The Churches Security Together with the Antidote, Part 12 – Part 13
THe Lord Iesus in his mercy, because hee would not hauehave …is children ensnared and ouertaken vnawares at the sodainnes of his second comming, and because hee would warne, conuince and leaue the very wicked his enemies without excuse and defence of them-selues: hath reuealed and sette forth in Scripture certaine generall and vndoubted signes of the approaching of the last iudgement, whereof some are already perfectly fulfilled, some in part accomplished, & others yet remaine to come to passe in their time. Of al these and the general vses that …re to be made of them, I wil speake breifely, and in order▪
The first generall signe (long sithence past) is the destruction and desolation of Ierusalem, togither with the Iewes state and pollicy, and that irrecouerably vntounto the end and consumation of the world, Math. 24. 12. Marke. 13. ver. 12. Daniel. 9. 26.
And this is a type and patter…e of the worlds destruction
The second signe is the divulging and preaching of the Gospel throughout the whole▪ known and inhabited world. Therefore for this purpose the Apostles as they had an extraordinary calling and extraordinary guifts, so they had a generall commission and commandement to go into al the world and to teach and Baptize al nations, Math. 28. 19.and to preach th… Gospel to eueryevery creature, Act. 1. 8.Marke. 16. 15. and to bee his witnesses vntounto the ends of the world.
The reason there of is, first because God would hereby in lighten, conuert & draw vntounto himselfe al that are to be saued. Secondly, that it might be a witnes to all nations, & that al men might bee conuinced sufficiently through all parts of the worlde that they could pretend and alleadge no excuse of their ignorance to hide their impiety. Mathew 24. 14. Secondly the Apostles preached the Gospell accordingly to all the worlde that was then habitable or knowne, or (at least) in the most famous, populous and knowne countries, kingdomes and citties of it, so that from hence either by the Apostles Disciples, or the Euangelists, or by others, it might bee brought from thence vntounto the most obscure, vnknowne and barbarous nations (such as are America and the North parts of the world) Col. 1. v 6. & 23. Rom. 10. 18. Lastly the ancient and holy Fathers of the primitiue Church,Mr. Doctor Willet, synop. …ol. pag. 1063. 1064. 1065. as Origene, Ierome, Ambrose, &c. make expresse mention in their writings of the vniuersall calling & enlightning of all nations, and therfore no such solemne & vniuersall legacie is now the second time to be expected, seeing that the Apostolicall calling and giftes are ceased, and seeing that the Gospell is passed from …udaa, and from the East, to the South to the Greekes: from the South it hath made his progresse to the West, that is to the Latines, and from the West to the North, that is▪ to the Germaines and other confining countries, yet we denie not, but it may, though not vniuersally yet bee reuealed in other countries where it either originally hath not beene preached, because perhaps in the Apostles times those countries were not inhabited, or (at least) very slenderly and sparingly, or where the mysterie of iniquitie and Antichristianisme had obscured and preuailed ouer all, Apoc. 14. v. 6. Apoc. 18. v. 1.
The third signe is the comming and reuealing of Ant…christ, for the day of the Lord (saith the Apostle) shall not come except first that man of sinne be disclosed, 2. Thes. 2. 3.whom Saint Iohn calleth Antichrist: 1. Iohn. …. 18.concerning which Antichrist and his members and Locusts, Saint Paul saith, that they are men of corrupt mindes, 2, Tim. 3. v. 8. & 9.reprobate concerning the faith, and that they shall preuaile no longer: for their madnesse shall be euident to all men.
But Antichrist is come long agoe, when the third Angell in the Apocalyps blew the Trumpet, then this great starre (the Pope and his successors as the heads of the Apostacie) fell from heauen burning like a torche;Apoc. 8. v. 10. &▪ 11. and it fell into the third part of the riuers, and fell into the fountaines of waters and made them bitter, he hath been reuealed sithence by the preaching of the two (few yet sufficient) witnesses in the Apocalyps,Apoc. 1…. v. … ▪ 5. 6. and by the first, second and third Angell in the 14. of the same Apocalyps 1. by all the excellent teachers, Preachers, and writers sithence Martin Luther his time, namely from the yeare of Christ about 1520. vntill this present time. To conclude, the description of Antichrist, and whatsoeuer the Prophets and Apostles hauehave foretold of Antichrist they in all things agree to eueryevery Pope of Rome, and him onelyonly, since the death of Gregory the great, and since the death of the Emperour Maurice, as hath beene demonstrated by many heretofore both English and forraine writers: and touching this argument yea & the whole mistery of the Romish Antichrist a learned countri-man of our own hath purposely, learnedly, and succintly written in his Theologicall disputations, de Antichristo & eius eccle…ia.
The fourth and last signe,Rom. 8. yet in motion, and not perfectly fulfilled, but to continue vntounto the worlds end, is the vanitie, corruption and abuse of the creatures, which hath continued from Adams fall, and doth and shall encrease by degrees vntounto the consummation of all things. The Elements (as we may obserue) of fire, ayer, water and earth, are corrupted, distempered, and often-times very hurtfull and contagious to mankind and other creatures. In plants, trees, herbes, there is not the same vigor, efficacie and vertue that was wont to be, the earth is become more barren and vnfruitefull; the sea more distempered and tempestuous▪ often breaking his bounds, and encroaching vponupon the firme continent, the Sunne and Moone, the worlds two eyes, more often-times and fearefully eclipted then in former times, yea the sunne, as also the starres (as the most excellent Astronomers hauehave noted) moue much more vnequally, and are remooued greatly from their former standings. And as for men, we full well know, and are taught, by reading scripture, & experience that they are not so long liued, nor of that goodly tall and strong constitution of body, as in former ages.
But some may obiect and say, this shortnesse of mans life and decay of his strength is notably supplied by agilitie of minde and pregnancy of wit, capacitie, inuention: I answere; This is most true and Gods name is to be glorified for it, but yet men neuer more abused and peruerted their wits & capacities then in these daies; for commonly the more witty men are, the more wicked, the more politike, the more pestilent; and the more vnderstanding that they hauehave, the more Hereticall, Papisticall and Atheisticall they prooue. To leaue man and to come to buildings, houses, apparrell, what vanitie, what surperfluiti… and excell, what follie and pride doth not herein appeare? For buildings, that in time past serued onelyonly for defense and necessitie, and therefore were made very strong and durable; are now for the most part in many places, builded (albeit with excessiue cost as the poore tenants can testifie) yet slightly, and more for shew then for substance and for pompe then profit. And garments and apparell which naturally serueth to hide mans nakednesse, and to defend him from cold, and (to make the best of it) to serue for comelinesse and distinction of degrees; is vsed now ordinarily, as an ensigne of pride, serueth for brauery and ostentation, more then for profit, durablenesse or common wealthes aduantage. And thus we see, that as the world doth decay and decline in the partes, so it doth and shall in the whole.
The fourth signe is the shaking, weakning wounding & consuming of Antichrist and his kingdome in many kingdoms countries & citties by the breath of Gods mouth. 1. by the powerful and continual preaching of the Gospel,2. Thes. 2. v. 8 as also by the materiall sword of Christian Kings, Princes and Magistrates in their seuerall dominions, though not all at one time yet successiuely Apoc. 16. 6, Apoc. 17. 16. Apoc. 18. 6 and so it shall be more and more ruinated & decaied vntell the burning and desolation of Romish Babilon.
The fift signe is grieuous calamities & persecutions of Gods Prophets,The fi…t signe. Saints and Seruants vnderunder Antichrist, especially these 100. years last past of which (perhaps) Daniel chap. 2. 15. chap. 8. ve. 34. Apoc. 11. 35. Apoc. 13. ve. 15. 16. 17. Lastly in Rome hath bin found the bloud of the Prophets, and of the Saints and of al that were slaine vponupon the earth,Apoc. 18, 24 of these it is verified y• the Psalmist saith for thy sake are we slaine continually, …s…l 44. ve 22and are counted as sheepe for the …laughter, & that which our Sauiour fore-sheweth, saying, they shall excommunicate you: yea the time shall …ome, Ioh. 16, 1. 2that wh…soeuer killeth you will thinke that …e doth God good ser…ice: the reason hereof in respect of Antichrist and his adherents is because they cannot indure the ransacking and refuting of there idolatry, false doctrine, the Popes supremacy and their idle superstitions and Antichristian rites, ceremonies and traditions. But we hope that these trobles are for the most part past, and that towardes the end of the world shalbe wel abated, so that the church as of late years shall hauehave a further breathing time, and thus much Mark… seemeth to signifie, Mark. 13. 7.
And thus much of the signes perfectly, and many of them long sithence accomplished.
THe second sort of signes and forerunners are those yt are in continuall act, namely partly fulfilled and partly to be further performed in their times. Of this sort are first an Apostacy and departure of many pastors & people from faith & soūd doctrine to Antichristianisme Turcisme yea and plaine Atheisme. 2. Thes. 2. 3. 1. Tim. 1. 4. 2. Pet. 2. ve. 1. 2. 3. Apoc. 13. ve. 16. et 17. But vnderunder the tiranny of the Romish Antichrist & Mahomet this general Apostasie and falling away from truth and wholesome doctrine hath long a goe beene verified, yet not so but that daily wee see it by lamentable experience continued and so it shall more and more bee encreased vntounto the end of the world: for many that hauehave renounced Antichrist, fall to flat Atheisme and Libertinisme, and some againe reuert and reuolt to their former superstition out of which they were for the time and in sort recouered, of these speaketh the scripture in many places Hebre…es 6. vers. 4. 5. 6. 2. Tim. 4. ver. 3. 4. 2. Peter 2. vers. 20. 21. and it shall so abound and ouerflow at Christ his second comming. That hee shall hardly finde faith on the earth, Luke 18, ….and no maruaile for as there hauehave done, yet doe, and alwaies shall arise false Prophets, Seducers, Deceiuers (successiuely) in many countries▪ kingdomes and places,2. Pet. 2. 2 so many shall follow their damnable waies and be blinded by them.
The second signe partly past and partly present and to come, is a generall impietie, corruption of manners and impudency in all manner of sinne, still (like Noah, his generall deluge) preuayling in most places▪ the particular effects where we as in a cataloge may reade and obserue in Paul his first Epistle to Timo…y, chapter the third v. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. And hereof in our owne kingdome we hauehave had fearfull experience, especially in these six and seauen last yeares, as though God had graunted a general indulgence to all manner of licentiousnesse, and as though hell were broake loose, and this profainesse and corruption of manners in all places of the world, yet continueth and shalbe much more vniuersall and contagious neare the time of Christ his second comming Luk. 17. 26. Math. 24. 38. and hereof there is and shalbe more feare then of corruption in doctrine;1. Tim. 3, 5 for many shal retaine a forme and outward profession of Godlines but denie the powre and efficacy of it.
The third signe, is signes in the Sunne and in the Moone, & in the Stars, Luke. 21, 25and vponupon the earth trouble vponupon nations, with perplexitie. Acts 2, 20The sunne shall be turned into darkenesse and the Moone into bloud before the great & notable day of the Lord come. This signe by frequéncie and multitude of Eclipses hath of later yeares and daily is fulfilled; likewise by terrible windes, tempests, meteors and strange alterations in the aire it is performed, and this our late experience can iustifie: but it shalbe perfectly accomplished in the instant of Christ his second comming and glorious appearing; for then hee by the brightnesse of his glorious Maiesty shall darken and suppresse the light of Sunne Moone and Starres; and a little before this time the whole frame of the world shalbe shaken and mooued and the very brute and senselesse creatures shal before hand perceiue and feele the powre of Christ his commingLuke 2…, v. 26 when all the reprobate shall remaine blockish and without feeling.
And thus much of mixt or continued signes.