miracles were nothing else but fhadows prefented to the dark phantafie of man, by the imagination of natural art and figure; for if the things the magicians did before Pharoah, and the people, had been any thing but fhadows, the people of the land, and the king would have been as much troubled to get away the frogs, and other things that the magicians brought upón Egypt, as they were with those frogs, and other things that Mofes brought upon Egypt.

But it may be clear to thofe that are not as dark as pitch, that all those things which the magicians of Egypt did, were nothing elfe but fhadows, meerly produced by natural magick; for when the thing was over, the fhadow was vanished alfo, fo that the people heard, nor faw any more of the magicians frogs.

So likewife when the imagination of reafon is exercised upon a religious account, though it be in the way of idolatry, many ftrange things may be atchieved and attained unto where the imagination of reafon is religioufly bent; for thefe two horns like a lamb did fignify zeal in religion, though in an idolatrous way. So that this beaft being ftudious of religion, did by the strength of his imagination, and his diabolical holiness; he exercifing his mind more upon idolatry and worshiping of images, than the other beaft did before him. So that this beast with two horns like a lamb, could go farther in his religious imagination, than the other beast did, and deceive the people more by a way of lying figns and wonders, fo that the people took this beaft to be more god-like than the other; for this beast did feem to make fire come down from heaven on the earth, in the fight of men. He did this upon a religious account to deceive the people, as the Egyptians did upon a temporal account, as I faid before. That is, he went to imitate the prophet Elijah to bring fire from heaven in the fight of men, as Elijah did, even as the magicians of Egypt did imitate Mofes. But this fire the beaft brought from heaven, it was no real thing, but only a fhadow or likeness of fire, as the Egyptians was.

For this fire that he brought from heaven, it did no body any hurt, only dazzled the phantafies of them that faw it with a fhadow of fire, but no fubstance; even as the Egyptians did in the temporal.

But the fire Elijah brought from heaven, it burnt up two captains and their fifties, because the fire that came from heaven it was a real fubftance, and did execution; but a fhadow doth nothing but deceive the phantafie of man for the prefent, as in verfe 14. And deceived them that dwelt on the earth, by the means of thofe miracles which he had power to do in the fight of the beaft, faying to them that dwelt on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had a wound by a fword, and did live.

In this 14th verfe he had power to command the people to make an image, and to dedicate it to the beast that received the wound with a fword, and did live. And in verfe 15. he would fhew another fign or miracle that should deceive the people more than the former fign of bringing fire from heaven on the earth in the fight of men; fo that he would deceive their dark understandings, for he bad power to give life to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast foould both Speak, and caufe that as many as would not worship the image of the beast, fhould be killed.

TH

CHA P. XXXVIII.

HIS I would have the reader to obferve, that the image that this beaft with two horns like a lamb, did caufe to be made and fet up, the image was the fame form and likeness, though made of wood or ftone, as that beast was of that received a wound by a fword, and did live; and that beast was a man, and the image of that man did this beaft caufe to be fet up to be worshiped. For that beaft with two horns like a lamb, had power by his fubtle and diabolical inchantments, to make this image of the first beast to speak; and by the speech of the image it fhould caufe that as many as would not worship the image of the beaft; that is, the form of this image of a man, fhould be killed; now this feemeth very strange to the mind of man, and fo it did to those people in that time, that the wisdom of reason, the devil, fhould by his witchcraft-power, in point of religion and worship, to make an image, which the workman hath made with his own hands, for to speak.

It cannot chufe but to cause ignorant, and dark minded people to be deceived, and to fall down and worship it; they fuppofing that the spirit of the holy gods doth come into it, at or in its feafon, and speak to the people, fo that they are fully perfuaded, that it is the fpirit of the holy gods that fpeaketh in it; fo that they fall down and worship it, not thinking that the imagination, power, and authority of the beast hath out-witted them; for the beast did make an image of the other beaft, aforefaid, and did fet it apart, or dedicated it of purpose for a god to be worshiped, and made priests overseers of it, and confecrated the image by the priests in a holy manner; and fome boy or child, had a way to go into the image, and speak in it fuch words as the beaft, and the priests should order the child to speak; fo that the child must speak through the mouth of the image, as if the image did speak itself, just like unto a wooden puppet in a play.

But as the Scriptures faith, none of their images doth, nor can speak through the throat. But fecrefy between the beaft and the priests, might keep the thing fo close, that the people might know nothing but that the image did speak itself, and fo they being bewitched with ignorance, and darkness, and deceived by this policy, they do worship the image. And fo much the more, because the image did fpeak, and the words that the image did fpeak, they must be fuch words as he that gave order to make it, would have it fpeak. That is, to worship the image in the fpiritual, and to command all people, small and great, bond and free, rich and poor, in the temporal, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads, as in verfe, 16. So that no man might buy or fell, fave be that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name, as in verse 17. These were the things that the image muft, and did speak, and these were the miracles that this beaft wrought in the eyes of the people, whereby they were deceived; for these feemed to be great miracles, and fo they were, to that which knoweth not the true God; for great things may be accomplished by the spirit of reafon in man, if backed with the authority and power of the nation.

But

But greater things than these have been acted in this nation upon a spiritual account, and more fpiritual wonders and miracles have been wrought by the fpirit of reason in John Robins, John Taney, and others; for they have been able by that spiritual witchcraft-power, to present half moons, stars, burning, fhining lights to the fancy of people.

Alfo John Robins hath prefented by his fpiritual witchcraft-power the form of a dragon, and the form of a ferpent, and thick darkness; with divers other lying figns and wonders. I call them lying figns, because they were but shadows, and no real thing or fubftance, only things produced out of the strength of his own imagination; it being stronger than others, it did fubject the imaginations of others under it ; and fo they were deceived by it, their phantafies being dazzled, and over powered by his knowledge and wifdom, in the dark power of reason, the devil, he could present to their dazzled phantafies, fuch like shapes and figns, as aforementioned.

Likewife it was in John Taney's heart, to have offered up his fon to a diabolical deity, that he might attain to a greater and higher spiritual power, than he had yet attained unto; with other ftrange things he did, and would have done, had not the law of the land been against fuch things, to put them to death; he would have done much like Manaffes, 2 Kings xxi. 6. who made his fons pass thorow the fire; fo that wonderful strange things may be attained unto by the fpirit of reason in man, when it is religiously about.

But I fhall speak no more of these things here, only these few lines are to let the reader to see what strange things have been acted here in England, by men upon a religious account, and many more which I will not mention now.

CHAP. XXXIX.

B

UT I shall open a little what is meant by receiving the mark of the beast in the right hand, or in the forehead.

The mark of the beaft is this, when a head magistrate or chief council in a nation or kingdom, fhall fet up by his or their power and authority, a fet form of worship, he or they having no commiffion from God fo to do, and fhall caufe the people by their power and authority, both fmall and great, bond and free, to worship after this manner of worship that is fet up by authority, as this beast did, elfe they shall be perfecuted or killed.

This form of worship so set up without a commission from God, it may, and is called by the spirit an image, for all people to worship, by vertue of that power that did fet it up. For this I must say, that all manner of forms of woship which are fet up by men who have no commiffion from God, they are but idols and images; and whoever doth worship God in those forms of worship fet up by noncommiffionated men, they may be faid to receive the mark of the beast in the right band, or in the forehead.

But there was always in most parts of the earth one fupreme power in all nations, that had power to fet up form of worship, as an image, and to command and compel all those that were under their power, to worship the image fet up by the

power, or by the beaft. For all head magiftrates are called beafts, as well as kings, elfe the people have not been fuffered to buy, nor fell, but have been per fecuted and killed, even as they were at that time by the beast that had two horns like a lamb. For whofoever would not receive his mark, either in his forehead, or his right hand; that is, if they would not worship the image fet up by the beast, they fhould be killed, or not fuffered to buy nor fell: That is, not to trade; which

is as bad to fome as death itself.

So hath it been ever fince, and will be to the end of the world, little or much. For let the reader confider, how many have loft their lives for not fubmiting to the worship, or as I may fay image, that hath been set up by the Papift! the multitude of people that power hath flain and perfecuted upon that account, are hardly to be numbered by man.

So likewife the Epifcopal power of worship, hath for their image perfecuted and put to death many. Alfo the Persbytery for their worship, or image, have perfecuted and put to death many, witnefs New England, Scotland, and other places. The Independent alfo for his worship, or image, hath been guilty of perfecution. The Baptift they also have been guilty of pefecution for their image or worship, witness that one particular of James Naylor, for that little parliament that punished him, were moft of them Independents and Baptifts; fo that all men when they are in power fall to perfecution for religion, if men differ from them in point of worship.

And as for the Ranter and Quaker they never were in power, fo that their perfecuting fpirits for religion cannot be feen; yet all these feven churches have an image to worship. That is, they every one of them do fet up a feveral form of worship, but all falfe; for none of them know the true God, neither have any of them a commission from God to set up such a form of worship as they do.

So that all forms of worship in what manner foever, that are set up by noncommiffionated men, who are not authorized of God, their forms are but images or idols, and the worshipers are idolaters, and do receive the mark of the beaft, either in the forehead, or in the right hand. For the fpirit of reason in man, is the beast that fets up worship as an image, let it be in high, or low, but more especialy in higher powers, who have power to command people to worship his image, and in fo doing, they do receive the mark of the beast in their foreheads, or right hand.

Now a man may be faid to receive the mark of the beaft in his forehead, when as a man doth worship in that form and manner, as is fet up by the beaft's authority willingly, then doth a man receive the mark in his forehead. And when a man receives the mark of the beaft in his right hand, it is when men do worfhip, and bow down to that form of worship, or image fet up by the beaft against a man's own mind, or unwillingly, for fear he fhall fuffer if he do it not. This is to receive the mark of the beaft in his right hand. For if the mark of the beast be not seen in the forehead, or in the right hand, they shall either be killed, or not fuffered to trade; that is, to buy and fell; one of thefe he must be fure to fuffer if he hath not the mark in either of those two places, aforefaid. That is, if the people do not come to the publick worship fet up by the beaft, either wil

lingly or unwillingly, it was known that they had not received the mark of the beaft, neither in the forehead, nor in the right hand.

It is called the right hand, because the right hand is that that fubfcribes or writes. his name to any thing of concernment; fo that no man fhould buy or fell, fave him that hath the mark, or the name of the beaft, or the number of his name.

Now observe, they who had the name of the beaft, or the number of his name, were those men that were in offices and places in the beaft's dominions, or that had a badge of the beaft's arms upon them; for they knew the number of beasts which had fucceeded, even to the day or time of that beaft, fo that they knew the number of his name, and how many beafts were past before him. So that those that had commiffions for offices and places of truft, were those that had the name of the beaft, because they had the beaft's hand to thofe commiffions for to authorize them in their places; and thofe that had the number of his name, were those that wore a badge of his arms, fignifying what number of kings loinsthis beast did come through. So that none but those that had received the mark, as aforefaid, and thofe that had the beaft's warrants for offices, and thofe that had the number of his name, as aforefaid, were to have the priviledge to buy and fell, &c.

V

CHAP. XL.

ERRSE 18. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is fix bundred threefcore and fix.

I would have the reader to mind the interpretation of this verfe. Obferve in the first verse of this chapter, John faw in his vision a beast arife out of the sea, having seven heads; which feven heads did fignify feven kings or seven beafts, that should have ten horns; which ten horns did fignify the ten perfecutions, in the primitive times fo called; yet we find in this chapter but three of these beasts, which acted their parts in perfecuting the faints; though all the feven heads did perfecute the faints.

Alfo in the last verse of this chapter, John includes all these feven beasts into one beast, saying, Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. It must needs be the number of a man, because man is called a beast, either a good beaft or an evil beaft, as I have faid before concerning the four good beafts, they fignified all good kings and head magistrates, were all included in those four good beafts. So likewife all evil kings and evil magistrates, are included in those seven heads, which the beast had that arofe out of the fea. Farther, the spirit of revelation in John doth include all evil kings and evil magiftrates into one evil beaft, fhewing that there is but one evil beast, in whom the evil fpirit doth reign in perfecuting men for confcience fake, because they will not worship the beaft's image.

So that you that can difcern between the fpirit of reason, and the spirit of faith. For those two fpirits lye both hid in their two feeds, to wit, the fpirit of faith in the feed of God, and the spirit of reason in the feed of the ferpent

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