Necessity of Human Learning for a Gospel Preacher, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. Of the Ʋſefulneſs of Arithmetic.
Arithmetic is uſeful for a Miniſter in two reſpects:
Firſt, Rightly to underſtand, and exctaly to compute Scripture-numbers and accounts, as in Genealogies, Hiſtories, Chronologies, Prophecies, and in other things.
Secondly, To ſearch into, and finde out Scripture-myſteries, which are hid in numbers. Arithmetic is a key to open to us the right underſtanding of numerical ſpeculations.
There are two Myſtical numbers to be taken notice of eſpecially;
The one is contained in the Name of the Beaſt, Rev. 13.17, 18, which points out Antichriſt to us.
The other is contained in the Meaſure of the wall of the New Jeruſalem, which (as ſome Divines conceive) points out the Church of Chriſt, Rev. 21.17. [Here is wiſdom, ſaith John, Rev. 13.17, 18. i. e. a thing that requires wiſdom. Let him that hath underſtanding count the Number of the Beaſt, or the Name of the Beaſt, or the Number of the Name; that is, Brightman.the name of the Beaſt, which is expreſſed by number (or a numeral name) or wherein number is contained, to wit, in the letters of which the name conſiſts. For the Greeks, as alſo the Hebrews, had not ſigures, as we have, but counted by letters: mens names in Greek contained numbers in the letters. Piſcator in ver. 17. ſaith, that by theſe three names, ſcil. the Beaſt, the name of the Beaſt, and the number of the name, one and the ſame thing is ſignified, that is Antichriſt.
This is called the number of a man, becauſe ſuch a name of a man (ſaith Brightman) out of whoſe numeral letters this number is made, 666, which he thinks to be foreign, Latinus: that is the name, which the holy Ghoſt bids us number in place; the letters whereof do, according to the computation of the Grecians, make this number 666. Piſcator in Rev. 13. ſhews how, in a Table.
Or, this is the number of a man, that is, which may be counted, and found out by man; which may be computed, or calculated by ſtudy and ſearch: one calls this number an Arithmetical Riddle.
Dr. Potter, upon the number 666, goeth another way to work, very ingeni… ouſly to unfold this Myſtery by Arithmetical Calculation, foreign thus. The number, 666, is applicable to Antichriſt, Dr. Potter.not in it ſelf, but according to what is eſſential and remarkable in it, to wit,
its Rootae,
and
Figure.
I. Its Root…, which is 25. This deſcribes the Root or Baſis of Antichriſt's Hierarchy, Colledge of Cardinals (who were but 25) inſtituted Anno Chr. 305, who onelyonly with the Pope, the Head of this Corporation (which is the very Body and Eſſence of Antichriſt) uſurp all power and Authority in the Church.
This ſeems ſo,
1. In that it's ſaid, Let him that hath underſtanding (in Arithmetic) count the number of the Beaſt, to wit, by the extraction of the Root; which is the onelyonly way men uſually count by, when but one number is expreſt, as here. And this is ſaid to be the number of a man, that is, ſuch as is uſed among men.
2. Becauſe Chriſt's number, or the number of the wall of the new Jeruſalem, deſcribes his Church, not in it ſelf, but by its rootae, which is 12; as it hints the founding of it by the 12 Apoſtles, and other things concerning it, as may appear from Revel. 21. The Spirit making 12 conſpicuous in all the Particulars of the Deſcription of it.
So the number of 25 is Remarkable in Rome, and much affected by the Papiſts, in many reſpects. For Rome had 25 Gates (as Jeruſalem 12, ☞Rev. 21.12.) 25 Churches, 25 Titles, or Pariſhes. In two of their Churches 25 Altars, on each Altat 25 marks, or dints.
Their Jubilee is every 25 year: their chief Holy-days, are upon the 25 day of the monethmonth: and Bartholomew-feaſt is celebrated at Rome on the 25 of Auguſt, though in all other places one day ſooner. There is no one day of the monethmonth, which hath had originally ſo many holy days laid upon it as the 25.
The Articles of their Faith are 25, decreed in the Council of Trent: which was begun by 25 Prelates, continued 25 Seſſions, and ended with the ſubſcriptions of 25 Popiſh Arch-Biſhops.
The Maſs of Chriſt's 5 wounds, 5 times multiplied and repeated (which makes 25) will (ſay they) cure all diſeaſes, and deliver ſouls from pains. So that they of Rome acknowledge ſome great myſtery and vertue in this number.
The Emperor of Rome, the King of Spain, and Arch Duke of Auſtria, bear 5 Cinques, or 25 round ſpots in their Arms: which Device is recorded to have been ſent from Heaven, in a more Celeſtial maner, then the Ancile of ancient Rome, as a ſanctified Banner to lead Armies fortunately. The Pope and Cardinals cauſe theſe 25 ſpots to be imprinted in the Frontiſpiece of divers Books printed at Rome, for their better ſucceſs and greater confirmation.
II. Its Figure. The Figure of 666, which is a ſquare ſomething more then as long again as it's broad (18 being to be multiplied by 37, the product of which is 666) ſhews the figure of Antichriſt's city, to wit, Rome, which is juſt ſuch. As the Figure of 144, which is a perfect ſquare, ſhews the Figure of Jeruſalem. Thus far Dr. Potter.
Mr. Cotton, in his Expoſition on Rev. 13.18. following Junius in his Notes on that Text, would have 6 to be multiplied by 10 (to make up 666.) So 10 times 6 is 60, and 10 times 60 is 600. Six is made the baſis, becauſe there are ſix Books of Decretals (of which the ſixth is moſt compleat, being compiled by Pope Boniface, and called Sextus, in which the Pope's Canons are ſummed up) which are a certain platform of Direction for all matters of Practice and Maners in the Diſcipline of the Romiſh Church. So ſix is a perfect number of all things to be done therein, for Doctrine, Worſhip, and Government: all their Adminiſtrations are founded and meaſured out from their Canon-Laws, which are all wrapped up in ſix Volumes, and the ſixth is the moſt compleat of them all; therefore the Pope makes ſix the foundation. This (ſaith Mr. Cotton) is but the number of a man, that is, a meer humane invention. This 6 is multiplied by 10, becauſe all the Government of the Roman State (ſaith he) is by Tenths, by Tithes. All the People muſt give the tenth to the Prieſt, and the Prieſt to the Biſhop.
To theſe numbers may be added the Virgin number with the Lamb, which is 144000, Revel. 14.1. (mentioned before in Revel. 7.4. as the Number of them that were ſealed) made up by multiplying the 12000 of the twelve Tribes, which are the Spiritual Progeny of the twelve Apoſtles. See Mede in Revel. 14.1. See Mr. Cotton in Revel. 13.18. he ſaith, This number of the Lamb's followers hath its riſe from 12; 12 multiplied by 12 will ariſe from ſo many ſcores to ſo many hundreds: and 12 times 12000 is 144000; and the number of the Beaſt, ſcil. 666, is expreſly oppoſite thereunto. See more about it in Mr. Cotton.