That the act of the Dragon there mentioned, is not the driving of the Woman into the Wilderness, but another thing, viz, a lying in wait to devour her childe fo foon as born, v. 4. And the Dragon ftood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her childe fo foon as it was born. The meaning whereof is, That the faithful,the true members and children of the Church, (which because one Body, are here reprefented by one Childe;and for dignity fake,or elfe to reprefent their ftrength in their head, Chrift, a Man-childe) that in the time of Paganifm had been oppreffed by the Dragon; the Divel perceiving them now through Conftantines means to be in a rifug way, and ready as with a Rod of Iron to crush in peices his Heathenifh Worship; he therefore labours by ftirring up the power of the old Pagan Empire to oppofe Conftantine, to stifle this work in the beginning; but this he cannot do; Conftantine prevails, and the faithful in defpight of him are caught up to God, and to his Throne, i. e. fet out of the reach of the Dragon through Conftantines prevailing. The Church now after her fharp fiery Trial under the Pagan Emperours coming to enjoy great peace and profperity under Conftantine, it comes to paffe that thee abufing her profperity, and Jef ron-like now waxing fat, beginning to kick and grow wanton, her good is turned into evil, and within a fhort time afterwards fhee begins to Apoftatize from her firft Principles, and inftead of being cloathed with the Sun (as was the Primitive Church, ver. 1.) and having the Moon under her feet, fhe neglects the Sun,.. Chrift crucified for Juftification, and true Holinefs through his Death Death and Sufferings, and arrayes her self with the Moon, i. e. worldly ornainents, as Dignities, Preferments, outward Riches, &c. which things a while after Conftantine began to bee mightily ftickled for by the Clergy generally, yea in Coun cels alfo. Now when it came to be thus, the woman, i. e. the true Church vanifheth away, and retires her felf into the Wilderness; and as fhee retires, fo in her room ftands up the Beast, i. the falfe Antichriftian Church. But this is not done inftantly, but after the Church had had profpe rity fome time, and abused it, and thereby provoked Chrift to with-draw his prefence and Spirit; which gone, the Church ftraightway degenerates, and thee that was before the Spouse of Christ, becomes an Antichriftian Harlor Hence the Womans flight into the Wilderness is noted in the Text, as the very next thing after the childes being caught up to God and his Throne,ver.5. And her childe was caught up to God, and to his Throne,ver.6. And the woman fled into the Wilderness. Now obferve, as the childes being caught up to God, and his Throne, was fucceffive to the Dragons gaping to devour the childe,which was whilft yet the child was but in the birth; So the womans flight into the Wilderness(whence begins theone thousand two hundred and fixty days)is to be looked upon as a thing fucceffive, as well in time as place to the childes being caught up to God and to his Throne; And fo the Objection is indeed a reafon for us, that we may not begin the one thousand two hundred and fixty days, cither before Conftantine, or with him, but must fonte time afterwards. The Arguments brought from Hiftory Civil, or Ecclefiaftical, to prove this fall to the ground upon the account of these two reasons. I Becaufe Hiftory is only a Human teftimony, and therefore to be tried by the Divine; but the Divine teftimony (or testimony of Scripture) cannot be. made to agree to this beginning, as our two first Reafons prove. 2 Because all that is faid from History as viz. the Story of Conftantines donation of Rome, Italy, &c. to Pope Silvester, the story of Queen HeLens Croffe, &c. have only the authority of Popish Writers, and not any of the Ancients to countenance them; yea, are exploded by Proteftant Writers as: Fables; as fee Melanthon in his review of Carions Chronicle, lib. 3.Johan. Wolf.cent. 4. Simpsons Hiftory of the Church, lib. 2. cent. 4. The Argument urged by fome from the Inditions (which of all Arguments from meer History is the most plaufible) tends only to prove that the Papifts reckon the beginning of their Kingdom from about this time. But doth it follow that therefore we are fo to do? What Scripture warrant is there for fuch a thing, that there wee fhould begin the time of the Beafts reign, where the Beafts own followers begin their Kingdome? Certainly,were this a rule to walk by, there would be no difficulty at all in making up our account of the forty two Moneths, & the one thousand two hundred and fixty days; yea take it at belt, it is but an uncertain Argument; for fome end the Olympiads, and begin the Indictions fooner, fome later; and what ftrength this Argument hath in it (which in my account is but feeble) will as wel agree agree (according to fome) to a more likely time, as to this; for Roffe in his Hiftory of the World faith, Lib. 3. Chap. 3. that about the year three hundred ninety five the Olympiads ceafed, and the Indictions were inftituted. The conclufion of all is, That that opinion which begins the forty two Moneths,and the one thousand wo hundred and fixty days with Conftantine, is not that we are to cleave unto, as truth in this thing. SECT. 2. THe opinion of a late Writer (who hath beftowed much labour upon our Question) is, that we are to begin this Epocha with the time of Pope Leo the firft; and the particular year pitched upon by our Author is the year four hundred forty two.. But though I honour the Author, yet cannot I receive his opinion. I Because according to it the one thousand two hundred and fixty days cannot bee made current in their end with the one thousand two hundred and ninety, unleffe thirty years upwards, of the year four hundred forty two, a Head be found for that number; which could it bee, yet cannot then the one thousand three hundred thirty five be made concurrent in their end (no not according to our Authors own Principles, and calculation) with the two thousand three hundred. 2 Because its evident the Beast was rifen above fortyyears before this time; therefore not now to rife. The account of the wonderful Numberer, D 3 Dan. 8, Dan. 8, 14. doth not (as faith our Author, but without giving any fubftantial reason for the thing) enforce this beginning, but indeed ftrongly, it rightly computed, another, as appears from our Key. His Human teftimonies are wonderoufly mifapplied in point of time; for indeed not any one of those Human Rites, Superftitions, and Idolatries, which our Author makes mention of, as crept in at this time, but had their rise, yea approbation too even in Councels fome years higher, as is proved in my Key, Thef. 23. The Authors calculation of the time when the Beaft fhall begin to go to wrack, and that from the number of his Name, fix hundred fixty fix, çarries not weight with me, because I finde the number of the Beafts name put for a part or peece of the Beafts Idolatry, which the true worshippers of Jefus are to fhun, and get victory over, Chap. 15.2. And I faw them that had gotten the victory over the Beast, and over his Image, and over his Mark, and over the number of his Name. But now did the number of his Name hold forth the time of his continuance, it would contrariwife bee a great part of a Saints comfort and joy to know it. Nay further, I finde the Papals feverely punifhed by God for having to do with this Name, Chap. 14.11. And the fmeak of their torment a fcendeth up for ever and ever. And they have no reft day nor night, who worship the Beaft and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. The leaft that can be inferred from these words, is, that the |