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tians, no less than 30 years as I fuppofe, will be ne-Part 2. ceffary; and that was figured by the 30 days, which Macchabaus employed in purifying the Temple of Jerufalem. After the purgation of the Temple, he fpent 45 days to prepare the veffels for the dedication. I fuppofe, that in like manner, when the reunion fhall be effected, no lefs than 45 days, that is to fay 45 years, will be requifite to run overall the Earth, and convert the Nations that are ftrangers to the Covenant, to prepare them for the laft dedication. Add 45 to 1740, that will fall on the year 1785, in which fhall come the glorious reign of 1.Chrift on the Earth, of which we thall fpeak afterwards. And 'tis in thefe 45 years, that the fews fhall be converted, and fhall finish the converfion of the Infidel Nations; their obstinacy fhall hold out to the end, and fhall not be overcome but by an extraordinary event, and more extraordinary than the fall of Babel fhall be.

chrift muft

There is no ground to believe, that the Kingdom The Emof Jefus Chrift fhall come in the time that God fhall pire of Anemploy in the deftruction of the Antichriftian Empire. For that Empire fhall fall with noife, wars, ed before J. Chrift troubles, effufion ofblood. Now the Spirit of God comes. is not in the wind that breaks the rocks; 'tis in the thin and gentle one. When Jefus Chrift shall come, there muit be a profound peace on the Earth. Neither fhall he come in the time wherein men fhall endeavour the converfion of the Infidel Nations; for that fhall be a time of contefting and difputings; those things must ceafe when Jefus Chrift fhall

come.

the time in

The number of 2300 evenings and mornings, A type of which make 1150 days, to me feems to fignify pre- which ima cifely the days in which the daily facrifice was in- ges were terrupted; an interruption that began not, tillidu

fome

introdu

Part 2. fome months after the Sanctuary had began to be prophaned by impure facrifices, added to the daily facrifice that yet was continued. And even the Idol of Jupiter Olympius seems not to have been brought into the Temple, till two months after the ceffation of the daily Jacrifice. So that the introduction of the Idol, was not till fix or feven months after the prophanation of the Temple. This feems to me to have a typical relation to that which happened in the Chriftian Church, by the introduction of the adoration of Images. They were brought into the Churches in the fifth Age; but we do not find, that Images were adored and ferved before the fixth Age, from the year 560 to the year 600. Now one may fay, that then the abomination, the Idol of Jupiter Olympius was introduced into the Temple, and placed on the Altar; one may fay, that then the daily facrifice entirely ceafed; whereas the Divine service had been only polluted by the invocation of Saints, it was entirely spoiled by the adoration of Images. Compute this ceflation of the daily facri fice, that is to fay, of the fervice of God, from the year 560,or thereabouts, add thereunto. 1150 years of interruption by the adoration of Images, this will fall on the year 1710 or thereabouts, the time wherein Images fhall be entirely abolisht. with Popery.

Although

Antichri

gan in the

all the

See what I had to fay, to confirm my notions fianifm be- about the time, in which I do believe that the 1260. Fifth Age, years of the Antichriftian Empire must begin and end. Without doubt, fome Proteftants, together. Chriftians with all the Papifts, will judge that I afcend very were not high, and that in placing the birth of this Empire in damned. the Popedom of Leo the firft, I haye made Antichrifts:

of thattime

of many good Bishops of Rome, to Gregory the great, inclufively; and all the Chriftians fince that time,

the

the fubjects of the Antichriftian Empire. But they Part 2. that make this objection, do not confider, that Antichriftianifm is properly nothing but the corruption of Chriftianity; that all corruptions go gradually, and that the first degrees of a corruption are not mortal. There was Antichriftianifm mingled with the Christianity of the Chriftians of the fourth, fifth, and fixth Age, but it doth not follow, that this Antichriftianifm did from the beginning ruin the falvation of thofe that did partake of it. When the Antichriftian corruption was come to its full, and became mortal, then God by his then God by his mercy and the means that are known to him, thewed grace to the Elect that were in Babylon, fo that they did not participate of her mortal idolatries. The good Bishops of Rome in the fifth and fixth age, were no more Antichrift, than the Chriftians then were Antichriftian; and if God did tolerate the first beginnings of Antichriftianism in the faithfull people; he may alfo as well have born it in the Bishops. Before Boniface the third, Succeffor of Gregory the Great, no Pope called himself Bishop of Bishops, or Univerfal Bishops and fo till that time the Bishops of Rome were not Antichrifts perfected, they were only Antichrifts begun.

the cn

'Tis known, this papal Tyranny had its degrees Degrees of fince Leo the firft, that fate in that See in the year trafe of 450, to Gregory the Great, the Bishops of Rome en- the papal deavoured to arrogate to themfelves a fuperiority Tyranny. over the Univerfal Church; but yet however without defiring to be called Oecumenical Bishops. After Gregory the firft,to Gregory the seventh,the Popes called themselves Univerfal Bishops, but without ftyling themselves Soveraigns, and Mafters of Kings and Kingdoms. This Gregory was the first, that endeavoured to depofe Emperors and Kings. This

Part 2,

is Antichrift perfected. Thofe alfo that did not know him when he was yet in his firfl periods, did know him when he arrived to this. We have many teftimonies of the German Bishops of that time, who profefs that this Gregory the feventh and his fucceffors were Antichrift.

CHAP. VI

The circumftances of the fall of Antichrift reeftablisht in their order. An explication of the fifteenth Chapter. Principles for the right understanding the fixteenth Chapter. Divers interpretations given of it, and their vifible faults.

Fter having feen the time in which the fall and

laft ruin of the Antichriftian Empire must happen, 'tis time to fee the circumstances of that fall, and I am very well fatisfied, that therein we fhall find what will confirm that which we have affirmed, touching the approaching end of Antichriftianifm. I pretend to improve my conjecture to a kind of demonftration, by the full agreement there is between my hypothefes and the Prophecies. The circumftances of the fall of the Antichriftian Empire are to be found in the 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19th Chapters. Tis certainly that part of the Revelation that hath been leaft understood; I mean, as to what refpects the circumstances of the ruin of the Antichriftian Empire. For as forthe Characters of that Empire, which are also contain'd in thofe Chapters, they have been well enough apprehended. But as to the fall of that Empire, the

time and progrefs of that fall, God would not let Part 2. men hitherto be fo happy in their conjectures. I hope, that in what I fhall now fay, fomething fhall be met with, that shall much more bear upon it the Characters of truth.

circum

the fall of

hath not

one vifion

The H. Spirit's fo often repeating the prophecy Divers of the fall of Babylon, and the ruin of its Empire, is ftances of not only to give us a perfect certainty of the event, Antichrift, 'tis principally to mark out unto us that fall by di- which the vers circumftances. But it hath not pleafed God H. Spirit to give us all thefe circumftances in one vifion, that pleated ro fo the Prophecy might not be too plain. For it is put into not at all the intention of God, to inform us clearly of things to come, with refpect to their circumftances. But only as to the fubftance of the thing. The fall of the Antichriftian Empire, is the fubftance, that which is neceflary to fupport the hopes of the Church. Hence it is, that there is no obfcurity in the prophecy, with refpect to this; no more then there was in the Prophecies concerning the Meffiah, with refpect to the fubftance ofit, and the certainty of his coming; but there was much as to the circumftances of that coming. Therefore, God hath because God was willing, that the circumftances the circum of the fall of the Kingdom of Antichrift fhould be ftances in obfcure; he hath for this reafon divided them into that they feveral vifions. And for the fame reafon (that is, might be that he might put a venerable veyle upon that, which he was not willing that we should know be fore the time.) He hath not placed the circumftances exactly, according to the order of their coming to pafs. The vifion which marches fore-moft, contains things which ought not to come to pass till afterward: and the vifions which follow, contain things which ought to come to pass before. Therefore that we may place these adorable obfcuri

mifplaced

the vifions,

obfcure,

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