GA P.9, A10,elatïonoftbeApocá.lypre. z89 it is in Socrates, Book 4. 36. or Mana , as SozomeHe calleth her, Book 6. 38, At which time Valens governed the Empire of Rome in the Eaf. From the beginning, or perhaps from Zacomus the Prince , who flourifhed a few veers- before the truth feemed to have been fpread abroad among them, until! the time of Heraclitss, corrupted doublcffe withmany pollutions,a sit is wont to be in proceflcof rime, yet not quite extingui hed,as it is deer byMahomet hinrfelf,A,ho k¿neW and received theholy Scriptures, and got unto himfelfe companions, or Mailers ratherfor that purpofe, Sergius ofC'®nftantinople, a Monite that was a Ncfterian, and John of Antioch, an Arian; Wherefore it is evident,that both of them fell down.The Key wasgiven to the Pope of Rome after that manner that I fpake of:'For after that the Er peroaar had by his edic`fs decreed, That the Bijbop of Rome Jbould havefull power to call and difmiffe Synods, to confirme and abolifh Whatfoever WAS decreed in the fynodsat his pleafure, and that the City of Rome Amid-be the Head f ring of all faving life, where before that, Con- f antinopleWasfo acconnted,becaasfe there the Emperour bad' hisfeat, as Pompon: Litas faith in Hifloryof Phocas. What was there that his Key could not open ? Doth not the `Tope worthily boaft of his Keyes, and carrieth them rolled of an enfigne, left any man perhaps fhould be ignoranr,that this is the fame whom John faw fiiould come. And this is the difference between the reft of the fuperftitious pe.r- fons of the Romifh Church, and the Pope himfelf; There were many other, that gave more honour to the Saints departed, then was meet, and that did defile themfelves with the horrible fin of Idolatry; but no other man had the Key given him to open the pit, fave onely this ZJnir crftll Bi/hop. Let no man then for the cleanlier covering of . 3tichrif, alleadge that there were many other that Were copart- ners with Antich-rifl inholding foul errours, but let him joyne with that the reft of theproperties, and not judge ofhim by force one of them. Now as for ,Mahomet , what was there that hee could not ob- tainat the hands of the fillypeople , being once taken of all men for a great Prophet ? Who When be Was by reafon offorce Fick aeffe fallen' into a trance, the rwde multitude beleeved that heWas then in conference With the angel Çebriel. A powerful! Key indeed, and fit to open that infernal! den. The confideration therefore of the time, the gre atneffe of the matter, the agreement ofall things, which (hall more appear in the expofition that followeth, to include the en- larged
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