(904) the Grecigxs, there bath been enough fpoken in the former part of` this Chap. The terrible beaft thenonly remainerh,that variable wilde beaft,and ofmany fafhions,which is this King.,For it is neceffary,that the expofition (ofwhichkind this Taft Prophecie is) tttould bring no new matter, as far as it concerneth thegeneral( heads, nor any whit depart from thegenerali type. By which it is alto manifeft, that the fourth Bealt,Chap.7.is not the Kingdomofthe Seleucidans and Lagi- dans,as fome learned men have thought, Peeing this King that very beat, neither is Antiochns, nor any part ofthe Grecian Monarchic, which had no fuccefíòr after Antiochns, greater then he. But of this matter more hereafter. So as by thofe neceflàry arguments thus laid :down, wee are led by the hand to the Romans, who took the lamp from the CÇrecians,and whom the Jews afterward, found,and felt the Snoft cruel revengers of their wickedneffc. For it is the intent of the fpirir, in a briefSyrsopfr,or abridgement,to our view,to deliver what the&tare of the lea'sfhould be,not on!), to the firft coming ofChrifl-, which yet notwithftanding Antiochus never attained to, but alto to all ages fucceeding,till at length they fhall be gathered into one fold, and be made together with us, Citizens of the fame Kingdome. Other Prophecies have made this manifeft unto us, and the fingu- lar agreement of this Prophecie will marvelloufly confirm the fame. The Angel doth note,or fignifie, the Roman Monarchie by the name of one King, as if it were of tome ungular perfon, after his manner and then hee addethcertain properties, by which, as in a glal e, we may behold his lively facc.Firft ofafl therefore,where (hall we find a greater power todo what he lia, then in this Empire ? elpecially, from Inch time as Anriochsta the great, by their means was deprived of all command beyond the mountain Taurru, and was commanded to containe himfelfwithin the narrow bounds of Syria. For a little before, having vanquifhed Hanibal, and triumphed over Perfeno the lllacedonian,andhaving (lain the Cymbrians,or Danes, and all feare laid afide far and wide round about, what fhould tellrain fuch an extreme licentioufneflè of all things, and fuch an unbridled ap- petite both ofcoveting any thing, and obtaining any thing he cove- ted, according to his will. The bridle of fear was call upon all other Kings : only the 'Nemans, whole power exceeded, did bite the bridle, and would not be curbed by thole, whom they had over- come in battell. Prolonsie felt of their tyrannical( power, tvhoce lflar.d Cypr;u, although he were a King ;Ind their fellow, and confe- derate, \vas profcribed and ranfackt, not for any offence and inju- ry,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=