THE rod of wickednesse shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous, least the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquitie (saith the Lord) Psalme 125. 3. That of the Ro­man * Psal, 125. 3. beast hath for a very long while, afflicted the Christian Church; yet her lasting hath beene restrained, to two and forty [Page 2] Moneths of yeares: as it is said by the Angell to John, when he forbad him to mete the Court which was without the Temple, because saith he, It was Revel. 11. [...]. given unto the Gentiles, who should treade the holy Ci­tie under foot, two and forty monethes. So likewise in the 13. of the Revel. v. 5. where it is said, that pow­er Idem. 1. 3. 5. was given unto the beast, to doe two and forty moneths: answering to the two and forty journeyes of the ancient Israelites, travelling to their so long before promised land of Canaan, recited by Moses, Numb. Numb. 33. 1. 3, &c. 33. 1. 2, &c. and amounting to the one thousand two hundred and threescore That is yeares, a day for a yeare, ac­cording to that threatning mentioned, Numb. 14. 34. alluding to the type thereof, mentioned Exod. 19. 4. Deut. 32. 10. Propheticall daies, of the wandering of the said Christian Church in the wildernesse of its Popish Ceremonies, Super­stitions, and Idolatries, where she had a place pre­pared of God, * Revel. 12. 6. and where shee was to be nourished i. e. One yeare, two yeares and halfe an yeare of dayes, a­mounting to the forementi­oned time of 1260 dayes of yeares. for a time and times, and halfe a time, v. 14. tending to the Canaan of her true reformati­on; during all that space of time.

Into the which wildernesse the said wom an was constrained to flee to avoid the Dragon, being car­ried thither upon the two winges of the Spread Eagle of the Roman Empire, in that time it was divided by the Emperour Theodosius the great, be­tweene his two sonnes Arcadius and Honorius, viz. Cent. Magd. Cent. 4. p. 861. l. 44. Helvicus Crounologie. Alsted. Chron. p. 76. about the yeare of our Lord three hundred and ninety: In the which wildernesse she advanced, (pas­sing along, and through that Sea of blood, Revel. 12. 15. cast out of the mouth of the Serpent like a flood after the said woman. I meane the Arian Gothes and Vandalls) untill she came to the very bottom as it were of the wildernesse of Idolatry, set up at the first, and esta­blished, as another golden calfe, to bee worship­ped [Page]

[Page] [Page 3] and adored in the Church, by the Roman High Priests or Popes, namely Constantine the first, and his Successor Gregory the second in the The 42. moneths did beginne in the yeare of our Lord 390. eve­ry moneth contayning 30 yeares counting one yeare for a day, according to the rule of God himselfe, Numb. 1434. therefore this 11 moneth falleth in the yeare 720. a­bout which time the Idols were set up & worshipped in the Churches, as was the gol­den calfe in Sinai, where the 11. mansi­on of the Isra­elites abode in the wildernes, and the first part of it did end. Numb. 33. 15. eleventh moneth of the said Christian Churches pilgrimage, hapning about the yeare of our Lord seven hundred and twenty: in the which shee conti­nued, untill God did begin to take vengeance of the great whore Jezabel, casting her into a bed, Revel. 2. 22. and powring upon her the seven last plagues mentioned Revel. 16. Revel. 16. for the fulfilling of his wrath upon her, and for the deliverance of his said Church; the which began the three and thirtieth moneth of the said pilgrimage, about the yeare one thousand three hundred and eighty of the Lord. A­bout which time and a little before, God did raise in England John Wick­leff began to oppose the pri­macie of the Pope, and the adoration of Idols, about the yeare 1367. and continued till his death, which fell out about the yeare 1384. John Wickliff, by whose heavenly doctrine, hee began to leade the Church out of that wildernesse of Idolatry. And though the plagues powred upon the said Beast, and her followers, by the Angels appointed to each Viall, were most grie­vous, yet neverthelesse, because shee made no more account of the three first, powred, the one upon her earth, the other upon her Sea, and the third upon her Rivers; then Pharaoh and his people had done in former times, when God did smite them at the first, by the meanes of the two or three first plagues: therefore as hee was then constrained, to smite him againe and againe, so was he forced, by the impeni­tencie of that wicked Jezabel to powre out the fourth Viall upon her Sunne, and after it the fift [Page 4] upon her throne: by the grievousnesse of which plagues, her men being Scorched therewith, and constrained Revel. 16. 10. 11. to gnaw their tongues for sorrow, yet for all that they did but blaspheme the name of God for their paines, but without any repentance at all. But even as the said Pharaoh, his Princes and his People, bestirred themselves indeed, beeing very much afraid, when they saw that God had smitten in one night Exod. 12. 12. all the first borne in the land of Egypt, both man and beast, and executed Judgement upon all their Gods: In like manner were the dragon, * Revel. 16. 12. the Beast and the false Prophet together with their three frogges, or diabolicall Spirits, issuing out of their uncleane mouthes, much astonished, when they perceived their Euphrates to be dryed up at the powring out of the sixt Viall, by the sixt Angell. Or as the Cananites were, at the drying up of the waters of the river Jordan (this Euphrates proto­type) before the children of Israel, as wee see Josh. 5. 1. And likewise the Princes and people of Baby­lon, Iosh. 5. 1. when God tooke vengeance of her, in drying up her Sea and her springs, the true type of the mysti­call Ier. 51. 29 30. compared with v. 36. of the said Chapter. Euphrates; which had beene till then, in steed of a strong wall and bulwarke, or rather of a broad, and very deepe ditch; for the fencing and maintai­ning of her Romish Idols and Idolatries, with all her superstitious rites and ceremonies: And there­by withholding also, or stopping the people of God (as we shall see by and by) from going on, to the utter abolishing of them; as that literall was a defence for old Babylon against Cyrus. Therefore upon the drying up of the said misticall Euphrates, * Revel. 16. 14 the said Dragon, Beast, and false Prophet, had [Page 5] great reason to bestir themselves in good earnest, and with an unanimous consent, This is now effected, both by the Beast & false Prophet and all their Clergie la­bouring tooth and naile by the meanes of their emissa­ries the Iesu­ites, Semina­rie Priests and officers to stir up and provoke both the King of Spaine and others to fight against Eng­land, &c. labo­ring now to put all toge­ther down the Hierarchie or powerfull do­minion of the Prelates. to dispatch out of hand, each of them their messengers, or messages rather, (I meane their mournefull complaints and false accusations) to the Kings of the Earth, and of the world, for aide (as the Kings of Canaan had done in former times, when they saw the Iordan to be dryed up before the children of Israel, as we may see, not onely in the fore alledged place of Joshua, but especially in the tenth chap. of the said booke, vers. 3. Iosh. 10. 3. 11 1. &c. where we reade that Wee mnst look for a grea­ter combi­nation of the Kings & Prin­ces of Europe, than hath been yet, to oppose the true refor­mation of Re­ligion, and hinder it, if it were possible, but all will be in vaine, & to their owne confusion as we may clearely see by this Type. therefore Adonize­dek King of Jerusalem, sent unto Hoham King of He­bron, and unto Piram King of Jarmuth, and unto Japhja King of Lachish, and unto Debir King of Heg­lon, saying; come up unto me, and helpe me, &c. and againe, Josh. 11. 1. where it is written that it came to passe, when Jabin King of Hazor had heard those things, then he sent to Jobab King of Madon, and to all the other Kings of Canaan, who upon that message came out, they and all their hostes with them, much people, even as the sand that is upon the Seashore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many. And all these met together, and pitched together, at the wa­ters of Merom to fight against Israel. But God delive­red, them all slaine before Israel. And thus do the fore­said Beast and Prophet, send their said three Spi­rits of Devils, whose message or complaint is sum­marily recited, Revel. 16. 14. Where it is said, that they went forth unto the Kings of the earth, and of the wholeworld, to gather them to the battell of that great day of God Almighty: but more largely expressed in the first part of this chapter.

[Page 6] This may be very easily gathered by that which is said, Revel. 17. 1. & 21. 9. Wherein the Angel that had powred out the said sixt viall mentioned in the said 16 chapter of the Revel. standing now, as it were upon the said Euphrates, to observe the behaviour and proceeding of the said Euphratian men, and filthy fr [...]ggs; turnes as it were himselfe towards the people of God, encamped at the shore of it, and having already en­formed him in the beginning of this chapter, of the neare approaching fall of the great Babylon it selfe, and commanded them therewith, to come out of her wildernesse, in passing over the said Euphrates (now to that very end dryed up) that they might the more easily enter into it, to make a full conquest thereof, in rewarding her even as shee had rewarded them. The said Angell I say doth now further de­clare unto them, what should also be the substance of the message of the said Emissaries, and moreover what should be the issue or effect thereof. Namely, that they would goe up (like those ancient filthie froggs of Egypt in the time of Pharaoh) This is the right practise of the Hirar­chicall men both in Pul­pits, printed books, publick and private conferences, and the best arguments they can al­leadge to op­pose the excel­lent Church government of the refor­med Churches beyond Seas. to the said Kings beyond Euphrates yea enter into their houses, and into their bed-chambers, and ascend as it were upon their beds, and be present at their tables; to provoke them by their importunate croakings, fil­thie lyes, and diabolicall detractions, opening their foule mouthes against those new come reformers; to perswade and intice the said Kings to oppose them, ‘and with the uttermost of their power to hinder their intended reformation, accusing them thus, viz. that they under pretext of Reli­gion sought nothing else, but the utter over­throw of all Kingly power and authority; yea and of all decent order and policy both in Church and [Page 7] common-wealth; to bring therein a great confu­sion, and disorder in all things, and that their whole aime was nothing else but in lieu of their most stately and glorious Hirarchicall governe­ment to establish their consistorian Pope-like ty­ranny, whereunto they would subject, yea the Kings themselves in dominering over them, if they should permit them once to get over, or put downe the said Hierarcichall Euphrates: And therefore they would advise the Kings to looke to it betimes, not permitting such new upstart re­formers, to trample under their feete, and quite overthrow so ancient and excellent an Hierarchi­call power as theirs was, ancient as the Apostles themselves, being grounded upon the Scriptures, and founded upon the words of our Saviour him­selfe; speaking to the first and chiefe of the A­postles S^t. Peter, and saying unto him, Matth. 16. 18. Tues Petrus, Thou art Peter, &c. and besides all this, that it hath beene established in the very time of the Primitive Church, by the lawes of the Emperours from Constantine the great and so forwards. Yea that since the reformation of Reli­gion in those latter times, it hath beene also re­newed from time to time, and confirmed by Par­liamentall lawes, by the Kings themselves, who also thereby become true Monarchs, according to that true saying, No Bishop, no King. Thus doe the proud & wic­ked men of the world per­swade them­selves, that it is in their power to hind er the procee­dings of Gods judgements, and to stay his hand when he hath begun to execute Iu­stice upon them, this was the cause of the builders of Babel, Gen. 11. 4. &c. and of Pharaob, Exod. 5. 2. and [...] 5. 9. and likewise of th [...]se who think that the Kings of the earth shall be able to hinder the drying up of this mysticall Euphrates or to make it run as before, now it is dayed up. But all such must know that there is [...] neither understanding nor councell to withstand the Lord as saith Solomon, Prov. 31. 30. There­fore [Page 8] ought you, would they say againe, in great wisedom to stoppe them in their course, and most unlawfull & rebellious-like proceedings, going a­gainst them with all your puissance, that they may advance no further, but rather constraine them to returne backe againe to their owne desert, from which they come, there to bee for ever confined, that so our glorious Euphrates may runne still in keeping its owne course, and exercising its domi­nering power as before, or else you are in danger, (if so be you do permit once that the most cleare & glorious springs therof be dryed up & extingui­shed) to have your owne Crownes taken from off your heads, by such new come Paritans.’

This is in effect the message of those three Eu­phratian froggs here recited by the Angell, from the ninth verse of this chapter to the twentieth thereof, thus introducing the Vice-Royes themselves, with the Marchants and Marriners, speaking in such man­ner to the foresaid Kings of the Earth: concerning which, the said Angell doth now exhort the said passengers, to whom he hath thus spoken, that they should no way feare them, nor all the croakings, and false imputations of such filthy frogges and diaboli­call spirits; because thereby they should not bee able to doe them any wrong, or to hinder them any whit from passing [...]r; and therefore that they should goe on with courage and boldnesse through the said Euphrates, now to that end dryed up before them, by that warre like leader the heavenly Joshua, who being with you, and going before you, will not faile nor forsake you: therefore goe on I say with full assurance of a most glorious and vnheard­of [Page 9] victorie, for though they should by such meanes as it is very certaine they will gaine the said Kings, to combine themselves, and joyne hand in hand against you; yet all their power (would yet say further, the said Angell) shall not prevaile, nor hin­der the For with him is wisedome and strength, hee hath coun­sell and under­standing, it is he that breakes downe, and it cannot bee built, that shutteth a man up, and he can­not be loosed, he that sen­deth the wa­ters to destroy the earth, and he againe that withholdeth the waters and they dry up, saith Job 12. 13. &c. Lord from the accomplishment of his faithfull promises, concerning the finall overthrow, & utter ruine of all the enemies of his Church. Let then al those Vice-Roys themselves, the Marchants also how rich soever they bee, and all the seafaring men doe or say what they can or are able to doe, yet all shall bee in vaine, the worke shall neverthelesse be perfected and accomplished; for God, who by his Almighty power, and most wise providence or­ders all things, hath so disposed of this, that for all their forementioned surmises, most unlawfull practises, and howsoever powerfull oppositions, the foresaid Kings shall but be Revel. 16. 16. gathered together into the place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon, that there he may deliver them into your hands, as said once the Lord unto Joshua, as we read, cap 10. 8.

But to come to the words of the text it selfe, in the which as you see is set downe, the third and last complaint, or message uttered by the third and last kind of the forementioned frogges, right Amphibies * Iosh. 10. 8. indeed or sea-faring men: [...]e Vice-Roys having before done their arrand, and the Merchants like­wise theirs, recited in the uerses before expounded by the precedent brethren; now according to our order, must I speake of this last, mentioned in this seventeenth verse, and the two following. In which are contained thee chiefe points; the first whereof concernes the messengers themselves: The [Page 10] second shewes the cause of their complaint or mes­sage, and in the third wee have the message it selfe. The first is contained in the 17 verse, and the other two in the two next verses. As for the messengers, of whom I shall onely speake at this present, they are here described, first by their function, in the for­mer part of the verse: secondly, by their action or behaviour in the last words of it; their function is noted unto us, both by the quality thereof, and by the quantity of the persons excercising it. The qua­lity is expressed by divers both titles and orders, whereof some are superiors, others inferiors. The superiors in order are the Ship-masters and their Assessors, the inferiors are the Mariners & their assi­stants. Concerning their quantitie, they be not some few choyse men of [...]ach of these ranckes & orders of officers, but all of all sorts, & every one of them; the businesse being of such importance, that it con­cernes them all: all of them also [...]earing the com­mon danger, that was like to entrap, & overwhelme them all: as it doth also clearely appeare by their action and behaviour, expressed in the last words of this verse, where it is said, that they stood afarre off.

But before wee come to speake of these severall offic [...]rs, we must first of all shew, what is meant by this Sea whereon, and by the Ships wherein, these messengers did before exercise their offices and trade. As for the [...]ea, we must not imagine it to be the maine Ocean, which doth as it were, girt the whole Earth by its midle, though thereupon those great Such as were those of the great Armado of Spaine, cal­led Invincible sent in 1588. to conquer England in the time of Queene Elizabeth. Or of that other last, which was overthrowne by the Hollenders neare Dover in 1639. Spanish Gallions, and other tall Ships of the [Page 11] Christian Kings and Princes of Europe, doe navigate and commonly trade to the East and West Indies; from whence they fetch those rich commodities, to which the Holy Ghost hath onely made allusi­on in the former verses of this chapter, viz. 12. and 13. Neither is it the Mediterranean sea, though thereon, the Pope of Rome doth keepe many good ships and Gallies well furnished with men and mu­nition; for the keeping of the Coasts, and Sea townes of Saint Peters patrimonie, as they speake. Nor the Tyber neither, watering in its course, that ancient and glorious Citie of Rome, nor any other River whatsoever, though they be all of them cal­led, by the title of Seas in the Scripture, how navi­gable soever it bee. This being no naturall, but a mysticall sea, so called by allusion made to some of those naturall seas. All which are nothing else in Scripture language, but great Assemblies of wa­ters, gathered together in one place, and called from the beginning, by God the Creator, by the name of Seas. Which Seas are different according to the difference of those waters, whereof they are, as it were, compounded or made up: who are therefore either Caelestiall, or Terrestriall: the Caelestiall being above the firmament, and the Terrestriall under it, by the appointment of God as we reade Gen. 1. 7. Gen. 1. 7. Where it is said by Moses, that God made the firma­ment, and divided the waters which were under the fir­mament, from the waters which were above the firma­ment. But the Terrestiall are those, that are gathered together, under the said firmament, as it is there expressed: which are properly called Verse 10. Seas. Now these natural Seas, do likewise differ both in quanti­tie, [Page 12] the one being greater then the other, as the Ocean is greater then the Rivers, and the Rivers, are greater the one then the other, yea greater then the Lakes, & Pooles of waters, though they also be called by the title of Sea in Scripture phrase, as that great Vessell made by Salomon, for the service of the Temple, was likewise called by the same title of 1 Cron. 4. 2. Sea. They differ also in Quality, some of them being salt, the other brackish, and the other fresh, these last being as it were distilled and purified in their passage through the veines of the earth.

Moreover such waters thus gathered together to make up these diverse Seas, are very powerfull and unresistable, no earthly power being able to stay either the ebbing or flowing of the Sea, or the most violent course or streame of any of the least Rivers; much lesse to abate their overflowings. Now all these properties and different qualities of these Naturall Seas, and waters doe very fitly con­duce to the Mysticall Seas here intimated, which likewise are nothing else, then great confluences or Assemblies of Mysticall waters, that is, of p [...]oples, or rather heads of Peoples; and that according to the exposition of the Angell himselfe, Revel. 17. 15. who speaking to Saint John tells him there, that the Revel. 17. 15. waters which he had seene, whereon the Whore did sit, were peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues, which are gathered together into one place, making up one intire body. And thus was it expounded by the Spirit of God in the prophesie of Isay Chap. 8. verse. 7. above 700 yeares before Saint John did write this Revelation, where speaking of the King of Ashur and of all his g [...]lory, he sayes, behold the Lord [Page 13] bringeth up upon them, that is upon the Israelites, the waters of the river, viz. of Euphrates mighty and great, even the King of Ashur with all his glory. Which Mysticall Seas being also as the Naturall, of great force & puissance, do accordingly in Scrip­ture language note great power and authority, as it is evident Psal. 46. 4. where the Holy Ghost speaking of the power and great rage, of the Earth­ly Kings and Kingdomes, sayes that Though the wa­ters of the sea, rage & be troubled, yea though hemoun­taines should bee shaken with the swelling thereof, yet &c. then expounding the same, verse 6. follow­ing, he sayes that When the nations raged, & the King­domes were moved, God thundred, &c. Againe Pal. 93. verse 3. 4. where the Prophet speaking of the mighty power of God in preserving his Church a­gainst all the assaults of the world, sayes to this purpose, The flouds have lifted up O Lord the floods have lifted up their voyce: the floods lift up their waves. The waves of the sea are marvellous through the noyse of many waters, yet the Lord on high is more mighty. And Psal. 124. verse 2. and 4. If it had not beene the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us—then the waters had overwhelmed us, the streame had gone over our soule, saith the Church of God there, this is also manifest by the place now alleadged of Isay 8. 7. Now such powerfull as­semblies or seas of people are different, according to the different qualitie of the waters or peoples whereof they are as it were compounded or consti­tuted, the one being Civill, the other Ecclesiasticall. Againe the power of the Civill assemblies is either Monarchicall, or Aristocraticall or Democraticall, [Page 14] such as were those that are mentioned by the Pro­phet, Jer. cap. 51. verse 42. where speaking of the powerfull armies of King Cyrus that were to come Ier. 51. 42. against Babylon, thus hee saith The sea is come upon Babylon she is covered with the multitude of the waves thereof. And Dan. 7. who speaking of the foure Em­pires that should be raised in the world, to sway the Empire thereof, he saith verse 3. Dan. 7. 3. That foure great beasts came up from the Sea, one divers from another.

The Ecclesiasticall power is that Hierarchicall, w^th is often mentioned in this booke of the Revelation, and so in this place, as it shall more clearely appeare by and by, to which power, applying now the for­mer diff [...]rences of the Naturall seas and waters before spoken of, we say that they are accordingly, either Caelestiall or Earthly. The Calestiall are those Revel. 4. 6. and Glassie-pure-Crystall-like waters of life, or Assem­blies of true Christian professors of the holy and pure Religion of Christ, refreshed and filled with the pure waters of the heavenly doctrine, 22. 1. procee­ding out of the throne of God, and of the Lamb Christ Jesus: Whom alone they take for their head, ac­knowledging that he hath beene anointed by God King Psal. 2. 6. Vpon Sion his holy mountaine. And that Luke 1. 32. the Lord God hath given him the throne of his father Da­vid, upon Esay 22. 22. and 9. 6. whose shoulders also hath beene laid the key of the house of David; that is the Government there­of, to reigne over it, for ever: Cor. 15. 25. for he must raigne, till he hath put all his enemies under his feet. This Caelesti­all Hierarchicall power then over the Church, is in Christ alone; who, while he remained in the flesh, did immediately by himself administer it in this his Kingdome of Grace: And now being gone to con­tinue [Page 15] the same in that of Glory he hath appointed (according to that Luke 22. 29. and Mat. 16. 19. compared with 18. v. 18. power given unto him by his fa­ther, both in Heaven and in Earth,) the administratiō of the keyes thereof to his Church, the people whereof and its holy congregations, doe make up and constitute those glossie seas, or assemblies of the true reformed Churches, as being filled with the foresaid pure living waters, proceeding from the said Throne. The which Church, doth like­wise administer this power by her 1 Thes. 5. 12. Heb. 13. 17. Ministers and Governors, who are to exercise it, not as domine­ring Prelates over Christ his heritage; but as his 1 Pet. 5. 3. Ministers in 1 Cor. 4. 1. and 5. 4. Mat. 28. 18, 19, 20. Christ his name, and by his power, as acknowledging no other Soveraigne in mat­ters Ecclesiasticall, but him alone, who is the true Psal. 110. 4. Heb. 7. 21. Melchisedech of his said Church.

The Earthly Hierarchicall powerfull sea, is that which is represented unto us, in this booke of the Revelation by those Terrestiall seas, filled with earthly doctrines, humane traditions and ordinan­ces; to which the Holy Ghost maketh allusi­on, Revel. 16. The which are either Thus the Pope doth at­tribute unto himselfe an universall Hi­erarchicall power over all the Churches and Bishops of the Christian worl [...], which presumptuous title was at length granted unto him by Phocas the Parricide or cruell murtherer of Maurice the Emperour in the ve [...]e of our Lord 606, who therby became the Popes midwife, Eodem [...]nno Concilium Roman [...]m celebrat [...] in quo idem Bonifa­cius pro mulgat privilegium Pho [...] ( [...]jus parrici [...]i [...] approbaverat) de primatu Eccle­sie Romanae, quem Patriar [...]hae Constantinopolitani hacten [...]s impugnaverant For the punishment whereof, God brought from the Southerne part of the world, some 15. or 16 yeares after, Mahomet with his false Alcoran, together with his troopes of Locusts or Sa [...]asins, who did extreamely vexe the wo [...]ld causing the first woe, Re [...]. [...]. 5. 1 [...]. Vniversall answering to the maine Ocean, Thus are the Nationall Dioceses or Seas of Archbishops and Bishops called by the name of the chiefe Cities of those Provinces, over which they doe dominere and exer­cise their powerfull usurped authority, as the Diocesse of Ca [...]ry, that of Yorke, &c. or Nationall corre­spondent either to these particular seas, which take [Page 16] their diverse denominations from the divers King­domes they beate upon, as the Baltick or Swedish sea, the German sea, the Brittish sea, &c. which are thus denominated, because such parts of the maine Ocean beate upon the coasts or sh [...]res of those kingdomes of Sweathland, Germanie, England, &c. Or rather to those nationall rivers as I may call [...]hem, called also Seas in Scripture, as it was shewed before, which do water or runne along or through whole Kingdomes or Provinces, often distinguishing and separating the one from the other. The Vniversall Hierarchical earthly sea, is that w^ch is mentioned in the third ver. of the said 16. chap. upon which the second Angell powred out his Uiall, which thereby became not on­ly as the blood of a dead man, but also it caused eve­ry living thing to die therein: which was at last ef­fected, and fully accomplished, by those Vaiversall humane-earthly-hierarchicall assemblies of peoples or heads of peoples, as is before noted, who make­ing and acknowledging the Pope for their supreame head: (under whose Soveraigne power and abso­lute authority they were gathered together) did settle and establish the same (together with all that false Antichristian doctrine and humane traditions by them, not onely approved, but also preferred to the Scripture it selfe) attributing and allowing then unto him, that full power to doe, which though long before hee had begun to assume unto himselfe and to exercise the same: even since the time of the powring out of the second Viall under Boniface the eight; who first instituted the The Iubiles were first insti­tuted by Boni­face the eight, in the yeare of the Lord 1300. calling himselfe most blasphemously the Portion of Heaven, as having the keyes of it in his power, of whom it is very well said, that Intra­vit ut [...]ulpes regnavit ut Leo, mortuus est ut canis. For the punishment whereof, God brought the Turkes over the Hellespont, in Europe under Ottoman their first Empe­rour in the yeare of Christ. 1320. In this very time and in this Pope that Prophecy of Revel. 13. 11. was truely accomplished, these two swords being the two hornes there spoken of, signifying the power, both of the Priesthood & of the Kingdom, therefore doth he also weare them in his Miter as true signes or markes hereof. Then indeede did this Beast come out of the earth; for as the Kingdome of Christ is from Heaven, and bringeth men thither; so the Popes kingdome is of the earth, and leadeth to perdition; because it is begun and established by ambition, covetousnesse, beastlines, theft, treason, and tyrannie. Jubiles. Anno Dom. 1300. appearing the first day of the said Jubile in his [Page 17] Popish ornaments, and the next in an Imperiall at­tire or harnesse with anaked sword carried before him, crying with a loud voyce * Ecce duo gladij hic, Luke 22. 38. behold, here are two swords: yet was it now brought to its full perfection, namely, first in that This Coun­cell was held in the yeare of Christ 1414. under Pope Martin the [...] whose Pantofle the Emperour Sigismond kissed very de­voutly knee­ling. Councell of Constance, where three Popes (occupying at once the Papall Sea, viz. Gregorie the twelfth, Benedict the thirteenth, and John the three and twentieth) were deposed, and Martin the fift established: which schisme had continued more then any other before, viz. 50. yeares: in it was enacted that dam­nable decree, Haereticis non esse servandam fidem, that it was lawfull to breake the oath made to Here­ticks, by vertue whereof John Husse was there bur­ned: and then totally in that of Trent, It was be­gun in the yeare 1545. & was as the ve­ry sincke of all herisies and false doctrines. begunne under Pope Paul the third, and ended eighteene yeares after, in the time of Pius the fourth, and by him confirmed the next yeare following, whereby all that Popish Sea of false humane▪ earthly do­ctrine, was altogether corrupted, which caused, as the spirituall death of all those in that sea that might have yet some remnant of living water in them, so that second woe proceeding from the great slaugh­ters of Christians executed by the Turkes Revel. 9. 17, 18. Who kil­led, [Page 18] by the fire, and smoke, and Brimstone, comming out of the mouthes of the horses whereon they sate, the third part of men.

The Nationall Hierarchicall powerfull sea, pro­ceeding from that forenamed Vniversall, as the Ri­vers doe come from the Ocean Eccles. 17. is repre­sented unto us, in this booke of the Revel. either by Eccle. 1. 7. those rivers and fountaines of waters, upon which the third Angell powred out his Viall, mentioned Rev. Revel. 16. 4. 16. 4. which also there by became blood: Or by that o­ther, upon which the sixt Angell powred out his, noted and Revel. 16 12. called there, by the title of Euphrates, which is the name of its Type, viz. that literall Eu­phrates verse 12. of that old Babylon of the East, mentioned Jer. 51. 63. and intimated Esay 44. 27. foretelling the drying up of it, by the meanes of Cyrus King of Ier. 51. 6 [...]. [...] 44. 27. Persia, some one hundred and twenty yeares before the accomplishment thereof; which Nationall my­sticall seas or rivers, are distinguished one from the other, both inrespect of the different titles given un­to them; as also in respect of their different plagues, of the different effects thereof: the titles are diffe­rent, the first being called only by the generall title of rivers and fountaines, upon which the third Angell powred out his Uiall; but the other (which is, as it were, separated and somewhat distant from them, by the interlacing of two other Vialls, viz. the fourth and the fift) is called by the particular name of Euphrates. As for their plagues they are different, not onely in that the said rivers and fountaines are plagued by the third Viall of the third Angell, For the third Viall was p [...]ed pre­sently after the forem [...]ntioned Councells of [...] and T [...], about which time A [...] the T [...] wast [...]d [...]any king­domes in Eu­ [...], and [...]p [...]lt [...]ch Christian blood. The like did Mahomet the seccond, and Bajazeth his successors, s [...] [...]ls Turkish Hist. from the yeare of Christ 1420. to 1600. &c. a long while before the sixt Angell did power out [Page 19] the plague of his Viall upon the said Euphrates; but because there is also a great difference betweene the parties upon whom the said third Angel did powre his said Viall, and those upon whom the sixt did The sixt Vi­all was pow­red upon Eu­phrates about the yeare 1632 & so forwards, the effect whereof) viz, the drying up of it) appeared first in Scot­land, anno 1639 when the sentence of Excommu­nication was deceived a­gainst the Hierarchie and the ministers thereof. powre his, as wee shall shew by and by. Finally they differ greatly in the effect of their said plague; be­cause the waters of the said rivers and fountaines, became blood by meanes of the third Viall powred out upon them: but by this the waters of Euphrates are dryed up: wherein allusion is made to that litterall Euphrates of old Babylon forementioned. Now then wee say that the former of these Rivers and foun­taines doe represent unto us the powerfull, nationall, Hierarchicall assemblies of Archbishops and Dioce­san Bishops, altogether Popish and corrupted, both in doctrine and discipline; challenging and holding their said power and authority from the Pope, un­der whom they exercise it, over their severall Nati­onall Dioceses; holding themselves accountable for the administration of the said powerfull Hierarchi­call Jurisdiction, to none other then to the said Pope; whom they doe acknowledge for their supreame head; as drawing from him the whole influence of their said Antichristian Jurisdiction. But concer­ning this Euphrates, though wee know, (as it hath beene also avouched of late, and published both in the Pulpit, and in print, by some of the chiefest creatures of that Nationall sea) that both of them have one and the same originall source, (as flowing both from that forementioned Vniversal Popish sea) and therefore doth as the former signifie a like humane-earthly-nationall-hierarchicall-usurpedpower, over some Nationall Churches and people; yet it [Page 20] seemes to bee somewhat different from the former rivers, if not in effect, yet in appearance or outward shew and profession: because the waters (especially of the doctrine where with the people living in that sea, are as it were filled and nourished) are not all, nor altogether He that was last the head of this Nationall Hierarchy, had manifestly corrupted all both doctrine and worship, had hee not beene betimes prevented by the Parlia­ment, as it ap­peares both by his confe­rence with the Iesuite, also by the late Ca­nons, and by his most tyran­nicall actions and cruell pro­ceedings a­gainst the Saints and faithfull ser­vants of God. corrupted, as were those of the for­mer Seas, both Vniversall and Nationall. They are not pure neither, as are the waters of that Sea menti­oned, Revel. 4. 6. which was of glasse like unto Cry­stall, nor like that pure river described Revel. 22. 1. which was a water of life, cleare as Crystall, procee­ding out of the throne of God, and of the Lambe. But it is a water of a mixt kind, between pure and altoge­ther corrupted, as there is a kind of mixt naturall waters, as was noted before, which are neither alto­gether fresh nor altogether salt, but brackish, even so the waters of this Mysticall sea are, I say, of a mixt kinde of water; as that s [...]a described Revel. 15. 2. which was as it were a sea of glasse mingled with fire, and not simply nor solely a sea of glasse, but onely as it were, that is ^v seeming onely to bee so, neither pure nor cleare, but very obscure and intricate, not onely because it was mingled with humane doctrine & philosophie, drawne out of the Even as the woman descri­bed Revel. 17. 3. seemes to differ much from that B [...]ast mentioned Revel. 13▪ 1▪ &c but yet she sits upon the same beast with seven heads and ten bornes; but without either [...]it or bridle in her mouth to guide it: fignifying that this woman is rather guided by the beast, having the like Naturall properties of such a bru [...]t beast, led with sensual [...]e, as speakes the Apostle Saint Peter 1. 2. 12. and altogether as malicious, cruell, and abominable, if not more, because indued with more reason and knowledge, altogether perverted and abused. And though the said woman be also more gloriously arrayed, as you see verse 4. of the said 17 Chapter, then the beast, yet she is covered all over with names of blasphemie, worse then the spotts of the said Panthere. And though shee hold in her hand a cup which seemes to bee of gold, yet it is but of some base metall, only guilt over, and thereby but disguised, and howsoever, it is but full of abominable doctrines, and of the filthinesse of her fornicati­on, whereby (as the false Prophet Balaam) shee seduces and deceives both the Kings of the Earth, and also the servants of God to commi [...] fornication with her. Thus it is with this Nationall Hierarchicall Euphrates which is the right Sea where upon this whore sits, as it will appeare by that which followeth. u Therefore called the depth of Satan, Revel. 2. 24. In which pit it was confined of old by the ancient fathers with Pelagius the first author thereof in the Councell of Carthage, kept anno 422. who was an English man borne, once one of the chiefe Monkes of that famous Monasterie of Bangor in Chester, as it appeares by that verse of Prosper, Pestifero vomuit coluber sermone Brita [...]us, speaking of the said Pelagius, compating him in respect of his false doctrine to a Serpent, a right broode of the old Serpent, one of those that is re­presented by one of the rods of the charmers of Pharaoh which were turned into ser­pents, but devoured by that of Aaron, mentioned Exod. 7. 11, 12. bottomlesse pit, Revel 17. 8. but with the fire of hot persecution also, which is the Sea, whereof the Spirit of God speaketh in this text: I meane the Sea of Euphra­tes, upon which these seafaring men did exercise [Page 21] their trading, (for and in the behalfe of these forena­med Merchants) before it was dried up, as now it is. Which is also the very cause why these sea-frogs are thus troubled, and so much disquieted, as it ap­peares by their forementioned message and com­plaint. At the shore whereof the Kings of the East mentioned Revel. 16. 12. that is the true reformed Christian Israel or Church of God, had now stood for a good while, waiting for a fit and prosperous passage over it; being there at length arrived, after a most tedious and troublesome journey, through that barren and unfruitfull desert of Idolatrie and super­stitious worship; having also by the wonderfull mercy of God, and gratious favour towards them, gotten the victorie of the beast, and of his image; and of his marke, and of the number of his name, fitting and tuning in the meane while the harpes of God, that when they should have passed over that broade, deepe, overswolne, and fierie Euphrates they might more freely, and joyfully Revel. 15. 3. sing the song of [Page 21] Moses the servant of God, & the song of the Lambe. For then should they have indeed greater occasion, then they yet had to say, as you see Revel. 15. 3 great and marvellous are thy workes Lord God Almighty, just and true are thy waies, thou King of Saints: as it is effected by them being passed over the s [...]id Euphrates: wher­fore they having sung the Hallelujah there mentio­ned, they alleadge for a reason these words follow­ing in the second ver. of the 19. chap. of the said Re­velation, for 19. true say they, & righteous are thy [...]udge­ments, for thou hast judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hast avenged the blood of thy servants at her hand. As it was impos­sible for them to doe before, (no more then the Le­vites of old could, when those that had led them cap­tive to Babylon required of them to sing upon their harps Psal. 137. 3. one of the songs of Sion) being hindred there from by the said Hierarchicall sea; stopping their course till then by her hot burning fiery waters of persecution, & most intollerable tyrannicall pride: by which she doth yet what shee can by the meanes of her said Emissaries to keepe thē from passing over it: but all in vaine, being now dryed up, & a very wide gate, yea a most large & spacious way being opened & prepa­red, for the said Church & children of God, to goe now without danger over it, and to enter without any great resistance in her Babylonish Church, to beate downe their This ought to be done by the Christian Israll as soone as they shall have rooted, out of the Church of God, all the Hierarchicall power and au­thority of Archbishops and Diocesan Bishops. new erected Altars, to overthrow all their Idols & Crucifixes, and utterly to abolish and cashire out all false selfe will worship & superstitious ceremonies, & in stead thereof to settle & establish the true Kingdome of Christ, to be governed by his most holy lawes and heavenly ordinances: as Moses [Page 22] commanded often the Israelites to doe, when they should once be entred into the land of Canaan after they had passed over the Jordan.

And because this Jordan, (with the drying of it, and passage over it, by the said children of Israel, under the leading of Joshua, yea all their voiage a­long the forementioned wildernesse of Canaan) is a true prototype of this mysticall Euphrates, so often mentioned before, as it appeares by that which the Apostle in his 1 Cor. 10. 6. and 11. (speaking of the things that came to the Israelites in the wildernes) sayes of them that the were types, [...] as it expres­sed in the originall, and that they are written, saith he, to admonish us, &c. Therfore that we may the better understand the mysterie of this drying up and passage over the said Euphrates, it is very requisite that we say first, some what of the last Journeys of that An­cient people of Israel along their said wildernesse. All of them together are in number 42. as is before noted, which may be divided in three generall parts. The first whereof doe comprehend those that were made by them from Rameses in Egypt, till they came to Mount Sinai, where they pitched Exod. 19. 1. in the third moneth when they were gone foorth out of the Land of Egypt, where they had remained almost a whole yeare; as it is manifest by that which is said by Mo­ses, Num. 10. 11. In which mount God gave them his law, with his ordinances and holy statutes, con­cerning his worship; and thereby did covenant with them, that if they would observe and keepe them, hee would be their God, and they should be his people. Yet neverthelesse they presently brake it, falling to Ido­latrie in worshipping of the Exod. 32. 1, 2, &c. golden calfe made by [Page 24] Aaron the High Priest; the which first part com­prehends eleven Mansions or Journeyes.

The second part is from that Mount of Sinai, to that other of Hor, where Aaron̄ died; in which they did but wander up and down the said desert, advan­cing never a whit towards the said promised land of Canaan, but recoiling rather from it, in w^ch wan­dering they continued for the space of almost 38. yeares, and made, during all the said space of time, twice eleven Mansions, which were thus doubled, because of those two great capitall sinnes, commit­ted by them against the Lord: the first whereof was the foresaid Idolatry, and the second their generall rebellion and revolt, which happened at that place called therfore Numb. 33. 19. see also Numb. 14. 1 &c. Rimmon Perets, mentioned Numb. 33. 19. The third & last part is from the time of their departure from that mountaine of Hor, after their Numb. 20. 29. thirty dayes mourning for the death of Aaron, a type also of the mourning mentioned in this chap. begun (when Compare these places of the Revelat. which are pa­rallels, viz. Revel. 2. 22. 23. with Revel. 9. 18. 20. with chap. 11. verse 13. and chap. 16. verse 3, 4, 6. and chap. 18. verse 9. 11. and 17. all which well considered will give a great light for the right understanding of these mysteries. Jezabel was first cast into a bed) by the Kings of the earth, which had committed fornication with her, cast also with her into great affliction, by the meanes of the second plague inflicted upon her, by the powring out of the second Viall, as wee will shew presently: continued by the Merchants of the earth, at the powring out of the third Viall; and now termi­ned by these Mariners; both of them the right children of the whore Jezabel, That phrase noteth a double death, viz. both corporall and Spi­rituall, the like is noted, Gen. 2. 17. Revel. 2. 23. killed together­with her, with death. That lastperiod I say, beginning at their departure from that Mount Hor, continued [Page 25] till their first entrie into the said land of Canaan: when they encamped in Gilgal, Iosh. 4. 19. in the East side of Jericho; entring therfore into the said land at the East part therof, as our passengers over this mysticall Eu­phrates, are called mistically the Kings of the East, as it will appeare by & by. This last period containes nine journeyes, Answering to the 42. monethes of the Christian Churches pil­grimage through the forenamed de­sert of Romish Idolatries and superstitions. in all forty two. At the last of which journeyes, viz. at the latter end of the thirty ninth, and about the beginning of the fortieth, the said people pitched at Habarim, standing there as it were in heapes, or companies of peoples desirous and readie to passe over the said Jordan, being now so neere unto it. Thus was the Church of God in Eng­land, and else where in great hope of a to­tall and finall deliverance, out of the said desart-like popish Religi­on, when King Edward the sixt came to the Crowne, but soone after frustrate there­of by his un­timely death, and therefore forced to stand at that glassie Sea, or misticall Euphrates, mingled with fire &c. mentioned Revel. 15. 2. a place parallel to this, being the right type of that. But the time of their said pas­sage being not fully accomplished, they were ther­fore faine to stay yet a whilelonger in the wildernes, which is before Moab towards the Sun-rising, as it is said Numb. 21. 11. from whence being removed, they advanced to Beer, that is (saith Moses, Numb. 21. 16.) the well whereof the Lord spake unto Moses, gather the people together, and I will give them water. Then Israel sangthis song, spring up O well, sing ye unto to it. A type of the Parliament in King Edward the sixt, and in Queene Elizabeth's time. The Princes digged the well, the Nobles of the people, digged it, by the direction of the Law giver, with their staves. The message sent by Moses to the Kings of the Amorites before the passage of the Jordan mentioned Numb. 21. 21. &c. falles in the time, or hath for its Antitype the time of the two Maries Queenes, the one of England, and the other of Scotland, who would not permit the true Refor­med Religion to be established in their Kingdomes, but rather opposed and persecuted it as much as they could, being the horne [...] of the Beast-like Hierarchie. At which time they fought a­gainst Sihon King of the Amorites, Numb. 21. 24. and 33. and smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from Arnon unto Jabok, &c.—Then they turned and went [Page 26] up by the way of Bashan, and fought against Og the King of Bashan, and smote him likewise, and his sonnes and all his people. This Og was a mighty gyant, Iosh. 11. 12. &c. Deut. 3. 11. The Vice-Roys of this Christian B [...]shan (but especially the last of them, William Laud the remnant of the Gyant Popes, was a mighty Gyant though of a little bodily stature) having for their ordi­nary bea [...]stead, a very spacious Lambeth, which hath proved very often a hot burning fur­nace of yron to many of Gods faithfull ser­vants, when the High-Commission Court was kept there, W [...] only remained of th [...] [...]emnant of the Gyants, whose bedstead was a bestead of yron, of nine cubits long & forre broad, after the cubit of a man. He saith also, tha [...] [...]is land was a goodly soyle, the pastures whereof nourished strong and fat cattell, being watered by the foresaid Jordan, which doth runne through that an­cient land of Israel dividing Galile from Judea, ha­ving two spring heads, viz. Dan and Jor, whence it tooke its name of Jordan; See Rob. f. Herrey, Com­mon places, first Table. signifying the river of Judgement, or a caldron of Judgement, &c. It is to be noted further, that in its course along that countrie, it maketh two lakes or Seas, whereof the one is greater then the other: the least is cal­led waters of Merom. By which all the Kings of Ca­naan, to the number of foure and twenty, assembled by Numb. 34. 11. appointment to fight against Israel, with all their host, in multitude as the sand that is upon the sea shore, with horses and chartes very many, &c. The other which is a great deale bigger, is called in the old Te­stament the Luke 5. 1. Sea of Chinnereth, and in the new, the Mat. 4. 18. Lake of Genezareth, or the * Sea of Galile, from which having runne a long way of some forty miles, it falleth in the dead sea of Sodome, of which it is, as it were, swallowed up. Which Sea hath no visible intercourse with the Ocean; and is surnamed dead, because no living thing can endure its bituminous savour: from abundance of which matter, it is also called Lacus Asphaltites, a right type of Hell (once filled with the dead bodies of the Jewes flying be­before the Romans, in that lamentable, and last de­structiō [Page 27] of Jerusalem, presuming (upō a false ground) that it would drie it selfe, and give them passage as it had done in former ages to their forefathers:) To which allusion is often made in this book of the Revelation, as namely in the punishment of the chiefe enemies of the Christian Church.

Moses having thus conquered these two forena­med Kingdomes of the Amorites, it is said Deut. 3. 12. 13. that he gave the Cities thereof unto the Rube­nites, and to the Gadites. And the land of Gilead and all Bashan, being the Kingdome of Og, hee gaue unto the halfe tribe of Mnassah, &c. But it was upon this condition, that they themselves should not stay therein yet, but passe over the Jordan armed before their brethren the children of Israel, all of them that were meet for the warre: untill the Lord had given rest unto their brethren, as well as unto them, &c. and then, as said Moses unto them, they should, after that, returne every man unto the possession which God had given them, and not before. Then the people of Israel, went forward advancing to their last Mansions or Journeys, viz. to the 41 and 42. and pitched all a­long the said river Jordan, from Numb. 33. 49. Beth-jesimoth, sig­nifying the house of Desolation, to Abel. shittim, signi­fying sorrow of thornes. As it happened indeede unto them, both for their corporall & spirituall whore­dome, the one, that is the corporal, committed with the daughters of Moab, Numb. 31. 16. and the spirituall whoredom (through the counsell of Balaam) committed in tres­passing against the Lord for worshipping of Peor, where­fore the plague came among the congregation of the Lord. And there dyed in that plague, foure and twenty thousand: For which cause the Lord commanded [Page 28] Moses to Numb. 25. 9. and Deut. 32. 50. revenge the children of Israel of the Mi­dianites, after which * he was gathered unto his peo­ple; for neither he nor Aaron his brother (because they were Ministers of the Law, who made nothing perfect, Heb. 7. 19.) could not introduce the peo­ple of God into the land of Canaan; but Joshua (a true type of the Kingly office of Christ and Eleazar another type also, in that the Priesthood was renew­ed in his Person, but manifestly changed in Christ, wh [...]ch was not Heb. 7. Verse 16. made Priest after the Law of the car­nall commandement, but after the power of the endlesse life, after the order of Melchisedec.) By whose mini­sterie the said Jordan was dryed up, that all the Isra­elites might goe drie cleane over it, as it came to passe, Iosh. 3. 13. [...]5. and as soone as the Priests that bare the Arke of the Covenant of the Lord of all the world had taken it up­on their shoulders, and had dipped their feet in the brim of the water, (which was in the time of harvest at which time Jordan did commonly overflow all his bankes,) for even then Verse 16. and the waters which came downe from above, stood and rose up upon an heape, but the wa­ters that came downe towards the sea of the wildernesse, which is the salt sea, or lake of Sodome, failed, and were cut off; and the people passed over, right against Jericho: And the said Priests stood firme on drie ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, untill all the people were passed cleane over Iordan. But note now that in passing over the said Jordan, Verse 17. the sonnes of Reuben, and the sonnes of Gad, and halfe the tribe of Manasses went over before the children of Israel armed, as Moses had spoken unto and 4. 12. them. It is also added concerning the time of their said passage, verse 19. that it was Verse 19. 20. the tenth day of the [Page 29] first moneth, & that then they encamped in Gilgall in the East border of Iericho, where Ioshua did pitch the twelve stones which they had taken out of Iordan, that they might befor [...] a memoriall unta their children for ever. There also the Lord did say unto Ioshua, Iosh. 5. 2. and verse 4. &c. that he should make some sharpe knives, to circumcise againe the chil­dren of Israel the second time: because all the people that were come out of Egypt that were males, even all the men of warre, were dead in the wildernesse by the way, because they had not obeyed the voyce of the Lord; wherefore the Lord had sworne unto them, that he would not shew them the Land which the Lord had sworne unto their fathers, that hee would give them. And when they had done circumcising all the people, they abode in their places in the campe, till they were whole. After And verse 9. 10. 11. the Lord said unto Joshua, this day have I taken away the shame of Egypt from you. There also they kept the Passeover on the fourteenth day of the moneth at even, in the plaines of Iericho: And they did eate of the old corne of the land, on the morrow after the Passeover. And the Manna ceased, on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corne of the land, neither had the children of Israel Manna any more, but they did eate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that yeare.

Having said thus much, of these last journeys of the Israelites, and of some of the chiefe accidents which befell them about their passage over Jordan, fit for the better understanding of the matter now in hand, concerning the drying up, of our said Misti­call Euphrates, and deliverance of the Christian Isra­el out or their forementioned desert; we must now apply the same to our said purpose, thereby to give also▪ (according to our former promise in the Epi­stle [Page 30] to the Reader) some tast of the parallell there mentioned; very necessary, not onely for the clea­ring of many misteries that are yet very obscure in the booke of the Revelation; but also that we may with greater admiration observe the waies and wise proceedings of the Lord, in this reformation of his Church, now by him taken in hand, and in some good measure by him already effected: as the same was represented unto us in the old type of the old Testament, and foretold both by him, and by many of his Apostles in the new: which will be also a most sure guide to direct us, thereby to follow him, and to give him the glory due unto him for all. And to this end we must know that about the latter end of the forementioned third and last great period of time (whrein that Journey of the 42. Moneths of our said Christian Israel, through their said wilder­nesse was divided (which we shewed to beginne in the time of John Wickleff, in the yeare 1380. of Christ, when the said people began to issue out of it:) the said Christian Church I say having sustai­ned many strong oppositions, and most cruell per­secutions, during the space of some two hundred yeares, that she was a passing through that hideous desert full of most cruell Numb. 21. 6. fiery serpents (I meane the Henry the third was the first which caused Chri­stians to bee burned in England at the instigation of Arundel then Archbi­shop of Cant. about the yeare 1397. fires of persecution which had beene since that time kindled by the Pope in all the Kingdomes of his dominion) the same were at last somewhat moderated, especially in England, when Henry the eighth had banished the The time when the Pope was ba­nished out of England was in the yeare of Christ 1534 one yeare after the birth of Queene Eliz. Paul the third being then Pope of Rome, a most pro­phane scoffer of Christ; He cursed the same King Henry, and gave his Kingdome to whomsoever could get it. Pope from thence: who though he continued the said persecution, yet was it not so hot as before. But after his raigne they were altogether extinguished in Edward the sixt his [Page 31] time: & though they were kindled againe by Marie, who succeeded the said Edward, yet the great heate thereof was within few yeares after so quenched in Queene Elizabeths time, and by her meanes, that the Church was then in great hope that it should have bin altogether delivered, & that they might then without any great difficulty have come to the end of their so much desired journey, for in the ve­ry beginning of her raigne shee (following the ex­ample of her said brother Edward, who as another Moses had begun the said reformation) with her Princes, Peares, and heads of Peoples assembled in Parliament, abolishing all false Antichristian Ido­latrous doctrine Numb. 21. 18. digged with their staves of authori­tie with the lawgiver, a well of cleare doctrine as it is noted before, wherby she did refresh as (with cleare coole water of life) her thirsty people, giving also by this meanes a fit opportunity to prepare & tune the harpes of God; that they might be ready to sing the song of Moses the servant of God, & the song of the Lamb when they should have bin passed over. And therby did shee in a very little space of time, conquer unto Christ the whole Kingdome of England, a most glorious conquest indeede, yea much greater then that of William surnamed the Conqueror. ‘At which change all Christendome stood amazed saith the Historie, that it could so easily be effect. Dartie. ed without sedition, though it was not suddenly made, but by little and little by degrees: for the Roman Religion saith hee, continued in the same state it was first, a full moneth and more, after the death of Queene Mary. The seven and twenti­eth of December, it was tolerated to have the E­pistles [Page 32] and Gospels, then the ten Commande­ments, the Symbole, the Letany, and the Lords Prayer, in the vulgar tongue: The two and twentieth of March, the Parliament being assem­bled; the Order of Edward the sixt was reestabli­shed, and by the Act of the same, the whole use of the Lords Supper was granted under both kinds. The foure and twentieth of June, in the yeare following, by the authority of that which concerned the uniformity of publique Prayers, and administration of the Sacraments, the Sacri­fice of the Masse was abolished, and the liturgie in the English tongue, more and more established. In the moneth of July; the Oath of Allegiance was proposed to the Bishops and other persons: and in August Images were thrown out of the Temples and Churches, and broken, and burned. The like being done also by her meanes and assistance, the very same yeare in Stotland.’ Now as God had given the two forenamed Kingdomes of Sihon and Og to Israel, as the first fruits of their inheri­tance, in like manner doth hee give these two to his Christian Israel; and both of them were to bee in­couraged thereby against the residue of their ene­mies beyond the river; so that, that which Moses said then, to the one may truely be said to both; Deut. 3. [...]4. That they had seenewhat the Lord their God had done unto these two Kingdomes, and the like should the Lord doe, unto all the Kingdomes whether they should passe, & that therfore they should not feare them, because [...]ehovah their God would fight for them, & do unto them [...]e had done to those two & their land: for which also both of them were to be thankfull unto God, and to sing his [Page 33] praises as it is said in the hundred thirty sixe Psalme Psal. 136. 19, 20, 21, 22. Confesse ye to Jehovah for hee is good, for his mercy endureth for ever: Sihon King of the Amorites, for his mercy endureth for ever: And Og the King of Ba­san, for his mercy endureth for ever: and gave their land for an heritage; even an heritage unto Israel his servant, for his mercy endureth for ever.

Thus did that most triumphant like Queene con­quer those two kingdomes in a spirituall manner, putting the last hand to the stripping of the Popes Authority in the said Kingdoms, Aarons or­naments of honour and glorie were many, viz. 12. in number, whereof he was not strip­ped all at once but peece by peece, and one after another, leasurly, being loath to dye (before he en­tred into the land of pro­mise) as well as Moses, and both as unwil­ling, to be thus separated the one frō the o­ther: The Pope was much more loath to be stripped of any part of his power and glo­ry, to be cast out of his earthly Canaan, and therefore hath hee so much strugled with those th [...] have at any time attempted to strip him of any part thereof. which was begun even from the time of the forementioned Wickleff, when hee did teach against the Supremacie of the Pope, & temporaltie of the Cleargie, Monks & par­dons; affirming likewise that the Church of Rome was the Synagogue of Hell, and his Clergie here­tickes: whose doctrine was even then, much favo­red by King Edward the third, and many of his No­bles, who withstood with great courage the ex­actions of Pope Clement the sixth. Neither could it bee extinguished ever since that time, in the said kingdome, though it was most miserablie perse­cuted, in the most part of the professors thereof, by the Bishops there, even till Henry the eight, who banishing the Pope, as is already said, out of the land, stripped him by this meanes, of his Hierarchi­chall▪ power there; In which worke his said sonne Edward the sixt continued during his time; but Queene Mary seeking to reinvest him againe in the same, shee was cut short by God, who then raised that Heroicall Virago forenamed Queene Eliza­beth, [Page 34] in whose time and by whose meanes under God, the said Hierarchicall authority of the Pope himselfe, dyed as it were, or fell there downe to the ground. But yet herein these worthy Princes did but in some manner even as Moses, when he stripped Aaron the High Priest, of his Pontificiall orna­ments, which presently after he Numb. 20. 28. i If the Parlia­ment now as­sembled should but clip the superfluity of B. B. wings that they might not soare so high as they have done▪ hitherto, they should then goe no further in the reformation, then the said Princes did which God for bid who look­eth for much more at their hands, and the Christian Israel of God also in this glorious time of reformation did put upon Ele­azar his sonne: ⁱ And so did they when after the stripping of the said Pope, they did invest the Bi­shops, his true right progenie (and that by the au­thority of their Parliaments) of the said Hierarchi­call power) which hath continued hitherto; and since become the right Nationall Euphrates fore­mentioned, or glassie Sea mingled with fire. And though in the said time of Queene Elizabeth the said renewed, or rather changed, and as it were, new shifted Hierarchie, did assume but a little power, being but as in its infancy, and daring not to shew the hornes of the Beast, whereupon this Hie­rarchicall Harlot was most gloriously mounted, yet gathering strength by little and little, as the rivers doe commonly, (which though neere their source or spring, their streames be but small and weake,) yet in the continuance of their course by the gathe­ring together of many rivolets or small streames, they become at length broad, deepe, and strong, yea able to beare the greatest trading ships, even as the Thames it selfe, or rather that literall Euphates; as we see it described by the Holy Ghost in the Pro­phesie of Isa [...]as chap. 8. 7. in that threatning of the people of Judah, saying unto them, that because they had refused the waters of Shiloah which ran softly, &c. therefore the Lord would bring up upon them, the wa­ters [Page 35] of the river, mighty and great; meaning indeed, the King of Ashur, as it is expounded in the very next words; but alluding to the said Euphrates, which did water the land of Assyria, so hath this mysticall done, to which also the same Spirit of God alludeth, speaking of it in this book of the Rev. as it was shewed before: so that, that which the Lord said then, to the said people of Judah, may very fitly be applyed to the people of this land: That because they had refused, both in the time of King Edward the sixt, and also of Queene Elizabeth, Revel. 22. 1▪ that pure river of water of life, cleare as Chrystall, proceeding out of the throne of God, and of the Lambe: I meane the the true Liturgie or worship of God, together with the true discipline of Christ or Church government (both profered unto them, then, both by Martin Bucer and Peter Martyr) grounded and drawn out of the doctrine of Christ, & of his holy Apostles, as we find it expressely instituted by him, saying first, con­cerning the said Liturgie; Mat. 15. 8. [...]. that it is in vaine to wor­ship him, teaching for doctrine, mens precepts: And that all such doe onely draw neare unto him with their mouth, and honour him with their lips, but their heart is farre off from him. Yea, in so doing they do * but worship that which they doe not know, as he said to the woman of Samaria, John 4. 22, 23, 24. for then was that time come of which he speaketh there, when the true worshippers were to worship the father in spirit and truth, for then the father did require such to worship him. For God being a Spirit, they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and truth. And concerning the said Discipline, observe onely these few places, viz. Mat. 5. 22. and 18. verse 15, 16, 17, 18. and chap. [Page 36] 20. verse 25, 26, 27, and 28. where is set downe the true patterne thereof, (I doe but name them, be­cause I intend not to speake of this now.) renewed as it were, by him, after his Resurrection, as S. Luke tells us, Acts 1. 3. where he shewes that Christ was seene of his Disciples, and heard too, as saith Saint John in his first Epistle chap. 1. verse 1. speaking of those things which did concerne the true Govern­ment of his Kingdome of Grace, and that by the space of fortie dayes, as he had beene with Exod. 24. 18 and 25. 9. and 40. Moses in the mountaine under the Law, when he gave him the patterne of the Tabernacle, & of all the instruments thereof; which were then to bee imployed in his holy worship then instituted by him; wherin as Mo­ses shewed himselfe very faithfull in all the house of God, as the Apostle doth testifie Heb. 3. 5. the same may we say of the Apostles, concerning the Goven­ment of this house of Christ. But as the said Iewes, I say, did then refuse such waters, so the said peo­ple refusing both the said pure and simple worship of God and true Church Discipline, and preferring to it, that vaine, frothie, pompous-humane-will worship or Liturgie of Rome, some what refined I confesse, but yet the very same in substance, therefore did the Lord bring upon them that proud Prelaticall, Hierar­chicall Church governement, by the meanes of it. The which hath at length Isa. 8. 7. k As Doctor Leiton and M. Prtn, M. Burton, and D. Bastwick, two couples of the worthy witnesses of Christ. broken into England, e­specially, and hath so overflowed and passed through it, that it is come, not only to the neck, but even to the very top of the cheekes and ^k eares of some of the best servants of God, some of them having had their eares cut with the Knife made as it were of the glasse of that [...]evel 15. 2. glassie sea and burnt with the fire thereof; [Page 37] yea it had so spread out its wings, that it had covered the breadth of the land: becomming thereby impas­sable, and like the raging sea, that cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt, as saith the Prophet Isa. 57. 20. as it proved (especially, when the said Christian Israel of God, was ready to passe over it.) As the waters of the forementioned Jordan, did then overflow and fill all his bankes (as soone as the feet of the Priests, that bare the Arke, were dipped in the brinke of the waters thereof, thereby to prepare the may for the said children of Israel to passe over it, after the drying thereof,) even so did, then especially, that Hierarchicall powerfull tyrannicall sea (flowing * Iosh. 3 15. from that forementioned It is very considerable that as the ri­ver Jordan (the prototype of this Natio­nall Euphra­tes, as is noted before) hath two springs or chiefe sour­ces, the one called Jor, and the other Dan: even so this misticall Euphrates, hathtwo chiefe heads, viz. two Archbishops, see the em­blem in the frontispice of this treatise, head thereof) raise to such a height of pride, and inhumane cruelty, that it did overflow and runne over all power and au­thority both divine and Humane; and became thereby so intollerable, that no humane creature was able, to withstand, restraine, or resist it: So that in a short time, it had easily (as another deluge) overflowed and destroyed the whole land, and by its most deadly waters, of Popish and Arminians false doctrines and superstitious ceremonies, killed every soule living, yet in that tyrannical scalding sea; accor­ding to the prophesie of Christ, therein truely ac­complished, recited Mat. 24. 22. saying that except those dayes (meaning the dayes of the great tribula­tiō, mentioned & described by him, in the next pre­ceding words; which can bee no other then the thousand two thundred and sixty dayes of this chri­stian Churches pilgrimage through her said de­seart, so called Revel. 7. 17.) except saith he, they should be shortned, there shall no flesh be saved: but for [Page 38] the elects sake those dayes shall bee shortned: As it is now manifestly come to passe, by the wonderfull mercy of God; who being a God Psal. 65. 2. that heareth prayers (as the Prophet saith) hath at last Psal. 102. 17 18, &c. looked downe from the highest of his sanct [...]any, and hath from Heaven beheld the earth; to heare the groanings of the prisoners, and to loose those that were appointed to death, and hath regarded the prayer of the destitute, & not des­pised their request: as it is said in that Propheticall Psalme, that was then written, for the generation to come, and for the people which was to be created a new. For he is no idle spectator of the wrongs done un­justly to his servants; but rather, such a one, as doth usually 1 Pet. 5. 5. resist the proud Hamans of the world, scat­tering them in the imagination of their hearts, and put­ting downe the mighty from their seates. As the most blessed Virgin Mary doth fing, Luke 1. 52. 53. and as we see it already begun by the almighty power of God, who hath taken in hand that proud Hierarchi­call whore even in the very time when in her over­swelling pride Revel. 18. 7, 8. shee most glorified her selfe, saying in her heart, I sit a Queene and am no widdow, and shall see no sorrow: as she is brought boasting of her selfe, Revel. 18. 7. 8. Whereupon the Angel denouncing her last sentence of condemnation, saith of her, in the next words. Therefore must her plagues come in one day, death and mourning, and famine, and shee shall be utterly burnt with the fire of Excommunication, for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her; Who there­fore doth now stirre up those that, at first, had given their Ibid. 17. 16, power and authoritie to the beast, to hate also this whore, to make her desolate and naked, and to eate her flesh, and to burne her with the said fire. Having [Page 39] to that very end, especially, gathered them toge­ther to fight this great battell, of the great day of God Almighty, now happily begun, in the place called in the Hebrew tongue, Armagedon, Revel. 16. 14. 16. I meane the Parliament or Heavenly Assembly so called, Revel. 11. 12. and 19. 1. at this time Assem­bled by the most wise afore ordained-decree of God, mentioned in that fore-alleadged place of Revel. 16. and by his most gracious mercy, towards his poore afflicted Church and children, (who had for a very long while groaned under an heavier bur­then, of ceremonions superstitions and Idolatries, then was that of the Egyptian servitude) thus to fight the battells of the Lord, against the said nationall whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornicati­ons, to avenge by that meanes, the blood of his servants at her hands, Revel. 19. 2. (making thus the tenth part of the great City: to fall in this conflict, together with seven thousand men of name, Revel. 11. 13. (That the forementioned way of the Kings of the East may be prepared to goe against great Babylon it selfe, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierce­nesse of Gods wrath. Revel. 16. 19.)

Therefore goe on in the name of God, ye worthies of the Lord, in doing, with bold­nesse and courage, this wonderfull worke of his, now by him committed unto you; and heare him speaking to you, by me his meane and unworthy servant, as hee spake of old to that great leader of Israel Joshua, saying, Now therefore arise, and goe over Iosh. 1. 2, 3. 4, &c. this said Euphrares, you and all the people, unto the said Canaan of true reformation, which hee doth give unto them even to his Christian Israel: Every place [Page 40] that the sole of your foote shall tread upon, that hath hee given unto you, from one end of the Roman Christian Empire even unto the other; that is all the ten Kingdomes of the Beast, from the rising of the Sunne to its going downe, shall bee your coast. There shall not any man be able to stand before you, all the dayes of your life: for as he was with Queene Elizabeth, and before her with Edward the sixt that had worthily begunne the said reformation, so will he be with you. He will not faile you nor forsake you. Be strong and of a good cou­rage: for unto this people shall you divide for an inhe­ritance, the land which hee sware unto their fathers to give them. Onely bee ye strong, and very couragious, that you may observe to doe according to all the words which Iohn his servant commanded you in his Name i [...] the booke of his Revelation, turne not from it, to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper whether­soever you goe. The said booke should not depart out of your mouthes, but you should meditate there in day and night, that you may observe to doe, to that Hierarchi­call Nationall whore, and to all the popish Cana­nites, not forgetting the proud Arminian Anakins, according to all that is written therein. Revel. 18. 6. Rewarding them all, even as they rewarded you, and giving double unto them according to their workes: in the cup which they have filled, fill to them double: for then Iosh. 1. 8. 9. you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good successe. Hath not he commanded you? Be strong and of a good courage, bee not afraid, neither be ye dismaid: for the Lord your God is with you whether soever ye goe, going Revel. 14. 11. before you, sitting upon a white horse, whom you must flollow as his heavenly armies sitting also up­on white horses, cloathed in fine linnen, white and and 14. [Page 41] cleane. And to that very end I am sure have you now (even as your most worthy brethren the Scottish men have done before you) entred into a new Co­venant with the Lord, and caused all the people of the land to doe the like. The cove­nant made by both the nati­ons of Eng­land and Scot­land, &c. is typified by that action of Jo­shua circumci­sing the people of Israel in Gilgal pre­sently after their passage over Jordan by the expresse commande­ment of God. A most worthy Act of yours, wherein wee are fully perswaded, that you have beene altogether guided by the spirit of God, and wisedome from above, as having therby perfor­med that which was typified both of you and of all the Kingdomes of the world, (that are to enter af­ter you into the true Canaan, wherein you are now entring, that is, that are ready to imbrace after you: and by your meanes also, as wee will shew by and by, the true reformation of Religion you have now in hand) in thar action forementioned of Joshua, that valiant leader of the ancient Israel, according to the commandement of God given unto him to that end Josh. 5. 2 &c. to verse 12. parallell to Revel. 19. 4. Josh 5. 2, &c. the first institution and ground whereof may bee seene Gen. 17. from the first verse to the ninth of the said chapter, in which covenant and promise thereunto annexed were comprehended as well the Gentiles as the Iewes; and the which God will now fully accomplish as well to the one as to the other: (according to the ancient prophecies both of Dan. 7. 26. & 27. parallel, to those of the Revel. chap. 10. 7. and 11. 15. 17. 18. to the very time of the accomplishing whereof wee are now come.) By the meanes of which covenant (wherein you are thus entred with the Lord) may bee applyed to you both, and to all them that shall e [...]ter in it, what the Lord said then of the said people of Israel in the said 5. chap. verse 9. viz. Iosh. 5. 9. That in the day it was performed, the Lord [Page 42] did take away the shame of the spirituall Egypt from you. Now therfore, O ye worthies of the Lord, be ye also fully assured, for your greater encouragement, in the prosecuring of the glorious worke which the Lord and his annointed our gratious Soveraigne the King hath intrusted you with all, that the se­venth & last Angell doth now beginne to blow the seventh and last Trumpet, at the blowing wherof, you know that the mysterie of God is to bee accompli­shed as he had declared to his servants the Prophets, in former times; as it is said Revel. 10. 7. Revel. 11. 18 even the time of the dead, that they should bee judged, and the time when God should give reward unto his servants the Prophets, and to the Saints, and to them that feare his name, to small and great, and wherein hee is to destroy them which destroyed the earth; powring upon them the seventh and last viall of Gods wrath, which bringeth upon them the third and last woe: yea, the very time wherein the words of God are to bee fulfil­led, mentioned Revel. 17. 17. for the executing of the Iudgement of God upon the whore spoken of in the next preceeding verse. To which end also, as that captaine of the Lords host Iosh. 5. 13. 14 15, parallel to Revel 19. 5 He will no lesse manifest his good wil more and more to ou [...] great lea­der under him, concerning the reformation now in hand. appeared to Joshua, presently after the foresaid Covenant taken, as he was by Je [...]ho, that hee might put in his heart to fulfill therein his will, even so will he put in your hearts to fulfill his. In which apparition you know he commanded him to loose h [...]s shoe off his foot, be­cause the place whereon he stood was holy. Which was a ceremonie used of old by that people, not onely in civill affaires, but also in ecclesiasticall. In civill, both concerning the resigning over of ones right in mat­ter of inheritance to another, according to the law, [Page 43] Deut. 25. 9. whereof we have an example in Ruths kinsman, Ruth 4. 7. Also in time of affliction and griefe, as it is to be seene in David (2 Sam. 15. 30.) fleeing from Jerusalem, when his sonne Absalon had conspired against him; the same is also com­manded to the Prophet Isa. to bee performed by him as a signe to the Israelites, Isa. 20. 2. 3. The same ceremonie was also used by the Priests when they entred into the Exod. 30▪ 19. 20. See Ains­worths Annot. in locum. Holy place to doe the service there: which Ceremonies, though now abolished, yet the moralitie thereof may be of use, and doth concerne us also, as it was a signe first of shame, secondly of sorrow, and thirdly not onely of purity, according to Eccle. 5. 1. where wee are advised to looke to our feet, but also of willingnesse and dili­gence in the service of the Lord, according to Psal. 110. 3. where the people of God is said to be a wil­ling people: and Jer. 48. 10. where hee is cursed that doth the worke of the Lord negligently. Of all which Joshua was now admonished by the Lord even as if he had said unto him:

My intent, O Joshua (whom I have called to be the leader of my people) by this that I do command thee now to doe, is, that thereby thou mayest be in­formed both thou, and this great people that I have committed to thy charge,) that you ought to con­sider seriously, the Covenant wherein you are now entred with me: whereby, as on my part I have obliged my selfe to accompanie you in the con­quest of this land of Canaan (thereby to performe & accomplish all the promises concerning it, which I have made of old, both to your fathers, & to your selves) so on the otherside, you also have obliged [Page 44] your selves thereby upon your soules and consci­ences, that with shame and confusion of face, with unfained sorrow and true penitent hearts you shall renounce all your former Jdolatries, manifold murmurs, rebellions and abominations (whereby you have so often provoked me to anger even as your fathers had done before; wherefore I was con­strained to ma [...]e their carkasses to fall in the wilder­nesse, as I had sworne unto them in my wrath) and besides that you will also obey and doe all my com­mandements and ordinances with all your hearts, and with all your soules, in a good conscience and faith unfained: that you may possesse this land for ever, and live therein, you and your children after you. To the like effect doe we reade in the 19. chap. of the Revel. that after that the foure and twenty Elders, and the foure Beasts mentioned in the fourth verse of the said chapter (representing the Christian Churches, and the heads of them now assembled or met together in the presence of God in Parliament, passed over the mysticall Euphrates) had fallen downe, and worshipped God that sate on the throne, saying Amen, Hallelujah, that then a voyce came out of the throne saying, prayse our God, all ye his servants, and ye that feare him, both small and great, by the action of which Elders, &c. is noted the en­tring of the said people in the said Covenant; the said action being parallell to that, as the words of the third verse, and the action there mentioned, are also the true parallell, of that first action perfor­med by Joshua immediately before this, and pre­sently after the passage over Jordan, as soone as they were arrived in Gilgal, Io [...]. 5. 9. where Joshua did pitch [Page 45] the twelve stones taken in Iordan, for a memoriall to future ages of the drying up of the said waters of Iordan, and of their passage over it, dry foot; the erecting of which stones in the type, doth signifie in the Anti­type the enacting, and registring of the sentence of the utter overthrow and abolishment of the It should ther­fore have pre­ceded the Co­venant because it was the cause of our separation and divorce from the Lord, ther­fore that Jo­nas was first to bee cast into the sea of So­dom, spare it not therefore, or else you must be sure that the Sea will not cease her raging. Hie­rarchicall prelaticall power of Archbishops and Bi­shops first in all our Kings Dominions, and after­wards in the whole Canaan or land of the Kingdome of the Beast: it signifies also the sentence of Excom­munication, by which it (viz. the Beast) must be confined for ever to the bottomlesse pit whence it issued, Revel. 17. 8. or cast into the The lake of Sodom a type first of the Ex­communicati­tion of the Church, called by Christ Ge­henna of fire Mat. 5. 22. by Saint Paul to be delivered unto Satan, 1 Cor. 5. 5. by Saint John Revel. 19. 10. and 20. 10. a lake of fire and brimstone; secondly, of hell it selfe. lake of fire and brimstone, mentioned Revel. 19. 20. and 20. 10. typified by the lake of Sodom, wherein the said Jor­dan was, as it were cast, when it was dryed up; be­ing also therein a prototype of that sea mentioned Revel. 18. 21. where it is said, that a mightie Angell tooke up a stone like a great milstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, with such violence shall the great Cittie Babylon be cast, and shall bee found no more alluding to that other type mentioned I [...]. 51. 63. 64. reade and consider well the contents thereof. Jer. 51. 63. 64. Even so the words uttered by that Revel. 19. 5. paral­lell to Josh. 5. 13, 14, 15. voyce comming out of the throne and saying prayse our God, &c. is the right pa­rallell of the said apparition to Joshua above menti­oned; importing the very same commandement which ought to bee made to all the people of God both small and great, as well those that are his do­mesticall servants, as all the rest of them that feare him, concerning the due consideration of the impor­tance [Page 46] of the said Covenant that this Christian I­srael hath now made with God, as it appeares, first by the place, whence the said voyce came, which is the throne; whereby allusion is made to the place where, and to the manner how, the Lord was wont to Numb. 27. 18. 21. See Iudg. 20. 27. 28. 1 Sam. 23. 9, 10, &c. and chap. 28. 6. Ainsworth in Exod. 28. 30. answer (from the Oracle) the Kings as­king counsell at the Lord, by the Priests bearing the Ephod, whose lips doth preserve knowledge, and at whose mouth the law is sought, Mal. 2. 7. And thus the true and faithfull Ministers of the Gospel ha­ving first consulted the true Oracles of God onely, that is, his sacred word ought to informe in the name of the Lord, the King and his Nobles that they must prayse and sanctifie that God alone (ac­cording to his most holy will & sacred ordinances, commanded in his said word) with whom they are now entred in Covenant, and not onely they, but also by their command, all the servants of the Lord employed in the service of the Lord, in all the Churches of his Majesties Dominions, and like­wise all his faithfull subjects that doe feare the Lord, both small and great: And that they must therefore abhorre and detest all their former contrary Reli­gion, doctrine, and worship; but chiefly all kind of Popery, either in generall or particular heads, even as they are refuted and condemned, by the said word of God in all the true reformed Churches; but in speciall that they must detest and reject all the usurped authority of all Hierarchicall Archbishops and Diocesean Bishops upon the Scriptures of God, upon the Church, upon the Civill Magistrate also, and consciences of men, and all their tyrannous Canons and humane ordinances made upon indif­ferent [Page 47] things, against their Christian liberty, as namely all their rites, ceremonies and false do­ctrines added by them to the administration of the Sacraments, as the Crossing in Baptisme, the knee­ling in the receiving of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, the standing of the Lords Table Altar­wise, with tapers, or Crucifixes over it, and bow­ing to it, or at the naming of Jesus, and the obser­ving of other (by them falsely called) holy-dayes, besides that holy sanctified day of the Lord, the which to the utmost of their power they have la­boured to expu [...]ge out of the catalogue of the ten Commandements of the law. And that hereafter they will adhere to the Lord, serving and worship­ing him alone, in all holinesse and purenesse of li­ving, in submitting themselves for that end, to an holy Church governement or discipline, taught & contained in the said word of God alone, & voide of all humane inventions and additions not groun­ded upon the same.

Now that this is the true intent of the Spirit of God in the words of this fift verse, it will yet fur­ther appeare, very clearely, if you will consider (besides the two former mentioned verses of the said 19. chapter) both the first and second verses thereof also, in the first of which Saint John tells us how hee heard a great voyce of a great multitude in Heaven, saying, Hallelujah, &c. giving us to under­stand thereby, the great The joy of Joshua and of the people of Israel passing over Jordan dry, testified by Psal. 66. 6. pa­rallell to Re­vela [...]. 19. 1. expressing the joy of the Christan Israel for the assem­bling of the Parliament: Preaching at the very begin­ning of it, li­berty to the captives, and to them that were bound by the Prelates, the opening of the prison, Isa. 61. x. joy that the many congre­gations of the true Christian Churches, especially, of these three Kingdomes, should both conceive in their hearts, and also expresse outwardly both in words and actions, of holy thankesgiving unto the [Page 48] Lord and acknowledging of that salvation, & glory, and honour, & power that was to be given unto him, be­cause he had put in the heart of his annointed to do & fulfill his most holy will, in calling together that most heavenly Assembly of Parliament, to exec [...]ue and administer the true and righteous judgements of God, The passage over Jordan mentioned Josh. 3. 9, 10, 11. and 16. parallell to the proceding in judgement or Arainne­ment of the Hierarchie in Parliament, expressed Revel. 19. 2. proceeding juridi [...]-ally to the condemna­tion of the great Hierarchicall whore which had cor­rupted the earth with her fornications; thereby also to avenge the blood of his servants shed by her hand, as of them that were already dead, by the meanes of her most inhumane & barbarous like cruelties used against them, so of those that were yet detained prisoners, in great distresse, in her most vile and base prisons, and especially those faithfull witnesses of his truth; who had beene confined in those remote Islands beyond seas, viz. of Garnezey Jarzey and Syllie, against whom shee had made warre, had overcome them and killed them by a civill or ra­ther a most uncivill death, whereby they were, in a manner cast out of the land of the living, Esa. 53. 8. having their eyes shut as it were, being barred and deprived of the sight and company Ezech. 24. 16. of the delight of their said eyes; I meane their most deare wives and children, and after them, of the greatest comfort of the world, their Psal. 88. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. godly friends and acquaintance, having likewise their hands & feet bound with bands having neither the liberty to visit their friends, or to be visited of them, nor to write unto them (be­ing forbidden to have either paper, pen or inke.) And thus did their corps lie unburied in such publike places of the great citie, for the space of I have obser­ved this con­cerning M. Burton who was confined in the Castle Cornet in the Isle of Garnzey, in whom especially I finde this type verified to the full, for since the 14 of June, 1637. in which day he, together with his two other fellow Martyrs, and right [...] were condemned, &c. to his arrivall in the said Island which was the 15. day of De­cember in the same yeare, are just sixe whole moneths, during which time he was, as it were in a very darke night of affliction, hid as the spies sent by Joshua to Jericho un­der stalkes of flaxe upon the roofe of a house: and from that time decained close pri­soner three whole yeares, viz. from the said 15. day of De [...]ember 1637. to the 15. day of November 1640. being the Lords day, and the first of the last moneth of the said third yeare, in which day he heard the great voyce of the Heavenly Parliament saying unto him, come up hither. three dayes [Page 49] and a halfe onely, (though their said enemies had confined them there till death) at the latter end whereof, the spirit of life comming from God, entred into them, and so revived them; so that they could then stand upon their feete, being loosed of their said bands, having heard that great voyce comming from the These are the true mem­bers of the true Church called alwaies heaven in this Revelation opposed to the Hierarchicall, Nationall earthly Church of the Prelates. heavenly Parliament then assembled in Lon­don; the voyce whereof was so loud, that it was heard of them, from those remotest places of the Kings Dominions, saying unto them, Come up hi­ther, and they obeying the same, did presently ascend up to the said Heavenly Assembly, gathered in the foresaid City of London, wherinto they entred in a most glorious cloud of witnesses, rejoycing for their said deliverance, as it is said in the first verse of this said 19. chap. which was on the contrary a most bitter and spitefull sight to their enemies that might see them thus honoured of God and men. The event of all which most glorious workes (thus begun and prosecuted, according to the foreappointad decree of God, thus also revealed unto us by Saint John in these two chapters of the Revel. 11. 12. 13. and chap. 19: 1, 2, 3. [...]. Revel. viz. the 11. forecited, and the ninteenth, compared together) doth give I am sure such a cleare light to all the bu­sinesse, now in hand, ex ungue leonem, that no bo­die [Page 50] will no more doubt of it. But yet consider the next following action, set downe in the sixt and eight verses of the said 19. chap. namely, that pre­sently after the precedent voyce which did pro­ceed from the throne, John heard another like a voyce of a great multitude, and as the voyce of many waters, and as the voyce of strong thundrings, saying Hallelu­jah: for the Lord that God, that Almighty one hath raigned, &c. In which words I say, is summarily and mystically contained the historie, related more fully in the Iosh. 6. from verse the 1. to the 22. is con­tained an Hi­storie parallell to the prae­diction in Revel. 19. ver. 6, 7, 8. sixt chapter of Josh. concerning the falling downe of the walles of Jericho (which was the first Citie taken in the land of Canaan, being be­yond Jordan, by the blowing of the Seven trumpets of rams hornes, borne by seven Priests before the Arke, which was carried by them round about it once in a day for the space of sixe dayes: but the seventh day, they were to compasse the said citie seven times, and at the seventh time when they should heare the said Prists making a long blast with the said rammes hornes, they were bidden to shout with a great shout, because then the wall of the Ci­tie should fall downe flat, and the people should as­cend up every man straight before him. This con­quest of Jeri­cho, as well as that of the rest of the land of Cana­an, was corpo­rall (though this first was performed in a spirituall ex­t [...]ordinary manner) there­ [...] their [...] corporall [...]. In their march about this citie, the whole congregation was divided in three severall squadrons or troopes, keeping this order, first the armed men were to march in the fore-front of the Armie going before the Priests that blew the trumpets; who in the second place marched before the Arke, which was carried by the Levites upon their shoulders, going in the midst of all the Armies: Then in the last place the rereward came after the Arke of the Lord, the Priests [Page 51] going on and blowing with the trumpets. All which company thus ranged in battell aray, and compas­sing the said Citie once a day for sixe dayes, and seven times the seventh day, It came to passe at the seventh time when the Priests made a long blast with the rammes hornes, that the people shouted with a great shout, and then the wall fell downe flat. Th [...]s is a spirituall con­quest, whereby these Christi­an Kingdomes are to be con­quered to Christ, in slip­ping from off their necks, or casting off the cruell and intollerable yoake of Anti­tichrists usur­ped tyranni­call power, to take in liew thereof the most easie yoke of Christ, embracing the sincere profes­sion of his truely refor­med Religion, and submit­ting to his ho­ly Church Government & discipline: therefore the order kept by these three troopes in their march & uttering of their Hallelu▪ jah after their said conqu [...]st is different from that of the type; because the spirit of God hath as it seemes reference to the Spiritu­all warfare of the Parliaments: where the honorable house of Commons representing the whole bodie of the Kingdome, doth as it were march in the forefront of the whole Armie; Then the Peeres of the land, Princes of the Tribes of their fathers, and heads under God and the King of the thousands of Israel, do [...] follow after: then the Priests or Ministers come in the rereward of the said Armie, with the rammes hornes of the powerfull, though most despised preaching of the word of God and servent prayer of a long blast; bearing upon their shoulders the [...]borious Ministerie thereof, where­by especially, the wall of this Jericho, (I meane according to Prov. 18. 11. these rich Vice-Roys, Merchants, and Mariners superfluous and ill acquired wealth, wages of unrighteousnesse so called, 2 Pet. 2. 15. which was as their strong citie, and as an highwall in their owne conceit,) must bee tumbled downe: These come in the last place, because their proper place is occupied by those who should bee thrust out of it. And thus the three severall companies noted by S. John, having shouted with a great shout their Hallelujah, the walles of the Spirituall Jericho falling downe flat, had great reason to say that then the Lord God omni­potent, did begin to enter into his reigne, and that therefore they should bee glad and rejoyce, and give honour to him, because then was come the marriage of the lambe, for as in the sacking of Jericho, Josh. 6. 22, &c.Ioshua had care of Rahab the harlot, and therefore com­manded the By these understand all the true witnesses of Christ, and among them especially they, that have suffered for the truth, who are to informe and shew by the word of God how the Chuch ought to be reformed and purged of all false Popish and Arminian doctrine and Idolatries of all the Popish garments, and superfluous or­naments of that pompous will-worship and Liturgie, and of all the ragges and super­stitious dayes of feasts or fasts, all which ought to be abolished. See the Law, Deut. 21. 12. verse 13. and the law for the clensing of the leprosie, Levit. 14. 8. Numb. 5. 2. 3. and for the practise thereof, see Numb. [...]2. 14. 15. and Ezech. 16. 52. 54. for the performance of this in the Antitype weigh. Revel. 19. 7. 8. and 11. 13. the latter end. two spies that had spyed out the Countrey, they should goe into her house, to bring her out thence, and all that she had, with all her kindred, to put them without the campe of Israel, there to bee purified according to the law, even so Christ he is willing to save his Church, (which had played the Harlot, with the great whore with whom shee had polluted her selfe, having drunke very deepe of her abominations out of her owne [Page 52] cup;) and to bring her now within the covenant, the time granted unto her to make her selfe ready being passed: wherein the spies forementioned were imployed, not only to strip her (for her grea­ter shame) of all her polluted garments, and in stead of them to put on her mourning weedes, but also to shave her head (to humble her the more) and to pare her nailes, that afterwards she [...]might by array­ed in fine linnen cleane and white, against the day of her marriage with the King him himselfe of the Christian Israel.

And thus much shall suffice for the present for a tast of the Parallell, very necessary as I judge not onely for the better understanding of the place of the Revel. the exposition whereof wee have now undertaken, but also for the greater encouragement of the said honorable Assemblie now thus gathe­red together by the Lord to judge the said whore in fighting the Lords battells against her. To whom I will yet say further in the name of the Lord, that they should not faint though, they finde by experience this first Citie of Jericho, to be not onely [Page 53] a great one, & walled up to heaven, but also shut up ve­ry straightly: for seeing you have such a Captaine as that victorious warrior, the great Jehoshua going as it is already said, before you; and his Priests with soun­ding trumpets to crie alarum against thē, there with all to beate down their tallest & strongest walles flat to the ground, you must be assured that though them­selves were as tall and strong, as were of old those Gyant-like Anakins, yet you shall vanquish them and ransacke their Citie. But with all, permit me I pray, for the discharge of mine owne conscience to advise you, yet in all humility, of one thing more, to which the said Parallell doth yet further leade me, not to be omitted, but which ought ra­ther to be as I suppose duely considered. In respect of which I am a continuall Orator to God for you and his holy people, that he may avert it from you, I will expresse it unto you better in the words of Jo­shua himselfe, speaking to all the people, in the time of the compassing of the said Citie of Jericho, say­ing to them as I doe now to you; Iosh. 6. 18, 19 In any wise keepe your selves from the accursed thing, least ye make your selves accursed, when ye take the accursed thing, and make the campe of Israel a curse, and trouble it, for all the silver and gold, and vessels of brasse and yron, that are already consecrated unto the Lord, must come into thetreasurie of the Lord. Take heede therefore I say, of the sinne of Achan: who when hee saw among the Idem cap. 7. 21 wherefore all Israel was troubled: 36. of them were Killed, and the rest fled before the men of Ai. vers. 4. 5. spoyles a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hun­dred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, he coveted them, and tooke them, and hid them in the earth, in the midst of his Tent, a [...]d the silver under it. But let none of this heavenly Armie, al­ready [Page 54] Revel. 19. 14 cloathed in fine linnen, white and cleane, de­file their said garments, in coveting as did the said Prince (any of the spirituall revenewes or goods whatsoever belonging to the Church,) neither per­mit that any should yet continue to appropriate them to their earthly Revenewes or demeanes, or to bring any of them into their houses. Remember what Moses the servant of the Lord said of old to that ancient Israel, Deut. 7. 25. 26. Covet not saith he, the silver or gold that is upon their images, nor take it unto thee, least thou be snared therewith: for it is an abomination to the Lord thy God: bring not therefore an abomination into thy house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but utterly abhorre it, and count it most abomi­nable, for it is accursed. Heare what he saith further to the same people in another place. Isa. 30. 22. There shall cleave nothing, of the interdicted thing to thine hand, that the Lord may turne from the fiercenesse of his wrath, and shew thee mercy, and have compassion upon thee, and multiply thee, as hee hath sworne unto thy fathers. O let all such, consider rather and ponder it well in their hearts, what is become of many of the houses & demeanes of a great number of the late Impropri­ators, & of their Impropiations, and take it to heart, considering that many of those who devoured that which was holy, have found it a most dangerous snare as saith Solomon, Prov. 20. 25. and have consulted shame to their houses, as saith Habackkuck 2. 10. and sinned against their soule. Foelix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum, it is a happie thing to learne wise­dome by the affliction or chastisement of another; let not also the least part thereof bee brought into the Kings Treasurie. I say no more, because [Page 55] Deut. 13. 17. I know that my Lord the King, with his Princes, is as an Angell of God to discerne good and bad; who as * 2 Sam. 14. 17. another Jehoshaphat, desirous to bring his people backe againe to the Lord their God, hath called and assem­bled 2 Cron. 19. 4. 7, 8, 9, & 10. you in this Jerusalem, for the judgement of the Lord, with this charge; To doe in the feare of the Lord, faithfully and with a perfect heart, so that what cause soever shall come to you of your brethren that dwell in your Cities, betweene blood and blood, betweene Law and Commandement, statutes and judgements, that ye should even warne them, that they trespasse not against the Lord, thereby to bring his wrath upon you, and upon your brethren: therefore as he said againe to the very same a litle before, so hath likewise I am sure our said Prince spoken unto you, saying; Take heede what ye doe, for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgement, wherefore now let the feare of the Lord bee upon you, take heede, and doe it, for there is no iniquitie with the Lord, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts. In a word, Mat. 22. 21. in restoring Church lands, impropriati­ons, Church tithes, &c. to whom they belong. Render unto Cesar the things which are Cesars, and unto God the things that are Gods, for dea­ling thus couragiously the Lord shall be with the good.

Having now at last in the precedent discourse, found out, (as I am fully perswaded) by the fav [...] ­ [...]able assistance of the spirit of God, together with that faithfull and unfailing guide of his owne ap­pointment, the foresaid type of the journeys of the children of Israel travelling from Egypt to Canaan, and at length discovered the particular Countrey, through which runneth, that powerfull mysticall Euphrates, which hath thus since the forementio­ned time of the first Reformation of Religion, (till [Page 56] the drying up of it, now fulfilled, by the powring out of the said sixt Viall) hindered the perfecting of the said Reformation. Having also shewed, what are the mysticall seas which it makes in its course, or powerfull dominion, established in the said King­dome, thus divided into two great Metropolitan Seas or Dioceses: As also, the very time of the drying up of it; and spoken of some of the most admirable and wonderfull workes of the Lord, that are already performed, by his most powerfull over­ruling hand, since the drying thereof, and that are yet in hand, and which he will not now leave unper­fect, nor desist any more from the full accomplish­ment of them: because the time now begun & fore­told by that Angel which Saint John saw standing up­on the sea, and upon the earth, or earthly sea; where­of * Revel. 10. [...] 5. 6. lifting up his hand to heaven, he sware then, by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, there should be time no longer. Verse 7. But that in the dayes of the voyce of the seventh Angell, when he should beginne to sound, as he hath now, as was shewed be­fore that then the mysterie of God should be finished as he had before declared to his servants the Prophets. All these things I say having beene thus premised, it is now manifest, and very easie to be understood that the Ships that were traffiking upon the forementi­oned Seas are nothing else, then the Hierarchicall Courts of such Metropolitan Archbishops and of their other brethren the under Diocesan Bishops: the divers Officers whereof, are thus represented unto us in this text by the Holy Ghost, by such [Page 57] names and titles as are ordinarily given to sea-fa­ring men, which are diverse; having also divers titles whereby they are called, as was before noted in the Analysis of the text.

The first whereof are called by the ti [...]le of Ship-masters, which in the Originall are expressed by the word [...], signifying properly a Governor: which Governours and Ship-Masters seeme to bee two distinct officers or offices, bearing two distinct charges in Ships, both specified also by Saint Luke Acts 27. 11. Where he saith, that the Centurion beleeved rather the Governour and the Master of the Ship, then &c. The first of which Officers is here mentioned, being the very same title or word by which the Apostle S. Paul doth call those Church Officers of the Primitive Churches, which now, a­mong those that are truely called, by the title of the Reformed Churches beyond Seas, are named El­ders, & here Lay-Elders by some, or ruling Elders by others; which are those Rom. 12. 8. Helpes in Government, or rather helping governours, whom elsewhere the Apostle calls Presidents or Wise Rulers: as in the first to the Thes. chap. 5. verse 12. also when hee saith, We beseech you brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are Rulers or Presidents over you, in all which places hee useth the very same word that is here employed by the Prophet speaking of these Ship-officers. Which Rulers, Presidents, or Go­vernours are of two sorts, the one of them being Pastors and teachers, who labour especially in the word and doctrine: the other are those that are onely Ruling Elders, or Helping Elders, because they are or should at least bee Helps, to assist the Ministers in [Page 58] the administration of the Church discipline, or in the Governement of the said Church, who are so distinctly specifi [...]d, or precisely distinguished by the Apostle in his first to Tim. chap. 5. verse 17. when he saith, let the Elders that rule well, bee coun­ted worthy of double honour; especially they, who labour in the word and doctrine: Which were also very well knowne in Origens time, who lived about the yeare of Christ, 226. who did thus distinguish them, when writing against Celsus he saith, Origen. lib. 3. contra Cel­sum. Non nulli prae­positi sunt qui in vitam & mores eorum qui admittun­tur inquirant, &c. There are some ordained, to in­quire into the life and manners of such, as are ad­mitted into the Church, that they may banish such from the Publique Assembly, that perpetrate scan­dalous acts: so likewise in S. Ambrose his time, as it app [...]ares by that famous text of his, Ambros. in [...]. [...] Tim. 5. he lived about the yeare of the Lord. 37. 4. Vnde & Synagoga & postea Ecclesia seniores habuit, quorum sine consil [...]o nihil agebatur in Ecclesia, &c. There were Elders in th [...] Church under the new Testament, as well as und [...]r the Law in the Synagogues, (as it ap­p [...]ares clearely by these few places of the Old and New Test [...]ment, viz 1 Kings 6. 32. 2 Chron. 19. 8. 11. Jer. 26. 10. 11. Ezec. 7 26. which were in steed and [...]d represent the whole Congregation as may be seene Exod 12. 3. 21. and 19. 3. 7. see also in the New, Mat. 27. 2. Marke 15. 1. Acts 4. 5. 6. &c.) without whose advise and counsell nothing was done in the Church &c. saith that father. Which officers I meane both By which places it is m [...]st, th [...] b [...] the m [...]s of [...] El­d [...]s, who were not [...]nely aged m [...]n but teach­ers and gover­n [...]s of the pe [...]ple, things were orderly communicated with the mul­titude. Pastors and Elders are also called guid [...]s o [...] O [...]ersee [...]s by the Apistle, Heb. 13. 17. where he ch [...]r [...]es the Hebrewes to Obey them that had the oversight of them; or that were their Guides [Page 59] or Rulers. Of which the Assemblies of Consistories, Colloques, and Synods, both Parishionall, Provin­ciall and Nationall of the said Reformed Chur­ches beyond seas, are composed; who have also the managing and disposition of all Church af­faires.

Concerning which Assemblies (it will not bee a­misse to say this by the way,) that they have al­waies for President or Moderator a Pastor or Mini­ster, the rest of the said Assemblies, both Ministers and Elders, being his Assessors to vote and judge with him of 2 Cor. 19. 8. what cause soever concerning the Lord, or any controversies which comes to them of their bre­thren that dwell in their particular cities and congre­gations: The said Moderator being as it were the mouth or Speaker in the said Assemblies, both for the examining of the businesse treated or discussed among them, the taking of the voyces or opinions of the said Assessours and Judges, and pronouncing of their opinion or sentence, concerning the said matters thus agitated among them, and that accor­ding to the pluralitie of voyces. Which Modera­tor or Speaker is alwaies chosen in the first session of the said Nationall Synod (lawfully convened from two to two, or from three to three yeares) by the said Pluralitie of voyces both of the said Mi­nisters and Elders there assembled, to be the Presi­dent thereof, during the same. But in the Collo­ques or Provinciall Synods composed likewise of all the Ministers of the said Province, and of one Elder at least of every particular Congregation of the same, the Ministers in their successive turnes from the eldest of them to the youngest are the Mo­derators, [Page 60] continuing in the said office from one Colloque to another; that is for the space of three Moneths, to see with the Scribe, (who also is most commonly chosen from among the Ministers to keepe the Registers of the said Assemblies) the ex­ecution of the said matters therein voted: Or (as it is observed amongst us from one Proposition to a­nother) that is for the space of one Moneth onely, at the begi [...]ning whereof the said Ministers use to meete, to heare one another, treating in the publick Congregation, in their successive turnes, such a portion of Scripture, as is appointed by them all, thereby to fit themselves for the function of the holy Ministerie (by the mutuall brotherly private admonitions given by each of them to him that in his said order hath made the said exercise in pub­lique audience of the Church) and also that they may in effect by that meanes see the proficiencie of each other in the same. As for the Parishionall Consistory, which is the In Mat. 5. 22 fore-alleaged, Christ doth lay downe the f [...]st platforme o [...] the Church­governement o [...] discipline which hee would have to b [...] used in his Kingdome of grace under the N. T. accor­ding to that of the old Sy­nagogue to the end of the world: which he afterwards doth more ful­ly establish, M [...]t. 18. 15. 16, &c which two places are parall [...]lls ex­pounding one another: for the word [...] shewes what is to bee understood by that other, [...], viz not the whole con­gregation promiscuously, but such Elders, chosen out of it, whereof the smaller Syne­d [...]ms of every Synagogue or particular Congregations among the ancient Iewes, were composed, of whom we have spoken before, out of Exod. 2. 3. 21. and 19. 3. 7. Againe the word Eccl [...]sia doth l [...]kewise shew that by the word Synedrtum we are to understand, not onely civill Magistrates, call [...]d also by the title of Elders very often in the Old Testament, but likewise such Ecclesiasticall Officers as we now doe speake of, being the same [...], who as the former are to be chosen from among the godliest, wiser and dis­ [...]st of the said Congregation. Senate of every particu­lar Congregation composed of the Ministers of the same, (if they are more then one) and of some competent number of Lay-Elders, and Deacons, according to the greatnesse or smalnesse of the same Congregations: therein I say the said Minister or [Page 61] Ministers Successively, are moderators from one Sabbath day to another. In which day, especially they doe meete most commonly all of them toge­ther, both Minister, Elders, and Deacons, in the Church, after the Sermon in the afternoone, there to consult concerning the scandalls or offences cōmitted by any members of the said Congregati­on, either in publique or more privately: and that either to reconcile parties that are at variance, to warne them that are unruly, or to proceede in bro­therly charity by the censures of the Church a­gainst such as are rebellious, and that will not bee admonished: in a word, to set all things in order that may be amisse to the glory of God, and better edi­fication of the Church. The Deacons are there present also whose peculiar Office concernes the poore of the Parish, consisting in the gathering of Almes for them, when some extraordinary occa­sion requires it so, or in receiving also at the issue out of the Church for to supply the want of their poore brethren: finally, in distributing the said Almes, faithfully, by the order and advice of the said Mini­sters and Elders, for the reliefe of the more needy members of that congregatione specially, whereof they themselves are members; of whom they are obliged, to have an especiall care every one of them according to his particular distinction, or quarter assigned unto him, in visiting of them, especially in the time of their affliction, and suffering none of them to goe a begging. Of all which almes both received and distributed, the said Deacons are ob­liged to keepe, and to render also a faithfull ac­compt every Communion day, to the said Mini­sters [Page 62] and Elders, and in the presence of the chiefe housholders of the said Congregation, who may assist at the giving of the said accompts, that they may see how their Almes are distributed, and may know the better the estate of the said poore, there­by to be the more excited to bountifulnesse. Now all these Offices doe acknowledge (I meane in spi­rituall matters onely, which doe concerne the ad­ministration of the keys of the Kingdom of Christ,) for otherwise they are subject in all things unto the higher powers, which are ordained of God;) None but Christ alone (who is the King of his said Church) for their Hierarchicall and supreame head: Yet neverthelesse in such a manner as that they confesse also that the said Churches Assemblies are subordi­nate one to another, according to that Canon, 1 Pet. 5. 5. be subject all of you one to another, &c. so that in difficult affaires, or incase of grievance (if it * Rom. 12. 9. falles out in any matter of Judgement or censure, ei­ther for doctrine or manners) both officers & mem­bers of the same Congregations, preferring one another in honour, Rom. 12. 10. doe accordingly ap­peale from the lesse Assembly to a greater; as from the Consistorie to the Colloque, or Provinciall Synod, and from this to the Nationall, where the more difficult matters of doctrine and manners are concluded and determined by the According to the practise of the Apostles Acts 15. 3. 2. 4. 6. &c. there imitating the ancient pra­ctise of the Iewes appea­ling from the lesse Syne­driūs foreno­ [...]ed to the great Synedrium at [...]rusalem as it [...]s manifest out [...] 2 Cor. 19 8. [...] and 11. word of God. The said Judges, or Church Governours, having no other rule to governe the said Churches, com­mitted to their charge, or to judge of any of the said cases, but the Scriptures onely, whereupon are grounded all the Canons or Articles of their church discipline, which is the particular rule, wher­by [Page 63] they are also to decide and determine of all the said Ecclesiasticall businesse, and affaires. And though all the Ministers among them, bee of equall authority and power, and likewise all Elders and Deacons, none of them pretending to have a greater authority then the other, or to bee above one ano­ther: that is one Minister above another; one El­der above another; or one Deacon above his fel­low officer: no more then any one Church or Con­gregation doth not, nor ought to assume to it selfe any power or authori [...]y over another, as the greater above the lesse, or those of any great towne over them of the Villages, being as they beleeve, very well grounded therein, upon the word of Christ himselfe Mat. 20. 25, 26. and 27. Mar. 10. 42, 43. 44. and Luke 22. 25, 26. Yet there is no confusion fo [...] all that, among the [...]aid Churches Orders or Of­ficers, (as it is ordinarily objected by the Adversa­ries of the said Church Governement) but a more convenient and very decent order is observed a­mong them: The Ministers being above the El­ders in dignitie of Office, place and honour, and the Elders above the Deacons: And the more an­cient Ministers having also the precedency of the younger, which is likewise observed among the El­ders and Deacons, according to the Rule of the A­p [...]s [...]le, speaking to all such divers Church officers, Rom. 10. 12. and saying unto them, that they should preceede one anothor in honour: [...] Pet. 5. 5. 1 Pet. The young sub­mitting themselves unto the Elders; yea all of them, beeing subject in a decent order one to another, and al­waies cloathed with humility: because God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble, as saith Apo­stle [Page 64] Saint Peter in the fore alleadged place, after the prohibition given there to all dominiering Prelates, that they should not be Lords over [...], Gods heritage.

All which Church Officers having since for many ages past, beene altogether cashier'd out of the Church, and deprived of all that Church Governe­ment by the Roman Hierarchicall earthly power, forementioned, of the Pope, together with the said Consistories and Colloques: in stead whereof they have errected the foresaid Hierarchicall Courts & Officers, the most part of them being but lawyers, or laikes (to use their owne terme) no more then they esteeme our Church Elders to be: To all which they have given as new Offices of their own moul­ding and humane invention, so likewise new names and titles of their owne fabrication also, none of them being Mat. 15. 13. of the fathers planting as saith Christ. And such are those of the first forementioned ranke, and order as their Suffragan Bishops, Chancellors, Archdeacons, Deanes, Commissaries or Highcom­missioners, which sit as Judges in the said Courts, and to whom, that Hierarchicall power of the Pope, Archbishops, &c. hath cōmitted the Administrati­on of the keyes, not of Christs Spirituall kingdome, (as Christ himselfe gave to Peter, & to the rest of the Apostles representing then the whole Church) but of their earthly Hierarchicall Kingdomes; having appointed them to bee the sole Judges in Ecclesia­sticall causes and matters. Then the next that fol­low, which are of the second ranke, as namely their Secretaries, Dataries, or Registers, Advocates, and Procurors occupying Ships. Then follow in the [Page 65] last place, the third and last sort of them, viz. their Promooters, Apparitors, Solicitorus; to which may also be very well added all that table of Questmen, Sidemen, Inquisitors, Church▪ wardens, Pursivants, &c. all which are right Aucupes Aulae, or flies of the Inquisition, nay all I am sure both great and small, birds of a feather and hatcht all of one damme, I meane that whore of Babylon: All which doe trade on the Sea, or, word for word, as it is in the origi­nall [...] labour the Sea. Whereby the Holy Ghost al [...]udeth manifestly to the worke of Hu [...]bandry, and to those that are occupied in that calling to labour the ground, breaking the clods of it, and cutting it with the plow: A goodly meta­phor indeed, very well befitting, and clearely mani­festing the right manner of the trading of these Of­ficers upon this seas: which is also used elsewhere to the same purpose, viz, Psal. 129. 2, 3. where the Church of God is represented complaining of her E [...]emies and saying, Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: and yet they have not prevailed a­gainst me. The plowers plo [...]ed upon my b [...]e, they made long their surrowes, by which Metaphoricall speech the cruell afflictions of the Church thus la­boured or plowed up, as it we [...]e, by her Enemies are mea [...]t. Which dealing doth very fi [...]ly agree to all the P [...]aticall offices of those Hierarchicall Courts; who plow thus [...]he seas or peoples, over which they are established, when once they doe fill into their lurches, or are brought under their [...]yr [...]i­call power: even as the plowman doth the ground, but not as he, thereby to fit it and prepare it the bet­ter, to receive the good seede, that it may bring [Page 66] forth the more fruite to the owner; but rather as the hirelings use todoe, hiring the ground, and wea­ring it with tilling, till they have suckt all the fat thereof, and filled their owne purses, to the great prejudice and manifest dammage of the owner.

And thus much for the meaning of the words of this present text. In the exposition whereof, I have beene constrained to insist thus long, because it hath beene heretofore otherwise expounded and taken in another sence, by the former interpreters, then I have done now, being led thereunto, first by the ex­position that the Angell himselfe doth give to the waters or sea, wherupon both the whore her selfe sitteth (as it hath beene shewed out of See also Esa. 8, 7. and 18. 2. Revel. 17. 15.) and these her Officers doe trade: as also by the consideration of the type of this Church mentio­ned before, the which I have followed from journey to journey, or from one moneth to another, especi­ally in the last of the third great Period or part of her voayge through the wildernesse, comparing the estate, time and events of this christian Church, to those of that ancient of Israel, whereupon I say I I have grounded this my exposition; the which neverthelesse I doe willingly, and with all humility submit (as I did when I first preached it in publike) to the wise and charitable censure of the rest of the most faithfull and painefull labourers, my fellow­brethren in the Ministerie, rowing hard with us in the true ship of Christ (being in the midst of those Seas tossed with mighty waves in great jeopardie,) that they may bring his true Disciples to the shore of heaven, in drawing them out of those trouble­some and dangerous hierarchicall seas: whom I de­sire [Page 67] not to cast it away as a new Doctrine, though it might seeme so at the first sight, but to ponder it well before, though they finde it clothed in a very course and homely language and yet borrowed; in which having dared to walke thus farre in publike, I will yet adventure a litle further, observing out of this text thus expounded some few points of Do­ctrine, the which I meane to handle as briefly as I can to apply them to some use of Admonition and exhortation. And first in generall considering that all this Hierarchicall forementioned earthly power represented by the said Euphraticall Jordan, and all the Officers which doe exercise or administer the same power, doe proceed all of them (though some more immediately & manifestly then the other) frō that Vniversall Papall Sea, the common Mother of all the other Revel. 17. 5. Harlots, and abominations of the earth: and that all the said Officers are thus represented unto us in this text, under those foresaid titles of Seafaring men or Sailors in ships, whose offices and unlawfull practises doe all issue of the same Source, this I say may yeeld this point, viz. that

The Beast of Rome together with the false Prophet, Doct. have changed Christs fishing Ship, or true Church, into a very Pirate Ship, or denne of theeves; who in stead of gaining soules to Christ doe leese them, and in liew of bringing them to Heaven, cause their pas­sengers to make ship-wrack, both of soule and body in hell, as it appeares not only by the words of our Saviour, speaking to the Scribes and Pharisies of his time, the right predecessors of these, both of them having beene the murthers and persecutors of Christ and his saints, and saying unto them Mat. [Page 68] 23. 15. Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisies Hypocrites, for ye compasse sea and land to make one Proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell. And againe speaking of them to his Disciples, he saith Mat. 15. 14. Let them alone, they be bl nde leaders of the blind. And if the blind leade the blind, both shall fall into the ditch: this truth is likewise ma­nifest by that which is said in particular of their fol­lowers Revel. 1 [...]. 8. That all the names of the dwel­lers upon earth who should worship the Beast, were not wr [...]tten in the booke of the Lambe, sl [...]ne from the foun­dation of the world. But especially it is [...]l [...]re by that which is written in the next chapter, viz. 14. verse 9 10. where Saint John saith that the third Angell following the two former, of whose message he had spo­ken in the precedent verses, said that if any man should worship the Beast and his Image, and receive his marke in his forehead, or in his hand, the same should drinke of the wine of the wrath of God▪ which is powred out without mixture, into the cup of his indignation and hee should bee tormented with fire and brimstone, in the presence of the holy Angels, and in the presence of the lambe, &c And as for their prophaning thus the said true ship of Christ, namely his Church and Disciples; see likewise what Christ did re­proach to the foresaid Scribes and Pharisees, Marke 11. 17. Which may as well be applyed to these, as it is related by the Evangelist who said, that Christ teaching, said unto them, is it not written? Mark. 11. 17. My house shall bee called of all Nations the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of theeves. And so in John 2. 13. &c. where it is said, that the Jewes Passeover being at hand, Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and found in [Page 69] the Temple, those that souldoxen and sheepe, and doves, & the changers of mony sitting, true types, of all these, both Merchants and Saylors in their trading ships. And when he had made a scourge of small cords, hee drove them all out of the Temple, and the sheepe & the oxen, & powred out the changers money, & overturned the Tables; and said unto them that sold doves. Take these things hence, make not my fathers house, a house of merchandise. As I wish, and am in very good hope that he is now making such another whip, in and by the meanes of this ho [...]orable house of Parliament, called also (as it is reported) by some, though in derision, it may bee, or rather by feare, a whipping Parliament) to scourge out of the ship or Church of Christ, with the same spirit of zeale as he did, all such Pirat-officers, none excepted, whether of the first, second, or third, forementioned rancke or or­der; together with all the Simoniacall Patrons) hucksters, abettors and sellors of Church-benefi­ces, Ecclesiasticall censures and excommunication, yea sellers of bodies and Revel. 11. 13. soules of men too, as it is said in the 13. verse of this chapter, who Pet. 5. 2. for filthy lucre sake, trade for soules: who together with their chiefe owners must not only be whipt out, but also should be cast ouer board, into the deepe pit of Per­dition, but especially the false leaders & their Head.

First because he is a right Revel. 9. 11. Apollyon both Actively Reason 1. and Passively; Actively in that like a most cruell & foaming boare of the wood he made great havock of the most laborious and diligent husbandmen, to whom Christ had let out his vine, which he and his said Officers have also most miserably wasted; a [Page 68] [...] [Page 69] [...] [Page 70] very Hee hath beene by these meanes the chiefe cause of all the corpo­rall plagues wherwith God hath so often visited this land, as may be seene pro­ved at large in Sione plea. And h [...]reby it appeares also that the plague of the second V [...]all is both corporall and spi [...]ituall, the spirituall no­ted in these words, it be­came as the blood of a dead man, the s [...]irituall in the following destroyer, who (by the bitter poyson of his false Arminian doctrine, Idolatries, false ceremo­nies and superstitious service & human-like liturgie, common-perjuries, which (by the meanes of that most unnaturall and cruelly torturing Oath ex Officio) he hath caused: As also by the most ungodly Prophanation of the Saboths of the Lord,) hath killed both corporally and spiritually many of those fishes which might have beene before, mooving at least, if not truely living in that sea; His Courts also of Arches, High-Commission, &c. having beene but, as so many Revel. 16. 3. 4, 5, 6. seas of blood, like to the blood of a dead man. And all the Officers thereof having beene but as so many horseleaches or blood­suckers, who have made them-selves drunke with blood: Yea his sea having been a Sea mingled with fire also, Revel. 15. 2. and therefore like hot scal­ding waters, as they have beene found by woefull experience by whomsoever hath dared to touch them or come too neere them, or to medle any way with them, either speaking, preaching, or writing against their great goddesse Diana, or Hierarchicall whore, or discrying by any meanes whatsoever, their most sacrilegious craft or traficke. Hee is no lesse the great Apollyon Passively as Judas, whose d As by the forementioned witnesses of Christ, and many other besides. very successor he is, whom Christ calles The sonne of Perdition John 17. 12. and likewise the Apostle Saint Paul 2 Thes. 2. 3. as being a man devoted and destined to perdition, both of body, Revel. 18. 2. and of soule, cap. 19. 20. and meetest it should, whose originall, as it hath beene shewed, is from the bottemlesse pit, his proper Element: as it appeares [Page 71] manifestly by that which is said, Revel. 17. 8. of this Beast by the Angell to S. John: The Beast saith he that thou hast seene, was and is not, & shall ascend out of the bottomlesse pit and shall goe into perdition.

Secondly, he is also the man of Sinne, so called 2 Reason. in the fore alleadged place of 2 Thes. 2. alluding (as it is very like) to that so frequent name or tide, used in the Old Testament of In Hebrew Belijragual, signifying without profit [...]r without yoke, I law­lesse rebellious and wicked, which name is given unto Sathan or An­tichrist, oppo­sed unto Christ in 2 Cor. 6. 15 befitting very wall this great Vice-Roy. Asher bel [...]all, given some times to the sonnes Sam. 2. 12. See also Iudg. 19. 22. Eli, whose very brethren and successors both the Beast and the false Prophets are, with all their traine of Merchants and Marriners. It is also applied to those two false witnesses, brought (by that Iezabel, wicked Achabs wife) against poore * Naboth; to deprive him both of his life and vine­yard, (as this wicked Iezabel (so called likewise as being the right Antitype of that Revel 2. 20.) hath often done by the meanes of her false and corrupted Iudges or shipmasters of hers) the historie where­of you may reade 1 Kings 21. 7. 8. &c. which title is rendred in the said place of the 2 Thes. 2. 3. 8. forealledged with an emphaticall demon­strative Article taken there [...], pointing out this as if he were the chiefe Captaine or ring leader amongst the sonnes of Beliall; a primate no lesse then Superlative amongst them, though of very lit­tle Laud. Which perhaps may have given occasion to some, to deeme him no lesse then a great devill incarnate. Saint Hierom speaking of the father, thus explicates it, Homo in quo fons omnium peccatorum, est. A man who is the very sourse of all evils, both spirituall and corporall as it is shewed and proved at large in Sions Plea. Aquinas thus Omnium hominum pessimus, ut Christus omnium optimus: the worst of [Page 72] all men, contrary to Christ, who is the best of all. Ours thus, a man whose very composition is of sinful­nesse, notoriously, peerelesly vicious; not onely in his owne person, but as another King. 12. 30. &c. Jeroboam, having made the people of God, from Dan to Beersheba, to sinne. A right Balaam, so like, that ovum ovo non similius, one egge being not more like another, then hee is; like that very type of his, that false Prophet; wherfore that very name is given to him Rev. 2. 14. of whom it is said, that he taught Balac to cast a stum­bling blocke before the children of Israel, to eate things sacrificed unto Idols, and to commit fornication, as wee shewed but now. Wherefore as the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and a great plague was Numb. 25. 3. and 31. 16. sent among the congregation of the Lord; so is it come to passe also in this Laodicean lukewarme late times, wherin so many have been killed both corporally & spiritually, that to no other time, then this present, can be most justly applyed (as was noted before;) that saying of Christ Mat. 24. 22. that except Christ in his most wonderfull and unspeakeable mercy had not now, (as hee hath to the great praise of his most holy Name,) shortned these dayes both of spirituall temptations and provocations, yea and (more then in Balaams time) of most violent injunctions and constraints to ea [...]e things sacrificed unto Idols, no soule was like to be saved; so also of most horrible and [...]bominable treasons and conspiracies tending to the utter confusion, and in all likelyhood finall and totall overthrow both of Church and Com­mon-wealth in these three Kingdomes especially: so that there was no fl [...]sh like to be spared, especial­ly of the best professors, who were thereby like to [Page 73] parallell the desolation of that so great and flourish­ing Empire of Germanie; of that so long reformed Kingdome of Bohemia, and of those so famous and purely reformed Churches of that so late flourish­ing Principalitie of the Palatine, if not to excell them. If it had not beene the Lord, who hath beene on our side, when such monstrous and Gyant like Vice-Roys and Traytors were risen up against us: Psal. 124. 1. 2. &c. for then they had swallowed us up quicke: their wrath being so vehemently kindled against us, then their waters had overwhelmed us, the streame whereof had gone over our soules. Then those proud Herarchicall waters had gone over our soules. But blessed bee the Lord, who hath not given us a prey to their teeth. Our soule is escaped as a bird out of the Snare of such foulers, the snare is broken, and we are escaped. Our helpe is in the name of the Lord, who made Heaven and Earth.

Thirdly and lastly, herein also may he bee com­pared to that faigned Charon of the Pagan Poets, who was the boatman of Hell, to carrie over the blacke Styx, in his most wide and capable ferrie boate, the soules of men: to whom may be applyed (in respect of what hath hath beene already said of him, according to his former practises) that vaine, yea most blasphemous boasting power that is read in the Decretals, which the Popes doe attribute unto themselves, viz. That if they carried with them, millions of soules to be tormented with the great Devill in Hell, no man was to reprove them: so imperious was he, and so absolute in all his Ty­rannies both corporall and This is to be read in the Popes owne Decretals. pirituall, that no power either temporall or spirituall, was able to resist or restraine him, only, from his intended devilish plots and designes: but so would goe on, come what [Page 74] might come of it: yea let Church, State, King and all, sinke or swimme, 'twas all one to him; so hee might have brought to passe his owne ends, which were indeede no better then Hamans, as it is now manifest to all the world: In whose shamefull end may all impenitent traitors with their devilish pro­jects and conspiracies fall and finish: that the King, State, and Church may for ever flourish and pro­sper: for if the wicked be once taken taken away from before the King, his throne cannot but be established in righteousnesse, saith Salomon, Prov. 25. 5.

I will end this first point of Doctrine in a word or two of admonition to all such as hitherto have worshipped the Beast, and his image, and have received his marke in their forehead, or in their hand, and to all that with them have drunk of the wine of the wrath of this whores fornications: to all Recusant-Papists I meane, and Hierarchists whatsoever they bee: be­seeching them to consider seriously with themselves the lamentable forementioned condition, and woe­full estate of all them that have heretofore, or doe yet daily thus hazard their poore soules, into such ships; either to trade among such Pirats, or if they bee but passengers with them, to take such blood-drunken guides for Pilots, and such beast like Marriners for rowers, who in stead of bringing them them to Heaven and Heavenly rest, as they professe and boast, doe carrie them downe into the Sea of the Euphratian Jordan; with a most violent and swift currant, to percipitate them in the end, toge­ther with themselves, in Prov. 25. 5. that lake of fire and brim­stone, there to be tormented day and night, forever and ever. Heare this and tremble, for it is now high time, if ever, to Revel. 20. 10 flee from the wrath which is at hand, [Page 75] up therefore, Mat. 3. 3. 7. get ye out of this Sodome. Doe I say unto you, as once Lot spake unto his sonnes in law, for the Lord will presently destroy it. Gen. 19. 14. Come out of Ba­bylon say I againe unto you as the Angel in the Reve­lation, * Revel. 18. 4. to the people of God, that ye be no more parta­kers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues: Get ye out of such ships, & forsake such wilfull blin­ded guides, else you shall assuredly Mat. 15. 14. fall both into the ditch, as saith our Saviour. Stop no more your eares; Psal. 58. 6. like the deafe adder, which will not hearken to the voyce of charmers, charming never so wisely. And if he doth yet grant you to day to heare his voyce, Heb. 3. 7. 8. &c. harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of the last temptation in the wildernesse, whereour fathers have tempted him, proved him, and seene his workes, for the space not of fortie yeares only as the anci­ent Jewes, but now of full a thousand two hundred fifty and upwards, least he sweare againe in his wrath that ye shall not enter into his rest. Numb. 16. 26. Depart therefore I pray you, from the tents of such wicked men, lest ye bee consumed in all their sinnes, and bee swallowed up with them, and goe downe alive into the pit of destruction: nay, hye ye, lest with the foolish Virgins you tarrie * Math, 25. 11 till the doore of repentance bee shut up against you, and it be too late for you to cry Lord Lord open to us. And thus much shall suffice for this first point.

In the second place, from this consideration, that these Mariners or Court-officers of such Mer­chants, doe make such a rich trade or gaine upon this Sea and of the people of God, in these Hierarchi­call ships or Courts, observe this other point of doctrine, viz. that 2. Doct.

The Ministers of the Beast & false Prophet, even [Page 76] as their head all of them I say, make a trade both of soules, & of all other things spirituall; pilling & spoy ling all those that saile with them, both of their temporall & spirituall goods, behaving themselves therin, even as the false Prophets did of old, of whō the Lord doth so often complaine by his Prophets, as we may reade Esay 56. 1 [...], &c. where speaking of them he saith, The watchmen are blind: they are all ig­norant they are all dumbe dogs, they cannot barke: slee­ping lying downe, loving to slumber, yea they are greedy dogs, which can never have enough, and they are shep­heards that cannot understand: they all looke to their own way, everyone for his gaine. And Jer. 6. 13. Ier. 6. 13. From the least of them saith he, even unto the greatest of them, everyone is given to covetousnesse: and from the Pro­phet even unto the Priest, every one dealeth falsely. And Ezech. 34. 2. 3. Sonne of man, saith the Lord there concerning all such false Prophets, prophesie against the shepheards of Israel, prophesie & say unto them: Thus saith the Lord unto the shepheards of Israel, that doe feede themselves, should not the shepheards feede the flockes? ye eate the fat, and ye cloath you with the wooll, ye kill them that are fed; but ye feede not the flocke, &c. And such were the false Apostles in the very time of the Apostles of whom S. Paul speaketh to Timo­thie, Tim 6. 5. who made a gaine of godlinesse, & who did Tit. 1▪ 11. Mat. 23. 14. Mar 12. 40. Luke 20. 47. sub­vert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthie lucres sake, as he saith in his Epistle to Titus. And in his second to Timothy he did foretell that * in the last dayes perilous times should come, be­cause men 2 Tim. 3. 1. &c should bee lovers of their owne selves, cove­tous, &c. whom Saint Peter in that Propheticall E­pi [...]le of his compares to Balaam, saying that 2 Pet, 2. 15. they [Page 77] should forsake the right way and goe astray, follow [...]ng the way of Balaam the sonne of Bozor, who loved the wages of unrighteousnesse: likewise Saint Jude in that other Propheticall Epistle of his, where hee de­nounces a woe unto them saying that Iude 11. they should goe in the way of Cain, and should run greed [...]ly after the error of Balaam for reward, and should perish in the gainesaying of Core.

The causes whereof are, first their impietie, testi­fied in that they have (as the Pharises) in the time of Reason 1. Christ Mat. 23. 4. bound heavie burthens, and grievous to bee borne, and laid them on mens shoulders, but they them­selves would not move them with one of their fingers: as he speakes of them, Mat. 23. 4. Secondly▪ [...]heir intollerable pride, manifested in that 2 Thes. 2. 4. they have op­posed and exalted themselves aboue all that is called Reason 2. God, or that is worshipped: so that as God they have sit­ten in the Temple of God, behaving themselves as if they were Gods, as sayes the Apostle of the man of sinne, 3. Reason. 2 Thes. 2. 4. And lastly, their insatiable cov [...]tu­ousnesse before proued. Vse.

The use of which point may serve briefely to convince all such, that doe either tyrannise over the Lords heritage, as if they were Lords over it, though it bee 1 Pet▪ 5. 3. forbidden them by him whose suc­cessors they affirme themselve to be: Or who not onely for lucre sake, but by pride, or by any other unlawfull meanes, doe intrude themselves in the Ministeriall function. None of which are true Mi­nisters of Christ, but rather of Antichrist, because they Iohn 10. 1. doe not enter by the doore into the sheepe fold, but climbe up, some other way, who therefore are right thiefes and robbers, according to Christs owne verdict.

[Page 78] Moreover observe (from this that God hath left his Church standing thus long at the shore of that Hierarchicall Euphrates, after so long and hard a voyage thorow that huge wildernesse of Jdolatrie fore spoken of) this other point of doctrine.

That God hath often delivered his Church into the hands of most cruell Tyrants and Pirates both Exod. 1. 10. &c Iudg. 3. 8. 12. and 31. Item. 4. 2. &c. and 6. 2. &c. and 10. 7. &c. and 13. 1. 2 King. 10. 32 &c. and 15. 19. and 17. 3, &c. and 24. 1. &c. Luke 2. 1, &c. Mat. 2. 12, &c▪ Luke 13. 1. Revel. 6. 10. Acts 2. 22. 23. and 4. 5. 6. and 20. 27. Revel. 11. 7. & 12. 17. and 13. 7. and 17. 14. Civill and Eccl [...]siasticall: as hee did of old, when 3. Doct. he brought her under that most cruell servitude of the Egyptian Pharaos, and likewise of the Amorites. Cananites, Moabites, Midianites, Ammonites, Philistins, Assyrians, Syrians, Romans, Herods, Pilates, and Pagan Emperors, and false Prophets: as the Sacred Histories both of the Old and New Testament doe fully testifie: and thus hath hee dealt with it, by the meanes of the High-Priests, Scribes and Pharises in the time of Christ, and in that also of his Apostles, and since by the Popes, and all that table of Metropolitan Prelates, Arch­bishops and Diocesan Bishops, even since the time of Constantine the great: and by all their forespe­cified Officers and Mariners, all of them Anticristi­an Pirates, as it is recorded in the bookes of the Martyrs, and in many other humane stories. By all whose meanes, the said poore Church hath beene alwaies 2 Cor. 4. 8. 9. sorely oppressed, yet not distressed, perplexed, yet not altogether without helpe: persecuted, but not for­saken, cast downe but not destroyed, alwaies bearing a­bout in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus.

And that for these reasons, as first to exercise it: Deut. 8. 23. Reas. 1. to humble it also and to prove it, to know what is her heart, and whether the members thereof will keepe his Commandements: therefore hath hee humbled her [Page 79] and suffered her to hunger; as it is said of the people 2 Reason. of Israel during the time of their abode in the wilder­nesse: yea to correct it & to purge it more & more of her sins. As also for the greater confusion of her 3 Reason. enemies, who thereby fill up their measure, and hasten their owne ruine and utter destruction.

Which must serve, as for the instruction and Vse. comfort of the one, so also for the terror and con­viction of the other; of whom God will at length take vengeance, as hee doth now begin to doe of these Vice-Roys, Merchants and Marriners, in these most happie dayes wherein we live; of w^ch we may very well say, what Christ said once, of the time of his first comming in the flesh, speaking to his Dis­ciples, and saying, Mat. 13. 16. 17. Blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your eares, for they heare, and verily I say unto you, that many Prophets, and righteous men, have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seene them: & to heare those things which ye heare, and have not heard them. And therefore oughtwe also even now to be­gin to praise the Lord saying, Revel. 19. 1. 2 Alleujah: salvation, and honour, and power unto the Lord our God: for true and righteous are his judgements, for he doth now judge the great whore, which did corrupt the earth, with her fornications, and doth avenge the blood of his servants at her hand: as it is commanded unto us, Revel. 19. 1. 2. and therein follow the example of the ancient people of Israel, who as soone as they were passed over the Iordan, & were but newly entred into the borders of Canaan, as it is witnessed of them by the Prophet, Psal. 66. where the people of God is brought in praysing him for his wonderfull workes, and saying, Psal. 66. [...]. 2. &c. Make a joyfull noyse unto God [Page] all ye lands, sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious. Say unto God how terrible art thou in thy workes? through the greatnesse of thy power, shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee, they shallsing to thy name, Selah. Come and see the workes of God. May we likewise say with them; he is ter­rible in his doings, towards the children of men. He tur­ned the Sea into dry land, they went through the flood, as we doe now, and there they did rejoyce in him, as wee ought also to doe. This may be gathered also out of Josh. 5. 10. where it is said that after the Israelites were passed over the Iordan, and after they had renewed the covenant of the Lord by the Circumcision (as all the Christian Israel of God must likewise doe) Iosh. 5. 10. they kept also pre­sently after the Passeover, in the celebration whereof they were wont to sing the Psal. 113. and 114, &c. Cor. 10. 6. and 11. and so must wee, for all those things happened unto them for types; and they are written for our admoniti­on, saith the Apostle, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Before I end this text I must yet say a word or two concerning the behauiour of these Court-offi­cers or Mariners, in this so manifest a danger: who are therefore said in the last words of this 17 verse to stand a farre off: and that no doubt, for the very same cause, for which it was also said in the former verses of this chapter, that both the Kings of the earth and the Merchants stood likewise afarre off, as we reade verse 10. and 15. viz. for feare of her torment, these being no lesse timorous then they, yea they are rather more, being right Amphibies [Page 81] and very like frogs which are most timorous Crea­tures, the least noise making them quickly to dive and hide themselves in their puddle wa­ters. But where will, or can these hide now them­selves: their Euphraticall Iordan being now dryed up? sure they can but skip up and downe, yet for a very little while, (and that yet as the fish doth in the frying pan, from which it falls in the fire) to croake and doe their message as it was shewed be­fore, for they must all be caught and killed (unlesse they repent, to give glory to the God of Heaven, as some shall assuredly doe as it appeares Revel. 11. 13.) Besides by the drying up of their said Euphra­tes the terror of the Lord is fallen upon them, as it fell upon that prophane Balshazzar when hee saw Deut. 5. 5, 6. the fingers of a mans hand writing over against the candlestick, &c. For then as it is said there, the Kings countenance was changed, & his thoughts troubled him, so that the joynts of his loynes were loosed, and his knees smote one against another; but especially when Ier. 51. 31. [...] one Post did run to meete another, and one messenger to meet another to tell the King of Babylon that his Euphrates was dryed up, and that Cyrus Gods annoynted had taken his City at one end, and that the men of warre were afraid, as it had beene feretold by the prophet Jere­mie. Even so these hearing and seeing now their said Euphrates to bee thus dryed up, and having therby their conscience throughly awaked, accu­sing them of their barbarous cruelties, filthy whore­domes, prophane drunkennesse and unsatiable co­vetuousnesse, this is I say the cause why they doe now for feare, thus stand a farre off.

Besides their standing a farre off, may in like [Page 82] manner note unto us, the true qualitie of these Am­phibies, and filthy frogges; who having but mouth and belly onely, (as resembling those false teach­ers mentioned by Saint Paul Phil. 3. 19. whose end is destructi­on, whose God is their bellie, and whose glory is in their shame, and who mind but earthly things. Or like the Cretians whom the said Apostle affirmes, upon the testimonie of one of their owne Prophets, to have been Tit. 1. 12. always lyers, evill beasts, and slow bellies) who therefore can doe nothing but croake onely, to in­cite and provoke, yea the Kings themselves, with their Armies, to fight and shed the blood of their owne best and faithfullest subjects: while they in the meane time doe feede and pamper their unsa­tiable bellies; never sollicitous nor willing through feare of a bad successe to enter the lists of a faire combat) concerning the divine righ [...] of their so statelie and pompous an Hierarch [...]call Governe­ment) there to have the matter tryed by the word of God, the infallible Iudg [...] [...]f all controversies and doubts, whether in ma [...] of Doct [...]e or Church disciplin [...]; judging it [...]o bee [...] s [...]r course for them [...] play th [...] Gibeonites [...]ar [...]s (their right [...]es) wi [...] our Joshua Iosh. 9. 4, &c. and the Princes of the Congrega [...]ion which Gib [...]oni [...]s having seene and heard what had [...]eene do [...] unto Jericho and to Al, as we reade Josh. 9. 4. &c. They did worke, then wiltly (ev [...] as [...] Hierarchikes doe, and went and made as if they [...]ad beene embassadors, and tooke old sackes upon their asses, and wine bottells, old and rent, and bound up, even like the arguments and allegati­ons of these, pleading for their Prelaticall Suprema­cy, nothing but Antiquity, and the most Ancient [Page 83] and gray haired, constitutions & Canons of fathers, Councells, and Synods, yea Statutes and lawes of former wise learned and grave Lawyers and Coun­sellors, allowed, and approved by the Authority of the most godly and puissant Emperors, Kings and Princes of Christendome even since the time of Constantine the great, that most Religious Prince brought thereby to avow and establish it by that (so much weather beaten, and overtyred) Ca­non of that famous and first Orthodox Councell of Nice, attributing the priority of the Patriarch­ship Held Anno. 327. (therein first enacted) to the Bishop of Rome, (as his successors at least would have made the world beleeve,) by perverting the true sence, yea and falsifying the very Canon it selfe, as it was at last found out and detected in that of Carthage, held Held Anno 419. where Sezim [...]. falsi­fying the Ni­cene Councell was [...] hstood by Augustine thereupon it was at last de­crece by the fathers, Ne cuiquam vel Episco [...]o vel sacerdori ex Africâ aut alijs provin­cijs metropo­litanos haben­tibus, ad Pa­pam Romanum appelare liceat: sed sit, inqui­unt, prima cognitio causarum Ecliasticarum penes Episcopos & Metropolitanum, se­cunda penes concilium provinciale, ultima penes Vniversale. Item, ne ullum jus dein­ [...]eps Romano Papae super Africanas Eclesias concernatur. Alsted. 29. Chron. concil. pag. 206. almost one hundred yeares after.) Herein behaving themselves altogether like the foresaid Gibeonites, who came to Joshua unto the campe at Gilgal, with such old shooes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them, all the bread of their provision being also dry and mouldy, pretending thereby to bee come from a farre countrey, as these would seeme to be, though they come but from Rome, being issued out of the Roman Hierarchicall, Idolatrous Sea, to which they laboured also tooth and naile to have reduced these Kingdomes: different therein indeede, and therefore farre worse then the Gibeonites; and greater beguilers without comparison: of whom you ought therefore (O ye most worthy Princes of [Page 84] the Congr [...]ga [...]ion) to take heede, lest you treate of any peace with them, or make any league with them, to let them live any more in that Hierarchi­call sea of theirs: else they will beguile, yea rather betray Joshua himselfe his Religion and state, to the gr [...]atest enemie thereof: be ye therefore advised and take Iosh. 9. 14. counsell at the mouth of the Lord, in a bu­sinesse of so great importance, and greater (I dare say with permission) then any that can be trea­ted of, and whereon dependeth the whole welfare of state King and Religion, or utter ruine and downefall thereof, unlesse it be narrowly and spee­dily lookt into and wisely prevented with the assi­stance and favour of that Almighty God who hath hitherto so wonderfully continued and counte­nanced you in all these so weighty affaires already by you performed, to the joy of all true English hearts and terror of all our Enemies both at home and abroad; As you may very manifestly perceive it already by the said behaviour of all these Euphra­tian frogges, and shall more and more, a mesure que leur dit Euphrates sassechera. This being the sence of these words as we take it, and judge by the pre­misses that it cannot bee taken otherwise, it may yeld this point of Doctrine unto us, viz. that.

The vindicating Iudgement of God, doth most 4 Doct. often terrifie his most fierce and haughty enemies, overtaking them most commonly at unawares, and when they thinke themselves to bee cock sure, and very farre from it, as Saint Paul doth testifie say­ing of such that Thes. 5. 3. When they shall say, peace and safety: then sudden destruction commeth upon, them as travaile upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. This [Page 85] may be proved by many examples both in the Old and New Testament, as of Pharaoh, when hee was drowned with his armie in the read sea: for when God Exod. 14. 25. tooke off their chariot wheeles, they were so astonished thereat, that they said, let us flee from the face of Israel: for the Lord fighteth for them, against the Egyptians. Thus was Nebuchadnezzar surprised, for Dan. 4. 30. &c. as he was walking in the palace of the Kingdome of Babylon, saying is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the Kingdome, &c. While the word was in his mouth there fell a voyce from heaven, (at the which no doubt hee was no lesse amazed, then was afterwards Belshazzar his sonne at the hand writing forementioned) saying, O King Nebu­chad-nezzar, to thee it is spoken; the Kingdome is de­parted from thee. Thus it fell out also to proud Ha­man, who as soone as he heard the Queene Ester ac­cusing him to bee Eze. 7. 9. 10. &c. the great adversarie and wicked enemie, who had sold her and her people, (the Israel of God being then in captivity, (as these had done, likewise the true Christian Israel of the three King­domes, then in captivity & distresse also, not only) to be held for bondmen & bondwomen, but to be destroyed, to be slaine, & to perish, (as woefull experience had too soone proved it for us, if God had not in his (but too little considered) wonderfull mercy towards this land, prevented it, in his good time by the meanes of the forementioned Hollanders.) Then I say, at such a relation was the said Haman sore afraid, seeing in the Kings face, that there was evill determined a­gainst him by the King. We reade also in this booke of the Rev [...]lation that when Christ the Lambe came to take vengeance of the persecuting Pagan [Page 86] Emperors, that then, The Kings of the earth, and the Revel. 6. 15. 16, &c. great men, and the rich men, and the chiefe captaines, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountaines, and said to the mountaines and rocks; fall on us and hide us from the face, of him that sitteth on the Throne, and from the wrath of the Lambe: for the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand. And the like must of necessity fal [...] out to this whore, her Merchants and Marriners, whose Euphraticall Iordan shall then bee dryed up when she should say in her heart, (sit a Queene, and am no Revel. 18. 7. 8. widdow, and shall see no sorrow: for therefore saith the Angel shall her plagues come in one day, for her greater terror and astonishment, death and mourning and fa­mine, and shee shall be utterly burnt with the fire of excommunication: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

The reason whereof may bee first, because they applaud, flatter, and blesse themselves in their Reas. 1. hearts saying, Deut. 29. 19. 20. that they shall have alwayes peace, though they walke in the stubbornesse of their hearts to adde drunkennesse to thirst, as it is said Deut. 29. 19. and therefore as it is further added in the said place, The Lord will not spare them, but then the anger of the Lord, and his jealousie shall smoake against them and all the curses that are written in this booke, shall lie upon them, &c.

Secondly, because the Lord takes them usually 2 Reason. when they are soothing themselves in their naugh­tinesse, and saying in their h [...]ar [...]s as those prophane ones in Zephan: that the Lord would doe them neither good nor evill: whom the Lord threatens there [Page 87] saying that Zeph. 1. 1 [...]. 13. 14, &c. it shall come to passe at that time, that I will search saith he, Ierusalem with candles and punish the men that are thus setled on their lees, and therefore their goods shall become a bootie, and their houses a deso­lation: then he addeth in the next verse, that the great day of the Lord was neere, it is neere saith he, and ha­steth greatly, which is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distresse, a day of wastnesse and desolation, &c.

Thirdly, because most commonly, the Judge­ments 3 Reason. that God layeth upon them are very grie­vous, and terrible, and then Deut. 28. 65. 66. the Lord gives them trembling hearts, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of minde, so that their lives hang in doubt before them, and they are in feare day and night, having no assurance of their life, according to that threatning mentioned in the Law. And our Saviour testifies the same, spea­king of the great judgements, that should fall upon the world of the wicked in these latter times, saying that Luke 21. 25. then there should be signes in the Sunne, and in the Moone, and in the stars, and upon the earth distresse of nations, with perplexitie, the sea and the waves roare­ing; yea saying that mens hearts should faile them for feare, looking after those things which are comming on the earth.

Fourthly, God retaliates unto them, paying 4 Reason. them in their owne coyne, as they have pressed downe, and thereby endeavored to terrifie most of the best servants and children of God, with their most heavie and tyrannicall burdens, so doth the Lord pursue them with heavie and terrifying plagues, for it is a righteous things with God, saith he Apostle to 2 Thes. 1. 6. recompence tribulation to them that trouble you.

[Page 88] Fiftly, God in his justice will have his hand to be seene against those that make warre against him, and 5 Reason. against his people: he will appeare in his anger against such, and that must needes be terrible unto them, for thus saith the Lord himselfe by his Prophet, Isa. 33. 10. 11, &c. Now will I rise s [...]th he: now will I be exalted, now will I lift up my selfe, ye shall conceive chaffe, ye shall bring forth st [...]ble, &c. Therefore saith hee after­wards, The sinners in Zion are afraid, fearefulnesse hath surprised the hypocrites: who therefore among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who amongst us shall dwell with everlasting burnings.

Finally, another cause of their terrour is the guiltinesse of their owne consciences: they had im­posed 6 Reason. (during their idolatry, intollerable pride and and crueltie) upon the people of God, heavie yokes, which while the world went well with them, they scarse ever felt, but in the time of distresse, they are made sensible thereof: as Josephs brethren who be­ing fallen in great distresse in Egypt, could then Gen: 42. 21. remember, but never before, their most barbarous and inhumane crueltie, used against their owne bro­ther, for then they could say one to another, wee are verily guiltie concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soule, when he besought us, and wee would not heare: therefore is this distresse come upon us.

This doctrine doth furnish matter of exhortation to all sorts of men, but especially to them whom the Lord hath constituted in authority over their bre­thren in Church & Cōmon wealth, who are to be admonished by it to feare sin which brings after it, such sudden thunderclaps, and most fearefull judge­ments, though in the committing thereof it seemes [Page 89] very pleasant and delightfull: which makes men to commit it even with greedinesse, it beeing but a sport Prov. 10. 23. to fooles to doe mischiefe saith Salomon. Nay such men especially could not sometimes sleepe except they and had done mischiefe, and their sleepe were taken away, 4. 16. unlesse they had caused some to fall. But they must al­so know on the other side that there is a terrible woe denounced by God himselfe, against all those that devise iniquity, and worke evill upon their beds: Mica. 2. 1. 2. to practise it as soone as it is day light, because it is in the power of their hand: that doe covet fields, and take them by violence, and houses and take them away: So and they oppresse a man and his house, even a man and his heritage, as these trading Vice Roys, Merchants & Mariners have done. To all whom the Lord spea­keth by the same Prophet in the following chap. chap. 3 [...]. &c. saying, Heare I pray you O heads of Iacob, and ye Prin­ces of the house of Israel, for such have they reputed themselves to be, and such would they still be taken for: Is it not for you to know judgement? who hate the good, & love the evill who plucked off their skin frō off them and their flesh of my people, and flay their skinne off them, and breake their bones and chop them in peeces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the cauldron. I here­fore shall they cry unto the Lord in the day of trouble, but he will not heare them: hee will even hide his face from them at that time. Be wise now therefore Per. 2. 10. 11. O ye Kings, receive chastisement ye governours of the earth, serve now the Lordwith feare and trembling, kisse the sonne lest he be angry and ye perish in the way, when his anger shall burne suddenly; Act. 5. 9. Take heede that ye be not found even to fight against God, as said once that wise Councellor Gamaliell, speaking to them of [Page 90] the High Counsell at Jerusalem the great enemies of Christ and of his Apostles: oppose no more his ordinances, neither persecute his faithfull servants and children. Hinder not by your authority or fa­vour the course of the preaching of the word, nor the establishment and administration of an holy discipline or Church Governement grounded upon the Word, and practised by the Apostles: Pervert not the right waies of God in withstanding the true servants of God, labouring after a true and holy re­formation: and chap. 13. 10. for know ye for certaine, that this coun­sell and this worke is not of men but of God, which therefore you shall never be able to hinder or over­throw, Isa. 14. 24. 25. 26, &c. The Lord of hostes hath sworne it, saying; surely as I have thought so shall it come to passe; and as I have proposed, so shall it stand, which is as true in the Antitype as in the type it selfe, as it shall bee made manifest yet a little more presently: there­fore may we safely apply this threatning to it: for as he then said that hee would breake the Assyrian in his land, so may we say of these westerne Babylo­nians: and that he will tread their Euphrates vnder the feet of his servants, and then shall their yoke depart from off them, and their burden depart from off their shoulders. This is the purpose, that is now purposed up­on the whole earth: and this is the hand that is now stretched out upon all the nations, for the Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disanull it? and his hand being stretched out, who shall turne it backe? Now for the conclusion of this treatise, I will adde, to that which hath beene already said, yet somewhat more for the conclusion of it, concerning the totall and finall ruine of these enemies of the Church, which [Page 91] God had decreed and appointed, even as soone as the dragon and his Angels had consulted and re­solved Revel. 12. 19. (after they had beene overcome and cast in­to the earth by Constantine the great and his suc­cessors to Theodosius surnamed also the great, and termed by the title of Michael and His Angels) to make after the woman flying from them into the wildernesse, to make warre with the remnant of her seede; for even then the same God, who knoweth the very thoughts and purposes of the wicked, had provided against them foure mighty Angels, ha­ving ready the foure Cardinall windes of the earth, to blow and scatter them all as dust, and all their counsels and devices sal. 83. 3. and 13. as stubble before the wind, and to drowne them as Pharaoh in the Sea; who were ready to doe it all at once; but that he (who is slow to anger, and who had yet some imployment for them, to aflict his Church and chastise it, to humble it and prove it during her said long voyage along that vast wildernesse, thereby also to fill up their measure) would not permit it. Because he had also purposed in his mercy to free and exempt from those fierce judgements, which by their blowing they were to bring upon the world of the wicked, that forementioned remnant of the womans seede, which were to be marked to that end from time to time, during their said voyage: the first whereof (being one of the last effects of the opening of the sixt seale) was performed, Revel. 6. 12. &c. (as that of Egypt, the true type thereof,) immediately be­fore the last plague, or utter overthrow of the pagan Idolatries and Idoles, by the foresaid Theodosius. though afterwards recited, viz. chap. 7. Besides [Page 92] God had likewise appointed many other instru­ments of his Iustice, to punish, with them, by de­grees, and at severall times, his said enemies, whose forerunners and ushers as it were these foresaid windes should be; as the seven Angels with seven trumpets to denounce and proclaime the said judg­ments, and seven more with seven Vials to powre out the same one after another, and therby to bring upon that wicked world the three great woes men­tioned R [...] 8 13. And all and every one of these to bee disposed in order; and executed in their due time, by the most wise and all ruling providence of God: both to aggravate the said judgements upon them; as also to manifest thereby to the whole world the equitie of his justice; and that by such meanes also, he might make his name to bee the better knowne throughout all the earth, as he said in the like Exod. 9. 16. case of Pharaoh.

The first movers then or instrumentall causes of all of them were these foure windes which were to blow from the foure quarters of the world upon that of the Roman Empire, viz. North, South, East, West, to bring it to its last and utter destruction, which were to come up, as it were upon the thea­ter with their foresaid attendants in this order; and first, the first of them, with the foure first Trumpet­ters. After the second, and with him the fift Trum­petter, making as it were, the first Angel of the Vials to poure out the first plague, which caused the first woe. The third winde was to followe this at the heeles to stir up, first the sixth Trumpeter, who by the sound of his Trumpet, did provoke five of the Angels of the Vials, to powre out each of them [Page 93] the severall plagues contained in them, one after another; which caused the second woe; which was no sooner past, then behold the third and last woe com­meth quickly; caused by the plague of the seventh and last Viall stirred up by the seventh and last Trumpeter, moved by the fourth and last winde. Of all which foure I will say in as few words as I may possible, (because I shall more at large speake of each of them in the forepromised Parallell, if God be pleased to grant me life and meanes to per­forme the same,) first whence they were to blow, what should bee the judgements which they were to bring along with them: and lastly the time both of their beginning, continuance, and ending.

For the first, it was as it is already said, the Nor­therne wind; the which blowing with a very strong and most boystrous gale, brought from that quarter of the world, those barbarous people, which as so many great Revel. 12. 15 great floods of water cast out of the Serpents mouth, after the woman, did pre­sently overspread and almost overflow the whole Roman world; the said serpent thinking thereby to drowne the whole seede of the said woman, after Exod. 14. 9. Revel. 8. 5. 7. 8. 11, &c. which they sailed as fast as sailes and tacklings could hold, as Pharaoh did with his swift-winged▪ chariots after the children of Israel, the true type of this first expedition against our Christian Israel, made by that Heare Am­mian Marcel. speaking of these stormie blustring winds lib. 26. cap. 31. Horrendi tremores per omnem orbis ambitum. grassati sunt subit [...], quales nec fabulae, nec veridicae nobis antiquitates exponunt, &c. Item Hieron. in vita Hilar. Hoc tempore velut per vniversum orbem Romanum canentibus b [...]nis excitae gen­tes saevi [...]imae, limites sibi proximos per saltabant, Gallias, Rhetiasque, simul Alemanni populabantur; Sarm [...]tae, Pannonias, & Quadi Picti, Saxones & Scoti, & Attocotti Britannos, aerumnis vexavere continuis: Thra [...]ias diripiebant piratorij globi Go­thorum, &c. Am [...]ian. ibid. c. 10. terrible and fatall storme of the said [Page 94] Northerne Nations Goths, Sarmatians, Almaines, Huns, Vandales, Quades, &c. all which brake upon the said Roman world or Empire almost without intermission, harrying, burning, wasting and de­stroying many Provinces of it; and therein made that grea [...] slaughter of men of all sorts, represented unto us, Revel. 8. 7. by the burning up of the third part of the trees and of all greene grasse; whereby also the said third part of that Empire became as a sea of blood through which the Church of God was then to passe, as the Israelites had done through the red sea, the true type of this after which pas­sage, the waters of the Christian doctrine, like those of Mara once, were so embitered now by the false Arrian Hereticall doctrine, drunke, embraced, and maintained by these Northern peoples, & so eager­ly pressed upon the Christians, especially in Africa, by Genseric the Vandale and his successors that it be­came as bitter as wormewood. Hieron. Epist 3. Ante annū 400. viginti & eo amplius anni sunt quod inter Constan­tinopolin & Alpes Julias quotidie Ro­manus sanguis effunditur. Scythiam, Th­raciam, Mace­doniam, Acia, Dardaniam, Thessalonicam, Achaiam, Epi­ros, Almatiā, cunctasque Pamonias: Gothus, Sarmata, Qvadus, Alanus, Huna, Vandali; Marcomanui va­stant, rapiunt, Romans orbis ruit. Quid putas nunc anim habere Corinthios, Atheni­enses, Lacedaemonios, Arcadas, cunctamque Graeciam, q [...]ibus imperant Barbari. By all which bloody warres and persecution and by the bluste­ring violence of these so stormie blasts of winde and weather, the said Westerne part especially of the Empire, was brought to such a miserable con­fused hurlie burlie, that at length, the glorie and Majestie thereof was very much abated, and final­ly divided into ten Kingdomes, which presently af­ter became the hornes of the seventh hea [...] of the Roman Beast, which had together with [...] recei­ved her power at the same houre. The b [...]nning of all which stormes and miseries fell out at the ending [Page 95] of the Revel. 8, 1. halfe houre silence given to the Church to free her selfe from the Pagan Idolatry, about the 405. yeare of our Lord, about which time Alsted. Chro­nol. 14. Reg­norus veterū, p. 91. Rada­gisus King of the Goths entred into the said Empire with an Armie of 200000. men; after whom suc­ceeded Alaric who came against Rome it self, tooke it and sacked it about the yeare 410 of our Lord, some say 15 About the same time Genseric the Van­dale with a great armie of divers of the forenamed Northerne Nations overranne France, Spaine, and entred in Africa about the 428. yeare where he sea­ted himselfe. Then also the Saxons entred great Bri­taine. Attila that scourge of the world followed these at the heeles with an Armie of some 500000. men of divers Nations, about the yeare 450. wa­sting all the Countries through which they passed, till at length he was vanquished by Aetius, Valenti­anus, captaine in the Catalian mountaines. About 460. Paulus diac. His. Misc. prout ex co­dice Palatino edidit Janus Graterus. Qua­tuordecim in­terim dies se­curā & libera direptione om­nibus opibus suis & mira­culis Roma vacuata est. In quibus erant Eclesia­stica [...] tota ex auro & lapidibus pretiosis ornata, & Vasa Hebraica quae Titus Vaspasiani filius post cap­tivitatem Hiero solymit anum Romamdetulerat; multaque millia captivorum.—Cum Regina Eudoxia quae Gencericum ad hoc facinus invitaverat, duabusque e [...]us fili­abus, Carthaginem abducta sunt. Genseric (being called by Eudoxia late wife of Valentinian the Emperour, then married to Maxi­mus, who had killed her said husband) came against Rome, and entring therein without great opposition, sacked and spoyled it for the space of 14 dayes. Af­ter whom followed Richimer the Goth, then Odoa­cer of Rugia, (by whom & presently after by Theo­doric the Goth, sent against the said Odoacer by the Emperour Zenon) the Sunne, the Moone, and the Starres of that third part of the world (I meane Augustulus with all the luster and glory of the We­sterne [Page 96] Empire) were smitten and darkened by these forementioned Northern Nations, some of which did settle themselves therein for a while, viz. the Goths and Lombards in Italie: the Vandales in Africa: the Frankes and Burgundians in the Gaules: the Swedes, Alans, Goths and Vandales in Spaine: and the Saxons, Angles and Danes in great Britaine; even till the time of Justinian the Emperour of the East, who by the valour of his two renowned captaines Narsetes & Belisarius did sub due many of these bar­barous Nations, viz. that of the Vandales in Africa after it had continued under the raigne of sixe Kings, about an hundred yeares, that is 428. to 530. And afterwards that of the Goths in Italie which was be­gunne as it was noted before by Odacte about the yeare 476. and finished it in 553. or thereabouts.

The first winde having thus made an end of his blowing, and being thus becalmed; it fell out (some while after, that Phocas the murtherer fore­mentioned of Maritus the Emperour, having suc­ceeded him in the Empire) that his murther being approved by Pope Boniface the third, (whom there­fore he created universall Bishops) this proud title being also approved by the Councell held at Rome under the said Pope, about the yeare 606 of our Lord. Wherefore a little while after, the second of the foure forementioned windes, was loosed, the which began to blow, from a direct contrary plage of the world: that is from the southerne parts there­of, bringing along with it the The true Type of this warre against the Church of Christ in this time, is that of Amaleck (Esaus sonne of whose posterity these Saracens are, though they pretend to be descended of Sara) who was the first of the Nations, who warring against Israel procured thereby their owne utterdestruction, foretold Numb. 24. 20. decreed Deut. 25. 19. and effected in part 1 Sam. 15. 2. 3. &c. and after in Mordecais time, Est. 7. but spiritually accomplished by Christ. But for Israels sinne came this chastisement upon them; as the Iewes themselves acknowledged, saying; after they had passed through the Sea, they murmured for water: then came against them the wicked Amaleck, who hated them for the first birth-right and blessing, which our Father Jacob had taken from Esau; and he came and fought against Israel, because they had violated the word of the Law, &c. Thargum on Song. 2. 1 [...]. They fought but treacherously, Deut 25. 18. as the Scorpions with their tayles, Revel. 9. 10. laying waight for them in the way, 1 Sam. 15. 2. Saracens, stirred up by the sound of the first trumpet, when [Page 97] that Rev 9. 1, &c. Starre It is ordina­rie with the Spirit of God speaking in this booke of any statutes or Kingdomes of this world to make allu­sion to the frame of this Vniverse, at­tributing to them an Hea­ven and with it a Sunne, Moooe, and Starres; like­wise an Earth, Sea, and rivers &c. as you may observe Revel. 6. 12. &c. there speaking of the fall of the Roman Pagan Emperour: Also chap. 8. verse 7, 8, &c. Speaking of the downe­fall of the Roman Christian Emperour. And chap. 16. speaking of the plagues in­flicted upon the Papall Emperour; according to which Allusion Mahomet is here called a Starre. Mahomet about the yeare of the Lord 622. fell from Heaven unto the earth, to whom was given the keys of the bottomlesse pit (when the said Saracens made him their Generall about the yeare 630. at the opening whereof, came out of it those Saracenicall Locusts, mentioned, Revel. 9 1, &c. who with their said Generall that other Arch-heretick, with his smoke; false Doctrine of the Alcoran, darkened the sunne and the ayre, and with the (almost innumerable) multitude of their Armies, did cover and pester both the whole Asian Empire, and that of Africa: yea rushng and flying further they advanced very farre in Europe, invading Thracia, Sicilie, Sardinia, and afterwards came as farre as Spaine, about the yeare 714. and there setled themselves under the name of Moores, possessing the said Mountaine Kingdome for the space of 800 yeares, from thence they rushed also very farre in France, in which Kingdome they first entred about the yeare of our Lord 726. and there­in advanced as fare as Tours upon the River Loire, having for their King Abidiram, with an Army of [Page 98] 375000 men; from whence they were chased by Charles Martel Duke of Brabant, that great Cap­taine, and by his Successour Pepin made afterwards King of France, and altogether rooted by Charles the Great, the said Pepins Sonne, created after that Emperour of Germany, in the yeare 800 of the Lord.

Concerning which Saracenicall Locusts we say, that during the time they did thus torment the Christian world, the first of the seven forementio­ned Plagues, (which caused or brought upon the Inhabitants of the earth, the first of the forenamed woes) was powred out of the first Viall by the first Angel: as it appeares very clearely by the analogy, or great correspondency, that is to be seene, in com­paring the effects of the said fift Trumpet, mentio­ned Revel. 9. with those of the said first Viall descri­bed Revel. 16. 2. and comparing likewise, the said effects of both the said fift Trumpet and of the said first Plague, with the charge which was before gi­ven to the foresaid Windes in generall, in the fore­alledged seventh Chapter of this Revelat. where the said Winds were restrained from hurting, (for some time onely) either the earth, or the sea, or any tree, as they would no doubt have done else. But that re­straint being now taken away; and the first of the said Windes, having already greatly endammaged, Revel. 8. 7, 8, 9, &c. both the earth and the sea, yea the Sunne and the starres, as we have already shewed. This second be­ing now loosed, he is also thereby permitted to hurt the earth or earthly men of the Kingdome of the Roman beast: And onely forbidden to hurt, ei­ther the grasse of the said earth, or any greene thing, or any tree bearing any good fruit, because they were [Page 99] marked, and thereby exempted. And thus the first Angel of the seven Vials doth likewise powre out his Viall upon the earth onely.

Secondly, the said Locusts were permitted to hurt onely the men which had not the seale of God in their foreheads, chap. 9. vers. 4. even so the plague of the first Viall, must no more be powred out upon those that were sealed, but onely upon the men which had the marke of the beast, and which worshipped his image, Revel. 16. 2.

Thirdly, the plague of the Locusts was not mor­tall, they being commanded not to kill them, Rev. 9. 5. but onely to torment them with torment like unto the The Ama [...]e­kites are like­wise compared to bees, Deut. 1 44. compared with Num. 14 45. torment of a Scorpion, when he striketh a man. Neither was the plague of the first Viall mortall, but such a one as thereby a very noysome and grievous sore fell upon those men, Revel. 16. 2. So that the one as well as the other, caused the first woe, proceeding from the plague of the said first Viall, brought by the sounding of the said first Trumpet, stirred up also and moved by the blowing of the foresaid second winde, all which joyned as it were together, made the men of those times so miserable, that though they sought death in those dayes, yet could they not finde it, because it did flee from them, as did the said Locusts themselves (which caused these great torments) the which being driven from one place or King­dome, did as it were skip presently unto another, continuing therein for the space of about five moneths of yeares, and exercising their said tormen­ting power, upon those Christian men by name which had not the seale of God in their foreheads, but the marke of the beast onely. And thus did they con­tinue [Page 100] for many hundred yeares in Asta, Africa, and Europe. But In the warre against Ama­lek, mentioned Exod. 17. 8. &c. Israel some­times prevai­led, sometimes Amalck, who though dis­com [...]ited for that present by Joshua, vet his utter destructi­on is remitted till after the conquest of Cana in by the said Joshua, denounced by God, vers. 14. and therefore registred: pro­phecied by Ba­saam, Num. 24. 20 That of the Saracens and Turks must al­so follow that of the Pope & of all his Ca­naanites, who must be con­quered before the Turke can be. though their said power was much a­bated in Europe by the foresaid Charles the Great, (who condemned the adoration of Idols and oppo­sed it, both by his writings, as also in that Councell by him assembled at Franckford in the yeare 794. wherein the second of Nice (where the said adorati­on of images and intercession of Saints was appro­ved) held in the yeare 787, was condemned) to whom God gave many great victories over the said Sarracens; yet because, for all his opposition, the said Idolatry did still continue, (being also approved in the Councell of Constantinople, held under Michael the third about the yeare 866.) therefore could they not be driven quite away: But now and then did they much vex the said Christian world, with their tailes or remnants, making many incursions therein for the space of an hundred and fiftie yeares more, about which time Knoll. general Hist. of the Turk, [...]. 4 5. Alsted. Chron. 25. p. 168. & 170. Tangrolipix the Turk (upon the death of Mahomet the Persian Sultan) was made King of Persia, whereby those Saracens were depri­ved of that Caliphat: and soone after the said Tan­grolipix got also from them that of Babylon. The Sultan Saracen of Egypt was likewise deprived of his Caliphat 150. after by Knoll. ibid. p. 57. Saracon another Turke, viz. in the yeare 1166. He also invaded many of the Emperour of Constantinoples Provinces. Af­ter whose death his Successors continued the said Warres, and subdued all Media, with a great part of Armenia, Capadocia, Pontus, and By thinia, and so a great part of the lesser Asia. But let us now leave them thus continuing their said Warres one against another, and the Greek Princes at variance amongst [Page 101] themselves; thereby giving great advantage to the said Turkes, still more and more to invade one part or other of the said Empire; yea the holy Land it selfe, becomming thereby the very bane and grave of many Christian O that they had been wise, and that they had under­stood, that God was not among them, because they had tur­ned away from the Lord by their Idola­tries, and that therefore they should fall by the sword of those vile Ma­bumetan Sara­cens & Turke; as Moses said then unto the Israclites in the like case, Num. 14. 20. &c. Speaking of those Ama­lekites, who caused that Kadesh to be­come a right Horma, or A­nathema to both of them. Emperours, Kings, Princes and most valourous Captaines and Souldiers, whose carkasses have fallen by millions in those remote wildernesses (by reason of their idolatrous and su­perstitious vowes and pilgrimages to the said, by them then, and by such means most prophaned Ci­ty and Sepulchre) answering very fitly to the threat­ning denounced by GOD to that ancient Israel, Numb. 14. 28, 29. as the right type thereof. By all which meanes the said Turkish Nations and peoples were also the more provoked against the said Chri­stians, to hate and persecute them in their owne Territories, and to be there a scourge unto them, for the punishment of all their said Idolatries. These fell out not long after, upon the blowing of the third of the foure forementioned Windes, loosed by the Angel ordained by God to restraine it till the time by him appointed was accomplished; which cōming from the East quarter of the world, brought along with it about the yeare of the Lord Alsted. Chro. 25. p. 172, 173. Knoll. Turk. Hist. p. 143. Mores Tab. p. 185. 1300, that other sect of Mahumetans called Turkes, who not contented to have taken from the Constantino­politan Emperors, during the time of their foremen­tioned troublesome estate and decaying Empire, the most and best part of their Provinces in Asia, passed over the strait of Hellespontus into Europe, about the yeare 1320, wherein they conquered presently after the whole Countries of Thracia, My­sia, and Macedonia, & afterwards the whole Empire [Page 102] it selfe, which was utterly overthrowne by the ta­king of that famous Citie of Constantinople by Ma­homet the Great, first Emperour of the Turkes; and the seventh King from Ottoman the first, founder of that Empire; who was not of the Selzuccian family (as were all the other Turkes Sultans, the Succes­sors of Tangrolipix) but of the Oguzian Tribe, a fa­mily famous also amongst the said Turkes. The ta­king of which (once most glorious, but then most miserable Citie) fell out in the yeare More Tab. 205. sayth it was in the yeare 1452. but Alsted. and Knolls whom I have followed ascribe it tothe ensuing yeare: see Alst. pag. 173. & Knol. pag. 349. 1453, the 29. day of May, Constantine Palaeologus being then Emperour, who then ended there miserably his dayes, together with the said Greeke Empire. From thence they advanced further in Europe, wherein they conquered many Kingdomes and Provinces, invading, infesting, and ravaging many peoples in the said part of the World both by Sea and by Land, (and all this for the punishment of their abhominable idolatries and superstitions) in so great a quantitie and innumerable number, that the Holy Ghost (in that ninth Chapter of the Revelat. (where this most inhumane barbarous and bloudy warre is described from the 13. verse thereof to the end of it, with the true cause mentioned in the 20 verse of the same) might very well say, that thereby the third part of men were killed.

But for all that the rest of the men who had the mark of the beast, though they did escape those plagues, yet did they not repent of the workes of their hands, but rather continued to worship their most devilish Idols, persecuting most cruelly all those who refu­sed to worship them, thereby shedding the bloud of the Saints and of the Prophets, because they refused to [Page 103] submit themselves any more, to that proud Anti­christian tyranny of the Pope, casting off his most intolerable yoke, together with all his false do­ctrines and ordinances; which then they began to see how they were altogether become as the bloud of a dead man, so that it was impossible for any living soule to live in such a deadly and abominable Sea, or to drinke without danger of most apparent spiritu­all death, any of the waters or humane doctrines and superstitious Ceremonies issuing from the said Po­pish Hierarchicall Sea; and therefore had rather suffer the most exquisit torments, and most cruell corporall death (yea of the hot burning fire (then the most common) that could be inflicted upon them, by their bloudy barbarous persecutors; then to returne backe againe towards that most deadly mysticall Sea, from the which they did rather flie as of old the Deut. 2. 2. Israelites from that of Ezion-Gaber, as soone as they had heard the voyce of the Lord, say­ing unto them, You have compassed this mountai­nous Countrey of the Edomites, long enough; there­fore turne yee Northward, viz. towards the Land of Canaan againe, standing Northward from Ezion-Gaber. Even so did the Christian Israel as soone as they had heard that Revel. 14. 6, 7 Angel flying in the midst of Heaven, having the everlasting Gospell to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every Na­tion, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Feare God, and give glory to him, because the houre of his judgement is come, &c. Hastening towards the Northren Countries of the Popish Roman world, in very good hope to enter then in the promised Canaan of true reformation as [Page 104] it was noted before, but being frustrated of their said conceived hope by the forementioned All these peo­ples behaving themselves a­gainst Israel as false and un­mercifull bre­thren, are a true type of all the false Chri­stian Papists, especially in their most cru­ell fiery perse­cutions. Edomites, they were constrained to make a very long circuite, to approach it, and to enter thereinto by the East side of it. In which way as they were stung with the fiery Serpents in the Desart of the foresaid Edom in the beginning of their issuing out of their Desart, and by them very unkindly used; so at the end of it they did finde both Midianites and Moabites, with false Prophets, who would by their wiles have hin­dred their entry into their said Canaan, but chiefly that fiery Euphraticall Jordan forementioned, stop­ping altogether their entrance thereinto.

All which most unkind, unmercifull hard dealings, and most cruell usage of the said poore and sore af­flicted Church of God, besides the forementioned Idolatries of their detainers and persecutors, were the cause of the loosing of the foresaid Easterly Winde, by which the sixt Angel was moved to sound with such a long blast or Alarme, to excite the five Angels to powre out the forementioned plagues contained in each of their Vials upon the most notable parts of that Antichristian Roman Empire, but especially upon its forementioned Eu­phrates, both Universall and Nationall; the infli­cting of which brought upon them the second terri­ble woe, because thereby The effect of the second and third vials, be­ginning about the thirty-two Moneth of the voyage, &c. God first gave them bloud to drinke, to avenge the bloud of his Saints, which they had (as it is already said) shed in great abundance. The effect of the fourth yi­all, beginning about the lat­ter end of the thirty-fourth Moneth, and so forward. Secondly, He did also by the means of them scorch them with fire. Wherefore they did blaspheme the name of God, because they had burned with fire his Saints and most faithfull servants, and had tortured them, [Page 105] thereby to compell them to blaspheme. The ef­fect of the fift Viall beginning in the 41 moneth. about the latter end thereof, all which cō ­tinue as long as the secōd woe caused by them. Yea the said plagues were so grievous & painfull, that for very paine they were constrained to gnaw their own proper tongues, because they had cut the tongues of his servants, there­by to hinder them to make open profession of their most holy faith, to confesse his name, and sing his most holy prayses in the midst of the flames, as else they would have done. And as the said persecution institu­ted by Antichrist, began from the time of Wickliffe, and hath cōtinued to these late years, even so have the fore­said plagues continued since to this very present time.

But the last of the foresaid five Vials being powred Alsted. Chro. 28. p. 200. upon a particular Nationall Euphrates, as was shewed before, hath produced also a more particular effect than the former, though being powred out upon a particular member of the same mysticall body, the whole cannot chuse but by sympathy, to have some feeling of it; as is manifest by the stirring of the three forementioned Frogs, & by the cōplaints of all the Viceroys, Merchants & Mariners, not onely of the said Nationall Sea, but also of the Vniversall. The cause whereof proceedeth from this, viz. that by the drying of the said Nationall Eu­phrates, the tenth part of the Kingdome of the Roman Beast or Empire doth fall altogether, or doth quite sepa­rate it selfe from it, to be no longer a member thereof; this part comprehending the Kingdomes of England, Scotland, & Ireland, with all the Iles adjacent, and there­unto belonging. In which part of the said Roman Em­pire, the said Hierarchicall power must now then be ut­terly abolished, according to the foreappointed decree registred in that forealledged place of Revel. 11. 13. and likewise 16. 12. it being the fift and last effect of the said sixt Trumpet: the accōplishment whereof is the cause of the Rev. 19. 1. 2 great voyce of that great multitude in heaven, which [Page 106] was heard by John, saying, Hallelujah, Salvation & glory & honor & power, be to the Lord our God, because his judge­ments are true & righteous, because he hath judged the great whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornicatiōs, &c.

By which means also a very wide gate is opened, and the way prepared for the people inhabiting the said 3 forementioned Kingdomes, which the said Euphrates had but a little while before almost over flowed & quite drowned, h [...]d not the Lord in mercy & in a most won­derfull manner prevented it; by the powring out of the said sixt Viall upon it: in the very time of its most swel­ling, and all overwhelming power: by which means, its intolerable pride is not only abated, but the Euphrates it selfe is quite dryed up; so that you (as the Premices of the conquered and perfectly converted Kingdomes of the foresaid Roman Western Empire) may now freely enter before the other nations in the Canaan of the true reformation; the which having first settled and esta­blished among you, (having quite rooted the said Hie­rarchy, & registred to eternall memory the utter aboli­shing therof) you may then presently enter in Covenāt with the Lord, and oblige your selves by vow, first to continue for ever after, faithfull unto him, so that you will in a holy zeale, defile the very coverings of the images of silver and of gold, and take away all the high places; and cast away, as a menstrous cloth, all reliques and remnants of superstition & idolatries from among you, & say un­to them; Get yee hence, that God Isa. 30. 22 may see among you no uncleane thing, that may cause him to turne away from you, but that rather he may delight to dwell with you, and Deut. 23 14 Levit. 26. to ^• Rev. 2. 1. walke in the midst of your then bright shining golden Can­dlestick. even to deliver you, and to give up all your enemies before you. And after that, imitating herein the Rubenites Gadites, and halfe tribe of Manasseh, you may goe armed [Page 107] before the Lord to warre, and goe all of you armed over the Euphraticall Iordan, before the Lord, untill he hath driven out all your enemies, the Popish Hierarchicall Canaanites from before him, and subdued the whole Land before the Lord, as said Moses to the said Rubenites, &c. in the fore­alledged place of Num. 32. 21. And though you come from the more Westerly parts of the Western Roman Empire, yet are you in a mysticall sense (both in re­spect of the type, those anciēt Israelites, entring into Ca­naan, at the East side of it; and also in respect of your profession) the right Kings of the East, comming from the Sunne rising, where the day spring, the true shining Luk. 1. 78. light of the Gospel, from on high, hath visited you; thus to goe before his face, to prepare his wayes. And as the Israelites brought along with them the Heb. 9. 4. Arke of the Te­stament over laid round about with gold, wherein was the Golden pot that had Manna, and Aarons rod that budded, and the Tables of the Covenant; so doe you bring along with you, to them, the Rev. 14. 6 everlasting Gospel Mat. 4. 23 of the King­dome, with the powerfull preaching thereof, the true food of the Soule, together with an holy Church-go­vernment; at the bright shining light whereof, all false Antichristian doctrines, of idolatries, superstitious Ce­remonies, will-worship, and all other humane inventi­ons shall fall as 1 Sam. 5. 3. 4. Dagon before the Arke, yea, Luk. 10. 18. Satan him­selfe shall fall from heaven. It will further cast down be­fore you 2 Cor. 10 5. all imaginations, and every high thing, that ex­alteth it selfe against the knowledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Which is the conquest here especially intended, and the wea­pons wherewith it must be performed.

This is that mystery whereof the Angel that stood up­on the sea and upon the earth spake, which God had decla­red before to his servants the Prophets (which is now to [Page 108] be accomplished,) namely, among the rest to Daniel in the Dan. 7. 25, 26. is cleared be­ing com­pared with John Re­vel. 11. 7. &c. seventh of his prophecy, v. 25. speaking of the time of the finishing of the Kingdome & tyranny of the lit­tle horne, which should then undermine (viz. by her wiles as another Balaam) the Saints of the most High, which S. John Rev. 11. 7. [...]pplyes to the time of the two witnesses finishing their testimony, saying that the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomles pit should then especi­ally, make warre against them, and should overcome them, and kill them; which last words Daniel expresses thus, saying of the said Witnesses, that they should be given into h [...]s hand, viz. of that little horne or powerfull Na­tionall Hierarchicall Sea, but with all limiting the time of that victory, when he addes in the next words, untill a time, and times, and the dividing of time: in these few words comprehending what S John more fully and clearely expresses in the 8, 9, and 10. v. of the foresaid Chap. wherein he shews both their condition, during their said death, and also distinctly, what we are to un­derstand by that indetermined time of Daniel, viz. three dayes & an halfe, which we have already shewed to be meant of the three yeares & an halfe of the Witnesses Typified as is noted before. mysticall death or imprisonment. At the ending of which time, Daniel saith, that the judgement should sit, and th [...]y, viz that sit in the said judgement, should take away his Dominion, to consume it & destroy it unto the end; which is thus expressed by S John, first in the foresaid Chap. v. 11, 12, & 13. saying, that after those three dayes and an halfe formentioned, the Spirit of life &c. and after­wards v. 13. And the same houre was there an earth-quake, and the tenth part of the Citie fell, &c. Item Chap. 16. 12. in these words, And the sixt Angell powred out his viall upon the great river Euphrates, and the water thereof was dryed up. And then finally in the thankesgiving of that [Page 109] great multitude assembled in Armageddon, sitting in the foresaid judgement, Rev. 16. 16. saying, Rev. 19. 1. 2. Allelujah, Sal­vation, and glory and honor and power be unto the Lord our God: for true and righteous are his judgements; for he hath judged the great whore—and hath avenged the bloud of his servants at her hand. All which places are parallell. By the means of which judgement, the way of the Kings of the East shall be prepared. And if it be now asked to what end, the answeris; That the said Kings may goe armed before their brethren, beyond the Seas to con­quer to Christ, The kingdome, saith Dan. 7. 27 paral­lel also to Revel. 19. 11, 12, &c. Daniel in the said [...]ap. v. 27. and dominion, & the greatnes of the kingdome under the whole heaven, which shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most High, whose kingdome is an ever­lasting kingdome, and all dominion shall serve & obey him: because as was noted before the said Kingdomes are the Rev. 14. 4 premices of other, and as the first fruits of them un­to God, and to the Lambe. Thereby accomplishing the vow & promise made (concerning their said brethren) in the forementioned covenant, which must not be for­gotten. And therefore Right Worthies of the Lord, permit me to reiterate the said promise in the words of that Worthy Leader of Israel, reiterating it to the said three Tribes, and saying unto them, Iosh 1. 13, &c. Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord, cōmanded you saying; The Lord your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this Land: your wives, your children, and your cattell shall remaine in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jor­dan; but you shall goe over before your brethren armed, all the mightie men of valour, and shall helpe them: untill the Lord hath given your brethren rest, as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the Land which the [...]ord your God giveth them: then yee shall returne unto the Land of your possession, and enjoy it. The which they according­ly [Page 110] performed, as the same Joshua testifies, speaking unto them after the conquest of the said Land of Canaan, and and the division thereof among the other Tribes, say­ing, Iosh. 22. 2 3, &c. Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, & have obeyed my voyce in all that I com­manded you. Ye have not left your brethrē these many dayes unto this day, but have kept the charge of the Commande­ment of the Lord your God. And now the Lord your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them, therfore now returne ye, and get ye unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession. And when he sent them away, then he bles­sed them, & spake unto them, saying; return with much riches unto your tents, and with very much cattell, with silver, and with gold & with brasse, and with iron, and with very much raimēt: divide the spoile of your enemies with your brethren.

To the which prophecies, together with this so ma­nifest a type, may yet be added, that excellent promise made to this end to all these victorious Kings of the East, in this Booke of the Revelation, which may serve not onely to confirme this truth, but also to encourage the people of the said Kingdome, to goe on chearfully to the performance of the said great worke, now by them so happily begun: to which purpose therefore let them consider first, that promise is made to the Angel and Church of The same Church Le­ing the type of the Church, represen­ting sum­marily and in generall her condi­tion since the time of her issuing out of the wildernes, as is noted before. Thyatira (after the fall of Jezabel, and after the death of her childrē mentioned Rev. 2. 22, 23. a place parallell to the forealledged, Rev 11 v. 13. & 16. 12. & 19. 15, 16.) namely, that to those that should thus o­vercome, and conquer the foresaid kingdomes and peo­ple in the forespo [...]en manner, and should keep Gods works unto the end, he would give them power over nations, & they should rule them with a rod of iron: as the vessels of a potter, should they be broken to shivers: and that he would give them the morning starre. Cōsider likewise to this purpose that [Page 111] which is said presently after the blowing of the seventh Trumpet, Rev. 11. 15. by those great voyces in heaven, w^ch said, The kingdomes of this world are become the king­domes of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reigne for ever and ever. Wherefore they sing that Hallelujah (at the falling downe of the forementioned walls of Jeri­cho▪ mentioned Rev. 19. 6. because then the Lord God was entred into his kingdome. Now then seeing that these things ought thus to be done by the foresaid Kings, Princes, Nobles & people, suffer not the hornes of your powerfull authority to be used any more against the au­thor thereof, or against his most distressed Church and Spouse, either in these kingdomes or in any other, as they have been too too much heretofore, by that cruell Beast, and most proud whore Jezabel: but rather, in a more sincere zeale to Gods glory, then that of Jehu, as shee is entred into the house of God by the window, so let her be cast out of it, that shee may be trodden under 2 King. 9. 33 the feet, not onely of the horses and most base people, as she is already, but of your selves: for it is prophecied, that you ought thus to hate her, and make her desolate and naked yea that you ought to eate her flesh, & burne her with the fire of Excommunication, that thereby you may at length fulfill the words of God, Revel. 17. 16, 17.

And to conclude with a word of exhortation and en­couragement also to my fellow-brethren of the Mini­stery, that Num. 25 7, 8, & 31. 6. 8. Phinees-like, having already shewed a great zeale in the cause of the Lord against Zimri and Cosbi, they may also like him goe with the thousands of Isra­el, with the instruments of the Sanctuary, and the Trum­pets of alarme in their hands, to execute the vengeance of the Lord against Midian, sparing none of their Prin­ces, not Balaam himselfe, nor any of the women neither, because they have caused the children of Israel through Num. 31. 16. 17. the counsell of Balaā to commit a great trespasse against [Page 112] the Lord, in the case of Peor, wherfore came the plague among the Congregation of the Lord. And therefore like 1 King. 18. 40. Elija, take all the Prophets of Baall, so that not a man of them doe escape, though they were seven thou­sand in number, for all of them must be slaine, with the spirituall sword of Excōmunication, Rev. 19. 15 going out of the mouth of Jesus Christ. But above all be careful to com­mend the rooting out to the very stumps, yea stumps & all of that Hierarchicall Antichristian-like Church-go­vernment, with all the Officers thereof, to those that are now fighting the battels of the Lord; & in lieu thereof, labour to have the holy Church Discipline of Christ, stablished, countenanced, and authentically authorised among us; seeing that no man usurp under what colour or title, how favourable and specious soever it be, any dominion over the Lords inheritance: that Gods wrath may no more be provoked against us, who is as you know a consuming fire, now more then ever zealous of his glo­ry, and who to manifest the same hath taken in hand his vindicating power, to take vengeance of Luk. 19. 27. all his enemies, who would not that he should rule over them, and who have bin likewise the mortall enemies of his true Witnesses, and most faithfull servants, whom he hath also armed, now especially, with such powerfull authority, that If any one doth yet presume to hurt them, or oppose them in this most blessed and most holy work of Reformation, Rev. 11. 5. fire shall proceed out of their mouth to devoure all their e­nemies; for if any man will burt them, he must in this man­ner be killed. And they have also to this end a two edged sword in their hands, to execute vengeance upō the heathen, and corrections among the people, yea to binde their Kings in chaines, and their Nobles with fetters of iron, that they Psal. 149. 6. 7. &c. may execute upon them the judgement that is written: this honour shall be to all his Saints. Prayse yee the Lord.