Scripture Proof the Kingdom of Christ in its Succession, Part 1
A Demonſtrative Scripture-Proof FROM Mahometan Times: THE Kingdom of Chriſt Muſt needs be in its Succeſſion, 1697.
By T. BEVERLEY.
REVEL. XI. 14, 15.
The Second Woe is paſt; Behold the Third Woe cometh Quickly: And the Seventh Angel ſounded; and I heard Loud Voices in Heaven, ſaying, The Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of the Lord, and of his Chriſt.
London, Printed in the Year, 1692.
A Demonſtrative Proof from the Space of Time run out, ſince the Hegire Era, or Great Date of Time to the Mahometans; like the Year of our Lord to Chriſtians, when the Falſe Prophet Mahomet appear'd Arm'd, viz at 622. That the Kingdom of Chriſt muſt at the fartheſt be in its Succeſſion 1697. the 1260. Days of Years of the Roman Empire in the Papal Tyranny then Ending; and the Mahometan Impoſture, and Barbarous Potentacy ſhall then alſo paſs away, according to the Line of Time given.
SEeing It will eaſily be allowed, the Parahles of Scripture are as truly the Word of God, whether expounded or not, if rightly underſtood, as the moſt plain Doctrinal Scripture; It muſt alſo be allowed, That we ought to ſearch for that True Meaning and Senſe of them, ſeeing it is a Rule concerning All Scripture, it ought to be ſearch'd; and becauſe Parables require more laborious ſearch, that they may be underſtood, Chriſt giving his Doctrine in Parables, ſo often us'd that Parabolical Admonition, He that hath Ears to hear, let him hear: And when Chriſt ſaid to his Diſciples, not underſtanding the Parable of the Sower, though he had not then ex…ounded it; Ʋnderſtand ye not this Parable! How then will ye underſtand all Parables? Mark 4. He implied thereby, There would be given in his Word, many, and very dark Parables; and yet that All Scripture Parables ought to be underſtood by Chriſtians, though not expounded, viz. by Search and Compare with other Scriptures; and ſo they may be underſtood, elſe it could not be our Duty to underſtand them.
Now All Prophetical, Hierogliphick Emblems and Figures, particularly thoſe of the Revelation, are Prophetical Parables, and ſo ought to be ſearch'd and underſtood, and may be, as other Parables. Chriſt therefore Seven Times together uſes that very Parabolical Admonition he us'd in the Goſpels, He that hath an Ear, let him hear, c. 2. c. 3. And yet in a more dark Parable, and leſs practical than thoſe Epiſtles to the Churches, viz. that of the Beaſt, c. 13. 10. he again ſays, If any Man hath an Ear, let him hear. And becauſe the Parables of the Revelation are of ſo deep Enquiry, and require much Thought, Chriſt invit…s ſo painful Re-ſearches, with the Promiſe of Bleſſedneſs, not only to h…s Min…ſterial Servants, to Read and Expound, but to his People, who are to be Inſtructed, to Hear, by that Inſcription, as in Letters of Gold, on the Portal. Bleſſed is he that Readeth, &c. c. 1. 3. All wh…ch aſſure us, That its Parables are given to be underſtood; and that we may, and it is our Duty ſo to ſearch, as to underſtand; to be aſſured, we have the True Word of God, and the Senſe of it, even as in other Scriptures, and that our Bleſſedneſs is to be found therein; Elſe the giving that Book of Scriptures, and the Promiſe before it, were vain, and unreaſonable.
Having thus far Prefac'd to the Arguing from the Space, the Mahometans Falſe Prophetiſm and Tyranny, have been in the World; that the Kingdom of Chriſt muſt at the fartheſt be in its Succeſſion at 97, I propoſe Two Heads of Argument: The Firſt ſha…l be taken from General Scripture-Principles, which none can deny.
The Second ſhall be taken from the ver… Letter or moſt unavoidably neceſſary Senſe, of what we find in that Book of the Revelation relating hereunto; which alſo None ſh…ll be Able to Deny, when the Reaſon for ſo giving the Senſe is duly conſider'd, and that All Chronology and Hiſtory undoubtedly Agree.
I begin therefore with ſuch Principles as will ſtrongly Argue from the Conſideration of Mahometaniſm, according to General Rules of Scripture.
Princip. I That the Mahometan Falſhood and Tyranny hath been a Judgment upon the Chriſtian World; No Chriſtian, of what Pe…ſwaſion ſoever, can, or will, I think, deny. That it hath ariſen for this 1069 Years, viz. f…om 622, to th…s 1691. can no more be denied than the other: I Argue therefore, ſeeing there hath heen ſo Great and ſetled a Judgment upon ſo Univerſal a Profeſſion, as the Chriſtian is; a Sin of proportionable Settlement and Duration, ought to be ſearch'd out, and match'd with it, ac…ording to the whole Tenor of Scripture: as the Jews Killing the Lord of Life, and Calling his Blood on Them, and on their Children▪ and their ſo Obſtinate Ʋnbelief in him, is own'd by all Chriſtians, to be the Juſt Cauſe of the Wrath that hath come upon them to the End. Now what ſin of the Chriſtian World can be thought to be that Sin, but the Apoſtacy in the Chriſtian Church, the Apoſtle ſo long ago foretold, 2 Theſ. 2. and which All Proteſtants acknowledge hath been in it ever ſince the Riſing of Mahometaniſm, and from Time before it very near 200 years in its Beginnings.
Princip. 2 Such a Relation betwixt a Judgment and a Sin, is eſpecially moſt Argumentative, when the Sin in its Appearance is Engraven on the Judgment. Now whoever conſiders the Pope having taken upon him to be Ʋniverſal Biſhop and Paſtor, Vicar of Chriſt, Head of the Church, and ſo Ʋniver…al Prophet; and to have the Power of the Keys, and ſo of the Sword, in Ordine ad Spiritualia; and by his Infallibility to give Univerſal Law to the World; and ſo many Chriſtian Princes Enchanted to ſupport him in All; and then compares Mahomet taking upon himſelf to be the Greateſt True Prophet of the World; yet with ſome Allowance to Moſes and to Chriſt; to give the Alcoran as an Univerſal Law, and to be appointed by God to Proſelyte the World by the Power of the Sword, and to have thereby prevail'd on ſo great a part of the World; and withal to be a Deteſter of all Image-Worſhip, in oppoſition to Popiſh Idolatry. How muſt it needs be own'd God hath Anger'd the Chriſtian, or rather Antichriſtian State, by a Fooliſh Religion, as he ſpeaks Deut. 32. and ſet Mahometaniſm, as a Counter-Antichristianiſm to Antichriſt, in a way of Horrible and Dreadful Judgment upon that Antichriſt, and as a Paraſelene or Mock-Moon to the Beaſts Moons.
Princip. 3 When a Judgment hath Counter-ballanc'd a Sin for ſeveral Ages Apparently together, and They born the Characters of a Mutual Relation; It is not according to Scripture-Reaſon ſuppoſeable, the Judgment ſhould remove, before the Sin be removed; either by Reformation, or by Final Judgment upon it, when it is not reform'd; nor the Iniquity purg'd till they die.
Princip. 4 The Firſt Beginnings of a Sin are, according to Scripture, chaſtis'd, though often with very ſevere Judgments, yet of a leſs ſevere kind, and ſuch as are, as it were, Fore-runners of greater. It is therefore moſt Rationally, according to Scripture, to be ſuppos'd there were ſome former Methods of Judgment upon Antichriſtianiſm, which is by all Proteſtants acknowledg'd to have enter'd much earlier than Mahomet: But theſe Judgments, though they remov'd the former State of the Weſtern Empire; yet under the New Model of ſeveral Supreme Monarchs, together with the Papacy, in the Place of the Emperour, It was continued; and even the very Imperial Grandeur ſurviv'd as Romane, in the Eaſtern Empire. And when the Sin of the former Model is ſo cloſe Rivetted, and that it enters ſo into the Subſtance, as to paſs along into all Change of Forms, and People; Then God knits a Chain of Judgments, that ſhall for ever make an End of that Sin.
Princip 5 It is not agreeable to the Wiſdom, and gracious Government of God, that either ſuch a Sin or Judgment ſhould laſt always; and this ſin, and this Judgment having, under ſome very ſolemn Determination of God, endur'd already longer than any other, except the Sin of the Jews, and the Judment upon them; which is by our Saviour foretold to be as long as any Gentile Times: It is a ſtrong Preſumption all theſe are now near an End.
Princip. 6 Now when God hath given ſo long a Time to ſuch an united State of Sin, and Puniſhment in the Jew and Gentile, as he never yet gave from the Beginning of the World to this Day; We have Reaſon to believe, the next Change ſhall be a Final Change to his Kingdom and Glory; For ſo the Courſe or all Scripture runs: So that as we have ſo great Reaſon to believe ſome Change, after ſo long a laſting Sin, and Judgment, is near; we have alſo Reaſon to believe, that the next Change, ſo near, ſhall be a Change, once for all, to that never Ending Kingdom of Chriſt.
Princip. 7 An Interpretation of the Prophecies of Scripture, that ſhall not only agree with theſe Great Principles of Scripture-Reaſon; but ſhall by Evidence from Prophecies themſelves, ſhew; that they Pourtray, and Repreſent to us both the Antichriſtian Apoſtacy, as the Grand Sin; and the Mahometan Impoſture and Tyranny, lying as a Judgment upon that Grand Sin; and the Notes of Time exactly agreeing to both; we have Reaſon to be aſſured, Such Interpretation is a True Interpretation of Prophecy, and that we may expect Things to come to paſs accordingly.
I come therefore to give, as I hope they will appear, Irreſiſtable Proofs from the Letter of Prophecy, from the Types, and from the Times Aſſigned by it; that the Space of Time, the Mahometan Impoſture and Tyranny, as a Judgment on the Antichriſtian Apoſtacy, have already taken up, hath been ſuch, that the Kingdom of Christ muſt needs be ſo near coming into its Succeſſion as 1697.
Argum. 1 It is undeniable by expreſs Evidence from the very Words of Prophecy, Rev. 10. c. 11. That the Time of the Seventh Angels ſounding the Seventh Trumpet, cannot be a Time, wherein any thing of ſuch Enmity to the Kingdom of Chriſt, as Mahometaniſm is by All, that bear the Name of Chriſtians; and the Papacy by All Proteſtants; is acknowledg'd to be, have any place. For it is ſworn, c. 10. 6, 7. there ſhall be Time no more, viz. of ſuch Time, Times and Half Time, as were ſworn ſhould be, Dan 12. 7. for the ſcattering the holy people, and for the wearing out the Saints of the Moſt High; but that the Myſtery of God in the Glory of his Kingdom ſhould be finiſh'd. The Contrary therefore could then have no place. And when the Diſplay of the Seventh Trumpet is deſcrib'd, the Kingdoms of this World are by Loud Voices in Heaven proclaim'd to be become the Kingdoms of the Lord, and of his Chriſt, Rev. 11. 15. 18. and then his Servants, Great and Small, ſhall have Rewards given them, and They be deſtroy'd who deſtroy'd the Earth. There could then be no poſſible Room for the Mahometans, whoſe King is Apollyon; nor for the Papacy, Repreſented by the Beaſt making War with the Saints.
Argum 2 Seeing the Seventh Trumpet is ſo diſtinguiſh'd, that there ſhould be ſuch Time, Times and Half Time no more, and that None of the Six foregoing Trumpets are ſo Diſtinguiſh'd, There is a Great Aſſurance given, that thoſe Time, Times, and Half Time, flow back into the Six Trumpets, and take them up; For then Times of a contrary Temper to the Kingdom of Chriſt, and to Finiſhing the Myſtery, had, according to the Oath, Dan. 12. their Place, Rev. 8. c. 9.
Argum. 3 It is moſt certain by the expreſs Text; the Fifth and the Sixth Trumpets muſt in ſome things agree with the Seventh Trumpet, and in ſome things ſo utterly diſagree; that the Space of the one (as hath been ſaid) cannot be the Space of the other: They agree in that, They are All Three Woe-Trumpets, and bring Judgment and Woe upon ſome Grand Enemy of the Kingdom of Chriſt; And ſo the Two Firſt Woes are Preparatoty Woes to the Third Woe of the Seventh Trumpet. They agree alſo with the Seventh Trumpet in this, That they carry on Time, ſo that there ſhould be no Remaining Time of Hinderance to the Finiſhing the Myſtery of God, but that ſuch Time ſhould be no more.
But they muſt herein diſagree to the utmoſt; that the Executioners of theſe Two Woes are (as the Aſſyrians and Babylonians of Old) though executing the Judgments of God on Idolatrous Pretenders to be his Peop…e; yet themſelves great Enemies to the Kingdom of Chriſt, and of the Serpentine Kind, compared to Scorpions and Serpents, Rev. 9. 10, 11. 14 and are under their Prince, the Angel of the Bottomleſs Pit. They therefore are themſelves to be enfolded in the Laſt Woe, being to be deſtroyed, as the Deſtroyers of the Earth.
Argum. 4 It muſt be moſt certain, the Days of the Seventh Angel Sounding, cannnt be yet, becauſe the Papacy, in the Senſe of All Proteſtants, and the Mahometan Impoſture, and Tyranny, in the Senſe of All Chriſtians, are ſo oppoſite to the Kingdom of Chriſt, and have yet ſuch a prevalent Intereſt in the World; that the Kingdoms of this World cannot by ſuch loud Voices be ſaid to be the Kingdoms of the Lord, and of his Chriſt.
Argum. 5 There is no poſſible Denial, That the Book of the Revelation hath fix'd 42 Months of the Gentiles treading under Foot the Outward Court, and the Holy City; and of the Beaſts having power over Tongues, and People, and making War with the Saints; and 1260 Days, call'd alſo, Time, Times, and Half a Time; and Three Days and a Half of the Witneſſes being in Sackcloth; the Woman, the Church in the Wilderneſs; the Witneſſes lying Dead, and the Church hid from the Face of the Serpent. Rev. 11. 2. c. 12. 6. 14. c. 13. 5.It is alſo moſt certain; there are great Examples in Scripture of a Day appointed for a Year, when Prophetical Time is Cypher'd. And it appears on greateſt Reaſon, from Ezek. 4. to be made a Standard of Prophetick Time. It is, laſtly, out of all doubt, that theſe Notes of Time, ſo diſcypher'd, make 1260 Years, and conſpire in ſo doing.
Argum 5 There is the greateſt Aſſurance that can be, that the Mahometan Impoſture becoming an Armed Power, hath laſted 1069 years, from 622 to 1691. And that the Papacy (in the Senſe of All Proteſtants, a Fowl Corruption and Uſurpation; and in the Senſe of the moſt Zealous Proteſtants, the Antichriſtian Apoſtacy▪ hath run parallel with it; and they have ſo long counter-ballanc'd one another, as a Sin, and as a Judgment. But further, that ſuch a Myſtery of Iniquity was working, 2 Theſ. 2. 7. to diſcover it ſelf about 200 years more or leſs, before the Mahometan Era; ſo as to make up now much what 1260 years.
Argum. 6 It is moſt Notorious in Hiſtory, that before the Mahometan Imposture, and Armed Power came, as a Judgment on the Chriſtian Profeſſion, there were Judgments on the Roman Empire, not only as mix'd of Pagan People; but as the Emperors, and Magiſtracy, and Multitudes of People under them, were Chriſtians; but All at the ſame time began to be corrupted with what hath ſince ſettled into the Antichriſtian Apoſtacy. Now theſe Judgments were, as hath been argued, very ſevere, yet of a very different Severity from the Mahometan Scourge. For firſt, They did not eſtabliſh ſuch an Horrible Impoſture, and Counter Religion to the Chriſtian Name, *Both calling themſelves Believers, and one another Infidels▪and therein to Antichriſtianiſm alſo, that diſguiſes it ſelf under that excellent Chriſtian Name, and ſo ſupports it ſelf by it. Then, they did not take away the Roman Name, Empire, and City in the Weſt, as the Mahometans have done in the Eaſt; but the Barbarians ſo Coaleſcd, or Knit themſelves into the Roman, Papal Supremacy, by degrees, that All became a Variety of Kingdoms, Supreme within themſelves, yet refunding, or giving back their Supremacies to one Spiritual Roman Supreme; who in order to that Spiritual Supremacy wound in, to himſelf, a vaſt Imperialneſs alſo, on, as they are call'd, the Temporal Powers; So that though the Incurſion of the Barbarians upon All Parts of the Roman Empire, effected ſuch a Diviſion of the Empire; yet it is well known, they Re-united in ſuch a Recognition of a Spiritual Supreme: There was indeed a Taking, and Re-taking the Great City Rome; ſo that it was for a Time depriv'd of all Face of any other Metropolitaniſm, but of the Biſhop of Rome, (which, it is to be obſerv'd, was always firm to it,) and was under the Exarch of Ravenna; But in that Eternal Rome, as it was ſtyl▪d (how wickedly ſoever) roſe up, and took the Name of the Catholick Church; as its Biſhop the Name of Supreme Biſhop and Paſtor; It Lived ſtill and became Great.
Now it is beyond all Controverſie in Chronology, From the Mahometan Hegire at 622. Going back to the Death of that Great and Excellent Prince Theodoſ…us …he firſt, when the Empire began to be played upon by thoſe leſſer Judgments, particularly the Invaſion of Italy; which may look like a Beginning of them, which was A. D. 402. There are years enough, and many to ſpare, to make the 1069. (from 622. to 1691) 1260
Inſomuch then, as we ſee not yet that Great Event of the Kingdom of Chriſt, which ſhall begin at the Seventh Trumpet's Sounding; and yet find, that Twelve hundred and ſixty years, and many more, muſt needs have paſs'd ſince 402. We muſt not begin them there, becauſe we know ſo well ſuch Great Effects as are juſt before, and at the Beginning of that Trumpet, have not yet been. We muſt therefore either the very Next Year, or every Next Year, be in Expectation of ſuch Great Events, on which the Seventh Trumpet ſhould begin to Sound, and ſo the Kingdom of Chriſt come into Succeſſion; In as much, as if we go back from 1691. to 622. we have 1069. years; and to make them 1260. we need go back no farther than to 431. when there was Appearance enough of thoſe Judgmen…s begun; Bu… for very Great Reaſons preſently to be given, I begin the Judgments preciſely at 437, as much about the middle Point betwixt Theodoſius his Death, 395, and the Ceſſation of the Weſtern Imperial Name, in Auguſtus, at 476.
Argum. 8 The Face in a Picture, drawn with the moſt Exquiſite Art, cannot more anſwer the Face in the Life, than the Types in the Prophecy of the Revelation anſwer the Great Events in Hiſtory, Rev. 8. all along.coming each at the juſt Times. What more Admirable Type of the Weſtern Empire, Invaded in all parts, than a Storm of Hail and Fire, mingled with Blood? yielding 18 years of the 1260. Or what Time more exact, than at 437? as we ſhall preſently ſee to Begin.
What more exact Emblem of Rome, ſo often Taken and Re-taken, to the ſo great Amazement of, and Noiſe in the World, and yet preſerv'd, then a Mountain, like an Etna, or Veſuvius, Spouting Fire into, or caſt flaming into the Sea; that it makes a terrible hiſſing in the Waves, yet the Fire ſo re-bated, as not to conſume it? This began A. D. 455. to purpoſe, (the Firſt Taking Anno 410. being but for Few days,) yielding 21 years more to the 1260.
What more Wonderful Figure of the Ceſſa…ion of the Weſtern Empire, Falling in Auguſtulus, as a Heſperus, or Evening-Star, than a Lamp quench'd in the Waters, at 476, and imbittering all Refreſhments, in the Empire, or Commerce, like Wormwood? yielding 66 years more of the 1260.
What more curious Emblem of Rome, t…e Metropolis of the Weſtern Empire, having no proper Supreme of its own, except the Roman Biſhop, (not ſo much as Conſular power,) who was indeed in Providence, already in his Succeſſion, but not Able to caſt any Rays of Secular Majeſty upon Rome; till he Fell, as a Star on the Earth, then the Third part of the Sun, Mo…n and Stars were ſmitten; and a Third part of the Day and Night not ſhining? Third, becauſe the Prophecy makes Third the Hieroglyphical Number of each Rome, the Weſtern Old, the Eaſtern New Rome, or Conſtantinople; Yielding 64 years more to the 1260 years.
What more Admirable Type of a Chriſtian Biſhop, becomingC. 9. all along. ſuch a Secular Prince, under the Diſguiſe of a S…iritual Supreme Paſtor, then a Star Falling to the Earth, when Chriſt had ſtyl'd the Angels of the Churches Stars in his Right Hand? Yielding 16 Years more to the 1260 Days, and ſo making up the 191, wanting to the 1069.
What more Stupendious Image of the Mahometan Impoſture becoming Arm'd, firſt in the Saracens, and Riſing out of the Antichriſtian Darkneſs of the Pope's Supremacy, (Arrogating the Keys of Purgatory, as his own, to which the Mahometan Parad…ſe is ſuch a Fabulary oppoſite) than Venemous Locuſts coming out of the Smoke, ſwarming every way, and running up and down the World with a perpetual Diſquiet, under the Abaddon of the Bottomleſs Pit? and yielding by Five Months and Five Months, and the Time of Non-Action 490 years more to the 1260. and yet They in all that Time could not Kill, that is, deprive Any of Supreme Power, nor Themſelves, found any ſettled Illuſtrious Monarchy.
What more Admirable Reſemblance of the Turkiſh Cavalry, or Horſemen, ſwelling with the Poyſon of Mahomet in their …eads and Tails, than Four Angels, viz▪ Attendants upon the fore-nam▪d Abaddon, Angel of the Bottomleſs Pit; who were therefore Bound till the Juſt Time appointed by God, and then prepar▪d to Kill the Third part of Men, or to put an utter End to the Eaſtern Roman Monarchy, call'd Third, (as before-noted) and to ſeize upon Conſtantinople, the Acropolis of it, within about 396 Years after the Ceſſation of the Saracenic, (ſo vexatious Scorpions that yet could not Kill,) viz. at A.D. 1453. And yet by the Vertue of their Grant of an Hour, or Seaſon over, to their Day, Month and Year, continue to this very Day; and ſhall continue until the Seventh Trumpet; Their coming from Euphrates, at the Voice from the VVitneſſes at the Golden Alter of Incenſe; Their Numerous Armies of Horſemen, their Vomiting Fire, (an Admirable Figure of their Great Guns, then come into Uſe, and of Prodigious Greatneſs, prepar'd for the Taking Conſtantinople,) are ſure Notes of them, as alſo that they continue to this Day. This hath yielded to the 1260 Days, ſo many, as to make up the whole Mahometan Time to this 1691, as hath been ſaid, 1069 years.
Laſtly, How Perſpicuous a Veil of the Reformation, about 64 years after the Taking of Conſtantinople; is that Repreſentation of Chriſt making a Seizure of his Kingdom, Roaring as a Lyon, holding the C. 10. all along.Book of his Kingdom open in his Hand, and then Seven Thunders uttering their Voices, And yet it is ſhew'd after All, that the Reformation would not Attain its Effect, till Half Time fully Run out, which would be a Time of Delay, as we viſibly ſee with our Eyes; For neither is the Reformation perfect within it ſelf, nor hath it extended to the Ʋniverſal Roman Empire, and ſo to the Ends of the Earth; Therefore were the Thunders ſeal'd, and the Book clos'd in the Bowels of the Apocalyptick Prophet, and Prophecy continued; and ſo the Seventh Angel not ſounding, nor the Mystery finiſh'd. This hath yielded ſince it began in Luther, 1517, 176 years of the laſt 180 of Half Time, and ſo to the End 1697.