24 rv!n ExPoSITION --------------------~~~--~----~----- ~ Roman lhould be the moll: terrible of all the re(t. And therefore furely God P A R T I. in this Prophecy of the NewTe.ftament, cloth ( according to his manner in the l.~ Old) lay out the Fates of that Fourth Monarchy now only left ; as he had done of thofe others that were gone and pall: e're Chrifl: nfcended. 3d/y, This mull: needs be fo, efpecially feeing the !cope of this Book is the enlhllmeht of Chrifl: into his Kingdom, and fo, to {hew how, in the mean time, he puts down all Rule that keeps it from him, and takes it to himftlf; fo erect– ing a Fifth Monarchy, fucceeding the other Four. Now then, this Ro11wz Mo– narchy, in the feveral Succef!ions of it in the Eafl: ami Welt, being the chiefe!l: Rule and Power that was left on Earth for Chrifl to put down,(and which his own Kingdom was immediately to fucceed) it is therefore fitly made the Subject ofthis Book, to {hew how he puts down the Rule ofit,and preferveshisChurch under it. And fo it anfwers yet more fully unto the like fcope of Daniel's Prophecy ; who being ro prophefie of the Kingdom of Chri!l:,_ chap. 7· 9· God cloth firfl:, on pur– pofe give him a Vtfion.of the four Monarclnes that were to precede that of Chri!t; and efpec~ally mfifl on the fourth, namely, thiS of Rome, ( verf 7.) as being that which Chri!l:, after his Afcenfion, was to encounter with, and put down, e're him!elf take the Kingdom. And then he !hews Daniel how Chrift will ruin it (verf. 1 1.) and then take the Kingdom to himfelf. So that this Re– velation, which is the Prophecy of the Ne~v Te.ftament, cloth more largely and particularly (et forth that which Daniel in the Old TejlafJJCnt (according to the Difpcnfation then) law more generally, even the ruin of the Fourth Monar– chy, which Chri!l:'s Monarchy fucceeds. 4thly, That this fhould be the Subject of this Prophecy, fuits alfo with the chief Prophecies delivered by other of the Apo!tles in the New Te.ftament 3 which were reduced to three Heads; 1jl, Foretelling the Ruin of the Roman Empire, which, 2Thejf z'. 'Pa 11 l calls a takjng out of the way hi11t that letti. 2dly, The Difcovery of the Pope (who is the lafl: Head of that lafl: Fourth Monarchy) and his Ruin. 3d/y, The Kingdom of Chrifl: to fucceed. Thefe three things were ordinarily preached by the Apoflles, as appears plain– ly by 2 Thejf 2. from the 2cl verfe to the 9th, where Pa:il (having fpoken of thefe three things) lays, verf 5· Rentember JOlt not, that when I w<n lvith you, I told JOlt theft thing' { So that the Apoflles dtd certamly tell the Churches of thefe three things, which furely therefore are the main Subject of this Prophe– cy alfo; but they are more largely dehvered unto 'John. Wherefore this Re• pe/ation may anfwerably be divided into thefe three Parts. f. The Story of the Roman Empire, and the takjng of it out of the w~ ; which is the Subject of the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th Chapters of this Book. 2. The Difcovery of the :Man of Sin, and his Ruin, Chap. 13, 14,15, 16, 17, 18, and 19. 3· Chrifl:'s Coming, and Kingdom, Chap. 20 . 21. Now then, the fourth and !all: Co.>11ideration !hall be fpent in an enquiry af. ter the Difference of the Subjects of thefe two Prophecies, the Seal and Book- ' Prophecy : For in thisRoman Empire, and the feveral Succeflions and Revo– lutions of it, there are thefe two things to be confidered in the Story thereof: r. The Empire, or Political Body, and the State thereof. 2. The Church under it, and the State alld Condition thereof. And therefore fome Writers have written the Ecclelia(\ical Story (or Story of the Church in all Ages) apart by it felf. Others have writ the Story of the Emptre, and its fevcral Revolutions. As among us here in England, (to give you
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