LINGVA testium: WHEREIN MONARCHY IS PROVED, 

1. To be Jure Divino.  
2. To be successive in the Church (except in time of a national desertion) from Adam until Christ.  
3. That Monarchy is the absolute true Government under the Gospel.  
4. That immediately after extraordinary Gifts in the Church ceased, God raised up a Monarch for to defend the Church.  
5. That Christian Monarchs are one of the witnesses spoken of Rev. 11.  
6. That England is the place from whence God fetched the first witness of this kind.  
7. England was the place whither the Witnesses, (viz. godly Magistracy and Ministry) never drove by Antichrist.   Where is Proved, 

First, that there hath been a visible Magistracy, (though in sackcloth,) these 1260. years in England.  
Secondly, That this Magistracy in all Ages (since Antichrists being visible) hath witnessed for Christ against Antichrist.  
Thirdly, That the late King who was cut off with the Axe, was the lawful successor of God's witnesses, who for these 1260. years have been Witnesses in Sackcloth for Christ against Antichrist, whereby 'tis evident that he is the slain witness that finished his Testimony.  
Fourthly, That his Son the K. of Scotland who is the witness expected 3. years and an half after the slaying of (the Witnesses to rise again) is by an unquestionable title Emperor of Rome, and that Prince expected to be the ruin of the Antichristian Monarchy of Rome.    
Amongst these things are proved that the time of the calling of the Jews, the fall of Antichrist, and the ruin of the Beast of the Earth is at hand, Where in you have the hard places of Mat. 24, and Rev. 17. explained with several other hard Texts: Together with a description of the last Enemies which slay the Witnesses, whereby 'tis evident that England is the place where the Witnesses are slain, and no place else.  
Written by Testis-Mundus Catholicus, In the year of the Beasts of the Earth's reign, 1651.   

READER:  
I Have taken upon me one of the hardest tasks this day in the World, and who am I that undertake it? but the weakest that ever traveled in this high way. I find giants in learning, stumbling, falling, straggling, and quite tired in this way: many mighty men durst never adventure to put foot therein, and few that ever entered it can say they came to their journey's end; there was still a pus ultra which they all acknowledged.  
This only was my encouragement to enter into this sacred Thicket of Divine Mysteries, that that Divine Essence which gave it to the world, delights to reveal it to Babes and Sucklings in the world. I am sure my Lord and Master the King of Heaven and Earth delights to have it so; The great God usually magnifies his grace this way, by doing great things by the weakest means, He made a poor, weak, despised Maid, alone, to bring forth the mighty Monarch of Heaven and Earth.  
Indeed, in this great work I have been, (as the blessed Virgin) both {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} alone. Whiles I was big of what I have here brought forth in both these Tracts, I was enforced (like Elizabeth) to hide myself; for so grievous were the thrumps and kicks of my friends against it; whiles I went in pain of it, that I could not endure them, and now it is born, the Herod's of the times do seek its life. I must confess it goeth adroad in a homely dress, yet it is never the less, nor never the worse truth. The Harp is David's Harp, though the Method and the style (which are as the strings and the fingers) are mine; which I could heartily wish were better. The rudeness of them I do acknowledge may give occasion to my enemies to make me the moral of Lucian's Fable who (deriding illiterate sauce-boxes) tells us of a Supercilious Asses whose aspiring mind (looking at least five Sphere above his reach) made his rude finger's itch to be playing on Orpheus his Harp, snatching it therefore from Apollo to whom 'twas dedicated, to work he went, and made therewith such an hideous noise, that instead of making wild Beasts tame (as Orpheus was wont) he made the tame Dogs of the Town mad, who ran upon him and tore him in pieces.  
I do not desire to make the moral of this Fable, let if I must, because my enemies will have it so, if I make such harsh music of that Sacred Harp the Bible, that I enrage the Dogs of this age against me, but my enemies remember that my unskilful fingers make harsh music only in Dogs ears; and however, the harp I play upon is still the same, and none but Dogs thereat will be enraged.  
I confess of all Instruments this of Sigionoth is the hardest, and I may truly say that many excellent Musicians (Otherways) have made such harsh music on this Instrument, that the Romish Dogs have had to Just a cause to bark at them; but as for the Romish party I fear them not, because I am sure they cannot come at me for their own Authors, they must thrust them through to touch me, and so must the Independents likewise: so that I have the least cause of any man to fear either of them; and as for others, I expect by the Law of gratitude fair dealing at their hands: if it be asked why this Preface is made a book distinct and not joined to [Manus Testium] as it ought. I answer, 1. 'Tis not my fault but theirs that print it, these are times of separation. 2. I committed them to several hands, that if one miscarried, the other might possibly have safe arrival; and if either, there might be light enough in that alone to tell the the world who the witnesses are, where they shall be slain, when they shall be slain, and who shall slay them, and when and where he shall be overcome that slays them; For this cause have I handled many things in this Preface which I have touched on in the Book, and touched many things here which I have handled in the book; that (in this Tract I have handled more clearly) which I lest obscurely [through over much brevity] in the Book, especially that of Monarchy, and that of the Beast which slays the witnesses in Rev. 17. where I have endeavoured to answer all the hard questions in that Chapter which is the mystery of the Revelations, as yet to me never by any one fully and clearly opened.  
I have not studied loftiness but plainness of speech in these Tracts, I have not (as most scholars do) eyed only scholars, but herein (playing the Jesuit of our times) I have eyed the Vulgar ●ort most, and writ to their capacities, that so (Counterworking the Jesuit of our times) I might undeceive poor misled souls (who are stung with those jesuitical Independent Scorpions) and bring them to the knowledge of the true Church, a lawful Magistracy and ministry, and discover to them the true Antichrist. For this cause (reader) do I run a corporal hazard on purpose to save thy soul harmless by pulling thee by timely repentance out of Babylon that is now falling. I beseech the therefore since I have not counted my pains, purse, person nor life to much too prepare it and present it to thee, do not think thy pains to much to read it, read it as I writ it with much diligence and fervent prayer, and I pray God grant that it may be so effectual by the operation of the Holy Ghost upon all that read it, that the drooping feebl soul may be encouraged, the blind enlightened, & the obstinate so terrified, that the devil's kingdom may be shaken by it Antichrists kingdom may be confounded by it, and the Beast of the earth who supports them both may be speedily and utterly ruined by it: this is the daily and hourly prayer of him who studies nothing more than thy spiritual welfare.   

The Author to his Book.  
MY little book (I only call thee mine,  
because in these dark times I'm only thine)  
Go quickly through the world, and boldly say,  
that mighty monarch's coming to destroy  
The church her enemies; let proud Rome know  
from thee she's near her last great overthrow;  
And tell the earth-Beast when the seven Trump' sounds,  
his death's designed: that Trump' his power confounds.  
Then let the Dragon also understand,  
Christ's coming, and his chaining up's at hand  
And let the house of Austria know, and Spain.  
Their sun shall set, and never rise again  
This message done, (my book) go to the Jews,  
and with a cheerful voice proclaim this news  
Our Lord is their Messiah, and their eyes  
shall weep o'er him whom now they do despise.  
Their Native King our Lord, shall by his hand  
restore the twelve Tribes to their Native land.  
They shall put eye to eye, 
isaiah 58. 8.  that is, shall see  
their Prophets and the Apostles to agree.  
This don, go to the Gentiles Church which lies,  
this day overwhelmed with deep Calamities:  
Comfort her thus, tell her the Scriptures say,  
her witnesses shall rise that Beast to slay,  
In whose destruction the grand power of all  
the three last gospel Enemies shall fall,  
Tell her this earth-Beast reigns, this hours that day  
which slays her witnesses, the Scriptures say.  
Bid her not fear, those Offices now slain  
in Church and State shall shortly rise again.  
Whose glorious rising shall the world affright  
and slay this earth-Beast with his men of might.  
Then shall the vials run, God's wrath shall rise  
and ruin his three last Grand enemies.  
Let then that Northern kingdom understand  
by this, its day of triumph is at hand.  
It's now distressed Ministers and King  
shall mourn no more, but hallalujahs sing.  
That church no more her sackcloth shall put on,  
She shall be clothed with salvation.  
Her King shall reign in righteousness, and make  
God's enemies throughout the world to quake.  
He shall be nursing father to the Jews,  
and shall no acts of grace to them refuse  
They shall flock in to him, he shall destroy  
their foes, that barred them from Salvations way.  
Immediately before this come to pass  
her troubles shall be such as never was.  
The prefixed symptoms of this day must be  
her low State and her foes prosperity.  
Hence 'tis this great days prophecies allude  
to each great Church deliverance since the flood  
She sings the Song of Moses and the lamb;  
'cause out of such deep misery she came.  
Lift up thine eyes (O Zion) then, and see,  
in this great day thy foretold enemy. 
Dan. 7. 25.   
Three years and half thine enemy must rage  
O'er thee, by war which he with thee doth wage.  
One thousand two hundred sixty days just  
O LaVer us CroMweLL's name makes, who must  
50 5 5 100 1000 50. 50  

a D. 7. 25.  Three years and an half by his 
b D. 11. 38  sword-power reign;  
which is that time the 
c Rev. 11. 9  witnesses lie slain.  
If (who he slays) by aught demanded be,  
'tis Kingly Offfce, and the Ministry  
This Beast's that 
d Da. 7. 8. 9  little horn that pulls away  
three horns o'th' ten him 
e R. 19 10. 20.  Christ comes to destroy.  
This Beasts 
f R. 13. 13. 14.  deceitful, perjured, base, Love's lies,  
and bears 
g Re. 17. 7.  up Rome with all her blasphemies,  
This is that enemy which doth divide  
Mount 
h Za. 14. 4. 7  Olvet, and makes the breach so wide  
Twixt North and South, and makes one day like night,  
but when its evening comes, it shall be light,  
That is; this Beast in Scotland shall rage there  
but one prophetic day, that is, one year  
i'th'' Evening of which year it shall be light 
Da. 11. 45.   
tothth' Church, and to this Beast eternal night.  
This beast betwixt 
 the seas in Scotland must  
incamp, ●nd there be scattered as the dust.  
Share then my book twixt Zion's friends and foes,  
their unexpected lots of joys and woes.  
Tell Zion now i'th' dust full fraught with sorrow,  
her bloody tears shall bring forth joys to morrow.  
Haste then tothth' Scots, tell them the prophets say,  
their war is Christ's and he'll give them the day.  
And this shall be the sign even this alone,  
when the enemy seems most strong, they most undone.  
Reader,  
What is deficient in this, thou shalt find supplied in Manus Testium.   

THe method of God's afflicting providence in the Church since the Creation, is worthy the observation of all; but more especially of him who undertakes to interpret the Holy Scriptures.  
The method of God in his acts of providence towards his Church are:  
1. To bring them exceeding low before he deliver them.  
2. After he hath delivered them from their great troubles, and put them in a hopeful way of peace, for ends best known to himself, he oftentimes dashes their hopes, and darkens the way by sad and heavy afflictions: As the former is undeniable, so the latter is clear in the Scriptures. See this verified in Jacob, the Father of the twelve Patriarchs; Jacob being newly gotten from a Heardmaster, and passed the River with his wives and substance, he resolved to go into the Promised Land: when he was got seven days' journey (in all probability, out of Laban's reach) on a sudden the storm riseth, Laban pursues him with his forces, and Esau prepares to stop him in his flight with 400 men; so that we may see here Jacob, like Christ on the Cross, a miserable object betwixt two Thieves. To this, Jeremiah alludes, when he prophesies of the great troubles of the Church, immediately before the conversion of the twelve Tribes, He calls it the time of Jacob's trouble, none hath been like it. So likewise when the Church was delivered from Egypt's Bondage, and all their Enemies drowned; and when they had seen and tasted of the goodness of the Lord from Heaven, in raining Manna, and of the sweet and spiritual love-tokens of God from Mount Sina, when God had given them laws and Ordinances, and began a glorious Reformation; and when they were going into Canaan, then riseth Corah, Datha●, and Abiran, against the Witnesses, Moses and Aaron; and than the people rebel, and that glorious Sun of a Reformation went retrogade many thousand of degrees by Asa's dial.  
So likewise David, when he went to fetch the Ark home, he went forth like his son Solomon's ships for gold, with great pomp; but came home broken and tottered with loss.  
He went with the Priests and the people to fetch the Ark to Jerusalem its resting place; he made a new Cart and Wheels, and prepared the Beasts to draw it; he got the Ark upon the Cart, and the Beasts did draw it towards Jerusalem: but in the way, what an unexpected storm of cross winds riseth, the Beasts stumbled, the Ark tottered, God's wrath ariseth; and this stops the Ark that it came not then to Jerusalem. To this doth Ezekiel (Chap. 1.) allude, Where he seeing in a Vision, that glorious day of the twelve Tribes conversion to Christ in the last days; immediately before that day, he seeth the Gospel-Magistracy and ministry, drawing the Ark of a Reformation to his settled place: There the Magistracy (as in Revel. 4.) is compared to the Beasts which draw the Ark, and the ministry to the Wheels full of eyes, which support the Ark. These Ezekiel saw carrying on a Reformation with much boldness, and through many difficulties: When the Beasts went, the Wheels went, and they turned not: When one was lifted, up, the other was lifted up: When the Magistracy went on, the ministry went on in a Reformation; but when they stood, they let down their wings, there was the great stop: the Magistracy was taken away, their wings, after the war, Ezek. 1. 24. were let down: and immediately follows, ver. 25. a voice from Heaven, which is the same with the seventh Trumpet, Matth. 24. Rev. 11. Rev. 16. 17, 18. when the great day of the Jews conversion shall begin, and the great obstruction of their conversion shall be removed: Likewise after the captivity, that joyful Reformation begun and carried on so successfully, how did its evening come upon it (as I may say) at noon tide? How was all dashed, and that happy work retanded on a sudden? And how great a Muntain the devil's Pioneers raised in Zerubbabel's way, Ezra 4. Look we further, and we shall see the greatest and gloriousest Reformation in the world, retarded in the middle of it, and in the height of it, even that blessed Reformation, which is the standing rule of Reformation to the end of the world, that of our Lord Jesus in the flesh here on Earth, when he had called the Apostles, sent out the seventy, two by two; and when he had preached, healed, converted many, when his Enemies thought all the world would follow him, when they sang Hosana to the highest, and when his Enemies were confounded before him, being unable to gainsay his truth, when all the Countries round rang of his fame, and came to see him, and hear his Doctrine, and to be healed, then on a sudden comes Judas, and betrays him with a kiss: the King is taken and bound, and falsely accused, unjustly sentenced to death, scourged, buffited, spit on, mocked, carried away to be crucified: his Disciples fled, he nailed to the Cross, and a spear thrust into his heart; he taken down from the Cross, carried to the grave, and there seated in his grave: and thus to the eye of the world was that glorious Reformation destroyed, the King being cut off, and his Officers dissipated. This Reformation, though to the eye of the world at that time it was quite put out, yet it suddenly and unexpectedly rose again, and broke out into greater and more glorious flames throughout the world then ever: For two Angels in glorious brightness appear at the grave of the slain Jesus, that Martyr of Martyrs, and immediately follows a mighty earthquake, whereat the soldiers that slew him trembled: the Lord Jesus arose, called together his dispersed and hopeless disconsolate Disciples, led them to Galilee, and there proclaims his Imperial Power and sovereignty, that all the Kingdoms in the world were under his power, and all the mighty Dominions in Heaven were subject to him: And that those his Enemies that slew him, might know this, he ascended from Mount Olivet, which Mountain was on the East of Jerusalem exceeding high, looking directly into Jerusalem; so that they that slew him in Jerusalem, might plainly see him in that glorious bright Cloud ascending to Heaven: and immediately after this ascension of his to his Imperial Court in the Heaven of Heavens, where he is in full possession of his royal Purchase, He like a conqueror in full possession of his Dignity, gives to his Officers, especially to his Apostles, magnificent gifts, beseeming so great a Prince to give, and Officers so near him to receive: these twelve spiritual Princes, like so many Monarchs of Unity amongst themselves, divided the world amongst them, and went forth conquering, and to conquer, from sea to sea: The glorious spiritual Victories that these Champions got, and the mighty Conquests over the devil's Kingdom which they made, is not unknown to the whole world: Their Government and Laws still stand, and shall remain for ever. Apostasy from which hath been the miserable ruin of all those famous Eastern Churches to this day. Great hath been the apostasy of both Eastern and Western Churches from the Laws of the Apostles: and sore have their spiritual afflictions (proportionated to their sins) been; the Eastern Church is drove into the Wilderness by mahumatism, and the Western Church by Popery: Of this grand apostasy, and most abominable hypocrisy of the Western Churches, not only the Apostles, but the Prophets in the Old Testament have prophesied. In the Church-Histories the dissipation of the Jews, and the driving of the Gentile-Church into the Wilderness, seems, to me, to begin near about one time; and their rising again to a flourishing state, seems to me to be both at one time, by the prophecies of the Old New Testament.  
Now the rising again both of the Jews and Gentiles to a flourishing state under the Gospel, is that great and last day (i. e.) of Reformation, so much spoken of both by the Old Testament-Prophets, by Christ himself, by the Apostles, and especially by John in Revelation.  
Of this last Day, there are not only gross mistakes amongst the Ancients, but many absurd conjectures among the Ancients. Many of the Ancients looking into the prophecies, which are to be fulfilled in the end of the Roman Monarchy; and reading those high prophetic expressions of that glorious Day, wherein Christ promiseth in a most glorious powerful manner to appear for his church's salvation, and his enemy's ruin; conceived that it should be by the personal reign of Christ on Earth a Thousand years; conceiving (rightly) that the Thousand years binding of Satan, begins when Antichrists reign is accompl●shed (for 'tis absurd to think otherwise) but misunderstanding, Rev. 21. as if that Chapter were meant of the state of the Church in this life, which is against the clear and manifest light of the Holy Ghost in the prophecy: This gross mistake (I humbly conceive) made not only Papias (the first Author of the abominable Opinion of Christ's reign on Earth a Thousands years) of this opinion; but many others more moderate as Irenaeus, Turtullian, Lactantius, Victorinus, Apolonius, Severus, Justinus, and several others: These did not hold as Corynthus did, that they should reign with Christ in corporal, but in spiritual delights, after 6000▪ years' were accomplished from the Creation, may not I say Augustine (lib. 20. de Civit. Dei, Cap. 7.) is of this opinion, and Jerome on Dan. 7. where he saith, In uno Romano imperio propter Antichristum blasphemantem, omnia simul regna delenda sunt, & nequaquam terrenum imperium erit, sed Sanctorum conversatio; a saying much harped on (though not quoted) in these times, to further the design of slaying the Witnesses. And upon the same mistake (as it is conceived) the Councils, though they were for the most part against this opinion; yet they could never unanimously agree to condemn the Opinion as heretical.  
Others of our recents, very learned men and pious, thinking to confute this error of the Chiliasts, run into more absurdities than the most of those whom they endeavour to confute; for not knowing how to remove that Mountain betwixt the Chiliasts, and them, about the first Resurrection, and the reign of the Saints, and the 1000 years binding of Satan: they say that the reign of the Saints is pa●t, it being before Antichrist comes into the world: Of this opinion is Hortulanus, and (as I am informed by scholars) Pereus; Galianus that learned Romanist is of the same opinion; as appears by his Manuscripts in the Vatican, by Antichrist, they mean that Beast of the Earth, Rev. 13. 12. which shall arise, Rev. 11. 7. and slay the Witnesses: few of the Romanists concur with them in their opinion; but very many Protestants, in the main; jump with them: but as contrary to the light of the Scriptures, as darkness is to light.  
But there are other learned men of great renown, who decline both these opinions, as Bullinger, Beucer, and Seraphin who affirm that the great and magnificent promises made to the Church in the old Testament and in the new, are not yet fulfilled, but are to be fulfilled after the downfall of Antichrist, after which (say they, and others with them) the devil's kingdom of darkness, heresy and blasphemy shall be ruined, and the Church shall no more be afflicted with heresy, but the heavenly form of government shall be set up in the Church, which shall suppress all its enemies: with these learned men, so far as I have quoted them, I shall concur.  
For, this I do affirm (yet not I, but the Scriptures) that there is another great day of reformation to be in the world before the day of judgement, besides that great day of reformation already past, which Christ when he was on earth began: this shall be a more glorious day than any that ever yet was on earth: I do not say that Christ shall reign on earth personally, I abhor that extreme with that learned Father B. Hall, in his tract called the Revelations unrevealed: but I (or rather the Prophets) do affirm, that in this great day of reformation to come, after the downfall of Antichrist, the twelve Tribes shall be converted to the Gospel. Here therefore I must with my reverend father's good leave be his dissenting son, notwithstanding all he hath said to the contrary: For first, whereas he saith, the promises in the Prophets are spiritually to be taken, and not literally, concerning the twelve Tribes; but concerning the Gospel-Church, I briefly reply, this argument is invalid, because he neither backs it with reason nor Scripture: with reason he cannot, for it is a non sequitur to say, because the Prophets sometimes are to be understood, therefore always; I am sure this is neither true in logic nor Divinity.  
2. There is no probability in his assertion: for though indeed Jerusalem be sometimes in the Prophets put for the Gospel-Church, yet where the Prophets speak of the house of Judah, and the house of Joseph, there I believe 'twill be hard for the Doctor to prove that they are spiritually to be understood of the Gospel Church, as Zach. 10. 6, 7, 8. so in several other places: had the Bishop instanced in any place of the Prophets, we should have grappled then for probability. But I pass on.  
3. If these Prophecies do nothing concern the restauration of the Jews in these latter days, then to what purpose did God send his Prophets to sing songs in their ears, if it nothing concerned them? Certainly these Prophecies were prophesied amongst them to no purpose; if all those Prophecies belonged to the Gentiles, then certainly God would have sent his Prophets amongst them, but they principally concerned the Jews, and therefore they were prophesied amongst them, and to them, to whom they belonged; for God never sends his Prophets out of order, all God's Prophets prophesied to the people to whom they were sent, but the Prophets of the old Testament were appointed Prophets for the twelve Tribes (except those that had special Commission, as Jonas, to go to the Gentiles) and therefore to them principally these prophecies belong, and therefore that hard question is thus resolved, since in Luke 21. Jerusalem shall be trodden underfoot until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled; and the time of the Gentiles reign continues (Rev. 11. 2.) 1260. years, how comes it to pass in Dan. 12. that the time of the Church's dissipation shall be 1290. days? To that 'tis thus answered; Daniel was a Prophet principally designed for the Jews, and therefore God declares to him how long the dissipation of the Jews shall be, which (as M. Brightman and other learned men say on Dan. 12. 11.) began Anno 360. therefore their time is up about this year 1650. their time of dissipation being to continue 1290. years: but now our Saviour in Luke 21. 24. respects the Gospel Gentile Church, as well as the Jews, which shall be (as Rev. 11. 1.) drove into a sack cloth condition until the time of 1260. years be accomplished.  
Now many learned men count, that the time of Antichrists appearing to be formally Antichrist, and the time of the Witnesses going into the Wilderness, and putting on sackcloth, was in, or near about the year 390. So that Antichrists reign, and the witnesses sackcloth condition, is expired in Anno, 1650. Now if Daniel, in his prophecy, should only respect the Gentile Church, how could John, Christ, and Daniel, be reconciled in their prophesies? To return therefore to the thing in hand, we affirm, that the Prophets in the Old Testament, prophesied of the futurehappy state of their own Kindred and Nation, and not of the Gentile Church; but accidentally and occasionally for the most part; as showing what shall come to pass in the Gentile-Church, immediately before the great Day of the Jews conversion, which is the sign that the Jews shall have of their approaching glorious Day: And therefore the Old Testament prophesies of the uniting of the house of Joseph and Judah together under one King, and bringing them back again to their own Land, can be meant of nothing, but of the restoring of the Twelve Tribes to their own Land, under their ancient government, as in David's time.  
As for his alleging a seeming inpossibility, that they that have been outcasts so long from the Covenant of Grace, should now be called home to the Gospel (which is it seems beyond the doctor's faith) to that we answer, and he acknowledgeth. 1. Nothing is impossible with God. 2. God hath promised to call the dispersed outcasts of Israel, from the four corners of the Earth, Esa. 11. 12. and they shall be so hopeless in the eye of the world, that before their conversion they shall be as dry bones in Golgotha, Ezek. 37. 1, 2. Yet God will call these dry bones together: Therefore their conversion is also expressed, Ezek. 37. 11, 12. under the notion of raising dead men out of their graves God will first open their graves, and then lead them out of their graves: so that to the world they shall seem dead and buried, when God intends to convert them: so that that which upon a bare principle of reason the Bishop makes his argument against the Truth, I upon a principle of faith, built upon God's promises, make the argument to confirm this Truth; and who stands on the Beasts bottom (whether he on bare Reason, or I on a divine promise) I'll leave Christians to judge: But that which the Bishop most derides, is the opinion of those, who say this year, 1650. the Jews shall be converted; he bids us show him a thrave of Jews as yet converted, which are now to gather, professing the gospel.  
To this 'tis answered: 1 We can show in this year, 1650. more probability for the conversion not only of a few, but thousands of the Hebrews to the faith of Christ, than the Bishop can against it: In the year, 1650. there is a book that makes mention of 5900. East-Indians converted to Jesus Christ, by Mr. Robert Junius.  
Now there are more arguments to prove these of the Seed of Jacob, than the Bishop can bring to prove the contrary. Again, look into the West-Indies, and this year 1650. tells us of a glorious Harvest begun, in the conversion of those Natives there; and there is more probability that they are of the stock of Jacob, than the contrary. For there have been Jews that traveled those ways, who have found some of the Ten Tribes in America: some learned Travellers have rationally conjectured, that those Natives in New-England are some of the Ten Tribes: For upon diligent observation of the people, their customs, Language, and Ceremonies, have brought these arguments, to prove them Hebrews; for (say they) 1. They have a traditional knowledge of God, which they say their forefathers which were wise, and endued with knowledge, taught them: they say that God made the world, and this God is but one God.  
2. They say this God is the Author of all the good that is dispensed in the world, and the author of all the evil that is inflicted in the world.  
And hence is that custom amongst them to this day, When any evil is inflicted on them, either by immoderate weather, whereby their corn is spoiled, or by any other judgement, they solemnly meet together under a green tree, and weep before him who hath inflicted all that evil upon them, whom they acknowledge to be the Maker of the World.  
3. They preserve their pedigree, with all the care they can, as far as their memories will go, and are careful to promote their kindred after the manner of the Hebrews.  
4. The chief of them are exceeding reserved, and keep themselves from strangers, so that the wisest of them are hard to be met withal, whereby further discovery might be made of their Original; but much of the golden oar, of the Hebrew Language, is found among the drossy Language of the vulgar Natives.  
5. 'Tis said that they are excellent in expressing themselves parabolically, after the manner of the Hebrews: By all which there is probability, that they are of the dispersed of Israel, whom God is now calling home to the knowledge of the Gospel.  
Menasseh Ben-Israel saith, and also Montezinus, (both Jews, and learned men) that the first Inhabitants of America were the Ten Tribes: if so, I think I have the greatest probability on my side, that these many Thousands that we have heard of already converted, and the many more Thousands which we expect and pray for, are Hebrews of the sons of Jacob, to be converted to Christ in this age of the world.  
But suppose there were never a Jew converted, must this make the purpose of God of none effect? God forbid, it is true that from posse to esse there can be no certain consequence; but from God's promise to his purpose, we may conclude affirmatively.  
If God have promised to convert the Jews, 'tis his purpose to call them: all his promises are yea, and amen: if God promise that Israel shall be no longer than 40. years in Egypt, they shall be there not a day longer, though nothing more unlikely in the world than their deliverance: so shall it be in their conversion in these latter days, though there be nothing more unlikely, yet there shall be nothing more certain; for God hath promised it, Rom. 11. 25, 26. All Israel shall be saved i. e.) all the Tribes shall be converted: the precedent verse tells us the time when (viz.) When the fullness of the Gentiles is come in, that is, (as in Luke 21. 24.) when the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled, which Rev. 11. 2.) is 42. moteths, i. e. 1260. days, i. e. years.  
Observe, Paul writes to the Church of Rome, forbidding them to boast of their Gospel-priviledges, in a proud insulting way over the rejected Jews.  
Paul foresaw to what impudent insulting pride the Church of Rome would rise; therefore he bids the Church not to be high-minded, but fear; for if God spared not the Jews, the natural branches, much less would he spare the Gentile-church of Rome: for this end Paul would not have the Gentile-church ignorant of this mystery, which mystery of God (Rev. 10. 7.) shall be finished at the seventh Trumpet, and that is when Antichrist that sits in Rome, when the fullness of his time shall come in, then shall Israel be converted: Here Israel is put in opposition to the Gentile-church. Now this Paul acquaints the Roman church with, lest they should be wise in their own conceit, or overmuch puffed up with pride: so that from these texts it seems clear to me, That the Jews conversion shall be at that time when the Roman Pontifick state shall go to ruin; and if in this sense we may understand Romanum imperium, the Bishop knows better than myself. I have many thraves of ancient and latter Writers to support me against him.  
Lastly, I answer, That the conversion of the Jews shall come in on the sudden: they shall come like the Doves to the windows, that is, swiftly and in great numbers; and this shall be (Ezek. 37. 11.) when Israel gave themselves for lost, and their hopes were cut off, than the whole house of Israel, like bones exceeding dry, came together, and they that were in the Valley of dry bones (v. 1.) became an exceeding great Army, ver. 10. How clear there doth the Holy Ghost prophecy of the conversion of the whole house of Israel, that is, the twelve Tribes.  
Now if it should be objected, 'twas prophesied of their restauration under the second Temple, to that I answer, it cannot be, because only the two Tribes returned, and not the ten Tribes, to the second Temple, as Manass-Ben-Israel affirms; and generally all Historians hold, that very few of the ten Tribes returned with the two.  
But now this prophecy extends to the whole house of Israel, ver. 11. (i. e.) the twelve Tribes: So that from the time of the prophecy, until this day, it hath not as yet been fulfilled, and therefore 'tis to be fulfilled; and when 'tis fulfilled, it will be suddenly: as Rome's ruin will be sudden, so the Jews conversion will be sudden, and therefore our Lord Jesus, and their true Messiah's prophesying of their conversion, Matth. 24. in ver. 24, 25, 26. he tells them Antichrist shall be busy with his false Prophets immediately before the day of Christ's coming to destroy Antichrist, and to convert the Jews; and then shall he come, as the lightning which comes from the East, and is quickly in the West, so shall the coming of Christ be.  
This coming of Christ cannot be meant of his coming to judgement, but of his coming to call the Jews to repentance, and to destroy the Roman Monarchy, or the Roman Antichristian Pontifick state in ver. 29. the destruction of Rome is prophesied, and ver. 30. prophecies of the repentance of the twelve Tribes in the day of his spiritual appearance to them in the Gospel, ver. 31. prophecies of the time when this shall be; it shall be at the sounding of the great voice, and the Trumpet, that is, at the sounding of the seventh Trumpet, Rev. 11. 16. when the Witnesses shall rise, Antichrist shall fall, and Euphrates shall be dried up, ver. 32, 33. tells us, that the Tribulation of the Gospel-church under the rage of heretics, as Separatists, Blasphemers, Seducers, Antichrists, and false Prophets, is as sure a sign of the downfall of Rome, and the conversion of the Jews, as the budding and sprouting of the trees are of the approaching of the summer.  
Now these Heresies, and these false Prophets shall be eminent in the Gospel-Gentile Church, which shall be the true sign of the Jews conversion, ver. 34. plainly tells us, this cannot be meant of the day of Judgement; for this generation (saith Christ) shall not pass, that is, the stock of Israel shall not be extirpate, until they have seen all these things fulfilled; this day is called Luke 21. the day of the redemption of the twelve Tribes: Now if this day (as some would have it) be the day of Judgement, this day would be the damnation of the Tribes, if they must be in the world until this day, and unconverted; therefore this day is the day of the Jews conversion, not the day of Judgement. ver. 25. The next verse is to confirm the certainty of the Prophecy, For heaven and earth shall pass away, but not one title of the Word shall pass away. ver. 36. But of that day, and of that hour (i. e.) (of the heavens and earth passing away) knoweth no man: by this 'tis manifest, that Christ in the whole Chapter speaks not one word of the day of Judgement, until ver. 35. which he forbids any to pry into; for God only knew that; but of the day of his coming to ruin Rome, and convert the Jews; he bids us by the foregoing signs know for certain that it was near, even at the doors. ver. 33. Now this glorious coming of Christ in his spiritual and corporal punishments on his enemies; and his spiritual and corporal favours to the Jews, shall be as the lightning which is swift in its motion, it gives light from East to West presently, so shall all the kingdoms in this world become the Lords, and his Christ's on a sudden: Therefore far be it from any Protestant to have such a malignant thought, as that God hath forgot to be gracious, or that his hand is shortened that he cannot help the poor Jews, which are this day, many of them, looking, listening, and admiring at us in England and Scotland, whose eyes, I trust, shall see some glorious sign of good to them ere long.  
Forty times more may be said in vindication of this manifest truth, concerning the twelve Tribes conversion; but considering how little is said against it, I shall say no more, but proceed.  
The subject of my ensuing Discourse in this, and Manus Testium which should be joined with this is, concerning this great day.  
My opinion is, that the three grand Enemies of the Church shall near about the end, or within a year of 1650. begin to rise, and never fall more: at this time also the morning of the Jews conversion shall begin, and shall shine more and more until it come to a perfect day.  
These Opinions the Reader shall find bottomed on Scripture, which Scriptures are not of any private interpretation, but such as are matched with Scripture, which illustrate the things proved by them, and also have several learned Authors concurring, in the confirmation of the same thing; so that if I am laughed at for my opinion, I doubt not but in that particular (what ever it be of moment) I shall make the Remonstrant confess, he scoffs not only at me, but at his betters.  
I write not this to deter any from endeavouring to confute this ensuing Tract: for one end of my writing so briefly on so large a subject, is, that I may have a speedy answer, and a seasonable confutation; which if it be clear from Scripture-grounds, I shall readily and willingly submit, and return a thankful Reply to my Corrector, and promise him to retract my errors.  
As for the time of Antichrists fall, which I conceive to begin presently after 1650. it is well known that 'tis no new opinion; for Brightman, and several other learned men have so conjectured, upon this ground, which is human, because 'tis drawn from human story: for he begins the Jews great afflictions in An. 360. so that their 1290. years' afflictions must necessarily be expired in this year, 1650. and Dr. Homes, and several others well-versed in the study of the Revelations, and of History, do gather, that Antichrist appeared visibly in the Church in Anno 390. so that the Gentile and Jewish church afflictions seem both to expire at one time; for Antichrist is to rage over the Gentile church but 1260. years, which by the compute is accomplished Anno 1650. Now (as Dr. Homes saith very well) in so many years, possibly, there may be lost-time in the account; so that he takes a grain of allowance (that is) a year over to his 1260. years: Upon the same ground, in this thing, I shall follow him, and comply with him, though there is no necessity for it.  
Others (as Clavis Apocalyptica, written by a German) draw water from the same Springs, quote the same texts, as Dan. 12. and Rev. 11. and looking into History, say, that these texts of 1290. days, and 1260. days, are not fulfilled until 1655. so that these agree with the former in explication of the texts, but not in application of the Histories to the text: in which difference, he that hath the clearest Histories to show the time of Antichrists rising, and the time of the Witnesses going into sackcloth, as relating to the Gentile Church; and likewise he that interprets that text (Dan. 12. 11.) most clearly, and by history can clear it exactly, and tell when the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the abomination of desolation set up be doubtless, will gain the greatest credit from the judicious Reader.  
In my jndgment learned Brightman on Dan. 12. 11. is most clear and rational, and none do, I find, guess nearer the time (in print) of Antichrists visible appearance in the Church, then Dr. Homes, let me give the Devil his due. But of the main point, which is concerning the slaying the Witnesses at, or near the end, (or whether at or near the end) of Antichrists 1260. years' reign, he speaks not a word, which makes me think, that his Sermon, Octob. 8. 1650. was preached against the light of his own conscience; For in the Revelations the Holy Ghost hath so linked Antichrists reign, and the Witnesses slaying in the end of Antichrists reign, that he that studies the one, must necessarily take notice of the other; and indeed he that can show us the Witnesses slain, may easily point at the end both of the Gospel-church afflictions and the Jewish States dissipation: but here is the difficulty, and here are the gross mistakes of men, who studying application of history to the text, more than the explication of the text itself, have given most ridiculous guesses, to the great scandal of the Protestant.  
My Antagonist speaks not one word to this text; but the German Divine in his Clavis Apocaliptica, p. 87. tells us, that three years and a half before Antichrists reign is out the Witnesses shall be slain; for (saith he) they both expire together, both Antichrists reign, and the Witnesses slaying: and therefore he renders, Rev. 11. 7. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, in futuro simplici, when they are about to finish: so Cloverius and Mead reads the text: In this I shall not much dissent from them; yet I think they render it best, who read it from the words, as it most naturally drops into English, and that is when they shall have finished their testimony: for it will nothing at all clash with ver. 2. where they prophesy 1260. days in sackcloth: for the finishing of their testimony doth not cause their prophesying to cease: their suffering, and their slaying is the gloriousest part of their sackcloth prophesy; for than saith the Holy Ghost, Here is their faith, and here is their patience.  
The finishing of their testimony is the joint concurrence of the two Witnesses (viz. the Magistracy and the ministry) in establishing the Doctrine and the Discipline of the Church of Christ against Antichrist the Beast of the Sea (i. e.) the Pope that keeps the Witnesses in sackcloth on the one hand, and against the Beast of the Earth that slays the Witnesses on the other hand; now when was this testimony finished? the sum of this testimony you shall find in the Covenant; but when they finished this testimony I leave Christians to judge, Whether when the Assembly of Divines had finished their work, that of the Doctrine, and Discipline of the Church, and when the Parliament ratified their work, resolved to disband their Armies, and bring home the King on honourable covenant-tearms; and than the Beast of the Earth arose, made war against them, and drove them out of the house: since which that Reformation hath lain dead. Or whether it began then when the Magistracy were fully agreed to establish the Doctrine and the Discipline of the Church against Popery, on one hand, and heresy on the other, when the King gave his royal assent, and the Parliament voted the King's concessions to be a sufficient ground for the establishing the peace of the Church and State; then the Beast ariseth and makes war against them, and overcomes them, and kills them: how kills them? Rev. 20. 5. makes answer, beheads them, (saith Beza) cuts them off with the Axe.  
Now which of these times 'tis, is no easy thing to determine; but the former act seems, to me, to be the time when they finished their testimony: For than the Beast set up his Sword-power, and then the Magistracy and ministry finished their Church-work: and immediately after they had finished it, this Beast of the bottomless put threw it down, and then followed that abominable Vote of non-addresses to the King.  
Now this fell out near about October, 164●. (as I remember) if about that time, than the Witnesses must ●●●e about May or June in the year, 1651. or thereabouts, for then his three years and an half is up: but if we begin to account the Witnesses s●aying, their finishing their Testimony, and the Beasts of the bottomless pits reign not to begin, unti●December, 1648. when the King was slain, and the Offices of the Two Houses slain, and the Assembly scattered, for not subscribing to the Beasts mark, than the witnesses will not rise until June, 1652.  
Now that these Witnesses are the Magistracy and the ministry, there is nothing so clear as learned Woodcock on Rev. 11. makes it appear, and several others; besides the ferenity of the holy texts themselves, which makes it most clear: This is most certain, that the two Witnesses are two lawful Offices (i. e.) a lawful Magistracy, and a lawful ministry.  
Now their Opposites who slay them, are Usurpers in the State, and Usurpers in the Church (that is the Beast of the Earth and the Beast of the Sea, with their followers) now the Witnesses rising shall be these Usurpers confusion (i. e.) the ruin of the Pope, and the Beast of the Earth, with their seven thousand men of name: so that the battle shall be fought betwixt lawful Magistracy, and lawful ministry, against Usurping Magistracy and ministry; but more of this in its place. The greatest difference (betwixt those that come near the time of their slaying is concerning the place where they must be slain: Now there are many groundless conceits that we find in print, about this place, where they shall be slain, I shall not repeat what others have said, but endeavour to prove that the Witnesses must be slain in these three Islands of England, Scotland, and Ireland.  
This I shall prove: 1. From the Offices that are slain. 2. From the person that slays them.  
The Offices that are slain are Two; a lawful Magistracy, and a lawful ministry. The lawful Magistracy is that which hath the Christ and his Apostles ordained in the Church, and established, until his second coming for to teach, instruct, rebuke and comfort the Church.  
Now these two must be slain in that place where they have all their time been in sackcloth; but a lawful visible Magistracy, and a lawful visible ministry have since 390. been visible in England, though in sackcloth under the Pope's tyranny, treachery, and oppression: Now let these countries that brag of the slaying of the Witnesses, amongst them first show me for these thousand two hundred and sixty years.  
A lawful Magistracy and ministry, and then those so long in sackcloth if they show me not this, I'll not believe the Witnesses shall be slain where they are not; but confident I am, England can only show these Witnesses, & no Nation else, so long together in the world; as God continued Monarchy in the Church from the Creation, until the mighty Monarch of the world came: So that mighty Monarch the Lord Jesus after his ascension, chose him his first vicegerent here in England: Lucius by name, who swayed the sceptre for Christ; from that Christian Race the Romans received their Christian Magistracy (as Constantine) and Christian Monarchy (except in a National discertion) hath continued visible in this kingdom of England, well nigh 1500 years; so that England above and before all other Nations since the profession of the gospel hath retained God's Witnesses, a lawful ministry being established by that good King Lucius, that Christian Monarch; let us then look for the Witnesses where God hath placed them, and never till this day totally plucked them up: I say, I here challenge all the Historians and Antiquaries in the world, to show me where, or when since these fourteen hundred years past; that the two great Offices in the Church and State (the lawful Magistracy, and the lawful ministry) were in so sad a slain abject condition, as at this day in England; let Historians bring me the blackest night that ever came upon these two Offices, and I dare undertake to make it appear, that this day is seven times blacker and sadder to these great Offices, than any heretofore; may I not add one thing more, to prove that the Witnesses have only been in this kingdom visibly in sackcloth, before William the conqueror's time, our Chronicles make mention of godly Kings, which for their piety were called Saints: Th●se you shall find them opposing the insolency and wickedness of the Church of Rome, King Edgar acknowledged no supremacy in the Pope, but saith, that the care of the Church of Christ, ad nos spectat, it belongeth to the King, not to the Pope; and this he did (saith Hoveden) by the advice and means of Ethelwood, Bishop of Winton, and Oswald Bishop of Worcester; so that seven hundred years since we have had Magistrates and Ministers, against the Pope's supremacy, and before that as is evident in Malmsbury de Gest. Reg. lib. 2. P. 57 afatrwards, from William the Conqueror to the last King of England, we have it clear, they have testified against the Pope's usurpation, and have in every Age suffered much, and been put into sackcloth, by the prevailing treacherous, rebellious factions of the Popes raising against the Kings of England, no kingdom in Europe can say the like, and which is one of the remarkablest passages in the world; the King that wast cut off when he had finished his testimony, was the only Protestant King in the world; therefore the only witness (say I) yea he was, as learned Sir Robert Naunton proves in his fragmenta regalia, cap. 1. p. 2. the lawful Successor by lineal dissent of the ancient British Kings, so that if any Magistracy in the world be the slain witness, 'tis that of England, which is lawful in its self, hath been visible for Christ before Antichrist, in sackcloth visible under Antichrist, and in the sight and hearing of all the world cut off with the Axe, for finishing the testimony against Antichrist. Now as for the ministry of England, the other witness of Christ's against Antichrist, that it hath been as ancient as the Christian Magistracy, and as visibly suffered under Antichrist, and now lieth under the greatest reproach ignominy, and slain condition, is as clear as the former.  
I shall say nothing to this Office, that Office will speak for itself, I am sure 'tis of age and ability enough to gainsay all his opposers, you see how much probability we have from the persons that are slain, that the English Magistracy and ministry are the Witnesses.  
Now we proceed to show what probability, there is, that these Witnesses are to be slain in these Northern Islands, I will say the less of the Beast that slays them, because I portrayed him in the ensuing tract, I shall only discover him where he is to be found in Scripture Prophecies, and than what those Scripture Prophecies say of his downfall in Rev. 11. 7. he is called the Beast that ascendeth out or the bottomless pit after the Witnesses have finished their testimony, where note that this Beast that slays the Witnesses, is not the Pope, but one that riseth when the Witnesses have finished their testimony, and his reign is but three years and an half, and this all the Greek and Latin father's assent unto, and 'tis as clear as the Sun from this text.  
In Rev. 13. 11. he is called the Beast of the Earth, to have us to observe, that he is one distinct from the Sea, ver. 5. 'tis wonderful to behold how many learned Protestants join these together in one, when God by his Word hath severed; they are distinguished by their original; the one ariseth out of the earth, and the other out of the Sea.  
The Holy Ghost calls the Beast of the Earth another, and many Protestants (though not all of them, for Bishop Cooper saith, 'tis one distinct from the Beast of the Sea) make them notwithstanding the same, the Beast of the Earth hath but two horns, and and the Beast of the sea ten: more arguments may be picked out of the texts to prove the Beast of the Earth which slays the Witnesses shall rise and reign but three years and an half during the time the Witnesses shall lie slain, as 'tis clear, Rev. 11. 7. 12. this Beasts rising is the Witnesses falling, and the Witnesses rising in this Beasts ruin, That the Beast of the Earth, and the Beast of the bottomless pit are one, and the same is clear, for Rev. 13. 10. 11. he riseth then, when the faith and patience of the Witnesses are exercised, here is the faith and patience of the Saints, their suffering graces, when the Beast of the Earth ariseth, are exercised, and the Beast of the bottomless pit, is he that exerciseth their defensive graces, so Rev. 11. 7. he makes war with them and overcomes and kills them.  
This Beast of the Earth, or bottomless pit Beast, is called in Rev. 17. the Beast bearing up Babylon with all her blasphemies murders. In this sevententh Chapter the Holy Ghost gives us a view of the last Scene of the last Act of the Romish Antichristian Factors: I'll beg the sober Christians earnest attention here, for it is the hardest Chapter in the whole Revelation, in Rev. 17. 1. the angel tells you what time o'th' day 'tis with Rome, 'tis near her judgement day at this time: John saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast: Here are three distinct names mentioned in the Chapter, the Woman, the Beast, and the great Whore: Now the great Whore sitting on many waters, v. 1. is expounded v. 15. to be that spiritual Whore that hath enticed the kings of the earth to commit idolatry (which is spiritual fornication) with her: this Whore is the Pope of Rome which inhabits the City with seven hills, which is Rome. The woman mentioned v. 3. is expounded v. 9 and v. 18. 'tis the city standing on seven hills as Rome doth, v. 18. 'tis the Metropolitan city as Rome is. But now the scarlet-coloured beast, v. 3. which bears up the city Rome, is not so plainly to the eye of the Reader unfolded, though there be most spoken in this Chapter of this Beast and his party, this Beast is one part of the mystery which John wonders at. Observe therefore in v. 3. this Beast is called a scarlet coloured Beast, because of his bloodiness: This Beast cannot be the Pope, for the Pope is the great Whore that sits upon many waters, and is born up by this Beast, 2. It cannot be the Pope, for the Pope came not out of the bottomless pit, but fell from heaven, and got the key of Independency into his own hands, which is the bottomless pit there spoken of Rev. 9 1. But now this Beast comes out of the bottomless pit, to show that this Beast is the selfsame that slays the Witnesses, Rev. 11. 7. who also comes out of the bottomless pit. 3. This Beast cannot be the Pope upon any rational account from any Expositor, because this Beast is the eighth, and is of the seven: Now the Pope by every Protestant account makes the seventh distinct head of government in Rome, but this Beast is of the eighth: now lest he should be taken for the eighth head of Rome, the Holy Ghost (as it were with a Prolepsin, v. 11.) tells us he is of the seven, and how he is of the seven; it may be because he bears up the Woman with seven heads, and ten horns: he is none of the ten subjected to Rome, neither is he one of the seven heads of Rome, but he is the eighthdistinct from the seven of Rome, and of the ten horns subject to Rome, and yet he is of the seven, that is, he hath something of all their wicked craft and subtlety, he is of the seven (saith Haymo) because this Beast shall seven times more persecute the Church of Christ then the other seven: this holds good; for to prove him to be the Beast that slays the Witnesses. Saith another of this text, he is the eighth, because regnum ejus distinctum à singulis, and he is of the seven, Quia in omnibus septem existit. I humbly conceive the Holy Ghost uses this expression [he is of the seven] to take us off from imagining that this Beast (though he be the eighth) is the eighth head of Rome: No, saith the Holy Ghost, he is of the seven, and that you might not imagine this Beast, on the other hand, to be one of the ten horns subject to Rome; saith the Holy Ghost, He is of the seven; and what follows? And goeth to perdition. Twice you have the perdition of the Beast mentioned in this Chapter, I humbly conceive, for two ends: 1. To note that this Beast is the last enemy of the Church, which bears up Rome with all her blasphemous hypocrites, which vent their poison, and proffer it to the world in the golden cup of glorious gospel truths, when they are full of all abominations, and filthiness of fornication; when Rome's judgement day is near, then v. 3. doth that scarlet coloured blasphemuus Beast arise, than is it a year of Jubilee with Rome, v. 5. she is richly adorned and decked with all outward pomp, and hath a golden cup in her hand, out of which she vents her abominable blasphemies. Then hath Rome, v. 5. a name written on her forehead, Mystery Babylon, now Mystery Babylon is legible in her forehead; we shall see Babylon in a mystery, when Rome is near her downfall, as to cry down with Antichrist, and murder a King that engaged to pull down Antichrist: To pretend to promote the gospel of Jesus Christ, and pull down the godly ministry. To exalt the Kingdom of Christ, and to grant a toleration of all Religions against Christ: to plead liberty of conscience, and devise spiritual wracks and tortures for men's consciences: For the Brats of Rome to cry Down with the Pope, and down with Rome, and down with Antichrist, whilst they promote Rome and the Pope, and undermine the gospel? What is this but Mystery Babylon, written upon Rome's Politicians foreheads: this is the comfort, Mat. 24. 24, 30. these are the forerunners of Rome's ruin By these mysterious plots, the Wolves of Rome get into the sheepfold of Christ, and suck the blood of Christ's Flock; and therefore ver. 6. John saw Rome drunk with the blood of the Saints at this time when she was going to ruin: to note, that immediately before Rome goeth to ruin the Witnesses must be slain, for she is now found drunk with the Saints blood: And when is this that Rome is drunk with the Saints blood (ver. 7.) it is when this Beast bears up Rome, that otherwise had fallen by the hands of the Witnesses, whose blood they now drink: In as much as this Beast throws down those that would have ruined Rome, and had covenanted so to do, he may well be called the Beast that bears up Rome. For certain the tenth part of the City Babylon had fallen, had not this beast bore it up, by slaying those that had finished their Testimony, and were fully resolved to pour out their Vials on Rome: Now when this beast goeth to perdition that bears up Rome, certainly than Rome will fall, when the pillar that props it up falls, than down it falls: and therefore it is said, in Rev. 19 19, 20. When the Witnesses arise, and put themselves under the wings of Christ: this Rome-supporting beast John saw, when the Pope and his party, v. 20. with him, And when the beast by the Witnesses (for I have proved already, that the battle is only betwixt the Beast bearing up Rome, and the Witnesses) is overcome: in ver. 20. the Pope is taken, and with him the false Prophet that wrought miracles: This false Prophet is the Beast of the Earth that slays the Witnesses, who is called a false Prophet, because Rev. 13. 13. He doth great wonders (ver. 14.) on purpose to deceive: so that this eighth Beast bearing up Rome when Rome is going to judgement, when he goeth to perdition, Rome must necessarily fall with him.  
2. The Holy Ghost in that he calls him (Rev. 17. 11.) the eighth Beast, and tells us twice in that Chapter, that 'tis he that goeth to destruction. I humbly conceive the Holy Ghost points at Daniel 7. 8. which Daniel calls another little horn. Daniel longing to know the meaning of him, the Holy Ghost tells him, 'Tis that horn that shall rise after the ten horns, under the Roman Monarchy, and shall pull three of the ten horns up by the roots, ver. 8, 21. makes war with the Saints, and prevails against them: just as in Rev. 11. 7. This horn (ver. 24.) shall arise after the ten Kings subject to Rome and shall be diverse from them: In this respect he is said to be the eighth, Rev. 17. and he shall subdue three Kings (i. e.) Kingdoms, and ver. 11. By the setting up of Christ's Kingdom, the Beast shall be slain, and given to the burning flame; as Rev. 19 20. and 25. He shall reign until a time, times, and the dividing of times; and then by the coming in of Christ's Kingdom, he shall be destroyed to the end, utter ruin shall befall him. Now who should this little horn be that riseth in the end of the Roman Monarchy, and throws down three Kings, that is, usurps the Dominion of three Kingdoms, purely professing the Gospel, where the Saints whom he persecutes are, and reigns tyrannically over the Saints but three years and an half, and must be destroyed by the erecting of Christ's Kingdom, and putting the Saints in possession: but only the Beast which John Rev. 11. 13, 17. and 19 setteth forth in his rising, reigning, and ruin.  
Object. But how comes this Beast to have seven heads, and ten Horns, since he is none of the Roman Heads? in Revel. 17. 3, 7.  
Sol. I thought, till I looked into the Original, that the seven Heads, and ten Horns, had related to the Woman, and not to the Beast; and I thought ver. 9 would have born me out as well as the vulgar Translation; but I perceived it not only clashing with ver. 12. and v. 16. but confounding the Syntaxis of the words in the Greek Copy; for the Participle in v. 3. and the Article in v. 7. are of another Gender: as in v. 3. how can {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} agree together; but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} agree together: so likewise in v. 7. how can {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} agree together, when as it agrees with {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, therefore learned Beza reads v. 3. vidi mulierem insidentem bestiae Coccinae plenae nominibus plasphemiae habenti Capita Septem; so that habenti agrees with bestiae, which is agreeable to the Greek Copy; the vulgar renders it doubtfully, but the Greek Copy decides this clearly, by referring the Horns to the Beast, not the Woman.  
Ob. How comes it to pass then, if the Beast be not the Pope, but he that riseth and slays the Witnesses (when the Pope's time is drawing near to an end) that he is said Rev. 13. to have but two horns, and here to have seven Heads, and ten Horns?  
Sol. The subject I am now upon is exceeding mysterious: so mysterious, that John wondered, with great admiration, to see Babylon in a mystery, devouring the blood of the Saints, v. 5, 6. to see men, under the name of Saints, and tender conscientious men, drinking exceedingly of the blood of the Saints: This is a great mystery, and a mystery to be wondered at; now this mystery v. 7.) the Holy Ghost tells us is double: there is a mystery of the Woman, that is, Rome; and the mystery of the Beast that at this time (now Rome is going to ruin) bears her up. Now this Beast is not the Pope, for the Pope sits as a Whore upon many waters: This double mystery then is in thishow the Woman Rome should come to be drunk now with the blood of Saints, when she's going to ruin; and the other part of the mystery lieth in verse 7. how the Beast that had horns like a Lamb, and a fair smooth tongue like a Dragon, Rev. 13. 11. should now have the feet of a Bear, and the jaws of a lion; how he that had covenanted to throw down Rome, and professed himself a great friend to the Saints, and yielded all his assistance to throw down Popery, Superstition, and Idolatry, and holds the same Religion in profession that the true Saints do: how this Beast should become the Beast bearing up Rome, here is the mystery, and such a mystery as is to be in the Church when the Witnesses shall be slain, and when Rome is near to utter ruin, which mystery being this day in our eyes revealed, is a sure prognostic to me, that Rome is not far off from her utter ruin.  
Now I humbly conceive that the Beast is said to have the seven heads, and ten horns, because he supports Rome with seven heads, and ten horns: Now as the Heathen Emperors were called the red Dragon with seven heads, and ten horns, Rev. 12. 2. and the Pope is the Beast of the Sea with seven heads, and ten horns, because they kept up the imperial pomp and state of Rome: so this Beast of the Earth is said here to have seven heads, and ten horns, because he supports the pomp and state of Rome, when the Witnesses had finished their testimony, and were ready to pour out the vials upon it.  
This Beast is therefore the Eighth, ver. 11. because he is distinct from those seven Kings, v. 10. and yet he is of the seven because he is an Usurper and a Tyrant, who rules by his Sword-power, as the seven before him did, who bore up the woman with seven heads: therefore this Eighth Beast ●●●…d to be of the seven, because of the likeness of the Government he sets up to theirs before him. Hence 'tis that in v 8. the Beast that bears Rome is called the Beast that is not, and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit: He was in the idea of his Government, in the Usurpation of Caesar, but [is not] because he is to come out of the bottomless pit, Rev. 11. 7. where the 1260. years' reign of Antichrist draws towards an end, and then slays the Witnesses: the next words clears it, that this Beast is also the Beast of the Earth mentioned Rev. 13. 12, 13, 14. Hence he is called the Beast that was, because Rev. 13. 12. he makes the people to worship the first Beast whose deadly wound is healed, that is, he makes people subject to a Government as Caesar set up in Rome, which was a packed company of Senators, whom he at his command could sway, to what he pleased after he had drove away, and secluded the faithful members of the Senate-house: But by what power doth he do this? the same ver. of Chap. 13. tells us, He doth it by the power of the first Beast before him, that is, the Pope, (as we have showed) these two first Beasts mentioned in the same verse signify.  
1. The Pope, in whose presence the last Beast acts, and by whose power he acts.  
And the other is Caesar, whose Government he endeavours to set up: Now he doth it by the power of the Pope, that is, by treachery, lying perjury, treason, and lying wonders: Therefore in Rev. 17. 8. the time when this Beast shall be in the world shall be a time of wonder, the people shall wonder at him, wonder at the changes he makes in Times and Laws, and wonder at his proceedings; and the reason is in Rev. 13. 13. because he doth wonders in the sight of the men of the Earth (that have not rooting in Christ) by his glorious successes, and his specious pretences; and also his boasts of the prevalencies of his prayers with Heaven, how providence guides him, prospers, and protects him: thus he cheats the Pope, and makes them to admire him, for his acting by the first Beasts power, that is, by the Pope's power, so that this Beast is after the Pope, and to be expected (as the Fathers say) when Rome is to go to ruin, and to be destroyed.  
Thus this Beast is the Beast that was, and is not, and yet is.  
Ob. How is he the Beast that is?  
Sol. He is [the beast that is] because at that time when John had this Revelation, Rome had the government of Caesar, though Caesar and that Family were extinct, there was a Senate in Rome, and that Senate curbed under the power of the sword, swordmen bore the sway, the General of the Army was the Emperor: though they had the name of the Senate, they sat & voted in the Senate, but it was the General and his soldiers acted what they pleased; and in this sense, this beast was in John's time, that is, in the Government; and in this sense also the eighth is of the seven.  
The hardest knot still remains to be untied, and that is Rev. 17. 12, 16. where 'tis said, That the ten Horns are ten Kings, which have received no Kingdom as yet, but receive power as Kings one hour with the beast: What should these ten Kings be who have no Kingdom, nor power, until this beast arise, and then they have but power as Kings one hour with the beast?  
1. We must answer negatively these ten Horns here mentioned cannot be meant the ten Kingdoms subject to Rome (as some would have it) for that is expressed in ver. 25. Otherwise, then by ten Horns there the head of Rome, the pontifick state, is called the Whore, and the powers subject to Rome compared to Waters, which Waters are by the Holy Ghost in the same verse interpreted Peoples and Multitudes, Nations and Tongues.  
2. We answer possibly, yea most probably, ten Horns may have a double sense and meaning; the one, to set forth these King's subject to the Roman Empire, and so Dan. 7. 7. is to be understood; and so the most learned Protestant Writers understand these ten Horns: 'Tis also the opinion of learned men, that by ten Horns is meant the Senate of Rome, subordinate to the imperial power of Rome: so Alcazar understands these ten Horns, he calls them Poliarchiam Senatorum.  
And (not rejecting the common interpretation of the ten Horns) I conceive this may be the meaning of Rev. 13. 1. where when the state of Rome was changed from Emperors to Popes, the seven Heads had blasphemous Names on them, and the ten Horns were crowned. The Senate of Rome under the Emperor had no Crowns; but when the Pope came up with his ten Horns, that is, his Conclave of Cardinals (resembling a Senate) they had their mitres on; here the ten Horns are crowned: As I do not dote upon this interpretation, so I dare not despise it, for it hangs upon as much reason as the other, if not more, and I know no reason, but why these ten Horns may have a double signification, as well as the seven Heads; but the seven heads (Rev. 17. 9, 10.) signify seven Mountains, and seven Kings.  
Therefore by these ten Kings here, Rev. 17. 12. I conceive is meant those Senators, or that packed party, that this Beast sets up by his sword power; and as Caesar conquered under pretence of subjecting people to his packed-senate in Rome: so doth this subdue Nations and Kingdoms to his packed-party of Senators. Observe how clearly this appears in the Text, v. 12. 1. The Holy Ghost doth not say these Kings shall receive Kingdoms, but a Kingdom [Ten] is but indifinitly for many; as ten Virgins, ten Talents; and now these many shall not reign in distinct Kingdoms: for John saith they have not received a Kingdom, noting these many Kings shall be in one Kingdom.  
2. They are not absolute Kings, but receive power as Kings; they rule and tyrannize, and make laws, and exact obedience from the people as Kings.  
3. 'Tis but one hour that they have this power, three years and an half is the utmost extent of their duration in this power, for they come in with this beast: now this beast continues but three years and an half.  
4. These all make but one vote, v. 3. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that is, in English, make one vote. I do not know how better to express it in English: therefore I conclude, that these are not distinct Kings, but such as vote together in one council to propagate the beasts designs; and in so doing, ver. 14. they are by the Holy Ghost marked for those who fight with the Lamb, and the Lamb overcomes, so that hence I gather, that the great battle spoken of to be fought (Rev. 19 19, 20.) by Christ against the beast, and the false Prophet, is the battle that is to be fought against the beast, and these ten Horns: For on the church's side the general and his Army are one and the same in both; here he is called the Lamb, and Rev. 19 7, 8. he is called the Lamb; here he is called the King of kings, and Lord of lords, and there, vers. 16. he is called King of kings, and Lord of lords: here his Army is called faithful and chosen, and in ver. 11. there their general (who makes them like him, by calling them to him) is called faithful and true. This battle is set forth, Rev. 11. 13. by a great Earthquake, and Rev. 14. 19, 20. by gathering the Vine of the Earth into the Vinepress of God's wrath: a usual metaphor to set forth the ruin of the Enemies of the Church by, like that in Judges, The gleanings of Ephraim are better than the Vintage of Ebiesar, that is, the little Conquests of Ephraim in taking these two Princes, were greater than (the Vintage) the great Conquest of Gideon over that vast Army.  
But here is another hard question comes in, and that is from v. 14. and 16.  
Q. How can it be said in v. 13. that the Horns make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb overcomes them; and in v. 16. The ten Horns shall hate the whore, and make her naked, and eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.  
Resp. To this we answer, Those ten Horns cannot be the same in person, in v. 14. with these in v. 16. 1. Because these in v. 14. make war against the Lamb; but those in v. 16. make war for the Lamb. 2. Those in v. 14. are destroyed and overcome by the Lamb, and therefore cannot be the same in person with those in v. 16. because they shall hate the Whore: Now comes in the Judgement of the Whore spoken of, v. 1. and in this, v. 16. the Officers that shall bring her to Judgement are set forth. Observe but the opposition that the Holy Ghost puts betwixt the person and persons in one Office: by the ten Horns (as I have showed) signifies a Senate, a Parliament, or a supreme power consisting of many Members: This v. 14. and 16. (if seriously perused) show us, that there shall be a great Rent amongst persons conjoined in one office; the ten Horns, v. 12. arise with the beast; but the other (v. 17.) give their Kingdom (through their oversight to the beast; so that these clearly are distinct: for these last ten Horns had a Kingdom, or else they could not give it away; but the other v. 12. come to be Kings, or as Kings with the beast: so that the coming up of these is the casting down of those (vers. 17.) until the words of God be fulfilled: Those ten Kings vers. 13. give their power and strength (which they received from the beast) to the beast against the Lamb. But those ten Horns v. 17. give but their Kingdom for a time, and when that time is fulfilled (i. e.) when the seventh Trumpet sounds, when the mystery of God shall be finished or fulfilled, than those shall hate the Whore, and shall make her desolate, and eat her flesh, and burn her with si●e: This gives us a most clear description of the slain Witnesses, by a party atising out of their own bowels: Here are the same ten Horns for the beast against the Lamb, and the same ten Horns for the Lamb against the Beast, and the Whore: This is a mystery which hath been locked up from former ages, and is now in the eyes of all the world revealing itself: these ten Horns therefore are distinct in their persons, and the same in office, only the one party sides with the Beast who gives them his power to slay the Witnesses: so that these reigning, keep the name and power of a Parliament, and so they are called the ten Horns, and this Rome they keep till the true Parliament (which pretendedly was on the beasts head) arise, and by their powerful prosecution of their Covenant-Reformation, show their hatred to the Whore, make her desolate, eat her flesh, and burn her with fire: For certain the rising of the slain Witnesses shall be the downfall of the Beast, the Pope, and the devil's Kingdom: I am not ignorant how remote I am from the common received opinions of the Protestants; neither am I ignorant, how far they are from the clear light of sacred Text, which gives too much occasion to the Romish party in their writings, to scorn at their interpretations: It were easy to show the contradictions that they make, who interpret these ten Horns to be the ten Kings of Europe: but I forbear, and only make this the excuse of my prolixity, because I easily perceive the great stone which the Protestant Writers stumble at, is this last beast that is to rise and reign three years and an half, in which time he slays the Witnesses: This Beast few of them (for aught I can perceive) ever dreamt of; therefore they mistake the Beast rising out of the bottomless pit, Rev. 11. 7. the Beast of the Earth, Rev. 13. 11. and the eighth Beast, Rev. 17. 11. to be the Pope, and these ten Horns to be the ten Europian Kingdoms, which are all gross mistakes, and the causes of greater in most of their Writings. Having thus (by the good grace of the Holy Trinity) by these mysterious Texts discovered this last Beast, and these last Enemies of the Church, I trust he that is not spiritually blind will say, Surely these Scriptures are fulfilled in our eyes this day. Was there not a glorious Reformation began, and though with much danger and difficulty, yet) clearly carried on: Read but the Assemblies Works; read the good Ordinances made by the Parliament for the carrying of it on; read the Covenant, and then say, whether there was not a glorious Reformation began: nay did not the King give his royal assent to this Reformation, and did not the Parliament close with these Concessions; and then, even then, on a sudden when these Witnesses had finished their Testimony, than ariseth this Beast, and over throws this Reformation, by slaying the Witnesses which had finished their Testimony: By this the Reader may see my confidence, upon scripture-bottom, that these are the times, and this is the place, and the Magistracy, and ministry of England, are the witnesses that now are slaying; and this Power now tyrannising over the Church, is that Power that slays the Witnesses; and the Beast that set up this Power, together with the Power that he hath erected, shall gather all their strength against the Lamb, that is, against the true Saints, which in sincerity worship Christ; and there the mighty hand of God shall appear to the utter ruining and confounding of them; then shall the Witnesses arise and take up that Reformation which hath lain dead three years and an half, and shall carry it on without any more opposition; and all this shall begin to be done (I do not say finished) near about this present year, 1651. These I have more largely discoursed of in the ensuing Tract, yet not at large, because I expect to have it answered by some of the Time-serving Champions, especially doctor Homes, whom I take to be the learnedest Saint of them all in this study; and he hath got him almost as great a name amongst the ignorant Crew for a Prophet, as lily the hedge-prophet, who gypsy-like gets his living by telling fortunes: as lily, so doth this Doctor make his Oracle speak to the humour of the Times: as that infamous Priest of Apollo, out of base flattery made the Oracle {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}. So doth the blasphemous wretch endeavour to make the Holy Oracles of the Scriptures {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, that is, to humour the usurping traitorous bloody heretics of the Times, and with more subtlety than any of his fellows.  
It behooveth Christians to observe some men's Designs more than others, and to observe how they carry on their Designs; as for this Doctor he undertakes to prove the foulest actions that ever were committed by Christians, to be the gloriousest and greatest actions that ever were performed by Christians, and pretends to fetch all his proofs from sacred Scripture, from prophetical Texts; and 'tis commonly taught, That King Charles who was cut off was the Antichrist, and London the city that must be destroyed with seven hills; and the Presbytery the Locust that must be destroyed; so that ere long we shall have Protestants massacred as Antichristian; 'tis therefore time to look after such fellows. Indeed there are many in print, who assume scribendi libertatem (as Scaliger saith of the French) but have not scribendi facultatem. I think the Writers of these times upon this subject, edged with the doctor's designs, may be distinguished, as maladies are amongst the learned; some are privative, some are positive; in some there is seminarium stultitiae, in other some seminarium invidiae: Now the later of these is most dangerous: From hence proceeds heresy and apostasy from truth; if we mark it, error is a positive act; and where it meets a malicious heart, and a subtle head, it doth infinite hurt. Now I shall sooner prove the Doctor one of these, then style him one.  
As for that other sort of prophetic time-servers, though 'tis true there be unus utrique error, yet, poor souls, they make such ridiculous nonsense of what they steal from learned men, that every man of ordinaryparts cannot but cry out of them as eruditi fures, and deserve as much to be slighted, as John Goodwins Songs to be laughed at. The truth is, such self-conceited idiots deserve better to be met with a Lacedaemonian whip, then to be corrected by a sober pen: They are such as Hierom complains of, Qui loqui nesciunt, & tacere non possunt; I do not mean only such tinkling cymbals and cracked trumpets as Sterrey and Powell, Durie, Feake, the Furriers Boy, Will. Sedgwick, John Goodwin, Simson, and Carpenter the converted Jesuit, with his Brother Tillam the blasphemer; but many others, poor souls, who are great Zealots against Antichrist, but know not what he is: a man that hears the contradictions, absurdities and egregious falsities that they impudently utter sometimes in one hour, would conclude as (Lactantius doth against the Philosophers) Aut stulti aut in ani, nullus enim ager, nulla anus, ineptiùs deliravit; these empty-headed fellows, whose privative malice proceeding of ignorance, makes them belch forth such indigested crudities, I would entreat good Christians to pray for them, for they know not what they say.  
But while I am viewing the followers of the Beast: There is a third sort of time-servers, the worst of all, by how much the more eminent they are for the profession of the Protestant Religion; for that of juvenali is true: 
Omne animi vitium tantò conspectius in se  
Crimen habet quantò major qui peccat habetur.  These are not such lascivious Goats as the Doctor that I deal with, nor such silly hogs as those I pass over, who like those possessed run in a Herd together down the precipice of ruin into the Sea of perdition, without remorse or stop: But these are men of gravity, men of sobriety, men professing outwardly godliness, men that, like Judas, kiss Christ with their lips, and embrace Christ's murderers in their arms, that have their lips in Heaven, and their Arms in Hell: they are like the air in their constitutions, which Element, though it proceed ex duobus Elementis à symbolicis, yet notwithstanding 'tis utrique symbolicum; and so are they, I mean such as Mr. Nye, Mr. Thomas Goodwin, Mr. Shadrack Simpson, Mr. Bridge, Rows of Eton; who though no Priest, yet may well be styled a Franciscan Apostate: and I would I could leave out Mr. J. Car. and M. Ob. S. I am loath to name them, because I am ashamed that the world should know that two such eminent-godly-learned men are amongst such an Antichristian abominable Faction: but who knows that Mr. Caryl is amongst them, and that Mr. Obediah Sedgwick keeps public Thanksgiving days for the overthrow of the Scots, our Covenant-keeping Brethren, Hi sunt illi (saith Tully) qui non solùm vitia concipiunt, sed etiam infundunt, in Civitatem plusque exemplo quam peccato nocent: These are those adultae patriae pests, that, if it were possible, would seduce the Elect: How much mischief have these men done by their evil example, by their open apostasy from their Church and State-principles, by their Covenant-breaking, and by their elegant pleading (like Job's acquaintance) against a righteous Cause; and most shameful extolling and complying with wicked men, cursing the righteous whom God afflicts, and blessing the wicked whom God abhors: These {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} (as Greg. Nazianzen calls them) such as will truck away their Religious principles, and break their Covenants, for the gain of the world, notwithstanding their former Writings and Opinions, fight with their present actings, like the soldiers of Gadmus to their own confusion.  
These men going in the way of Cain, and running after the error of Balam for a reward, have provoked me, unworthy me, like Balam's Ass, unexpectedly, though out of the anguish of my heart, to reprove the madness of these Prophets.  
I no whit wonder that heretics, and scandalous loose fellows, such as Doctor Homes, and John Goodwin, keep Thanksgiving days, and make Ballads at the overthrow of the Church and State of Scotland; for they know that Scotland is the greatest Enemy to heresy and Lechery in the world: These go upon that new-found maxim, self-preservation, and so have some ground for what they do: for doubtless Homes had been hanged for his uncleanness, and abominable lewdness, had the Scots Laws been put into English practice, and such as Goodwin had been justly banished, for open apostasy and obstinate heresy, if not hanged for a blasphemer: Therefore I the less blame them for what they do, and the rather, since their own former Writings save me the labour: Doth the Doctor call the Church of Scotland, and the Presbyterian Church whore by craft? Poor man, we very well know that this is not his first mistake; it is not the first time that he hath mistaken an honest woman for a whore, witness his Congregation that excommunicated him for such gross mistakes, and to this day for the same stands excommunicated: Were it not therefore through this doctor's sides, that I intended to wound the whole Rabble of Deceivers, and false Prophets, who most egregiously abuse prophetic Texts, to the defaming of the true Church; and that the Time-servers may know I dare encounter their sturdiest Champions, I should have been ashamed to have entered the list with so scandalous a man as Doctor Homes: But why should I be ashamed to confute him, when the Lord Major of London was not ashamed to make him his Teacher.  
Let no man think that I do {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, meddle with that which concerns me not; for by my Covenant I am bound timely to make known and discover, whatsoever Church or state-evil: I am not able to suppress, and I do no more here, I know that this my young Lamb must pass through the midst of Wolves and lions, who will endeavour to devour it: and therefore I have armed it with Armour of proof, the Holy Scriptures. I do not (as Cromwell in his Letters falsely saith the Scots do) use weapons of a foolish shepherd, I fetch all my weapons out of David's armoury, the Scripture: here hangs a thousand Bucklers, all the shields of mighty men, I draw no Arguments from Conjurers Dreams, or from Astrological Predictions, such really are the weapons of a foolish shepherd; I offer no such poisonous water to the thirsty Traveller in this Road; all that I draw comes clearly up exprofundissimis Scientiae fodinis, from the Scriptures, the Wells of living Water: Here are no Texts crooked (though cross to the common interpretations) by any private interpretation, to particular self-ends: Indeed I do swim against the stream of common Interpreters, but not without just cause given, I protest it is not out of a desire to be singular, as not a few in this Age do, who think no fabric of fame stands so stately, as that which is built exruinis alienae existimationis, esteeming it no small piece of honour to be counted novae alicujus rei Authores, Let it be what I will, for my own part, I protest against such folly. I only follow the Ark; which way it goes, I go; and when it stands still, I stand still. I shall submit myself wholly to the censure of learned Texts men, whether I have wracked any Texts to stretch it beyond the lawful bounds of interpretations, or whether I have made any {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, or not made my {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to be {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} only. This I will assure the Reader, that he shall find nothing in this book either prater fun lamentum salutis, or contra a fundamentum salutis: Nor scarce any one Text (of these many) unfolded, but what learned Writers do concur with me in; for I walk upon the learned heads of at least fourscore Interpreters, and if I fall from ones head, I presently fall into another's arms, so that my sense falls not to the ground.  
Indeed my style and my method may justly be blamed, I am heartily ashamed that it should go so tattered with its rags into the world; but indeed the reason is because it was done in haste, not that it was studied in haste, but scribed in haste: it is well known this piece proffered to the Press within a month after the doctor's Sermon was printed, and from that time, to this day, it hath waited at the Press (like the Cripple of Bethesda) expecting daily some one to put it in▪ indeed my book (if it could) should not go like Independents wives {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}. Now the Church is in her winding sheet. The first part of it proves Monarchy to be Jure Divino, and to be visible in the Church from the Creation to Christ's Incarnation, who was both Monarch (by a right of succession from Adam) of the whole world, and by right (of succession from David) King of the Jews, according to the flesh: I have not handled this point, or any other, so fully as I might and could, I intend it not, until I hear what my Antagonists say against me; and then I shall (by God's good grace) say more upon this subject, if need require, not otherwise; for I hate coming in print, except in a case of necessity; and in that case only privately. I heartily praise God that I have so fair an opportunity to declare myself in this of Monarchy, for at least seven years ago, I was unjustly slandered by those ingrateful wretches whose family and goods I protected) that I should say that I would kill the King. This news, and my name, was carried to the Court, where it met with His majesty's ear as He was at dinner: there it was told him that I (naming me by name) was the man that had vowed the King's death where ever I saw him.  
This doubtless had died away, and never come to my ears, had not this accident happened; he gouty good Gentleman of the house (where the King at that time kept his Court) though he could neither stir hand nor foot, by reason of his age and disease, yet was so enraged at the news, that he vowed, as decrepit as he was, to be the man to fight with, and kill such a rebellious villain (meaning me) as would attempt such a thing. I never had an opportunity to vindicate myself from this foul aspersion, nor so much as to present hearty thanks to the gouty Gentleman for his hearty and loyal affections to his sovereign the King, in that he would adventure his life to kill a villain that should attempt to kill the King. I profess before God and Men, that I, when I was so aspersed, was of this opinion, That he was both a Villain and a traitor and deserved sudden and cruel death, that would presume in his heart to think so evil a thought as to kill the King: for my own part I had rather be a slave to my Liege sovereign, than a Ruler amongst the Rebellious.  
I am thoroughly convinced, that Monarchy is that Government which God hath ordained and set his stamp upon; and all other Government is the Ordinance of man immediately, though approved by God, as the Seventy were under Moses, and that no person upon earth can by God's law question or bring to punishment the person of a Monarch. This we all know, both Jews and Gentiles, that hold the Divinity of the Scriptures, that the Church of God (before Christ) was beholding to a Monarch, both for their Church-Laws and State-Laws. For the Revelation of the Will of God, and the manner of his Worship, Moses the Monarch was the first mediator, into whose hands the first glorious Gospel dispensations were put. God revealed himself immediately to Moses, and the people received God's mind immediately from their Monarch Moses. The first Revelation of the Covenant of Grace was given to Adam the Monarch of the World: The second manifestation of the Covenant, with a Seal, was given to Abraham the Monarch of the Church, and the Gospel-Church received all their spiritual laws and Ordinances from Christ the natural Son of both: But now the question will be, Whether Christ ordained Monarchy in the Gospel Church, as well as the Ministry: if so, show us the Monarchy, I acknowledge this a difficult question, I do not find any of the Learned so much as touch upon it: indeed I find many men in the Negative, but scarce one Affirmative in this Question; I find (though not directly) Hierom and Calvin negative in the Question, That Christ ordained a Government, and that potestas & ordo, power and order, are essential in that Government, ●o Divines do deny; but the Modus & titulus in this government, is that which as yet lies disputable. Some say this government ought to be aristocratical: Of this opinion is that holy and learned Calvin (which I wonder at) his grounds for it are because he thinks the ancient government of the Jews was Aristocratical: but the sandy foundation of this opinion. shows us the weakness of this Argument: For there is nothing more clear, then that Israel's government, from their deliverance out of Egypt, to their captivity in Babylon, was Monarchical, if Supaemacy in one be Monarchy; so that out of the reins of Calvin's Argument will arise a firm Argument: Thus if the examples of gavel-government, under the Gospel, must be according to that under the Law (for there the force of Calvin's argument lies) than Monarchy is the government that must be erected in the time of the Gospel: but we pass this. Hierom is of opinion, which he grounds on Dan. 7.18. That when the great Day of Gospel-Reformation shall come (i. e.) when the Roman Monarchy is destroyed, than (saith he) all Kingdoms shall be thrown down, and there shall be no government at all, only the Communion of the Saints. But this Opinion (as 'tis much built upon these Times, so) 'tis built on a sandy foundation, upon a mistake in the interpretation of Dan. 7. 18. and it is absolutely contradictory to these prophetic promises of uniting the two Tribes, and the ten Tribes, under one King or government, (i. e.) making them, as at first, one Kingdom under one King; and against those Texts which promise to the Jews, That in the gospel-days amongst the Gentile-Gospellers, He will raise up Kings to be their nursing Fathers, and Queens to be their nursing Mothers, and many other texts: therefore we pass this also. The noble and most learned Hebrews, for the most part, conclude, That God will call them again, and make them a famous Monarchy: So that the worst of them hold, that Monarchy shall continue until the end of the world: indeed levy Ben Gerson, an Hebrew, upon the first of Sam. 8. pleads for aristocracy; and to advance it, he (like the Serpent) bites Kingly-Government by the heel: like as the Prelates on the one hand, and the Independents on the other hand, plead against Presbytery, so doth he against Monarchy: For he picks up the excrements of the Kings of Judah and Israel, and from their illsavouring infirmities conclude, therefore their government is such as their infirmities were, which is such a childish weak way of arguing, that it deserves no answer: As if because the Priests were nought, therefore their Office must be nought: or because a Sacrifice was lame, therefore the Temple was nought: or as if because the image on the gold is defaced, therefore the gold is nought: this is peevish-childishness, therefore we pass that also, and come to the question, Whether Christ ordained Monarchy to be in the Gospel Church? To that we answer negatively, as to the Title.  
1. No King on Earth since Christ's incarnation, to this day, can show an extraordinary or immediate Call from God to be King, as David could, and Solomon could, for he was chosen King, by God, before he was born.  
2. There is no King, since Christ, that can say he hath a natural right to his Kingdom. Succession, that ended in Christ, who had a true Title, by natural succession, to be Monarch of the World, as descending from Adam, Luk. 3. and a natural right to the Monarchy of the Jews, as descending of Abraham, Matth. 1. So that Christ only is naturally according to the flesh, by succession, the King of the Jews and Gentiles; and in this sense is Rom. 5. 14. to be understood, where Adam is said to be a Type of him to come, that is, as he was Monarch of the World by divine institution, and natural right: so that he that claims since Christ's incarnation, by a natural right, the Monarchy of the World, or Kingdom of the Jews, usurps the Office of Christ; for Christ only is Monarch of the world by a natural descent, and in this respect he is both King and Priest after the order of Melchisedeck; for Melchisedeck was without beginning of days, or end of time, in respect both of his Priestly and Kingly Office, without beginning of days, that is, in respect of his pedigree; for he was both King and Priest by natural succession from Seth the son of Adam, which was time out of mind; For none at that time were able to tell the antiquity of his descent, who by birth was both Monarch and Priest; and than this Melchisedeck was without end of time: For neither the Kingly Office, nor the Priestly Office were extinct in the Church until Christ came, in whom met both the Kingly, the Priestly, and the prophetic Office: this Christ was according to the flesh the natural son of Melchisedeck, who having carried up to heaven with him his human nature, sits a King, a Priest, and a Prophet in that nature in heaven for ever, on his church's behalf; and in this sense Melchisedecks' offices are without end of time; for our King and our Priest is ascended up into heaven, where he makes continual intercession for us; so that since him there is no succession of Monarchs by lineal descents: but Magistracy is not made null under the gospel, because it ceaseth in respect of a natural title by succession For God hath ordained by his approving providence, other ways of erecting Monarchs then by succession or immediate call, as David was Monarch over the countries round about him, not by succession, nor by an immediate call from God, but by conquest; so that the great Office of Monarchy may lawfully come in at other doors, though the door of succession and immediate calling from God be shut. But this is not the question.  
That Christ hath not abolished Monarchy under the Gospel, nothing is more clear: For government is a moral thing, and stands as sure as the fifth commandment: Now Monarchy is God's government, therefore it stands firm with the fifth commandment, which Laws he came not to make void, but establish.  
We may truly argue therefore for Monarchy under the Gospel by an argument taken à fortiori: For if under the Law God gave to his Church monarchical government, much more doth that great blessing belong to the Gospel Church, Paul exhorts that prayers especially be made for Kings, that they might be converted, that so under them the Church might lead a peaceable life, so that Kings were to be brought in under the Gospel as well as others. It is true indeed, there was not immediately after Christ's ascension a visible established Magistracy in the Church, because the Church was not then established: Besides, there was no need of Magistracy at that time, for Christ the absolute Monarch of heaven and earth by a true and unquestionable title, both by succession and conquest, after his ascension, according to his promise, sent his holy spirit in an extraordinary way upon his twelve Apostles, who dividing the world amongst them, went forth in the power of the Holy Ghost conquering the people: During their time there was no need of any Magistracy, for their protection; for the Holy Ghost protected them beyond all the Magistracy in the world; it released them out of the strongest prison, broke open the strongest gates, and knocked down their stoutest enemies, as Paul, who was doubtless some great Magistrate amongst them; for he was the companion of Herod, and when he was converted, the Church had peace round about; which argues, there was none before his conversion greater than he: he punished the scandalous, as Ananias and Saphira: it gave (like a Monarch) large boons to those that desired it; it healed the sick, gave limbs to the lame, raised the dead, and by its imperial power made spirits of men in every Nation bow down to the Apostles commands: this extraordinary presence of the spirit with the Apostles, was beyond all the Monarchs in the world; for this Spirit saved all the passengers in the Ship, when the Ship was broken all in pieces, which all the Monarchs in the world could not do; this Spirit raised Paul from death to life after he was stoned, which all the powers in the world could not do; therefore there was no need of a Magistracy to protect them in that Age, the power of working Miracles was their Magistracy at this time (say some.)  
We may truly affirm, that since Christ's universal conquest on the cross, after his Resurrection, from that day (Matth. 28. 18.) that he divulged this universal power in heaven and earth; the Church hath not been left without a true Monarch, for Christ is that Monarch who gave Commission to his Disciples to divulge his Laws, and command the world to observe them, and he would be with his ambassadors to the end of the world; so that the true Church cannot be without a Monarch, who by a natural right according to the flesh, reigns over them, and will reign in the midst of his enemies, and make all their designs promote his honour, and his Churches good; this grand privilege only the gospel Church enjoys, for the Jews had only temporal Monarchs, according to the flesh, who died away, but they had not a spiritual Monarch, who by right of Succession came, whom (through unbelief) they reject to this day, though for certain he is their lawful natural King, by a natural right of Succession, being of the lineage of David, and he is our natural King (we being Gentiles) by a right of Succession from Adam; and he is spiritually the King, both of the Jews and Gentiles, by that spiritual infinitely glorious Conquest, which he got over the Wrath of God, and his Divine Justice, over the Powers of hell, and all their malice, and over the souls of the Elect, and all their sins; so that he is by Conquest the Monarch of the gospel Church, so that the Church under the gospel can never be without a Throne, and one to sit upon that Throne.  
In the last place, this we do affirm, that soon after extraordinary gifts ceased, and that extraordinary Succession of Ministers which Christ promised to be with till the end of the world (Mat. 28. 20.) succeeded, God raised up a civil Magistracy for the protecting of the Church, propagation of the Gospel, and preservation of the ministry: This Magistracy was visible in England before any other part of the world; and as Rome furnished our Magistracy with a godly orthodox Christian ministry, so not long after our Magistracy furnished Rome with a godly Magistracy, to rescue the ministry out of the jaws of those Heathen Dragons: Lucius about 170 years after Christ (being a British King of this Nation) was called to be God's Vicar (as Elutherius Bishop of Rome terms him) this Christian King sets up Christ's laws and Faith in his Kingdom, pulling down Paganism, and setting up Christian bishoprics in the room of the Pagan flamens.  
About 130 years after, out of the same royal British blood, God raised up that famous Witness for his Truth Constantine, who became the first great protecter of the Christians throughout the habitable world; he was the first that made Rome, which for a long time had been the devil's Throne, to become God's Throne, Rev. 12. He threw down the bloody Dragons, the Emperors, and Rome afterward became famous in her Magistracy and ministry for Christ, beyond all the world, until Antichrist arose, and drove these Witnesses into the Wilderness, and made them war sackcloth; since which rising and tyrannising of Antichrist, there hath been a visible Magistracy and ministry in England, as Witnesses to the Truth of Christ, though many times in great obscurity through outward persecutions: it would be here too tedious to relate what might be said of the Magistracy and ministry of England, we will only say thus much, that the Kings and Bishops of England testified to the Truth against the Pope's Antichristian Usurpation more than others, and before any other Witnesses; for about the time, Anno 800. when the Popes were swelled to their height, even than shall we find (when other Kings kissed the Pope's feet) the Kings and Bishops of England opposed their Usurpation.  
What if I did assert this? That the first lawful Christian Magistracy under the gospel arose in England, from England it went to Rome; wherefore a little while (half an hour) it flourished and caused great peace in the Church; but when Antichrist arose, he drove the lawful Magistracy and lawful ministry of Rome into Sackcloth, and into the wilderness, that is into some remote place from Rome; observe it, Rev. 12. 14. The Woman, that is, the Church that brought forth such a happy Son as Constantine: this Woman by Antichrist is drove into the wilderness (saith the Text) into her place; whence I conclude that England is this wilderness. For first, this was the place from whence a godly Magistracy went unto Rome: and secondly, this was the place unto which the Witnesses were drove again, where I say have been visible in sackcloth since the Pope's usurpation of Rome: nay, let me add this to my assertion, that the lawful Monarch of Rome by a true Line of Succession was Charles the King of England, who was beheaded on a lofty Scaffold at noon at his own door, January 30. 1648. For if noble Sir Robert Naunron that learned Antiquary, and noble Lawyer say true in his Fragmenta Regalia, cap. 1. p. 2. whose words are these; Remarkable it is, (saith he) concerning the violent desertion of the royal house of Britains, by the invasion of the Saxons, and afterward by the conquest of the Normans, that by the vicissitude of times, and thought a discontinuance (almost a thousand years) the royal sceptre should fall back into the Corrent of the old British blood, in the person of Henry VII. together with whatsoever the German, Norman, Burgundian, Castalian and French achievements, with the intermarriage which eight hundred years had acquired, incorporated, and brought back into the old royal Line.  
Hence than I prove, if Henry VII. were the lawful Successor of the British Kings, than he was the lawful Successor of Constantine King of England, who conquered Rome; and if Henry VII. be the lawful Successor of Constantine, than those lawfully descended of Henry VII. but this lawful Family of the Stuarts are lawfully descended of Henry VII. ergo. The Stuarts are the lawful Successors of Constantine the Great, the first Christian Emperor of Rome: there are very many other ways which to some seem clearer, whereby to prove this truth? If so, know! Oh Rome, that the Lion of the North, thy lawful Emperor and true Christian Magistrate, will suddenly arise to the utter confusion of that bloody usurping Prelate, which by his subtle treacheries hath caused the lawful Magistrate, the lawful Emperor of Rome (drove into this wilderness, where in sackcloth the office hath continued, having finished that prophetic testimony in the year 1648.) to become a slain witness for Christ: the other office of the ministry lying dead ever since, but the three years and an half of their lying dead is almost expired, and then the same Offices shall arise to the eternal ruin of the Pope, and Popish Idolatry: but no more of this in this place, I hope some Antiquaries will be so truly Noble, that they will plead a distressed King's cause, and clear this Title of his, which is doubtless to them an easy thing, and may procure them great renown in after Ages; for my part I shall say no more of it in print, unless I am challenged, and then if nobody will take up the cudgels in the quarrel, I am resolved, neque clipeum objicere, neque causam deserere, though indeed I have as much upon my weak arm as I am well able to bear, well able to do I say? I profess myself (as in the undertaking, so in the defending of so great a cause as I have taken in hand) utterly unable without the Divine hand to support me: The reason why I have discoursed so much of Monarchy is, because I am fully persuaded that the great Reformation to be wrought amongst Jews and Gentiles, shall be wrought by monarchs, when God shall open the eyes of the Jews, to know assured that the Lord Jesus is their true and natural Monarch according to the flesh, and their natural Priest, that is, by birthright, as Melchisedech was; then shall they look on him whom they have pierced, and mourn over him, they shall then be converted: Now this conversion is designed in that gospel Epistle written to the twelve Tribes, called the Epistle to the Hebrews, As the knowledge of their true Monarch and Priest shall work wonderful conversion amongst the Hebrews, so the knowledge of a lawful Magistracy and a lawful ministry shall work a wonderful change at the same time amongst the Gentile Churches, who are now overwhelmed with the cruel tyranny of the usurping prelatical power of Rome: A lawful Monarch rising shall be the instrument of a glorious Gospel-reformation, of restoring the Witnesses, and of the overturning of the Roman Empire in its pontifick Head. Much of this opinion is that Dutch Divine in his Clavis Apocalyptica, to whom John Durie the Scotch man binds himself as in a Dutch duel, where he falls to stick and snee with him; for saith the Dutch Divine in pag. 89. A high Potentate amongst Evangelical Professors shall arise, and be exalted, to the terror of the Papists, and shall open again a free course to the gospel, and re-establish the exiled and oppressed gospelers. And John Durie out of the sooty region of a dark intellect, gives us this dark notion in p. 70. (which he calls the Preface to this dutchmans' Book, intending that the Reader should put on his black spectacles to read the dutchmans' white book withal.) I believe (saith John Durie) that we shall not have any great earthly Potentate at all ever to appear for the Lamb in this battle, but that they shall join always against the lamblike nature of the Saints, to oppose and destroy it. How can two be more contrary? I must leave them, though I leave John in the dark, who participates more of the man of his country, then of the nature of his Countrymen.  
There are some questions that betray ignorance, rather than discover wit, as this; say some, How can it be said that in Henry 8. days when the abbeys were pulled down; in Q. Elizabeth's days, when the Kingdom it flourished, and Religion prospered and was countenanced; and so in King Iames's time; How can the Witnesses be said then to be in sackcloth?  
In part we have answered to this elsewhere; but let such take this as one great part of the answer, let them read diligently the history of our Nation since Henry the seventh's time, and observe the counterworkings of the Pope against the Protestant Reformers, and they will say they were in sackcloth.  
I shall conclude this Preface with a short discourse of our former reformations, not so much by way of information, as premonition to him whom it concerns.  
The objects of every reformation have either been civil 〈◊〉 ●●clesiastick matters. A civil reformation hath respect either to the offices in the State, or to the Laws in the State: the office of State in the Head hath been unquestionable in all ages, except in times of rebellion or usurpation; and then, not the office, but the persons in the office have been aspersed and questioned; In all which ungodly actions, the Pope, and the Popish clergy always had a hand. Indeed the Popes have grappled with the supremacy of Kings, and usurped a supremacy in this Kingdom over the Kings in ecclesiastic affairs, and in that respect their offices have been questioned, but the Kings of England never yielded up their right to the Pope, but kept the supremacy of Church and State affairs in their own hands, not only since the Norman line came in, but in the time of the Saxon Kings, as appears by many of their laws and Charters which respect the clergy, wherein the King, as Head of the Church, doth Ecclesiastica authoritate dispose of the Rites of the Church, and the great Offices thereto belonging, promoting some, and debarring others, whom they please, from the office of Archbishop or Bishop. This supremacy the Norman Kings kept, which was mostly the ground of this quarrel betwixt the Kings of England and the Popes; who were the cause of the English Kings wearing Sackcloth; for the Popes never suffered them to live quietly, but always either raised their own subjects to rebel against them, or foreign Princes to invade them; but most commonly the Pope sets the Religious Houses against the King; for there the Pope kept the Band-dogs to weary Royalty, when it opposed this supremacy.  
The insolency, strength and wealth of the clergy caused accidentally a reformation in the Church, (which is the proper object of a reformation) now this must be premised before we can proceed. We must know that Lucius the first Christian King, when he erected bishoprics, he gave estates to those Archbishops and Bishops which he placed in the Kingdom: he did but according to the light of nature in it: For the Pagan Priests had means allowed them: The three Archflamins and the twenty eight flamens of the Pagans the King turned into so many archbishoprics and bishoprics: Afterwards the Saxon Kings erected many more religious Houses, Chanteries, Monasteries, hospitals, and to which livings were given for the maintenance of the ministry, and relief of the poor, the giving of these livings was not the person that was sowed in the Church as some have erroneously conjectured. These Church-lands anciently were called by their right name, Appropriations, because they were appropriate to a particular Succession of clergymen, which were of several Orders and Houses, each of which made a body politic, and obtained either of the Pope or of the King, that their Successors (suppose the Incumbents, Priors, Abbots, or Prebends) might without institution or induction of the Ordinary be perpetual Incumbents▪ so that as one of them died his Successor might forthwith enter into his place: Hence they were called Appropriations. When the Clergy had appropriated these livings to themselves, they grew idle, lascivious, proud, rich, and rebellious, insomuch that the Pope for the most part, making them of his Faction, kerbed the King of England in his own Dominion: whereupon Henry VIII. partly to secure himself from the enraged Pope, but chiefly for the profit of the abbeys and religious Houses pulled them down, which that he might do effectually, and with much applause he engaged the Lords and Commons against them, who envying their pride and wealth, were easily drawn to concur with the King in the same: And that they might gain a party in the Clergy, this work of pulling down abbeys was reported as the only high way to a Reformation of Religion, (and indeed there was a great alteration in Religion for the better) Hereupon the Magistri novae Disciplinae, the Masters of new Discipline (these were the Protestant Divines) they were embraced by the King, (just as the Presbyterians were by the Parliament, when they took away the Bishops lands) the King made large promises, until the Parliament had conferred the churchland upon him, and then the Masters of the new Discipline were as much slighted as the Presbyterians are now; and thus appropriations become impropriations, justly so called, because they were put into improper hands; laymen's hands. From this Discourse, I draw these two inferences.  
1 All the Reformations, as yet, have been but sackcloth Reformations.  
2 'Tis a land-devouring, King destroying, God-provoking, Soul-damning sin, to be guilty of sacrilege: Let that King than that looks for a blessing from God, make conscience of restoring that to the Church which is her due, notwithstanding long detained from her: Let no man think that I plead for myself in this, for I am no Clergy man: I must break off here abruptly, for the Printer grudgeth at my prolixity. The blessing of the eternal Trinity be upon thee (Reader) in reading this and the ensuing Tract, that from it thou mayst receive light and comfort in these dark and disconsolate Times.  
FJNJS.   

REader, since nothing is more common, and nothing more dangerous than Erratas, to prevent that common danger I have given thee here the Erratas, to keep thee from error: thou hast only here those in Lingua Testium, and not all those, but only the gross ones, such as upon a swift perusal I found most gross: I durst do no otherwise, lest the Printer should (as those unworthy fellows that printed Manus Testium) totally neglect the printing of the Erratas sent them, whereby the book suffers exceedingly; as also in the leaving out of many clauses misplacing stops, Commas, and Parentheses, and crowding together distinct matter in a confused heap, with mistaking of Texts, as in p. 14. there Hebrews is put for Revel. and in f. the fourth seventeen for seven psalms, which seven relate the Church her great distress, and her glorious deliverance by the mighty hand of God; and in f. fourth Papists is put for Pa●●ias, p. 21. for this present r. the Protestant. p. 16. ex ejus r. ex ciis. for ... endatiae r. mendariae p. 17. for Sybillae fraudulentia predicet, r. sub illâ fraudulentiâ perdidet. and in p. 81. the fifth and sixth lines are confused, and several other places which I have forgot, having not the Erratas by me. This I give thee to free myself from the censure of tolerating errors; especially in that which so nearly concerns me.  
IN the Title in Proposition 7. for never read were. in the last words in the Title page, for beasts read beast. p. 5. l. 24. r. Petrus Galatianus. p. 6. l. 21. understood, r. understood so. p. 7. l. 25. 1650. r. 1650. per their account. p. 8. l. 21 beasts r. best. p. 10. l. 7. 40. r. 400. p. 16. l. 6 October r. December. betwixt p. 16. & 17. three words are left out. p. 25. penult. Pape r. people. p. 30. Rome r. powers. p. 31. eruditi r. ineruditi. p. 32. l. 6. malice r. maladies. l. 23. à symbolicis r. à symbolis. l. 32. r. who knows not. p. 37. l. 4. reins r. ruins. l 25. worst r. most. p. 38. l. 26. from Seth the son of Adam r. from Adam. p. 42. l 3. wherefore r. where, for. l. 14. I say have r. I say they have. l. 24. thoght r. through. p. 44. l. 24. man r. name. l. 45. l. 27. this r. his. p. 46. l. 3. person r. poison. betwixt p. 40. & 41. two or three words are omitted.