Concerning the c2vfofiah. ï , p fmewbat of Me, andIwillgive it thee : as Nil: z. And when he Jhall hear that Meßiab the Son of Jofeph ioBain, he !hall fay before the Lord, Lord of the world, I only a l¿ life of thee; for it forms . that he (hall beMuch terrified with the death of Ben Jotpb; Unto this Mejfiah they afsign all things that are dolorous, and include !offering in them, (.which they call 11'W3 +`tin) that are" in theScripture afsigned to the Mßiah; efpecially that Prophetic, Zech. t2. v..16. They /hall lookupon me whom they havepierced. And hereby theyfufficiently difcover theüccafion of the whole figment to have been that before intiniated ; namely, a necefsity of an evafion from thofe Teftimonies of Scripture, and antient Traditioni which afsign forrowe and fufferings unto theMefiiah, which they will not allow to belong unto theSon of"David. A brief account may be given of what it is , that they now afcribe mho this f. Mellish, and what it is that they expe6 from him. The whole of his Rory depends on that of one Armillus againft whom he (hall fall in Battel, whole Legend we mull therefdrealto touch upon. And this is given us at large in `711 m1i`s itD in the feventh fign of the comingof the M:ßiab, and with Come variation in [71]1t 19b; or theColloquy between Zerubbahel, and Michael the Archangel. A Fable it is of no finali Antiquity; for wehave mention ofhim, not only in the latter Targums On the Hagi- ographa, but in that- of jonathanalfo on theProphet, Ifa. i t. ¢. +7+ t1+fl19D 5Dn71 A`ÿ+CD1 D17+n1Dt wrap, and by' the wordof his mouth he fhall flay the wicked Armillus. And yet this invention is not older then theTalniüd, however it came into that Tar- gum, which for the main of it , was Certainly written long before. The Mothei of this Armillus, is they fay, to be a Statua offrono at Rome, wrought into theGníili`- tude of a beautiful 'Woman. This, faith the,Dialogue'of Zerubbabel , is the Wife of Belial; and Armillnr that (hall be bórn of her , is to be the head of all Idolatry. p+y4 i 1t) IlUirl r1+11ai SU'vv j3í2 p la1`7+r11`t, Armillus the Son of the Stone which is in the howl offilth oftheScorners, ( that is theChurches of the Chriftians ) fhall be the Tenth King that flail a di Ifrzel. TheAuthor of Abkath Rachel, gives us fornewhat another account of his Ñativitÿc The People of all Nations, faith he, allured with the beauty of the Image, (hall come to Rome, and commit fornication with it, from whole uncleannefs at' length Armilbir (hall be born. The fame Author after a defcriptionof hisJtatitre and bignefl, ( forhe [hall be twelve Cubits high, and as broad as he is long ) with his hair, eyes, and whole complexion, gives us alto an account of his Afìaons and proceedings. firft, therefore he (hall give himfelf out to the j +10 Hereticks, ( that is Chriftians ) tobe their Mefliah,who gave them their Law ; laying unto them', M31n R +SN r1'U +irt I ant Meßiah,' I am your God ; and they (hall prefently embrace him, and give hint their r117e11, or Prayer Books, acknowledging him to be the Author of them. After this by the help of the Edomites (Roman) he (hall conquer any Nations ; until( coming unto theJews, he (hall: require of them to receivehimas their Mefliab, and the Author oftheir Law. But thefe good Jews (hall with one confent oppofe him, under the Condué}of Mefliab Ben f ofeph, and Nehemiah the Son ofHufe! fayes one, of Menachem the SonofAmmiel (ayes another., And in this War (ha1l.Mefliab Ben ofeph be (lain, as it is written, Zech. I z. v. ro. I (hall flay alittle by the. way tounriddle.this ,enigmaticalFable, it having not been 4; t 3á by any attempted., The nameAmnia, Tome fuppofe to be formed of imphiusig-, a Waiter of the People, for fuch they intend he (hall be.. But the Truth is, as Broughton firfi obferved, and fundry others have affentedunto him ; it is no other thenRomulus with theufnal Chaldee formation byAleph. For whereas he contends that it fhould be read Romulus, and not Armillus, orArmilar, there is no necefsity for it. For the Coyners of the Fable might either ignorantly mjtak the name, as is ufual with thefe Matters, or onpurpofe obfcure it, that it might not at firli view be known by the 'Chriftians, of whom they were afraid. And byRomulus whowas the fish Founder of the City and Empire , they intend a Prince' ofRome, for fuch they declare their Armillus tobe. And the whole Roryof him is compounded out of fome Propheti- cal paffages' and expre/bons in the Revelation of St: John ; or is feigned by themfelves from the Event of things, mixing their own conceits with theOpihions of ComeChria ([sans concerning Antichrift. For theyplainly fay that this Armillus is called by the Chriflians, citarninoti Antichriftas. Image Worfhip in the Revelation, at in the' Old Teftament is expreffed by the name of Fornication; and Rome becaufe of her abounding therein, is called the Mother .of Harlots. Hence the Image at Ronk in the Church, is become the Motherof Armillus; and that by the People of all Nations committing
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