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THE

ACCOMPLISHMENT

OF THE

PROPHECIES,

OR THE

Approaching Deliverance of

the CHURCH.

THE FIRST PART.

Of the Establishment of the AntichriftianEmpire, & its Characters.

CHAP. I.

Of the Seven Epiftles to the Seven Churches. That in all probability they are not Prophetical. The Thoughts of Interpreters thereupon.

Hen I undertook this Work, I had no Design to make a compleat Commentary on that which is Prophetical in the ReSvelations, as did appear in the first Edition: However, when I obferved

B

that

that without defigning it, I had explained almoft the whole Apocalypfe, I did believe that as for three or four chapters that remained to be explained, I ought not to leave them behind, tho they had no refpect to the scope of this book, which is to find out Antichrift, & learn when his Empire muft end. Whenone fees a fyftem that is very perfect, & well attended with all the events foretold in this book, this will give fuch a fair afpect of truth to all the parts of it, as will be most easily perceived. Moreover the publick may have obferved, that in the pourtraiture of Antichrift, I have referred the Reader in many chapters, as in the 13th. & the 17th. to my Book of Prejudices. Now as I have promised to epitomize the book of Prejudices, I thought it would be more proper to bring out of that book into this prefent work all that refpects the Prophecies & their Explication on the fubject of the defcription of Antichriftianifm, than to refer a part of this to another Book. So that in this fecond Edition there will be found an explication of all that is prophetical in the book of the Revelation.

We believe with the learned fofeph Méde that this book is divided into two parts. The first is contained in the book fealed with feven feals, which is to be seen in the beginning of the 5th. Ch. And the fecond in the book which the Angel gave to St. John in the 10th. Ch. The two little books move upon the fame time; the one & the other reach even to the end of the World; but they do

not

not fay the fame thing, & have not the fame object. For the firft little book that appeareth fealed with feven feals, principally refpects the affairs & the adventures of the firft Period of the fourth Monarchy, viz. the temporal Roman Empire. And the fecond book contains the deftinies of the Church corrupted during the fame ages, & the fame duration of time; this is what we call the Spiritual Roman Empire. I fay, that the first' book contains properly the deftinies of the Empire; not but that those of the Church are included in it too. For that which God foretold fhould befall the Roman Empire, was always with respect to the Church, to its Perfecutions, & the great Changes that befall it. So that to fpeak properly, the whole work refpects the Church. But the second little book, which reaches from the 10th. Chapter to the end, respects the Church, & what was to befall it, much more particularly, yea & more clearly.

ther the

are Pro.

The first thing that appears in the book whe of the Revelation is the feven Epiftles to fe- feven ven principal Churches of Afia, contained Epiftles in the three firft Chapters. Tis very much phetical queftion'd whether thefe Epiftles are Prophetical or not. Some maintain that they are with a great deal of heat, & others deny it. As for me, I have nothing certain to fay upon it. So that I would not raise a preju dice against any perfon or any opinion by my own; tho I am much more enclined to believe that there is nothing of prophecy in B 2 them,

Why the

wrote but to seven

Churches.

them, but that all that is faid in these Epiftles, refers to things that had happened in those seven Churches. It is certain that the Revelation is nothing but an Epiftle. This is clear by its beginning & end. Now it was not usuall with the Apostles to direct their Epiftles to the Universal Church in generall of all places & all times, as fome would have S. John here to have done. The Apostles were wont in their Epiftles to rank in the first place what they had which was dogmatical & Prophetical to write of; & afterward came that which refpected what was moral. This is the method of St. Paul. St. John on the contrary in this Epiftle sets that which is moral therein, before that which is Prophetical. The reason is because he little defign'd to ftay upon that which is moral, & his principal aim was to relate the vifions which God had given him. Therefore he dif patcheth in the beginning that which was to make the leaft part of his Epiftle, & which was lefs important, that without diverfion he might stick to that which he principally intended therein.

I fee but one thing that feems mightily to H. Spirit favour the opinion of thofe that believe that the feven Epiftles are Prophetical. 'Tis the number of feven. Why did the H. Spirit write to no more than feven Churches? Were there not many more in Afia? Were thefe the only ones in which there was any thing to be reproved, or to whom the H. Spirit had fomething to say?

5

5

It feems therefore that the feven Churches are the Univerfal Church of all Ages divided into seven Periods. But this reafon doth not appear ftrong enough to me. First, because the number of feven is evidently confecrated in the Revelation. The holy Spirit useth it in counting up all things, the feven Spirits, feven Lamps, seven Angels, &c. Surely whatever we understand hereby, 'tis certain that the number of Spirits, of Lamps & of Angells is not reduced to the number of feven. Not but that oftentimes the number of feven in the Revelation must be taken for a determinate number as in the feven Seals, in the feven Trumpets, & the feven Vialls; but that is when the divifion of time into Periods is treated of. Now this is that which is doubt. ful, that by these seven Churches are meant feven Periods. And we fhall also see hereafter that what is faid to these feven Churches doth not at all agree with the events, in what manner foever the times be divided. So that this only thing that the H. Spiritmaketh here feven Churches doth not prove that they are fo many Period's of the duration of the Church. 'Tis probable that by these he means all the other Churches of Afia, and if any will have it fo, all thofe that were at that time in the world. And he chofe among these seven the names of the principal ones, intending that the other leffer Churches fhould reckon that as fpoken concerning their prefent eftate, which is fpoken to the feven principal ones among them.

B 3

2dly,

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