The Name Mark and Number of the Beast, Chapter 5 · Part 34 – Part 41
Answer.
To this matter I have spoken before, scil That the Kingdom given to the Son at his Ascension, was far greater than any Earthly Kingdoms whatsoever. But the Question here is, Whether did he enter into the Possession of that Kingdom, yea or no? There was a Power given to Christ at his Ascension, by vertue of which he was able to destroy the Beast, the false Prophet, the Dragon, Gog and Magog, Death and Hell, and all other Enemies: yet we see that he doth not, nor will not execute and put forth his Power in their destruction, till the time appointed of the Father, till the Saints have passed the time of their Patience and Sufferings under these Tyrants. But in this matter, let us Answer Mr Hayne with Mr Hayne. In the first Page of his Book he speaketh of the Eternity of Christ's Kingdom, and of its extent to the end of the world. And afterward in the second Page he speaketh as followeth: Of this Extent (saith he) is Christ's Kingdom: yet in regard that God hath so…etimes permitted Satan and wicked men in extraordnary manner to domineer, and to exercise their worldly and ungodly Power; and that at other times he hath made his own Sovereignty by remarkable Mercies and Iudgements to appear; God and Christ, upon this more glorious expression of their more Over-ruling Might, are then especially said to have a Kingdom and to Reign, Because in such times their Glory and Majesty doth more manifestly shew it self, Exod. 15. 18. 1 Sam. 12. 12. Obad. vers. 21. Rev. 12. 10. In like manner I may say, Though at the Ascension of Christ there was given to him a Kingdom, far greater than all the Kingdoms of the world; yet in regard that it hath pleased God the Father, for many Ages together, to permit Rome Imperial, and afterwards Rome Papal, in an extraordinary manner to exercise their worldly Power: And seeing also it is his pleasure, after some Ages, to make his Sovereignty known, in the destruction of the Tyranny of these States, and in setting up the Gospel as the regent Law; in this respect the Reign of Christ may be said to begin at the Dissolution of the Fourth Kingdom, in the last and Antichristian State thereof. But a little further to open the meaning of the Scriptures. When Michael and his Angels, i. e. Christ and his Primitive Martyrs, had conquered the Dragon, presently and immediately upon the Conquest this Acclamation was heard: I heard a loud voice saying in Heaven, Now is come Salvation, and Strength, and the Kingdom of our God, and the Power of his Christ: for the Accuser of our Brethren is cast down, Rev. 12. 10. Here I demand, what is meant by foreign, by that Kingdom of God, and Power of Christ? You are to Note, That the scope of the place is concerning the Fight between the Lord Christ and his Primitive Martyrs on the one side, and the Powers of the Persecuting Empire of the Romans on the otherside. After a long and terrible Fight, the Dragon was overcome by the Faith and Patience of the Martyrs, by the Prayer of Faith grounded upon the Promise of God. And in the times of Constantine the Great, when the Christian Faith (as the best Expositors will have it) became Religio Imperii, the Religion of the Empire; then at that time the Kingdom of God, and the Power of his Christ was revealed to the world. The Deliverance and Salvation of the Church from under the Ten first Persecutions was much desired before, but it was not effected till the dayes of Constantine the Great. To his times then that notable expression, (the Kingdom of our God, and the Power of his Christ is come) is more immediately …o be applyed. By that which the Church hath had Experience of already, we may learn what is the meaning of the Spirit, when he speaketh of her Deliverance from under Antichristian sufferings, and of the future Reign of Christ upon the Earth for 1000 years. And though there was some beginning of his Monarchical Reign in the dayes of Constantine, yet that was but radiatura vel specimen Regni Christi, a glympse, or a hand…el as it were of the Kingdom of Christ, and of the future liberty of the Church that shall be. For that glory was Eclipsed, and the Church fell under Persecution in all Antichristian times. When those times shall be fulfilled, the Kingdoms of this world shall become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ. And so they shall continue and remain for many years, when Jews and Gentiles, both together, shall make a glorious Church under Christ their Head and King, in the latter dayes. After the destruction of the Fourth Beast, it is expresly said, The Dominion under the whole Heaven shall be given to the Saints of the most High; and that this Dominion is to continue for ever, Dan. 7. 27. Now then, If the Monarchical Kingdom of Christ did begin at the Incarnation, and so forward to continue for ever, what shall we make of the Reign of Antichrist for so many Ages together? Christ hath Reigned but a little, if we look to an exteriour Reign.
Mr Hayne.
The Reign of Antichrist, and of other Tyrants, is no impeachment to Christ's absolute Sovereignty. The wickedness of Sons, taketh not away the Fatherhood and Authority of Parents; Nor a Debauched Servant's ill carriage, argue his exemption from the Master he is subject to. David was, and continued a King, though Ishbosheth, and Saul's House, though Absolon his own Son, though Sheba a Benjamite, and many of Israel rose up against him, and submitted not to his Scepter.
Answer.
We agree, That the Tyrannical States, and by Name the …ntichristian, cannot be such impeachments to Christ's Kingdom, so as absolutely and finally to obstruct it in every part and point of Power. We yield also, That the Right belongeth to Christ, to be Universal Head of the Church, though Antichrist hath Usurped his Right for many Ages together. And further, Though his Jurisdiction hath been detained by others a long time, yet he hath Power enough in himself to recover it again, when the time appointed for the Dominion of the Tyrannical States is once fulfilled. But to say for the present, That the Antichristian State is no impeachment to the Kingdom of Christ, this is a marvelous thing. When a Usurpet is in the place of Government, is this no impeachment to the lawful power? All the world did agree together to worship the Beast, and to receive his Mark; and was this no impeachment to the Kingdom of Christ? The great Whore corrupted the Earth with her Fornications, and the Kings of the Earth agreed together to give their Power to the Beast: and was this no impeachment to the Kingdom of Christ? Though David was anointed King over Israel, and though by vertue of his Unction he had true Title to the Kingdom; yet so long as Saul and Ishbosheth did bear Rule, the Kingdom was not his. In like manner, Though the Lord Christ by suffering Death, and by his Unction, had Title to all the Kingdoms of the Earth; yet as long as the Tyrannical States of this world, and particularly the Antichristian Kingdom do continue, the Kingdoms of this world (in that form and manner as they shall be) are not his. And therefore at the Fall of the Great City, this expression is used, The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ. Here is a tacite implication, That they were none of his Kingdoms before, in that sense which the text intendeth.
Mr Hayne.
You much debase and vilifie Christ and his Kingdom, in comparing it, and counting it Inferiour to Earthly Monarchies and Kingdoms.
Answer.
For the Kingdom of Christ, I acknowledge that it is far above Earthly Monarchies in largeness of Dominion, in greatness of Power, in time of continuance: Yet we do not vilifie and debase it, by compa…ing it with the Kingdoms of this world. We see both in Daniel and in the Revelation, That the Kingdom of Christ, and the Monarchies, are all Numbered together, and are set one in Opposition against the other; the Kingdom of Christ against the Governments of this world.
Further, We have good Reason to Affirm, That this Kingdom is not begun in that fulness and amplitude of Power as it shall have; because the Lord Christ hath not yet Ruled Universally over the known parts of the Earth, as Earthly Monarchs have done.
Mr Hayne.
That Christ hath not so Ruled, the Reason is easily given. Soloman, who excelled in Abundance of all outward and royal Accoutrements, found all to be vanity of vanities, and vexation of Spirit.
Answer.
That Christ hath not so Ruled, is because the time of such a manner of Ruling is not yet come to that fulness of Perfection as it shall have. The Scriptures do everywhere speak of his Kingdom over Jews and Gentiles in the latter dayes: and shall any imagine that there shall be no such Kingdom? And though that of Solomon be rightly applied to the Kingdoms of this world, that they be all vanity of vanities; yet we must take heed that the same things be not spoken of the Kingdom of Christ. For the Nature of this Kingdom, we desire that we may not be mistaken. We do not plead for a Personal Note.Reign, nor a literal Resurrection of the Martyrs, nor a confluence of all Sensual Delights, as many have done. That which we principally stand for, is, The Universal Subjection of the Nations to the Laws of the Gospel, and the rest of the Church from such Persecutions as have been in all Antichristian times, when the Governments of this world have been engaged to Afflict the Church. For as formerly, The Kings of the Earth being deceived, did yield a Universal subjection to the Bishop of Rome, and to the Laws made by his Authority: So the times shall be, when the spiritual Excellencies of the Gospel shall be discovered to the world; then the Dominations, Dignities, States, and Governments of the Earth, shall willingly submit to the Laws of Christ: Whole Nations shall come in, in the time of the Gospel. They that willNote. call such a Kingdom vanity of vanities, must needs call many Promises of the Scriptures, Vanity of Vanities. For many Promises are concerning the bringing in of the fulness of the Gentiles, when that Nation of the Jews shall be called.
Secondly, The Hall…lujah that was sung to the Lord Christ at the burning of the Great Whore, was in reference to this, The Lord God Omnipotent Reigneth, chap. 19. vers. 6. For, as the Great Whore somtimes Reigned over the Nations, when their Laws, Statutes, Customs, Priviledges, and all other things were made subject to the Authority of that Church: So the Lord Christ shall Reign, when the Nations shall willingly yield themselves up to be governed by his Scepter, and shall live in subordination to the Laws of the Gospel. Be it far therefore from any to think, That the Hallelujah was sung to Christ in reference to his Monarchical Reign, and such a Reign, when all comes to all, be but vanity of vanities. But leaving this Point, let us come to that which is more pertinent to our purpose; to the Discourse concerning the Four Metal-Kingdoms, and to the Parallel between the Ten-Horned Beast in Dan. 7, and the Ten-Horned Beast in the Book of the Revelation.
Mr Hayne.
The Beast, Rev. 13. expresseth not the very same, but a like Kingdom to the Fourth Kingdom, Dan. 7. Therefore it is not one and the same Roman Kingdom. That the Beast, Rev. 1…. expresseth not the very same, but a like Kingdom, I thus prove: The Chief Mystical and Figurative terms in the Revelation, having reference to some thing in the Old Testament, express some New matter like the Old, yet not the same with the Old. But the Beast in the Revelation hath in the Figurative and Mystical terms thereof reference to the Old Testament; namely, to the Fourth Beast in the Prophe…ie of Daniel. Therefore the Beast in the Revelation expresseth not the same, but a like Kingdom to that in Daniel's Prophecie. What I Affirm of the chief Mystical and Figurative terms in the Revelation, is evident. For Egypt, Babylon, the New Ierusalem the Wilderness, Paradise, Manna, express new terms like … same.