The Revelation Revealed, Frontispiece – Dedication
GULLELMUS HICKS GEN. ATAT…S … 1658.
Though Thou no Prophet art, nor Prophets Son
Without their Spirit, this could ne're be done
Though Brightman, Napeir, Mede, are gone to rest,
Their Sp'rite yet liues redoubled in thy Breast.
Yee, that have cast th' Apocalyps to ground.
Becauſe so dark, mysterious, and profound;
Why, take it up againe, and use this Glaſſe;
Twill then no longer for a Mystriè passe.
D: Loggan. del: et ſculp
ἈΠΟΚΆΛΥΨΙΣ ἈΠΟΚΆΛΥΨΕΩΣ, OR, The Revelation Revealed Being a Practical EXPOSITION On the Revelation of St JOHN.
Whereunto is annexed a ſmall Eſſay, Entituled Quinto-Monarchiae, Cum QUARTO ὉΜΟΛΟΓΊΑ, OR, A Friendly Complyance BETWEEN Chriſt's Monarchy, AND THE MAGISTRATES
By William Hicks, Gent. Somtime of Wadham Colledge in Oxon, Now living near the Mount in Cornwal.
Dan. 2.28.
There is a God in heaven that revealeth Secrets, and maketh known u… the King what ſhall be in the latter days.
Rev. 1.3.
Bleſſed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this Prophe… and keep thoſe things which are written herein; for the time is at hand.
A Deo principium—Dabit Deus his quoque finem.
LONDON, Printed by J. Macock, for Daniel White, and ſold at his Shop at the Seven Stars in St Pauls Churchyard, 1659.
To the Right Worſhipful Sr Richard Chyverton, Late Lord Mayor of the Honourable City of LONDON.
SIR,
I Take the boldneſs to preſent unto You this Eſſay on the Revelation of S. John; and I hope, for this my Addreſs, and for prefixing your moſt worthy Name to this Diſcourſe, I ſhall not be judged either unſeaſonable or preſumptuous; Conſidering not only the great Honour and Devotion I bear to your moſt Worthy Name and Perſon, but being alſo bound in Gratitude to Revive the Memory of that moſt Generous and Noble Family of the Chyvertons of Kerris, your Worthy Kinſmen: To whom I being obliged by ſo many real Benefits and neer Relations, that I knew not how to manifeſt a better Retaliation, then by a Revival of their moſt Worthy Memories, in the Dedication of this Diſcourſe to your Worſhips Protection, who is the only Surviving Branch of that Ancient and Truly Generous Family of the Chyvertons of our County of Cornwal. But by the way I ſhall take leave to aſſure you (being not altogether ignorant of the ends and ayms that moſt men lay before themſelves in ſuch Dedications) that it was leaſt in my intention to affix hereunto your Honourable Name, thereby to add a countenance to any private opinions of mine; much leſs was it in my eye to raiſe an eſteem upon my weak endeavours, by inſinuating the leaſt complyance in your Worſhips judgement, in many things I have written herein; let them ſtand or fall according to the Truth and Reaſon therein manifeſted▪ I quite diſclaim any ſuch pretences, in having any Intereſt in my Plea for this my Application unto your Worthy Self: But if the leaſt meaſure of the Truth of God be herein found, I truſt it will be no diſhonour to your Self, nor to the greateſt amongſt men, that ſuch walk under the countenance of your Authority and great Names: But what herein ſhall juſtly appear heterodox and diſſentaneons from the Word of God, let it not have the leaſt approbation or countenance from man, but let it rather be as an abortive birth, and dye for ever, never to have a reſurrection more.
Thus having wiped off the ſiniſter Interpretations for this Application, In the next place be pleaſed to take a view of what is here tendered, when the urgency of your great and important affairs will permit, it being an Interpretation on part of the Book of John's Divine Propheſies, wherein God's various dealings with his Church and people, as alſo with the Empires of the world under whoſe power they come under, are under moſt lively Prophetical Repreſentations, and Hyerogliphique Figures, diſcovered and made known, even from the time of the giving of that Propheſie, unto the end of the world.
And you know, 'tis a common Cuſtome amongſt moſt men, to get a Prognoſtication in the ending of the old year, to inform themſelves of the Accidents and Events that are likely to be in the enſuing year. Lo, now, about the end of this year, I preſent You with this firſt part of this Divine Ephemerides, compoſed by the skilfulleſt Aſtronomer that ever was: There is now no need of upholding that wretched practice of running to the Wizards or Star-gazers, to know the Events and Succeſſes of Churches, States, and Kingdoms: We have here a full Diſcovery from himſelf, who created the Stars, and knows their courſe, and calls them all by their Names; who looſeth the bands of Orion, and binds up the influence of the Pleiades. Men may conjecture, and their conjecture fail; they talk of the heavens, but never were there for a full diſcovery: but here then the Lord of Heaven and Earth, and he that created the Seas, telling and foretelling Signs and Wonders, not for a day, or a monethmonth, or a year, but for many years, even until the end of the World, not only the events of our preſent old year, but the accidents alſo of the New year: that is, of the other life. The Mathematicians of this world never dream'd of that great day, wherein a thouſand years ſhould make up but one great and glorious day: Only this Book, the Saints great Almanack reports this, and therefore I believe it. Ariſtotle could not conceive that the World ſhould end, becauſe he never underſtood how it did begin: but behold a greater then Ariſtotle is here. Chriſt hath taught of the end, and given Notes and Signs to diſcern this end.
I doubt not but you will perceive and finde how ſingular uſeful the knowledge of theſe Propheſies will be to all perſons, but eſpecially to ſuch as have their hands much employed in the great Affairs of the World, ſo that when their Lord and Maſter cometh with ten thouſands of his Angels to call them to an account of their Stewardſhip, how comfortable then will the contemplation be, that they in their ſeveral Generations have employed their Intereſts, Power, and Authority in the World, for Chriſt and his people, againſt Antichriſ… and its Adherents? Thoſe Chriſtian Wor…thies that have already long ſince fallen aſleep with thoſe that are alive at Chriſts ſecond coming, that have engaged on this account, wi… be ſure then to have an Euge bone Serve, to be their portion; and they that have ruled here for Chriſt, ſhall then rule and reigne with him for ever. But I deſire not to be miſtaken in this, that I judge all is Antichriſt that many in theſe days call Antichriſt: I know there is a true real Antichriſt, an oppoſite ſtate to Chriſt and Truth, under the Viſor of Chriſt and Truth: It is not every difference in Judgement or Religion that makes up Antichriſt; indeed o… late I finde it a State-knack of ſeveral parties and factions to brand their adverſaries with thoſe odious ſtiles of Antichriſt, Heretiques, &c. that they may go undiſcovered, that deſerve ſuch Titles better themſelves, or at leaſt wiſe, ſo to raiſe a Scar-crow, to drive away the fearful and diſ-ingenious from a full enquiring into the Truths of God, that would diſcover the vanity and folly of their oppoſers. But no more of this.
And here by the way, I ſhall not be aſhamed to acquaint you with one miſtake of mine, who once thought (as moſt men do) that God in his Providential diſpoſing the Kingdoms o… this world, and in exalting men of low degre… into the Throne of Princes, and throwing down great Princes, and their Progenies, into the ſtate of ſlaves, it was only to manifeſt his Soveraignty over the Kingdoms of this world, to give them to whom he pleaſeth: but more maturely conſidering the All-wiſe ordering hand of God in ſuch great Tranſactions, I have found the iſſue in all Ages to be very advantagious to the Church of God, and the reſult of all ſuch State-ſhakings and Revolutions to be in mercy towards his Church and People. When God broke the great Caldeo-Aſsyrian Monarchy, and transferred it to the Medio-Perſian, how vvonderfully, and by vvhat ſtrange providence did God raiſe Cyrus his ſervant or inſtrument for that work? Who was expoſed to be deſtroyed by the command of his Grandſire Aſtyages, whiles an Infant, upon pretence of ſome fatal Propheſie, yet preſerved and brought up amongſt Shepherds, as his Story goes, that afterwards he became moſt providentially the great deliverer of God's people (the Jews) from their Aſſyrian bondage. Moſes the great Captain of Iſrael, we are ſure trod almoſt the ſame path under a ſtrange providence of Preſervation, that at laſt he became the deliverer of Iſrael from their Aegyptian thraldome. When Saul was ſet by, who was of a Kingly Preſence, and by the Head and Shoulders above his brethren, David was called from the Sheep-cot to the Throne, the iſſue whereof was, the exaltation of Iſrael, and the downfal of their enemies. If we ſhall but reflect ſince Chriſt's coming in the fleſh, on the example of Conſtantine the Great, Son unto Helena a Brittiſh Lady, who through many glorious and eminent Victories and Services, was at laſt advanced to the Imperial Seat, and how he at laſt became as a Temporal Saviour to the Church of Chriſt, and Deſtroyer to the Kingdom of the Dragon, is moſt marvellous to conſider. It is worth further the taking notice of, how wonderfully God in late ages, raiſed the Spirits of ſome obſcure perſons, as Martin Luther, and his Aſſociates of the firſt Reformation, with ſome other Reformed Miniſters ſince, that they have made the great Hierarchy of Rome to ſhake with their Power; ſo that many Chriſtian Princes then, and ſince, began to hate the Whore, with the Wine of whoſe Fornications they were made drunken; and now begin not only to hate her, but to make her deſolate and naked, and to eat her fleſh. But yet that age was but the firſt fruits, or Prodromus, not the conſummation of the work; for ſhe having ſince lifted up her head, and endeavoured to cover her nakedneſs, and to cure her ſelf of her great Wound received, but all in vain, for her period drawing nigh, God exaſperates her ſore more and more, and makes thoſe Horns, thoſe Princes that were once her ſtrong Supporters, to fall off from her, and to hate her. Indeed the firſt Reformers took off her outward garments, and ſhowed her nakedneſs in her falſe Doctrine, and partly in her falſe Worſhip, and then began to eat her Fleſh, in taking off ſome of her pompous Revenues, but yet the main Work was left undone to its appointed time: For as this great City roſe not in one day, but gradually, ſo will alſo her ruine be by ſeveral Meaſures, or Vials of God's wrath poured out upon her, until the conſummation of her ruine come with fire, both Material and Analogical, the one the fire of God's Word, firſt deſtroying quite her falſe Worſhip, which daylie goes on in perfecting: the other, God's fire of War and Judgements, deſtroying quite up her outward State and Policy, that her place be no more found. And to the bringing about this great end, God works very variouſly, ſomtimes in moving on the hearts of Princes, and ſo makes them willing unto this work: ſomtimes in laying aſide Princes of ancient and potent Families, and raiſing up meaner and lower Perſons on their Thrones (as he moſt wonderfully hath done of late among our ſelves) to whom he gives Hearts, Spirits, and Gifts meet for this great work: and laſtly, in over-ruling the deſigns of others, that though they go about to ſeek themſelves, and to advance their own Dominion and Power of Ruling, yet the All-wiſe providence of God knows how ſo to order them, as to bring about his predeſigned end: For I cannot believe that they will be all pious good Princes, and right in their ends, that ſhall be employed about this work; for they are the ten Horns, or ten Kings that receive power one hour with the Beaſt, and were Members of him that ſhall deſtroy the Whore, and burn her with Fire, Rev. 17.12.16. I am of the minde, that few conclude that Hen. 8. and ſome other Princes were ſo juſtifiable in their ends in expelling the Authority of Antichriſt, as they ſhould have been, and yet God employed them as his Inſtruments in this Work: and when they have done his buſineſs, God knows how to lay them by, and all ſuch ſelf-ended perſons, as uſeleſs, or at leaſt, make them but as Gibeonites, or Hewers of Wood in the Houſe of the Lord.
Laſtly, Your Worſhip may be pleaſed to take notice, that ſome conceive thoſe and the like Interpretations of dark Propheſies, to be but the iſſues of diſtempered brains, and of little certainty. To whom I anſwer, Seeing that this is a Book that hath the publique impreſs of the Spirit in it, and left (as it were) as its laſt Legacy of this ſort in the Church of Chriſt; I profeſs ſoberly, I know not what tolerable ſenſe to ſet on this Book of the Revelation, if it be not for an hiſtorical diſcovery, under Types and Figures, of all the Changes and Revolutions, with their Periods and Iſſues, that ſhould befal the Church of God, and their Oppreſſors and Enemies, until the end of all. I confeſs there may be ſome difference in Interpreting, and in not rightly Applying ſome of the ſeveral Characters, Periods, and Viſions of this Book, and in other circumſtantial parts thereof; and wherein I fail, I entreat not only your Worſhip, but all others, to remember my weakneſs, and our common attribute, Humanum eſt errare: and eſpecially being amongſt ſuch Prophetical deeps and difficulties, which may well plead for his failings, who is conſcious of his inſufficiencies for ſo high and difficult an undertaking: Yet this I dare be bold to ſay, that the ſubſtantial part of this Propheſie is here cleared and diſcovered: And if any receive light hereby, to the better underſtanding the dark Myſteries thereof, give me leave to ſay with Daniel, cap. 2.28. There is a God in Heaven which revealeth Myſteries, to him be all the Glory.
But to You (worthy Sir) I have nothing more to add, nor for you a greater good to pray, then that God who having exalted you in Authority and Power, into that likeneſs of himſelf, ſo he would Engrave upon you another image or likeneſs of his own, true wiſdom, and give you an enlightned, wiſe (Solomon-like) diſcerning heart, whereby you may dayly ſee more and more into the great and glorious diſcoveries of the Truths of God in this Book of Propheſies, and elſe-where, in the holy Word of God; that you may have your ayms right, and your heart fixed to proſecute thoſe ends, and that in integrity, which God in your preſent Employments hath called you unto. The work of this preſent generation for all Chriſtian Worthies to ſet their hands and hearts to, being (as I conceive) if not to the downfal of the Throne of the Beaſt, yet at leaſt to the Eclipſing of the Auſtrian Sun, the great Pillar of the Antichriſtian State. And that your heart and hand may not be wanting amongſt the chiefeſt of the Chriſtian Worthies in thoſe great tranſactions, is the great deſire of him that is
Your Worſhips Moſt Humble, and Faithful Servant William Hicks.