~ PARTII. (!/.{n Ex P o s r TI o N ~------------------------·------------------ CHAP. VI. The I(jUing, of the Witneffes, flerf. 7, 8, 9, 10, of Chapter the IIth. SECT. J. Tie Time of tbeir three Years and a half not yet come. A recmtciliation of thu mtd .511r. Brighcman's Opinion, i11 adouble fulfilling of it. THis Angel's Scope is (as was raid) to tbew, how, according to the An– gel's Oath, in Da~ticl, Antichri(l: tbould accomplijh to ji:atter .the "Power of the Holy 'People, towards the end of hiS Retgn, of a Tunc, Times, and half a Time, And fo, what is here f.1id of the Bea(l:'s War and Victory, refers not to the Conquefis and Slaughters which Antichrifl, during his whole Reign, tbould make of the Holy People or Witneffes (fpoken of chap. 1 3·) but particularly ddigneth out an eminent prevailing over them at the lafl, or (as the firfi words of verf7· have it) O'mv n/\I.,.,C:t, &c. when they are about to ftnijb, or end, the term of their Prophecy in Sackcloth, even their 1260 Years, (which is the fame !pace that Amichrifi hath allotted to him to reign in). Now what Power there Holy People, the Wimeffes, had got before this their lafi rcattering, bath in their Defcription been declared. They had power to erect a Temple to themfelves, and out of it to pour forth four Vials upon their Enemies, as bath been tbewn. And that they might the better fence themrelves again(( the Beafi, ( poffeffing the greatefi part of Europe, the Holy City) we have heard how they had environed the Temple with a mighty party of Carnal Pro· feffors, ( feparating with them from the Beafi) as with an 011tward Co11rt; which we have feen by verf r. the Gentiles are again to fubdue unto themrelves, and to tread down. Which treading down their 011tward Court, is indeed one part of that his la(( accomplipm~ent, to flatter the Power of the Holy 'People; or haply it may rather be termed a Preparation unto it: For come at the Witnelles they could not, till thisOutward Court were gained. Which when they fi1all have more fully won, (which is now a doing) then they further fi1all kjU the Wit. nejfes ; for then both they and their Inner Temple will be expofed to the Irrup– tions of the Gentiles, and will be eafily fubdued by them, when-as their Out– works fi~all firfi be thus taken and recovered. And this will not be fully done, till even towards the finifi1ing their allotted Time of prophefying in Sack·cloth, (and fo, of the Beafi's reigning, which is to expire Coon after it) with their af– cenfion into Heaven. Now, r. for the Times when this lafi kjlling of them here intended fhali come to execution ; the Q!.Jeflion among Interpreters is, Whether it be yet parr, or yet to come ? Mr. 'Brightman (as was raid) maketh this meafttring the Temple, to be long fince fulfilled and pafi; (o a!Co this kjlling the Witnejfes here, and the expiration of their Time of prophcjji11g in Sackcloth, to be already wholly pall; and this, in that great overthrow of the Protefiant Party in Germany, by fharles the Fifth, Anno '547· and in that condemning the Scriptures (which he makes the Witnejfes ) by the Council of Trent, about that Time, now well·nigh an hundred Years fince. But
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