of the RE VEL A T I 0 N. I. If the meaning fl1ould be, that thele Primitive Churches are therefore mea- Q'-"""' fured, that they might be held forth as a Pattern ro. Ch~rches afterward (as is ~ intimated in his quoting Eze"-' 43· Io, I r. and applymg It to tlus meafunng, tn fuch a !enle only) I cannot imagine, that although a jufl: and a due reverence is to be given to thofe Times, that yet Chrifl: would ever impart luch an honour to any Church not purely Apollolical, as to make them the Pattern for Worlliip and DoCtrine; which is Honour due only ro the VVord,and unro thole Churches extant in the very Times of the Apo[l}es, only lo £tr as they kept thole Ordinances in which the Apo(l}es letled them; lo I Cor. I r. 2, 22. Otherwtle the Apo(l}e pulls down the Pride of that Corintbian, ·and of all other Churches, fa~ arrogating this unto themlelves, laymg, Wh.1t, came the Word of God 0111 from )'Oil, or to )'Oft only? Chap. 14· of that Eptfile, verj36. It IS therefore too much to give to thofe Primitive Times, efpecially for the firfl: 400 Years. . For, 2. although the DoCtrine and Dilcipline of the firfl: Age in which 1ohn lived, and in which Churches were then letled by the Apoflles, mtght then be thus mealured to be held forrh, and fo to lerve for a Pattern, (as we have the Story of it in the Word, which on purpofe relates the State ofthofe Churches); yet to make fuch an integrity to extend ro thole other following Ages, until the very Times wherein Antichrifl rofe, (which in many Matters, both of WorlliiP. and Government, did (o much f\verve one Age after another, O:ill more and more from the Rule) this were unC1fe. For the Corruptions which ftill did fteal in upon the DoCtrine and Worfhip, in the. firfl 300 Ye~rs after the Apo– ftles Deaths, were indeed the occafion of the Rtfc of Anuchn(t; the Myftery of whofe Iniquity began ro work in the Apollle"s Times; and in every Age more than other (o prevailed, as that Antichrifl arofe in the view of the bell: Churches and Fathers, though then undifcerned by them. Which, had they kept that Plimitive Integrity, had been utterly impoffible. And therefore to reduce our Worfl1ip, i?fN. now unto the Pattern of the firft four or five hundred Ycars, ( which is the plaufible pretence of our New Deformers) is to bring Po– pery again in by the fame degrees now, as it at firfl: crept in by. And this the Dev:l, who knew the way of introducing it then, to that end cryeth it up now. . For my part, I refl: aiTured, that the Light which bath broken forth in many of our Reformed Churches, fince Calvin's Time, and which flill encreafeth, and fhall, until Amichrifl: be confumed, is both in Matter of DoCtrine, lntcrpreta, tion of Scriptures, Worlliip, Church-Government, &c. much purer,. and. might be taken for a truer Meafure,than what fl1ines in the Story and Writings.of thofe three latter Primitive Ages. But yet it were too much to atfribute that to it, which this Opinion puts upon the Light of tbofe Primitive Times. But all that I have (aid in my fore-gone Expofition is,that now in this Age Light coming in, and difcovering how £1r the confl:itution of Churches in their outward Go– vernment, 6c. hath fwerved from the true Pattern: Therefore 1olm is fet at work "frefh to me•ji1re it. Which u(e of the Phrafe is very proper, as imply– ing only a Reformation and Refl:itution of the Church Jttcmpted, after a fwerving from the Rule. In which fenfe Beza and other Interpreters underfl:and it, without any arrogation to thefe Times. · And, 3. for his making the Outward Court to reprcfent the Churches Crate as in order of Time fucceeding this Temple of the Primitive Times; I only fay tins, Thlt it feemsro me, that thefe two, the Temple, and the Oum<ard Court,. arc ~eprefented as ·rather exifling together, and ~oiltemporancous; the one bemg b1d to be mea(ured, and the other to be call: our,' at one and-rhe {ame Time, as being not capable of the true Meafure. And the contrar}' .Opinion' would make no Churches ereCted according to the Pattern in"this Reformation, fince Luther and Calvin, but flill to remain, as it were, hidden·under Popery as an Outward Court, until Antichrifl:'s Times are fully out. . Whereas Churches are, and have been, long fince ereCted, add that, as exaetly according to the Pattern as any we read of, (the Apofl:le's Age only excepted). , _ And then, 4· forthat other Suppofitio·n, that the rrtb Chapter fhould lie "a Compendium of all Times from John's Age unto the feventh Trnmpet;foro1hew : the fynchronizing of two Prophecies; I lay, · r · .. s r: Ic
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