And the fifth Angell poured out his Viall upon the feat of the Beaft or, as the word is in the Originall, the Thrones and his Kingdome was full of darkeneffe, and they gnawed their Tongues for paine, And blafphemed the God of Heaven because of their paines, and their fores,andrepented not of their deeds. I N these words you have defcribed the First by the fubject on which it was Secondly by the effect of it, which is double. 1. Proper and primary [ His Kingdome was thereby darkened] 2. The fecondary and accidentall events were three. 1.Anguifh and indignation [They gnawed their Tongues for painc.] A 2.Be 2.Blafphemy [They blafphemed the God of Heaven.] This Scripture and the interpretation of it, is the more difficult, because it is generally conceived that the execution of Gods judgements upon the Bealt, hath not yet gone beyond thepowring out of the fourth Viall, therefore conjectures about it, will be the more difficult, and it may be more uncertaine yet because the Scripture in it felfe is not darke, how darke fo ever we may be in our apprehenfions: The Kingdome of the Beast is darke, but not the Kingdome of Chrift. And the Lord hath romifed a gracious blefling upon all that read, and heare the words of this prophecy, Chap. 1. verse 3. fo that by the comparing of one part of this prophecy with another, and obferving the due poife of every word in his place, with holy feare and reverence, the Lord is wont to lead his people into truth, according to the promife made to the Apostle, John 16.13. (which is fulfilled to every fucceffour of theirs in fome measure) Let us therefore goe on in the feare of God to confider of these things. . First the difficulty chiefely lyeth in opening the fubje& whereon this Viall will be powred, for open that,and the rest will be cleare. The feat of the Beaft is generally taken for the City of Rome, and it is confirmed from the like fpeech, Rev. 13.2. Where the Dragon gave the Beaft his power, and his feat,(or throne) and great authority, and therefore they gather from hence the ruine of Rome, applying alfo hereunto fume prophecies of the Sibills, who in their Langnge tell us thus much, that Rome fhall then be deflate, and be as if it had never been a ftate. Now though we have much cause to glorificGod for the labours of fuch of his fervants as have gi e that expofition, yet I must confeffe I cannot reft fatisfied with that interpretation: for I finde it cleare in the fequell of this Chapter, that Babilon (which is doubricffe meant of Rome[ As throughout the feventeenth Chapter it is al ́ is faid to come up into Remembrance before God in the 19. verse of this Chapter, And that is in the powring out the feventh Viall, which implyeth that before,ic came not up in remembrance before God in point of actuallyu fhment, for things are faid to come up into remembrance before God, when hc.: : hetaketh in hand either to fhew mercy to them, or to powre out wrath upon them, a figne that the Fiall and fierceneffe of his wrath was not yet powred out upon Rome: befides it is expreffed in this Text, that upon the powring out of this Viall, the Kingdome of the beaft was darkened, but there is a great difference betweene darkning, and deftroying, Egypt was darkened, before Pharoh was deftroyed,or the body of Egypt overwhelmed in the red Sea. Upon thefe grounds therefore I cannot conceive that it is meant of Rome, but of fomething elfe, which in Scripture is to be underfood by [Throne fometimes it is put for that forme of government and authority which any perfon or ftate ficting on that throne doth adminifter,as it is laid of Chrift, that his throne is a throne of Righteoufneffe, and that is not so much spoken of the place where he governeth, as of the government it felfe, fo in the 89 Pfalme 29.& 36,37.I will make his throne as the dayes of Heaven, and againe his throne fhall be as the Sunne before me; It fhall be established for ever as the Moone, and in Pfalme 122.5. Thrones of judgement are diftinguifhed from the thrones of the houfe of David, to wit, fuch as David hath erected: fo by the like propofition it is here meant of that forme of government, which the beaft exercifeth in the Church both fubjectively, that which himselfe doth occupy over the Churches fubject to him, and effectively, that which proceedeth from him, and is exercised by others in other Churches according to the frame and forme of government received from him, and that is fuch a peereleffe kind of government, as wherein one alone doth rule; for a throne is fuch a kind of feate wherein one of peereleffe authority doth governe; as a Monarch in his owne Do minion. Indeed the univerfall fupremacy of the Pope both in spiritualland temporall things, whereby he challengeth transcendent authority over all Kings and Princes, that was violated by the fourth Fiall of thefe Angels: but yet ftill here is another throne which yet hitherto remaineth unplagued, and that is his fingular fele authority, and monarchicall government, whereby he fitteth chiefe and onely Judge in Ecclefiafticall caufes in his own jurifdi&ion, and like unto which he hath established the government ofall Nation al, Provincialland Diocesan Churches, and fo this interpretation doth very ficly fuit with the proper effect of the powring out of this Viall expreffed in the Text his Kingdome was darkened ] fzovele; and what kinde of government is that? fuch as wherein one doth raigne, as they are wont to fay there must be but eis noigarỡ, barna;, One Prince in a ftate: this forme of government hitelfe doth exercife ftill in his owne jurifdiction inviolately, and this he hath brought into all national and Provinciall and DiocefanChurches in the world where popery hath prevailed; and which still continueth in fome Proteltant Churches,where though the Doctrine, and wohip of Popery be abolished, and the tranfcendent fupremacy of his government, yet the forme of his government, monarchicall, or fole and fingular government by one that is Epifcopacy, is still continued. Who is then the fifth Angel that hath powred out his Fall upon this peereleffe government the Epifcopacy? Though it be faid this Fiall is not yet powred cut,and though it haply was not powred out with the writings of fuch men (who fo conceived)were under their hands: yet Beza,and Cartwright did fprinkle fome drops of this Viall upon this government, though the power and ftrength of the Epifcopacy in their time was fuch as drunke them up like the dry Earth,that drinketh in the raine,yet will not God be fo put off from his word, he powreth out more drops upon them by holy Baines his triall of Diocefan government,and godly learned Parkers Ecclefiafticall Politie, but these were drops you now fee whole Vialls full of wrath powred out by the whole Church of Scotland, who have engaged themselves, and their ftate for ever in this quarrell,and have beene carried along herein, not in a way of popular tumult,but with fuch wifedome, courage, judgement and Piety, that you may fee and fay that it is not a Viall powred out by an unadvised multitude, but by an Angell of God,by the Heavenly Ministers of his wrath. It hath beene taken in hand with ferious and deepe and generall humiliation, judging themselves for their toleration of fuch a government amongit chemfelves, and fo feconded in their conftant fruits of Reformation, as that their very ad it : adverfaries ftand amazed to behold them, and thefe are not drops alone, but like unto great ground thowers which grow unto a floud and overflow for they have turned away the Houd of fuperitition in their owne Country, by the Rivers of the power of God, and his Evangelical truth, fo now they have allo flowed into England, intomuch that a great many of the Commons of England and many noble Pecies, doe begin to Gy that Epiícopacy is an antichristian frame and forme,which he brought in, and doth fill countenance and animate, and while it continueth,, popery will not fall whereupon, it hath came to passe (if your intelligences faile not) that many fad confiderations have beene taken up in England, whether it be not belt to abandon all fuch thrones men will not fight for the defence of these thrones, nor draw their purfes to maintaine fuch waire,but men begin generally to be taught of God, that this is not the forme of the government of Jefus Chrift. Nor doe I know that any of the former Vialls have beene powred out by any men, whofe loines have beene more gert with truth, and whote cloathing hath beene more pure, and white,then thefe fervants of God have been gert, and cloathed withall. These things being thus understood, take you the fequell, and it will eafily interpret it fele; for doth not hereby the Kingdome of the beaft (his monarchicall forme of Churchgovernment) grow full of darkeneffe? Is not Epifco pacy now brzdoμirn? the very word of the Text,as it were alluding to the Nation that darkeneth it? Epifcopall government doth it not grow darke? yea fuil of darkeneffe ? Is it not fcotized, darkned and beclouded with a Scottish mist?so as that it groweth base and vile, not onely in the eyes of godly, wife, and judicious Divines, but in the eyes of good people;nor of godly people alone, but of many civill,and orderly mindes mervaile not therefore if it be faid that the Kingdome of the beaft (that is, this forme of his government be full of darkeneffe: And hath not this darke neffe procured other secondary effects? doe they not gnaw their tongues for very indignation, what doe you thinke of the chicfe Church governors of Scotland? and fome of the chiefe of that order in England, and their chiefe companions (if your reports be true) doc they not get themfelves into darke corners? 2.And for the fecond event [They blafphemed the God of Heaven] have you not heard that the powring out of this Viall hath beene by them accounted nothing else but Rebellion against the state |