A prophecy Of the Life, reign, and Death of William LAUD, Archbishop of Canterbury: By an Exposition on part of the 13. and 15. Chapters of the REVELATION of JOHN.  
Wherein the sum of all his actions are foretold, his name nominated, his correspondency with the Pope, his cruelty to the Church, and the strange wonders declared, which in his time should be done by fire from heaven: and his Courts, Seals, Marks, yea the very Monopolies all clearly foreshowed: Also how by the supreme council he shall be put to death; after which they shall rejoice, and obtain a final victory over the Papists in arms against them.  Amos 3. 8. The LORD hath spoken, who can but prophesy? 
Perused and Allowed.   travesty portrait of William Laud 
Printed for R. A. 1644.   

A prophecy of the Life, Reign, and Death of the Archbishop of CANTERBURY: in an Exposition on part of the 13. and 15. Chapter of the Revelation of John.  
THis prophecy begins in an Exposition on the 13 Chapter of the Revelation of John, Verse 11. where he saith, I beheld another beast. John saw the Antichristian Bishop of Rome rise out of the sea; that is, the great Beast, Vers. 1. but this is not that Beast, but another, and yet a very Beast, another Antichrist,  
Coming out of the earth] The other Beast was to be raised out of those Cardinals that are in the Sea of Rome, but William Laud, this Beast, was to come up out of a Protestant Church, where Popery was buried; and to act in the raising of those dead ashes to life, to bring in Popery again.  
And he had two horns] Those two horns are the two seats wherein he sat Judge, the one in temporal matters, and the other in spiritual; and thus by the High-Commission, the spiritual Court, the star Chamber, and other places where he sat in judgement, he pushed, and caused to be imprisoned, whipped, pillori'd, stigmatised, and the ears to be cut off of divers godly people that came before him.  
Like a Lamb] Thus: 1. As a Lamb is little, so the Archbishop is a little man. As a Lamb is of a meek nature, so he hath always made a show as if he had been a meek man. 3. As a Lamb couples not with a Ram, but follows the Ewe, so the Archbishop would not marry, but follows the Church. And lastly, as a Lamb pretends to be a type of Christ, so hath he always pretended to do all things in the name of Christ.  
And he spoke as a Dragon] At the opening of the dragon's mouth comes forth poison: and thus the poison of Asps hath been always under his tongue; and in all his actions were great cruelty against God's people; and the Saints that came before his judgement-seat, became like a prey to the Dragon.  
Vers. 12. He exercised all the power of the first Beast before him] The first Beast, that is, the Pope, sent the other Beast, that is, William Laud Archbishop of Canterbury, a Cardinal's Hat, and approved and authorized all his doings: particularly to those Jesuits and Priests about the Queen; to the new Book of Common Prayer to be sent into Scotland; and those things which were of greatest moment, he usually had the approbation and authority of the Pope of Rome for the doing of them, just as John's Revelation foretells.  
And caused the earth, and them that dwell therein, to worship the first Beast] Thus he caused Altars of earth and stone to be set up, Ceremonies to be brought in, and the people to be compelled to idolatry and superstition, according to the Pope's Decrees.  
Whose deadly wound was healed] This wound was given (not to the Archbishop of the Protestant Church, but) to the Pope, in the reign of King Henry the eight, and healed again by Queen Mary; but Queen Elizabeth gashed open that deadly wound here, by settling the Protestant Religion again; and this deadly wound the Archbishop had healed in part, so as he made the Popish Church to look up again and live; but not perfectly to cure her wound, for it is deadly.  
Vers. 13. And he doth great wonders] The Archbishop hath not only done wonders, but made England a wonder to all Nations.  
So that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men] The idolatry, and superstition, and other wonderful things by which he caused the Church to sin against God, provoked the Lord to send down fire from heaven on the earth, in the sight of men: particularly,  
Vers. 14. And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth] The Archbishop hath been a notable deceiver; for whilst he did always pretend to cast out Popery and faction, he endeavoured nothing more than to bring it in, and settle it amongst us.  
By the means of those miracles he had power to do in the sight of the Beast] The miracles which he hath done are many, in the eyes of Rome and all the Pope's Dominions, of whom he was admired: 1. For procuring of so many Priests and Jesuits to live in England by toleration. 2. That he brought in Popery so fast, and by so great a power. 3. For over-topping so many Parliaments, and causing them to be dissolved. 4. For establishing of such strange Canons, as were by him authorized, after the Parliament was dissolved: and many other things that he did, which were very wonderful in the sight of the Pope.  
Saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an Image to the Beast] That is, to those of the Archbishops own mould, who came up out of the earth, Vers. 11. That is, the Popish and prelatical Convocation; and there it was where he took such pains to frame those wicked Canons, which were the very image of the Popes own Canons.  
Which had the wound by a sword, and did live] Although the wound was deadly, Vers. 12. yet the Beast had breath again here by the Archbishop's means, and did live: and he did all he could to heal this wound, Vers. 12. that so the Beast might come to that vigour, and strength again in England, as in Queen Mary's days. And in that this wound is said to be given with a sword, it may have relation to that sword sent by the Pope to K. Henry 8. since which the Kings of England are called Defenders of the Faith.  
Vers. 15. And he had power to give life to the Image of the Beast] And thus the Archbishop had authority from the King for the establishing of the Canons: the image of the Popes own Canons, as is before expressed on Ver. 14. procured contrary to the laws of the Land.  
That the image of the Beast should both speak and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the Beast, should be killed] By what those Canons speak, and the Archbishop in them, it is plain, that he intended to put to death all that would not submit to the said Canons. Boys rose against those Canons, against his own house, and for that Bensted was hanged, drawn and quartered: men opposed them in the High-Commission, and for that M. Quatermaine was arraigned, and the Archbishop sought his life. The Parliament voted against them, and for that the Lord Kimbolton and the five Members were articled against for Traitors. And thus the wars began, and all that oppose them they endeavour to kill: and many a precious Saint hath been killed for opposing these followers of the Beast, that fight and kill the Saints, because they will not worship the image of the Beast.  
Vers. 16. And he caused all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark] That is, let them be who they will that come before him, it is all one; they must be sure to be pushed with his horns, spoken of Vers. 11. except they have his mark, and that mark was made two ways.  
1 In their right hands] That is, by bribes; not by covenanting and making promises to him, but by bringing their bribes with them in their hands. This downright way of bribing was one: the other mark was,  
2 In their foreheads] This was very notable in the Archbishop, that when any man ever came afore him to be judged in any case, if he frowned upon him, and bended his brows, that was a mark of his favour; but if he smiled on him, than the Archbishop was sure to give judgement against him: so the second mark was the bending of his brows, it was put for them upon his forehead.  
Verse 17. And that no man might buy or sell] There was no man more active in the procuring of Monopolies from the King, than the Archbishop? he was a carnal man, for poor tradesmen could not have their free liberty of trade for him; add no man must enjoy his own free trade.  
1 Said he that had the mark] The Patentees had marks to set upon iron; Butterfirkins, and every thing else, before any man was suffered to buy or sell the same, or else,  
2 The name of the Beast] that is, he must be a Prelate as the Beast is▪ And indeed, there were none free but they who were grown to so high a pitch, that none durst meddle with them, what ever oppression they brought upon the subjects; they would be sure to be free themselves.  
And if they had not the Patentees mark nor the Prelates, than they must not buy nor sell those wares, except they had  
3 The number of his name] that is▪ Will. Laud, the Archbishops: which is the number of the Beast as appears in the 18. verse next following.  
Verse 18. Here is wisdom] it is a rare thing to find this out: and yet there is a way to find this out.  
Let him that hath understanding count the number of the Beast] but he must count it, when he that is the Beast is suspected, he must have something to count upon; and than let him that hath skill in arithmetic take out all the figures out of that name which he subscribeth, who is suspected to be the Beast, and count the same which that number amounteth to.  
For it is the number of a man, and his number is six hundred sixty six] now it is plain, that this, is the Archbishop, he writes his name thus: Will. Laud.  
And if we take the number of his name thus written, it will amount to just six hundred sixty six, the just number of this Beast here spoken of, as is here expressed.  

W. is V. twice, that is, 10  
I. is a figure of 1  
LL. is twice 50. that is, 100  
L. is once 50  
A. is no numeral letter.  
V. is 5. more, 5  
D. Stands for 500  
Which in all amounts to the just sum of 666   
And thus you see that Will. Laud Archbishop of Canterbury, both by his actions, and also by his name, appears to be the Beast here spoken of, called by John another Beast: verse 11. John speaks again of the destruction of this Beast in the 15. Chapter of the revelation, where he saith,  
Verse 2. I saw as it were a sea of glass] the Parliament assembled may be compared to glass, for the clearness of their Judgements; I think I offend not, if I say they are the wisest Assembly that ever sat since the Apostles days, and they are properly called a Sea because all the fountains of the kingdoms flow thither; so that I say the Parliament are fitly called a Sea of glass. But further they are mingled with fire] they may be fitly compared to fire because they purge out the Popish dross, and other grievances are purifying, and reforming the Church and State; but that this is to be done by fire, argues some difficulty in this work, which in truth appears at this day by the unhappy wars which the Beast of England and his fellow-Prelats; having joined with the Beast of Rome, have raised war against the Parliament, and it is come to a bloody and cruel war, but (through God's goodness in the end: when God's good time is come) we shall see that the Parliament are  
Them that have gotten the victory over the Beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name] The victory must be complete, the Beast must die, his image must be defaced, there must be no such tyrannising over the conscience as was in the Bishop's Canons. All Monopolies must be taken away, all bribing and injustice cast out, all secret Letters of favour to the prejudice of the State, all pride in the clergy, and sinister respects must be laid aside before this victory be complete, and then the Parliament  
Stand on the Sea of the glass, having the harps of God] that is, all God's people shall flow to them in peace, and shall find a sweet and joyful answer to all their addresses.  
First, they (shall) sing the song of Moses the servant of God] which he sung, when the Israelites were delivered out of Egypt, and their Enemies destroyed in the red Sea, which song is written Exod. 15. 1.  
Verse 3. Secondly, They shall sing the song of the Lamb] which song follows in the next words,  
Saying, Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God almighty] when the Parliament have gotten the victory (as is before expressed) then shall they see that they have not trusted in God in vain; and they shall acknowledge that they were not delivered by the strength of men, but by God's great and marvellous works for them. Therefore they shall say,  
Just and true are thy ways thou King of Saints] as if they should say, our trust Lord was not in earthly Princes, for they fought against us, but we waited on thee, and trusted in thy promises and thou hast made them good unto us in giving us the victory. And therefore shall they go on praising God, and saying,  
Verse 4. Who shall not fear thee O Lord, and glorify thy Name, for thou art holy] and having thus beheld God's goodness in their own deliverance, they shall declare it to others.  
For all Nations shall come and worship thee O Lord] For, thy judgements are made manifest to them in this great deliverance, which thy Saints wait for: Which good Lord speedily send us, to thy glory, and the peace and tranquillity both of Church and State.  
FINIS.