A Poilfcript. thens that joyn'd with them. 2. That however holySalvian excufe them; and the Life of Bobeline faint them, the generality of Chriftian Writers difown them and their Fait, and moft that I have feen do not fo much as call themChriftians, (as the three in Hottinger's &cc1. Hift.) tho' they deny it not. 3. And the Hiftory tells us,that God did not profper them, there were many thoufands ofthem kill'd upon their ref ftance,morethan it's like Perfecution would have kill'd, however bloody Dioclefian was. 4. And thofe 'forenam'd Hiftorians make their Arms the occafion of the decimating the Theban Legion, and the death of Mauritius and his Com- pany, and the Perfecution of Felixand his Companions, by Decius in Hel- vetia. 9. And they have left an evil Name behind them, even among Chriflians as well as Heathens. Ill. I will purpofely omit much abouf the Mark of the Beaft andNum- ber of his Name, left I put thoughts into inaluifitive Headswhich may be abus'd. But whereas fome eminent Doftors thought, that as the Beaft had this Mark, Chrift mutt have his inChrifiians Foreheads, and pleaded EKek. g. 4. that the letter Tau was like theCrofs, for the ufe of that Symbol. That molt excellent Divine and Grammarian Matthias Martiniut (the Light of Breme, and of the Synod of Dort) thus confuteth that inhis Leak. lit. T, (againft Origene and Hierome) " There are feen at this day " the Coin call'd Sicles, which are everyday digg'd up at Jerufalem, and " were in ufe under the Kings of Judea. In this Coin the fame Letters " are enaraven which are read in the SamaritansWritings,iwithout any " the leaft change : And to think that the Letters of the ancient He- " brews were other than thofe that are feen in thofeSicles, and whichun- " der the Kings in Judea, were in the Commerce of the Jeros, is extream " Folly and Unskilfulnefs. And the Samaritan Tau is far unlike a Crofs. This proveth that the Samaritan was the old Hebrew Letter. 2. And as the Leaft chofe his own Mark, and left not the choice to his Servants, fo Chrift hath chofen Baptifm, and the Supper, and leaveth it not to us to make more Sacraments and Marks for him at our plea- lure. Eut yet I would advife Proteftants to take heed that they harden not PapifIs, by calling that Crofs the Mark of the Beal, which the old Churches call'd the Mark of Chrift; fuch Oppofitions ftrengthen the Op- pos'd. IV. Whereas fome do, before they fee my Book, accufe me loudly, as if I pleaded that the Pope is not Antichri/t, and that unfeaTenably : Let them know, that as I fay nothing but what I have fummarily grid of that Point in all my Books againft Popery thefe Seven and twentyyears ; fo that it is a Queftion I littlemeddle with, having greater Arguments and furer againft Popery : My ignorance of molt of the Revelations, I profefs, and long have done : My Doubts on that are not who k Antichrilf, hut who is she firftand fecend Beall, ch. 13. and what is Babylon, and who the Wit- nefl s, &c. And fo for any I from oppofang wifer Men, that I hereby crave their help for my batter information, as a willing humble Learner. And as the Queutions of the Catechifn occafion Mens initruaing Anfwers, fa I am in hope, that as 11-a ilia recite forne Diüliculties, in which I need their
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