'TIS evident to all who are men of any Reading, that most of our Eminent Protestant Writers, both Ancient and Modern, do affirm without the least doubt, that the Church of Rome is the great Whore spoken of, Rev. 17. [Page 2] called, Mystery Babylon: yet we find that most worthy men, who have of latter times, so well defended the truths of the Gospel, in opposition to Popery, have not so much bent their Study this way; I mean directly to prove that which is our present task—as it hath been to detect divers or most of her er­roneous principles, and detestable practices, which is rather to Lop off some of the Bran­ches of this Evil and Cursed Tree, than to Dig it up by the Root, for if it be clearly proved, that she is that great Whore; viz. Mystery Babylon the great, Mother of Harlots; down she goes at once; and if we have not done it so effectually as it may be desired, yet we are in hope wherein we have been de­fective, it may stir up some abler Pen, to perfect what we have anew undertaken;—But to proceed, for the more orderly management of our present work, it may not be amiss if we give you the various opi­nions that have more or less presented them­selves to the World, about who or what People this great Whore Mystery Babylon is, which may be reduced to these seven follow­ing heads.

• 1. And first of all, as Reverent Mr. Pool ob­serves, some would have it to be the whole World of Wicked men.
• 2. Others would have this Woman, [...]or [Page 3] this Babylon to be old Chaldean Babylon.
• 3. That it is Jerusalem; and that for two Reasons:
  • 1. Because the man of Sin, or last Beast, that is to Head this Babylon, is set forth by St. Paul, to sit in the Temple of God, shewing himself to be God.
  • 2. Because this City where the Beast reigns, and -shall slay the Witnesses, is Spiritual­ly called Sodom and Egypt, where our Lord was Crucified, Rev. 11. 8.
• 4. That it is the Turkish Empire, or Power of the Saracens; which Mr. Mede somewhat touches, and in a brief way most Learnedly argues against: in his third Book, pag. 644, 645.
• 5. That it is indeed Rome, the Seat of the Fourth, or Last Empire; but Rome, in its Heathen state, under the Idolatrous and Persecuting Emperors: so the Rhemists would have it, if there be a necessity to fix upon Rome, to be this Apocalyptical, or Mystery Babylon. For this opinion the present Roma­nists have no better Advocate than Dr. Ham­mond, who hath done very worthily at other turns; but here has doubtless greatly mi­staken his way; see his Annotations upon the 17th Chapter of the Apocalypse.
• 6. That it is the present power & Church of Rome who under pretence of the most High [Page 4] and Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, doth influence and govern the Secular Power and State of Kingdom [...]. Of this last opinion were the an­cient Waldenses who felt the bloody Power of of Rome, venting it self in most horrid and Barbarous Cruelties against them, and that for a long Series of time, as appears by our most Authentick, Ancient, and Modern Writers, who give a very ample account of the great Persecution of Christians for many hundred years last past, in all parts of the Christian World, where they have had Power. To which opinion of the Waldenses most of our Modern Protestant Divines agree, of which we shall mention only Cartwright, Fulk, the worthily Admired, and Learned Mede, not forgetting famous Du Moulin of France, as may be seen in their works at large.
• 7. Some of the Papists who grant that by Babylon, Rome is meant, but would have it to be Rome towards the End of the World, when they say Rome shall apostatize from the Pope to Paganism again; and now, because we will not take things upon trust, nor refer the rea­der to many Books and Quotations, it appears needful that we remove the Objections with as much brevity as we can.

And first, That Mystery Babylon cannot be fairly applyed unto the whole World of wick­ed men, nor to old Chaldean Babylon, nor to [Page 5] Jerusalem, the Turks nor Saracens, nor termi­nate in the Heathenish State of Rome, no [...] Rome towards the End of the World, when they say Rome shall Apostatize from the Pope to Paganism again.

And that none else can be meant or intended by her but the Papal Power of the Church of Rome.

1. Mystery Babylon cannot be the whole world of wickedmen; for in opposition to this, 1. The Apostle John speaks here of a certain great City which reigneth over the Kings of the Earth, v. 18. This cannot be meant of the wicked world. 2. The World of wicked men, are those Inhabitants of the Earth, whom this Woman made drunk with the Wine of her fornication: Now she that made them drunk, and those that were made drunk, can­not be the same. 3. This Woman, v. 9. sit­teth on seven mountains, and so do not all the wicked of the World. 4. We are Command­ed to come out of this Babylon, but we are not obliged to go out of the World.

2. If she were the old Chaldean Babylon then, (1.) Where is the mystery mentioned Rev. 17. 5. (2.) Mystery Babylon here mentioned is by all acknowledged to be the Seat of Antichrist; So was never old Chaldean, (3.) Besides it is generally agreed to by all, not without good grounds, that Literal Baby­lon [Page 6] was no more than the Type of her, which is all we will speak to it.

3. It cannot be meant the City of Jerusa­lem.

1. Because Jerusalem did not reign over the Kings of the Earth in St. John's time, when he saw this Vision, and wrote the Re­velation, which this City Babylon is expresly said to do, Rev. 17. 18. And the Woman which thou sawest is that great City which reigneth over the Kings of the Earth. Jerusa­lem having been not only under captivity di­vers times before, but was then entirely un­der the Power of the Roman yoke, as the whole History of the Gospel doth confirm, and themselves do most plainly Confess; We have no King but Caesar.

2. Jerusalem was never in so high esteem with the Beast, as to be capable to ride as Queen Regent upon him, (as this Woman, Whore, or City is said to do) Rev. 17. 7. And the Angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the Woman, and the Beast that carryeth her, which hath the seven heads, and ten horns, Rev. 17. 7. compared with verse 3. so he carryed me away in the Spirit into the Wilderness, and I saw a Woman sit upon a Scarlet Coloured Beast, full of Names of Blasphemy, having seven Heads, and ten Horns,—For by the [Page 7] Woman sitting, and the Beast carrying, is un­doubtedly signified, Influence, Power, and Dominion, which Jerusalem was far remote from, not only under the Roman Monarchy, but also under the three Kingdoms that went before it, (viz.) the Babylonian, Grecian, and Persian; as might be largely illustrated both out of Sacred and Humane History.

3. Jerusalem did not sit upon many Wa­ters, which is Interpreted to be People, Na­tions, and Tongues, that is, had not com­mand or dominion over them: as this Wo­man, Whore, or City is said to have, Rev. 17. 15. And he saith, The Waters which thou sawest, where the Whore sitteth, are Peoples, and Multitudes, and Nations, and Tongues: The whole Land of Judea, being under Tri­bute to the Roman Government at that time, Luk. 2. 1. And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Au­gustus, that all the World should be taxed; and particularly Galilee, Nazareth, Judea, and the City of David called Bethlehem.

4. Jerusalem was not capable to Enchant and Bewitch all Nations round about her, either by her Religion and Doctrine, or by great Gifts and Rewards.

1. Because the Roman Power, kept her un­der, and much in awe, on the one hand, not owning nor subscribing to her Religion.

[Page 8]2. The Christian Doctrine and Religion; Blocked up her way on the other hand, that she could not Extend her Influence to either Neighbouring, or Remote Nations, as this Wo­man, Whore, or City is said to do, Rev. 18. 23. For thy Merchants were the great Men of the Earth; for by thy Sorceries were all Nations deceived.

5. Jerusalem though she were guilty of much Blood, from the beginning of her Ex­cellency and Glory in Solomons time, Kil­ling Prophets, even all that were sent unto her, Murthered, John Baptist, and our Lord and Saviour, as also the blessed Martyr St. Stephen; yet in her could not be found that great Mass of Blood that was shed, and My­riads of Christian Saints that have been Bar­barously Murthered, by Massacre, and Pub­lick Martyrdom, since they were ruined and destroyed by Titus Vespasian, which we find positively charged upon this City Babylon, Rev. 17. 6. And I saw the Woman Drunk with the Blood of Saints, and with the Blood of the Martyrs of Jesus; and I wondred with great Admiration, as indeed well he might, (as shall be shewn:) And in her was found the Blood of Prophets, and of Saints, and of all that were slain upon the Earth, that is, since the Destruction of Jerusalem.

6. And Lastly; not to multiply more up­on [Page 9] this head, Though Jerusalem was fearfully destroyed, as the History of Josephus shews, yet shall she rise again, be Built upon her own Heap, be replenished with her own Children, which this City Babylon under Consideration shall never be, after this Catastrophe, which John saw visionally coming upon it; Rev. 18. 21. And a mighty Angel took up a stone, like a great Milstone, and cast it into the Sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great City Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

5. It cannot be the Turks and Saracens for two reasons offered by the Learned Mede, Lib. 3. p. 643.

1. Because, though they did arise to great Power in the World, yet they had not their seat in that great City, which in St. Johns time, reigned over the Kings of the Earth, which this Babylon is Expresly said to have.

2. That they did not rise by Apostacy, from the Christian Religion, which this Ba­bylon, with her head (the Man of Sin) did; for, as this worthy Author saith, the Turk, (whatever he be) could be no Apostate, be­cause he was of a Nation that never was Christian. To which we shall add somthing for the clearing of this head, that we may discharge that Debt we owe to God, to the Church, and the World.

[Page 10]3. It cannot be the Turks, because they are not strangely and wonderfully mysterious, which this Babylon is said to be, Rev. 17. 5. And upon her fore-head was a name written, MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS, AND A­BOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And the Angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou Marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the Woman and the Beast which carryeth her, which hath the Seven Heads and Ten Horns.

What special mystery hath shewed it self to the World from the Turks and Saracens, more than from other common Empires or King­doms, that is matter of admiration to the wisest of men? Is it matter of wonder, that the Turks do own but one true and most high God? Is it matter of wonder, that they do own Jesus Christ to be a Prophet and a good man? Is it matter of highest wonder that they prefer Mahomet above Jesus? Is it matter of wonder, that they appear true to their Con­tracts, in matters of Civil Commerce? Is it matter of highest wonder, for them to endea­vour to keep what Dominion they have, and to enlarge it, to make Slaves and Prizes of those profest Enemies they take Prisoners? We say, in none of these things is there any high Mystery, or matter of greatest Wonder, being things common to all Places and Kingdoms Invested with Power: For,

[Page 11]1. Did not the great King of Literal Ba­bylon own the only true God, yet still held the Church in Captivity?

2. Did not Israel own the same, and yet kept their Idols after their revolt from Ju­dah.

3. Did not Judah prefer Moses above and before Christ, and at that time when Christ was personally among them working most Stupendious Miracles which did evince his Divine Mission? Nay, did they not prefer a Common and Notorious Villain before the Blessed Lord of Glory, when they desired a Murtherer to be freed, and pressed hard to have the good and Blessed Jesus the Saviour of the World, killed? And did not this wise Apostle know this to be true in fact, and to Equal, nay, outdo any thing that the Turks, or Saracens ever did, or can be accused of? And if St. John was Transported with asto­nishing wonder, at Matters much less than he had seen before, doth it not give good reason to suspect him of Weakness and Defect, that he should suffer himself to be surprised with the greatest wonder, at far less things than he had seen and known before; certainly therefore we must conclude there was something more of mystery in Johns Vision than what had been shewed to the world, by the great Turk, or any other Power; and indeed un­doubtedly, [Page 12] the greatest Mystery that ever the World was acquainted with: For the Cha­racters of Babylon must either be singular, that is, such as none have besides; or else they must be transcendent, to go far beyond what others had in a Lesser degree. Otherwise John might have kept the Description of Babylon to himself, there being no clear Distinctions, to render the wisest and most Discerning men able to make Judgment upon her; The mystery then, that is written upon this woman, Babylon, seems clearly to lye in these particu­lars following.

• First, That she doth transact the most hor­rid wickednesses that ever the world was or is like to be acquainted with.
• Secondly, That under this monstrous Guilt, she is prodigiously Confident, and with­out all regret, or show of shame, and most Impudently boasts of the highest Sanctity and Holiness in the World, (viz.) That she is Totally Pure, Infallibly Certain, and can­not err, &c. That this indeed is a Myste­ry to be wondered at, let it be Consider­ed,

1. That a Shepherd should be a Wolf, and devour that flock which he pretends to be an Overseer or Pastor of.

2. That a professed Servant of Jesus Christ, and the meanest of Saints, should exalt himself [Page 13] above his Master, and not above his Master only, but above the God of his Master, and all other Deputed Gods, that are Vicegerents to the King of Heaven, by slighting and trampling upon the holy Scriptures and Laws both of God and Princes, dispensing with the breach of them, indulging the highest violation thereof, and setting up his own In­ventions, Traditions and Decrees above them; insomuch that there is a thousand times less danger (in their esteem) in respect of Excom­munications, and Corporal Punishments in this World, or of Damnation in the World to come, in breaking and violating the Laws of God and Princes, than there is in the vio­lation or breach of the Inventions, Traditions and Decrees of Mystery Babylon, and her Head.

3. That one sitting in the Temple of God, pretending himself as a poor Apostle, Vicar, and Successor of Christ, nay, as the Successor of a poor Fisher▪ man, should wear the highest Ensigns of Imperial Dignity!

4. That he should be so Lordly and pro­digiously Insolent (who was commanded to the greatest Humility and Abasement) as to tread upon the necks of Emperors, kick off the Crowns of great Princes, and make Kings his Foot Pages.

5. That he should pretend highly, most [Page 14] highly, to God, Christ, Religion, and Holi­ness, and yet Espouse to himself, as the Dar­lings of his Bosom, not only the Chiefest Sons of Belial, but all that will decline Sanctity and Religion, and embody themselves with those first born Sons of Wickedness, that are of the highest Magnitude, and engage them­selves in such Monstrous and Butcherly Pra­ctices, that humane Nature, as such, could never act in the Butchering Brute Beasts.

6. That the Spouse of this prodigious Monster should in Profession own God, Jesus Christ, and the things of Religion, of which Justice and Charity, Holiness and Compassion, are not the least parts; and yet under this Vizard, and in the very time of these pre­tensions, perpetrate the greatest and most unparallel'd Villanies in the World; First, In being the Top of Pride; Secondly, In commit­ting palpable Idolatry; Thirdly, Fill themselves with Excess and Drunkenness; Fourthly, To curse, swear and blaspheme the very name they profess to be sacred; Fifthly, To cast down the Truth, burn the Bible, deface the holy Books and Laws of God; Sixthly, To assume not only a Power to Dispense with the Violation in the highest Nature, but to pardon and forgive them at pleasure; Se­venthly, To commit Adultery, and account it a Venial Crime; Eighthly, To break Cove­nants, [Page 15] to drive a Trade in Perjury, forswear every thing they are justly charged with, and is fully proved against them; Ninthly, To foment Wars and Broils in every Kingdom and Countrey where they have Power, con­trive the Ruine of Towns, Places, Cities, Countreys, and Kingdoms, by Fire, Sword, and most Cruel Devastations; Tenthly, To slaughter, kill, and barbarously murther both Men, Women and Children, even all that dare make a shew of Conscience and Religion, so far as to abhor and dissent from these Villa­nies: This is such a Scheme of Religion, and Systeme of Divinity to come from an Apostle, a Shepherd, a Vicar, and Successor of Christ, from a Church, Sheep, Saints, and the pretended followers of the Meek, Peaceable, and Innocent Jesus, who taught altogether otherwise by his Doctrine and Example, that it might well be wondred at, and is the strangest Mystery that ever appeared, of which we challenge the whole World to shew the like in the Turks and Saracens. For men to Swear, Lye, and to Forswear themselves, and yet be true Men; to contrive Rebellion, Murther, and Treason, and yet be as Inno­cent as the Child unborn: To be elevated to the highest Pinnacle of Pride, even above Emperours and Kings, above Jesus Christ, and God his Father, and yet be humble and [Page 16] lowly: To commit gross Idolatry, and yet be the Servants of the Living God: To be filled with, and make a Trade of Excess and Drùn­kenness, and yet be Patterns and Standards of Sobriety and Temperance: To cast down the Truth to the ground, deface the Laws of God, and burn the Scriptures, and yet be the true Witnesses of it: To forgive sins, and yet be the greatest Sinners themselves: To commit Fornication and Adultery, and yet be spotless and pure in heart: To foment Wars and Broils in every Kingdom and Countrey where they have power; to contrive the Ruine of Towns and Places Cities, Countreys and Kingdoms, by Fire, Sword, and cruel Devastations, and yet be as harmless as Doves to all mankind, the only Sons of Peace and Quietness: To slaughter, kill, and barbarously murther Men, Women and Children, that dare not be so wicked as themselves; and yet to be full of mercy, tender pity and com­passion, an Apostle, Shepherd & Vicar, Succes­sor of the Meek and Lamb-like Saviour. And for the dear Consort of this Impious Head, on Man of Sin, do not only confederate with him, but a Principal in all these unparallel'd Villanies, and most butcherly and rapacious Murthers; and yet be the Holy Catholick Church of God, the pure and spotless Spouse of Jesus Christ, the true Sheep, the harmless [Page 17] Lambs, the best of Saints, and close followers of the Lord Jesus, who always taught the contrary by his holy Doctrine, and meek Example. We say, these things not being found by secret search, but are written in Capital Letters upon her forehead, appear in open view, to be read by every one that is not wilfully blind. Let any one shew us a greater Mystery in the World than this, and we will subscribe to it.

4. It cannot be the Turks, because they are not the Mother of Harlots, and Abomina­tions of the Earth; which this Babylon is said to be, Rev. 17. 5. And upon her forehead, was a Name written, MYSTERY BABY­LON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And here we demand, in excuse to the Turks, this one Thing.

From whence did proceed the Murthers, Massacres, and Martyrdoms, of all the Re­ligious Professors of Christianity, that have died by violence in the Christian World, for the space of twelve hundred years last past? And from what people did proceed those hor­rid Oaths, Blasphemies, and Execrations, that the World hath wofully been acquainted with, most horrid and strangely astonishing to repeat?

Came these unparallel'd Degrees of Impiety [Page 18] from the Turks? from the Waldensians, Lu­therians, Calvinists, or any Non-conforming Protestants? No, no; why whose Language then is it? Whose! Why, 'tis the Language of the Beast of the Bottomless Pit, and Bloody Whore, who bare these Blasphemous Sons of her own Body, daily nourishes them at her Breast, and strengthens them in their sinful courses, by accounting them the Sons, the precious Sons of Sion, the true Sons of the Catholick Church, the Darlings of Heaven, the beloved ones of the Virgin Mary, and gives them Pardons for these Bold and Hea­ven daring sins, as often as they commit them, and come to ask Pardon for them; so that Sin and Pardon is as constant and common with them, as Breathing and Eating. And these things are done to Seal and Confirm Lies, which is the more heavy, heinous, and prodigious; For if men may Lye by Allow­ance; may kill, and shed Innocent Blood, without controul of Conscience and Church censure [...]; may Swear and Blaspheme, and Challenge God himself to Damn them; may burn men for Religion, consume Cities to Ashes, conspire the death of Kings, the Ruin and Overthrow of Kingdoms, Whore, and Murther Infants; and yet be accounted a Church, the Members and Parts of it called Saints, Holy Children and the [Page 19] Sons of the most high God: Then may we claim a Patent, and take a License to change the name of all things, and alter the Ideas of the minds of men; call and account Beelzebub a good God, and all his black Tribe, the pure Saints of the most High; call the lower Re­gions of Blackness and Darkness, to which he is confined, the Heaven of Glory and Eternal Light, of which things we ought in Justice to clear the Turks: until Witnesses of undoubt­ed credit shall come forth, and evidence that the Turkish State, is the Mother of as great Abominations as these are.

5. And Lastly; The Turks cannot be My­stery Babylon, because they never were made drunk with the Blood of the Saints, and with the Blood of the Martyrs of Jesus; which this Woman Mystery Babylon, is expresly said to be, Rev. 17. 6. And I saw the Wo­man drunk with the Blood of the Saints, and with the Blood of the Martyrs of Jesus: and I wondred with great admiration. Now let any man shew such blood-shed, Saints blood­shed, by Massacres and Martyrdom, for the Professing of Christianity (which must be if the Text be answered in that clause, Blood of the Martyrs of Jesus,) by the Turks, either within their Dominions, or without, as hath been shed by a Generation, nearer home, and we shall become like the Man without the [Page 20] Wedding Garment, wholly speechless, and say not a word more about Babylon.

6. Now that Babylon in the Apocalypse is Great Rome, that in former times Reigned, and in suture times shall be destroyed, is own­ed by some of the Papists themselves, and is asserted by all Protestants; the Difference be­twixt them is brought to this narrow Point. The one wholly confines Babylon to Rome Heathen, and there totally to terminate; the other brings Babylon down lower, to Rome Antichristian, or Papal Rome. Now that this work may be to edification, and more full satisfaction in this great case, we shall ad­vance to the last and chief Secret that is to be opened and considered, namely, Whether all things in John's Vision or Prophecy that are applied to Mystery Babylon did compleatly terminate in Rome Heathen, and came no further?

In answer to this great Enquiry, we do with the body of Protestants in opposition to the Papists, conclude the negative; viz. That all things in the Apocalypse applied to Mystery Babylon, did not terminate in Rome Heathen; the reasons of which Negative are as follow­eth.

1. Because the Beast, that Mystery Baby­lon, rides on, is the eighth Head, or last Ruling Power of that City that is seated upon seven [Page 21] Hills, which must be Rome Papal, because the whole Race of Rome Heathen was gone off, before the eighth Head came up—The sixth Head was in John's time; the seventh was to come and continue but a short space; The Beast that carries the Woman; (viz.) Babylon, is of the seventh, but is the eighth, and shall be the last; for he goeth into Perdition. This being so evident from the Letter of the Text, needs nothing more to confirm it. Now that Rome Heathen was not the last part of the Romish Power, is not only the full and joynt Consent of all Writers upon this subject, but is so evident to all the Christian World, that it would be vanity it self to make a shew of proof. The Conclusion then is this; If the very last part of the Roman Power carries the Woman Babylon, and that the Heathen State of Rome went off before, and was not the last; then Babylon could not terminate in Rome Heathen, but must come down to Rome Papal; see Rev. 17. 3, 7, 9, 11.

2. If Babylon be totally terminated in Rome Heathen, then the Book of the Apocalypse is of little use to the Latter ages of the Christian World? For if the whole. Transactions re­lating to the Persecution of the Church and the slaughter and destruction of God's Ene­mies, did end in Rome Heathen, then it served only to give a Characteristical account of a [Page 22] Beast, and Whore that was grown old, and ready to go off the Stage; but hath wholly left us in the Dark, and given us no notice at all of that horrible Confusion and Bloody Persecutions, which have Reigned in the Christian World for more than a thousand years last past; which for length of time, Numbers of Murthers, and manner of Cruel­ties, hath outdone all the wickedness of Rome in its Heathen State. Which is not at all likely, that a Vision should be given, and a Revelati­on made, and call'd so, about a State that was almost expired, and the most and great princi­pal part wholly left out, and said nothing to. Who can Imagine, that a careful Saviour should be so full in his discoveries to the Jewish Church, concerning their sufferings, and the time under Egypt, and Babylon Literal; and be so short and lean to his Gospel Church, to leave them altogether without any written Prospect, or extraordinary Prophet, to inform them what should come to pass in the world, from the going off of the Power of Rome Hea­then, to the end of all the Churches Troubles, which have already lasted above a thousand years? The Conceit of which is fit but for two Ranks of men to Receive, (viz.) The Roman Catholicks and such Protestants as Look for Antichrist to come at the end of the World, after the Restauration of the Jews to [Page 23] their own Land, and building a material Tem­ple at Jerusalem where Antichrist shall sit three days and an half, or years, to kill two men called the two witnesses.

3. If this last Babylon was wholly to ter­minate in Rome Heathen, then there was no cause of wonderment and great admiration for a wise man, to see in a Vision an Hea­thenish State, under a Diabolical Influence, to perform Actions suitable to their State, and not contrary to their Professions for what matter of Wonderment can it be to feel the Wind blow, to see the Sea foam and hear the Waves Rage and Roar, when the Winds oppose his Effluxion? And what cause of great wonderment and admiration for a wise man to see wicked Heathens oppose and Per­secute Christianity when it is so suitable to their Spirit, and agreeable to their Profession so to do, we cannot yet understand, and we will diligently Listen to them who will un­dertake to inform us: For the thing is true, that a wise man did wonder at the sight he saw with great admiration, Rev. 17. 6. I saw the Woman drunk with the blood of the Mar­tyrs of Jesus, and I wondred with great admi­ration. Wondred! O strange! At what? To see that which was Common to all ages, the Seed of the Serpent, that profest Heathe­nism, the wicked, even the worst of the Wick­ed [Page 24] by Principles and profession, to plot again [...] the Righteous, and to gnash upon him wit [...] their Teeth; Idolaters; Profest Idolaters, t [...] persecute the Servants, and Worshipers of th [...] true God; those that were born after the flesh and live after the flesh, to persecute them tha [...] were born of the Spirit, and lived after th [...] Spirit; Surely if our adversaries opinion w [...] true in this Case, that Babylon is only Rom [...] Heathen, St. John had forgot that Cain kille [...] Abel, and Ishmael persecuted Isaac; and too [...] not so much notice of the course of the World common to every Age, as Paul did, wh [...] said, But as he that was Born after the Flesh persecuted him that was Born after the Spirit as it was then, so it is now: And what strang [...] wonder is in all this?

4. Rome Heathen never was espoused married, or united to the Lord Jesus, in spiritual way, Visibly owning his Laws, and submitting to his Government, as a Wife sub­mits to, and obeys her Husband, and after­wards casts him oft, and chuses another Hea [...] and Husband; and therefore cannot be mysti­cal Babylon, or the great Whore: for though the Heathens were great Idolaters, yet were they never charged with Spiritual Adultery [...] nor could they, unless they had once by visi­ble profession, made a covenant with, o [...] espoused themselves to the Lord Jesus, which [Page 25] Rome Papal before its Apostacy did; There­fore Rome Heathen could not be the great Whore or mystical Babylon.

5. Rome Heathen cannot be the Babylon [...]et forth by St. John, unless she be guilty of all the Christian Bloud shed upon the Earth since the destruction of Jerusalem, for as the guilt of all the Blood shed, from Righteous Abel, to the Death of Zacharias, is by our Saviour fix'd upon Jerusalem, and cannot be [...]emoved to another People, so the Blood of [...]ll Martyrs and followers of Jesus is by the Revelation fix'd upon the last Babylon, Rev. [...]7. 6. I saw a Woman drunk with the Blood [...]f the Saints, and of the Martyrs of Jesus, Chap. 18. v. 24. And in her was found the [...]lood of the Prophets, of Saints, and of all [...]hat were slain upon the Earth. But Rome [...]eathen was not guilty of all the Christian [...]lood that was shed upon the Earth, by Mur­ [...]ers, Massacres, and Martyrdoms since the [...]istruction of Jerusalem: for to look back, [...]ut for six hundred years last past, in which [...]me we shall find hundreds of thousands of pro­ [...]st Christians most Butcherly and Barbarously [...]ut to death for their Zeal and Love to the [...]hristian Religion, in the respective Nations [...]f Europe, before which the Heathenish state [...]f Rome was gone off about the space of six [...]undred years, so that if we will regard the [Page 26] full satisfying of this Prediction about Myste­ry Babylon we must of necessity bring her down lower than the Heathenish State of Rome.

6. Rome Heathen cannot be this Baby­lon under consideration, because the discoverie: of other Prophecies, relating to the same State, no way agree to the Power of Rome Hea­then.

1. This State of Babylon is called Mystery of Iniquity, This no way agrees to Rome Hea­then, but fully agrees to Rome Papal; com­pare 2 Thes. 2. 7. with Rev. 17. 7. (viz.) For the Mystery of Iniquiry doth already Work—The, Angel said unto me; Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the Woman, and of the Beast that carryeth her.

2. The head of this State of Mystery Ba­bylon, is called the Man of Sin by way of Emi­nency, [...] not only beyond the com­mon rank of Men, but beyond the highes [...] Sons of wickedness that went before him▪ And there is a great Truth in this, for if w [...] consider the Pope in respect of Pride, Hypo­crisy, Idolatry, and Blood, he is the most un [...] parallel'd Man of Sin.

3. This State or Mystery of Iniquity b [...] gan to work in the Apostles days, which [...] no way applicable to the Power of Rome Hea [...] then; for that did not then begin, it bein [...] [Page 27] at that time in the very Meridian of its Great­ness, and universal Sovereignty, Luke 2. 1. And it came to pass in those days, that there came out a Decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the World should be Taxed.

4. This man of Sin, mystery of Iniqui­ty, or head of the Babylonish State, is said to be let or hindred in his designs, He that now letteth, will let, until he be taken out of the way, 2 Thes. 2. 7. But now Rome Heathen had no let or hindrance, either from the Word of God, or that declared it (as it was a Civil Magistracy) to be Gods ordinance; nor from any opposite power, either Civil or Military, they giving Laws to the greatest part of the World, and enjoying the supream Govern­ment of the best Kingdoms in the Universe, none being able to Cope with them at that time.

5. This head of the Babylonish State is said to sit in the Temple of God, which the Power of Rome Heathen did not do, nei­ther in the Temple of Jerusalem, nor in the Church, which is more properly the Temple of God: for the Jews kept the possession of the Litteral Temple, till it was destroyed; and for the Church of God, the Heathen Emperors never loved it so well, as to make their residence in it, but the Bishop of Rome before he shewed himself to be that wicked [Page 28] one (viz.) the man of Sin, did evidently sit in the Church or Temple of God, and so fulfilled this Prophecy in the very Letter of it.

6. He (that is, the man of Sin, or head of this Babylonish State,) was to rise by A­postacy, or falling away from the Christian Religion, 2 Thes. 2. 3. There shall come a fal­ling away first; exactly agreeing with ano­ther Prophecy to the same purpose, 1. Tim. 4. 1. Now the Spirit speaketh expresly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the Faith, &c. But Rome Heathen did not rise by Apo­stacy from the Christian Religion, or a depart­ing from the Faith, which they never profes­sed, as is Evident to the whole World: Ergo. Rome Heathen Cannot be this Babylonish State.

7. This man of Sin, or head of mystery Babylon, lay hid in the Apostles time and was not revealed: but the Power of Rome Hea­then did not then lye hid, or wanted to be revealed; for it stood visible and high, upon a Hill, even upon seven Hills according to the Roman Poet Ovid, (who lived about the very time of Christ's being on Earth) in Lib. de Tristibus.

[Page 29]That is,

But Rome which from her seven Hills, the whole Earth views around, the place of Gods and Rule &c. Ergo Rome Heathen cannot be this Babylonish State.

8. This mystery of Iniquity is said, to op­pose and exalt himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, 2 Thes. 2. 4. But this the power of Rome in its Heathen State did not do; for they Worshipped, of­fered Sacrifices, and bore a reverence to their Gods, which by nature indeed were no Gods; and 'tis only the head of Rome Papal, that runs down all Gods: but those of his own making; Ergo Rome Papal, and not Rome Heathen, must of necessity be this mystery of Iniquity.

9. The rise or coming of this mystery of Iniquity, is after the working of Satan, 2 Thes. 2. 9. But the rise of the Romish greatness and power, when Heathen, was not after the working of Satan, but was said by Daniel to be produced by the Providence of God, or the four winds of Heaven; And by the A­postle, to the Powers ordained of God, Rom. 13. 1. Therefore Rome Heathen cannot be the mystery of Iniquity &c. here meant▪

10. This mystery of iniquity is not only [Page 30] said to come after the working of Satan, 2 Thes. 2. 9. but also with all Power, &c. But the rise of Rome Heathen was not after that man­ner: Ergo &c. To illustrate the first Propo­sition note, that the Term (all Power) marks out the Romish Pope so notoriously, that whosoever runs may read it; for if we do but impartially consider his impudent usur­pations upon Crowned Heads, and his pre­tences of supremacy over the whole Christian World; his proud imperious Decrees, Bulls, &c. his disposal of the Kingdoms of Princes, and the Inheritances, yea the very Lives of private Persons, of any Rank, that dare diso­bey him; his pretences to shut and open Hea­ven, Hell, and his feigned Purgatory; his carrying a symbol of that vast and God like Power (viz) a brace of Keys hanging at his Girdle: All these will appear as clear demonstrations, that the head of Rome Papal, is the head of Babylon, and the grand Im­postor, or the capital manager of this myste­ry of Iniquity, he having (most sacrilegiously) assumed to himself, all Heavenly Power of Damning or Saving, and all Earthly Power, both Temporal or Civil, and Ecclesiastical or Spiritual.

11. The wicked Babylonish State, comes forth with a great pretence of Miracles, which are but false Signs, and lying Wonders, to [Page 31] deceive and cheat the People; and by this means they Conquer Nations, and carry a­way their Kings to their wicked Interest. This Rome Heathen did not do; for though the Heathenish Power of Rome did Conquer Nations, and Countrys, with their Kings; yet it was by State policy, and force of Arms, not by pretended Miracles, false Signs, and lying Wonders, therefore Rome Heathen cannot be this mystery of Iniquity, or Baby­lonish State.

12. This wicked State, under considera­tion, is declared not only to depart from the Faith by a Palpable Apostacy, but to forbid Marriage, and Command a long Lent, and many other fast days, whereon some sorts of Meat are prohibited to be eaten; which doth so fully agree to the Papal State of Rome, that nothing can be more plain, unless the Spirit had expresly told us; this will be ful­filled by Rome Papal, for these two things we have their Canons upon Record, the which if none can shew the like of the Heathen State of Rome, then Rome Papal shall carry the Title of this mystery of Iniquity, and Baby­lonish State.

7. If the Babylon under consideration, be only confined to the Power of Heathen Rome; then there is a more evident, and ap­parent mystery upon the State, or Power of [Page 32] Rome Heathen, than upon any Power o [...] State that went before it, or shall come after it; for so the Text Imports, Rev. 17. 5▪ And upon her fore-head was a name Written, MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT, &c. But there did no such my­stery appear, upon the Power, or State of Rome Heathen, therefore this Babylon cannot terminate there; what great mystery appeared upon the Power and State of Rome Heathen, more than appeared upon the Power and State, of the three foregoing Monarchies?

8. This Babylon cannot be confined to the Power of Rome only in its Heathen State, because Babylon is to continue till the good people shall (with the Horns that did support her, which is the last part of the wicked and Persecuting Power, answerable to the te [...] Toes in Daniels great Image) reward and de­stroy her, for the injury that she did unto them; according to these three Texts of Scrip­ture, Rev. 18. 4. Dan 7. 22, 26, 27. Rev. 17. 16. And I heard another Voice from Heaven, saying, Come out of her, my People, that ye be not partakers of her Sins, &c. ver. 6. Reward her even as she hath rewarded you, and deal unto her double according to her Works: In the Cup that she hath filled, fill to her double: How much she hath Glorified her self and lived Deliciously, so much Torment and [Page 33] sorrow give her. And the ten Horns which thou sawest upon the Beast, these shall hate the Whore, & shall make her desolate and naked, and eat her Flesh, and burn her with Fire: which the Power of Rome in its Heathen State felt not, but ended its Course without being destroy­ed by good People, and the ten Horns, which is the last part of the Image Government. And in the days of these Kings, (viz.) (ten Toes, ten Horns, ten Kings,) shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed: and the Kingdom shall not be le [...]t to another People, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these Kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Which could not be fulfilled in what Constantine did in the time of Maxentius, as Dr. Hammond would have us believe, for these three reasons.

• (1.) Because the ten Horns, that after­wards the Roman Power fell into, were not come up, and so could not destroy the Power of Rome in its Heathen state.
• (2.) Because Babylons Persecution, my­stery and confusion, did not utterly cease, which it must have done, so as to rise no more for ever, if the power of Rome Heathen destroyed by Constantine, had been this mystery Babylon.
• (3.) Because tho there might be a body of good people with Constantine, when he overthrew Maxentius, yet the Power of the [Page 34] Kingdom was not so Established in the hand of good People, as not afterward to be Left to others, as the Text affirms. And the Kingdom shall not be Left to another People. For (as we shall anon shew) the Kingdom or Power that ceased to be in the hands of Heathens, and by mighty and Divine Providence came to be in the hands of worthy and renowned Christian Emperors came afterwards into the hands of very Devils incarnate, who acted all the violence of the Heathen Power over a­gain, and indeed out-did them.

9. Those that are for confining this Ba­bylon to the Power of Rome in its Heathen State, are not well aware what they do; for if they do Demand it, their opposits who hold it to be Rome Papal, may Grant it for argu­ments sake: But then the remedy is worse than the disease; for they slip into such a Pre­cipice, as neither Baronius, Bellarmine, Dr. Hammond or the Rhemists, can save or deliver them from. The true State of the Case [...] this:

Rome Heathen is Mystery Babylon; th [...] say the Papists: And the more willing they are to say so because it is a good argument to Prove that Peter was at Rome he subscribing his first Epistle from Babylon, 1 Pet. 5. 13▪ The Church that is at Babylon Elected together with you Saluteth you, &c. But this be­ing [Page 35] allowed, the worst is to come. This Ba­bylon is Destroyed, when the power of Rome Heathen is taken away, so as to be no more for ever; but then what Condition doth the State of Babylon fall into? Doth it become the Throne of the Lamb▪ the City of the living God, the Habitation of Holiness, and dwel­ling place of Zion, the true Church, the place of the holy ones, and Saints of the most High? O No! What then? Hearken, and an Angel from Heaven shall tell you, Rev. 18. 1. 2. And after these thinge (of the horns hating the Whore, making of her Naked, and burning her flesh with Fire). I saw another Angel come down from heaven, having great Power, and the Earth was Lightned with his glory; And he Cryed mightily with a strong voice, say­ing, Babylon the Great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the Habitation of Devils, and the hold of every foul Spirit, and a Cage of every unclean and hateful Bird. Now, you Papists, if you will have Babylon to be Rome Heathen, take it, but then make Rome Papal bet­ter than an Habitation of Devils if you can.

If it be not Rome Heathen, then adieu to Dr. Hammond, and the Rhemists; we have what we desire. If it be, then Rome Papal [...]s a far worse (if possible) than Rome Heathen, [...]n Babylon never was: And then what a [Page 36] fine Church do the People make them­selves?

10. If the place, Seat and City of Rome was not utterly ruined (so as to be no more for ever as a place of Commerce, Trade, and Humane Society) when the Heathen Power ceased, then Rome Heathen cannot be this Babylon, because at the ending and downfal of this Ba­bylon, the Place, Seat, and City will be utterly ruined so as to be no more a place of Trade, Commerce, or Humane Society, Rev. 17. 16. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the Beast, these shall hate the Whore, and shall make her desolate, and shall eat her flesh, and bur [...] her with fire. v. 18. And the woman which thou sawest is that great City which reigneth over the Kings of the Earth, Revel. 18. 8▪ For her sins which God hath remembred which have reached unto heaven, therefore shall he [...] Plagues come in one Day, Death, and Mourn­ing, and Famine, and she shall be utterly burn [...] with Fire: For strong is the Lord God w [...] Judgeth her, v. 11, 12, 13. All sorts of Mer­chandize, Traffick, Trade, and Commer [...] with Humane Society, shall cease, so as to be no more in her at all; and the good thing [...] which she in fulness enjoyed before, even al [...] things that were Dainty and Goodly, are no [...] Departed▪ from her, and shall find them [...] more at all, ver. 14. For in an hour is s [...] [Page 37] made desolate. And a mighty Angel took up a Stone, like a great Milstone, and cast it into the Sea, saying. Thus with violence shall that great City Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all, ver. 21. And the Voice of Harpers, and Musicians, and of Pipers, and Trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; And no Craftsmen of whatso­ever Craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a Milstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; ver. 22. And the light of the Candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the Voice of the Bridegroom, and of the Bride, shall be heard no more at all in thee; verse 23.

But the Place, Seat and City of Rome was not so utterly ruined as to be no more, for ever a place of Trade, Traffick, Merchandize, and humane society, when the Heathen Power of Rome ended, Ergo Rome Heathen cannot be the Whore of Babylon under present conside­ration, whose Seat or City, hath since had a Powerful Government, Reigning in Pride and Pomp, for some hundreds of years.

VII. As touching that notion of the Papists, (i. e.) that by this great▪ Whore mystery Babylon is meant Rome after she shall Aposta­tize from the Pope to Paganism again at the latter end of the World it is such an opinion that has no foundation in Scripture, nor in [Page 38] the Judgment of the Antients; besides, some of the Papists themselves reject it as improba­ble and detestable, as our Annotators observe, for then Sr. John in the Revelations passes by in utter silence, all the transactings that have been in the World, under Papal Rome, even ever since the seven head or Christian Empe­rors Government went off of the Stage, which is near 1260 years which is ridiculous to sup­pose.

Besides it cannot be understood of Rome in either of the other notions, as hath been proved.

1. Because Antichrist is to sit in the Tem­ple of God, 2 Thes. 2. 4. as God, therefore not in a Pagan City. The mystery of Iniqui­ry was working in the Apostles time, but v. 7. the Roman Empire hindred the appear­ance of Antichrist, till the Popes had wrung Rome out of their hands, and were the sole rulers there, then Antichrist shewed himself.

2. Because there is nothing said of this great Whore or this Babylon, but admirably agreeth to Rome in its present state.

We shall conclude with the whole▪ If by mystery Babylon, is not meant the whole World of wicked men, nor old Chaldean Ba­bylon, nor Jerusalem, the Turks nor Saracens, nor Rome in its Heathenish State, nor Rome after she shall desert the Pope, and turn again [Page 39] to Paganism, then it must be Papal Rome, or the Romish Church; But she is none of the for­mer six we have proved: Ergo she is Papal Rome.

Now to make way for the second Chapter, we shall state this argument following.

If all the marks and characters left us upon divine records, to know mystery Babylon by, do most aptly and directly agree to Rome Pa­pal, then Rome Papal is mystery Babylon, But all the marks and characters left upon divine re­cord do most aptly and directly agree to Rome Papal, or the present State and Church of Rome: Ergo Rome Papal is mystery Babylon.

FIrst of all let it be considered, Babylon is set forth by a Woman, which Imports either a single Person ranked in the feminine Gender; or a body of People related to some Head, Hus­band, or publick person, to whom she is joyned in Wedlock, by Covenant or Matrimonial Con­tract, [Page 40] as Eve was related to Adam, & therefore called woman; or as Judah & Israel, who were Joyned in Covenant with God, and therefore called a woman, or as the true Church now Marryed or Joyned to Christ, and therefore called a Woman. A single Person as Eve was, she cannot be, because the Character given of her in respect of her State and Actions, doth no way Comport with it: she must therefore be a body of People, related to some Head, Husband, or Publick Person, as Judah and Israel of old was, who are often called by the Title of a Woman: and in like manner Ba­bylon, before the Degeneracy, where a People, Joyned in Matrimonial Contract, by Gos­pel Covenant and Profession to the Son of God.

1. Mystery Babylon (it appears from hence) Imports a body of people that were once united in a solemn Gospel Covenant to the Son of God and hence Metaphorically called a woman and I saw a woman set, &c. And the woman was arayed in Purple and Scarlet, &c.

Parallel. Rome Papal or Church of Rome is a body, a great body of People, which be­fore their apostacy were a true Church, by Gospel Covenant and profession united to the Son of God as her publick head and husband, Rom. 1. 6. Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ. To all [Page 41] that be in Rome beloved of God called to be Saints.

2. Mystery Babylon is a City, a very great Mystical City in a threefold respect.

1. In respect of power, Rev 17.

2. In respect of people, Rev. 18. 10. 16. 18, 19, 21.

3. In respect of place, or Residence, where this power and people is seated, City being indefi­nitely taken for either of these, or comprehending all, as in these Instances, Psal. 121. Isa. 14. 31. Acts 19. 28.

Parallel. So likewise the Church of Rome is a City, a very great mystical City, and may be so called in a threefold considera­tion.

1. In respect of power, which is twosold; 1. Civil. 2. Ecclesiastical, signified by two horns like a Lamb.

2. In respect of people, which are great, the fame of which people as a mystical City or Church was great before the power and chief dominion of the place was joyned with it as a Church which came in by the Apostasy, Rom. 1. 8. First I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole World. And since they adulterated from their primitive Purity, and become Antichristian, they have been and still are a great people, no united body calling [Page 42] themselves a Church of Christ in respect of number and for fame coming near them.

3. Great in respect of place or chief resi­dence where this power and great people are seated, and by way of eminency, as a Mystical Ci­ty, it may indeed well bear the Bell away. For what people have given further occasion to be spoken of in respect of power, people and place of chief residence throughout the whole world as Rome has, as will hereafter be made more e­vident.

III. Mystery Babylon is not only a mystica [...] City and Woman, but a bad Woman and City, a City of Confusion. For so the word Ba­bel or Babylon signifies, viz. Evil or Confusion

Parallel. Rome Papal or Church of Rome is not only a mystical Woman, City, but a very evil Woman, a City indeed of confusion; there is the name of the lamb much spoken of, but his doctrine contemn'd slighted and under valued and his Laws and Ordinances trample [...] upon, and notoriously violated, his institution not regarded, nor his example imitated, either by the Bishop himself, his Cardinals or inferi­or Orders, they having his humility and self-denial only in their mouths, but none of it i [...] their hearts, like those the apostle speaketh of who in words profess they know God, but in work [...] deny him. For under this verbal and pretended humility lies covered the greatest pride [Page 43] in the world, and under this verbal meekness and self-denial the greatest oppression, cruelty, superstition, covetousness, vain glory and love of the world that ever was manifest, as ap­pears by their pompous and glistering garbs, their cruel persecutions, and the vast sums of money brought in from all parts of their do­minions, by sleights, cunning and deceitful Cheats: Besides a meer hodg-podg of princi­ples, one Order or Fraternity professing that which another writes against, and cries down; which is the more strange to come from a Church infallible, and that cannot err. Besides the strange mixtures in their visible wor­ship, of traditions, and humane inventions, of lying and diabolical tricks, of blessing by a Cross, Pardons and Indulgences for money, con­secrating holy water, and cleansing by it, which are too numerous and tedious to relate, and less needful to mention, because so well known to all men. And let any people in the Christian world pretending to religion be com­pared to them, for supernumeraries, trifling & [...]nsignificant ceremonies crouded into their pretended worship; Nay, let all the people in the Christian world be laid in the ballance against the Church of Rome in this respect, and they will be found inconceivably want­ing, for which we have this Reason to [...]udge her to be Babylon or the City of con­fusion.

[Page 44]If there is more confusion (in contrariety of principles, practices, contradicting pretensi­ons, supernumeraries, foolish and unscriptur [...] inventions crouded into their visible worship in the Church of Rome, than is to be found amongst any sort of people pretending to Re­ligion, in all the world besides, then is Rome Papal or the Church of Rome the great Baby lon or City of confusion; But there is more con­fusion in the forementioned respects to be found in the Church of Rome than in any o­ther Church or people in the world pretend­ing to Religion: Ergo Rome Papal is Mystery Babylon.

IV. Mystery Babylon is not only set forth [...] a Woman, and City of Confusion, but is also called A WHORE, a word which carries in it, one of the highest Impeachments, yet no other that was given to Israel, Judah & Jerusalem in the days of old upon the very same reason? Isa. 57 3. and 16. 17. and Hos. 4. 8. 5. 3. For they being joyned in covenant with God (as a wo­man is to an husband) to be the Lords, to serve him in Obedience and Subjection, did like to an adulterous Woman, break Wedlock, and set up other Lovers, or Idols in his stead, and continu­ed so a long time, till a Bill of Divorce w [...] given, and God proclaimed them Adulteresses, and that he was not their husband, nor they his wife, but a whore and divorced; Yet it is obser­vable, [Page 45] that they, tho they worshipped Idols, cry­ed, The Temple, the Temple of the Lord are we, and would by all means be accounted the Church of God.

Paral. Even so in like manner Rome Pa­pal, or the Church of Rome, is not only cal­led a Woman; But according to Scrip­ture History, and notorious matter of Fact, she is a whore, having utterly adul­terated from what she was once, and so may justly bear that brand or black name, for in the Apostles time she joined her self to the Lord, to be his, by firm tyes of a Gospel covenant and profession, and as a renowned Spouse of Jesus Christ, owned and professed him in the time of heathenish Rome, and received the Apostles and Servants of God amongst them, and withstood the fury of the Emperors, suffering Persecution, and had their faith spoken of throughout the whole World; but yet after all this, like Israel of old, She left God, Jesus Christ, and almost all his Holy Laws, and Ordinances, and made Idols to her self of Saints, Angels, Reliques and Images, upon which she doted, and forsook the Son of God, upon the working and ap­pearance of the vile person or man of Sin, who exalted himself into the place of Christ; and became her head, by which means she is so far degenerated from what she once was, [Page 46] that she retains nothing of what really apper­tains to true godliness, but the bare names of God, Christ and Christian Religion, having corrupted the true worship of the Son of God, her first Husband, and notoriously abandon­ed obedience and subjection to him, taking this vile person the Pope to be her head, and chief guide, and setting him up in the place of, and in dignity above Christ, her first head and only guide of her youth, and yet (like Israel of old) still cryes, The true Church, the Holy Catholick Church, and Mother Church are we; having on her forehead a strange mystery written, i. e. God, Christ, Truth, Verity, Unity, Universality, Infallibility; And yet with that on her forehead, and in her heart too, is written, Devil, Pope, Lying, Blasphemy, Idolatry, Deceit, Perjury, Blood and Horrible Cruelty towards the best of men, professing Christ and Religion in uprightness and truth: for which her abominable Idola­try, and change of her first Head and Hus­band, and setting up this vile Person with which she commits most horrid lewdness or Spiritual Whoredom, together with the Kings of the Earth, she is ranked by the Holy Ghost, amongst the worst of Women, and stil'd the great Whore, and as her type and predecessor of old, a well favoured Harlot, but since her Spiritual Adultery and Whore­dom [Page 47] hath been so apparently proved upon her, by many worthy and eminent authors, or Protestant Writers, we shall conclude this black character with this following Argu­ment and proceed to the next mark.

If there be no body of professing People, in the Christian World, that have so appa­rently, declined, or adulterated from what they once were, deserting the holy headship, doct­rine, example, and right government of Jesus Christ, having set up another visible, publick, and universal head of the Church, in room and stead of him; whose Power, Laws and Edicts, are preferred above and before the authority, laws and precepts of the Lord Jesus Christ, as Rome Papal or Church of Rome hath done: then the Church of Rome is mystery Babylon, or the great Whore spoken of.

But there is no body of professing people in the Christian World, nor throughout the Earth, who have so apparently declined, a­dulterated, and deserted the Holy Headship, Doctrine, Example and right Government of Jesus Christ, ut supra, as Rome Papal or Church of Rome hath done.

Ergo Rome Papal or Church of Rome, is mystery Babylon the great Whore.

If any should think this argument not weighty, let them shew if they can, that some other people different from the Church of [Page 48] Rome, have made as great or like change in point of Religion and Headship, and matter [...] thereto pertaining, so as this black character of Whore, great Whore, may more fitly and fully be made to meet upon them, and we must confess our argument not weighty, but till then, we conclude it carries conviction in the Bowels of it.

V. Mystery Babylon is not only set forth by a Woman, City of Confusion and Whore, but also a great City, and great Whore, and the great City was divided, &c. Rev. 16. 19▪ And the Woman which thou sawest is that great City, Rev. 17. 18. I will shew thee the Judg­ment of the great Whore, Rev. 17. 1. I think it necessary to reassume this character again, the Spirit of God noting this as a most eminent mark of her.

Paral: Now that the Church of Rome is not only a Whore and Mystical City but a very great City, and Whore, will yet appear more evident.

1. She hath a great name; no name so great in the Christian World, as the name of Rome; she is called a Queen, and being join­ed by Contract to her universal Head, viz. the Pope or Man of Sin, she would seem to be far greater than Emperors, and tempo­ral Princes, and pretends a power to give them their Crowns, and set them upon their [Page 49] Heads, and kick them off again at plea­sure.

2. Great in Power. She gives Rules and Laws to Kingdoms, advances her Ecclesiastical Edicts above Temporal; she sets the Pope, and the chiefest of her Sons, above secular Juris­diction; makes them unacountable, and pre­tends a power, to Absolve, to Bless and Curse at her pleasure, and without controversy the lesser is blessed of the greater.

3. Great in multitude. There are no People besides, that are in a spiritual united Body, and visible community, professing Christianity, comparable to her, for multi­tude, or the vast numbers of her Children.

4. Great in actions, vile actions, such as deposing and poysoning Princes, fomenting jealousies, raising Wars, setting Nations to­gether by the Ears, invading rights and pro­perties of Nations and Kingdoms by subtile insnarements, and cunning stratagems, mak­ing tumults and uproars, contriving Mass­cres, burning Cities, and carrying on dread­ful devastations, where she is gain-said; and that which adds to her greatness, is that in­vincible confidence she hath, that all persons and things are made for her, and given to her, so that all things she doth are allowed as Legal and Just in Heaven, tho the actions are most vile and as unhumane as any can [Page 50] be, in the Judgment of any undeceived mor­tal: from whence we shall frame this argu­ment.

Arg. If there be no united Body of Peo­ple, or visible Community in the Christian World, that is so great in name, power, multitudes, and actions, vile actions, as Rome Papal or Church of Rome hath been, and still is—then the Church of Rome is mystery Babylon.

But there is no united Body of People, or Community in the Christian World that is so great in name, power, multitude, and actions, vile actions, as Rome Papal or Church of Rome.

Ergo Rome Papal is this great City, Whore or Mystery Babylon.

VI. Mystery Babylon is said to sit upon many Waters, which is expounded to be People, Multitudes, Nations and Tongues, Rev. 17. 1, 17. And he said unto me, the Waters which thou sawest, where the Whore sitteth, are people, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues, &c. which according to the learned Mede, Peter Du Moulin, and other famous Protestant wri­ters, is more than a third part of the ten con­siderable parts, which the Roman Monarchy fell into, not long before the Pope that man of Sin, and Head of mystery Babylon, assumed the imperial Seat and Throne, which after­wards [Page 51] became ten Kingdoms with Crowned Heads, assisting the Beast against the Lamb, and Persecuting of the Saints, distinguished into ten Kingdoms of the Empires, I. of Germany. II. France. III. England. IV. Scotland. V. Denmark. VI. Polonia. VII. The Kingdom of Spain. VIII. The King­dom of Navarre. IX. The Kingdom of Hungary. X. The Kingdom of Naples and Sicily.

All which Rome Papal had in possession, as our French author saith, in the days of Pope Leo the tenth.

Paral. So then it appears evidently that the Church of Rome has directly this mark of Mystery Babylon also, she sitting upon ma­ny Waters, viz. people, multitudes, nations, and languages, that she sate upon, or ruled over, more than one third part of the ten, which was formerly under the Roman Empire, in its civil state, is evident, which [...] (more▪ than one third part) hath since fallen into ten King­doms, under the Government of ten Crowned Heads, and have all agreed to give their Power to this last Beast (as they received power as Kings one hour with him) according to what was foretold, which makes good what St. John [...]n the Apocalypse hath made known; as also Daniel concerning the little horn, which had [...] mouth speaking great things, whose looks [Page 52] were more stout than his fellows, Dan. 7. by whom three of the first horns of the Roman power in its civil state, were pluck't up by the roots, and in their place succeeded ten Kings or Crowned Heads, who have their Crowns given to them by this last Beast; (and as they had their Crowns given by, and hold their Kingly power under the Pope, little Horn, last Beast, or man of Sin,) in requi­tal of his fatherly care in giving his Sons so great a Patrimony, so they give their power to him, and ingaged against the Lamb, in making War with, and persecuting the Saints of the most High, and will do so till the VVord of God, or Prophecy of Daniel, and Revela­tions of St. John, &c. is fulfilled; which ten Crowned Heads answer to the ten Toes in Nebuchadnezzars Image, and to the ten Horns in this 17th of the Apocalypse, which are so concerned in the Beasts Kingdom; and who will at last by the gracious providence of God (that is some of them) be overcome by the Lamb, and turn to hate the Whore, and make her desolate, whom before they for a long time join'd with and supported, and for whose pleasure they did persecute the Saints; which ten States or Kingdoms are by our French author Peter du Moulin, (in his book called the accomplishment of the Prophecy, page 345.) distinguished, as we before shewed; all [Page 53] which Kingdoms, as King James the First, in his learned works makes out, took their rise with Rome Papal, upon the division or ruine of the Roman Empire in its civil state, the body of which Kingdoms may well be cal­led many waters, viz. people, multitudes, nations and tongues, or people of several lan­guages, which were as well known to have been under the Usurpation, and Jurisdiction of Papal Rome, as 'tis known there have been and still are Papists in the World, which doth fully answer to the very letter of the text, viz. The Waters which thou sawest whereon the Whore sitteth, are people, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues, Rev. 17. 18.

2. This is very evident yet further by her making all the European Kingdoms, and Merchants thereof Rich, that traffick by Sea, by the great expence of all commodities, which are swallowed up, by reason of her pride and bravery, which could never be effected, un­less she had nations, and multitudes, under her jurisdiction to contribute to her great pride and luxury.

3. A third Instance to confirm it is, the numberless number of good Christians she has prey'd upon and murdered, in most of these Kingdoms for no other cause, but for wit­nessing against her Idolatry and Usurpation, which shews what power she had over these nations, and tongues, &c.

[Page 54]4. And lastly, The vast sums of Money she has extorted and squeezed from these King­doms and Nations, to uphold her pretend­ed right, preheminency, and usurpation over them, which you have an account of by several worthy Writers, who fully witness to the truth of what we say upon this re­spect.

And from the whole we shall draw this ar­gument and proceed.

Arg. If there be no Body of people, pro­fessed Church or State in the World (under any single denomination) that sits upon, i. e. commands, or bears rule over people, multitudes, nations, and tongues, as Rome Papal or Church of Rome doth; then Rome Papal or the Church of Rome, is Mystery Ba­bylon.

But there is no Body of people, professed Church or State (under any single denomi­nation) that sits upon, i. e. commands, or bears rule over people, multitudes, nations, and tongues, as Rome Papal or Church of Rome doth; Ergo Rome Papal, or Church of Rome, is Mystery Babylon.

To the establishing this argument, let it be considered that the whole state of the Chri­stian World consists but of these two parts, viz. the Church of Rome considered as Head and Body, and those who dissent from her, [Page 55] who are so inconsiderable, whether the Walden­ses, Albingenses, Hugonots or other parties of Protestants, that no one party of, nay if we put them altogether, can be said to sit upon, i. e. command, or bear Rule over people, multitudes, nations, and tongues, to answer to this Character of Mystery Babylon; the Wal­denses and Hugonots, have been and still are a Persecuted People; the Lutherans never got up so high as to command many States, or Kingdoms, or people of many languages; Great Britain (tho a Protestant State or King­dom,) comes not up to answer this cha­racter, much less the seven united Provinces that of late times revolted from the Crown of Spain; so that if Rome Papal hath done so, and no other people that dissent from her, have ever yet nor could do the like, then this proves Rome Papal that great Whore viz, My­stery Babylon that sits upon many Waters, &c.

VII. The seventh mark or character of Mystery Babylon is this, viz. She is such a Whore, that Kings and great men of the Earth, are said to commit Fornication with her; see the text Rev. 17. 2. With whom the Kings of the Earth have committed Fornication, i. e Spiritual Fornication▪ or Fornication in a my­stery, or after a mysterious manner, such as Jerusalem of old was charged with, 2 Chron. [Page 56] 22. 1. Isa. 16. 26. Which was a following like Idolatry that this Woman Babylon hath done, viz. corrupting the true worship of God, and adoring Idols, or making of Images and Representations of the true God, by which they pretended to worship him; and so great was her Fornication that 'tis said she did corrupt the Earth with it.

Paral. Now that Rome Papal, or Church of Rome, hath this black mark and character upon her, is most evident, viz. such a Whore that the Kings of the Earth, have committed Fornication with her, she having corrupted the Earth with her filthy Fornications, they following her abominable Superstition and Ido­latry.

1. For First, Hath she adored the Pope, as her Lord God, universal Head, and infalli­ble Bishop, setting him up above all Laws? The Kings of the Earth have been so intoxi­cated, with the cup of her Fornication, that they likewise have done the same.

2. Hath and doth she worship the Virgin Mary, Angels, and many departed Saints? Even so have and do many of the Kings of the Earth likewise.

3. Hath she adored Images, the Cruci­fix, the Host, and Pictures of pretended Saints? Even so she has caused the Kings of the Earth to do likewise.

[Page 57]4. Hath she foolishly, and Idolatroully de based her self with the adoration of the Re­lick [...] of known and unknown Saints? So the very same has she caused the Kings and great men to do also.

5. Hath she grosly, and superstitiously worshiped the true God, in a false manner? By crouding in an innumerous train of de­testable, and foolish fopperies into his wor­ship, and pretended service, which he never ordained, as Candles, Candlesticks, Altars, Vestments, Spittle, Salt, Oyl, Holy Water, Beads, and a world of such like trumpery? So have the Kings and Noble ones of the Earth done and still do; as the Emperour of Germany, Kings of France, Spain, Portugal and England, formerly and of late also; from whence we will draw this argument.

Arg. If there be no Body of people in the Christian World, pretending to a Church State, that have set up Idolatry to such a de­gree, and with whom the Kings of the Earth have jointly agreed, and complied, as Rome Papal or Church of Rome hath done, then Rome Papal or Church of Rome, is this myste­ry Babylon spoken of.

But there is no Body of people in the Chri­stian World, pretending to a Church State, that hath set up Idolatry to such a degree, and with whom the Kings of the Earth have [Page 58] complied, as Rome Papal, &c. hath done, Ergo the Church of Rome is Mystery Babylon.

To reinforce this argument, let any man that will become an advocate for the Church of Rome, shew that any people, differing and dissenting from the Church of Rome, are guilty of like Idolatry, with whom the Kings of the Earth have complied, as aforemention­ed, and we will reject this argument; but if this Character doth more fitly, nay directly meet in Papal Rome, our argument is good and unanswerable.

VIII. Another Scripture Mark and Cha­racter of Mystery Babylon is this, i. e. she doth not only cause the Kings of the Earth to commit Fornication with her, but she hath in­toxicated the minds and hearts of multitudes, and corrupted great part of the World, with the Wine of her Fornication, even the common sort of people; see Rev. 17. 2. And the inhabitants of the Earth, have been made drunk with the Wine of her Fornication, &c.

Paral. That Rome Papal or Church of Rome hath not only caused Kings of the Earth, and great men, to commit fornication with her, by dancing after her Pipes, in all her myste­rious allurements, and detestable errors, but hath also intoxicated the Minds and Hearts of multitudes, and miserably corrupted and be­wi [...]ched great part of the World, or common [Page 59] sort of people, by her erroneous and wicked doctrine: O what a world of poor people hath she a long time deceived, and made to commit Spiritual Fornication with her, in Italy, Germany, Poland, France, Spain, Por­tugal, Ireland, and lastly in England and Scotland too, besides many other Countreys!

1. As first, Is it not a strange intoxica­tion, that such a multitude of the Inhabitants of the Earth, should believe, that a wicked man should be appointed of God to be the Vicar of Christ, as if God had no more re­gard to the Honour of his own Name, and the good of his Church, and Dignity of his Son, than to substitute a Child of the Devil, (as all wicked men are) to be Vice-gerent to the most holy Jesus, in the highest transactions that relate to Heaven and the Souls of Men? Surely if God shut Judas out of his Bi­shoprick for his wickedness, tho an Apostle, it can't stand consistent with his truth and holi­ness, to set up or allow of a wicked and im­perious Pope, got up to the highest pinacle of pride, and make him the Immediate Deputy, and successor of Christ, and to impose a Wolf as Shepherd upon the universal Church.

2. One who saith that he is an infallible Judge, to determine Articles of Faith, and in­dued with power to Impose them, upon [Page 60] great Penalties; so that as a Lord he hath Dominion over Mens Faith, Consciences, and Souls too; which the Apostles disclaimed.

3. Is it not a strange intoxication, that such a multitude of poor People should believe, that the Church cannot err, tho God and Thousands of good Men, see and fully know, there are not such abominable Errors in Prin­ciples, nor such villanous Enormities, cursed Actions, cruel and immoral Practices, in the World? Nay, such that Turks and Infi­dels do abhor. Yet this doctrine that the Church is infallible, and cannot err, the poor deluded multitude believes, and hate, nay kill, others that oppose it, and venture Body and Soul upon it.

4. Is it not a strange intoxication, that such a multitude of the Inhabitants of the Earth, should believe, that the Pope tho ne­ver so wicked, nay a priest (tho he be a trea­cherous villain, a contriver of Murther, and an abominable Adulterer) hath power to absolve his equals and fellow Sinners from all their Sins, tho directly committed against God; If he come to confession? tho the pretended penitent keeps his old evil habit, of wicked­ness still; contrary to what God and Jesus Christ in his blessed Word saith; where 'tis re­corded that 'tis God alone that forgiveth Sins, and blo [...]eth out our iniquities, and that a [Page 61] man must be born again; i. e. the evil habits must be changed, and all wicked practices must be forsaken; or no forgiveness nor en­tring into the Kingdom of heaven, John 3. 3.

5. Is it not a strange piece of Witch­craft and Intoxication, that such a multitude of the inhabitants of the Earth, should be­lieve that there is a Purgatory, which is no part of Heaven nor Hell, and that men may be redeemed out of it with Money? tho God saith, The redemption of the Soul is precious, and ceaseth for ever, Psal. 49. i. e. After the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all, and that 'tis only the Blood of Christ which purges and cleanses from all sin, 1 Jo. 1. 9. and that we are not redeemed with corruptible things, as Silver and Gold, but with the precious Blood of Christ, as a Lamb without Blemish and without Spot.

6. Is it not a strange Intoxication, and a clear demonstration that the Inhabitants of the Earth have drunk of the Wine of this Whores Fornication, that such a multitude of poor Souls should believe, that a filthy and wicked Priest, by speaking a few Words can not only make Bread and Wine sacred, but also turn and change the Bread into the real Body and Blood of the Son of God, and make whole Christ of a pittyful Wafer­cake, [Page 62] by a charm of five Latin words, viz. Hoc est enim corpus meum; and this transub­stantiated Idol they fall down before, & adore as their Maker, anathematizing and cursing all that shall deny this Idol of indignation, to be adored with the highest degree of Divine Wor­ship, which is proper to God only, for she saith 'tis her God, as she singeth in her Roman Missal.

Plagas sicut Thomas non intueor, Ri [...]mus St. Thom. ad­sac [...]. Eu­charist. Deum tamen meum te confiteor. Wounds as Thomas did I not see, Yet do I confess thee my God to be.

In this, as one observes, they out-do the va­nity of the Heathens, who thought none was so witless, as to believe, that that which is eaten is a God, yet this God of theirs these Canibals devour, even Flesh, Blood and Bones in their conceit, the poor deluded mul­titude believieng contrary to their own natural Reason, and all their sences, that they eat real Flesh, when they eat that Wafer-cake, the substance nor quality being changed, the Form, Colour and Taste of Bread remaining after the Words of Consecration.

7. Is it not a strange Intoxication, that such a multitude of people should believe, that evil and idle doctrine of hers, viz. that no person, how good and pious so ever he be, can be saved, out of the Pale of their polluted, [Page 63] ungodly, and devilish Church, notwithstand­ing 'tis a great doubt and question whether any member of such a false Church can be saved, sith the Holy Scripture saith, that no Idolater hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of God; and again, that If any man worship the Beast, and his Image, and receive his mark in his Forehead, or in his Hand, the same shall drink of the Wine of the wrath of God, &c. Rev. 14. 9, 10. And he shall be tormented with Fire and Brimstone, in the presence of the Holy Angels, and in the presence of the Lamb, &c. Besides, considering the Scripture direct­ly holdeth forth that all who are born again, or truly regenerate, shall be saved, let them be of what Church they will, provided they are sound in the essentials of the Christian Faith, and not guilty of Idolatry, for certain­ly the new birth comprehends, a change of all such erroneous principles, as well as of other evil and corrupt habits and wicked practi­ces.

8. Is it not a strange kind of Spiritual In­toxication, that such a number of the Inhabi­tants of the Earth, should believe, that 'tis no Sin to Lie, Swear, and For-swear, to Kill, Slay, and Murther, such they call He­reticks (tho never so Godly) if it be for the cause of Holy Church, with a thousand things of the like nature, which the people do be­lieve, [Page 64] and dare not disown upon their Salva­tion, but boldly adventure to ingage at all opportunitys to Fight, and make War, burn Citys, lay waste Countries and King­doms, and destroy by Massacres, and all manner of Murthering ways, all Ranks, and Degrees of Men, who oppose the horrid prin­ciples of this vile Church, and cursed practi­ces of these Sons of Belial. Nay they will go boldly to their own deaths, when convict­ed and justly condemned for such like villa­nies, and deny to day what they were con­victed of yesterday, and tho never so noto­riously guilty, yet will take it upon their Death, they are as innocent as the Child un­born; what can this be, tho they drink it down as sweet Wine, but an Infusion of the rankest and most deadly Poyson that the low­est celler of the bottomless Pit can afford, the very Wine of the Whores Fornication, and the most dangerous Intoxication in the World? Which is attended with this aggravation, i. e. the best medicines of the wisest Physi­cians will not recover them; for Babylon hav­ing made the multitude drunk with this sort of Poysoned Wine, how rare is it to have any to come to themselves, or to their right minds again? And to shut up this Head take this argument.

Arg. If no people in the Christian [Page 65] World have made the multitude of the com­mon People, or Inhabitants of the Earth drunk, i. e. corrupted and Intoxicated their minds with wicked Lyes, Falshood, and detestable Doctrines, as Rome Papal or Church of Rome hath done; Then Rome Papal, &c. is Mystery Babylon.

But no People in the Christian World, have made the multitude of the Inhabitants of the Earth Drunk, i. e. corrupted, and intoxicated their minds by wicked Lies, false­hood, and detestable Doctrine, such as before mentioned, as the Church of Rome hath done. Ergo Rome Papal is mystery Baby­lon.

IX. Mystery. Babylon is said to sit upon a Scarlet-colour'd Beast; and this Beast is full of the names of Blasphemy: And I saw a Wo­man sit upon a Scarlet coloured Beast, full of the names of Blasphemy, &c. Rev. 17. 3. So that it appears the Woman and the Beast are distinct; by the Woman is meant the false Church, by the Beast is meant the secular power or civil state, or the Antichrist, or that Government that is the eighth, and of the se­venth, who assumeth both the Civil and Ec­clesiastical Authority by whom the Whore, false Church and Worship is supported: That the Beast and Whore are distinct is evident,

• 1. From other Prophecies relating to the same thing.
• [Page 66]2. From the letter of the text.
• 3. From arguments grounded on rea­son.
• 4. From the confession of the Whore her self.

1. From the Prophecies in the Scripture describing the same state of the Roman Mo­narchy, Dan 2. the latter part of the Image is partly Iron, and partly Clay, two states that were really distinct, that could never so in cor­porate as to become one.

2. From the letter of the text, I saw a Woman sit upon a Scarlet-coloured Beast, full of the names of Blasphemies. The colours of the Royal and Imperial vestments, as the An­gel declared them distinct, so the Apostle saw them distinct.

3. They appear to be distinct from ar­gments grounded upon reason. For,

• (1.) The Beast is in the Masculine Gender, the Whore in the Feminine Gen­der.
• (2.) Because the Whore is
  Rev. 17. v. 11. 6. 16.
  said to ride upon the beast, the one carrying the other.
• (3.) The horns being of the Beast, 'tis said, shall hate the Whore; if they were not distinct the Whore must hate her self, and eat her own flesh, &c. which is nonsensical.
• (4.) The Beast shall abide, tho in cap­tivity, [Page 67] after the Whore is thrown down and destroy'd.

4. From the plain confession of the Whore her self, they are distinct, who saith I sit a queen, I am no Widdow, &c. Ergo, she has a Head or Husband, which is the vile Person, little Horn and Ecclesiastical Beast, or that man of Sin St. Paul declared should rise after the then present Romish power which did lett, was taken away, which the primitive Fathers, as Tertullian, Cyprian, Jerome, and others understood to be the Imperial power in its pure, civil, iron or unmixt-state or Legs of the Image, Dan. 2.

Paral. Rome Papal, or Church of Rome, hath not only drawn into Idolatry the Kings of the Earth, great men abusing God, his Son Jesus Christ and the Christian Religion, and the blessed books of the Old and New Testa­ment, but she hath made the lower and ruder sort of the people drunk too, (as hath been shewed.) And 'tis no wonder she thinks she may do any thing, having a dispensation from heaven (as she pretends.) which the Pope keeps the Keys of, fearing no power on Earth.

And now that she hath the secular power to support her, upon which she sits or rides in great pomp, is evident, and that they are really distinct, for what of the secular power [Page 68] is still left at Rome, is under the conduct and management of the Church, there being no civil administration of Justice or exercise of Laws, but what is authorized and allowed by the Pope, the Head of this Ecclesiastical State; to make this further evident, the Pope doth not only exercise a power of appointing seculars at Rome, and near to it, but he claims the like supremacy abroad in other Kingdoms; if the secular Princes fall off from him, or will not be reconciled to him, and own him as head of the Church, he will excommunicate and depose them, and takes away their Crown [...] and Sceptres from them; that the Pope is a temporal Prince, as well as an ecclesiastical Bishop, i. e. makes Laws, exacts Tribute, raises Souldiers, and acts a Monarch, is noto­riously known; which fairly affords him the title of Beast, that his Royal and Scarlet Robes, the Chair he sits in to his very Hose and Shoes, with the Vestments of his Cardinals, is Scar­let; so that ye need not doubt but here you have the Scarlet coloured Beast; besides no man can reasonably doubt, that what the Civil power claims the Ecclesiastical power exercises, and that this Princely Pope is in the Masculine, and this Harlot or false Church in the Feminine Gender is owned by all partys.

That the Church state doth sit upon, ride, and govern the secular at Rome, Italy, and [Page 69] all its Territories; that the Church of Rome owns that she is no Widdow, but hath a head, called his Holiness, or supreme ruler of the Church, is so evident, that we cannot find them upon any file of record of controversy. There remains therefore, no more to be done here, sith this black character of Mystery Babylon doth so well meet in the Romish Church.

Arg. If there be no visible state in the Christian World, that doth so apparently sit upon, command, and govern the Beast or a great secular power, clothed in Scarlet Vest­ments, as Rome Papal doth, then Rome Pa­pal [...] Church of Rome is Mystery Babylon. But there is no visible state in the Christian World, that doth so apparently sit upon, command, and govern the Beast, or secular power, cloth'd in Scarlet Vestments, as Rome Papal or Church of Rome. Ergo Rome Papal &c. is Mystery Babylon.

To reinforce this argument we challenge any Papists, Atheists, or any else to shew where there are any other people or party to whom these Characters agree as well as with Rome Papal, and then we will let this argu­ment sall.

X. The Beast that Mystery Babylon sits upon, commands and governs, is not only clothed in Scarlet, but is also full of the names of Blasphemy, Rev. 17. [Page 70] Paral. Now that the Church of Rome hath this mark also of Mystery Babylon is evi­dent, viz. that the Beast cloathed in Scarlet that bears up that whorish Churhc, is full of the names of Blasphemy; this appears by his ascribing that to creatures which belongs to God and Jesus Christ only, and in divers other respects.

(1.) When the cursed Beast is called our Lord. God the Pope, cum inter. in glosl. extr. Job 22. in Liv. 2. and whatsoever he doth, no man may say to him, Why do you this? And whosoever obeyeth not his precepts incurreth the Sin of Idolatry, doth he not in this shew him­self indeed to be God? What greater Blasphe­my can there be?

(2.) When he is called universal Head of the Catholick Church is not this Blasphe­my against Christ, who alone is the head of the universal Church?

(3.) When he is called the Lamb of God, he Light of the World, the Root of David, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.

(4.) When the orders of the Church, Oral Traditions and Decrees of Councils are said to be of greater authority than the Ho­ly Scriptures; Cardinal Hositis in his Adver­tisement to King Sigismund hath these ex­pressions, If they (that is, the Hereticks) say it [Page 71] is written, that is the voice of the Devil, speaking in his members; De expresso dei verbo. they call the Scripture Paper and Parch­ment, and that 'tis an absurd thing to attribute more authority to the Scripture than to the Church, which they call a nose of Wax, which suffers it self to be turned hi­ther or thither as a man pleaseth, and that the Scripture is the Daughter and their Church the Mother; is not this horrid Blasphemy a­gainst God, and the Holy Spirit who gave the Scripture forth, and whose sacred off-spring they are?

(5.) When the Virgin Mary, Angels, and Saints, are invocated with Prayers and Addresses, that only belong to the Divine Majesty, as if those creature were infinite, and could hear us at so great a distance as Earth is from Heaven, which they could not do if perpendicularly over us, much less from all parts of the World, over which they cannot be; whether this ascribing Infiniteness and Omnisciency, and Divine adoration to Crea­tures, which is only due to the Creator, is not Blaspemy?

(6.) Whether it be not Blasphemy, as well as Idolatry to say that Images ought to be worshipped, with the same honour and worship, which is given to him whose Image it is. For so Azorius affirms, and Bellarmin saith that [Page 72] Images are not only to be worshippe [...] Epiphani­us horis. 97. per totum. as they are exemplars, but also pro­perly and by themselves, so as the worship may be terminated i [...] them. de Imag. 1. 2.

(7.) To conclude with this mark, Whe­ther it be not Blasphemy with a witness, to affirm that a Priest can make a whole Christ of a Wafer Cake, by uttering a few words? And is not this to exalt the man of Sin above God himself? For this which they affirm i [...] to do more than God indeed can do; see M [...] Pools Dialogue p. 109. there are some thing [...] which it is no dishonour to God, to say he cannot do them, because they are either sin­ful (so God cannot lie;) or absolutely im­possible: God himself cannot make a man alive and dead at the same time, God cannot make the whole to be less than a part of it; he cannot make three to be more than three­score; he cannot make a Son to beget the Father, he cannot make the same man to be born at two several times, (as Popish Authon confess;) and therefore he can't make the same Body to be in two several places (much less in two thousand places at one and▪ the same time;) to which we may add, Can God make that to be that, which it is not? All know the Bread is not Flesh, but really Bread after Consecration.

[Page 73] Arg. If no people in the Christian world are born up and supported by a Scarlet co­loured Beast, full of the names of Blasphemy, maintaining from him such blasphemous Opi­nions, than Rome Papal, or Church of Rome, then Rome Papal is Mystery Babylon: But there is no people in the Christian world that are born up by such a blasphemous Beast as the Church of Rome is; Ergo Rome Papal as Mystery Babylon.

XI. Mystery Babylon is not only said to sit upon a Scarlet coloured Beast, full of the names of Blasphemy, but also that she is adorned with great pomp and outward glory, Rev. 17. 4. And the Woman was arrayed in Purple and Scarlet, and decked with Gold and precious Stones, and Pearl, &c.

Parallel. Rome Papal, or Church of Rome▪ doth not only sit upon a Scarlet coloured Beast, &c. but she is also beautified and adorned with great pomp and external glory, beyond any people calling themselves a Church of Christ in all the Christian world: This is such a visible brand and mark upon this people, and well noted by all, that much we need not speak to it; for all the world knows the Church of Rome delights in out­ward Gaudery, being a people whose Wor­ship is filled not only with detestable Tradi­sions, and blasphemous Doctrines; but also [Page 74] to please the carnal and sensitive Eye, she se [...] it off with rich and costly Pictures, curious [...] drawn, and other outward gallantry. (2.) Loo [...] into the Patrimony of consecrated Saint there you shall find riches and honour, th [...] not durable riches and righteousness. (3.) Loo [...] upon their Garbs and Vestments, and the [...] you shall find her Popes and Cardinals g [...] stering in cloath of Gold, and adorned li [...] Emperors and splendid Princes; nay, and are some of her Priests and Heads of Parti [...] What think you (saith one of the Anti [...] Fathers) of this Man the Pope sitting on hi [...] in his Throne glistering in Purple and clo [...] of Gold—sitting in the Temple God, shewing out himself as ifBernard. were a God; her Priests are ado [...] in such costly Habiliments, that for riches th [...] might become the highest Order of [...] Jewish Priesthood. (4.) Look on the Inst [...] ments and Mode of their Worship, and the you shall find rich Altars, and Candlesticks Gold, the Vessels for Oyl, and Po [...]s of P [...] ­sication, as if their Predecessors had been Solomon's Temple. (5.) Look into [...] Churches, and there you shall find great o [...] ward glory and bravery. (6.) Enquire co [...] cerning her Revenues and vast Incomes, a [...] there you will find she out-does all Comm [...] nities in the World.

[Page 75] Arg. If no people in the Christian World hath such riches, splendour, outward pomp and bravery in the maintenance and manage­ment of their Worship, as Rome Papal, or Church of Rome hath: Then Rome Papal, or Church of Rome, is this gaudy Harlot, or Mystery Babylon. But there is no People or Church in the Christian World, that hath such riches, splendour, outward pomp and bravery, in the maintenance and management of their Religious Worship, as the Church of Rome hath; Ergo the Church of Rome is Mystery Babylon.

XII. As Mystery Babylon is thus adorned with outward pomp, and external riches and glory; so likewise another mark or character the Holy Ghost hath laid down of her is this, i. e. upon her fore-head a name is written, MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS, AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. Mother of Harlots may refer in part to ex­ternal Whoredoms, but chiefly 'tis to be ta­ken in a mystical sense, i. e. she breeds and brings forth Spiritual Harlots; viz. unclean Communities.

Parallel. That this Character meets di­rectly in the Church of Rome, is very clear, upon her forehead denotes (as our late wor­thy Annotators observe) ‘the open guilt [...]nd [Page 76] impudence of this Spiritual Harlot Mystery Babylon, that is, there is a Mystery in what follows in her name—the Great, not to be understood of the Chaldean Babylon, but of a City or Policy under the Gospel, as cap. 11. 8. she is called Spiritual Sodom and Egypt; so in a spiritual or mystical sense she is called Babylon, because a City like to Babylon for Idolatry and Persecution of God's Israel. Not a meer Harlot, but one that breed▪ up Harlots, and nourishes Idolatry, commu­nicating it to others; and this is the true name of Rome instead of Mother Church▪’

1. Here is a name written in capital Let­ters, and written upon her fore-head, so as to be read of all, i. e. there is no way to hide o [...] cover her Whoredoms, or to defend or deli­ver her self from being the Mother of Harlots▪ if this were not to be seen and read by all in­lightened Christians and Professors, it would not not so much concern us; for if the Book of the Revelations were not written for the Christian World, it leaves us at an uncertainty; nor are we in a capacity to make a Judgment in this great case, who this great Who [...] is.

2. Nay, and if this Babylon were a small and private People and Community of Chri­stians (or such who pretend themselves so to be) she could not be called Great Babylon▪ [Page 77] and Mother of Harlots, and Abominations of the Earth.

But Rome is a great People, a great Whore, or false Church; and her detestable Spiritual Adultery appears obvious to the whole World; nay, her Images and Idola­try causes both Jews and Turks the more to hate and abhor that Christian Religion which she professeth, (as it has been manifestly made known by many worthy Writers.)

3. And for Mystery, see what we have said in the first Chapter of this Treatise, wherein is opened that strange Mystery of the Romish Church. Is it not this Mystery Babylon that says she is the true Church, by pretending to Visibility, as one of the chief Evidences thereof? and yet 'tis positively said That the true Woman or Church of God was for the space of 1260 years in the Wil­derness, Rev. 12. where she was hid all that time, or abode in an obscure condition. Is it not a Riddle and confus'd Mystery, that she being Queen Regent, riding upon the Beast in state, all along, and yet that very poor and distressed Woman, that fled into the Wil­derness, and abides there in a suffering con­dition all the time of the Beasts Reign.

Is not this a Riddle and strange Mystery▪ that one pretending her self to be the only true Church of God, and Mother of Peace, [Page 78] Purity and Charity; and yet notoriously known to be the breeder, bringer forth, and cherisher of Division, Falshood, most▪ Bloody Butcheries, and Barbarous Cruelties and Mur­ders.

4. She is called Babylon, or Babel, i. e. Confusion; and doth not this agree to the Church of Rome? doth she not openly shew her self to be the absolute Antitype of old Babel?

1. In devising and setting up another way to Heaven (than what God hath ordained and appointed; viz. a Tower of their own raising) not by Christ alone, but by the de­merits of their own good works; and you know what some of those works are that she calls meritorious, which is, to destroy and cut the Throats of such she calls Hereticks, i. e. godly Protestants: This is the way she ha [...] found out for the Salvation of her dear Chil­dren.

2. In plucking up, or endeavou [...]ing to rase out the true Worship of God, as old Caldea [...] Babylon did, and setting up Idolatry in the room of it.

3. The Church of Rome may well be called Babylon, in respect of her Doctrine▪ Principles, and Modes of Worship, which i [...] such a jumble, strange mixture, and heap o [...] Human Inventions, that may well go fo [...] [Page 79] [...]onfusion it self (see our third mark) in her orders, diversities, and long muster Roll of officers, that are so numerous, as well as un­ [...]criptural, that if mixture, and confusion be [...]ny where, 'tis to be found in this pretended Church, where you have Pope, Cardinals, Priests, and Arch-Priests, Bishops, Lord Bi­shops, and Arch-Bishops, Deans, and Arch­ [...]eacons, Suffragans, Patriarchs, Abbots, Friars, Monks, Nuns, Seminaries, Jesuits, followers of St. Francis, Jansenius, Augustine, Capu­ [...]hins, &c. and what not, this Romish Har­ [...]ot hath received some of her jolly Church [...]relats, with their exorb [...]tant power from her heathenish Predecessors, Romu­ [...]us Livius l. 1. and Numa Pompilius who made Flamins, Arch-Flamins, and a Pon­ [...]ifex maxim [...]s, to sacrifice unto the Gods; and some of her ceremonies she has taken from other Infidels, as the shaving of Priests Crowns like the Priests of Isis and Serapis in Egypt, nay for confusion and filthy abomina­tion she has out-done Heathen Rome, for Nu­ma, the King of the Antique Romans, forbad them to think that the▪ Image ofPlutarch in Numa. God had the shape of a man, or form of other living Creatures; yet this mother of Idolatry alloweth the Image of God the Father, in form of an old Man, and Holy Ghost in form of a Dove, [Page 80] tho the holy Prophet, inveigh [...] ingBellar. de Imag. Sanct. l. 2. c. 8. Isa 40. 18. against this detestable va­nity, demandeth, To whom will ye liken God? Or what similitud [...] will ye set up unto him?—Yet this whoris [...] Church to these teachers of lies (as one ob­serves) and counterfeits of God, to the shame of Christians, adoreth these Images, or ra­ther the Devil in them, whose worship it is, and so fulfils that which is written of her, Rev. 9. 20. That men would not repent of the works of their hands, and of the worship of De­vils, and Idols of Gold, and Silver, and Br [...]s [...], and of Stone, and of Wood, which neither can see, neither [...]ear, nor go.

As she appeareth in all these things to be Mystery Babylon the great, and abomination of the Earth, so (as worthy Mr. Ainsworth observeth) in her Divine service, she has Ba­bels very language, an unknown Tongue; so is it an Idol wholly made (as the Scripture speaketh) according to her own understand­ing; and is all the works of the crafts-men, the Prelates and Popes, the lovers of this great Whore who have patched together in their several ages the limbs of this deformed monster, the Mass and Canon thereof, a sa­crifice for the sins of the quick and the dead; with the Litany and Collects, An [...]hems and Responds, and in this Liturgy, God and his [Page] Angels, Apostles and Martyrs, and Confessors with he Saints, and she Saints (and some, that had Satans sanctity,) are wrapt up toge­ther, with a Stage-play like worship, with musical instruments to make them merry, as Nebuchadnezzar; with melody celebrated the dedication of his Golden Image, which Portal, and Missal, these Artizans have fram­ed, exceeding all superstitions, abominations, and confession, that ever were in the World, the meer device and forgery of their own Brains, by the help of the Devil, provoking God to Jealousie and Wrath, which sudden­ly she must pertake of without mixture.

4. Mother of Harlots. Hath not Papal Rome this very character upon her forehead? It meets in none as in her, all Protestants of what denomination soever, utterly disallow of Fornication, Whoredom and Adultery, in persons of any Ranks whatsoever, maintain­ing constantly that Marriage is honourable in all: whereas the Church of Rome, 'tis noto­ [...]iously known, gives publick toleration to [...]bominable Whoredoms, and the most shame­ [...]ess and unatural Bestialities as ever were in the World, but this Epithet, Mother of Harlots, [...]ay more properly refer to Spiritual Adultery, [...]nd that the Church of Rome is a Mystical Mo­ [...]her is very plain and evident, for do not all her Children own her to be the Mother Church? [...]nd therefore

[Page 82]1. Protestants are exhorted to return into the bosom of their mother.

2. All polluted and national Churches in the European Kingdoms sprang from her, as the Churches of France, Spain, Portugal, &c. and do call her Mother.

3. All corruption in Doctrine and Dis­cipline, were bred and brought forth by her, she is certainly the Mother of all these cursed titles, and errors following, viz. Universal, Supream, Infallible Head, Holy Father the Pope, his Holiness, in the abstract—our Lord God the Pope, unerring Church▪ Priestly Absolution, selling Pardons, Indul­gences, Dispensations, adoring the Crucifix, worshiping of Images, Anointing, and sprink­ling of Holy-Water, the adoration of the Mass, nay and the adoring the Devils own Engine, i. e. the Cross or Gibbet whereon the Devils Emissaries killed or crucified the Lord of Life and Glory, for the curse of the Law was▪ to be done away by [...] cursed Death upon a tree, o [...] Gal. 3. 13. which whosoever was hanged▪ the curse of God was upon him; this death the innocent Lamb, Jesus Christ suffered f [...] our sakes, at the hands of wicked Sinne [...] Pilate and the Jews, the Children of the D [...] vil; who used all exquisite torments to mak [...] his death miserable, Crowning him wi [...] [Page 83] Thorns, piercing his Hands, Feet, and Sides with Nails, and a Spear, hanging him on the Tree until he died. And this pretended Tree or Cross, Thorns, and Nails, with other counterfeits of them, this Mother of Harlots, teaches her Children to adore and honour, with as good Ground and Devotion (as one observes) as the Ophites or Serpentories, are said to honour the Serpent the Devils instru­ment, for to bring man to the knowledge of good and evil. And that all the World might take notice, that Rome is the City, where our Lord was crucified, this Mother of Harlots doth proclaim, that the Cross was that Altar, whereon the great Sacrifice Christ▪ was offered: whereas the Scripture teacheth that the bodies of those Beasts whose blood was brought to make reconciliation in the holy place were burnt, without the Host, or Camp of Israel, and not on the Altar which stood before the door of the Tabernacle, ac­cording to which figure Jesus also, that he might sanctifie the people with his own blood, suffered without the Gate of Jerusalem, which was a reproach; yet will these God­eaters, and crucifiers of our blessed Saviour▪ make the cursed Cross, to be the Altar most holy, and so greater than Christ the sa­crifice, as being that which sanctified him, for the Al [...]ar sanctified the offering. And [Page 84] hereupon they call the Cross blessed, and ascribe unto it worthiness to bear the Ta­lent of the World, they account it among the most precious Reliques, and not only the whole, but every piece thereof; they adore it, salute it, pray unto it, and trust there­in for Salvation, crying, Hail, O Cross, our only hope, increase thou to the godly Righteousness, and unto sinners give pardon; save thou the company gathered together in thy praises; yea, the very sign of this Idol made in the Air, upon the forehead, or over any thing is Sacred and Ven [...]rable, and hath force to drive away Devils, and do many like feats: wherefore this abomination hath prevailed above other, and is like Beel [...]ebub Prince of the Devils, the Badg of the Beast, and Cha­racter of Mystery Babylon, Imprinted in Churches, Chappels, Altars, Houses and High ways, in Books, Writings, in Prayers, Sa­craments, in Garments, Bodies and Souls of Men, both Quick and Dead; nay, nothing is well hallowed without it, no Sacrament per­fect without it. And this great honour hath the Cross, because the Devil, and his Instru­ments, Killed or Crucified our Saviour upon it; so that a marvel it is, how Judas lips scaped honour, seeing he also was Satans in­strument, to betray Christ with a kiss, where­fore this Spiritual Egypt, Pseudo Catholick [Page 85] Church, deserveth more toquis nescit Vo­ [...]usi, Bithinice qualia demens Egyptus Pro­tent a colat, &c. J [...]venal sat. 15. be branded by some Satyrist, for worshiping monsters, than the first Egypt, whose less im­piety a Heathen Poet did de­ride.

4. As she is the Mother of Harlots, and Mother of all corrupt Doctrine and Detestable Errors, &c. So also is she Mo­ther of all personal vices, and fleshly abomina­tions, as horrid Oaths and Blasphemies, most astonishing perjury, and subtil equivocation, hypocrisies, uncleannesses, lying, subornations, secret poysonings, stabing, throat-cut­ings, adulteries, covenant-breaking, and what not; are these things allowed amongst Pro­testants? No certainly; yet they are not only allowed by this Whore, but esteemed merito­ [...]ious, if it be done for the good, and promo­ [...]ion of Holy Church; and for these things may she not rightly be called Mystery Baby­lon the great, the mother of Harlots, and A­bominations of the Earth?—Which I shall conclude with this Argument.

Argu. If this name Mystery Babylon the great, the Mother of Harlots, and Abominations of the Earth, in all these respects we have noted, doth not so fully and fitly agree to any People as they do to Rome Papal or Church of Rome, then Rome Papal &c. is Mystery [Page 86] Babylon; but this name Mystery Babylon, the great Mother of Harlots, and Abomina­tions of the Earth, in all these respects noted, does not agree so fitly and fully to any people in the World as to the Church of Rome. Ergo Rome Papal or Church of Rome is Mystery Babylon.

XIII. But further, to put it out of all doubt, who this Whore is, 'tis said she was drunk with Blood; this is another Mark and Character the Holy Ghost hath given to know her by. And I saw a Woman drunk with the Blood of the Saints, and the Blood of the Martyrs of Jesus, and I wondered with great admiration, Rev. 17. 6.

Now if the Church of Rome be guilty here, or hath this black Mark and Character upon her, she is the unhappiest Church and Peo­ple in all the World, and gives cause enough to Angels, as well as to the Apostles and Holy Men to wonder, i. e. to see a Woman pre­tending to be nobly descended, the Daugh­ter of the great King of Heaven and Earth, the only chast Spouse of the Lamb, the Mo­ther of all Peace, Holiness, and Innocency, not only defiled with all those foul and abomina­ble errors, Idolatries, and detestable pollutions, but also guilty of so much Blood of Saints, and of the precious blood of the Martyrs of Jesus, and not only guilty of Blood, but also drunk with Blood, yea drunk with such [Page 87] Blood; but that this the Church of Rome is guilty of nothing is more clear, which indeed gives cause to every good man in the World to abhor her. And that we may make this most evidently to appear,

• 1. Consider what it is to be drunk.
• 2. What things do necessarily contribute to it.
• 3. Shew what the true and proper signs of it are.
• 4. Whether such things can be fixed upon the Church of Rome.

1. To be drunk is to take in excessively any thing as disorders nature in its course and operations; this we take to be a general defi­nition of it, including the proper and meta­phorical notions thereof.

2. Such things as necessarily contribute to it, are,

• (1.) Great and vehement desire or thirst after it.
• (2.) Plenty of the thing thirsted after.
• (3.) The greedy taking their fill of it.

3. The signs of drunkenness, are

• (1.) When the faculties are so disorder­ed, that they will not submit to the best Rea­son that can be given them.
• (2.) When they will abuse those whom they are most obliged to love and respect.
• [Page 88](3.) When they have cast off all consi­derations of their own, and others good, and for bear no mischief but what they are restrain­ed from by force.
• (4.) That these things are evident in the Church of Rome will appear,

1. Because she hath shed a Mass, a very great Mass of Blood of Saints, and of the Mar­tyrs of Jesus; who is able to account the num­bers of them that she hath murthered in all parts of the Christian World, only upon the account of Religion, particularly in Bohemia, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Low Countrys, England, Scot­land and Ireland?

'Tis enough to peirce an heart of Stone to hear of the barbarous crueltys and devilish in­humanities exercised for more than five hun­dred years upon the poor Waldenses and Al­bingenses, by the hands of this Bloody Whore or Romish Harlot, besides the wonderful num­bers and multitudes of them, for according to the account I have met with in History, hun­dreds of Thousands, nay some millions of those Godly Christians were most unhumanely butchered by the bloody Papists, Children Born of her own Body, nay, in every street of this great City, the Blood of the Saints hath run down like a River; were this not notoriously known to the whole World, I [Page 89] could give an account of the vast numbers slain in Bohemia, in France, and in Ireland, of late years, where there were not fewer than two hundred thousand souls sacrificed, to allay the thirst of this Bloudy Whore.

So that it is out of dispute, she hath the first signs of a most filthy, shameless, drunken Strumpet, i. e. she has been excessive in drink­ing of innocent Blood; and 2. Not only so, but she has drunk so much, that she is in­toxicated, and disordered, that she would ne­ver submit to the best reason that could be gi­ven her, for she has been so mad, that none could disswade her from exercising her cruelties (on the Bodies of the Saints, whose Blood she thirst­ed after) in as unhumane a manner as in­carnate Devils could devise; as if to murther them was not sufficient, nor could it satisfie her, but she would have them die many deaths, as hanging by the Feet, by the Hands, by the middle on a Beam, by the Hair of the Head, on Tenters, pouring melted Lead on their Heads, Boiling in Caldrons, rosting alive, and burning alive.

The poor Waldenses living in, and about the valleys of Piedmont, about the year 1560 were most cruelly and barbarously murthered; to allay her excessive thirst, some were stript stark naked and whip'd to death with Rods of Iron, others drawn through the Streets [Page 90] and Burnt with fire brands, some thrown down an high Tower, and some cut in pieces with sharp Knives, fourscore persons had their Throats cut, as Butchers kill their Sheep, threescore Women were so cruelly rackt, that the Cords pierced their Arms and Legs to the Bones, and then being cast into Prison they all died except nine of them; young Vir­gins were Ravished in a Barbarous manner until they died, Children were pull'd alive out of their Mothers Bellies, and the Breasts of many Women cut off, so that the Infants died of Famine; and many other strange kind of tortures, for many years together multi­tudes of those Godly Waldenses indured.

And the Albingenses who professed the same doctrine and principles, were all along in the like or worse sort and manner (if possible) butchered; in the City of Bezier, there were, saith my author, threescore thousand persons slain, the Priests and Fryers going about the Streets in the mean time with Crosses and Ban­ners, and singing, Te Deum Laudamus; in the year 1655 in the Valley of Lucerna and other places, this bloody Strumpet thirsting still af­ter the Blood of the Saints, and like a filthy drunken wretch caused an Edict to be put forth, that such who would not turn Papists within three days, must take what would fol­low, and indeed that was bad enough, as you [Page 91] may see in Sir Samuel Morelands History of that late Persecution, it began Jan. 25. 1655. upon which some Thousands of those poor Souls were forc't to fly for their lives in the depth of Snow, when all the Valleys were covered with Water, there being amongst them some Women with child, others newly delivered, some sick and diseased, Children crying and la­menting, Old Men and Women, some decre­ [...]it leaning on their Staves, all dragged or forc't over the Ice & Snow▪ &c. with bitter tears, sighings, cries, and wringing of hands, beating of Breasts, mourning and complaining of the cruelties of those merciless Papists, but alas so drunk with Blood before, that they like brutes regarded none of their cries, no more than the bleating of Sheep; but this is not all, no sooner that they were forc't from their ha­ [...]itations, but their houses were pillaged, ri­fled, and ransackt of all that was left, and this not sufficient neither, to satisfie their rage and cruel thirst, they fell upon them, putting them to all manner of unhumane and cruel deaths they could devise; so that in a few days they destroyed near thirty thousand Souls in one place, they most cruelly tormented an hun­dred and fifty Women and Children, and afterwards chop'd off the Heads of some, and dash'd out the Brains of others, some had their Feet nail'd to Trees with their Heads down­wards, [Page 92] one antient Woman they ript up alive, putting a sickle into her privy parts, and so slit up her Belly, after which they dragg'd her about, and at last cut off her Head; other Wo­men had their Breasts, Noses, Privities and Hands cut off, and so left miserably to perish; Another they stab'd in the Soles of his Feet, then cut off his Privities and Fry'd them, giving them their comrades to eat as a delicate dish, then they seared his Wounds, with flaming Candles, cut off his Ears, and to [...]e off his Nails with burning Pincers, to make him renounce his Religion. and then ti'd one of his Legs to a Mule, (being yet alive) and drag'd him about the Streets, and after all this, they bound a Cord about his Head, and twisted it with a stick till his Eyes and Brains burst out, and then cast his Body into a River; An Old Woman had her Hands and Nose cut off, and so was left alive, some had their Bodies cut all into pieces, and their limbs strowed in the high-ways, some had their flesh sliced from their Bones, & chop't like min­ced meat; little Infants were thrown down steep Rocks, whereby they were dash'd to pieces Some Children they tore limb from limb before their Parents faces, others they flead off their Skins alive, in another place they took eleven Protestants, and heating a Furnace they forc' [...] them to throw one another into it, till it came [Page 93] to the last, and him they threw in; If these are not signs of one drunk with Blood, I know not what is. But time would fail me to tell you of all the cruel deaths, and sufferings of this poor people, for that it contains a great volume.

In Bohemia, Poland, and Lithuania, the sufferings of the Lords Witnesses were as great, and their cruel usages as Bloody; be­sides, in one or two of those places they began very early, about 977. where my Author says Godly Ministers, and other Pious, Holy, and Godly People suffered such Barbarities, and Inhumanities from this Harlot, that the Ears of a Christian cannot hear, nor his Tongue re­late them, without the greatest abhorrency and indignation; Some of them were Stoned to death, others hanged upon a Beam, with a soft fire made under them were Roasted to Death as well as Hanged, they Hanged one Minister up by the Privy Members being se­venty years old, and burn'd his Books under him; Another they laid on his back, ramming his mouth full of Gunpowder, set Fire to it and so blew his Head all to pieces.

At a Town called Meldorp a Godly Mini­ster was forc't out of his Bed, and to go some Miles on Foot in Frost and Snow, upon the Ice bare-footed and bare-legged, beating, cutting, and slashing him, and pricking him with their Halberts, andat last they cruelly [Page 94] roasted him to death; They yoak'd some Ladies and Gentlewomen together like Beasts, and forc't them into Woods, where they were ravished and abused, and then had their Hair and Ears cut off and disfigured, they forc' [...] some poor Christians to eat their own Excre­ments, and if any refused so to do, they thr [...] them down their Throats, till they were choaked, they cram'd the secret parts of several Women with Gun powder, and setting fire to it most barbarously tore their Bellies and Wombs thereby; Others they hung up by the privy parts; some they plained the faces off with Chisels; others they made [...] put on Boots filled with scalding Oil, and then roasted their legs over a fire; Some men the [...] Gelt in the presents of their Wives and Children; Some had Gags put into their Mouth and then put stinking Water and Piss down their Throats through a Tunnel, till the [...] Bellies swelled like a Tun, whereby they perished in a miserable manner; They sawe off the Legs of some alive; a Godly Minister they bound upon a Table, and placing a C [...] so that she scratcht his Guts out of his Belly with her Teeth and Claws, till he miserable died. In Lithuania 1643. this Whore thirsting still for more Protestant Blood, great slaughter was made without regard to Aged Sex; here many had their Skins flead of [Page 95] whilst they were alive; Others had their Hands and Feet cut off; The Bowels of di­vers were also taken out alive; Others having their Shin-Bones bored through, they poured melted Lead into the wounds of others, whom they had cut in the Head, and other parts of their Bodys; Some had their Eyes pulled out, and multitudes were hanged in di­vers places, nay, and the poor Protestants ac­counted it a mercy and great favour, to be killed outright without any other torment.

Should we come into France, and give an account of the horrid cruelties of this great Whore there, it would, if possible, exceed what you have heard, the Blood of ten thousand this cursed Strumpet has drunk off, (as it were at one draught) there, and not a jot more sa­tisfied than she was before; here they roasted young Children, ravishing Women and Maidens in such a shameless manner, and bar­barously killing them afterwards, that 'tis not fit to be spoken.

A black smith had his Head laid on his own Anvil, and then his Brains beat out with Hammers, also a young Woman was forc't (after they had ravished her) to take hold of a Rapier, wherewith one of the Villains thrusting her Arm, made her kill her own dear husband, some Women with child were rip'd up, and divers buried alive. I migh [Page 96] come to the siege of Rochel, and tell you what misery some thousands suffered by fa­mine; some hundred thousands of poor Pro­testants, have been barbarously murthered by her means in France, and tho of late she hath not put many to death, yet they have exerci­sed all manner of new invented ways to de­stroy their Souls, and the Souls of their Chil­dren too. I might also speak of the Spanish Inquisition and of the hellish torments thereof, as also of the crueltys of this Whore, exercised on the poor Heathen in America by the Spa­niards, where they destroyed more than 20 millions of Souls, as appears by History besides, they put them to all manner of cruel deaths they could devise, but I am weary of relating these dismal stories; besides, they are generally well known, together with the Massacre in Ire­land where no less than the Blood of two hun­dred thousand persons could satisfie the Blood of this craving Locust, and sh'd in as barbarou [...] a manner as you have heard in other places. [...] might also mention the Bloody Persecutio [...] here in England in the reign of Queen Mary [...] wherein many holy and gracious Prelates an [...] People were burned to Ashes, for witnessing to the Truths of Jesus Christ; all which fully shews, that this second mark of drunkenness▪ drunk with Blood of the Saints, and of the Mar­tyrs of Jesus, meets in the Church of Rome.

[Page 97] Thirdly, She has the other mark of drunk­enness upon her also, i. e. she matters not who she abuses, and exercises her cruelties upon; she has sometimes cut off her own dear Children, viz. Roman Catholicks, amongst such she calls Hereticks, as it happened at Be­zier, and other places, crying out, Kill all both Catholicks and Hereticks, saying, the Lord knows who are his; nay, she has made the Wife to kill her Husband, the Husband to murther the Wife, Children to destroy their own dear Parents, and Parents their Children, [...]f these things do not shew she is drunk, drunk with Blood, what can? From whence [...] shall draw this argument and conclude.

Arg. If there be no body of people or com­munity of Christians in the World, who have been guilty of so much Blood, Blood of Saints [...]nd good Men, even so as to be drunk with Blood, as the Church of Rome are; Then [...]he Church of Rome is Mystery Babylon. But there is no people or community of Christians, [...]hat are so guilty, &c. as Rome Papal or Church of Rome is. Ergo the Church of Rome [...] Mystery Babylon.

XIV. Mystery Babylon hath one mark more whereby she may be known, i. e. She [...] said to sit upon a Beast, that hath Se­ven Heads and Ten Horns, the Seven Heads [...]em to signify (as the Angel opens it) seven [Page 98] sorts of soveraign governments as well as hills▪ read the Text, And here is the mind that hat [...] wisdom, the seven Heads are seven Mountains on which the Woman sitteth; And there ar [...] seven Kings, five are fallen, one is and one [...] not yet come, but when he is come, he ma [...] continue a short space; And the Beast that w [...] and is not, even he is the eighth and of the seve [...] and goeth into perdition. Rev. 17. 9, 10, 11▪ Besides all that we have said, it we find n [...] Papal Rome here viz. having this characte [...] upon her, we will acquit her for ever, for t [...] city that is built upon seven Hills is Rome nay, you will find that all Authors do general assert that Rome is the only City in the Wor [...] that is founded on seven Hills, and fame for it by its old Poets (as it is noted by [...] late Annotators) as Ovid, Virgil, Hora [...] Propertius; The names of these Hills a [...] known, viz. Palatinus, Quirinalis, Ave [...] nus, Celius, Veminalis, Esquilinus, Capit [...] nus; But the seven Heads do not only (as [...] said before) signify seven Hills or Mountai [...] but also seven Kings, that is, seven sorts governments, which ruled or were to rule that City where the Beast reigned, that ca [...] ­ried this cursed Harlot (the term Kings, Scripture signifying rulers, whether the government was in a single person, or more, [...] Deut. 33. 5.) Now that Rome hath had Sev [...] [Page 99] sorts of distinct soveraign governments in her, is so notoriously known that the Romanists can't deny it. [...]. Kings (Romulus being the first King,) II. Consuls, III. Tribunes, IV. Decemvirs, V. Dictators, VI. Emperors that were Pagans. VII. Emperors that were Christians, five of these were fallen or gone off the stage before St. John received his Re­velations, the Government of the Pagan Em­perors was in being at that very time the se­venth was to appear and to continue but a short spaco, viz. the Christian Emperors go­vernment; For it cannot be the Papal power for that was not up in St. Johns time so not the sixth Head. And as the Papal power for that reason, could not be the sixth Head, so for a very good reason it could not be the 7th Government, because whensoever that appear­ed it was to continue but a short space; which cannot intend the Papal power, but answer­eth to the Christian Empire, for that govern­ment did continue but a little while compara­tively, but 'tis evident the Papal power has continued longer, than any of the other sove­ [...]ignties▪ ▪that wont before: and if the Papal power be not the sixth Head nor the seventh, then it must needs be the eighth, which is of the seventh and [...]oes into perdition, [...]fe it can't be any power at all of the fourth [...] Ro­man Monarchy; But a power it is, yea, and [Page 100] a great power too of the fourth or Roman Monarchy; And that which carrys the Whore, according to the express letter of the Text, and so acknowledged by the best of exposition, so that in the whole by the Woman, City, or Whore, that sitteth upon the seven Moun­tains, and where there hath been seven seve­ral sorts or forms of Government is meant Rome, there is no cause to doubt, for the great Sons of Rome themselves, as Baronius, Bellar­mine, and many others do confess the same, but would defend their Mother from being Mystery Babylon, by putting it off to Rome­pagan, which we have clearly detected in the first chapter of this treatise; And therefore do affirm that Rome Papal is neither the sixth no [...] seventh sort of government, but is the eighth and of the seventh. The Christian Emperon in an overheated zeal and bounty to the Ro­man Bishops, giving him the advantage by getting that power which through policy and pride he attained to in the end, & so he comes to be the last Beast or eighth Government, in which there is a secular and an Ecclesiastical power, joined together which makes up [...] Beast, a blasphemous Beast (who hath two Horns like a Lamb, which is this twofold power but a mouth like a Dragon) and a Whore, a most devilish drunken and bloody Whore. &c.

[Page 101] Arg. If Rome Papal or Church of Rome, be born up by a secular power which hath had seven soveraign governments in a City, seated upon seven Hills or Mountains, then Rome Papal or Church of Rome is Mystery Ba­bylon the great Whore.

But Rome Papal or Church of Rome, is born up by a secular power, which hath had seven soveraign governments in a City, seat­ed upon seven Hills or Mountains.

Ergo, Rome Papal, &c. is Mystery Babylon.

XV. There is yet one mark or character more of Mystery Babylon; i. e. she is said to be that City that reigned over the Kings of the Earth; and the Woman that thou sawest is that City that reigns over the Kings of the Earth, Rev. 17, 18.

Now that Rome is such a City that since St. Johns time hath for several hundred of years, reigned over the Kings of the Earth is so evident none can deny, nay, and that Rome Papal hath governed a great part of Italy, her self owneth, ever since Constantine who gave it (as she saith) as a Patrimony to St. Peter, and that she hath governed or hath had her Kingdom over Germany, Poland, France, Spain, Portugal, England, Scotland and Ireland, &c. is clear so that their Kings have been governed by her, whom she would they killed, and whom she would they saved [Page 102] alive, whom she willed they worshiped, and so became guilty of drinking the Wine of her fornication; whom she willed they set up, and whom she willed they pulled down, when she willed they raised Arms, and when she willed they laid them down again; what shall we say? The Church of Rome hath had such power over the Kingdoms of Europe, th [...] the power and wills of Princes have been con­trouled and over-ruled, when in any conside­rable case, they have gone contrary to the sense and interest of the Church, and to such a degree, as they have sometimes made th [...] do penance, resign up their Crowns, and receive them again as an act of kindness, that he set them upon their Heads with his Foote such is the Pride and Grandeur of St. Peter Chair. See our first Chapter.

If the Church of Rome is that People, Woman or Church, that above all others in the World, hath reigned over the Kings of the Earth, then Rome Papal is Mystery Babylon.

But the Church of Rome is that People, Woman or Church, that reigns and hath reigned over the Kings of the Earth.

Ergo Rome Papal or Church of Rome Mystery Babylon.

WE having shewed and clearly evinced by an induction of fifteen particu­lars, that Rome Papal is Mystery Babylon the great, the Mother of Harlots and Abomina­tions of the Earth, she having all the marks or characters directly meeting in her, that are by the holy Ghost given of that great Whore; we shall in the next place briefly con­sider, how the acts and progress of the Ro­mish Church, do most fitly and fully comport with other Types, and Prophecies of her in the holy Scripture, and first with literal or Chaldean Babylon, from whence I find most writers conclude, she had the name Babylon, given to her, in respect of the growth, acts and deeds of that old Babylonian Monarchy, which we shall now open and run the paral­lel in divers particulars as followeth.

I. Literal Babylon had a great Head or King ever her, called a Head of Gold, also Lu­cifer or Son of the morning.

[Page 104]So likewise Rome Papal hath a great Head or King over her, called the Universal Bishop, whose power is magnified above the powers of Emperors, and all Kings and Princes of the Earth.

II. Literal Babylon had dominion over ma­ny Countreys or Provinces.

In like manner Rome Papal hath had domi­nion over many Countries or Kingdoms, no less than the Territories or Jurisdictions of ten considerable Kingdoms, called ten Horns, ( [...] we have shewed.)

III. Chaldean or Literal Babylon, fell un­der a four-fold circumstance, in respect of her Supream Head, viz. Nebuchadnezzar. (1.) That he was, when in great Pride he insult­ingly said, Is not this great Babylon that I have built by the might of my power, and for the honour of my Majesty. (2.) He was not, when by the Watchers, and the Holy Ones he was toss'd from his Throne, and made to eat Grass with Oxen till seven times past over him. (3.) Yet he was, When his Reason, and the Hearts of his Nobles, and Glory re­turned to him again. (4.) He went off fi­nally, when God brought the Medes and Per­sians against his Successor, into whose hands the Kingdom was translated.

Rome, or Mystery Babylon, is foretold by the Angel to fall under a four-fold circum­stance [Page 105] also, in respect of the Beast that is said to carry the Whore, and make War with the Saints; and the Beast which thou sawest was, is not, and yet is, and shall go into perdition, Rev. 17. 8. (1.) He was of old in his Pa­gan state, triumphing in great glory and grandeur, but received a wound, yea a dead­ly wound in one of his Heads, viz. in his sixth Head (which was the Pagan power) in Constantine's time, and so he was not. The Christian Emperors having the Government of the Roman Monarch; and to the same pur­pose speak our late Annotators on the 13 chap. of Rev. v. 3. and chap. 17. 8. It must, saith he, be the sixth Head, viz. the Pagan Empe­rors who had that mortal wound, and that wound was the Conquering the Pagan Em­perors, and the abolishing of Paganism and Idolatry, and putting an end or stop to Per­secution, which was done by the seventh Go­vernment, viz. the Christian Emperors, He yet is, i. e. his wound was healed by the rising of the eighth Government which was of the seventh, who appeared in a new dress, viz. a beast with two horns like a lamb but spake like a dragon, which was the Antichristian power or Papal Rome, and more particularly the Pope; time (the best opener of these great Mysteries) has fully discovered these things to [...]. (4.) He shall go into perdition, i. e. be [Page 106] utterly destroyed by the bright appearance of the Lord Jesus, and be cast at last into the botomless Pit after the 42 Months are expi­red; so that in these four respects Chaldean Babylon, it appears, was a lively Type or Fi­gure of Papal Rome, who from hence also shews her self to be Mystery Babylon.

IV. The Chaldean Kingdom or Literal Babylon Invaded Judea, Besieged and took Jeru­salem, and trampled it under foot, &c. Even so in like manner the last Beast, the Pope and Papal power hath Invaded the City of the living God, or true Gospel Church, taking away all her sacred Rights, Laws and Privi­ledges, and not only Besieg'd her, closely Block'd her up, but trampled under foot the Holy City for a long space of time, Rev. 11. [...].

V. Chaldean or Literal Babylon, was a mo [...] lofty, proud and imperious people called the Lady of Kingdoms, and the glory and beauty [...] Excellency, for which God doth severely threaten her, Isa. 13. 19. Behold I am against thee, O thou most proud, saith [...] Lord God of Hosts, &c. Isa. 50. 31.

So in like manner Rome who is Myster Babylon, notwithstanding her horrid crime and most amazing wickednesses, is a v [...] proud and imperious people, exceeding all [...] the Christian World, saying in her Heart, sit a Queen, am no Widow, shall see no sorrow; [Page 107] for which haughtiness and pride the Lord will suddenly remember her with Judg­ments and sore severity, he being now risen up to make Inquisition for Blood, and to a­venge upon her the injury done to Sion, Rev. 18. 7. How much she hath glorified her self and lived deliciously, so much torment and sor­row give her.

VI. Chaldean or Literal Babylon set up Images, and had Idols of Silver and Gold, Wood and Stone, to which they bowed and worshipped, which were also representations of the Gods and Saints whom they adored, to wit, of Bel (which was Jupiter) and Nebo and Succoth berioth, and the like, and such who would not bow down to her Images, she threatned to cast into the Fire, into the burn­ing fiery Furnace, Jer. 5. 30. Jer. 10. 3▪ - 9. Isa. 46. 1. Dan. 3. 6.

Rome in this shews her self to be her Anti­type very plainly, for hath she not ordained to her self Temples, Images of Christ and the Virgin Mary, and other Saints, nay; and not only these but the Crucifix, but especially the great Idol of the Mass? so that whosoever will not own that most ridiculous Idolatry of a piece of Bread consecrated by the foul Mouth and unhallowed Hands of their cursed Priests, to be their God and Saviour, must be burned at a Stake, these Idols they tell us ought to [Page 108] have due honour given to them, because the honour which is given to them is referred to the Prototype whom they do represent, and these abominations she kisseth, as Idolaters of old were wont to kiss the Calves; lighteth Tapers before them as the Literal Babyloniam did Candles before their Images, &c.

VII. Literal Babylon or Chaldea were not only a people of great Pomp, Pride and Cove­tousness, but had also great Riches and Trea­sures. O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is [...]ome, the end of thy Covetousness, Jer. 50. 37. 51. 13.

So in like manner Papal Rome is not only [...] people puft up with pride and vain-glory, but as 'tis said of Mystery Babylon she is very rich, being arrayed with Purple, Scarlet, Gold, Pearl and precious Stones. But she sits also upon many waters; to wit, People, Multi­tudes, Nations and Tongues. But is very co­vetous as well as proud, and full of treasures, for besides the gifts she boasts were first given to her in the time of Constantine the Great, she hath made a prey upon the Nations thro' her fearful covetousness, and not only a prey upon Nations and Kingdoms, but a spoil up­on Saints and Holy Martyrs, and hath had the Gifts of Kings, and vast Revenues setled upon her Orders and Clergy; nay, and she has peeled the people by selling Pardons and [Page 109] Indulgences, and raising Peter-pence, besides vast sums for praying poor Souls out of the scorching flames of Purgatory; nay, so horrid covetous is she, that she is not willing any should go to Heaven without great Gifts of Money to Holy Church; besides, much Mo­ney comes in by tolerating Whores and Whoredoms, (which thing is notoriously known to be done in many Cities of the Pope­dom) by which slights she is grown-so ex­ceeding rich and full of treasure, that she can afford a Golden Cup to present her intoxica­ting Wine in, to be cloth'd (as we said be­fore) with Scarlet, deck'd with Gold, Pearl and precious Stones; yea, she maketh the Merchants of the Earth rich who Trade with her, she doth indeed as fully answer to the Type in this, as Lam. 1. 10. stretching forth her hand upon all the pleasant things of those Countries and Kingdoms where she hath sate as a Queen.

VIII. Literal Babylon made the worst of men among the Nations and Provinces, chief Officers and Rulers, those that were rais'd to Preferment were Enemies to Gods people, and to his ways of worship—Her Adversaries pros­per (that is, the Adversaries of Sion) and are the chief, &c.

This Character hath Rome Papal upon her, for she hath all along made base and vil [...] men [Page 110] Rulers and Chief among the people, not suf­fering any men to bear Office in Kingdom, Cities or Corporations, but such vile time­serving Persons that would Sacrifice all Justice▪ Right and Honesty to her cursed Will and unsatisfied Lust, no nor indeed have so much as a Vote, to chuse Persons to bear Rule i [...] Government, nor comfortably to buy nor [...]ell unless they would relinquish all Goodness and Religion, and receive the Mark of the Beast in their Foreheads or right Hands, viz. pub­lickly to profess, or privately subscribe to [...]ud Injunctions and Commands of the Beast, the against their Consciences, and inconsiste [...] with their Religion. Who can be Cardina [...] unless they do own the Pope? Who can b [...] Kings without being in danger of being depo­sed or poysoned that subscribe not to the S [...] of Rome? Who can sit safe as Governo [...] over Cities, &c. where she sits as Queen Re­gent, without truckling under that Yoak o [...] Subjection which she puts on the Necks of all her Vassals; nay, Pope Martin the Fifth i [...] his Bull added to the Council of Constance ( [...] Pareus tells us) Prohibits all Roman Catho­licks to suffer any Hereticks to have any dwell­ings in their Countries, or to make any Bar­gains, or use any Trades, or to perform to them any Civil Offices, which makes good th [...] word, Rev. 13. 16, 17.

[Page 111]IX. Chaldea or Literal Babylon made the ways of Sion to mourn, hindred men to come to her Solemn Assemblies, made her Ministers to sigh, defiled the godly Women, and ra­vished the Virgins in the Streets of Jerusalem, and burned down the Houses and Dwelling­places of Gods people, starving and famishing of them, and miserably destroyed them by several cruel deaths, hanging their Princes by the Hands, and caused the Faces of their Elders not to be honoured, &c.

Rome Papal, or the Romish Church, in all these things hath exceedingly out-done Literal Babylon, that so she might make it appear she is her direct Antitype, and that they were but her Fore-runners in these respects, for this Mystical Babylon hath with a witness made the ways of Sion to mourn for these twelve hundred years, hindring all she could in every Kingdom from coming to their Solemn Assem­blies, driving them into corners, frightning and dispersing their Auditors by Fines, Impri­sonments, Banishments, and other cruel Usa­ges; pulling down their Churches and pub­lick Meeting-places, causing her faithful Mi­nisters to sigh, and Pastors to mourn, because they might not Preach to their poor afflicted Flocks, and the people grieve, because they could not hear the pleasant voice of their Pas­tors by reason of violence, &c. She hath al­so [Page 112] been guilty of that most horrid cruelty of forcing both Ministers and people from their dwellings, labouring to starve or famish both their Bodies and Souls too, and not contented to burn their Bodies to ashes, but has oft­times burn'd their Houses, Towns and Cities, as Germany hath wofully experienced, and England also, witness the burning of the fa­mous City of London, Southwark, and its ad­jacent places; who knows how many Fires she hath kindled in the space of twenty eight years last past in this Island? And then for ra­vishing godly women and chast Virgins in a beastly manner, she hath imitated old Ba­bylon, nay, far exceeded her, that she might shew to all she was her Antitype in these vil­lanies. They have ravished Women before their Husbands Faces, Maidens before their Parents Faces, as you have heard, openly in the Streets in the sight of the Sun, and then imbruing their barbarous Hands in their Blood, as divers Histories do declare.

X. There is one thing more in Chaldean Babylon in respect of her ruin, which I think not amiss here to add, viz. We find God by the Prophet speaks of her sudden destruction, Jer. 51. 8. Babylon is suddenly fallen, and that also she shall be destroyed by an Army out of the North Countreys, For lo I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an Assem­bly [Page 113] of great Nations from the North Countrey, and they shall set themselves in array against her, from thence she shall be taken, &c. Jer. 50. 9. From hence we may conclude as some, to judge that those people who shall be the Instruments in the Hand of God to destroy Mystery Babylon shall be the people in these Northern Countreys, as Brandenburgh, Sweed­land, Denmark, the United Provinces; to­gether with England, Scotland and Ireland; and it may be hoped the people of these Na­tions and Kingdoms, (some of which were always accounted as Horns of the Beasts) do already begin to hate her, and are preparing War against her, and that from hence her ruin shall suddenly come; and it may be a just and righteous thing with God thus to or­der the matter, since she hath such an Impla­cable hatred of these Northern parts, because of that which she calls the Northern Heresie, and hath of late without all doubt, designed and secretly resolved utterly to destroy these Protestant Countries, and to make these King­doms and States desolate, but God hath, and will put it into their Hearts to agree and ful­fil his will, i. e. Hate the Where, and make her desolate, eat her Flesh, and burn her with Fire, Rev. 17. 16. and so avenge the righ­ [...]eous Blood she has publickly and secretly poured out like water; nay, I am very con­fident [Page 114] a very short time will make this thing to appear, and it shall as fully be made good in the Antitype as it was in Type, concerning the Medes, &c. Nor shall they do it alone, I mean the common people of these Countreys, with their heads and renowned Heroes, but Gods choice and beloved ones in these Nations shall joyn in with them, and so fulfil also what is said in Jer. 51. 20, 21. Rev. 18. Thou art my Battle Ax, with thee will I break in pieces the Nations, and with thee will I destroy King­doms, &c. Come out of her my people, reward her as she hath rewarded you, double upon her, &c.

XI. Chaldea or Literal Babylon, car­ried away into captivity Judea, and the In­habitants of Jerusalem, or the Church and People of God, and there held them for the space of seventy years, a prefixt time by the Almighty, and when that set time was come to an end, the Lord brought them back, and caused Cyrus to make Proclamation f [...] the rebuilding the Temple and Holy City Ezra 1. 1. 2. So likewise hath Papal Rom [...] captivated the true Israel and holy people [...] God, and held them also under sore oppress [...] on and persecution, for the space of 126 [...] years, a set time also prefixt by the Lord, a [...] when that time is expired, (to which Peri [...] 'tis hoped we are arrived) the Israel of G [...] [Page 115] shall be delivered, and our captivity shall be returned, but as they gradually returned out of the Literal captivity, so shall the Lords peo­ple out of their Spiritual captivity; and as it was said of them, When God brought back at first the captivity of Sion, they were as those who dreamed, Psal. 126. 1. So likewise are we at this very time, under this most amaz­ing providence of God, who hath begun to deliver us from the cursed yoak of Mystery Babylon; and now also you shall see, I doubt not, Liberty proclaimed (as it were) for the rebuilding of the holy Temple the second time, the work having been obstructed by those Sa [...]ballts and Tobiahs of our times, and the work shall go on in the hands of our re­nowned Zerubbabel, and that not so much by might nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord, Zech. 4. 6, 7. and the great Mountain on the other side of the Flood shall become a plain.

XII. Literal Babylon or the Chaldean Monarchy, was brought down not only sud­denly, but with great vengeance which they could not avoid by all their craft, subtilty, nor strength, and also in such an hour as they little thought of, when Belshazzar was feast­ing with his Concubines, and drinking Wine in Bowls and Vessels, taken out of the Temple which was at Jerusalem, Dan. 3. 1, 2, 3. prais­ing the Gods of Gold and Silver, of Brass, [Page 116] Iron, Wood and of Stone, doubtless they thought themselves very safe, and little dream­ed of their sudden overthrow, till the han [...] writing came out of the Wall,—The sa [...] night w [...] Belshazzar the King and the Chal­deans slain, and Darius the Median took t [...] Kingdom, &c. Dan. 3. 31.

So in like manner shall Rome or Mystery Babylon, not only suddenly in one hour com [...] down, but with great vengeance, which s [...] shall not be able to avoid, nor put off with [...] her craft, subtilty nor strength, but as a mil▪stone is cast into the Sea, so with violence sh [...] the great City Babylon be thrown down, a [...] shall be found no more at all, Rev. 18. 2 [...] and that too when she thinks her self safe an [...] secure, and seems to fear no danger, but sai [...] in her Heart, I sit a Queen, shall see no so [...]ro [...] nor know loss of Children, nor Widdow-hood [...] more. And somewhat like this sudden fall, can't but think we have seen of late, (in [...] ▪pect of Babylons fall) in England,▪ the te [...] part of that great City, and as suddenly [...] may hope it will come upon her in ot [...] places in due time.

SOme will have this little Horn to be An­tiochus Epiphanes, others Julius Caesar, others the Turks. I suppose Antiochus Epi­ [...]ha [...]es might be a type of this little Horn, for it could not, be Antiochus, because he rose up [...]nder the Grec [...]an Monarchy, whereas this is [...]id directly to rise up under the fourth Mo­ [...]archy, or when the Roman Empire stood [...]pon his last Legs.

[...] For concerning this little Horn: read [...] Text Dan. 7. 7, 8. After this I saw in [...]he night Vision, and behold a fourth Beast, readful and terrible, &c▪ v. 8. I considered [...]e Horns, and behold there came up among [...]em another little Horn, before whom there [Page 118] was three of the first Horns, pluckt up by the Roots, and behold in this Horn were Eyes, like the Eyes of Man, and a Mouth speaking great things. And so the Popes of Rome were kept under by the Emperors, who kept a strict Eye over them, curb'd their insolencies, and ex­orbitances, and at the first appearance nipping their aspiring projects in the very bud; Sometimes deposing and banishing some proud Prelates, when they shewed at what they le­velled their designs. But after the power of Rome, which before was in tire in one Empe­ror, fell into ten parts and divisions, which hap­pened in or about the year of our Lord, 456▪ as Du Moulin, and the learned Mede shew [...] large, out of the Roman Histories, upon th [...] division and Weakening of the Empire, th [...] Bishop of Rome took his Advantage to ma [...] his advance, and rose up to regal power, enact­ing Laws, raising Taxes, and levying Souldiers; By which means he struck in wit [...] partys, and encroached▪ upon Italy, and the parts adjacent.

2. This power arising upon the weaken­ing and division of the old▪ State of the fourth Monarchy or Kingdom, is called a little Horn, because truely so at its first beginning Dan. 7. 8. And behold, there came up among them another little Horn &c. The Pap [...] power, or Bishop of Rome, before this divi­sion, [Page 119] was but low and small, being confined to his Episcopal power over the Church, till by his Arts he had got up gradually to the Regal Seat, and power of the Temporal Sword, which he managed with so much Craft and Policy, that afterwards he enlarg­ed his Dominions; but is very rightfully in his Infancy stiled a little Prince, Power, or Horn, arising up amongst, or after the rest, which began presently after the death of Ju­lian about the year 365, in which time was a most fearful Earthquake, the like never known before, betokening the decay of the fourth Kingdom, in its Civil State or Power by a division or falling of Nations, who set themselves against the power of Rome, and harassed, wasted and destroyed the Provinces thereof for near forty five years together. See Mede lib. 3. pag. 659.

3. This little Horn, after his rise to Temporal Power, plucks up three of the ten Horns by the Roots, Dan. 7. 8. Be­fore whom there were three of the first Horns plucked up by the Roots. The Papal Rome having gained the Temporal Sword, tho▪ but a little Horn at his beginning; did practise and prosper so, that betwixt the year 365 and the year 456, or soon after, when Rome was sack'd by Gensericus, he gained such en­largments, that he came to possess about three [Page 120] parts of ten, of the former or old Roman do­minions, according to the rule or measure of the Compass, as we find in Mr. Mede, Lib. 3. p. 658. and famous Du Moulin ubi supra, upon which three characters of the little Horn, we frame this short argument. If the Pope of Rome did rise to Temporal Power, upon the weakening of Caesarean Dominion (which before did hinder him in his aspiring usurpa­tion) was but little in his first rise and appear­ance, did enlarge and grow to a possession of power, about a third part of the old Roman Do­minion; Then the Pope of Rome is the little Horn, the wicked power, and vile person s [...] forth by the Prophet Daniel. But the an [...] ­cedent is true.—Ergo, so is the consequent▪

4. This little Horn hath Eyes like the Eyes of a Man, &c.—The Pope of Rom [...] hath Eyes like the Eyes of a Man, i. e. the re­semblance of a humane look, but a Heart lik [...] the Dragon, out of which foul mouth he ut­ters presumptuous things. His predecesson had Eyes like a Leopard, a Bear, a Lion, [...] Dragon; But his high Eyes like a Man, [...] which there are three things to be note [...] (1.) He looks higher. (2.) Sees further and (3.) Is more enticing than those th [...] went before him. (1.) He looks higher that is, makes pretence of Prety, and desig [...] for Heaven. (2.) Sees further, that De [Page 121] ceit, Flattery and Policy, will do more than strength. (3.) Is more inticing to Kings and People, than the Eyes of a Leopard, Lion, or Dragon, or the former powers in their Heathenish State.

5. This little Horn hath a Mouth speak­ing great or presumptuous things, above the rate of ordinary men. Dan. 7. 8. The Pope of Rome hath a Mouth speaking great or presumptuous things above the or­dinary rate of men. This is evident in ma­ny respects, of which we shall give you but a few instances out of many. (1.) That he is (he says) the highest Deputy of God, above all the Kings of the Earth. (2.) That he is infallible and cannot err, which is an incom­municable attribute of the most high. (3.) That he is universal Head and Bishop of the Catholick Church. (4.) He assumes the attributes of his Holiness and holy Father; such an oracle, that has right or power to give Laws to the World, to which all ought [...]o subscribe and yield obedience, and none [...]ught to dispute; greater and more loftily [...]an no man speak, unless he will say, I am [...]he supreme Being, and there is no God in Heaven or Earth above my self; which would [...]e so highly ridiculous that every Idiot would be able to detect it.

6. The little Horn had his looks more [Page 122] stout than his fellows, Dan. 7. 20. whose looks were [...]ore stout, &c. The Pope of Rome has looks more stout than the Horns that have been contemporary with him; which appears in three things. (1.) In his terrible Bull [...] that he makes to roar and stare most dread­fully. (2.) In his power and acts of depo­sing Princes. (3.) In asserting himself to be Gods Vicegerent, against whom no person, upon any cause or pretence whatsoever, ought to lift up hand or tongue upon the penalty of a total ruine in this World, and an eternal ruin in the World to come.

7. The little Horn makes War with the Saints▪ Dan. 7. 21. I beheld, and the same Horn made War with the Saints, and prevailed a­gainst them, and for a long time, even to the wearing out of the poor Saints of the most high▪ v 25. The Pope of Rome hath made Wa [...] with the Saints, and prevailed against them, and that to their ruine, as to Liberty, Estate▪ and even Life it self: as the true Witnesses of Christ have most sadly experienced in many Countrys, in divers by past ages, even for such a series of time, that may be properly called a wearing out of the Saints of the mo [...] High.: for his cruelty ended not in a month or a year, but hath lasted for many hundred years: so that for length of time, number [...] of Countrys and multitudes of Persons, there [Page 123] is no Power that ever reigned, hath out-done or equalized this vile and bloudy Monster; upon which we frame this Argument.

If the Pope of Rome may be more fitly said to have Eyes like the Eyes of a Man, a Mouth speaking presumptuous things, and looks more stout than his fellows; to have made War with the Saints, to have prevailed against them, and worn them out, more than any o­ther power that ever yet reigned; Then he is the little Horn, or vile person, under consi­deration.

But the former is true.—Ergo, so is the latter.

8. The little Horn is diverse from the rest of the Horns▪ Dan. 7. 24. And he shall be di­verse from the first, and shall subdue three Kings. The Pope of Rome is diverse from the rest of the Potentates, in these four respects, (1.) The manner of his rise, (2.) His pretentions to power. (3.) In his progress to his height of dignity. (4.) In his management of the power he has usurped. (1.) He was small or little in his rise, but an ordinary Bi­shop, before he came to be a Temporal Prince. (2.) He pretends not to hold his Kingdom by Inheritance, or gift of the people, as o­ther Kings do, but by a special and divine Patent. (3.) In his progress to the height of his dignity, by leaving his fixed station, [Page 124] as pastor of a Church, and by Deceit, Trea­son, and Violation of all Laws, mounts the Throne of imperial grandure. (4.) He rules by a supreme ecclesiastical power, as well as temporal; pretends to the Keys of Heaven, as well as the Sword of Justice on Earth, shewing himself to be the Beast that hath two Horns like a Lamb, spoken of Rev. 13. 11.

9. This little Horn hath so many marks upon him, that they are too numerous to han­dle distinctly after our usual methods; and therfore we shall put the remaining part into a General rank and conclude this subject. The Pope of Rome hath so many marks or cha­racters upon him, that are too numerous to be handled distinctly in a little room; and there­fore we shall but touch upon them so far as they shew the Text made good, and form an Idea of truth in the minds of men.

(1.) He must change times and laws, (2.) Continue a long a space of time. (3.) He is a vile person. (4.) Had not the honour he hathDan. 11. 21. fairly given him, either by God or man, but gained it by flattery. (5.) Removed the proceeding by the Arms of a flood. (6.) He became strong by a small people. (7.)ver. 22. He shall have power over the [Page 125] fattest places of the Provinces, and there scat­ter his Riches. (8.) Such as do wickedly a­gainst Religion, he shall accept. (9) Un­der him the Saints fall by capti­vityver. 23. and spoil, by sword and flame many days. (10.) Shall do accord­ing to his own Will, not accounting him­self tied to any Laws. (11.) He shall ex­alt himself above every God, and speak marvellous things a­gainstDan. 11. 35. the God of Gods. (12.) Shall not regard the God of his ancestors, (13.) Nor the desire of Wedlock. (14) Nor any God in a pious way. (15.) Shall give honour to them that have armed forces. (16.) Shall own a strange God with splen­did Ceremonies, Dan. 11. 38.

1. The Pope of Rome hath changed times and laws in two respects. 1. He hath set up and pluckt down Kings, which is called a Changing of times and seasons, Dan. 2. 21.

2. He has made strange alterations of the Laws, Orders, and Institutions used in the Church, in respect of Officers, administrations of Sacraments, and celebration of days. 2. Hath continued above twelve hundred years. 3. He is as vile a person as any in the World, tolerates all kind of wickedness, by his Dispen­sations, Pardons, &c. 4. Had his exaltation neither by Inheritance, lawful conquest, nor [Page 126] rightful gift from rightful donators. 5. He had the help of Phocas, to kill the Emperor, Mauritius; and by the help of Gothes and Vandals enlarged his power. 6. Became strong by a small People, having only a de­clining Church, and apostate Christians to assist him. 7. He hath power over Italy, which is reputed to be the Garden of Europe, &c. 8. He accepted, entertained, and encou­raged the people of any nation, that would turn wicked, and sacrifice all Prety and Reli­gion, to serve his Interest. 9. Under him the Saints have fallen, by flames, captivity, and spoil, many days. 10. He hath done according to his own will, and doth not look upon any Laws to be obligatory to him, ei­ther from God or men. 11. He (the Pope) hath exalted himself above every God, (that is, such that are so accounted amongst men, or Gods on Earth) by excommunicating, de­posing, treading upon their Necks, and kick­ing off their Crowns; by his Blasphemous Edicts and Injunctions he exalts himself above God himself, and his written Laws, &c, 12. He doth not regard the God of his Ancestors, either the Idols of the Emperors, or the God of the good Bishops that went before him▪ 13. He hath been remote from the desire of Women in a lawful way, nay, and frights his Clergy from it too, who are made uncapa­ble [Page 127] of Spiritual promotion, and censured as heinous transgressors, if married. 14. He hath not regarded in a pious way any God; for tho' he doth name the true God often, and in words profess him, yet in works he doth de­fie him, and profane his holy name. 15. He gives honour to them who have armed Forces, and lends them assistance to carry on his black diabolical designs. 16. He hath own­ed a strange God; a mark compleatly made up in the Mass, which is adored with splendid Ceremonies. 17. The people of the Saints, 'tis said, shall take away his power to con­sume and destroy it, to the end; i. e. the Lords people in their representatives, shall take away the Papal power, &c. and is it not done in part already here in England? upon all we may frame this Argument.

If all these characters meet no where so clear and evident as upon the Pope of Rome; then the Pope of Rome is the little Horn, and vile person, set forth in the Book of Daniel.

But all the aforesaid characters meet no where so clear and evident, as upon the Pope of Rome, &c. Therefore the Pope is that little Horn.

FIrst, The Lord Jesus foretold that Ene­mies should come in his name and de­ceive many, and that they should appear in Sheeps clothing, and under that Vizard hide their devouring Teeth; see his words, Mat. 13. 15. Beware of false Prophets which come to you in Sheeps clothing, but inwardly are ra­vening Wolves; that is, have a design to de­stroy.

Now 'tis most evident that the Popes of Rome, and their long Succession have thus (especially at first appeared) i e. in Sheeps clothing, covering their hellish designs un­der the name of Christ, Vicar of Christ, an Apostolical Bishop, &c. the true Church, holy [Page 129] Church, and Christian Religion, but with an intent hereby to deceive, for all their pre­tences of Jesus Christ's being the truth, Christ hath been but as a Vizard to hide their wolv­ish nature and devouring teeth, for whilst they under the notion of Christianity hide them­selves, they have carried on most pernicious and destructive designs, and that in these three respects following; viz. (1.) If there have appeared any Kings or Queens in the Christian World, that have been piously in­clined, they have forth with endeavoured to pervert them by their Diabolical Doctrine, oft destroying them with their holy Poyson. (2.) If any Ministers, or Men of Parts and Piety have risen up to set forth Gods holy truth, and so bless the dark World with Gos­pel Light and Saving Doctrine, they have either choaked them with Gifts and Prefer­ments, or affrighted them by dreadful fears, or by a ravenous thirsting after their Blood, and have most wickedly and treacherously de­stroyed their lives by cruel torments. (3.) If collective Bodies of pious Congregations of Saints or good Men, have sprung forth in the World, they have followed them like Blood­hounds, and devouring Wolves, with Fire and Sword, fearful Massacres, Devastations, Murthers and Slaughters, till they have spoil­ed them, torn in pieces, and devoured them: [Page 130] Compleatly fulfilling the Prediction of Christ and that of the Apostle, Acts 20. 29, 30. For I know this, that after my departure, shall grie­vous Wolves enter in amongst you, not sparing the flock: Also of your own selves shall men a­rise, speaking perverse things, to draw the Dis­ciples after them; who can this Prophecy so exactly agree to as the bloody Popes, who at first arose out of the Church, and acted the part of Wolves to purpose, as hath been hint­ed.

II. 'Tis also evident that all the marks of the Man of Sin spoken of by St. Paul, 2 Thes. 2. 3. do agree exactly to the Pope and the Romish Church.

1. As first he was to rise after there came a falling away from the Primitive Faith; see his words,—That day shall not come except there come a falling away first, and that Ma [...] of Sin be revealed, &c.

This cannot mean a particular falling away, (as our worthy Writers have shewed) but a general Apostacy of the Church, from the Holy and Apostolical Doctrine and Disciplin [...] of the Gospel, or such a falling away that should be obvious and visible to all; that should not fall out in a corner, or among [...] a few private Christians, because 'tis laid dow [...] as a general Rule, whereby the Saints in general might know and judge of the Revela­tion [Page 131] of Antichrist, or Man of Sin. And now 'tis well known that there happened this fall­ing away or general Apostacy three or four hundred years after Christ, out of which (and soon after which falling away) he Pope shew­ed himself to be this Man of Sin, nor did he arise till that Apostacy happened in the World.

2. Another mark he hath is this,—i. e. He shall exalt himself above all that is called God, &c. viz. Magistrates and Rulers, as Kings and Emperors, for these are called Gods; I said, Ye are Gods, &c. There are Gods many, &c.

This mark meets directly in the Pope or Popes of Rome, he exalts himself above all and every one of these who are called Gods. 1. He has assumed a Name above them. 2. greater power than they, in that he pretends to give them their Crowns, and not only so, but has power to excommunicate them, nay and depose and devest them of their Regal power as he pleases, and also in his disposing of Kingdoms, yea, making Emperors wait a [...] his Gate, hold his Stirrup, prostrate themselves to kiss his Toe, and then to tread upon their Necks as Alexander the Third did to Frede­rick Barbaross—And this is allowed and justi­fied by the Doctors of the Romish Church. And Bellarm. de Rom. Pont. lib. 5. c. 8. give [...] [Page 132] [...] as a reason why the Pope would not come to the Council of Nice, lest if the Emperor should come thither, he should attempt to sit above him, so that by these two words in the Text, the Apostle describes him, both in his Enmity and Pride, Opposition and Exaltati­on. For observe first, he assumeth to him­self an higher power than those that are called Gods; theirs is Humane, his is Divine; theirs on the Bodies or Estates of Men, his over the Conscience; theirs to the living, his to Mens Souls after death.

3. The Man of Sin, 'tis said by the Apostle, shall also exalt himself above all that's call'd God, or that is worshipped as God, sitting in the Tem­ple of God, shewing himself to be God, verse 4.

Even so the Pope makes himself like God, and as God, as the King of Babylon of old said, I will be like the most High, Isa. 14. 14. And as Gods place of residence of old was said to be in the Temple of Jerusalem, so he as God sitteth in the Temple of God, not in the Material Temple, but in the Spiritual Tem­ple, i. e. the Church of God which is so cal­led; the Apostle speaks of him as a Bishop who had a Seat, and the Popish Writers give the Pope that, and such like Titles.

Dominus Deus noster Papa, idem est Domi­nium Dei & Papa, tu es alter deus in terra. [Page 133] Council Later. Sess. 4. Thou art another God on Earth. And as God he maketh Laws to bind the Conscience, and dispenses with Laws both Natural and Moral, and pardons sins as he pleases, past, present, and to come, can deliver Souls out of Purgatory, and translate them to Heaven; so that this Man of Sin is not to be looked for amongst the Turks, Pa­gans or Infidels, he sitteth in the Temple, the Church of God; not that it can be the true Church, where he sitteth and acteth, but ra­ther the Synagogue of Satan: But that which he calleth so, and which bears that name, and also was really so before the falling away, when he first got up. He also exalteth him­self above God, when he makes the Scrip­tures to derive their Authority more from the Popes Canonizing than God himself, and without it no Man is bound to believe them, [...]it. 2. 23. Again, if the Pope should err by commanding Vice, and forbidding Vertue, the Church is bound to believe Vice is good and Vertue to be evil, Bellarm. lib. 4. de summ. pont. c. 5. Besides he can forgive sins tho' the evil habits be not changed, what is all this then to make himself God, and to exalt himself above God? &c.

4. The Man of Sin 'tis said could not get up until that which then, i. e. in the Apostles days did let, was taken away. For the My­stery [Page 134] of iniquity doth already work, only he we now letteth, will lett until he be taken away, verse 7. which was the Heathen Emperon Government, or sixth Head of the Beast.

This also shews the Pope to be the Man of Sin, for he rose to his glory and wicked gran­deur not till the sixth Head or Pagan power was gone or taken out of the way, for tho' the Mystery of iniquity did work gradually, and corruptions crept into the Church early, yet did he not appear till after the Christian Emperors had made way for him; hence he i [...] said to be an eighth, and of the seventh.

III. There is another Prophesie concern­ing this cursed Antichristian state, it is i [...] 1 Tim. 4. 1, 2, 3. Now the Spirit speaked expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the Faith, giving heed to seducing Spirit and Doctrine of Devils.

No doubt but Rome is concerned in the place, for either by Doctrine of Devils are meant such Doctrines that are brought i [...] by the power and influence of the Devil or De­vilish Doctrines, or else the Doctrine of Da­mons, the Apostle hereby signifying that is the latter times, that is, after the general Apo­stacy, the Man of Sin, or Papal Rome should bring in the Doctrine of the Pagans concern­ing Daemons, which were lookt upon by them to be an inferior sort of Gods, a kind [...] [Page 135] middle Beings between their highest Gods and Men, whose Office was to be Advocates or Mediators between Men and the highest Gods, because they judged it was not lawful for Men to come to the highest Gods immedi­ately, and these they worshipped by Images.

Even so the Papists or Mystery Babylon hath divos and divas, Saints of all sorts whom she hath Canonized, to be called upon in her pub­lick Prayers, Altars and Feast days dedicated and kept unto their memory, and many other Honours, acknowledging them to be Media­tors between God and Men, and unto these Daemons or petty Gods she makes her Prayers, and hath their Images, and to whom they do divine Homage like as did the Pagans of old.

HAving clearly demonstrated that the Church of Rome is that great Whore Mystery Babylon, [Page 136] It may not be amiss before we conclude this [...] Treatise, to give you some account concerning her full and final overthrow, which hath been for [...] long time the expectation of Gods people, and mul­titudes of Prayers have and still do go up to Hea­ven, for the accomplishment thereof; and reason there is for it, considering what a Plague she hath been to the World and Church of God for so many hundred of years, and certainly God will at la [...] hear that mighty cry of Prayer, and of innocen [...] Blood that continually is in his Ears, and since the Death, Resurrection and Ascention of the Wit­nesses (if rightly understood) gives such clear light as touching the fall of Babylon, we shall give you some brief hints concerning this important and weighty point. The Beast is to continue for the space of forty two Months, and the Witnesses are to Prophesie in Sackcloth for the space of 1260 days, which most Writers conclude to be one and the same term of time, and that by days is meant yea [...] all generally conclude; and the long continuance of the Beast and Papal power clearly shew, that to be the mind of Gods Spirit in those Mystical numbers Yet a late Worthy and Learned Writer hath said a great-deal to prove the forty two Months are to be reckoned by the Moon, and not by the Sun; and if so, then as he shews the time of the Witnesses wear­ing Sackcloth is thirty eight years longer than the forty two months, but yet are to terminate toge­ther, he concluding the Witnesses put on their Sackcloth so many years before the beginning or Epoch of the forty two Months. See his Book inti­tuled, The command of God to his people to come out if Babylon. Moreover he saith, the time, Epoch or beginning of the forty two Months must be fixed at the cessation of the seventh sort of Government, or Christian Emperors Reign, which, saith he, was [Page 137] in the year 475. and the whole time of the Beasts Reign and Tyranny being but forty two Months, which by the Moon he accounts to be just 1222 years, the period of which will be, saith he, in 1697. And this we will say, he hath doubtless fix­ed the Epoch or beginning of the Beasts Kingdom more fairly than many Writers before him have done, because all along where the Reign of one Head or Government ended the other begun, as 'tis said, (you know) the King never dies. Take his own words, p. 25.

I do commend the ingenious Reader to the Book it self.

Now if this be true or can be granted we are very near the final ruin of the Papistry, nay, and from divers other authors, most or all that I have met with, agree it will be in this very age; Peter du Moulin a wise and renowned French Authour, in his book intituled the accomplishment of the Prophecy, saith, from the year 1689. Popery shall fall and go down, but all conclude that the tenth part of this great Ci­ty falls first, and I doubt not but the providence of God hath brought us forth in the time of the accom­plishment [Page 138] of that part of the Prophecy, for that great Brittain is that part of the great City, I see no cause to doubt, and that also the witnesses are risen, or arising, and will soon be upon their feet, is the thoughts of several worthy men, but I being limi­ted to the number of Sheets cannot inlarge as I would do, therefore we shall

• 1. Briefly give you our understanding, who the t [...] witnesses are, in which we agree and accord with s [...]v [...]i [...] learned men.
• 2. What is meant by the slaying of the witnesses.
• 3. Also some probable conjectures concerning the ti [...] when slain, as also of their Resurrection, standing [...] their feet and ascention.

1. 'Tis not unknown to the Judicious Reader what different sentiments there have been about who or what the two witnesses are, some thinking they are the Old and New Testament, others Ma­gistracy and Ministry, others two sorts of Godly Churches, some have thought them to be Moses and Elias, who tho, along time since are glorified in Heaven, yet shall come again and be killed on Earth (which is the most improbable of any of the other [...] yet the Papist writers and some others of late time [...] have asserted this.

But we Judge by them are meant Gods faithf [...] people, called two witnesses, because of the sma [...] ness of their number, who have born witness to the truths of Christ, all the time of Antichri [...] reign, or else called two as comprehending both Ministers, (who are more directly intended) and people; also they may be called two, (as so [...] think) in respect of their twofold Testimony to [...] true Gospel Ministry and Magistracy; and this th [...] conclude because called also two Candlesticks, & [...] alluding to those two Sons of Oyl, i. e. [...] and Zerubbabel; 'tis evident God calls his people [Page 139] especially his faithful Ministers his witnesses, Ye are [...] witnesses, saith the Lord, Isa. 44. 8. and saith Christ, [...] shall be witnesses unto me, Act. [...]. 8. and Act. 5. 32. We are his witnesses, &c. also called two, because two [...] the number which God ordained, as sufficient to establish a Truth by; as much as to say God hath [...]ad sufficient witnesses to bear a testimony to his Word and Gospel, in every age against Antichrist, his abominable lies, usurpation and cursed Idola­try.

2. As touching the slaying of them, it must either intend a natural Death, or external slaying, or else [...] civil death; now I see no ground to conclude the former, because they were so killed all along whilst they Prophecied in sack-cloath, besides, friends nor enemies would not suffer their Dead Bodies, to lie [...]buried in the Street for the space of three years and half, for the best of expositors conclude gene­rally, that is the time meant by three days and a half, therefore it must be a civil Death or slaying.

This then I conclude to be intended, viz. near the end of the two and forty months, or 1260. years of their Prophecy the Beast who rose out of the bot­tomless Pit, shall make a new rally or attempt up­on Gods faithful people, quite to extinguish or put [...]n end to their testimony, and so far prevail as they shall be lookt upon as dead in Law, or be account­ed as dead and lost people, in the eye of the Ene­my, and in their own sight also, both in respect of the Ministry and Magistracy too. To this effect also Dr. Tho. Goodwin speaks, p. 154, 155. ‘This killing them considered as witnesses, not as men, that is, a tak­ing away of all power from them, of prophecy­ing as they were wont, a general silencing of Mi­nisters, and deposing Magistrates and men of worth, that profess and uphold Religion, &c. putting them out from all places, &c.’ That the Po­pish [Page 140] party should again arrive to such [...] in some one or more Kingdoms, that were formerly a Horn, or Horns of the Beast, or one [...] the Streets of the great City; nay, and prevail [...] far, as to have great hopes to work the utter [...] of Gods faithful people and witnesses, as to rejoy [...] and conclude the day will, nay is their own, [...] that to such a degree that she viz. Mystery Babyl [...] shall say in her Heart, I sit a Queen, and shall see [...] sorrow, nor know less of Children any more. ‘This [...] ing dead, saith the Dr. here of the witnesses, [...] needs be taken metaphorically, and underst [...] of a civil death, and of a suppression of them, [...] their cause, And as they are witnesses to be put do [...] and extinguished that they for a time remain [...] men dead laid forth by the Walls for dead, and [...] men in whose Testimony, there is in appear [...] no likelyhood of a revival, their Enemies has [...] now got such power over them; this certai [...] made the great matter of their Enemies rejoyc [...] that as the Pharisees thought they had Christ [...] enough, when they got him condemned and cr [...] cified, and had him in the grave: so these Ene­mies shall think they have the witnesses do [...] sure enough for ever; so great, desperate, [...] helpless in all view, will the suppression of [...] witnesses be by their Enemies. And this is principally intended in their being said to lie [...] And oppositely, the revival of them, and the cause, is set forth by a resurrection from the de [...]’ this great man hath given such an account of [...] slaying and lying dead of the Witnesses that cann [...] I think, be gainsayed, and speaks (tho' so ma [...] years ago) as if he had lived to see what our E [...] have beheld actually accomplished in this Kingdom in a few years last past; time is the only opener [...] interpreter of these Mysteries; was there ever s [...] [Page 141] [...]n hour upon the Lords people since the beginning of the Reformation, as hath been in these five or six years last past, both here and in France; if he is right, certainly we have seen the death of Gods witnesses; [...]nd with this doth a worthy, pious and learned friend [...]gree in a late manuscript which is come to my [...]and, and also in his said Papers he speaks of that [...]treet in which they are said to lye as dead, and al­ [...]o of the Resurrection of them as already, tho' but [...]ately come to pass, yet with that care and caution, that 'tis left to the consideration of the wise and thinking Christian, for too great confidence in matters of this nature is not necessary.

‘In answer whereunto he saith it ought to be duely considered, that the death, and resurrection of the witnesses spoken of Rev. 11. must have of necessity a peculiar reference unto one of the Streets only of the great City, for so the Text ex­presly tells us, their dead bodies shall lye in the Street,’ (or in that Street of the great City,) v. 8. which [...]eems plainly to point unto some one principal Street or part of the Roman Jurisdiction which must needs denote such a Street as where there shall be the greatest number of the most eminent and faithful witnesses of Christ, even are such who have born the clearest testimony against the suppersti­ [...]ions, and abominations of the Mystery of iniqui­ [...]y, and that have born the clearest testimony, [Page 142] concerning Christ and the Gospel, in the due exer­cise, and administration of the Kingly, Priestly, and Prophetical offices of the Lord Jesus, for a [...] reference hereunto it is that Christ values natio [...] and Kingdoms not in respect of their opulency, [...] greatness, or vastness of dominions, but where there are the greatest numbers of his chosen Jewels▪ this may serve to Answer clavis Apoc. in asserti [...] Germany to be this Street; also our French Autho [...] concerning the Kingdom of France; some one Street we see by the plain words of the text is designed [...] the scene where this glorious Prophesie was to b [...] accomplished; (for the work must begin some where; And what that Street should be, but th [...] Kingdom of Great Brittain we see no cause to doubt which all acknowledge to have been once, one [...] the ten Horns of the Beast, and where also I thi [...] we may modestly affirm, there are the greatest num­ber of Christs most enlightned & faithful Witnesses I will not determine, but I suppose there are f [...] of Ingenuity, but have read and considered t [...] several convincing arguments, of Dr. Goodwin [...] Rev. 11. wherein he doth assert, and I think [...] clearly prove, that that prediction concerning t [...] death of the Witnesses and their Resurrection mu [...] of necessity be limited to one of the Streets of the great City, and cannot fairly be expounded as having any immediate reference unto any of the rest, so [...] doth as clearly demonstrate that the English Juri­diction, must of necessity be that street, which [...] doth by comparing the arguments that are brough [...] by others to prove that France, Germany, or any o­ther countrey under the Papal power should [...] there intended with those that may justly be alledg­ed to prove England is the spot where that pre­diction was to be accomplished.

And now, saith he, if the witnesses are upon th [...] [Page 143] feet, as I am strongly inclined to believe they are; and am more and more confirmed in my notion in that respect, and that so as they shall never more be flung upon their backs, then I may confidently affirm that it will not be long ere they shall hear a great voice from Heaven, saying unto them, Come up hi­ther; And accordingly they shall ascend up into Hea­ven in a Cloud, their Enemies beholding them, in which ascent of theirs, they must be conformable to the resurrection and ascention of Christ himself.

But whereas it is objected that if the witnesses are risen indeed, so as to be on their feet, in pursuance of that sacred prediction, Rev. 11. there must needs have been some more than ordinary appearance, of the presence of God in the midst of his people, or at the least in a greater degree thereof than as yet we see.

Ans. I say no, it doth not therefore follow that it must be so: nor indeed it cann't rationally be ex­pected till the time comes of their ascention, for this is an established rule with me, that there must and will be a signal proportion or resemblance, be­twixt the Death, Resurrection and Ascention of Christs witnesses, and that of Christ himself. Now as to what concerneth the resurrection of our Sa­viour himself in his own person, thus we are told, that he shewed himself alive after his passion by ma­ny infallible proofs, being seen of his Disciples for­ty days, and speaking to them of the things per­taining to the Kingdom of God; yet for ought as ap­pears to us, he appeared unto them in all that time, but as he did before, there was no discovery of any signal Majesty, or visible glory, upon him, more than they had seen upon him before his Death and Suf­fering; neither indeed was the Spirit come down upon them. And the reason is expresly rendred, be­cause that Jesus was not yet glorified, neither could [Page 144] the glorification of Christ be expected till his [...] cention; and consequently they could not look [...] the effusion of the Spirit till then—Wherefore, tho' it is true there is as yet no appearance of any signal glory upon Gods people, nor any considerable measure of the Holy Spirit th [...] there was before, yet for as much as it is highly ra­tional to conceive that there must be, and will be as clear resemblance or proportion (as I said be­fore) betwixt what passed at the Resurrection of Christ and his Ascention, and that of the Witnesses▪ from hence it plainly sollows, that we have [...] just ground to expect that abundant effusion of the Spirit which God hath promised (and we have been a waiting for) till we see the Witnesses upon th [...] Ascention-work. For as it is evident, that th [...] will be a time of great confusion and desolation upon the Enemies of God, so it is as evident, and we may no less groundedly expect, but that it will be a time of great glory and refreshment unto God [...] people by the abundant pouring out of the Spir [...] upon them, whereby Conversion work will swiftly go on and prosper, and the Gospel run and [...] glorified; to which let me add, why may we no [...] then expect such great light to break forth, or th [...] Spirit in such a manner to be given as to convict [...] Gods Children who they are that are in the true [...] order of the Gospel; so that all the Saints and Pro­testant Churches may be United into one Body an [...] Communion, according to that holy Primitive an [...] Apostolical pattern and purity. Then saith he, [...] may justly conclude, that as it was promised of [...] in the Type, it shall be much more in the Antityp [...] viz. That the glory of the latter House should exceed the glory of the former, which in the Ty [...] was fulfilled by Christ's Personal presence ther [...] according to that promise, The desire of all N [...]ti [...] [Page 145] [...]; and I will fill this House with glory, saith [...] of Hosts, Hag. 2. 7. Now if the Personal [...] of Christ in that day and state of his Humi­ [...] filled that latter House or material Temple [...] glory, so that it exceeded the glory of the for­ther, we may after the same rule as justly conclude, that tho' the Spiritual or Gospel Temple in the first Edition of it in the Apostle's days was glorious through the abundant effusion of the Holy Spirit; that the same Spiritual House in the second Edition thereof in the latter days, to be sure will not come short, but rather exceed in glory, &c. To which let us add the glorious Deliverance promised from outward Oppression and Persecution, which never quite ceased in the Primitive days, together with that glorious Union, they shall have that pure Lan­guage, and shall serve the Lord with one consent; toge­ther with the great increase of the Church, bring­ing in both Jews and Gentiles into one Sheep-fold, but till the Ascention of the Witnesses comes to pass, these things cannot groundedly be expected. He also gives some hints concerning the time of the slaying of the Witnesses, as also of their Resurrection, which things he doth not presume positively to de­termine, but rather conjecturally expresseth him­self; the exact time he mentions I shall not relate, but you may conclude he fixes the slaying of them between the year 1680 and 1688. For since the [...]ime that the pretended Protestant Plot was talk'd [...]f, and as they said discovered, and several wor­thy Christians Executed, as the ever Renowned William Lord Russel, Sheriff Cornish, the Noble Earl [...] Essex, Col. Sidney, and that godly Woman and Martyr Mrs. Ga [...]nt, &c. What a Flood of con­tempt, reproach, and what not, hath been (as he [...]serves) cast upon the whole of the true interest [...] Christ in this Kingdom, with the barbarous [Page 146] slaughter of those worthy Christians and Witness [...] in the West, together with that Storm of Persec [...] tion, which we have no ground to doubt was [...] ried on by the Popish Enemy, and Emissaries of R [...], together with the turning out of places of tru [...] many good Protestants, and the taking away of Charters of Cities and Corporations, silencing wor­thy Ministers, &c. nay, striking at the root and whole constitution of the English Government, [...] ­thing being designed but the utter subversion of the Protestant Religion, things growing every day worse and worse, nothing appearing but the black­ness of darkness, and that which was worst of all many of Gods witnesses seemed to be strangely despirited, whilest others truckl'd to the Enemi [...] yoak, suffering Chapels to be erected for Popery and Cursed Mass Priests, and Jesuites; and that to [...] in many of the chief of our Cities, nay, in famo [...] London it self, and that in the very Heart of it. O [...] state seeming desperate and hopeless in the view [...] all at home and abroad, many good men basely misled, joining in with them unawares, in carry [...] on the design of this Whore, in this her great [...] last attempt, wherein she doubted not but to [...] all the Hereticks under her Foot, and utterly to extirpate the Protestant Religion, such a death [...] face of things never sure appeared, before this ho [...] and power of darkness, and it was strangely pr [...] ged, as many feared, by that lightening before [...] in 1678. upon the discovery of the Popish [...] when our hopes were raised by that great zeal [...] our brave English Parliaments, against the Pa [...] and Popish Religion, most thinking at that [...] our morning light appeared to break forth, & the [...] terness of death was over, but lo what a sudden ch [...] did we see? how was our light turned into dark [...] and our joy to sorrow and lamentation, and [...] [Page 147] [...]oy and triumph attended our Popish Enemies? what [...]ingings of Te deum at Rome, and in all Popish Coun­treys, and sending gifts one to another, for joy that these witnesses of Christ were overcome, and [...]aid by the walls, and their testimony and spirits gone in this Kingdom, which was always a terror to the Popish Church, together with that wonderful success they had about the same time over the Prote­stants, & Turks in Hungary, that Kingdom being resto­red to her too? these things made her doubtless to say [...]n her Heart, I sit a Queen, &c. But as God foretold, the [...]eople of the Nations, (viz.) the neighbouring Na­tions would not see nor indure to see the dead bodies [...]f Gods witnesses, and people put into Graves, [...] for their eyes were upon us, before they appear­ed) for our help, and the fear of them doubtless [...]id prevent under God our Enemies, from attempt­ing that which we may conclude they longed to be [...].

The worthy Gentleman I mentioned before, [...]ells us that he was so much the more strengthned in [...]is opinion in respect of the death and resur­rection of the witnesses from a threefold testimo­ny.

The first is that of Socrates, who in his Ecclesiasti­cal History, affirmed that such things did appear in [...]ch a year (which he mentioned) that gave him [...]use to conclude there to begin the Epoch or be­ginning of the 1260 years of the witnesses prophesy­ing in sackcloth, viz in the year 426 which brings [...]wn the said time of the slaying of the witnesses, [...]ft to the same year he speaks of, which if he was [...]ght, the witnesses must now be risen and upon [...]eir feet.

The second was, Mr. William Alleine whose [...]count brings the great things down to the very [...]ne year.

[Page 148]Third, Mr. Bright-man, he says, also affirms that about the self same year Antichrists Kingdom should expire.

And our Author looking for these great revolu­tions just at that time, and now perceiving them (to appearance) come to pass, as he says, it may be easily supposed, could not but be filled with joy, besides intimates, he still continues in a hopefulness of expectation, that the present work will go on, & sol hope it is with us all, for that God who hath begun to work such a miraculous and blessed work w [...] perfect it, he that hath shewed us such things, w [...] yet shew us greater, and certainly the present work of God in this Nation, is the admiration of all the Nations round about, and strikes terror into the Hearts of all the Lords Enemies; And in particular makes the French King to have other thoughts, th [...] he had a few months ago, and we hope his time [...] at hand to drink of the cup of divine vengeance.

‘Dr. Goodwin speaking, p. 172. of the resurrecti [...] of the witnesses, saith, that whereas through a forced consent and yielding, the Popes power [...] again been entertained by that tenth part of [...] City for the killing the witnesses; they now [...] cast off that power, with a mighty commotion [...] insurrection, and so proceed to ruin the oppo [...] party unto the witnesses, who were the instruments of that former slaughter, of which p [...] the remnant unslain do, as men affrighted, g [...] glory to God, and turn back again to embrace th [...] truth, and acknowledge God to be in these witnesses and in their cause.’

‘So that although this may and shall end in [...] ruin of Rome, (which is the highest effect of [...] fifth Vial) (for this Resurrection and Ascen [...] of the witnesses, are truly the preparation unto [...] yet this other passage of the Earth quake, &c.’ [...] [Page 149] here is said to be the same hour with their rising, is rather to be understood of the means, or thing making way unto that their Resurrection, so that this Insurrection, or rising of the people in the tenth part of the City, (which is meant by the Earth quake) is the preparation unto their resur­rection, which ends in the ruin of Rome, the scope of the holy Ghost here, being to shew, what did properly and peculiarly concern the rising of the witnesses, as the means to it; yet so as still this Earth-quake here, and fall of the tenth part of the City, are reducible unto that fifth Vial, as a degree unto it; and so that fifth Vial may also be ulti­mately intended in this passage, recorded of the witnesses rising, as the preparation unto it; thus in the interpretation of the Vials, I shewed that there may be many sprinklings of the same Vial, both long before it come to its [...] & vigour, & also after; all which are, notwithstanding, to be reduced unto that Vial of the kind whereof they are, or unto which they are either preparations or appendixes.

Now that which is said to be previous to the slaying of the Witnesses, is the War which the Beast would make against them when they were about finishing their Testimony in Sackcloath or in the end of the 1260. days or years, which plain­ly implys two things.

[Page 152]First, That about that time (as the Doctor inti­mates) the Beast that rose out of the Bottomless Pi [...], viz. the Papal power, would recover strength again in this Nation or that tenth part of the City called also a Street where the Witnesses should be [...]ain and lie dead.

Secondly, Make War against them with all ima­ginable power, craft and policy that Hell could afford, endeavouring utterly to root out Gods faith­ful Witnesses or Protestant Interest; now have not we seen these things which the Dr. hath upon this account writ? is it not evident that things in Eng­land, have for many years last past been carryed on by the Papal Power, not only in the late Kings reign, but also before? have not we seen a strange Spiri­tual War managed by Popish councils, Priests and Jesuits, and had they not very far prevailed? Yea so far, as to the killing of Gods Witnesses, (ac­cording to what the Dr. saith is meant thereby) how much different hath the late times of trouble been to former days? What a base compliance with the Antichristian party have we seen? What a strange dispiriting of godly people, nay, and Ministers too? Never sure such a civil death in every respect, hath been seen nor known before this hour.

Now as to the witnesses standing on their Fee [...], saith the Dr. p. 170. ‘First, As men erect, and taking Heart, their cause being just, tho' before condemn­ed. Secondly, As ready to defend it, and as men able and resolved now to confront their Enemies, which strikes a mighty dread into their guilty Con­sciences; great fear fell upon them that saw them, their Hearts begin to sink and die, at the Witnes­ses first beginning to live,’ and have not we seen somewhat much like this? what a strange Spirit do we see now, in all sorts of Protestants against the Whore or Antichristian party, both here and in Scotland [Page 153] also? More especially, as touching the Ascention of the Witnesses, they shall hear a voice, Come up hither, it certainly signifies some more glorious Church State, and restoration of the Primitive Purity, that shall attend the Saints and Church of God, and when that comes to pass, may be such a measure of the spirit may be given, as to unite all Faithful and Godly Protestants into one Body and Commu­nion, and then the Spouse or Church of God will come forth out of the Wilderness, as terrible as an Army with banners, Cant. 6. 4.

THus I have given you a brief account of the Judgment and Opinion of divers Worthy and Learned Men concerning the ri [...]e and ruin of Anti­christ and Mystery Babylon; together with the Death▪ Resurrection and Ascention of the two Witnesses, which is left to you to receive or reject according to your own conceptions and understandings, ac­cording [Page 154] to the Light and Knowledge God hath giv­en you of these great Mysteries;—There is one thing more I shall speak to, and a little further open, which is a matter of great Importance to under­stand, in order to the finding out the final over­throw of the Papal Power and ruin of Antichrist, which is that of the seven Vials, and last Plagues spoken of Rev. 16. It seems not a little strange to me, to see how exceedingly the learned and most renowned Expositors, differ about the time of the pouring out of the Vials, some concluding they are all already poured forth, others that there are only the first three poured out, and some others affirm there is not one of them as yet poured forth, but do believe they shall all be poured out under the seventh Trumpet, which contains the third wo, and will effect the utter overthrow of the Beasts Kingdom, and the setting up the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, we shall therefore give you some brief hints of what most of our late Interpreters have said, in re­spect of this matter; & in order to the doing of this, it is not amiss to note unto you, the three several periods spoken of in the Book of the Revelations, which seems to me to be a Key to open most of those deep Mysteries contained in that wonderful Prophecy.

First, The Seven Seals. Second, The Seven Trumpets. The Third, The Seven Vials or seven last Plagues.

Expositors generally all agree that the six first Seals contained those Judgments of God, execut­ed upon the Heathen or Pagan Emperours, which fell out and was wholly accomplished in the space of three hundred, or three hundred and ten years or thereabouts after Christ, and so (as some conceive) brought in the first Wo.

The seventh Seal (according to the late famous Peter Jurieu, a French Writer, and some others) pro­duced [Page 155] or brought in the Seven Trum­pets,Pet. Jurieu accom. Pro­phe. p. 37. and brings the events e­ven to the last Judgments, the first Trumpet not being sounded until the seventh Seal was opened, so that these Seven Seals, as he observes, ‘are like six Branches, that shoot forth from the Body of a Tree, with a seventh great Branch, which it self became a great Arm, and shoots forth into seven other Branches (which are the seven Trumpets).’

Secondly, The six first Trumpets contain the Judg­ments of God upon the World under the Arian Apostate Persecuters, and the bringing in the Anti­christian state, i. e. the Beast or man of Sin, and Mystery Babylon, with the Mahometan Monarchy, together with the death or slaying of the Witnesses of Christ, which lasteth for a long series of time, at least as some conceive 1300 and odd years and compleats the second Wo.

Thirdly, The seventh Trumpet, some wise and un­derstanding men of late do conclude, produces the seven Vials and seven last plagues, which they do not think any of them as yet are poured forth, but will gradually effect the utter overthrow of the Papal Church containing the intire Judgments or wrath of God upon the Beast and Babylon, and there­fore called the seven last Plagues, and so let in the Third Wo. Upon the Antichristian World, and brings in the glory of the latter day or Kingdom of Christ; if this may be admitted, we may very well say that the Seven Seals contained in them the whole events of things from the time that St. John received his Revelation to the end of all Gods Mysteries there spoken of; but then you must observe the rule we have noted, and this seems to me the clearest and best exposition, I can arrive to the knowledge of, who have laboured, according to that light and un­der­standing [Page 156] God hath given me, to find out the Mysteries contained in this Book, for near 30 years last past, though I dare not be positive that none of the Vials are yet poured out knowing what has been said by our able expositers to the contrary; some of which I shall here mention, and their arguments upon which they build their conceptions; amongst those that say the three first Vials are poured forth, are these following.

First, Mr. Joseph Mede, Dr. More, Du Moulin, Mr. Durham, De Launay, Dr. Goodwin and many others; the first Vial, they say, was poured forth by the faithful Ministers of Christ, at the first reformation before Luthers time, and that grievous sore that fell up­on the Antichristian state, was the discovery of the abo­minable Idolatry of the Romish Clergy; together with that hatred of them, for their odious & impure lives.

The Second Vial some of them affirm, was poured forth by the Preaching of Luther, and those worthy Witnesses of Christ in his days.

The Third Vial was poured forth, according to their Judgments, by other worthy Ministers signifi­ed by the third Angel, who rose up in the Church after Luthers time, who in some things had more light; and partly also by laws made against Popery in the days of Queen Elizabeth, &c. Mr. Mede and Dr. More seem to agree in this, as likewise do our late Annotators, read them on Rev. 16.

The Fourth Vial, they, as well as Dr. Goodwin, seem to hint we are under, which is said to be poured forth upon the Sun, which the Dr. concludes p. 99. to mean either the Emperor, or King of Spain, or both, they being of the same house of Austria, Mr. Parkins long before hinted that by the Sun, did mean some Protestant Prince in Germany who should have some of this Vial poured forth upon him by the Popish party, but being provoked thereby after­wards [Page 157] he should rise again, and like the Sun scorch them with his heat, but the Dr. rather inclines to Mr. Mede and Dr. More.

But to proceed, our late French Author Peter Ju­rieu, positively affirms that six of the Vials are al­ready poured forth, and that we are under the se­venth, which will effect the final ruin of the Papistry or Church of Rome, (if I mistake him not) one reason why he doth thus believe, is because the Vials signi­fie seven periods of time, which ought to be distinguisht one from another, 2 part p. 68, 69. as the seven Seals and seven Trumpets did signify, seven periods, which succeeded one another; and he concludes that the periods described by every Vial, are each of them more than one age, so that, saith he, if there is but two or three of them yet to be poured out, we shall have four or five hundred years to come, before An­tichrists Kingdom comes to an end, which I do not find him to give any convincing demonstration to make appear, tho' I cannot but say he seems to be a person of good understanding in many respects, touching these great Mysteries, contained in the Book of the Apocalypse moreover he distinguishes be­tween the Vials and Plagues, viz. saying the Vial signifies the Period of time, the Plague signifying the Judgment of God, which falls out during the Pe­riod, which if it be granted, yet why must every Pe­riod contain a 100 years, or at least (as he intimates) 50 years, orSee his preface, advice to all Christians. 70? the first Plague of the 7. he fixes to the 10 Century, in respect of the dismal corruption of the Popedom in that age, p. 79. the first Vial was pour­ed out, saith he, upon the Earth, i. e. ‘upon the whole Globe, for Earth contains both dry and moist; the corruption of manners was spread over the Head and the Members, over the whole Papal seat, and [Page 158] all its subjects, but, saith he, the Second Vial is pour­ed out only upon the Waters, the Sea and Rivers, i. e. upon the people of the Antichristian Empire, or upon the different Nations, Tribes and Languages,—the Waters of the Sea were turned into Blood, and every living Soul died. What more native and live­ly representation, saith he, could have been made of the rage of the Croisades? In all Languages and in all sorts of stile, a Sea of Blood, Rivers of Blood, streams of Blood, signify a very great slaughter. Now the proper character of the Croisades is slaugh­ter, Murther, which falls not upon the head of the Antichristian Empire, but upon the people, all was turned into Blood. Never was there such a prodi­gious effusion of Blood in the Sea, i. e. among the peoples, in the first Croisade, there died more than 2 Millions of men in 3 or 4 years; 'tis evident that God did lead these wretched creatures as it were to the shambles, that they should find the punish­ment of their crimes: he took so great a quantity of Blood, that he might cure the Ulcers of Christen­dom, for that he might purge it of that vast rabble, he permitted the Devil to inspire them, either with such sottish superstition, or an extravagant ambi­tion, that they must go and deliver the Holy-land, or go and conquer Kingdoms in the East, this Plague lighted only on the Sea, not at all on the dry land, upon the subjects of the Popedom, not at all upon the Popes. On the contrary, the Popes Im­prove that evasion to greaten their power, to plun­der whole Countreys, to make Generals of Armies, to act as soveraign Monarchs, and to lay a heavyer yoke upon Kings, whom they ordered to march, and sent them as their slaves into the East, and du­ring their absence plundered their Kingdoms.’

And he fixes upon the increase of Antichrists au­thority and power, in the thirteenth and fourteenth Centuries to be meant hereby, when the Sun by his excessive & scorching heat, i. e. the Pope by his usurpt authority tyrannized over Kings and Emperors, p. 89. deposing, and taking away their Crowns, &c.

The fifth Vial and Plague poured on the feat of the Beast, he affirms with other Writers to mean the City of Rome; and when was it that this Vial of Gods wrath fell upon the seat of the Beast, i. e. Rome? it [Page 160] was, saith he, when Rome lost its Sun (which is spoken of in the foregoing Plague) i. e. the Pope, the Papal Court, that like a Gulf or Whirl-pool, drew to it all the riches of the Kingdoms of Europe. In the year 1305. Clement the V. left Rome to go to Avignon, the City that was Mistress of the World then became desolate,—when its Masters kept their seat at Avignon, p. 94.

The sixth Vial and Plague he affirms are the Turks who pass over the Bosphorus and invade the Greek and Latin Empires; at this I can't a little wonder, be­cause most expositors conclude, and I think with good reason, that the rise and increase of the Turkish Monarchy began under the sixth Trumpet, and not only so, but because 'tis said the Angel poured forth his Vial upon the great River Euphrates, and (mark) the Water thereof was dryed up, &c. which seems to intimate the decay and wasting of the Turkish pow­er, and not the increase of it, but he would have us understand the Kings of the East, to mean the Turks, and not Euphrates, p. 200, 201. the time that this Vial was a pouring forth, he says, was about 125 or 130 years, viz. from 1390. until 1526. by this he must believe the Battel of Arma-geddon is long since past, which he runs into a mystery by shewing that Arma-geddon signifies a cutting off by a Curse or Ex­communication, which he applys to the Orders, Laws and false Oracles of the Popedom and the Antichri­stian head,—there is, saith he, 'tis known, a Curse and a Arma-geddon at the end of every Canon. The se­venth Vial and Plague he affirms was by the Preach­ing of Luther, and other reformers by which the La­tin Church was divided into three parts, Papists, Lutherans and Reformed, I suppose he means the Cal­vinists; ‘the Voices, and Thunders, and Lightnings, that are said to be under the seventh Vial, mean, he says, the Voices of Preachers, who labour'd in [Page 161] the reforming the Church, page 217.’

‘The great City he affirms is the Antichristian Kingdom, and this City under the pouring forth of the seventh Vial, is said to be divided into three parts, this, he says, is exactly come to pass, i. e. one part remained with Antichrist, one part did sepa­rate from him, under the name of the Ausburge confession A third part did separate under the con­fession of those who are barely stiled the Reform­ed; Sweden, Denmark, and a great part of Germany, make the second part, England, and the united Pro­vinces, the reformed part of France, and part of Germany, make the third part; these, saith he are the three grand parts, that divide the western Church which is the great City.’

Let this be attentively minded, saith he, for I affirm that this passage does as it were speak with a Tongue, & is able alone to convince, that our Systeme of the seven Plagues is most undoubted truth; this division of the great City into three parts, so clearly points out the three communions of the Latin Church, that to deny it can proceed only from unreasonable passion, and opinionativeness. And if we have hit up­on the truth in this point, we have done so in all; for if this character of the seventh Plague is true, and is already accomplisht, all other Plagues are al­so accomplisht; and if they are accomplished, I do boldly affirm they cannot be applied to any other effects than those to which we have applied them.

He further shews that England cannot make a fourth part, because in doctrine she agrees with other reformed communions, in which she differs from the Lutherans,—p. 220. who refuse such commu­nion, &c.

He then pre­ceeds to explain what he understands by Harvest and Vintage; which the ingenious reader may guess at, I thought good to cite thus much of this Author for their sakes, who have not his book, it being grown scarce, and also because he is so much cryed up; and lastly because, what he speaks concerning the Vi­als seems new, nor shall I passover this mans sentiments about the Vials, without some modest reflections, tho' he seems to write with great confidence, in which he differs from most worthy men before him.—

1. It may be doubted whether he is in the right or no, in my Judgment, about the 7 Vials, because it appears to me very clear, that the Angels that are said to pour them out, are brought forth under the seventh Trumpet, to which I find some worthy men agree; which if this be granted, he is mistaken.

2. Because the Angels that pour them forth, are said to come out of the Temple, clothed in Pure and White Linen, and have their Breasts girded with Golden Girdles, Rev. 15. 6. which signifies doubt­less a more Perfect and Pure State of the Church [Page 164] than was in any of those centurys he mentioneth, when divers of those Vials, he says, were poured cut, for till near the time of the coming forth of the se­venth Trumpet, the Saints and People of God are called Witnesses clothed in Sack-cloth, mourning as it were for the loss of the visibility, and glory of the Gospel Church state, according to the Aposto­lical constitution; and are represented as a few or small number of scattered Christians, but under the latter part of the 6. Trumpet, the Tabernacle of the Testi­mony in Heaven was opened, Rev. 15. 4. signifying (as I conceive) the restoration of the Church to its for­mer glory and purity in a great measure, and that the Witnesses had put off their Sack-cloth, being glo­riously and differently clothed, which will not be perfected till the ascention of the Witnesses which will be about the beginning of the seventh Trumpet, for the text says, when that begins to be sounded the Kingdoms of this World become the Kingdom of our Lord and his Christ, Rev. 11. 15.

3. It should seem strange that all the Vials, (that contain in them the whole of the seven last Plagues to the utter overthrow of the Beasts Kingdom,) should be already poured out (save the remaining part of the seventh) and yet so little be done com­paratively to the ruin of the Whore or Papistry, or that the 6. first Vials should be so long a time a pouring forth, and so little effected for the ruin of Antichrists Kingdom, and so much should be ex­pected to be done in so short a time (as this French Writer says) by the remaining part of the seventh.

4. And why he should suppose if 2 or 3 of the Vials should not be yet poured out, that the Whore and Beasts Kingdom, must continue still at least 200 years, I know not, for if we should conclude with some worthy men, that none of the Vials should be poured forth to this day, yet why may not the ruin [Page 165] of the Papal Power, or end of the Beasts Kingdom be near, for tho' it be granted they may have their distinct Periods, yet they may be very short, since God positively intimates his Judgments, for the ruin and downfal of Babylon shall be swift and on a sud­den, and as it were in one hour, which certainly signifies but a very short time; besides, he strangely confounds and mixeth the Vials with some of the Trumpets which I can't see any ground to believe, considering the method God uses in this Book.—Moreover at the resurrection or at the ascention of the Witnesses, which finishes the second Wo, & brings the period of the 6. Trumpet, then the tenth part of the City falls & this is all of the fall and ruin of the great Whore or great City, we read of, till the se­venth Trumpet begins' to sound. And to conclude with this, I shallPools Annot on Rev. 11. 15. say with what our late Annota­tors intimate on Rev. 11. 15. it seems that the seven Seals, the seven Trumpets, and the seven Vials, are all mentioned, in the same form of Speech, and therefore the seven Vials are not to be divided, some to one Trumpet▪ some to another.

2. Because the seventh Trumpet, & 7 Vials are one & the same thing, nothing being revealed under the seven Vials, which doth not belong to the seventh Trumpet; they agree in their titles of Woes, in the na­ture of the Revelations, in their objects, both the one & in the other, declaring the ruin of Antichrist; both of them are mentioned as the last Plagues to come upon the World before the last day.

3. All the Vials are of the same nature, declaring but the Judgments by which God setting up the King­dom of Jesus Christ would ruin Antichrist, they dif­fer in the degrees.

4. The seventh Trumpet cannot declare the ruin of Antichrist unless the seven Vials be poured out [Page 166] under it, for they shew the means by which he must be destroyed; and so bring in the third Wo.

5. The seventh Trumpet sounded immediately upon the Slaying and Resurrection of the Witnesses, and contemporizeth with the whole course of their renewed liberty, and therefore the period by it must be before the fall of the Antichristian Kingdom, de­clared by the sixth Vial.

6. The seventh Trumpet sounded immediately after the expiration of the 1260 days, before the end of which, I see no ground to conclude any of the 7 Vials were to be poured out.

Now those who think that divers of the Vials were poured out (as he observes) or shall be pour­ed out before the sounding of the seventh Trumpet say,

That the Beasts Kingdom beginning to fall under the sixth Trumpet, several of the Vials, declaring the degrees of his falling must belong to that; in answer to which we say, it appeareth by all we have in this chap. Rev. 11. 15. that Antichrists Kingdom was in a great measure weakned under the sixth Trum­pet, particularly from v. 11. to 13. And tho this we grant, yet they are but some previous preparations to the final ruin of Antichrist, during the period of the sixth Trumpet; but the seven Vials signify the sur­ther progress and perfection of his ruin, which falls under the seventh Trumpet; this being premised we proceed with the Text; It is, saith he, doubted whether these words, are become the Kingdom of the Lord and his Christ, v. 15 be to be understood as being actu­ally so, or now beginning so to be; those who make the sense that they now actually were so, must under­stand the time to be the last days, or near the coming of Christ,—but I rather take the words thus, i. e. are beginning to become the Kingdom of our Lord, or shall shortly be so; and if none of the seven [Page 167] Vials are yet poured out, but do all belong to the seventh Trumpet, then when that begins to sound, the little Stone cut out of the Mountain without hands, spoken of by Daniel, shall begin to smite the Image up­on its Feet, and Antichrist from that time shall reign no more, but gradually fall and be broken to pieces, and the Lords people take the Kingdom, and bear the only rule in the Earth but the beginning of this glorious Kingdom state will be small, and hardly discerned, as it is signified by the little Stone, and by other passages and places of Scripture.

Just as I had writ this, I met with a book that Mr. Canne had wrote some years ago, in which he gives very great arguments to prove none of the Vials are as yet poured out, notwithstanding what our French Author has with much confidence asserted; some of the reasons Mr. Canne gives to prove that none of the Vials are as yet poured out, I shall give you, being sorry I saw not the Book sooner, and that I am li­mited to a number of Sheets, else you should have had more of him; his first reason is taken from what Mr. Tilling hast and divers other learned men affirm concerning Rev. 14. 1. viz. that they are Gentile Saints, who stand upon Mount Sion with the Lamb, and is to come to pass after the rising of Witnesses, ‘this being so saith he, (and that is indeed so, he further saith he could give many reasons) then there is little reason to carry the beginning of the seven Vials any higher, for tho' it be the opinion of learn­ed and godly men, that some of the Vials are pour­ed out, yet so that they hold likewise that the 14440 have already stood with the Lamb on Mount Sion, and there is reason and weight in it, that where we [...]gin the time of the 14440. &c. that there we also take the beginning of the Vials. And the order of the matter seems to make this clear; the Holy Ghost having chap. 14. spoken of the [Page 168] Harvest and Vintage, that is, what Sore Plagues the Lord brings (first and last) upon Babylon and the followers of the Beast, comes presently in ch. 15, and 16. to shew how and by what means, the Earth shall be Reaped, and the Clusters gathered, and cast into the great Wine-Press of Gods wrath, namely, seven Angels shall come out of the Temple, having the se­ven last Plagues.—So then, to take the 14440. to be after the Witnesses are risen, and to begin the pour­ing forth of the Vials before they are risen, in my understanding, is very improper to the scope and drift of the Prophesy, and crosseth that excellent order which the Spirit seems to observe.’

He further confirms this reason and answers Ob­jections, which I have not room to insert.

‘5. I cannot conceive, saith he how any of those Persons to whom the first, second and third Angels are ordinarily applied, do fairly or fitly parallel and agree with what the Scriptures hold forth; certain it is, none of the Angels came out of the Temple, till John saw as it were a Sea of Glass min­gled with Fire, and them that had gotten the Victory o­ver the Beast, and over his Image, and over his Mark, and over the number of his Name, standing on the Sea of Glass, having the Harps of God; and they sing the Song of Moses the Servant of God, and the Song of the Lamb, Rev. 15. 1, 2. All this well agrees with the descrip­tion of the 14440. Rev. 14. 1, 2. But to carry these things to Grostead, Armachan, Wickliff, Luther, &c. if need were, I could shew by many reasons of the improbability of it; for tho' many of Gods people formerly received not the Mark of the Beast, nor his Name, yet to say any of them during the 42 Months got the Victory over the Beast, or over his I­mage, and number of his Name, I cannot assent unto, neither do I think their Opinion is well bot­tomed who hold this Victory over the Beast, and singing the Song of Moses, and the Song of the Lamb to be before the rising of the Witnesses, which is the time of their prophesying in Sackcloth, and whilst the woman is in the wilderness.’—'Tis strange indeed to think the witnesses wearing Sack­cloth, or in a mourning condition, can be said to sing the Song of Moses, as having got Victory over their Enemies, and yet overcome by their Enemies for the Song of Moses, 'tis well known to be that i [...] Exodus 15. Thou hast overcome the Horse and his R [...] ­der, &c.

‘Again, (saith he by way of question, p. 16. Why should the Song of Moses, Rev. 15 &c b [...] [Page 171]carried up to the times before the rising of the Witnesses and the new Song Rev. 14. 3. brought down many hundred years after this, seems to be against the order of the Prophesie. (2.) The matter of the Song, if rightly understood, is not suitable to any time in which the Beasts reigned; neither, Lastly, Can it be shewed—that ever the Church of the Saints, have had any occasion through any Deliverance or Victory to sing the Song of Moses, &c.’ I am of the same Opinion, un­less it be in these and the approaching days.

For the followers of the Beast, as the Egyptians un­der their Plagues, tho' they are hardened and repent not, but blaspheme the God of Heaven, not giving glory to him, shall notwithstanding see the hand of God lifted up, and be ashamed for their envy at his people, Isa. 26. 11. So manifest at that time shall his Judg­ments be, but hitherto no such things have appear­ed, notwithstanding all the Judgments of God up­on them, so dark and hidden, not manifested, have the actings of God been to his Enemies, nay, and not clear or plainly manifested to his own people neither, as it appears by their different apprehensi­ons and opinions about what hath been past, until these very days.

And hence it is also that Mystery Babylon ever, un­ [...]il of late (if not still) said in her Heart, I sit a [Page 173] Queen, and am no Widdow, and shall see no sorrow, Rev. 18. 7. Nay, and also 'tis from hence that the An­tichristian party in their Writings and ordinary dis­course do stifly maintain, that Gods Judgments have been and still are as much manifested upon the Witnesses, i. e. the Hereticks, as she calls Protestants, and all such who oppose them, as those of their Church, viz. the Papists, however let the Judgments of God be hid or made manifest to them, certainly the vengeances shall clearly be seen and known to the godly, when the Vials of his wrath come upon the great Whore, or when the hour of her Judgments shall come, they shall see it, rejoyce, and all iniquity shall stop her mouth, Psal. 107. 42.

8. 'Tis evident the Witnesses do not put off their Sack-cloth till they have finished their testimony which will not be until the end of the 42 months of the Beasts Reign and Tyranny; but saith he, these An­gels which pour out the seven last Plagues or Vials of Gods wrath, have put off their Sack-cloth, and are clothed in pure white linnen, and are said to have Golden Girdles; from hence it must needs follow, as he observes, that none of the Saints of God, in the time of the Sack-cloth state, during the 42 months can be meant by any of these seven Angels, neither Waldo, Wickliff, Luther, &c. for what is meant, saith he, ‘by being clothed in White Linnen? the Scrip­tures shew it was an Ensign of honour, which great Persons used to wear, their condition and state be­ing changed, Gen. 41. 42. Est. 8. 15. Pro. 31. 22. Ezek. 16. 10. Psal. 30. 11.’

‘The truth is, if we take not heed to distinguish between the Sack-cloth time of Mourning Saints, and the time in which they are clothed with White Linnen, & having Golden Girdles that is, raised out of the dust and set with Princes, even with the Princes of his people, Psal. 113. 7, 8. but confound these times, which [Page 174] ought to be kept distinct and apart, we shall want that excellent light to bring things to their proper places.’ I would to God our French-man and others would consider this; for I find those that affirm Lu­ther, Mclancton, &c. to be one or more of those Angels, that poured out one or two of the Vials, do hold that the Witnesses had put off their Sack-cloth, the time of the 1260 days being expired, &c.

But Jurieu denies this with many others, and yet says all the seven Angels have already come and poured out their Vials, and yet in their Sack cloth state; but I can see no reason to believe he speaks right.

9. (Saith Mr. Canne) If what is spoken, Rev. 18. 21. of the mighty Angels taking up a great Milstone, and casting it into the Sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great City Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all, belongs to the Vials (as it seems most evident) then what is attributed to Grostead, Wickliff, Luther. &c. is far from the works of the Angels, which shall pour forth the 7 last Plagues; Thus shall Babylon be thrown drown, &c. A Milstone rises no more, &c. thus, that is, when any of the 7 Angels pour out their Vials, the work shall prosper in their hands, and not be hindered nor re­tarded by any power whatsoever. But hither by whatsoever hath been done us, yet upon Babylon she hath not so fallen,—but one while she seems to sink, and then rises again, many Judgments have been poured out upon Babylon, no doubt of that, nay, and some too soon after she got up, but doubt­less none of the seven last Judgments hath she felt to this day, every Vial shall effectually do its work, where, or on whom it is poured out, it being full of the divine wrath of God.

10. According to this notion that some of the Vials are poured out, he observes all the Vials may [Page 175] be poured out, and but a little may be done, for [...] three or four have been poured out, and no more [...]ffected; for the tyranny and Idolatry supprest by [...]hem, did soon rise and spread it self again in the [...]ame places.

And if so, why may not after all the Vials are [...]oured out, the enemy rally or rise again, or the [...]nterest of Christ be suppressed, after the pouring [...]orth of the last Vials, as it has been after the pour­ [...]ng out of the former.

Besides, how can we think the Harvest of the Earth, can be said to be ripe before the set time is come that God hath appointed for its cutting down, which is 42 months or 1260. years? The sin of the Amorite was not fully ripe; or that Harvest fit for cut­ting down till the 400 years were expired, Gen. 15. 13. and yet shall Babylon be ripe, and the Har­vest of wrath come so long before the set or ap­pointed time of Harvest? this is a paradox. Jurieu saith p. 79. the first Vial and Plague, where (sa [...] I) begins the Harvest, was in the tenth Century which is 600 years ago, and above so many years before the set time of Harvest; for that was before or about the time the Beast was in the height of his glory he seems to assert the Harvest came soon after the seed time; (tho' 'tis true he fixes it on the last Age) this cannot be thought, we must sure make the first Vials the time of the Harvest, and the latter the time of the Vintage; let this be considered, certainly none of of the former Judgments on Babylon belongs to the seven last Plagues, for the dominion of the Beast was not then ripe, nor the Harvest come, but now 'tis near, wo unto the Earth and Earthly Men, the gross body of the Antichristian professors, for they must have the dregs of this first Vial, 'tis pour­ed out upon the Earth, those that partake with her in her sins must receive of her Plagues; many will [Page 176] be found in her, who little think of it. But again if the Vials be poured forth by the Witnesses Preach­ing the Gospel in the time of the Beasts reign and tyranny, why do they begin the Vials, no sooner? for there were faithful preachers who bore their testimony against the Beast from his first rise, and so downward all along, and it had much like effects with Waldo's, Luthers, preachings, &c. to conclude with what Mr. Canne hath said upon This account, it doth appear to me that he is right in respect of the seven Vials, not being yet poured out, because the Temple is said to be filled with smoak from the glory of God, and no man could enter in, until the seven Plagues of the seven Angels were fulfilled, Rev. 15. 8. If by the Temple being filled with smoak from the glory of God, &c. the Spirit alludes to the History of the Tabernacle, and History of the dedication of the Tem­ple, which was filled with the Cloud of the glory of God (as most agree to,) then here is signified a most glo­rious pouring forth of the holy Spirit upon the An­gels, who pour out the Vials,—and that they must tarry in the Temple (as the Disciples were to do at Jerusalem) until endued with power from on high, Luk. 24. 59. and this may be expected at the Ascen­tion of the Witnesses and not before, for as yet, we see not such a spirit given from the glory of God, and from his power, nor may we expect it until then, that the Church cometh out of the Wilderness as clear as the Sun, and as terrible as an Army with Ban­rers. Cant. 6. 4. and like Pillars of smoak perfumed with Myrrh and Frankincese, Cart. 3. 6. 7. the Judgment of the 7 last Plagues for the ruin of the Enemy, will be the time of Glory and Salvation of the Church, and by the 14440 on Mount Sion with Harps, &c. Singing the Song of Moses, &c. are held forth (I am perswaded) the ministrations of the Saints un­der the seven Angels, with the seven Vials or seven [Page 177] last Plagues, which days we hope are now even up­on us, or very near; and that we might let in what light worthy men of different opinions have helpt us to, about the Slaying and Resurrection of the Witnesses, we shall give you a brief account of what Jurieu our French Author saith of them; see p. 241. &c. ‘these words, when they shall have finisht their testimony, must (saith he) not be understood as if the holy Ghost would say, when the 1260 years shall be finisht, for after the 1260 years are run out there can be no Persecution, seeing the Beast shall have lost his power; so that this Persecution must begin and end within the 1260 years, but yet at the end of them, 'tis the ordinary custom, not only of Scripture, but of all men to say, that something comes to pass when this or that is finisht, because it happens when that thing is finish­ed, and very near its end, this is therefore the last Persecution of Antichrist against the Church; this Persecution hath its Characters.—1. 'Tis compared to a War; The Beast that comes up out of the Bottomless Pit, shall make War against them. 2. This War of Persecution must end in a victory over the two Witnesses, and shall overcome them; mark, God does not reckon the Death and Mar­tyrdom, which the faithful suffered for the truth, as a victory that the Devil gains over them,’ (a very good note) for 'tis said, they, i. e. the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus overcome them, i. e. the Beast and his Emissaries, and they loved not their lives unto the death, Rev. 12. 11. ‘He speaks of martyrs, when he saith, He that overcometh I will make to sit down on my Throne, &c. So that when 'tis said, that the Beast shall overcome the Witnesses, this signi­fies that he shall make them saint under their Try­als, which thing ought to be well observed, that we discern the singular Character of this present [Page 178] Persecution that hath conquered and overcome a­bove a Million of Souls, (he means the late and present Persecution in France.) 3. This victory of the Beast must prevail even to a total extinction of profession: there shall remain no more signs of out­ward life in the faithful, who shall stand for truth, In this he agrees much with Dr. Goodwin and many other English Writers that the slaying of the Witnesses is not a temporal slaying but only a [...]i [...]il death, and it much com­ports, as we before have noted, with the late dismal days in England. they shall lye on the ground as dead bodies. 4. This murther and effects of this Persecution shall be done in the Street of the great City. 5. The death of these Witnesses must be 3 years and a half, denoting these 3 years and a half 6. During those 3 years and a half, the truth shall remain as it were dead, but notwithstand­ing, not buried: men shall not dare to make profession of it, notwithstanding it shall be visible the people who are neighbours of them, who shall have slain it, shall hinder it from perishing and putrefaction,—7. At the end of 3 years and a half, the faithful who are oppressed and whose pro­fession shall have been violently suppressed, shall rise again; after that shall ascend to Heaven, and shall be exalted,—8. At the same time, and after the exaltation of the faithful, there shall be an Earth quake, i. e. a great emotion and trouble in the World, and in Antichrists Kingdom. 9. In this emotion, a tenth part of the City shall fall, i. e. a tenth part of the Antichristian Kingdom, shall be taken away from it, and seven thousand men shall perish in this Earth-quake, and be buried un­der the ruin of this City; that this shall be brought about with some Blood she [...], tho' not considerable.’—‘Now when I search after the time, in which this Persecution must happen, I cannot doubt but [Page 179] this is that in which we now are; after this Persecution shall be over, God will begin to strike those sore blows to destroy the Antichristian King­dom which must be destroyed with in 25 or 30 years.’

‘That none may wonder, (saith he) that I speak so positively about a thing which seems to be as yet hid in futurity, I intreat all equitable minds to consider, that I have (as I think) with great e­vidence proved, 1. That the Reign of the Popedom must last 1260 years. 2. That these 1260 years began about 450. or 455. and consequently they must end about 1710. or 1715. This being so, we are but 25 or 30 years from the end of the Popish Kingdom. And if this be so, the present persecution must needs be the last, since there is no probability, that this present persecution being ended, the calm re­stored to the Church should leave room for ano­ther.—For we must allow the space of at least 20 or 25 years, in which Popery shall be attacqued and not be the Aggressor and the Persecutor. And certainly a shorter time cannot serve for the utter destruction of so vast a Kingdom, for it shall not be destroyed in a way of violence, but in a way of perswasion.’—Yet he says (it shall not be done without blood and slaughter) I have, saith he, further proved that the fall of this Popish Babylonian Mo­narchy is divided into two parts, viz. The Harvest and the Vintage; that the Harvest is the reformati­on of the last age, and the Vintage is the reformati­on that must be made in this present age, &c.

He then proceeds to shew his apprehensions that France must be that Street of the great City in which the two witnesses should be slain and lye as dead, &c. p. 24 [...]. ‘The bodies of the two witnesses, saith he, shall lye in the Street of the great City. 'Tis to be observed, that in the Text 'tis not in the Streets, [Page 180] in the Plural, but 'tis in the Street in the Singular. And I cannot hinder my self from believing, that this hath a particular regard to France which at this day is certainly the most eminent Countrey which belongs to the Popish Kingdom, her King is called the Eldest Son of the Church the most Christian King, i. e. The most Popish according to the dialect of Rome; the Kings of France have by their liberalities made the Popes great at this day; it is the most flourishing State of Europe, it is in the middle of the Popish Empire, between Spain, Ger­many, England, exactly as a Street or place of Con­course is in the middle of a City; 'tis also four­square, as such a Place or Street of a great City, i. e. almost as long as broad, and I believe, saith he, that 'tis particularly in France, that the wit­nesses must remain dead, i. e. That the profession of the true Religion must be utterly abolisht, this is already done by the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, and by the enormous Cruelties of the Souldiers,—Pag. 254. saith he we are in my opinion certainly in this Persecution which must extinguish the true Religion for three years and a half; if we will reckon those 3 years & a half from the abrogating of the Edict of Nantes, in the month of October, 1685. The deliverance of the Church will fall out in the year, 1689. And this is abso­lutely the conjecture of Monsieur du Moulin in his accomplishment of the Prophesies, he hopes that the Persecution of the Church by the Antichristian party shall cease in the year 1689,’But in p. 255. He seems to inti­mate he is not confident it will happen then; one main reason I cite this French Writer thus far, is to give you all his reasons why he Judges France to be the Street of the great City where the two witnesses shall be slain, &c.

[Page 181]And to gratifie my Reader, I shall also here add something out of Clavis Apocalyptica written many years ago by a famous German Doctor who indeavours to make it appear that Germany is meant by the Street of the great City in which the two witnesses shall lye as dead; but by the way 'tis ob­servable what he says, ‘p. 46. Concerning the 7 Trumpets in the Second period, saith he, from the three hundred ninety fifth, until the one thou­sand six hundred fifty fifth year of our Lord, where the seventh seal is opened, and seven An­gels with seven Trumpets declare to the Roman Empire by seven Judgments its ruine, c. 8. which Plagues have been fulfilled.—(See he calls the Trumpets Plagues.) The first by the invasions of barbarous nations, Anno 395. v. 7.’

‘In the Third Period when the 1655. year doth begin the seventh Angel doth sound, and withal the seventh Judgment is executed upon the enemies of the Church, with the third woe, whereby the Mysteries of God are fulfilled—Rev. 10. 7. Now tho this great Author was mistaken as all have been hitherto who have prefixt upon an exact time,’ and yet he may be right as to the seventh Trumpet which, he says, brings in the last Plagues, and the third and last woe. But to proceed, ‘p. 69. The two wit­nesses shall be overcome and killed, saith he, that [Page 182] is, they shall be removed and thrust out of all Ecclesiastical and Political Offices and Im­ployments;’ it appears he understood the death of the witnesses to be taken as we have hinted before, i. e. Only a Civil death, and so too do all Expositors affirm that I can meet with, ‘but now observe what Street it is in his Judg­ment they must lye as dead in, and that is, he saies, Germany, p. 74. The tenth horn yet remains; Germany, or the German Empire,—cannot be ac­counted, saith he, but one of the Horns,—(which we do not deny) and a Kingdom, saith he, by it self in the whole body of the fourth Monarchy, this is the Principal Street in the great City, the Princi­pal Horn of the Beast, the Principal Kingdom in the fourth Monarchy, whose head is represented by the City of Rome, this German Empire is called the Street per excellentiam,—because it is the Principal Street in the Empire—because,’

• 1. 'Tis called the Roman Empire.
• 2. By reason it is as it were a Figure and Image of the old Roman Empire having seven Heads, in re­gard of the seven Princes Electors, and ten Pro­vinces, in respect of the ten Circles into which it is distributed.
• 3. It hath the pre-eminency above all other Kings adhering to the Papal State; now, saith he, in this Street we must seek the War, &c. he seems to say more for Germany being the Street, in my Judg­ment, than Jurieu for France to be it—

But they that read our great Writer Dr. Goodwin, will soon, I am persuaded, see more ground to be­lieve that Great Britain is that very Street of the great City in which the Witnesses of Christ were to be slain and lye dead, than any other, for, as my worthy Friend before cited intimates, God values not nor accounts of People and Nations from their [Page 183] Greatness or external Grandeur, but from their Light, Glory & Excellency of their Spirits, & Purity; now what Nation or Kingdom is so famous, or has been since the beginning of the Reformation, or hath obtained so great Light as this of Great Bri­tain. It must be in one Street of the great City doubtless, where the Witnesses have finished their Testimony, in which they were to be slain, and lye as dead; and I question whether in any one King­dom of Europe the faithful Witnesses of Christ may be said to have finished their Testimony as here in this Nation, for by finishing their Testimony may be meant (as some observe) bearing Witness to Christ, not only in respect of every one of his Offi­ces, but also in all his Ordinances. And that ac­cording to the Primitive purity of them, which ma­ny think there has not been the like Testimony up­on this respect born any where else; as also in re­spect of true Church Constitution and Discipline, and to true Magistracy and Ministry, and to Christ's absolute Authority as King of Saints, and King of Nations, and born in such a publick manner as it has been here formerly and of late; take the Doctors words, p. 165.

Now when he shall go forth in this last War in such fury and rage with a purpose utterly to destroy; the main event and issue of that expedition of his is made to be this; viz. That he shall plant the Taberna­cle of his Palace between the Seas in the glorious holy Mountain: yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him, Dan. 11. ult. which the Dr. says he fears that these British Islands are here intended, in that they so eminently above all other places of the Churches Reformed, and with difference also from all others do stand between the Seas, even wholly a­mong Seas (penitus toto divisos Orbe Britannos,) which Islands likewise God hath made the Eminent Seat of the Church in these latter days, and which he hath loved above all the Inhabitants of Jacob.

I cannot but conclude what this great man hath said, that Great Britain is more like to be that Street of the great City in which the Witnesses should be slain, rather than France or Germany, or any other Kingdom, and also am much persuaded the late times have accomplished what he so long ago fore­told. Methinks three years and a half sometimes since expired, looked just like the times he mention­eth; had not the Pope placed his Tents here again, and hoped to have had a setled Throne? and hath not also here been a dreadful slaughter of the true Witnesses of Christ, as we before have hinted? and doth there seem any ground to expect the like a­gain? So that either the time is past, or I hope the Dr. was mistaken, if it be to come it will be the ama­zingest providence and revolution that ever was in the World; I must conclude we are in a most happy hour, or else there is the most dismal hour near that ever the Godly knew or saw since the Reformation; a little time will shew us more. I can't but expect the ascention of the Witnesses to draw on apace, in which will first fall out that great Earthquake where­in [Page 187] 7000 men of name will be slain, who were the chief instruments in bringing that death and dismal hour upon the Witnesses of Christ, which the Dr. hath most excellently opened; moreover there is one thing more he hath shewed his thoughts upon, that I am affected with, viz. concerning Daniel's 1290 days and 1335 days or years, the first he says begun from Julian's time, which he concluded end­ed at 1650 or 1656, and that the other 45 years will bring in the Kingdom of Christ, which makes 1335, and that will expire about 1695 or 1701, between which time he prefixeth the Death, Re­surrection and Ascention of the Witnesses and the Earthquake, &c. We are no doubt coming to­wards the end of the wonders, and the Vials of Gods wrath will suddenly be poured forth upon the Enemies of the Church, neither can I think that Jurieu is in the right, who thinks the Papal power, &c. will fall without or with little Blood, for al­though when the Harvest is ripe there may not fall so many as at the time of the Vintage, yet 'tis said of men of name shall be slain seven thousand; how many of other sorts who can tell? Besides, that is a certain number put for an uncertain; but when the Vintage time comes, the Blood shall come out of the Wine-press, even to the Horse Bridle, by which our Expositors generally say is intended a wonderful slaughter, and under the second Vial, which may take in the Harvest Hour. God gives them Blood to drink, they being worthy of it, because they have shed the Blood of the Saints. Babylon is to be rewarded as she hath rewarded the Lord's people, and must drink double of the same Cup she measured to them, and then what must she look for but Blood, Blood, Blood with a witness, Rev. 16. 5, 6. Rev. 18. 6. For what Rivers of Blood hath she caused to run down in every Street or Kingdom of this reat City.—

[Page 188]There are two things more had I room I would speak to.

1. To shew how all our Writers do agree that the rise of the Beast was between the year 410 and 455, but most fix upon 450, or near that time, for then the ten Horns appeared with Crowns up­on them, who are said to receive power as Kings one hour with the Beast, Rev. 17. Dr. Goodwin saith, p. 63. that by the year 456 all the ten Kings were up. Brightman begins the Beasts Reign sooner by above 20 years; Jurieu saith, he began about the year 450, and will end totally about 1710.

The second thing is to have shewed the nature & glory of Christs Kingdom, which I judge will be­gin at the Ascention of the Witnesses, for then, as I conclude, the seventh Trumpet begins to sound, and the first Angel pours out his Vial, 'tis certain with the seventh Trumpet, the glory of the latter days be­gin, and the little Stone then will begin to smite, & will never cease till all the Image power is bro­ken in pieces, and the little Stone becomes a great Mountain, and fills the whole Earth; the Saints must and shall take the Kingdom, and the knowledge of the glory of the Lord shall cover the Earth as the waters cover the Seas.—I am persuaded His present Majesty is raised up to do great things for Christ; and tho' some may strive to obstruct the work of God, and uphold an interest for the Beast, yet they shall be blasted in their designs, and come to shame and ruin in the end; for God is risen up, and his Enemies shall be scattered.