The Name Mark and Number of the Beast, Chapter 5 · Part 24 – Part 27
Answer.
That the Stone cut out of the Mountain, is the Kingdom of Christ; to this we freely Assent. But whereas Piscator doth alledge, That all the Four Metal-Kingdoms did expire at the beginning of Christ's Kingdom; this we Deny. Let us consider the words of the text, for they must govern in this case.
First, It is said, concerning the Kingdom represented by the Stone cut out of the Mountain, That in the dayes of these Kingdoms, will the God of Heaven raise up a Kingdom that never shall be destroyed. If this be so, it will necessarily follow, That the Roman must be one of the Four Metal-Kingdoms; because our Saviour was Born, his Gospel was Preached, the Gentiles were brought to the Faith, in those times when the Romans had the Sovereign Dominion over the Earth; and particularly over those parts where the Church was seated. The Seleucian Kingdom was destroyed, and all that tract of Land from Euphrates to the Border of Egypt, was wholly brought under the power of the Romans. Therefore, sith the Kingdom of Christ began in the times of the Roman, the Roman must necessarily be the Fourth, and the last Kingdom.
Secondl…, It is said, That the Stone became a great M…untain, and filled the whole Earth. Now, when did thi… come to pass? The Kingdom of Christ was weak and small at his In…arnation, and in the times immediately following. But after that the Stone smote the Image upon the Feet and Toes, after that he had broken the Roman Kingdom, in the last and Antichristian state thereof; then, and not till then, it became a Mountain, and filled the whole Earth. Now this was not at the Incarnatio…, but we look for the performance thereof at the setting up of the Majestical Kingdom of Christ; as it is plainly discovered in the whole Book of the Revelation.
Thirdly, It is said, That the Stone smote the Image upon the Feet and Toes, that were part of Iron, and part of Clay. This sheweth plainly, That the Seleucidae and the Lagidae cannot be the Fourth and the last Metal-Kingdom For the Kingdom of Christ did never so much as touch these Kingdoms. They were all utterly destroyed by the power of the Romans before the Coming of Christ in the Flesh.
Now, if you apply this to the Roman, as to the last of the Four Persecuting Empires, the Kingdom of Christ in these last times must consume the Roman Kingdom, in the Antichristian state thereof, as it is cleer by the whole Book of the Revelation.
Object. But whereas Piscator doth alledge, That the Kingdom of Christ did begin to fill the whole Earth, when the Gentiles far and neer, were brought to the Faith, by the Preachi…g of the Apostles.
Sol. I do not Deny, but that the Kingdom of Christ in the Apostles time did then begin to fill the Earth. For the bounds of his Spiritual Kingdom were much enlarged by their travel▪ But what is this to the purpose? The text speaketh plainly of a Monarchical Kingdom; of such a Kingdom (opposed to the Four Monarchies) that shall subdue, and fill the whole Earth. The Apostles Preached the Gospel among all Nations; and by name, Saint Paul filled all places from Ierusalem to Illyricum, with the Gospel of Christ. Yet nevertheless, for all this large spreading of the Gospel, there was no destruction of the Roman Kingdom. In those times, the Romans continued their Power and Tyranny, though the Gospel of Christ was Preached everywhere. But when the stone shall become a Mountain, and fill the whole Earth; before this can be done, the Stone must strike the Image upon the Feet and Toes thereof. The Tyranny of the Roman Kingdom must be broken by the Power of the Gospel, before the Kingdom of Christ can be set up in the Throne. Now, if we apply these things to the times, we shall find that the Church was in perpetual conflict with the Empire of the Romans for 300 year… together, in all the times of the Ten first Persecutions. Now it is said of the Primitive Mareyrs, That they overcame him; to wit, The Persecuting Empire, by the Blood of the Lamb, and by the Word of their Testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death, Rev. 12. 11. By the scope of the place it is clear, That the Lord Christ by his Power, and his Martyrs by their Sufferings, both together, did break the Tyranny of that Persecuting Empire. It is said of them, That they overcame him, to wit, the Dragon with Seven Heads and Ten Horns. The Saints by their Sufferings did overcome him; and so the Gospel was set up as the regent Law. The Woman brought forth a Man-Child that should Rule all Nations with a Rod of Iron. This is meant of the Reign of Christ upon the Earth; and there were some beginnings thereof in the times of Constantine the Great, as appears by the scope of the text, vers. 9, 10, 11.
Now, whereas it came to pass afterwards, That the Christian Empire was broken to pieces by the coming down of the barbarous Nations out of the North, and Ten Kings rose out of the Ruines of the Empire aforesaid; Then also, according to the Prophecies, a New Persecuting Empire was Erected, to try the Faith and Patience of the Saints. This in the whole Prophecie is called, The Antichristian Empire, or, The Roman Kingdom in the last Edition thereof. Now, this Kingdom also shall be broken in pieces by the Preaching of the eternal Gospel; the Nations shall be undeceived, and the Gospel shall be set up as the regent Law, as it began to be set up in the times of Constantine the Great, but was hi…dered afterward. But now it shall be far otherwise: The Kingdom of Christ shall be so set up, after the breaking in pieces of the Toes and Feet of the Image, after the wearing out of the Antichristian Tyranny, that he shall Reign 1000 years. From all that hath been said, it is clear, That we must look after the Monarchical beginning of the Kingdom of Christ according to the Prophecies. Of this we shall have some occasion to speak more largely afterward.
Now let us consider what is Alledged by Polanus.
Polanus.
The Scope of Daniel, is, To speak of those great Empires only that should stand up one after another till Christ, in those Territories where the Babylonian began. Now the Roman had nothing that the Babylonian had, but only Syria and Egypt: He had nothing that the Persian had, more than the Babylonian, but Asia the Less. Therefore the Roman is not to be accounted one of the Four Empires.
Answer.
It is true that the Roman went no further Eastward than the River Euphrates, neither did he possess many of those Eastern Countries which were formerly under the Babylonian and Persian Monarchies. But what of all this? It is enough for our purpose, That he possessed all those Countries on this side Euphrates, which were the Continent of the Church. In the Churches Continent the Roman was the Successor of the Babylonian, Persian, and Graecian Empires. For look what Monarchy the Babylonian began over the People of the Jews, the same was continued by the Romans, when their time came to have the Monarchy over the Church. If this be a truth, we may quickly Answer the Objection of Dr Willet, which is much to the same effect. These are his words: This Vision of an humane Image, signified one united Body, consisting of divers Kingdoms, one succeeding another, as the parts of the Body do joyn one to another, the Beginning and Head of which was Babylon. And then he addeth, The Roman Monarchy being distant at least 1200 miles, could not make one united Body with it. Therefore that Monarchy cannot here fitly be understood. By the same Reason he might Argue, The Graecian Kingdom being distant many miles from the Babylonian and Persian, therefore it cannot be compacted into the same Image of Persecuting Empires. But this is not the Point which we are on. For we are not to measure the Monarchies by the Longitude, Latitude, and Distance of place▪ but by the same Succession of Monarchical Dominion over the Churches Territories▪ In this sense, the Roman may be placed in the same Image of Monarchical Empires, as long as he did continue the same Sovereignty over the Church which the Babylonian began. And therefore when the Scriptures do call the City of Rome by the Name of Babylon, it is a very proper Expression; for she did continue the same Tyranny over the Saints which the Babylonians began. And it is clear also, That the same Empire did Devolve and Descend upon the Romans in the Fourth Alteration and Change of State. But let us proceed.
Polanus.
At the Coming of Christ, the Kingdom represented by the Feet and Toes, was ruined; but so was not the Kingdom of the Romans, which was not compleat till the time of Trajan. Therefore the Roman is not the Fourth Kingdom.