A SHARP, BUT SHORT NOISE OF WAR, OR, The Ruin of Antichrist by the Sword of Temporal War, Hinted.  
Written, By FRANCIS LIN,  And I will punish the World for their evil, and the Wicked for their Iniquity, and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. Isa. 13.11. These shall make War with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: For he is Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, and they that are with him, are called, and chosen, and faithful, Rev. 17.14. 
LONDON, Printed by Matthew Simmons, next door to the Golden Lion in Aldersgate-Streete. 1650.   

A sharp but short noise of War, Or, the ruin of Antichrist by the Sword of Temporal War, hinted.  
THough War may be said to have more Fathers than one, yet as a punishment to the Inhabitants of the Earth; it comes from God, who being displeased with, and provoked by the wickedness of a People, doth many times manifest his displeasure, and execute his wrath upon them, by the excercise of War; now in this respect, and in reference to War as a judgement coming from God, all Wars upon Earth may be called occasional, because that by the wickedness of people, God is provoked, and by their sins, the Lord is occasioned to bring War upon them: and this the Lord God hath done upon three sorts of People, Viz. His one people, Heathens, and Papists.  
God hath inflicted War upon his own People: who among you shall hearken to this, and take heed, and hear? for afterwards, Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the Robbers. Did not the Lord against whom we have sinned, for they would not walk in his ways, neither be obedient unto his Laws, therefore he hath poured upon him his fierce wrath, and the strength of Battle. Isa. 42.23. Son of man when the Land sinneth against me by committing a Trespass, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it. And so on to the 20. and 21. Verses. Though Noah Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither Son nor Daughter, they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness, when I send my four soar Judgements, of which the Sword is one, which shall kill them without, and in the Chambers fear, both the young man, and the young Woman, the Suckling with the man of Grey hairs: I said I would scatter them abroad, I would make their remembrance to cease from among men, save that I feared the fury of the Enemy, lest their adversaries should wax proud, and lest they should say, our high hand and not the Lord hath done all this, Deut. 32.25. Thus we see, that War is not only threatened but hath been in flicted upon Gods own People, when they have sinned against the Lord: You only have I known of all the Families of the Earth, therefore I will visit you for all your Iniquties, Amos. 3.2.  
Now by this very means of inflicting War upon a People, hath the Lord brought them to Repentance. The Children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight against Judah, and Israel was sore distressed, and then they cried unto the Lord, saying, We have sinned against thee. Jud. 10.9, 10. Awake awake, and stand up O England and Ireland; O England and Ireland, who hath drunk deep of this cup of God's wrath; for you have drunk the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out, according to that of Isa. 51. 17.  
It follows, that the Lord God both hath and will bring War upon Heathens. But now before I come to instance in a way of proof, I desire to look upon all these Scripture Instances, which I shall make use of, as recorded by the holy Ghost, to remain through all ages in full force and authority, against, and in God's due time to be verified, upon a Succession of the heads and members of Heathens, and upon a Succession of the heads and members of Papists. I shall take notice of the metaphor, and of the sense of things, as I go along, and shall apply myself to the present time, and things with which I have to do; I shall show my thoughts, and refer it to others: this is the persuasion of my mind and heart, that the Lord God will not only bring War, but by Warr will utterly destroy the beauty and power of Mahomet, which hath ruled among the Turks and Heathens; the beauty and power of the Pope, which hath ruled amongst the Papists; the beauty and power of all such of the Inhabitants of the Earth, who shall in spirit, Judgement, and practice, cleave and adhere to Heathens, and Papists. Let all such consider what the Lord God is now a doing, and submit to providence, lest by War they be broken in pieces.  
Now there is one thing more to be hinted before I proceed in a way of proof, in the producing of Scripture precedents, consisting either of Persons or Nations, who may be termed types of such, who shall in the latter days be by temporal War ruined or destroyed; according to this Scripture, Behold the Tempest of the Lord goeth ●o●●●ith wrath, the whirlwind that hangeth over shall light upon the head of the wicked, the fierce wrath of the Lord shall not return, until be have done, and until he have performed the intents of his heart, in the latter days, be shall understand it. Jer. 22. and 23.  
But that which I was to do, was this, I must make some distinction between the Types of the heads of Heathens and Papists, in my producing and applying of Scripture-Texts against them: the which I shall endeavour to perform, by applying such Scriptures against them, as I shall apprehend to be most suitable to them in a way of resemblance between them; in the first place, I shall rank them both together, and in a general way apply such Scriptures against them, as do seem to me to threaten the ruin of them; and then I shall apply against them severally by themselves, in a particular way, I shall in an indifferent respect sometimes take the one for the other, as there is in them comprised all those which are indeed the professed enemies of God, his truth, and people: to this purpose, and in reference to the whole Work, I shall make use of the 25. of Jerem. In which Chapter the Lord God employs this Prophet against his own people, in the first place; but in the next more mainly against the Nations, and the World, against his, and his people's enemies; so now, judgement is begun at the house of God, as in Germany, Ireland, and England, but God will make an end with his, and their Enemies: but to return to the thing in hand.  
The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all Judah, in the fourth year, which he delivered to the people, the Lord, saith he, Hath sent all his Servants the Prophets, rising early and sending them, but you would not hear, nor incline your ears to obey. They said turn again now every one from his evil way, and so on, Nevertheless they would not hear me saith the Lord, but have provoked me to anger, to their own hurt: therefore saith the Lord of Hosts, because ye have not heard my words, I will do so and so, unto you. Here in this text there are very sad and heavy judgements, and very great and dolorous calamities threatened against & brought upon Judah, and Jerusalem, God's own people. But then mark what follows in the 15. Verse. For thus hath the Lord God of Israel spoken unto me, take the cup of wine, of mine indignation, at mine hand, and cause all the Nations to whom I send thee, to drink it; and they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the Sword that I will send among them. It is true, it follows in the 18. Verse. That Jerusalem must drink of the cup, and the Cities of Judah, and the Kings and Princes thereof. But Pharaoh ●ing of Egypt, and his Servants, and Princes, and all his people must pledge them. And all sorts of people, and all the Kings of the Land of Uz, and all the Kings of the Land of the Philistims, and Ashkelon, and Azzah, and Ekron, and the Remnant of Ashdod, Edom, and Moab, and the Ammonites, and all the Kings of the North far and near, and all the Kingdoms of the World which are upon the earth: Therefore say thou unto them, thus saith the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, drink and be drunken, and spew, and fall and rise no more, because of the Sword which I will send among you. But if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand, to drink, then tell them, Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, you shall certainly drink, for lo I begun to plague the City where my name is called up on, and should you go free? you shall not go unpunished, for I will call for a Sword upon all the Inhabitants of the Earth. Now let the wise judge, if the people of the Lord who are a City of Citizens, who have and do call upon the Name of God thorough all ages, have been wasted by War, and the temporal Sword, as both Scripture and other Histories do affirm. And in particular, the Waldenses, and Albingenses, the Germans, and Rochellians, the Irish and English, and many others, certainly there is yet a world of Heathens and Papists, who shall have blood to drink. Truly for my own part, I tremble to think of that, which I think the sword of the Lord will do up and down in the World, now in a short time; and yet in reference to some events which will certainly follow, I do desire to rejoice.  
But to go on with the Prophet's work, Therefore Prophecy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, the Lord shall roar from above, and thrust our his voice from his holy habitation; he shall roar upon his habitation, and cry abroad, as they that press the Grapes, against all the inhabitants of the Earth, the sound shall come to the ends of the Earth, for the Lord hath a controversy with the Nations, and will enter into judgement with all Flesh, and he will give them that are wicked to the Sword. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, behold a plague shall go forth from Nation to Nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up, from the Coasts of the Earth, and the slain of the Lord shall be at that day, from one end of the Earth even unto the other. And it is observable, that it is the wicked who are in special given up to perish by the sword: let all the ungodly in the World, of what Religion soever they seem to be of, think of this.  
I will suggest but one Scripture more, to this purpose, and then apply in a particular way; it is the 24. of Isa. Behold the Lord maketh the Earth empty, and he maketh it waste, he turneth it upsidowne, and scattereth abroad the Inhabitants thereof: the Earth lamenteth and fadeth away, the World is feebled and decayed, the proud people of the Earth are weakened; fear, and the Pit, and the snare are upon thee, O Inhabitant of the Earth, and he that fleeth from the noise of the fear, shall fall into the Pit, and he that cometh up out of the pit, shall be taken in the snare, for the Windows from on high are open, and the Foundations of the Earth do shake; the Earth is utterly broken down, the Earth is clean dissolved, the Earth is moved exceedingly, the Earth shall reel two and fro like a drunken man. it shall be removed like a Tent, and the iniquity thereof shall be heavy upon it; so that it shall fall and rise no more: The Earth shall never be in such a posture again, as it was in before; and in that day shall the Lord visit the Host above, that is on high, even the Kings of the World that are upon the Earth.  
And now I should come to apply against Heathens and Papists in a particular way, but that me thinks I hear some say, that all this is old Testament, and is already verified and fulfiled upon the times and People which are past, and therefore doth not relate to these times.  
I Answ. The Old Testament is the sacred word of the Eternal God, and it endures for ever, is it not a Prophecy, and a Foundation of the New? And is not the New Testament a veryfying and a fulfilling of the Old, were they not both for substance brought forth together, as it were like two glorious twins, flowing from the gracious Bowels and infinite wisdom of God, who is from everlasting to everlasting, God over all, blessed for evermore, and whatsoever things were written aforetime, were they not written for our learning? Surely the everlasting God is now in these our times, a fullfilling many of his words which are written in that Old Book of his, which is called, The Old Testament.  
The Lord our God is now a performing much of his work upon Earth; Christians should now be much at work in Heaven by Prayer, and upon Earth by Observation, that so they might magnify God in his works, which are great, and sought out of those which love them: unworthy are they which don't in such a time as this is, plentifully eye God in the glorious go of his holy Providence, who is now risen like a Giant refreshed with Wine, to help the meek of the Earth, and is now making it appear, that his Excellent Majesty judgeth in the Earth, and that there is a reward to be given on Earth, to them which truly fear his Holy Name. This is our God, we have waited for him, and he will save us, O England, England, what is the God of Heaven doing in thee, what is the Lord of the Earth doing for thee, O England strive against thy heart, and tongue-Divisions, lay aside thy carnal plea for self-interests; cease from thy reproachings, by't not thy Children, neither slander thy Mother's Sons; 'tis sad to think of this, that Christians do manifest a kind of delight, in opposing and in disgraceing of one another, tell not this in Gath, publish it not in the Streets of Ashkelon, lest the Daughters of the Philistims rejoice, lest the Daughters of the Uncircumcised triumph; rather than do thus, labour to stir up the Gift of God which is in thee, pray, repent, reform, believe, wait, he that is thine helper will not forsake, nor fail thee, for he is a present help in time of need, the Lord of Hosts is his name, the God of Jacob is thy refuge; fight courageously if need require, the God of Victory is on thy side, who is God, and will be exalted among the Heathen, and among the Papists, and among all the Enemies of this Reformation, and they shall know that they are but men. But I am gone a little two far from the thing in hand, I do not deny this, but that there is much of the Scripture already fulfilled, in this, and in other respects, yet I think they are not fully verified and fulfilled: as for men, times, and Nations, they may be bound, they have been so, but the word of God is not bound, as the Apostle in another case speaks; it is a truth, that there shall not only be Wars, in the days and times of the Gospel, but there shall be Wars and rumours of Wars, and Nation shall rise against Nation, and Realm against Realm. I shall not long detain myself from what I intent, I shall but consider, and compare a few Scriptures and presently come to that I have promised; the Scriptures are these, Isa 21. and Isa. 47. Jer. 50. and 51. Chap. 17. & 18. Rev. Behold this man's Chariot cometh with two Horsemen, and he answered and said, Babel is fallen, it is fallen, and all the Images of her Gods, hath he broken unto the ground. I was wroth with my People, I have polluted mine Inheritance, and given them into thine hand, thou didst show them no mercy, O Antichrist remember this, but thou didst lay thy very heavy yoke upon the ancient, and thou saidst I shall be a Lady for ever, so that thou didst not set thy mind to these things, neither didst thou remember the latter end thereof; therefore now hear thou that art given to pleasures, and dwellest careless, she saith in her heart, I am and none else, I shall not sit as a Widow, neither shall know the loss of Children, but these two things shall come to thee suddenly, on one day, the loss of Children, and Widowhood, they shall come upon thee in their perfection, & so on to the end of the 17. of Isa. the 50. & 51. chapters of Jer. Almost through out, a cry of Battle is in the Land, and of great destruction, how is the Hammer of the whole World destroyed and broken, How is Babel become desolate among the Nations, I have snared thee, and thou art taken O Babel, and thou wast not ware, thou art found and also caught because thou hast striven against the Lord, the Lord hath opened his treasures and hath brought forth the Weapons of his wrath, for this is the work of the Lord God of Hosts, come against her from the uttermost border; open her storehouses, tread on her as on Sheaves, and destroy her utterly, let nothing of her be left, destroy all her Bullocks, let them go down to the slaughter: Woe unto them for their day is come, and the time of their visitation. Agreeable to these Scriptures is that of the 18. of the Revelation, which is New Testament. And he cried out mightily with a loud voice, saying, it is fallen, Babylon the great City, and is become the Habitation of Devils; her sins are come up to Heaven, and God remembered her iniquities, in as much as she glorified herself, and lived in pleasures, so much give ye to her torment & sorrow, for she saith in her heart, I sit being a Queen, and am no Widow, and shall see no moruning, therefore shall plagues come in one day, death, and sorrow, and famine, and she shall be utterly burnt with fire, for strong is the Lord God, which will condemn her. 'Twas Babylon in the Old Testament, 'tis Babylon in the New Testament, the one called Eastern, the other called Western Babylon, the which is Rome, called Babylon a Mystery, great Babylon the mother of Whoredoms. Rev. 17.5. The Eastern Babylon is destroyed, God did destroy it by a temporal War, because Babylon would show the People of God no mercy, the western Babylon which is Rome, and those which it comprehends, is, and must be destroyed, because they neither have, nor will show the People of God any mercy, they are in the purpose of God, and must be in reference to an eternal and visible accomplishment in the sight of men and times, it seems God will destroy under this name or notion: see or read to this purpose.  

Master Brightman upon the Revelation.  
Master Dent upon the Revelation.  
Master Perkins in his Reformed Catholic. p. 3.   
Doctor Tailor in his Book Dedicated to The Honourable House of Commons Assembled in Parliament, in the Year 1624. In which Book there is this passage, at the latter end of one of his Sermons, say they were warned and called out, but now cannot be either pitied or helped. As Lot's Cousins though they made a merriment of Lot's admonition, yet they saw the Lord in earnest, and then too late wished they had departed according to the voice of the Lord. But now God will not, and Lot cannot help them, neither can they shift themselves out of the fire when the dreadful shower falleth, do thou sit out the summons at thy peril, but one of the two thou must choose, either thou must go out of Babylon, or go into her destruction.  
And now I come to that which I call producing and applying of Scripture, as it doth most evidently and certainly threaten ruin and destruction to the generality of Heathens and Papists in this present World by the Sword and temporal War; severally and in a particular respect I now proceed, and apply against Antichristian Papists, though I named Heathens first: and in my conceit the second Chapter of the Prophecy of Habukkuk, doth speak clearly and fully to that seat of iniquity, that cursing, and that cursed Antichrist, that great than of sin the Pope, and Popes of Rome, and their professed Adherents. I shall as I have begun cite this Scripture. Behold he that lifteth up himself his mind is not upright in him, yea indeed the proud man is as he that transgreffeth by Wine, therefore shall he not endure because he hath enlarged his desire as the Hell, and is as death and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all Nations, and heapeth unto him all People. Now who but the Pope and Popes of Rome hath done thus especially in both respects I mean spiritualy as well as temporally. See a place in the New Testament, 2 Thess. 2. Let no man deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come except there come a departing first, and that that man of sin be disclosed or revealed, even the son of perdition, which is an adversary and exalteth himself against all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he doth sit as God in the Temple of God, showing himself that he is God, and then shall the wicked man be revealed, he shall have a visible being, in, and upon this Earth. Who is this the Pope and Popes of Rome, which is that Antichrist whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall abolish with the brightness of his coming. I conceive this is meant of the faithful, sincere, powerful preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, King of Saints, who appears by his spirit in the preaching of his word, and by this glorious meanes both hath and will consume and abolish the spiritual power of that mystery of iniquity, held forth by that man of sin, the Popes of Rome, whose coming is by the working of Satan, with all power and signs, and lying wonders: that this is so, see Luke 10.17.18. And the seaventh returned again with joy, saying, Lord even the Devils are subdued to us through thy name, and he said unto them I saw Satan like lightning fall down from Heaven. See Isa. 14.12. How art thou fa●●en from Heaven O Lucifer, son of the morning, and cut down to the ground, which didst cast lots upon the Nations, yet thou saidst in thine heart I will ascend into Heaven, and exalt my Throne above, beside the Stars of God, I will fit also upon the Mount of the Congregation, in the sides of the North. What should this mean but the Church of God upon Earth, to this purpose see Rev. 18.20. Yet further I will ascend above the height of the Clouds, and I will be like the most high; alas poor Pope, but thou shalt be brought down to the Grave, to the sides of the pit, and they that see thee, shall look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, is this the man that made the Earth to tremble, and that did shake the Kingdoms, if this 14. of Isa. do, as happily it may, relate to some particular King of the Nations, yet surely withal, it doth relate to a succession of Popes, concerning whom it may be said, the Lord hath broken the rod of the wicked, and the Sceptre of the Rulers. Observe according to this account▪ that a succession of Antichrists, are held forth sometimes in Scripture under the notion or form of a man. Observe that this man is very like to, and is compared with Satan, the Devil: observe that this Devill-like-man, or manlike Devil Antichrist, the Popes of Rome who did not only aspire, but did get into high places, and did attain so great preferment in the Church of God upon Earth, and in the Church did take it upon him as if he had been God, and in this respect had built his nest as high as Heaven, in his own vain conceit, from whence the Lord God will fetch him down with a Witness, his spiritual power by spiritual means, and his civil and temporal power, by civil and temporal means, to this purpose, see Hab. 2.6. Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a tanting Proverb against him, and say, Ho he that increaseth that which is not his, how long, and he that ladeth himself with the thick Clay, shall they not rise up suddenly that shall by't thee, and awake that shall stir thee, and thou shalt be their prey because thou hast spoilt many Nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee, because of men's blood, and for the wrong done in the Land, in the City, and unto all that dwell therein, woe unto the Popedom of Rome, who hath built Towns with blood, and erected a City by iniquity. Call up the Archers against Babel, all ye that bend the bows, besiege it round about, let none thereof escape, recompense her according to her work, and according to all that she hath done do unto her, for she hath been proud against the Lord, Jer. 50.29. Even against the holy one of Israel, here, and in Rev. 17.6. Antichrist is set forth under the notion of a Woman, And I saw the Woman drunken with the blood of Saints and the blood of the Martyrs of Jesus Christ, and when I saw her I wondered with great marvel, therefore shall her young men fall in the Streets, and all her men of War shall be destroyed in that day saith the Lord. Now Antichrist is spoken unto as a man, Behold I come unto thee O proud man, saith the Lord God of Hosts, for thy day is come, even the time that I will visit thee, now that we may take notice that the Lord God doth not confine his meaning to the person of any one particular man or woman; 'tis thus recorded; and the proud shall stumble and fall, and none shall raise him up, and I will kindle a fire in his Cities, and it shall devour all round about him, 'tis Cities and Nations which God doth threaten with desolation, but to the next Verse. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, the Children of Israe, and the Children of Judah were oppressed together, and all that took them Captives held them, and would not let them go. Literally I believe they shall be let go in a short time; spiritually there be Children of Ifrael now in England, and in many other places and parts of the World; the People of God, true Christians are the Israel of God in all ages, and to such as do truly fear, and sincerely serve the true and the living God the maker of Heaven and Earth, in this present time wherein we now live, it may be said to them, that their Redeemer is strong, whose Name is the Lord of Hosts, he shall maintain their cause, that he may give rest to the Land, and disquiet the Inhabitants of Babel, the which are such, where ever they dwell, as do in spirit, judgement, and practice, professedly declare themselves to be either Heathens, or Papists, or notoriously wicked; let the generality of such know, that now in this very instant of time wherein we live, that the Sword of the Lord God of Hosts is now upon such Chaldaeans as these, a Sword is upon the Chaldaeans saith the Lord, and upon the Inhabitants of Babel, and upon her Princes, and upon her wise men: a Sword is upon the soothsayers, and they shall dote, Romenish and Malignant Priests they shall prove fools, a Sword is upon her strong men and they shall be afraid, a Sword is upon their Horses and upon their Charets, and upon all the Multitude that are in the midst of her, and they shall be like Women; a Sword is upon her treasures, and they shall be spoilt: Babel is suddenly fallen and destroyed, howl for her bring Balm for her Soare, if she may be healed; we would have cured Babel, may all the faith full Ministers of the Gospel, of all Countries say, but Babel neither would nor could be healed, forsake her, let us go every one to his own Country, for judgement is come up unto Heaven, and is lifted up to the Clouds: 'tis high time for all every where who mean to have their souls or bodies preserved, to draw home to Jesus Christ the Saviour of all them who by a right rule do trust in him for Salvation.  
Oh that men would hear and take notice in the behalf of themselves, as it may be of concernment to them what the Counsel of the Lord is, which he hath devised against Babel, and his purpose which he hath conceived against the Land of wicked Romish Chaldeans, see, and compare Jer. 51.13. with Rev. 17.15. O thou that dwellest upon many Waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, even the end of thy covetousness. Now if it be asked, by whom will God bring this great destruction upon his, and his people's enemies? Answ. And observe, when the Lord of Hosts shall have an Army of men in the Field, whose hearts shall be set at liberty to worship Christ in the beauty of holiness, and to praise his Holy Name with courage and constancy, then shall the enemies help destroy one another. 2 Cron. 20.23. Again, Israel is the rod of his Inheritance, the Lord of Hosts is his Name: mark what the Lord God saith to his People: Thou art mine Hammer, and Weapons of War, for with thee will I break the Nations, and with thee will I destroy Kingdoms, and by thee will I break Horse and Horsman, and by thee will I break the Chariot and him that Rideth therein. Jer. 51.19. To this purpose is that of Rev. 18.6. Reward her even as she hath rewarded you, and give her double according to her works, and in the cup that she hath filled to you fill her the double. But one note by way of parity or likeness, and I have done with the Romish Antichrist for this time 'tis clear to me, that the old Heathenish Babylon, was a manifest Type, and visible figure of the Romish Babylon, which now is as yet in being, and that as face answers to face, so in reference to their actions, they have very clearly portrayed out each others lineaments, for what was done against God, his truth, and people by the one, hath been practised and acted by the Other, and that to thelife, as we say, and against more light and knowledge, and with greater strength of malice, hath the Romish Antichrist persecuted the Church of Christ beyond the Heathens, therefore certainly God will be avenged upon such a People as this, for true and righteous are his judgements, for he hath condemned the great Whore of Rome, which did corrupt the Earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his Servants shed by her hands, and hath, which shows the certainty of the thing, now that the Kings of the ancient Heathens, were in some respects Types of the Romish Popes, and they the Antitypes of them, I refer to the reviewing of these Scriptures, Isa. 14. Jer. 50. & 51. Hab. 2. Rev. 17. & 18. To all which I shall add, Revel. 13. In which I observe that the Popes of Rome are set forth in the form of a Beast, and that this Beast hath received his power from the Dragon, which is the Devil, And they worshipped the Dragon which gave power unto the Beast, and they worshipped the Beast, saying, who ●s like un-the beast, who is able to War with him, and there was given unto him a Mouth that spoke great things, and blasphemies, and power was given unto him to do forty two Months, and he opened his mouth unto blasphemies against God, to blaspheme his name and his Tabernacle, and them that dwell in Heaven, and it was given to him to make War with the Saints, he was permitted so to do. Observe, Antichrist makes war with the Saints, or upon the Saints, I understand this meant of a temporal War, and of Antichrist his putting the Saints upon a defensive War, though to his own ruin. Observe, the Saints who are a People that do not delight in War simply, as it is a destruction to the life and well being of man, yet the Saints do and must manage a temporal War, when justly occasioned and necessitated thereunto, in the behalf of truth and of themselves. But to the words again, with the Saints, and to overcome them, and power was given him over every kindred, and Tongues, and Nations, that is, to Antichrist the Pope, and Popes of Romish Babylon, this is that Satan-like and Beastlike man, which hath made the Earth tremble, and the Nations shake. This is the man who hath led the Saints for some hundreds of years into Captivity, it is he that hath killed them with the Sword, therefore it is he and his Adherents that must be led into Captivity, and that must be killed with Sword of the Lord of Hosts, put into the hands of his People, I observe by the way, that this Scripture, I mean Rev. 13.10. is not to be aleadg'd against those noble minded Christians which do in these days and times, out of conscience to God and in love to truth and their Country, hazard their lives in the high places against the enemies of God, with a desire and purpose if possible to preserve truth, and peace, and true Religion in their persons, Families, and Nation wherein they live; I rather conceive it a Prophecy which relates to the temporal destruction of Antichrist by the Sword of War, who is aforehand with the people of God; for he, and his Adherents have already led them into Captivity, and hath killed them with the Sword.  
I shall mention a passage or two out of a Sermon which was preached in the Arch Palatine Court, in the year 1617. that only in Belgia, containing the 17. Provinces of the low Countries, whilst CHARLES the Fifth lived, were slain and murdered fifty thousand Christians: and that the Duke of Alva cruelly boasted that in the space of six years after he had been Governor of that Country, there had been eighteen thousand persons killed by his Commandment, and also from the year 1576 to the Agreement at Gaunt, there had perished by the Tyranny of Papists, thirty thousand, yet saith the same Author, there was a greater vintage and harvest in France, for saith he, it may be proved by arguments worthy to be believed, that from the year 1564 to the year 1586, that is, in the space of twenty two years, that one hundred and forty thousand godly persons were put to death, besides those already mentioned, & besides those that were put to death by the Papists in England, in Queen Mary's days, and besides those slain In King Charlses time. I have likewise read in the History of the Waldenses of one Panza one of the Pope's Inquisitors, who did cut the throats of four score Christians, and then quartered them, and caused stakes to be set up for the space of thirty miles, and caused a quarter to be fastened to each stake. Next to this there is mention made of threescore women who were brought to the Rack by the Fathers of the Pope's inquisition, who all perished by their horrible cruelty.  
In the History of the Albingenses there is mention made of one hundred and forty men and women, who because they refused to submit to the Church of Rome, were all of them thrown into a fire at one time, and burnt to death by the Earl Simon, and the Pope's Legat.  
These few instances fell in by the way, there is enough upon record to prove that Antichristian Papists have been the most bloodiest and the most devouringst Woolves, that have had a being upon this Earth; therefore for my part I believe the Lord God will punish this Romish Babylon, and will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up, and the Nations shall not flow together any more unto him, yea the Wall of Babylon shall fall, and the days are come in which God will do judgement upon the Graven Images of Babylon, and her whole Land shall be confounded, and all her slain shall fall in the midst of her.  
I have now done with Papists, only I wish to as many of them as do belong to the election of grace, a visible repentance from sin and Idolatry; an actual faith in the true Scripture 〈◊〉 Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, a holy and a harmless life, and preservation to their bodies from that War and from that destroying Sword which is already occasionally drawn and will be extended to, and exercised upon the generality of wilful, stubborn and obstinate Papists all the world over. I call it an occationall Sword, in a twofold respect.  
First, the Papists by committing more sins than I am able to mention, and greater sins than I know how to paint out, have justly occasioned God to bring the Sword of war upon them; and they have occasioned, you, I may say enforced the Saints, I do not say, to bring War upon them, but in their own just defence, to maintain a War against them. They, the Antichristian Papists I mean, have been many hundreds of years, raising, and acting of most cruel and bloody Wars upon the people of God called Protestants of late years; they have made long furrows upon their backs, in the parts of Germany, in France, in Ireland, in England, for they have been the hatchers of all these Wars, and they have been the main actors of them too, and they will continue to raise and to act war in Ireland, in France, and it may be in Scotland too, they will never end their war, till war hath ended them, or at least, their power; they will continue their malicious endeavours to destroy the true Church of Christ upon this Earth, by war, in that faggot and fire hath now failed them, the which God hath made a defensive City, an Iron pillar, and Brazen wall against them, and they shall fight against it, but they shall not prevail against in. Jer. 1.18.19. for the Lord of Hosts is with his Church to deliver it from the power of every destroying enemy as well temporal as spiritual ones, and the Church of Christ shall be upon this Earth in the appointed time as a City, sought out and not forsaken, for glorious things are spoken of thee o thou City of God.  
One word more and I have done, let all those Papists take notice of this, which do harbour in them the same mind which has been in their Fathers, who have not only by War for a long time destroyed the true Members of Christ, but by most exquisite and incredible torments as well in prisons and Caves of the Earth, as upon Scaffolds and at Stakes, have most barbarously and most unhumanly murdered the Saints of Christ, see Master Wadsworths' book to this purpose. I say seeing that you the seed of those evil doers, have now called us into the Field, who do profess ourselves friends and Servants to Jesus Christ; whom you have mocked and Brethren to those his Servants, whom you have cruelly murdered; I say take notice of this, that you are like to find as much gallantry as you have acted cruelty. 〈◊〉 know will fight, but we profess to fight fai●●, whether it be in Ireland, or elsewhere, therefore now you brave English spirits, show yourselves gallant still ' for the Sword must do great things, according to that which Master Brightman hath said, that the time shall come when disputing by the pen, should cease, and that the Sword should end the controversy between the Papists and the Protestants. I believe this time is now come, and be you assured of these things, that as these Antichristian Papists, shall make War with the Lamb, so the Lamb shall over come them, for he is Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful, Rev. 17.14.  
One word to those amongst them that truly fear God, thus saith the Lord, My people go out of the midst of her, and deliver ye every man his soul from the fierce wrath of the Lord, lest your heart even faint, and ye fear the rumour that shall be heard in the Land, a rumour shall come one year, and after that in another year shall come a rumour and violence in the Land, Ruler against Ruler, Jer. 51. and 45.46. And I heard another voice from heaven say, Go out of her my people that ye be not partakers in her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. Rev. 18.4.  
I now come according to my promise to produce and apply Scripture against the Heathens of these times, I desire what I said at my beginning may be remembered: that is, that I have in some respect spoken to these already, and therefore now I shall no● 〈◊〉 much to them, only I shall take notice that there is a very great people now in being upon this Earth, who are professed enemies to the Lord Jesus Christ, and that these are distinct from Papists, and that they have been and still are great Oppressors of the people that profess Jesus Christ, and his Gospel: and that the power and pride of these Heathens shall be brought down, by the temporal Sword in these latter days, and that then they shall become the Inheritance of Jesus Christ, to whom God the Father will give the Heathens of these times unto, for an Inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the Earth to him for his possession; by the way, I confess that I am little or nothing seen in the knowledge of the Histories of times, neither am I so much in consultation with them, as with the God of times; I know but very little either of the past or present State of foreign Countries, nor of the external causes, nor humane reasons of the several new framings and mouldings of those Nations, in the remote parts of the Earth, nor of those several new constitutions into which they have in several pieces of time been put into, by the overruling and all-disposing hand of the great God of Heaven, who is the Lord of the Earth, and doth whatever he will both in Heaven and Earth, and will do what he hath promised to do, and likewise what he hath threatened to do, it is true the vision is for an appointed time, it shall speak, and not lie: this time is certainly come, yea, the set time is come, and God is now manifesting of himself by theexcercise of the temporal Sword, to Nations, Families, and to particular persons. I confess, as I said even now, that from a want of the knowledge of such things as I have made mention of, I remain unable in some respects to steer a course suitable to the apprehensions which I have of the present face and appearance of things, when I think of them according to the glorious word and unfathomd workings of the great and mighty God, who is in his judgements unsearchable, and in his ways past finding out, 'tis true, the Lord God of Heaven and Earth, hath acted his great works, and made his almighty power to appear in all ages, in which he hath been wonderful in his do towards the Sons and Daughters of men, and that in reference to the setting up and casting down of Nations, and people, in, and by the excercise of War, and the temporal Sword, but yet I verily think I speak with submission, that the Lord is now a doing, and a bringing to pass such a piece of work, by the excercise of temporal war, at this time, as there hath not in the world yet appeared the like, in reference to all events, notwithstanding men's Opinions to the contrary; for my part if in this I erer, 'tis for no buy end, this is the thing I observe. First, the blood of many thousands in several ages who have truly feared God, hath been shed by the cruelty of the Nations; now 'tis very clear to me that the Lord will never give up his people to such a dreadful cruelty that they should destroy people in cold blood, as we say, as they have been even multitudes of them destroyed, some have been burnt to death, others Racked, and so by divers other exquisite torments they have been murdered.  
Secondly, 'tis as clear to me that the Lord will by the hand of his people make inquisition for blood, and that by the same hand will avenge the blood of his Saints, whose blood hath been shed by the Nations, therefore Nations shall be dealt withal, by the Sword of temporal war, the Nations have in a private Murderous way, made themselves drunk with the blood of God's Saints, the Lord will deal with the Nations in a public way, he will make his Arrows drunk with the blood of his, and his People's enemies, and the sword of the Lord in the hands of his people, shall eat the flesh of Kings, and the flesh of Captains, and the flesh of mighty men, Rev. 19.18. Again, me thinks this is something to be considered of, what are the Nations now a doing? truly they be now a gathering themselves together; what to do? To destroy if they can all the Inhabitants of Zion, I mean all such as do truly and sincerely seek and serve the true God, according to the rules of his holy word the Scriptures.  
But to the thing in hand, Now also many Nations are gathered against thee, saying, Zion shall be condemned, and our eye shall look upon Zion, but they know not the thoughts of the Lord, they understand not his Counsel, for he shall gather them as the sheaves in the barn. Mica. 4.11.12. Observe, surely that dark and dismal Cloud which now hovers upon the world is like for some time to grow somewhat thicker, and the storm is like to be somewhat more terrible than yet it is, before these present Wars now in excercise come to a full end, the Nations are now gathering themselves together, What to do? to destroy spiritual Zion, they say the Church and people of God shall be condemned, and they will be the Executioners, but they know not the thoughts, nor the purposes of the Lord, they little think what God will do by this their gathering together; they gather and the Lord God gathers, but for contrary ends, they intent one thing, and the Lord means another, they an extermination of truth, and true Christians, God intends a preservation of both, yea a great deliverence and a glorious enlargement too. I speak with reverence to God, who will at this time do two works at once, even use the Sword of temporal War, with the Sword of his word, and with the delivering of his people, will perform the ruin of his, and his people's Enemies. Behold in that time when I shall br●●gagaine the Captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all Nations, and will bring them down into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there, for my people, and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scatrered among the Nations, Joel. 3. Assemble yourselves and come all ye Heathen, and gather yourselves together round about, there shall the Lord cast down the mighty man, let the Heathen be weakened. Observe, those the enemies of God, which in Scripture are sometimes called mighty, are here prophetically destynated to weakness. Let the Heathen be weakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there will I set to judge all the Heathen round about: put in your Scythes for the Harvest is ripe, come get you down for the wine press is full, yea the winepresses run over, for their wickedness is great, O multitude, O multitude, come into the Valley of threshing, for the day of the Lord is near in the Valley of threshing, the Sun and Moon shall be darkened, and the Stars shall withdraw their light. That is, as I conceive, in this their day of God's visitation, they shall find no help in Creatures, neither in the Sun the Moon, nor the Stars, in, and by which, the Heathens of all times have been so much led, as appears by the words of Jer. 10.2. Thus saith the Lord, learn not the way of the Heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of Heaven, for the Heathen are dismayed at them. I have read some Authors which affirm that there are Heathens of these times, who do worship the Sun and the Moon, to whom I may speak as the Prophet speaks, thou art wearied in the multitude of thy Counsels, let now the Astrologers the Stargazers, the monthly Prognosticatours, stand up and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee. Isa. 47.13.  
Again, this may admit of a spiritual meaning, whence we may take notice, that the light of the glorious Gospel, which both hath and doth shine in the World, as the Moon, and as the Sun, shall stand them in no stead, in this time of great distress, which have contemptuously banished it from them, or refused to give it entertainment, when the Lord in mercy hath made a tender of it unto them, certainly both Papists and Heathens have done this, and now the Lord God in his just judgement will shut up all light from them, and darkness shall be upon them till they perish in the same. The Lord, saith the Prophet, shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem. Observe, in those days and times in which the Lord God shall what his glittering Sword, and shall with his hand take hold on judgement, and shall execute vengeance on his enemies, and reward them that hate him, that then the Lord will roar from Zion then God will appear terrible to his, and his people's enemies, from, and by his spiritual Zion, in the excercise of temporal means; God will thresh them with the Sword. Agreeable to this is that of Mica. 4. last. Arise, thresh O Daughter of Zion, for I will make thine horn Iron, and I will make thine hooves Brass, and thou shalt break in piece many people, Jacob shall be a fire, and Joseph a flame, and Edom shall be as stubble. Mal. 4.3. The Enemies of God have been drunk with the blood of God's Saints, and the Lord God will make his Arrows drunk with the blood of his enemies, and his Sword in the hand of his people shall eat flesh, yea, and that for the blood of the slain, and of the Captives, when I begin to take vengeance of the enemies. Deut. 32.42. Now in this day and time, the Lord God will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the Children of Israel, Joel. 3.16.  
I will but suggest that of the Prophet Isa. 2. and I have done; certainly in such a day and time as this is, it will be thus, The high look of man shall be humbled, and the loftiness of men shall be abased, and the Lord only shall be exalted in that day, for the day of the Lord of Hosts is upon all the proud and haughty, and upon all that is exalted, and upon all the Cakes of Bashan, and all the high Mountains, & upon all the hills that are lifted up, and upon every high Tower, and upon every strong Wall, and upon all the Ships of Tarshish, and all pleasant Pictures, and the haughtiness of men shall be brought low, and the loftiness of men shall be abased, and the Lord shall only be exalted in that day, and the Idols will he utterly destroy, than they shall go into the holes of the Rocks, and into the Caves of the Earth, from before the face of the Lord, and from the glory of his Majesty, when he shall arise to destroy or to shake terribly the Earth.  
FINIS.