Jn ExPOSITION ~ Now from either of the(e Times above-mentioned, may this Computation of PART l!. 1290 Years be taken; the one re(peCling the blelfed Times when the more clear ~ Light of the Go(pel, and the di(covery of Antichrifr, began to come among us GcntileJ ; the other tho(e happy Times to come, when the ]cws !ball firfr be re-called, which fame fix about the Year 1655, or 1656. And to two Accom– plitbments of thole 1290 Years. Now then, to rcmrn unto the thing in hand. Mr. Brightman, he reckons the beginning of Antichrifr's Reign, and the WitneiTes beginning to propheCy in Sack-cloth, from the Time of the Roman Emperors removing to Co1;_/l<mtino– plc ; whieh he interprets to be, that ta4}ng him tIMt lettcd, ont of the way, (as P111t! to the Thcjfo!onians bath it); namely, the Emperor; who being removed to Conjl,mlinoplc, and the Pope having Rome (o.1·daincd to be the Scat ofthe Bca[r) thus left him, he mtght foon begm to gam Power. And that mdecd, fi-om thence his fir(\ Conception did begin, may not be (nor is it by mofr) denied. And fa Mr. Brightntan from thence beginning the 1260 Years of the Witndks prophcfying in Sackcloth, (which f.1lls r8 Years tbort, according to the Account he makes, after that of Eg;pt, and of our vulgar Account: makes the end of tho(e Ycars to fit !I out in 15 so- When the riling again of the" Protefrant Cauk: in Gem1a"J did oegin. And thus in like manner the term of Antichrifr's Ktng– dom or Power to do (namely, as formerly he had wont) might be reckoned to have had one kind of Period in the f.1lling off of the(e Kingdoms of England, Scotland, &c. whkh fell out not many Years after this, even before I)6o, (which Mr. Brightm.m (according to that his Series of Interpretation) inter– preteth to be the feventh Trumpet; when the Kingdoms of the World became tle ](ingdoms of ]efm Chnjl) and fo, before that fetled Peace of the Go(pd dta– blitb'd, and the throwing of Antichrifr and his Power Out of thofe Kingdoms. In all which Kingdoms the WitneiTes had firfr their Times of being o' ercome and killed for three Years and an half, though at feveral Times in each of them. So in Gcrma11y, in that ViClory got over the Prottflams, Anno I 547, (or there– abouts) jufr three Years and a half afier which, they revived and enjoyed that Peace which lince they have had. In like manner, in England, after that, in ~een Mary's days, whofe Reign, although it lafied five whole Years, yet the firrl: part of her R, ;:;., .vas !pt:!( in ma4}ng War upon the Witne!fes, or (as I may (ofpeak) in the Prepa: .::ons of War againfr the Witnelfcs, in getting Statutes made for their Burning, o'c. and the A.illing and martyring of them was but for three Ycars and an half. Afte-r which ended, they rofe again in Qgcen E!iubeth'> b•ginning to Reign, and have fince that Time hitherto enjoyed, as it were, an Heaven. Thus allo in France, in the Year 1572, (which was 14Years after) and about 1260 Years after. Conflantine, (according to our account of Years) the MaJJacre of the Proteflams began, and in appearance, an extinClton of the Religion (as they called it) for three Years and an half: When, An. T 576, their Peace and Li– berty was again granted them, and they had a manifcll 1\c(urreClion. Thus God obferved a gradual fulfilling of this their Killing and Riling, as a tbadow fore– going that great and lafr one to come. But then there is another Computation of the beginning of Antichrill's Reign, (and of the Wimeffes prophefying in Sack-cloth, in oppofition to him) reckoning it from his Birth, and bringing forth into the World, (as that former was from the Time of his Conception) about an hundred Years afier Conflan– tine, in Anno 406, or 410, when not on1y the RmiJtmEmperors were removed 0111 of the TMJ, untoConflantinoplc; but alfo the Wefrern Empire it (elf began firfr to break into ten Kingdoms: Which is the truefr and utmofr CharaCler of the Time of the Beafr's rifing, (as was !hewed in our Expolition of the r 7th Chapter). Which breaking the Wefrern Empire, was that t<~king o11t of the wt~y, which 'Pmd efpecially aimed at. For then the Pope had full fcope to get his Power, which thcfe New Kingdoms were to give unto him. Which term of his (if the Reckoning be made, after the ordinary compute of Years) will end in 1666, orthere-about. Now
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