalem, and to restore the morning and the evening Sacrifice of praise and [Page 13] thanksgiving, as in the former time, and in the dayes of old, in saying, And the rest were cast into a feare, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

THe first woe was the blasphemy of Arianisme, which the holy Ghost in the ninth Chapter most aptly resembleth unto a smoake ascending from the depth, saying, That the Sun was darkned, and the aire with the smoake of the pit; meaning by the Sunne, the Son of God; and by the aire, the word of his truth, by whose onely meane and interposition, the object of his Deitie was truly discerned: and in regard of this first woe which was kindled by Arius, where­with the inhabitants of the earth (as the Spirit fore­told us) should be tormented five moneths, meaning moneths of yeares, which by Propheticall account a­mounteth to one hundred and fifty years, which was the time of the Arian persecution, as in the Ec­clesiasticall Histories more plainly appeareth, The holy Ghost, I say, in regard of this first woe, calleth the tragicall reigne of Antichrist the second woe, whose long time of tyranny within this Chapter, in a generall manner is declared, and in the 13. Chapter following, more particularly and exactly discovered, though at the writing of this Pro­phesie, it had his being onely in the foreknowledge of God, and was not yet begun to be acted, much lesse fully ended: yet in respect it is here in a gene­rall manner fully revealed, the Lord (to whom all things past and to come are present) saith, The second woe is gone, upon determination whereof the third woe must ensue; which, for it surpasseth both the former in terror and greatnesse, the holy Ghost bringeth it in with a word of audience, Behold, the [Page 14] third woe will come, meaning the great and terrible day of the Lord, fore-denounced by his servants the Pro­phets, in the which all Nations shall stand as Priso­ners before him, and receive every one according to the wayes wherein their heart hath walked.

And because the day of the Lords comming in glory, and consummation of the world shall not long tarry after the determination and consumption of Antichrist (as in the last verse of the thirteenth Chapter following, shall be more fully de­clared) the holy Ghost addeth the word quickly, as a precise note of his speedy comming, which our Lord also in another place confirmeth by a like word im­mediatly, saying, And immediatly after the tribulation of those dayes, Mat. 24. (speaking of the tyrannous reigne of the selfe same Antichrist) they shall see the Son of man comming in the clouds of the aire.

TH'understanding of this verse dependeth upo [...] the 8. Chapter, where it is said, And when he ha [...] opened the seventh Seale, there was made silence in heaven &c. And I saw seven Angells stand in the sight of God and there were given them seven Trumpets, &c. Wher [...] the holy Ghost meaneth by the Lamb, the Son o [...] God, and by opening the seaventh Seale, a more particular discovery of all such things as concerne th [...] estate of his Church from his ascension to his comming in Majesty, divided into seven acts, declared b [...] seven Trumpets, sounded by seven Angels, of whic [...] acts the sixth was the pageant of the desolation o [...] Antichrist; the seventh and last is the comming o [...] [Page 15] the Lord in the clouds of Heaven, and consummation of the world, uttered in these words, And the seventh Angel sounded with a Trumpet, and with a loud voice pro­claimed, the Kingdomes of this world, so long time usur­ped by Monarchs and Antichrists, which by right of Lordship and Inheritance, did evermore belong to the God of Heaven, and Prince of the Covenant, shall now at length be restored to the right Lord and law­full owner, and of his reigne, dominion and glory, there shall be no end, as the Spirit concludeth, say­ing, And he shall reigne for ever and ever. Amen.

BY the foure and twenty Elders is meant the testimony of Moses and the Prophets, who for that they spake by the seven-fold Spirit of Majesty which bur­neth night and day about the Throne of God, are here said to sit on their seats in the sight of God. And for that their judgements denounced from time to time against Antichrist and his Worshippers, are now justified upon them, and the everlasting King­dome of the Lord their God (who hath stretched his wings from Sea to Sea, and from the river to the end of lands) is now set up for evermore; there­fore the Spirit saith, that they fell on their faces, and adoring the justification of God, brake forth in prai­ses and thanksgiving, saying, We thank thee Lord God Omnipotent, &c,

ANd all Kingdomes, Nations and people which have evill intreated Jerusalem, and made a sport of the shame and affliction of Jacob, shall now reap the fruit of their savage and hea henish lives, and (mangre their fury) shall end [...]re the wrath and judgement of him, who with justice judgeth and fighteth, as the Spirit affirmeth. saying, And the Gen­tiles were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead to be judged. And the Spirit further testifieth, that the Lord (for whose glory that day was made) shall render to every one their due hire or wages, (for so the Orig [...]nal [...]mporte [...]h, commonl [...] interpre­ted reward) first to his Saints and servants, and all that overcome, their hire and wages, which by pro­mise, and for his owne Name sake, is due unto them; Next, to all execrable Atheists, blasphemous Catho­licks, incredulous Heathen, liers, Hereticks, carnall Gospellers, and all other brazen and unregenerate Christians, the hire and wages which to their works, and deeds, an merits is due, as the Sp rit concludeth, saying, And to render reward unto thy servants the Pro­phets and Saints, and to them that feare thy name little and great and to destroy them that have corrupted the earth

But concerning this seventh age, wherein the Lord shal come in Majesty to judge the quick and the dead, the Holy Ghost deferreth yet a while to speake more particularly thereof, and resumeth more exactly to intreate of the terme and persecu [...]i­on of Antichrist, and his accomplices against the Church and Spouse of Christ, that so the glory o [...] his justice in their just refutation and judgement, may bee more bright and manifest.

TH'Apostle having drawne in the former part of this P [...]ophesie a slight draught (as it were) and designment of Anti­christ, doth now in the Prophecy fol­lowing revisit and perfect the discovery of the Beast, and hang him up to the view and discer­ning of heaven and earth. And to the end that this his worke of manifestation may carry in it faire and uncontrollable credit, the Apostle in this Verse assu­reth [Page 18] us, that he revealeth no other word concer­ning the Church and her pressures here on earth, du­ring the personall absence of her Lord, then that which he heard at the Councell-table of God, which he delivereth in a manner of speech usuall with the Prophets, And the Temple of God was opened in Heaven, and the Ark of his Covenant was seen in the Temple, allu­ding to the Temple of Jerusalem, and signifying thereunder that the words of this Revelation are no lesse sooth and true, then if he had received them from the Oracle of God, which spake from over the Ark of his Testament, within the Temple of Jerusa­lem, whose words and answers, for their divinity, Majesty, power and glory, are here, as elsewhere, figured by voyces proper to God, and not to man, as lightning, thunders, earth-quakes, and haile.

BUt before the Spirit takes in hand to discover the persecutors of the Church, it p [...]easeth him first to describe the Church it selfe, that so the barbarous immanitie of her enemies may be more apparent and justly abhorred, being used against a creature of such virginall, innocent and patient modestie, who for her rare and admirable beauty is here called a great signe, or heavenly apparition, symbolizing her fear­full, modest, sober and matron-like behaviour, with th'appellation and quality of a woman; for so she is in holy Scriptures ofren called, The fairest woman, the Kings daughter, daughter of Sion, daughter of Jerusa­lem, the Spouse of Christ, Mother of the just, &c. And to the end she may the better be discerned of us, the Apostle describeth her garments and wearing, saying, she was cloathed with the Sunne, meaning that she had [Page 19] put on the Lord Jesus, Sunne of justice, that is to say, her Soule was vested with an assurance of the mercy and love of God in Christ Jesus her Lord; which justice or justification of the Spouse and her children, is called in holy Scripture by way of Meta­phor, the white stone, and the wedding Garment. For as a Stoale or Garment covereth the shame and na­kednesse of our vile bodies: so the mercy and love of God, insured us in Christ Jesus our Lord, hideth the shame and nakednesse of our sinfull souls. And to prove that her Garment was truly woven of the two divine threads, to wit, the assurance of mercy, and the assurance of love in Christ Jesus her Lord; the Spirit giveth in for evidence, the fruits of this her lively and justificall faith, closely hiding her newnesse of life, her hatred of sin, and her love of God, as un­der a vaile, in these words, And the Moone under her feete; signifying thereby, that she had now quite forsaken and forgotten her fathers house, that is, had slaine her naturall, sinfull, and wonted affections, and was revived, and renewed in mind, and with her Lord was now risen, and ascended up, as he into the heaven of heavens, so she to a new custome and carriage of life, far above and higher then the Moone: for all her study and hearts delight was now in heaven, where her hope, her love, her life, and her dearest Lord liveth and reigneth, God, to be praised for ever and ever, Amen.

Last of all, the Spirit setteth forth her head-attire, whereby her honour and estate was best knowne, and wherein she most delighted, saying, that she wore on her head a Crowne, made of a mettall much finer then gold, for it was made of the doctrine of the 12. Apostles, who for that they are the Lords lights, and lanterns to guide the feet of sinners when sin hath benighted them, are here cal'd by the names of Stars, And on her head a crowne of twelve Starres.

ANd by the words which her eares received, her heart conceived, and she was great with feare and godly sorrow, travelling under the burden of her sins, and restlesse desire to be reconciled to God: which anguish and paines of her sorrowfull heart and broken spirit, the Apostle most excellently compa­reth to the sorrows of a woman in travell. In which her spirituall labour and paine, she could by no means be relieved or eased, untill her Lord were fashioned in her, that is, untill her heart were sanctified by faith: for no Treacle could heal her miserable wounded soul, but the assurance of mercy onely; nor any water could quench the burning flames of her restles desire, but the love of God onely, insured her in Christ Jesus her Lord, and written in the fleshly ta­bles of her heart, by the finger of God, according to his promise, his fi [...]st and last and everlasting covenant

AS night doth follow d [...]y, and the shadow the bo­dy, so must the C [...]osse [...]ol [...]ow Christ, and afflicti­on his Church; whose Sunne could no sooner shine, but the envious man raised up a mighty storme of persecution to cloud the brightnesse of her beautifull beams; which for the extraordinary furie thereof, the Apostle calleth a wonder or signe, meaning the Churches first and primitive persecution raised by Ethnik Rome, who [...]or his power, immanitie, and ma­lice to the Church of God, is here called a great red Dragon; and both for that his Throne and City was seated on seven hills; as also for that he was in all [Page 21] impietie, pride and prophanation, the totall sum and epitome (as it were) of all the seaven Monarchies, unto whom (from the beginning of time, to the end thereof) was given and granted the charter and commission of blaspheming God, and corrupting his world (as in the 13. Chapter following is more par­ticularly discovered) the Apostle addeth, Having se­ven heads.

And in regard his power did beat downe the po­wer of all Nations, and made spoile and purchase of all Kings and Kingdomes on earth, the Spirit saith, he had ten hornes: for the hornes signifie Kings and Kingdomes, and the number of ten include all, be they never so many, as all numbers are made of ten, and their reduplication, be they never so infinite.

And because he came to advance his head so high, by the power of his sword, his Leaders and legions, the Spirit crowneth his heads with magnificence and diadems, saying, And on his heads seven diadems.

THe head of this great red Dragon, was his Regall first estate, governed by Romulus and six other successive King coats, which Seneca calleth his infancy or nonage, wherein he lived, swathed and nourished in blood 244. years, as his owne Historian reporteth.

The body of this great red Dragon was his Consuls second estate, which Seneca calleth his full age, part Aristocraticall, part Democraticall, and was therefore stiled, Senatus populusque Romanus: from whence part­ly by reason of his over-weight and fulsome abun­dance, as one of his owne noteth, Romanis laxitas mundi & rerum amplitudo damno fuit; and partly for [Page 22] want of enemies abroad to wreak their proud and kingly humours on, he fell into th'intestine evill of civill wars at home, which did cast him into his mi­nority and wardship againe.

And this his last estate of regiment imperiall, the holy Ghost here calleth his taile, which consisteth of a rout of Monarchs, seventie Keysars long, who for that they so furiously persecuted and havocked the blood of the chiefest Saints and servants of God, the Spirit saith that with his cursed taile he drew the third part of the Starres of heaven, and cast them to the earth.

And not contented with the slaughter of his fairest lights and stars of his Church, proceeded to desolate the whole hoast of heaven, even all the seed of the Spouse, named before the Churches child, and here her Son, meaning those in whom, by the ministry of his fairest stars (his Servants the Apostles) Christ was now formed, and of whom the Church was now ready to be delivered; for so much the Apostle un­foldeth in these words, And the Dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, that when shee should bring forth, he might devoure her son.

BUt notwithstanding all their fury, the Church brought forth her first fruit, which for their faith, charity, labour and patience, the spirit nameth a Man-child: and because they followed the Lord in the Re­generation, and overcame by keeping his words and works unto the end, they received the selfe-same ho­nour, which to their Lord alone and in chief belong­eth, namely, that they shall judge the Tribes of Israel, and have dominion over the Nations, and shall rule them with a rod of iron, and break their glory like a potters vessel. [Page 23] as the Lord hath promised, Mat. 19. & Apoc. 2.

And in remembrance of the tender care and pro­vidence of God over the seed and first fruit of his Church, the Spirit concludeth, that when they had ended their course, they were taken up to God, and to his Throne, far from the reach and rage of their enemies.

BUt the Church of God, here named the woman, mo­ther of this faire and primitive fruit, being no longer able to weather out her stormes, was enforced to hide her beau [...]y, and to retire her selfe into the secret chambers of Gods providence and her owne conscience, and to take up her lodging in the desart; not that her light was utterly extinguished, as her e­nemies reproach her: for although she were disper­sed, distressed, and enforced to hide her extraordina­ry and eminent graces; yet the beauty of her true repentance and of her lively faith, seconded with a charitable life and patient expectation of better things to come, still shined as a Candle in a darke place; and like a ship preserved in a tempest, she re­mained still the same, of whom the world was not worthy; never wanting the loving protection of her dearest Lord, who in all her troubles was mindfull of her, as of Elias his servant, or Israel his first-borne; carefull to provide her, both of honourable harbour and princely diet. Her resting place was restlesse, strewed and scattered far and neare over the face of the earth; for such a lodging did best beseeme her broken and restlesse heart, which sojourned in earth, but dwelt in heaven; and did also best defend her person from the furious inquisitions of her enemies.

Neither was her Lord lesse loving and provident [Page 24] concerning her food, for he preserved for her diet the two witnesses of his eternal Covenant, that from their breast she might suck the pure and who [...]me milke of grace and life, that so she might be both nobly harboured, and princely fed during the tedi­ous and odious Reigne of the great Whore the Church of Rome, who during her exile should [...]surp her Chair and under the vizard of her name should persecute her name and generation, a thousand two hundred and sixty years, here (as before) mystically deciphered under a thousand two hundred and sixty dayes.

ANd at the same time that the Temple of God was opened in heaven, the Apostle also foresaw that great and bloody contention, then which (since the dayes of heaven) was never waged greate [...], great in regard of the Armies, and great in respect of the cause.

The Armies great, as well for the greatnesse of the Generals, as for the valour and number of their Forces.

The Generall on the one side, was the power of God, sciphered by Michael the Prince of the Cove­nant, who stood for the children and people of the Highest. The Generall on the other side, was the po­wer of Satan, figured by Ethnick Rome, here (as be­fore) called the Dragon.

In their Forces are to be considered the Leaders and the Souldie [...]s. The Leaders and Captaines on the part of Michael were Divus Petrus, Divus Paulus, Divus Johannes, and the rest of that divine and No­ble order of Saints. And on the Dragons part were Leaders and Chieftains, Divus Tiberius, Divus Caligula, [Page 25] Divus Claudius, Divus Nero, and the rest of that most filthy and execrable traine.

So great was he multitude and number of Soul­diers, that none of what degree, sex, age, or conditi­on soever, but must be prest for the one side or for the other; the valour and vertue of the Souldie [...]s exceeded all praise; few subdued many, the weake overcame the stong, a handfull of Christians a world of infidels.

The cause was great, and higher then the heavens; whether God or Belial, Ch [...]ist or Jupiter. Christia­nisme or Paganisme were more venerable for anti­quitie, majest [...]call for amplitude, more constant for continuance, and in all other respects of wisdome, honour and Majestie more worthy to be imbraced and adored of the sons of men; wh ch was for life contended by the Dragon, his Angels and Af [...]ects, and was for life withstood and disapproved by Mi­chael and his Angels, and their followers. The issue of this contention followeth.

AS the battel was great, so was the v [...]ctory glorious: for though the Dragon with his sapient Senates, his prophane Angels, and his uncleane abbettors, in­tended all their forces, moving (as it is in proverb) heaven and earth to make room for the abomination of Jupiter, and to keep under water the everlasting Lord and Prince of the Covenant; as among the many Monuments of time is sufficiently proved and maintained by Orosius, and by him, to whom he wrote, in his book de Civi [...]ate Dei; yet the Spirit foreseeing the Dragons folly, and how in vaine he kickt a­gainst the spur, in scorne of his presumption saith, [Page 26] But he prevailed not; and concluding affirmeth, that the possession of heaven (so long time usurped by incestuous murtherers, and execrable curtizans, gods and goddesses of their owne forging) must be re­signed now to the true Lord and owner of all, who hath taken his place at the right hand of the Father, and hath deposed for ever from their usurped titles of deitie, all gods and goddesses, phantasmes made of worms, created and divified by th'inventions, relati­ons, consecrations, and canonizations of the Dragon, his Taile and successors, as the spirit discovereth in saying, Neither the place of them was found any more in Heaven.

ANd the great and prophane power of the Roman Monarchy, which had so long time oppressed and corrupted the earth, was now at length detected, and thereupon disseized of, and from her usurped claim of heaven for ever, as the Spirit discovereth in saying, And that great Dragon was throwne downe.

And for that the Devil did corporally dwell (as it were) in her, spreading the beams of his wicked­nesse at full, in all idolatry, impietie, and presumpti­on against God, and in all oppression, injustice and immanitie towards man; the Spirit crowneth her with the cognoments of her Sire, calling her, for her malice to the truth, a Serpent; for her crimination of the Saints, a devil; and for hostility to God and his Saints, Satanas: speaking therein, after the man­ner of the Lord himselfe, who calleth his treacherous steward a Divel, though he were a man, because the fullnesse of Satan did dwell in him, filling his heart [Page 27] with such a perfect hatred of his innocent Lord, and lamentable love of his guilty penie, that he sold Ca­naan for Egypt, heaven for hell, and God for silver.

And because th' impietie of Governors, is not onely their owne decay by evil doing, but also by en­forcement and evil example, the ruine of their peo­ple; the Spirit layeth the seduction of the whole earth to the charge of the Dragon, for ruling it after the level and prescription of Rome, saying, which seduceth the whole world; and thereupon giveth just judgement and sentence of death against him, name­ly, that as in his beginning he crept out of the earth, and by the scale of his wickednesse ascended so high, as to presume to thrust his haughty head into heaven, and build his nest above the stars; as did his anteces­sors, Assur, Beltassar, Darius, Alexander, and the rest of their compeers: so by a like power of sword and cru­elty, he shall shortly returne to his friends againe, and be made even with the earth, from whence his stock and first estate was borrowed; and the power of his Cesars, counsell of his Senators, sophistry of his Sorcerers (which with such indurate and obstinate minds, stood for th' honour and worship of Devils) should be no longer able to uphold the reverence of their Jupiter Capitolinus, who was now detected for a Rogue, and by the voices of Michaels Angels (as by whips and pasports) was sent home againe to the place of his birth, namely the earth, from whence his mortall and vile genealogie was taken, and with with him also were Cesars undivified, and (for all their Senates proud relations) were made to take up the grave for their latter end, and shame for their fame, and wormes for their heritage, as the Spirit foretelleth, saying, And he was cast downe unto the earth, and his Angels were throwne downe with him.

NEither was this famous victory obtained in a corner, or spoken in the ear, but (as the Spirit reporteth) so valourously gotten, and so audibly proclaimed, that all the world heard the report thereof, witnesse the records of those times, at which the holy Ghost pointeth in these words, And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, and sounding the victory of Christ and Christianisme against the Dra­gon and his Angels, his sorcerers, and their prophane and idolatrous paganisme, in these devout and divine notes, Now is made salvation, and force, and the Kingdome of our God, and the power of his Christ; and yieldeth a reason of this so pious and triumphant joy, because the folly and fury of the Dragon and his An­gels, which so continually accused the Saints and ser­vants of God, for pestilent fellows, movers of sedition, maintainers of sects, polluters of the Temple, teach­ers of new Gods, enemies to Caesar, word-sowers, babblers, blasphemers, is now upon setting and go­ing downe for ever. Which death and downfall of their spirituall whoredome, the holy Ghost discloseth in saying, Because the accuser of our brethren is cast forth.

And for the greater comfort of the Church, and judgement of her enemies, concludeth, that there is a perfect Court-roul kept, as well of the sufferings of the Saints, as of the slanders of their foes, so openly committed in the face of the Court, and before a judge of so clear a fight and eternall memory, as that they shall never be discharged or forgotten, which the Spirit inferreth in saying, Who accused them before the sight of our God day and night.

LAst of all, the holy Ghost discovereth the spiritu­all armour and weapons wherewith the Angels and servants of Michael obtained this famous victory over the Dragon and his Sectaries, and saith, that they were tempered of these two divine vertues, faith and patience. For by the shield of faith, which the Spirit (by a metonymie) calleth the blood of the Lamb, and with the sword of his two witnesses, and by the word of their testimony, they overthrew all forces and arguments drawne from reason or reading, which the Spirit observeth in these words, And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testi­mony; and all such arguments as were draw [...] from the block, as fire, sword, persecution, interdiction, and such like, the Children of the Church quenched them with tears, prayers, patience and martyrdome, as their Lord had given them charge, and left them example; which the Spirit uncovereth in saying, And they loved not their lives even unto the death.

AS after victory followeth division of spoile, so the Spirit shuts up this heavenly conquest with tri­umph and joy, inviting thereunto all the Saints and servants of God, which have from time to time main­tained and defended th'honour of his Name against the Dragon, his sorcerers and sorceries. And be­cause by their good profession and godly conversati­on they testified the glory of God (as doe the hea­vens) [Page 30] by their obedient conversions, the Spirit crowneth them with the name of the heavens, saying, Therefore rejoyce O heavens, and you that dwell in them.

And on the other part, pronounceth Wo, first to all Nations and Kingdomes accessary to these spiritu­all whoredomes of the Dragon, whom (according to their earthly mind) he most aptly resembleth to the earth; next, to the Empire it selfe, as the scele­rum caput and stable of iniquity, whom for his fear­full power and unbridled rage, the Spirit most ele­gantly calleth by the name of the Ocean, and the Sea: and concludeth his wo with a reason why, because both in one and other, the power of Satan had taken such deep root, that the more the light of the truth did bewray their madnesse, the more they strove and stormed against it; and so much the rather, because their sin was now at the highest; and that the Kingdome of Christ did gather so fast upon them, that of necessity a mutation of their fortunes must needs follow, with a subversion not onely of their Paga­nisme, but also of their power Caesaricall; which the Spirit closely foldeth up in these words, Knowing that he hath but a little time; which one Apostle also ob­serveth, 2 Thess. 2.

ANd when the raging Romane Empire saw, that his maintenance of Jupiter, and his idol art of ma­king shrines, was to descend for ever (as among ma­ny voices, some even to this day are heard to cry vengeance upon his idols, inforcing them with shame to resigne their usurped titles of gods, and claime of heaven, to the true Lord and owner thereof) he tooke the course of the wicked, whose custome is, [Page 31] (as one of their owne noteth) Malitia alia aliam tru­dere, Deut. 29. and to add sin to sin (as a holy one saith) to quench his thirst with drunkennesse: for so proceed­ed this Beast, adding to his blindnesse boldnesse, re­deeming his blasphemy, with rage and persecution; and was so far from comming to himselfe, and taking up repentance to wash away his crying sins, that (as the Spirit concludeth) he more and more pur­sued the Church, and persecuted the woman which brought forth her first borne and primitive fruit, here called, for their faith, their patience, and their godly valour, the man-child.

BUt the Lord, who had so dearly bought his Shuna­mite, was no lesse carefull to preserve and carry her to the place of her rest, with a strong and out­stretched prov [...]dence, even upon his own 2 wings, whose feathers were made of the truth of his pro­mise, sealed and delivered by the hand of his two witnesses, which the Bridegroome, of purpose left with the Spouse, to accompany and guide her, when­soever she removeth. If she travell by day they are her leading cloud; if by night, they are her pillar of fire: if she flie, they lend her wings; if she wan­der, they harbour her; if she be naked, they cover her; if in prison, they visit her; if captive, they redeem her; if she be weak, they sustaine her; if blind, they lead her, if she be heavy, they comfort her; if sick, they recover her; if she doubt they re­solve her; if she erre, they direct her; if she thirst, they give her to drink; and if she hunger, they feed her, and make her so strong of constitution, that af­flictions [Page 32] are rejoycings to her, banishment a haven, dispersion a friend, losse and death advantage. And by these comforts (as by hands) they convey her to her solitude and restlesse place of rest, as the Spirit discovereth, saying, But there were given to the woman two wings of the great Eagle, that she might Flee into the desart, unto her resting place, where, ever since her pri­mitive dispersion, she hath lived strewed and scatte­red far and neer, over the face of the earth, seen and knowne of her Lord, by whom she is protected, and of the Children of wisdome, of whom she is justified: and so doth and must remaine hidden and retired into the privy Chambers of Gods providence, and her owne Conscience, during the Reigne of Antichrist, whose curst and arrogant supremacie, was to rise out of the ashes of the Dragons Emperiority, as the holy Ghost prophecyed.

And thus, hiding her eminent primitive graces, must closely and silently keep the Lords watch, and stand upon her honourable guard three propheticall years and a halfe, here (as in Daniel) deter­mined by a time, and times, and halfe a time, from the reach and rage of the Serpent, his taile and successors.

ANd when the Dragons train of Cesars (who, for their malice to the truth, and seducing the Nati­ons, are here called by the name of the ancient ene­my and seducer of mankind, the Serpent) saw, that they could no longer havock the Church of God, by reason of her close sight and secret dispersion, they devised to pursue her with their bloody edicts, and sacrilegious constitutions, which they breathed out [Page 33] against her, in such raging and furious manner, as the Spirit therefore resembleth the violence of their bar­barous inquisitions, and unprincely rescripts unto the unmercifull rage and current of a flood, hoping, that as by their unplacable fury they had dispersed and driven the Spouse to corners, so by the due exe­cution of their cruell promulgations, they might ut­terly consume her generation, and blot out all let­ters of her honorable name; for to that white onely they aimed, as the Spirit concludeth, That he might make her to be carried away of the Flood.

BUt in reliefe of the Churches pressures and persecu­tions, her Lord gave charge unto his hand-maid the Earth, to comfort, help and succour her his Spouse: and as Moab was charged to hide the chased Israel of God, and not bewray him that was fled and escaped, but to dwell with him, and to give him co­vert and protection from the face of the destroyer; so here the Earth was commanded to reach forth her helping hand, and to take in and harbour the Lords exiles, in the secret chambers of her desarts, moun­taines and caves, that so she might either afford her close and quiet safeguard, or in witnesse of her faith, and proofe of her patience, receive the blood which her cursed brethren spilt; which courtesie and ten­der favour, the Spirit remembreth to the perpetuall praise of the benefactors of the Spouse, saying, But the earth holp the woman, and opened her mouth, and swal­lowed up the Flood which the Dragon cast out of his mouth.

ANd notwithstanding the Dragon by his taile of Caesars, had thus massacred and dispersed the Church, yet was he not so satisfied, but for very rage fell into a melancholy mood, for cause he could not quite consume and root her honour out, as the Spirit discloseth, saying, And the Dragon was wroth against the woman.

And forasmuch as the Churches beauty did most shine in the East, Syria, Greece, Asia, where she was borne and bred, the Dragon thought it his best (in policie, which evermore with him was held for chief­est Religion) to itch and set forward his den, and hold his Court further East; which purpose of his, as close as it was, the holy Ghost discovereth, in say­ing, And he went; and noteth the true end where­fore he went, not so much to barricade and stop the float and incursion of the barbarous enemie, as he (forsooth) pretended, as to pursue and consume the dispersed remainder of the Spouse, as the spirit unfol­deth, saying, to make battell with the remnant of her seed, who for that they were just of the making and growth of the Churches first and primitive fruit, holding the mystery of faith in a good Conscience, as the first-borne did; the Spirit setteth them forth in the same lively colours, saying, which keepe the Commandements of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

ANd the Dragon removed his throne, and left his ancient seat and City of Rome, where he had now kept Court almost a thousand years, and went and pitched his Throne anew in a haven Towne, between Pontus Euxinus, and Propontis in the East of Thracia, anciently called Byzance, and there erected the new City of Rome, and called it after his owne name, Constantinople, the City of Constantine: which translati­on of his residence and chair of estate, one of his owne also noteth.

AND presently upon the remove and translation of the Empire, the Apostle espied that wicked one, Antichrist, man of sin, in saying, And I saw; who in re­gard of the tyrannous power and bloody use of the unbridled jurisdiction, that should be given him, he is here termed (as in holy Scriptures other Monarchs are) a Beast, that is to say, a kind of Go­vernment, Kingdome, dominion or power, exercised and acted by a succession of tyrannous, bloody and beastly men.

And albeit his perfection in evill stood yet aloof, and was very far off, young and tender, as lying in swathing clouts; yet the Apostle descryeth him, as it were through a chink, in saying, comming up. For after the translation of the Empire, and that now Ethnick Rome began to play the Christian, he was well nigh a hundred years closely creeping & climbing up, [Page 37] before he could advance his cursed head and claim of super-eminency. Concerning which ambitious puffe of vaine priority, so fair and evident mention is made in the monuments of time, that the incredible bold­nesse of the adversary is no lesse marvellous then his incurable blindnesse, that hath so long time stumbled at this stone, and so often spurred us by way of vaunt­ing to shew them (if we dare or can) when this a­postasie of Antichrist tooke her rise and first com­mencement: which daring vaunt of theirs, the holy Ghost tripping over as a thing which is or ought to be knowne unto us, namely, that the horne of Anti­christ and his apostasie did then first sprout out, when his Church first obtained at the Dragons hand, prio­rity of place, suffrage and censure over all. For as the Tree puls up the creeping Ivie, so the primacie of the Church of Rome pulled up th'aspiring supremacie of the Bishop thereof; which Church preheminence and prelation (after long ruffling and shouldring) was first obtained at the hands of Honorius (tho af­terwards upon greater concertation and daggers drawing, it was by other Cesars and Kings confirmed, renewed and ampliated) who by th'advantage of the weaknesse and death of his elder brother Arcadius, having obtained power and protector-ship East and West, subjected the Church of the East Empire (which most withstood the West and Romane supre­macie) with all other Churches whatsoever, to the Church and Sea of Rome, at the instant suit and im­portunity of the now Bishop of Rome, whose name was then Innocent the first, in the first year of his crea­tion, and in the yeare of Redemption 406.

But the holy Ghost (I say) passing over the pun­ctuall and exact moment of time, when the Egge of Antichrist and his apostacie was first laid, as other­where sufficiently preserved unto us, proceedeth to detect the place where and from whence he should [Page 38] arise, saying, that he saw him lift up his hardie head from the sea, meaning by the sea, as in the sixteenth of this Prophecie, the surging, tumbling and raging Sea and City of Rome, where also by a like loquution he calleth all Kingdomes subjected to her, by the name of Rivers. And that this Beast should thence arise, and there (and not elsewhere) keep Court and re­sidence, the Spirit proveth by an argument drawne from the shape and proportion of the Beast, for he had the seven heads and ten hornes of the Dragon, meaning that he should sit upon the Dragons hills, and reigne in and over the Dragons City, and aray himselfe with the spoils of the world, and hold in sub­jection the Kings and States on earth, as the Dragon did; for so much the Spirit intendeth in saying, ha­ving seven heads and ten hornes. And least the unwary Reader should mistake this great Antichrist for that great Dragon, or this Beasts supremacie and his pesti­lent succession for that Beasts super-eminencie and his execrable taile (as many unwarily have done) the holy Ghost, in emblazoning his coat, giveth him a most exquisite difference, in saying that he wore his diadems, not upon his heads, as the Dragon did, but upon his hornes; signifying thereby, that he should not come to his Crown and vain-glory by the strength of his sword, his leaders and his legions, as the Dra­gon did, but by the base and voluntary submission of all such Caesars, Kings and Princes, as should with one counsell and force, deliver up their authority and po­wer secular to the devotion and pleasure of the Beast [...] and therefore the Spirit crowneth not his heads, bu [...] his hornes, saying, and upon his hornes ten diadems. An [...] concluding sheweth (even by his head-attire) ho [...] far unlike this Dragons High-Priest of Rome was an [...] should be to the Lords High-Priest of Jerusalem, wh [...] (in stead of having his head-attire emblemished wit [...] holinesse to the Lord, as had his servant Aaron) should [Page 39] have his head-peece beslubbered with names of blas­phemy, and upon his heads names of blasphemy, whereof proofe is made in the sixth verse following.

ANd forasmuch as the Apostle fore-saw that this Beast should be a far greater adversary, and a far longer persecutor of the Church of God, then any of the Monarchies which did arise afore him; he shaped him an outside answerable to his inward making, fra­ming his parts of the most notable persecuters that e­ver were; as concluding him for his extraordinary wickednesse the odd fellow, the totall sum and very ac­complishment of all other.

And first for his presumption, in extolling himselfe above the Prince of the Covenant, desouling his san­ctuary, desolating his sacrifice, burning his statutes, and inforcing the humble and meek to the abnegati­on of the truth, by blood, fire, st [...]appadoes, and such like exquisite torments; the Spirit resembleth him to his arch-type Antiochus descended from the Mo­narch of Greece, here (as in Daniel) deciphered by a Leopard, And I saw the Beast like a Leopard.

Secondly, in pride of life, in pomp and luxury, the Spirit equalleth him with the Monarch of Persia, and likeneth his arrogant and voluptuous gate to her ten Kings, here (as in Daniel) deciphered by a Beare, And his feet as of a Beare.

Thirdly, the holy Ghost ascribeth unto him the proud, prophane and cursed mouth of the Monarch of Babylon, in commanding the dwellers on earth (up­on paine of fire and furnace) to adore his golden I­dol, which he had dedicated with cornets, sackbuts, [Page 40] psalteries, dulcimers; which also the Spirit covereth (as Daniel doth) under the mask of a Lion, And his mouth as the mouth of a Lion.

And last of all, lest haply he should be least be­holding unto his Bella Nympha, his dearest Lady and mistris of Rome, the holy Ghost saith, that the love of his Patronesse the Dragon, was equall to the love of a father towards his son; for she made him heir ap­parent, and Lord of her Empire, subjecting all things to the feet of his censure, and confirming unto him her throne and Palace of Lateran, with all the demes­nes and glory of Latium, as one of his own also noteth ‘— Latiumque relinquit Christo, & Romuleam septem cum collibus urbem.’

ANd presently after this great Antichrist was risen, the Apostle foresaw such a wound given to one of his heads, that the Beast was in eminent danger to be stricken downe againe, and slaine in the very egge, for so much the Spirit noteth in saying, And I saw one of his heads as it were slaine to death. For the better o­pening of which wound, we must not onely remem­ber the Beast hath seven heads, but we must also step a little forward, and crave the assistance of the seven­teenth Chapter concerning the interpretation of the seven heads, which saith, that the seven heads are seven hills, and they are also seven Kings; discovering the true seat and situation of the City of Rome, where Anti­christ should keep his Court and residence, by the seven hills.

And by the seven Kings the seven Monarchies [...] which from the beginning of the world to this day have successively risen and reigned over the earth, of [Page 41] which seven, the Assyrian Monarchie was the first, and the Roman the sixth, of both which and their pue­fellows, is further revealed in the 17. Chapter fol­lowing. Meane time we are here to observe, that as the holy Ghost doth therefore call his seven heads by the name of seven hils, because the seat of Antichrist should be there, and not elsewhere placed and plan­ted; so he nameth them also seven Kings, because the power of Antichrist should be an extraordinary sove­raignty, compounded of such spirituall and tempo­rall claims and jurisdictions, as should be equivalent in presumption and prophanation, to all the trans­gressions of the seven Monarchies, which from the beginning hitherunto, have blasphemed God, and corrupted his world.

This foundation laid, doth shew, that this deadly wound given to one of his heads, which (as after ap­peareth) was the wound of a sword, cannot be meant of any one of his heads after the first signification, as they are hills, but as they are Kings, and subject to the sword: and so by consequence intendeth, that one of his imperiall heads, and namely his faire Ado­nis, his minion, Lord and Master of Rome, of whom he had so lately received his breath and being, was so deadly wounded, as that the Beast himselfe, there­by was in great danger of extinction. Thus having found the head, let us look unto the wound, that so we may the better discerne the great danger the Beast was in, delivered in these words, as it were slaine to death. This deadly wound was given and driven home to the head by the sword and incursion of the West Gothes, under the leading of Alaricus, who in the nineteenth year of Caesar Honorius (of whom the Beast some foure yeares before had received his life) entred Italy, and gave such a deadly stroke unto his powerfull pate, that for very feare, the beast lockt himselfe up in his den at Ravenna, while the enemy [Page 42] ript up the streets of his imperiall City, filling them with famine, fire and sword; which night of woe, or rather beginning of her wofull night, made an anci­ent friend of hers, who in her youth did love her o­ver-well, to bewaile and bind up her deadly wounded head, with an old Ballade, after the tune of the burn­ing of Troy.

And having thus mortally wounded the head of the Beast (in the yeare of salvation 410. and 1157. years after Romulus had raised her walls with his bro­thers blood) proceeded to seize upon the rest of his dignities, havocking and burning his chiefest ho­nours, Latium, Campania, Apulia, Lucania, Calabria, where raging and devising how to extermine the po­wer of the Empire for ever, and to spread his glory over all, was by sudden death blotted out, leaving his purpose and his Army Royal to his wives brother A­taulphus, who in like raging hast and fury returned to Rome, with an obstinate intent and resolution to ob­literate the ancient name of Rome for ever, and to call her (in honour of his people) Gothia, or after his owne name Ataulpha; which counsell and pur­pose of his, had it beene effected, Sir Antichrist with all his primacies and supremacies had bid us good night long ago; and all his gainfull enterludes of Fides vestra, and Ne deficiat fides tua, and Pasce oves, and Tibi dabo claves, and Quorum remiseritis, with all his pestilent painted traine of succession, had been dasht in repeating, before ever they had come on stage. But to the end this recovery might be the plague sore of the earth, his deadly wound was hea­led, as the Spirit saith, But the wound of his death was cured. For by the pleasing prayers and subtile inter­cessions of the Emperours sister Placidia, whose beau­ty [Page 43] and body was espoused to Ataulphus, for such a time his fury was averted, and his designe dissolved, and himselfe not onely content at her amorous mediation to grant the City of Rome pardon for her name, but also to leave her eclipsed and dying honour, with all her Italy, to her stupified Honorius, who for feare was crept into his earth at Ravenna; and taking his Spouse Placidia with such dower as himselfe listed, departed Italy, and pitched his Tabernacle in France. then one of the chiefest Provinces of the West Em­pire. And to this Plaister the Spirit pointeth, in say­ing, But the wound of his death was cured.

And the holy Ghost foreseing the greatnesse of the Beasts power to come, which was yet but like unto his sin; and how that Satan his creator, who had formed him after the image and perfection of his owne wickednesse, should afford him such letters commendatory to all the world, which naturally lo­veth wicked inventions, that the primacie of his Church and supremacie of his person should over­spread all, and obtaine the praise of the earth, con­cludeth of him in this manner, And all the earth was in admiration of the Beast.

ANd the children of misbeliefe ascribed to the Dra­gon inhibited honours, decking his heathenish Christianisme with names of holy, and most holy, titles due to God alone; and they adored his execra­ble inventions and doctrines of divels, worshipp [...]ng and divifying his uncircumcised train of Caesars, who had granted unto Antichrist such power incompara­ble, and uncontrollable jurisdiction, which the Spirit a­natomizeth in these words, And they adored the Dragon which gave power to the Beast.

And as in evill there is no meane, so these children of unbeliefe went on, and bestowed like titles and magnifications upon this base and vile Antichrist, who as the Prophet long agoe foretold us, by policie should prosper,Dan. 8. and by peace destroy many, and strike his adorers with such a spirituall drunkennesse, that they should not onely hang their gold, but their faith also upon him, and verily beleeve that this vile and despicable Antichrist, Delegate to Romulus, and Deputie to Caesar, was Vicar to the Lamb, and succes­sor to Peter. And thus rejoycing over the errour of their owne fantasie, should with Pigmalion admire and dote upon the idol of their owne carving, and falling downe should adore and crie with that drunken King, Great art thou, O Bell, and in thee is no deceit: which occasioneth the Spirit (in detestation of their madnesse) to disclose their shame, saying, And they adored the Beast, and said, who is like unto the Beast, or who may war with him?

ANd as the Dragon did bequeath unto Antichrist, his throne and his power in so large and ample manner, that his priestly key was in cutting and kil­ling, so like the Dragons sword, that he that is wise, may easily perceive, one craftsman made them both: so Satan the Master and seducer of them both, endow­ed his Antichrist with mouth and lips so like his own, that whoso hears him open, may truly say, Quam si­miles habent labra lactucas, like lips like lettice; at which the Spirit pointeth in saying, And there was gi­ven to it a mouth; and proveth it by an argument drawne from the fruit of his lips, speaking great things and blasphemies. Dan. 7. Whereof the Prophet Daniel also [Page 45] inditeth him, foretelling that he should open his exe­crable mouth, and speake words against the most High; of which presumptuous and blasphemous magniloquence, the holy Ghost arraigneth him more particularly in the verse following.

And the Prophet also further reporteth,Dan. 7. that times and laws, and great power should be given into his hand, for a time and times, and the dividing of a time; butting and bounding his tyrannous reigne and government within the self-same circle and period, as here the Spirit doth, by another like propheticall construction, saying, And power was given unto it to worke forty two moneths.

IN discovering the blasphemous mouth of Antichrist, the holy Ghost doth first and principally challenge him for presuming to lay hand upon his divine and spirituall sword and to weare the name and title of Vicar to the Lamb, which title, name and honour, is onely due to the Spirit of the Lamb, the onely mo­derator, comforter, & commander of all the Lambs af­faires and forces in heaven and in earth: and of this principall blasphemy the Apostle condemneth him, in saying, And he opened his mouth unto blasphemy against God.

Next, the Lord challengeth him for presuming to blaspheme the word of God, superadvancing his who­rish Church above the divine eternall testimony, in and by which the Son of God is named and knowne; which contumely offered to his most holy word, the Lord accounteth as done to himselfe and his most holy name; for so the holy Ghost speaking of that Lord that is faithfull and true, who with justice jud­geth [Page 46] and fighteth, saith, that he was cloathed with a garment sprinkled with blood, and his name is called, The Word of God. The pourtraiture of which divine and essentiall word, is the ingraven Scripture of his most holy and written word, and of this blasphemy the Spirit inditeth him in these words, To blaspheme his name. Lesse marvell then, if like a raging flood, down bearing all before him, and overflowing all banks of obedience towards God, he dare extoll his cursed head abbve all that is called or named God, that is to say, all magistracie, authority and power secular, which by Gods owne ordinance and commandement, is the onely true, lively and immediate representati­on of his owne person, justice and government here on earth, in and over all temporall causes and per­sons, as well Ecclesiasticall as civill, of which high treason one Apostle also convinceth him, 2 Thess. 2.

No marvell then, if thus daring to blaspheme the Lord of the house and his annointed Deputies, he dare blaspheme the house of God, wherein his name is ho­noured, cursing, reviling, and reputing it a house of schismatiques, heretiques, excommunicates; which blasphemous and undeserved wrong, the holy Ghost layeth to his charge, in these words, and his tabernacle.

And last of all, to shew that there is neither end nor measure in his black, presumptuous and blasphe­mous mouth, the Spirit further chargeth him with blaspheming the Saints and servants of God deceased, cursing, reviling and condemning their doctrine, and yet blessing, adoring and erecting their shadowes, se­pulchers, and shrines, for mediators, intercessors, and reconciliators betweene God and the sinner; like their cursed fore elders the Israelites, who boasted in the descent of their Father Abraham, and yet blas­phemed the faith of Abraham their Father, of which blasphemous and indicible contumely against the Son of God, and his most holy Spirit, the Apostle [Page 47] condemneth him, saying, And those that dwell in heaven.

ANd as after lightning followeth thunder, so after Antichrists blasphemy followeth his persecution, as the Spirit testifieth, saying, And it was given him to bid battel to the Saints; which the Prophet Daniel by way of exposition also plainly setteth forth, saying, That he should murther and consume the Saints and ser­vants of the most High, and with the cursed Philistims should make his festivalls of Samsons afflictions.

And in further amplification of this his carnifici­ous fury, the Spirit setteth forth the largenesse of his charter and commission, by an excessive loquution, foretelling us that it should be so large and generall, that the fire of his prophane and sycophanticall keys should take hold upon every nation and tribe; as if we please to cast an eye upon the time past, and confer what he had, with what he hath, we shall easi­ly discerne the meaning of the holy Ghost in these words, And power was given him upon every tribe, people, tongue, and nation.

THe holy Ghost having in the former part of this Chapter discovered the birth, place, person, po­wer, blasphemie and persecution of Antichrist, des­cendeth now to the description of his creatures and devotaries, foretelling us that they should be such onely (for unto such onely the particle all is here re­strained) [Page 48] as have their portion and interest in this life, whose piety, heaven, hope and glory is here, and not elsewhere; which kind of out and overcast Chri­stians, the Spirit describeth by a periphrasis most pro­per to their naturall and inbred disposition, saying, they are those that inhabite the earth; therein discove­ring them as by a difference divisive from such as are the Lords pilgrims and strangers on earth, having here no permanent abode or place of rest, but seek­ing the things which are above, attend with pa­tience the revelation of a life and City to come, not made with hands, where their Lord and their Redee­mer liveth.

And the Spirit proceeding sheweth further, the su­preme hidden, and unperceivable reason why the a­dorers of Antichrist thus defiled the ornaments of their calling, and why they loved lyes more then truth, the Beasts penance, more then Gods repen­tance, the Beasts beliefe, more then faith towards God; the Beasts miserable merits, more then the fruits of the Spirit, hatred of sin and love of God, be­cause (as holy David saith) they were not found in the Lords record, nor written with the righteous: for so much the Spirit unfoldeth, saying, whose names be not written in the Booke of life, of the Lamb which was slaine from the beginning of the world.

TH' Apostle having sufficiently deciphered the na­ture and carriage of Antichrist and his creatures, commeth now to discover his reward and judgment, which howsoever it tarry little or long, is of necessity the reward of sinne. But before the Spirit draweth out his sword, it pleaseth him in his accustomed mer­cy, to awake his Church and her enemies, and to move them to a feare and reverent attention, by a generall [Page 49] summons, proclaiming, If any man have an eare, let him heare.

THe holy Ghost in this verse calleth Antichrist to the Barre, and sets him before the world, for the very hee, on whom the wrath of God and his heavy displeasure is to be executed. For he, who under colour and pretence of weeding out and rooting up of heretiques, hath brought into the Church, capti­vity, inquisitions, tortures and torments, to the hor­rible murther and slaughter of the Saints, when in such cases (notwithstanding) he had neither pre­cept nor example in the life of the Lamb, or his Apo­stles so to doe; hee, even hee, saith the Lord, is that party, against whom this just judgement of tallation is laid up in store to be executed upon him in that day, when the Lord shall bring againe the captivity of his Church, which for their sins, he hath given up to the sword and fury of the Beast, untill she have borne the burthen of her shame, and (as the Prophet saith) renewed her beauty by her sorrows,Ezek. 39. and her glory by her persecutions, and then shall be fullfilled that which was spoken by the Prophet, Wo to thee that spoyledst, and wast not spoyled: and didst deale wickedly, Isa. 33. when they did not wickedly against thee: for when thou shalt cease to spoyle, thou shalt be spoyled: and when thy sin is ended, thou shalt be rewarded; as here also the Spirit denounceth, contesting that God shall scourge him with his owne inventions, and repay him home in his owne coine, saying, He that shall lead into captivity, shall goe into captivity, and he that shall kill, shall be killed.

And in consolation of the Spouse, concludeth, that howsoever Antichrist and his Delegates foolishly [Page 50] thought, by afflicting the Church, to destroy the Church, yet in her afflictions, consisteth the very strength and approbation of her children; for by the things they suffer, they learne obedience, and through patience their faith is consecrated, by the which they are perfected and made inheritable of the promise of God: all which mercy and favour is com­mended unto them under the hand and seale of af­flictions, by which, their mad and drunken adversa­ries thought to consume them, and like fools did not consider, that as the workman doth square the stone by strokes, and as the Snake doth cast his old skinne by passing through sharpe stones, so the Lord doth renew his Spouse by stripes, and brusheth off her old affections, by passing her through the asperitie of tri­bulation; which holy and hidden consideration, causeth the Spirit to honour the sufferings of the Saints so highly, as to ascribe unto them the chiefest stayes and supportations of their precious hope and calling, namely, patience and faith, saying, Here is the patience and faith of the Saints.

THe holy Ghost in the verse foregoing, having pro­nounced sentence of death against Antichrist, be­fore he comes to the execution thereof, descendeth to the arraignment and condemnation of his Clergie, that so they may be carted to the valley of Hinnom both together, whom the Lord here figureth under the name of the Beast, saying, And I saw another Beast; comprehending under the singular number of one Beast, by a manner of speech common to the holy Scriptures, the whole corporation and university of false and lying teachers, who from the first Eremite, [Page 51] Hypocrite, Father, Priest, Monk, Fryer, to the last trumping and vagabond Iesuite, have avouched the honour and adoration of Antichrist, And is most apt­ly deciphered by their earthly, sensuall, and divellish minds, in pointing to their countrey and place of ex­traction, whence and where such weeds doe grow, saying, comming up from the earth. And commendeth their making and acquaintance to us, by two exqui­site tokens, the one their person, the other their do­ctrine. Touching their shape and person, the Spi­rit saith, that it was in robe and exteriour appea­rance, the very face and countenance of the Lamb, dockt and garnished with his owne two hornes, to wit, the Law and the Gospel, wherewith the Lamb doth save and kill; for so the Spirit saith, And he had two hornes like the Lamb.

But as concerning the use and force of the hornes, the Spirit saith, they were therein so contrary to the Lamb, that when they did open, either to teach the Law or preach the Gospel, they spake and taught like the Dragons Doctours, and like the Priests of Jupi­ter, teaching and preaching unto the children of the world, that they ought to worship the God of hea­ven, as the Dragons Priests had taught their fathers to worship the Gods of the heathen. Which detesta­ble prophanation of the worship of God, and prepo­sterous adoration of his name, the Spirit detecteth, in saying, But he spake like the Dragon.

BY the power of the first Beast, is meant the pur­pose and plot of the Dragon, for the upholding and establishment of their false and godlesse religion, to the prophanation and extinction of the true wor­ship [Page 52] and service of God, which forasmuch as he could not effect by force and open enmitie, I meane by the bloody persecutions of his prophane and Eth­nick Caesars, he did devise to put a new string to his old bow, and to work it out by fraud and falshood of friends, and thereupon perswaded his Ethnick Cae­sars, that in policie it was the best to play Christians, forasmuch as the world was now so given, as Jupiter with all h [...]s idols must needs give place to Christ, be­cause most voices went that way.

And the better to bring the mystery of iniquity to passe, he caused his new christened Caesars to set up a race of sycophanticall high, and princely Priests, who under colour of proctering the affairs of the Lamb, should cunningly clap Jupiters coat upon the Lambs back, and bestow all the ceremonies and ritualls of Jupiter and his idolls upon Christ; that so, by turning Jupiters worship into Christianisme, he might turne the worship of God into Paganisme and idolatry, and that so, he might at the least, prophane and desolate the true worship of the true God, whose Majesty and truth of deitie, they could no way blemish.

And for the better successe in this their project, should cause to be erected throughout all Kingdomes and Nations, certaine covents and swarmes of false, ungodly and prostituted Clerks, who by avouching and maintaining against all commers, that Antichrists name is Simon Peter; and that the supremacie his Caesars and his Kings gave him, is the very keys of heaven and hell, which the Lamb committed to the dispensation of his Saints and servants: and that the throne and seat of wickednesse, is Peters Chaire and Sea Apostolique; and that the execrable forme of Jupiters worship, wherein his Lords and Caesars de­lighted, is the very true worship and service of God, which the Lamb and his Apostles delivered.

And by these mists, legerdemains, and new editi­ons [Page 53] of old idolatry, should establish in the sight of Antichrist, the selfe same prophanation, and devout impiety, which his Antecessors the Caesars so ardent­ly embraced; for so much the Spirit rippeth up, in saying, And all the power of the first Beast he did in the sight of Antichrist: and thereby so strongly deluded and seduced the children of disobedience (most pro­perly here, as elsewhere, described by the name of the earth and the inhabitants therein) that they loathed the Sacrifices of the God of heaven, and refused to worship; as the Lord commanded, and chose rather (as the Spirit saith) to adore the first Beast, that is to say, to worship the God of their fathers, as the Dragon commanded them, just after the prescription of his Caesars, and manner of the heathen.

And that we may the better discerne, from whom those Proctors of Don Antichrist borrowed this their abominable Church service, the Spirit remembreth the repaired wound of their masters creditors pate, mentioned in the third verse, Whose wound of death was cured.

THe holy Ghost having arraigned and condemned the Clergy of Antichrist, touching their doctrine, proceedeth further to detect their abomination and forgery, in seeking to confirme their false doctrine by lying signes and works of wonder; condemning therein, first their vanity; secondly their pre­sumption. For as nothing can be more vaine and ungodly, then to seeke by lying signes and wonders to confirme the doctrine of the Lamb and his ser­vants, which is all sufficiently established by their owne magnificent and divine miracles, unto which the Church of God upon her allegiance is enjoyned [Page 54] to subscribe: so nothing can be more presumptious and wicked, then to attempt by signes and wonders the confirmation of any other doctrine then that which the Lamb and his two witnesses have sealed and delivered unto us, according to the statute of God, Deut. 13.

And though their signes were many, as the Spirit reporteth, saying, And he did many signes; yet were they but forgeries and lies, not wrought in truth and dignity, but in falshood and fallacy, as our Lord him­selfe and his servant Paul foretold us, Mat. 24. 2 Thess. 2. In which regard the holy Ghost, squaring the mi­racles of these exorcists after the rule of their do­ctrine, which was in shew the Lambs, but in truth the divels; calleth also their lying signes, heavenly fires, saying, So that he made fire to come downe from heaven to the earth, in the sight of men: not that they were in deed and in truth so, but that they seemed so to be, in the eyes of men, because they were wrought by these vagabond exorcists, under a pretended and colourable imitation of the name of the Lord Jesus, who of all heavenly powers and fires is the true Lord and soveraigne commander; so these Clerks of Anti­christ must be sutable in their wickednesse, that as their doctrine was opposite to the truth of Christ, so their wonders might contrary the power of Christ, by a colourable imitation of the miracles of Christ, and might be a true and perfect depravation of the same.

ANd the Spirit further disclosing the happy suc­cesse of these unhappy brokers and slaves of An­tichrist [Page 55] touching their mists and miracles, foretelleth us, that as the first Elias, by the miracles of heavenly fire, did induce and draw the good unto the feare of God, so these imposters of Antichrist, by the lure of their false and lying fires, should seduce and draw all dung-hill and earthly minded men from the feare of God, in such sure and devoted sort, as that they should perswade them to make the picture and image of the Beasts Religion, and to embrace and erect such a Christianisme, as should in all points counterfeit and represent the Paganisme of the Dragon; attiring and decking Jupiters prophanation with the holy and ho­nourable names of God, Jesus, Spirit, Scriptures, Church, Sacraments, Saints, &c. like excellent Co­medians who deck themselves with Crownes, Scep­ters, Purples, and representations of Kings, when as indeed they are but the idlest and basest of the peo­ple. And as the Lord commanded his servant Moses to erect such a tabernacle of witnesse here on earth, as should be in all points after the idea, modell and platforme of that divine and eternall Tabernacle which he saw in the mount: so Antichrist (Lord of misrule) commanded his propudious Clergie to cause all people, nations and Kingdomes, to set up such a Christianity as should in all points answer the idea, modell and platforme of that prophane and execra­ble heathenisme wherewith he saw the Gentiles ena­moured; and hereby so strongly seduced the inha­bitants on earth, that they verily thought the mystery of iniquity to be pure and undefiled christianity, and that the abomination of desolation, forespoken by Daniel the Prophet, is the only true, ancient, Catholique and Apostolique religion; teaching them that perish by con­senting unto lies, that they ought to worship God as the Gentiles did worship Jupiter; perswading them that as the Gentiles had their Arae, so Christians must have their Altars; and as the heathen had their [Page 56] bloody Sacrifices, so Christians must have their unbloody sacrifices, and offer bread and wine to God, as the hea­then did to Ceres and Bacchus; and as the Pagans had their Pontifex maximus, so Christians must have their Pope; and as Ethnicks had their Sacerdotes, so must Christians have their Priests; and as the Gentiles had their Gods and Goddesses, so must Christians have their he saints and she saints; and as the Dragon had his Pantheon, so Antichrist must have his All saints; and as the heathen had their idolls, so Christians must have their images; and as the Pagans did consecrate their Temples to idolls, so Christians must dedicate their Churches to Saints; and as the Ethnicks had their supplications, so Christians must have their processions; and as the Gentiles had their Lustrations, so Christians must have their holy water; and as the Dragon in his Church-service had his Cerei, so Antichrist in his Church-service must have Candles; and as the Dra­gon had his Acerrae or Thuribles, so Antichrist must have his Censors; and as the Dragon had his Novendi­all sacrifices, so must Antichrist have his Masses of Re­quiem; and as the Dragon had his Hecatombes, so An­tichrist must have his Trentals; and as the Dragon had his Colledges Sodalium and Arvalium fratrum, so must Antichrist have his Cloisters of Monks and Friers; and as the Dragon had his Vestals, so Antichrist must have his Nunns and Sanctimonials; and as the Dragon did celebrate the birth dayes of his Caesars, so Antichrist must solemnize the nativity of his Saints; and as the Dragon had his Annals, so must Antichrist have his Legends; and as the Dragon had his secularia Spectacula, to Antichrist must have his Jubilees; and as the Dra­gon had his Bacchanals, so Antichrist must have his Carnivals; and as the Dragon had his Lupanaries, so must Antichrist have his Stewes; and as the Dra­gon had his inchanters, so Antichrist must have his Exorcists; and as the Dragon had his Asyla, so Anti­christ must have his Sanctuaries; and as the Dragon [Page 57] had his Exequies and Parentals, so Antichrist must have his Diriges and his de profundis; and as the Dra­gon had his comitia centuriata, so Antichrist must have his Councels oecumenicall; and as the Beast had his comitia curiata, so Antichrist must have his Councells Provinciall; and as the Dragon did divifie his Caesars, so must Antichrist Canonize his Saints; and as the Dragon enacted civil lawes, so Antichrist must enact canon lawes; and as the Dragon had his imperiall Re­scripts, so Antichrist must have his Decretal Epistles; and as the Dragon had his Tribunitiall intercessions, so Antichrist must have his uncontrollable interdictions; and as the Dragon had and used his Proscriptions, so Antichrist must have and use his excommunications; and as that Beast commanded his heathen to please their goddesse Iuno with Cane vota libens, so this Beast commanded Christians to please their God with vowes; and as the Dragon had his Triceps Hecate, so Antichrist must have his Triple Tiara, to signifie his triple pretended jurisdiction; and as the Dragon had his Hexaphoron, so must Antichrist be carried up and downe; briefly, as the Dragons Priests did teach the heathen to worship Iupiter as God, so Antichrists Clergy must teach their Christians to worship God as Iupiter; and look what forme of religion, what manner of life the Dragon led, the same must Antichrist in his person parallel and maintaine.

And to the end we may undoubtedly discern what and of whose image the Apostle speaketh, the Spirit remembreth now the third time his recured wound, which here, speaking more plainly out, he calleth the stroke of a sword; not that it was the only stroke (for ma­ny swords did pierce the Dragon, as his had pierced many) but the first stroke of a sword, which from the beginning and rising of the Dragons Empire and regi­ment by Caesars, did remeasure the fury of the sword upon his own head and chair of state, as the Spirit no­teth saying, which had the stroke of the sword, and liveth.

ANd such art and perswasible power was given to those inchanters and apostates of Antichrist, that they infused such a quickning spirit, such a life, gi­ving animation into the Ethnick dead and desolate i­mage of the Dragons religion, by guilding it over with the reverend, divine and honorable names of God omnipotent, Christ Jesus the righteous, his holy Spirit, his precious blood, his sacred word, his bles­sed Sacraments, &c. that they easily perswaded the blear-eyed world to think and beleeve, that the exe­crable forme and image of Jupiters abomination, commanded by the Dragon and his Caesars, was the very true worship and service of God, commanded by the Lamb and his servants; and that the picture of Jupiter Olympius, which their Lord Epiphanes had set up and placed in Sanctum Sanctorum, was the very Ark, and propitiatory of God, set up and erected by Moses his servant; and their abominable mysticall Masse, the Sacrifice of an unbloody Messias, made of bread of their owne baking (which the Patriarks, Prophets and Apostles never heard nor dreamed of) is a Sacrifice not Eucharisticall, but propitiatory, and so all-sufficient for the atonement and reconciliation of God unto the sinner, as if it were figured and sea­led in the precious blood of the Lord of the Cove­nant; and that the horrible prophane and detesta­ble supper of Thyestes, is the very true, holy and com­fortable commemoration of the Lords love in giving his life for the children of the Church, and their thankfull communion and celebration of the same.

And by these and such like inchantments, these Pro­ctors [Page 59] of Antichrist so baffled and blinded the Princes and Protectors of their synagogues, that they inzeal'd them to authorize and erect inquisitions, executions, and torments against all such as refuse to honour and adore the idol-service and desolation of their Antio­chus; and that all such as doe but mutter against the magnificence of their Church and her worship, which all the world adoreth, should be accounted as Infoelioc Lolium, weeds, Lollards, Heretiques, excommuni­cates, and sonnes of death, to the admirable confir­mation of the Spirits prediction in this place, saying, that it was given to him to give such spirit to the image of the Beast, that the image of the beast should speake, and make that whosoever honoured not the image of the beast, be slaine.

ANd the power of these prostibulous Clerks was so catholique and universall, that they caused all Kingdomes and Nations (figured here by a nume­ration of their estates, conditions and callings, little, great, rich, poore, bond, free) to confederate and unite themselves by a resolute and determinate purpose of believing and living after the laws and prescriptions of Antichrist; which league of voluntary and reso­lute subjection, the Spirit calleth the character of the beast: for as unity and love in truth, and a resolved purpose to live after the Commandements of God, [...]s the Character and cognizance of the Lamb: so u­nity, conspiration and banding against the truth, with resolution to live after the traditions of Anti­christ, is the crest and character of the Beast. Which profession of obedience was so studiously embraced, [Page 60] and with such joy received of all the clients and crea­tures of Antichrist, that the Spirit saith, they did no lesse pride themselves in their errors and abominati­ons, then in the wearing of their bracelets and a­billements, delivering it in manner of speech usuall with holy Scripture, when it intendeth to expresse an ardent and hearty affection approved both by word and action, by practise and profession, as Deut. 6.8. and 11.18. where the holy Ghost useth the selfe same phrase, in their right hand, or on their foreheads.

ANd in further proofe that Antichrist and his apo­staticall Clergy should drive the Na [...]le of their im­piety home to the very head, the Spirit saith, that by them and meanes of their authority, it should be e­nacted, [...]hat none should trade or live (for so much the inhibition of buying and selling doth inferre) but such as acknowledge and adore the prerogative royall, religion and discipline of the Beast and his ho­ly Catholique Church (for so by a figurative kind of blasphemy she must be called) as is confirmed by Antichrist himselfe, then named Martin the fift, in his Bull directed to the inquisitors of hereticall pravity (for so it pleaseth him to terme the profession of the truth) Nec domicilia habeant, nec larem foveant, nec con­tractus ineant, nec negotiationes & mercaturas exerceant, nec humanitatis solatia cum Christi fidelibus habeant, &c. All which their domineering, rage or madnesse, the holy Ghost by way of prevision most admirably epi­tomizeth in these words, And that no man may buy o [...] sell (no one excepted out of the King of Babylons decree) save those onely that carry his signing and flesh-mark in their hands or hearts, as Beasts doe i [...] [Page 61] their fells, meaning such as under or above boord, privately or in publique, are obstinately and reso­lutely devoted to live and dye as the Beast comman­deth; which the Spirit unfoldeth in saying, But he that hath the Character, or are otherwise allied as it were by way of cognomination unto Antichrist or his Church Catholique, and are hereafter cleped Papists or Catholiques, revealed in these words, Or the name of the Beast; or last of all, are found to adore within the very verge or lists of his reigne and Empire Pon­tificiall, here butted and bounded within the circle and comprehension of these words, Or the number of his name, of which more at large in the verse following.

THe holy Ghost intending to reveale in this verse, the secret councell and purpose of God, concer­ning the period and finall end of Antichrist and his Church-dominion, prepareth his Reader to attention by a little short Preface, intimating the it is the dis­covery of a mystery and point of high understanding, saying, Here is wisdome; wherein lest we should over­rashly judge (as many have done) the Spirit ma­keth choice of his auditors, and addeth for a bar, not he that will, but he that can, and hath understand­ing, let him audite and count the number of the Beast; He that hath understanding, let him count the num­ber of the Beast; whom lest we should imagine to be a spirit or other creature of strange shape (as some have vainly phantasied) the Spirit calleth him a man, saying, For it is the number of a man, comprehending by a Synecdoche under the word Man, a successive state and Kingdome of men, after the speaking and stile [Page 62] of the Prophets: for so the Lord informed his ser­vant Moses to speake,Exod. 4. Let my sonne goe, that is, let my People of Israel depart;Dan. 7. and so in Daniel, under the forme and name of foure singular Beasts,Dan. 8. are designed foure severall Monarchies, most of them containing a long succession of many Monarchs, The Ramme which thou sawest are the Kings of the Medes and Persians: af­ter which manner of speaking, the Spirit speaketh al­so in this place, and under the name of a man, present­eth unto us the whole race and succession of men of sinne, whose totall summe is one Antichrist, the bounds and limits of whose dominion and tyranny, the holy Ghost imp [...]leth within the circuit of a cer­taine sure prefixed period and determinate number of yeares, saying, And the number of him is six hundred sixty six. Wherein many, as well ancient as late wri­ters (as in the rest) have vainly imagined, that Antichrist is one singular person, which must suddenly start up, and after three civill yeares and a halfe de­part againe; and that he must bee by birth a Iew, and of the Tribe of Dan, when notwithstanding those cursed Scatterbags have neither Tribe nor shadow of Tribe left amongst them; and that he must reigne in Ierusalem, of which Citie and Temple, there is not any one stone left upon another; and that he must kill Enoch and Elias, who are to appeare about the Kalends of Greece; with divers other such legen­dary phantasies, never meant nor sent from God: so in this point also concerning the number of Anti­christ, they have given up an account so far from the audite of truth, as nothing can be more. And as men that thought it worth the labour to find a knot in a rush, so by a conceited framing and anagramming of letters, they have endeavoured to find out such a name, as by characters might express the number 666; and withall might something square either with the name, nature, blasphemie or residence of [Page 63] the Bishops of Rome, as [...] for [...], Remiith Adonikam, filius perditionis, &c. whereunto also may be added the conjectures of John Wickliffe, John Bale, Francis Junius, men otherwise of good and worthy memory in the Church of God; as also the conjectures of others as worthy and honourable as they, that have referred the number of 666. to the time of Antichrists revealing and yeare of rising, when notwithstanding it is a strange voyce, and not knowne to the eares of the Scriptures, for the word number to be used for the beginning and rising of any terme of time limited and predicted by the Prophets, but onely for the end, period, and determination thereof.

But if it were lawfull to s [...]ile in so grave an inqui­sition, amongst all phantasticall charmes and cabali­sticall conjectures upon this word number, there is none more ridiculous then that which most pleaseth our Rhetoricall Rhemists, who by a rare supputation of characters, have as roundly found out the Beasts number as the Sodomites did the doors of Lot, in the name Luderus, which in the Almain tongue is the name of Luther: and although we are sure, they cannot so much as think upon the poor Frier Luther, but for very feare they stinke all the world over; yet this device so tickleth the Clergy of Antichrist, that they pretend to laugh for joy. But as for their prefixed time of three naturall or civill yeares and a halfe (which they allot to the reigne and rage of their Antichrist) it doth so unevenly square with Luther or Lutherans continuance, that these miserable Sardonians are faine to eat their word, and to endure the foolish world to laugh at them, whiles as dying they faine would seem to laugh at it. But to leave these cursed leaders of the cursed blind, and returne againe to those that have thought to calculate and [Page 64] find out the mystery of Antichrists number 666 in a word, at a word we say they are deceived and erre, not knowing the power and construction of the Scripture.

For first, by the word name, delivered in the for­mer verse, in these words, Or the number of his name, is meant the very ex [...]stence and person of the man of sin, by a propriety of speech common to holy Scrip­tures, as Acts 1.15. Apoc. 3.4. & 11.13. where (by an Hebraisme) names signifie men, and are con­verted with the parties and persons themselves, as the name of God in holy Scripture is often taken for God himselfe: and therefore as in the former verse, the Scripture calleth it the number of his name, so in this verse, he calleth it the number of a man, under­standing by a man (as is aforesaid) the totall sum of that succession of beastly men, which make and con­stitute the existence and person of one Antichrist: and by the word number, is meant the fatall end and finall determination of their reigne and government: for so the finger of God speaketh to Belshazzar, God hath numbred thy Kingdome, that is, God hath ended and finished the dayes of thy Kingdome: so that the number of his name, or the number of the man, is nothing else but the period and finall determination of the u­surped tyranny and domination of Antichrist; which the Lamb, the Lord and preserver of Israel, for the glory of his name, consolation of his Church, and confusion of her foes, with a mighty and outstretched arme shall bring to passe in the yeare which shall be 666.

For forasmuch as the egge of Antichristianism was laid in the dayes of Innocent the first, successor to Ana­stasius the first also of that name, in the yeare of sal­vation 406. as is before declared; and that by ex­presse commission, there was furthermore granted to the Beast, his heirs and successors 1260. years, for [Page 65] the hatching, fostering and perfecting this child of perdition and mystery of iniquity, which being added to 406. by rule of true audite must needs verifie this admirable judgement, which the Spirit of God hath here denounced and determined to make good upon him in the yeare which shall be 1666. In which ac­count and discovery of his end, the holy Ghost of pur­pose leaveth out the millenary number, as not onely knowne perfect and immutable (for that these vile and evill dayes shall not exceed more thousands then one) but as respecting also the common use of all Na­tions, as well Hebrews as Gentiles, who in their stiles (for brevitie sake) do no lesse often speak and write by th'imperfect number, omitting the millenary, then af­ter the perfect, adding the millenary, as Munster well observeth.Vide Calen­darium He­braicum Sebastiani Munsteri.

And in that year my Lord of Rome shall lay down his proud waves and although he fortifie never so strong, and lay his foundation as low as hell, and build his [...]ur­rets as high as heaven, and place his Miter above the stars, yet in that day he shall die the death of the un­circumcised, and perish like the Amorite,Amos 2.9. whose fruit is destroyed from above, and root from beneath; and the multitude of his offences shall consume the multitude of his forces; and it shall be more possible for him and easie unto him, to weigh the fire, or measure the wind, or call againe the day that is past, or recover the verdure of the withered grasse (as a holy one faith) then to avoid this counsell and decree of his downfall here determined by the Spirit against him, saying, And the number of him is 666.

And then all Kingdoms and people shall see th'eter­nity of that eternall City (as one of her own calleth it) and th'immortality of her soul, meaning the soveraign power and supremacie of her Caesars and high Priests, to wither, die, and forsake the earth for ever: and as Babylon her mother left unto her th'inheritance [Page 66] of her pride and prophanations, so shall she also leave unto her the heritage of her death and judgements: for as her glory hath been great, so shall her disho­nour, when all her excellency shall be translated into shame and sorrow.

Now therfore as King Belshazzar cried aloud, when he saw the hand-writing against him, that they should bring the Chaldeans, Astrologians and inchanters to read and interpret; so thou that once and long be­fore our dayes, hast been deemed by Laws of all Nati­ons a power so soveraigne and holy, call now about thee thy Councell and thy Clergy (who call them­selves good men, learned and wise, whose onely grace is to love antiquity, gravity, wisdome and constancy) call them I say, cloath them with purple and chaine them with gold, yet shall they not deliver thee from this judgement to come; but as the mill-stone which the mighty Angel tooke and cast into the sea, which may not rise and float againe, with such vio­lence thou and thy Church in that houre shall be thrown down, and shall be found no more.

And all such Kings on earth, or rather Kings of earth, whose love thou hast stollen, to the losse of their souls, that have lived in drunkennesse, delights and wanton­nesse with thee, shall weep and waile for thee (as for their first-borne) when they shall see the smoake of thy torm [...]nts ascend, and the Apples which thy soule lusted after, to depart from thee, and no man to buy thy trash and commodities any more▪ for that God which judgeth thee, is a strong Lord, and thy derision shall be the joy and Allelujah of Sion

But her fai [...]e and ha [...]c [...]on day may not long en­dure before the Lord (that with justice judgeth and fighteth) shall come in the clouds of heaven, to ren­der unto every man according to the wayes wherein his heart hath wa [...]ked, as more directly is revealed in the 20. Chapter following. But as concerning the [Page 67] day and houre of the comming of that Lord, who for the glory of his name shall bring these things to passe, it is fast sealed up in the treasury of God, far beyond the aime of all his servants on earth, or Angels in hea­ven; and yet his beloved servant Daniel is bold in spirit, and layeth downe the yeare to be the five and fortieth yeare (according to his Chaldaicall suppu­tation) after the consumption and extermination of Antichrist, that it may be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet,Amos 3.7. Verily the Lord of hoasts will doe no­thing, but he revealeth his secrets unto his Servants the Prophets.