Antichrist Stormed, Postscript
A Postscript, Giving an Account of the Judgment of a late nameless French Author, concerning the Non-offusion of the seven Vials, with his Answer to Mr. Jurieu.
JUst as I had quite finished this Treatise, I met with a Book lately writ by another worthy French Minister, intituled, A new Systeme of the Apocalypse, who asserts the Non-effusion of the Vials, proving that none of the 7 Vials or last Plagues as yet are poured out, with an answer to Mr. Jurieu; which Author I am not a little affected with, and therefore have thought good to add some short hints of the most remarkable passages contained in it about our present Controversie.
First, Of the Harvest and Vintage.
The Harvest, he says, signifies those initial Judgments which were executed by means of the Reformation begun in the last Age by the ministry of Luther, Zuinglius, &c. p. 91. to which I cannot agree, because I judge the Harvest is not ripe until the end of the 42 Months, and signifies more and greater ruin to the Beast and his Kingdom, than was effected then, or till this time.
2. The Vintage, he says, signifies a definitive Judgment which shall ruin the Papal Empire, beyond recovery, and to begin at the beginning of the end of …he 42 Months, I conclude the Harvest comes in at …he beginning of the 7 Vials, and the Vintage at the …tter part of them.
Secondly, As to the opening of the Temple, and of the Smoke, &c.
He says, the opening of the Temple alludes to the Church of the Jews, which was shut up under …haz, and opened under Hezekiah. From hence he notes three things. (1.) That the Vials belong to this state of the Church, wherein Antichrist is made manifest, and wherein there shineth a measure of light in the Church. (2.) That the Vials are all contained under the 7th Trumpet. (3.) The Temple is not only here represented open in order to give passage to the 7 Angels that pour out the Vials, but to give way for all Nations to enter in, according as it is said, v. 4. That all Nations shall come and worship before God. The smoke that filled the Temple answereth to the Cloud that covered the Tabernacle of Moses, and the divine glory—the Smoke was a Symbol of Gods gracious presences in the midst of Israel—and so signifieth Gods return to his Temple, or the glory of the Church;—'tis added, No man was able to enter into the Temple till the 7 Plagues of the 7 Angels were fulfilled, which inmateth that tho' the time of the destruction of the Churches Enemies draweth near, and the time wherein the Gospel shall shine bright in the World, yet that the Gospel will not be universally received till after the subversion of Babylon, which will not be until the Vials have been poured out;—yet some are ready to think the fulfilling of the 7 Plagues, &c. alludes to the fulfilling of the time of their first pouring out, and not till they are all poured out.
Of the 7 Trumpets, 7 Thunders, and 3 Woes.
As touching the 7 Seals and 7 Trumpets, he much agrees with our Expositors, he concludes the first Woe fell out under the 4th and 5th Trumpets; take his own words. St. John tells us, c. 8. 13. that he heard an Angel flying through the midst of Heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe to the Inhabitants of the Earth, by reason of the Trumpets that are yet to sound. After the sounding of the 5th Trumpet St. John adds, One woe is past, and behold there come two more hereafter. One of these two woes fell undoubtedly out under the 6th Trumpet, under which Mahometanism and the Turkish Army destroyed the whole East, and therefore the third woe must come to pass under the seventh and last Trumpet.
That all the Vials, saith he, being contained under the 3d woe, they are yet to be poured out, foras much as we are this year 1687. still under the sixth Trumpet, and groaning under the pressure of the 2d woe.
So that here we have a new proof that all the Vials from the first to the last are yet to be poured out, for as much as the Vials are no other thing than the 7 Thunders which are spoken of, Rev. 10. and indeed the Thunders are 7 in number as well as the Vials are; and as the Thunders do signifie the Judgments of God against the Enemies of the Church, so the Vials do signifie the same, in that▪ by them the wrath of God is to be consummated. Moreover, the things threatned by the Thunders are delayed from being executed until the sounding of the 7th Trumpet and therefore were to be sealed up until the Mysteries of God should be finished, (which in my judgment means the whole of the Beasts 42 Months,) which agrees with what he further says, p. 249. The Mysteries of God (saith he) is the bringing in of the Kingdom of Christ, and the uniting of all Christians, from whence that peace of the Church shall arise, and if there be any difference between the Vials and the Thunders, it consisteth only in this, viz. the Thunders are the denunciation of the Judgments of God, and the Vials are the execution of them, for tho' the Thunders were heard by St. John under the 6th Trumpet, yet they were not to be executed till under the 7th, when all the Vials shall be poured out.
He then proceeds to speak his conjectures about the pouring out of all the 7 Vials.
1. On the earth, which (he thinks) intends the Joss of Church Revenues and so falls upon the Worldly and Carnal Interest of Antichristian men (let the Carnal Earthly and Self-seeking Prelates and Clergy look to it.)
2. Vial upon the Sea, &c. The Sea, he says, is the Papal Kingdom, (in this he agrees with reverend Mr. Knowles.) In its uttermost extent, not only the Countrey where the Pope is Soveraign, but likewise all those Princes who acknowledge him, and this Empire shall become as the blood of a dead man, &c. So that every Soul which liveth in it shall die. That is (saith he,) the government of Popish Princes shall not be able to endure their Yoke, as fish cannot live in waters which are turned into blood.
3. Vial on Rivers, he concludes, means Popish Doctrines.
4. Vial on the Sun, in all likelyhood, saith he, is the Ottoman Emperor, as the 4th Trumpet raised him, so the 4 Vial shall pull him down; I think it rather means the German Emperor.
5. Vial, on the Seat of the Beast, is meant the City of Rome, saith he, which is here threatned, and all agree with him in this.
6. Vial poured out on the great River Euphrates, and the waters thereof were dryed up, that the way of the Kings of the East might be prepared, &c.
The sixth Vial destroyeth the Empire of the Turks and their Religion which the sixth Trumpet had advanced to the highest pitch of its Grandeur for the River Euphrates does, saith he, undoubtedly signify the people of that part of the world, and its waters being dryed up denotes the end of that Empire and their Religion, after which there will be nothing to hinder, either the Kings of the East who shall be enlightened and converted, or the Jews who are there dispersed in great numbers from marching into the West, to help to finish the destruction of the beast, he after intimates that he believes by the Kings of the East the Jews are meant, &c. And by the ʒ unclean Spirits he judges are intended the Jacobins, the Cordeliers and the Jesuits.
7. Vial poured into the Air, he thinks, signifies the Antichristian Religion, and that this Vial shall clear all places of it; It is done, that is, the mystery and total ruin of the Papacy—time shall be no more, for the Whore or Church of Rome, & her Idolatry.
Of the rise of the Beast.
As touching the rise of the beast, he says, p. 275, It was when that Imperial Edict came forth to establish Rome, as Soveraign over all other Bishops which was in 445 in favour of Leo I. and so may hope to see the end about 1705. but reverent Mr. Knowles rather fixes on the year 428, orSee Mr Knowles Exposition on the Rev. p. 130. thereabouts, for which he cites Simpsons History of the Church, lib. 4. Socrat. hist. Eccl. cap. 3. Helvicus in concil. Taurinat. cap. 7. Magdeb. cent. 5. cap. 10. Which ended in 1688. a year I hope that hath laid a foundation for the utter ruin of the Papacy in this Kingdom, & brought a sudden change & great overthrow upon the OldWhore here amongst us; we have a King now, blessed be God, who has it put into his heart with other Kings and States to hate the Whore, and the work we hope is begun.
Some brief hints of this French Ministers Answer to Mr. Jurieu, about the Vials.
SAith he, Mr. Jurieu builds his commentary on Rev. 16. i. e. in that he considers the seven Vials, as seven Periods of time, making the first Vial to fall upon the 10th. age, and lasted 150 years p. 2. and the 6. Vial he affirms to have continued from the year 1429. till the time of Luther, at which time he begins the seventh. Vial.
This, saith he, is the great principle that Mr. Jurieu goes upon, i. e. the 7 Vials are certainly 7 Periods of time: and after this principle, saith he, he draws three conclusions. (1.) That there is a difference between the Vials and the Plagues, that the 7 Plagues are the Judgments of God, and the 7 Vials denote the 7 Periods of time, wherein those Judgments are to fall upon the Papal Empire. (2.) That all the Plagues are designed against the Papal Kingdom, and not so much as one of them against the Empire of the Turks, 'tis certain, saith Jurieu, that the 7 Plagues are entirely intended against the Empire of the Beast. (3.) That there are in all thirteen Plagues, whereof the 6 first have destroyed the Roman Empire as civil, & these 6 Plagues fell under the 5 first Trumpets, and that the 6th. Trumpet which is divided into 7 Vials, shall destroy the same Empire as Ecclesiastical and Papal, and that the Vials have been pouring out since the 10th. Century, that the 7th. is not yet wholly poured out, but that it begun at the time of Luthers reformation, and will end at the general reformation, &c.
Now, saith this learned French Minister, whereas Mr. Jurieu's principle is, that the 7 Vials are certainly 7 Periods of time, this hath no evidence in it, being neither certain nor clear, to those that are versed in the reading the Prophets,—saith he, Jurieu affirms that the 7 Vials signifie an Hour-glass and not a cup; for a cup is of another form than a Vial, in that this hath a large Belly and a narrow Mouth,—to which our Author saith it is not about the form of a Vial that we treat, but about the signification of it, nor is there any Greek Author that ascribeth to the word Vial, the signification of an Hour-glass;—But by all Dictionaries it does appear that the term Vial signifies a Cup, a Chalice, in a word, a vessel designed to drink in, so that Mr. Jurieu's great principle is more than doubtful; but then the use to which St. John applies this term Vial, does make us plainly see its falshood in Rev. 5. 8. The 24. Elders fall down before the Throne, having Golden Vials full of odour, which are the Prayers of the Saints, where Hour-glasses used to offer Incense in, and to scatter perfumes in places of worship,— Again he saith, that the term Vial can have no other signification but this, i. e. in that the wrath of God whereof they are said to be full, chap. 16. the Vials are said to be full of the wrath of God, and are poured out, are (saith he) Hour-glasses said to be cast into the Air, on the Sun or Sea, &c. Moreover he refutes Jurieu about the Trumpets, and that they rather signify Trumpets proclaiming War, than Trumpets whereby the Jubilees were published, and so shews his weakness in asserting the Trumpets to signify Periods of time: sith years of Jubilee were years of joy, but these Trumpets brought in woe and lamentation with them, so that it is not true, faith he, that the Trumpets of St. John, intimate Periods of time, by an allusion to the Trumpet which published the Jubiles, and it is yet less true that the Vials are Hour-glasses to mark these Periods by; Mr. Jurieu's principle being false, saith he, all the conclusions which he draws from it, must necessarily be false also. (1.) 'Tis false that there is a difference between the 7 Plagues and the 7 Vials, seeing they are the same Judgments of God, against the Enemies of his Church. (2.) 'Tis false that the Plagues are designed only against the Empire of the Beast, for, saith he, the Trumpets and Vials have in part for their object the Turkish Empire, and Mahometan Religion. (3.) 'Tis false that the 6th Trumpet is subdivided into the 7 Vials, and that the 7 Vials have been pouring out since the tenth Century, for 'tis the 7th Trumpet that is subdivided into the 7 Vials, because 'tis under the 7th Trumpet that the Vials shall be poured out; whosoever well considers what is to arrive under the 6th Vial, according as St. John has described it, and thereupon compares it with what is to come to pass under the 7th Trumpet, may from thence prove, that the Judgments of God represented by pouring forth of the Vials, agree admirably with the effects of the 7th Trumpet, and may from thence conclude, that the subdivision which Mr. Jurieu attributes to the 6th Trumpet, agrees only with the 7th, p. 10.
He then proceeds to defend a former Book written by himself, (as I suppose) against Jurieu about the Vials.
The first foundation upon which he goes is, that the Apocalypse is nothing but a continuation of the Prophetical History of Daniel concerning the 4th Monarchy which is the Roman Empire; and concerning the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.—
The 2d is, that the Apocalypse predicteth 3 changes that were to befal the Roman Empire, by the first, it was to pass from Paganism to Christianity, by the second, it was to pass from Christianity to Antichristianism and Mahometism, and by the 3d it is to return from Antichristianism and Mahometism, to Christianity purified by a general reformation.
The 3d rule by which he goes is, that the first change fell out under the 6th seal, that the 2d came to pass under 6 of the Trumpets, and that the 3d shall arrive under the 7th Trumpet, that brings in the Vials.
The 4th is, that these three visions, viz. that of the Seals, that of the Trumpets, and that of the Vials, are the three principal Visions, and do comprehend the whole Prophetical History concerning the Roman Empire, and the Church of God, and that all the other Visions are but commentaries upon these three.
The 5th is, that none of the Vials are contemporary with any of the Trumpets, except the seventh Trumpet, and that there is as much difference between the time of the Trumpets, and that of the Vials, as there is between the time of building, and the time of destroying what is built, and that we are to see all that overthrown under the Vials, which was established under the Trumpets; this does evidently appear, in that the Trumpets and the Vials display themselves towards the same subjects, and that the effects of the Vials, are different from those of the Trumpets. And this difference is so great, that whosoever considereth it carefully and without prejudice, will be convinced that whatsoever was produced and rais…d under the Trumpets, shall fall into decay and come to ruine under the Vials.
For whereas under the 1st Trumpet there fell upon the Earth, Hail mingled with Fire and Blood; instead of this under the first Vial there falls upon the same Earth, i. e. those who worship the Beast, &c. a noisom and grievous sore.
And whereas under the 2d Trumpet there was a burning Mountain cast into the Sea: So that the third part only of all that was in it died.
The 3d Trumpet made the Fountains and Rivers become bitter; but the third Vial represents the Rivers and Fountains changed into Blood.
The 4th Trumpet, lays before us, the third part of the Sun, and of the Moon, and of the Stars, smitten, i. e. The 3d part of the Roman▪ Empire darkned by the pestilential Doctrine of Mahomet, and invaded by the Army of the Turks: But the 4th Vial which is poured forth only upon the Sun, seems to threaten the Ottoman Empire and Religion.
The 5th Trumpet foretells the fall of a great Star, to whom were given the Keys of the bottomless pit, out of which there rose a Smoke and Locusts. The Keys plainly shew Rome to be meant, in that she challengeth to have the Custody of the Keys committed to her, and pretends to be the Seat of St Peter; and this denotes the growth of the Papal Empire. But the 5th Vial is poured out upon the Seat of the Beast, i. e. upon Rome, which predicts her destruction, and therefore represents his Kingdom become full of darkness, and his Subjects Gnawing their Tongues, through despair.
The 6th Trumpet, as also the 6th Vial have the River Euphrates for their Subjects, but with this difference, that the 6th Trumpet loosed the four Angels that were bound in the River Euphrates, which represented the growth of the Turkish Empire and of their Religion, whereas the 6th Vial dries up the said River, and produced the end both of their Religion and Empire.
The 7th Trumpet▪ denounceth the 3d, and last woe, and under it the Vials of Gods wrath are to be poured out upon all the enemies of the Church, in order thereby to manifest and fulfil the Mystery of God, which is nothing else save the reuniting all Nations under the Scepter of Jesus Christ which will begin the Millennian Reign.
These are the principles, upon which, saith he, the Anonymous Author, hath built the Systeme of his Explanations, which as he Judgeth to be beyond all possibility of being overthrown, so it is from this source that he will bring his answers to those reasons which Mr. Jurieu hath endeavoured to prove that all the Vials are already poured out, and also the defence of the Reasons, by which he hath in his Illustrations proved that they are not yet poured forth, p. 14.
He then proceeds to answer all Mr. Jurieu's reasons which the said Jurieu brings to prove all the Vials already to be poured out.
The proof, saith he, which Mr. Jurieu grounds upon the conformity of the first 4 Vials, with the Events observable in the history of the Pagan Empire, is perfectly overthrown by considering the nature of the Vials themselves, for they are nothing else but the Judgments of God upon the Papal Empire, in order to destroy it, but the events which he will have to answer the 7 Vials, produced a quite contrary effect, i. e, They raised it, they increased it and brought the Papal Empire to its grandeur, the wonderful corruption of the tenth Age signified according to Mr. Jurieu by the noisom sore of the first Vial, served to diffuse the darkness of Error and Idolatry by which that Empire is supported, the Croisad's, which he will have to be signified by the Sea & Rivers under the 2d and 3d Vials, as likewise the Suns scorching men under the 4th Vial, which he will have to prefigure the growth of the Papal Authority, did all contribute to the rendering the Empire stronger and more terrible.
How then could these Vials (which are the Judgments of God, nay and the last plagues and Judgments to finish the wrath of God upon the Beast and Babylon) be said to be poured out to increase and perfect the grandeur of the Papistry or Papal Empire.
Jurieu to answer this difficulty would have us believe, that some of the severe Judgments of God, nay and they must be some of the last Plagues or Judgments too, the Popes are not the Subject, but the instruments, these plagues, saith Jurieu, fall upon those who worship the Beast and his Image, and not upon the Beast himself and false Prophet.
To which our worthy Author replies that it is Impossible that an Empire should be smitten with Plagues and Judgments of God, in order to its being weakned, and impaired, and that its head and Soveraign should in the mean time no ways suffer (to which I might add but contrarywise great strength thereby) the union, saith he that is between the head and the members, is wholly inconsistent with any such a notion, whensoever the body is very sick, the head is in a very ill condition; and this holds more truly in reference to a Political body than to the body Natural, whereas 'tis a Spiritual Empire, viz. Antichristianism, the Judgments that are to be executed upon it are to be Physical and Penal evils, which as punishments are to weaken and subvert it, the Judgments of God against an Empire whose criminalness from the very nature of it, lies in its Errors, i. e. Idolatry, Tyranny, &c. which comprehends in them the corruption of manners, cannot consist in evils of offence, but the first 4 Vials according to Jurieu, import evils of crime, & not of punishment, & do strengthen and advance the Empire or Papistry in all that is essential to it, instead of depressing and enfeebling it, for it never had so great power and Splendor as it enjoyed from the 10th to the 14th Century, and that is the time according to Mr. Jurieu, for the effusion of the 1st 4 Vials, never man was certainly more mistaken; our author proceeds and confutes Jurieu as fully, in respect of what he affirms to be the effects of the other 3 Vials, which I have not room to insert, p. 17.
In p. 24. our Author confesseth that Luthers reformation was a Judgment of God upon the Papal Kingdom, (yet not the effects of the 5th Vial according to Mr. Jurieu, nor the 1st Vial according to some of our English Writers) for he withal says, that it was an effect of the 6th Trumpet, which continueth to represent the War of Antichrist against the Church of God: till then Antichrist had been always victorious against the Saints for more than a 1000 years, but then came to receive a disaster; now this misfortune befel the Papal Empire, saith he, under the sixth Trumpet, which being the last save one was the season that the War was hastning to an end, and that the last Trumpet was about to sound under which this War will both actually end, and all the Vials come to be poured forth, but the damage which the reformation hath done the Papal Kingdom, tho' it hath dismembred it, is only a beginning of its sorrows, and is but an effect of the War which was to continue 42 months, during the time of all the six Trumpets, and which shall be finished thro' the effusion of the Vials under the 7th Trumpet; to which let me add, what greater reason have our English Writers to fix the pouring forth of the 1st Vial, about the time of Luther's reformation wrought by his preaching above others, who go as high as Waldo, nay, with Jurieu, to the tenth age, since there was some worthy men in every Century, that bare a brave testimony against the Papal Idolatry, and wounded the Papistry very sorely, tho' 'tis granted not to such a degree as in the last age? Besides, what reason is there to conclude the Harvest of Gods wrath is come, till 'tis fully ripe? and why should we conclude it will be fully ripe till the 42 months are expired, which seems to be the set time of cutting down? I do conclude the slaying of the Witnesses of Christ quite fills up their measure, and so makes way for the 7th Trumpet and Harvest of Gods wrath,—when the measure of the Churches afflictions shall come to their height, and the Beast will have filled up his number and measure of wrath against Gods people, then will the time of Gods fury break forth, which will be as he observes when the 6 Trumpets cease sounding, and the seven Vials, which are the seven Plagues, shall arrive and begin to take place against the Papacy, and against Mahometism; 'tis, saith he, for this reason that 'tis said by the seven last Plagues (which are the Vials) the wrath of God is finished; from whence it followeth that the Vials are not contemporary with the sixth Trumpet, and that it is not the sixth Trumpet that is subdivided into the seven Vials, but that this subdivision is to be assigned to the seventh Trumpet; the sixth as well as the five preceding speaketh nothing save War against the Church of God; so long as it lasts Antichrist abates nothing of his fury, but constantly makes the same Efforts for the oppressing of the Truth, and such who do profess it: But as soon as the seventh Angel comes to sound, the case will be quite altered, the Wrath of God will break forth, and the Vials empty themselves. And this is the reason why the Vials are called the seven last Plagues by which the Wrath of God is fulfilled.
Lastly, He shews us that the seven Vials or last Plagues do manifestly allude to the Plagues of Egypt, because they are called Plagues as well as Vials, and are also poured out upon Spiritual Egypt; and seeing, saith he, the Plagues of Egypt did take up but a short space of time, we may not allot years; nay, may be, saith he, not allow months, for the Execution of all the Egyptian Plagues, why then should it seem strange that all the Vials should be poured out within the space of fifteen or eighteen years? The third woe cometh quickly under which all the seven last Plagues shall be poured out, which signifieth that all the Plagues shall be poured out, saith he, close upon one another; (in this he so agrees with what Mr. Canne hath written upon the same account directly) let us remember, that there is no natural Agent which acteth with the rapidity that fire doth, our God is a consuming fire, and 'tis a terrible thing to fall into his hands; the fire of Gods wrath will burn doubtless (when it begins to seize upon the combustible matter of the Antichristian state) with great fury God will make a short riddance of his Enemies; the second woe is past, and behold the third woe cometh quickly, Rev. 11. 14. We are to observe (saith he,) that this is not said in prediction of the two first woes, all that is said of them they shall come; but this quickly is not added, save in the prediction of the third woe. When we may conclude, that the seventh Trumpet shall immediately follow the Resurrection of the Witnesses, whose death, as it fell out in 1685, so their Resurrection shall ensue within three years and a half; in this he agrees directly with Jurieu, it will be well if they do not both prove mistaken.
However there is no doubt but we are near the time of the end, and I hope the Witnesses are risen, or suddenly (here in Great Britain) will rise. Bone (methinks) is coming to his Bone, or already have not we seen of late a day like that spoken of, Ezek. 36. 7, 8. A noise like that of shaking, and the Bones came together Bone to his Bone, and Sinews and Flesh coming upon them, and is not Breath come into them? and do they not begin to live? is not their hopes revived, and are they not up upon their feet?—They …ay be a very great Army in due time. Look about you, O ye Saints, what is your expectations? are ye ignorant of the sign… of the times and willingly ignorant? do you not look for great, things? or are ye still as men that dream? know ye assuredly that the Kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ is near; nor let none perswade you there is no greater glory, nor different Kingdom state approaching, than what hath been since the Resurrection and Ascention of Christ, for 'tis not till the ending, or the latter end of the fourth Monarchy, that the God of Heaven will set up his Kingdom in the glory of it, when the knowledge of the glory of the Lord shall fill the Earth as the waters cover the Seas, all the Kingdoms under the whole Heavens shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most High. Dan. 7 Look suddenly for a fearful and an amazing Earthquake, for it will come, it cann't be far off, and it will be such a dispensation that England has not known, it will be the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it woe to the Earth, to the wicked, to those who have had a hand in the slaying the Witnesses, who are Enemies to the power of godliness, who strive to keep up an Antichristian state, their day is near, and the time they must be judged, God will now turn his hand upon his Enemies, his wrath is come, and the day in which he will plead the Controversie of Sion, the Decree is gone forth, and it cannot be reversed, watch and pray, take heed you are not found in the Earthly Spirit, for if you are, you will be shaken in pieces, and full with the Enemy, and rise no more, yet I doubt not but the Enemy will strive, kick and struggle exceedingly, (like a Beast that has received its deaths wound,) just as they go off the Stage, and somewhat like this, methinks, we plainly see at this very time. But tho' the work may seem to be obstructed, yet I doubt not but it will revive again, and in due time prosper and be accomplished.