A compleat and compendious church-history shewing how it hath been from the beginning of the world to this present day : being an historical-narrative how the power and providence of God, according to his promise, hath hitherto confounded all the damnable plots of the Devil : to which is annexed a Scripture-prophecy fore-shewing how it shall be hence to the end of the world : to whole containing the quintessence of sacred, civil and ecclesiastick-writers, and serving as a short comment upon all the books in the Bible, both historical and prophetical / published for publick good by Christopher Ness ...

The Thirtieth and last Plot a∣gainst the Church, by Popery; Defeated by God.

CHAP. XXX.

THE Devils Thirtieth and last Plot, (consisting of many parts,) (call'd Ʋltimus Diaboli Crepitus) is Anti∣christianism or Popery in the Western Antichrist, which is the worst of all, inasmuch as, [Cor∣ruptio optimi est Pessima; The Golden Church of Rome-Christian is Degenerated not onely into Brass and Iron, but into Clay; yea, into the Dung and Dirt of Rome-Antichristian, as I have largely Demonstrated (1) in my Christi∣an-Walk, p. 9. (2) in my Hearts Treachery, pag. 85. (3) in my Antidote against Popery all along: and (4) in my Discovery of Antichrist, quite thorough; to all which Four Books I shall Referr the Reader, and therefore I shall say the less of this Subject (which indeed would make, up a Distinct Volum of it self) in this place. As the Turk is that great Sea-Monster Leviathan, so the Pope is that great Land-Mon∣ster,

Behemoth, Hebr. Faemin, plural, that is, Beasts, for his prodigious Hugeness, as if he were made up of many Beasts, and so he is cal'd the Great Beast in the Revelation, that hath many Beasts in the Belly of it; And indeed this Mystery of Iniquity (so called, 2 Thess. 2. 7. 11.) hath many Mysterious Plots in it, and is the Plot of Plots: As the Turkish Empire, (Quantum, quantum est, as Luther Phraseth it) however Vast, yet is it but a poor Crust which God (the Master of the Family) casteth to his Dog, whom he looseth off and binds up at his pleasure, as before: So, the whole Popedome is but a sorry Commission which the same God gives unto a Company or Legion of Ʋnclean Devils to Enter into an Herd of Hogs, or Swi∣nish Men: As the Elephant (or Behemoth) is the chief of the ways of God, Job 40. 15, 19. the Master-piece among all the Beasts: so this mystical Behemoth (the Pope) is the chief of the ways of the Devil; the very Master-piece of all Satans Works and Wiles: Now though he hath the Strength, Cunning, and the long-Life of the literal Elephant, yet he cannot carry it a∣gainst Christ in his Antichristianism, for He that made him, can make his Sword to approach unto him, Job 40. 19. though no Man dare Under∣take him, or can Match him, yet the Great God (who made him as the Devil hath marr'd him) both dare and can: As God hath given an Horn to the Rhinocero's, and Poyson to the Dragon,

(both which are the Elephants mortal Enemies) that some Beasts may have the better of him, who Masters them all by his monstrous mighty Limbs and strong Trunck, (able to over turn Trees) though God hath not given him either Horns on his Head or Claws on his Feet to do Mischief withal. So though this Behemoth, or Apocalyptick Beast, hath Seven Heads (to Plot with) and Ten Horns (to Push with) given him, yea and Clawy-Scratching Hoofs also; yet Christ hath his Christian Hammer-men to Cut off and to cast down those Antichristian-Horns, Zech. 1.20, 21. and seeing those Ham∣mering Carpenters are Men, (yea, and Spirited with the Wisdom and Power of God) they must be more Wise than all the Seven Heads, and more Strong than all the Ten Horns of him who is but a Beast that bears them: The Blow of an Hammer hath more force than the Push of an Horn. ☞ And were but Gods Israel Pushed neerer to the God of Israel by those Horns, no Doubt but God would Command his Carpen∣ters to Cut off and cast away those Horns that do now Hit and Hurt his People, as he hath done in all Ages ever since the Beast got his Horns, which appeareth by the Sequel. God knows how to Deliver his, 2 Pet. 2. 9. not want∣ing either Ways or Means to Help them at a Dead lift at any time, and therein will go a way by himself sometime; as when he sets the Enemy together by the Ears among themselves,

while that the Church with all escaped, Psal. 141. 10. Thus God made Nebuchadnezzar (who was himself the Churches Enemy) to fall foul upon all her other many and Mighty Ad∣versaries, and so God by him as by his Mall, or Hammer, broke the Rest of those Horrible Horns in pieces at that time: Accordingly in this Day God makes Use of the Great Turk, (as before) to Mall the Pope in so many Bat∣tels of his Holy War,) so now to be as a Bridle to hold him (and all his Popelings) in, from a∣ny Universal Proceeding against the Prote∣stants, who are (by a marvellous Providence) the more secure from the Turk, inasmuch as Popish Countreys lay betwixt him and them, or their Countreys (as Denmark, Sweedland, &c.) Coasting so much towards the North, lay out of his way, and (at present) no part of his aim: by an over-ruling Hand of God Rome is his Grand Eye-sore, though she think her self out of the Reach of Gods Rod, so Repenteth not, Revel. 9. 20, 21. the Turk may Repent, (if the Turkish-Prophecy [That as soon as their Sul∣tan hath taken the Red-Apple, (or the Red-Let∣ter City Rome,) they shall then become Chri∣stians,] may be believed; However the Word seems not to Seal them up under Impenitency, (as here the Romanists are) being neither such Notorious Hypocrites, nor such Bloody Persecu∣tors: 1. not such Hypocrites, for they are open Enemies, as the Papists are Close and Covert,

(as Gog and Magog signifies) We Read not in Scripture of the Conversion of any Hypocrite, and no Wonder, inasmuch as after Sin, Con∣version is left as a Means to Cure all other Sins, but no means can Cure and recover him who Converteth Conversion it self into Sin, as the Ro∣mish Hypocrites do: 2. nor such Persecutors. The Turkish History tells indeed of their Savage∣ness, yet 'tis in the way of War, and not upon the Account of Religion; they have no Bloody Inquisition to Compel Men into Conformity, but they say, Whether Men serve Christ or Ma∣homet, so they lead good Lives, they may be Saved. Hence it is, our Martyrologist (that Writes of all the Churches Persecutions) names the Persian, the Julian, the Arrian, &c. but not a Word of the Turk or Mahometan Perse∣cution, so that this Romish Beast (above all Name, Dan. 7. 7. as above all Natures, even of the most Savage of Beasts) hath out-done all in Blood, yet lyes she in Impenitency, not laying to Heart, that her Neighbours House (the Eastern Church) was Fired by the Turks, though less Guilty. ☞ Oh Rome, thou Western Church, look to thy self, that art more Guilty; Christ may soon say, Loose the Four Angels, and Kill the 3d. part of Men; or he may put it into the Hart of the first (that rose) of the Ten Horns to make Roast-meat of thee. ☞ Now the Pope was not Born a Beast, but was at first a good Bishop, and above Thirty of them Successively

Shone as Stars, and suffer'd Martyrdom for Christ, until Constantine came to give a Calm and Halcyon Days to the Church, which in∣deed (through Satans Temptation drawing out Mens Corruption) proved Poyson to her. * 'Tis a Thousand pitties such fair Weather should bring forth any such foul Fruits: Then began the Roman-Star to Dwindle, and Degenerate into a Meteor or Blazing-Comet, and gradu∣ally lifting himself (like proud Lucifer) up a∣bove his Brethren, (his Fellow-Ministers) he gradually falls from Heaven, he began to fall under the 3d. Trumpet, Rev. 8. 10. as some sense it, but under the 5th. [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] he was faln effectually: This Star was falling by De∣grees from Constantine in the 3d. Century, un∣til Phocas in the 6th. Sylvester was the first that did Degenerate in the 3d. Century, burdening the Church with Jewish and Heathenish Cere∣monies, but 'twas Phocas that set up Boniface in the Chair of Pestilence in the 6th. then was the Star faln from Primitive Integrity, into the Deepest Gulph of all Impiety, Revel. 9. 1. and this Star was well called Wormwood, Ch. 8. 11. because he (himself) was in the Gall of Bitter∣ness, and became as bitter as Wormwood to the Church, far more bitter than Arrius, (the Star of that Trumpet fore-mentioned) who was but Antichrists forerunner, of whose bitter Potions the Church hath been long Drinking-still is so, and not yet come to the Dregs thereof:

Here began the Devils general Game after the Declining Age, (wherein the Thirty-Three Bishops of Rome (Sylvesters Successors) can scarce pass for Tolerable, much less Laudable,) When the Star (which was Wormwood 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 by way of Eminency) did fall to the Earth and set up the Earthly Kingdom of the Apoca∣lyptick Beast: When the first of the Usurp∣ing Nimrods (to wit, Boniface the 3d.) began with his [Volumus & Jubemus] We Will and Command, instead of the Holy Apostles Stile, [We Beseech you Brethren.] ☞ (1) Mark all along 1. the Churches Malady by Satan, 2. the Churches Remedy by Christ: and (2) Mark al∣so, How the Prophecy in the Revelation shows the Progress of the Church all along to the 2d. Comming of Christ: (3) Mark likewise how the Pillar of Divine Providence hath both Se∣cured and safely Conducted the Sealed Ones (his Church) to this present Day, and will do so to the end of the World; and all this, sweet∣ly and exactly Concurring all along with the Revelation-Prophecy, As this Book will shew at the End, in Chapter the last. The 1st. Malady of the Church at that time, Y. 606. (presaged by a prodigious Comet as well as by Mahomets then publishing his Alcharon) was, when the Key of the Bottomless-Pit was given to this faln Star, (usher'd in by that Blazing-Star aforesaid) to wit, Boniface, and his Successors, who pretend to a power of Damning or Deli∣vering

whom they will; Here the Pope is made the Angel of the Bottomless-pit, Revel. 9. 1, 11, or the Devils Lieutenant-General, call'd A∣baddon, or Abadone, as the Devil (his Lord-General) is a bad Angel: Hereupon the Pope casts away the Key, that Christ gave to his Ho∣ly Predecessors, (of binding and looseing accor∣ding to the Word) and takes up the Devils Ʋsurped Key with his Tripple Crown, and there∣with opens Hell, (which the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles had hitherto shut) then Arose the Smoak of those Doctrines of Devils, and of that Black and Diabolical Divinity Preach'd and Practic'd in the Church of Rome ever since, which so Darkened [the Sun and the Ayr] the Doctrine of Christ of the Church, and of the Scriptures; and then came out of that Smoak those Devouring Locusts, the Monks and Fryars, the Priests and Jesuits, &c. call'd so, both for their Numerosity, (the last of which alone hath sometimes maintained Two Hun∣dred Thousand Schollars, Oh what Swarms of those Locusts are there then in all?) and for their Votacity, those Popish Flesh-Flyes do so pester many Princes Houses which do receive them, that not onely the Duke of Bavaria's Court (notwithstanding his Vast Revenue) but many other Princes and places are kept poor by them, that lye Lurking (as Scorpions) in their Cells and Obscure Residencies, Revel. 9. 2, 3. and which is worst of all, Stinging Incureably

the Souls of Men, &c. Yet 2ly. Christ hath his Antidote and Remedy against this Divelish Ma∣lady; for though God permitted this bad An∣gel or Apollyon to punish those that Obey'd not the Truth, Rom. 1. 24, 26. 2 Thess. 2. 10, 11. Insomuch that this Key of the Bottomless-pit, was so notably Improved by all the Ʋsurping Nim∣rods, Luxurious, Sodomites, and Aegyptian Ma∣gicians, (unto Hildrebrand or Brand of Hell in the 10th. Century) as that in his Popedome, Letters were set forth, as sent from Hell, wherein the Devil and his Angels gave the Popish Clergy many Thanks for sending them so many Souls, as they never had sent them in any Age before. Though the Devil and his Locusts play'd Flush in this general Game, yet the Lord limits them both in their Task, and in their Time, and in their Torments. (1) In their Task, Those Locusts or Scorpions must not Sting whom they will, but whom Christ will; none of his Sealed ones must be Stung by them, 'twas Commanded them not to hurt the Grass of the Earth, nor any Green thing, Ch. 9. 4. Whatever charge Satan gave those Locusts, Sure I am this was Christs Charge in the behalf of His Redeemed; not unlike unto Davids Charge to his Captains, [Deal kindly with the Young-man Absolom.] So, and much more than so Sollicitous is Christ (the Son of David) for the Safety of all his Sons and Servants, none of those whose Names were Written in

the Lambs Book of Life were stung, no, not those young Christians who were as Tender as Grass, nor any Green Plant though never so weak: Christ Secured his Church, and the Kernel of Christianity, maugre the Malice of that Man of Sin. 2. In their Time, Those Locusts must not last so long as they list, but as the Lord listeth, who hath limited them to Five Months, v. 5. which is justly the Life time of the Natural Locusts, that are Bred in April, and Dye in September; and though those be Craftier (in having a King over them, ver. 11.) than they, Prov. 30. 27. so might better secure themselves over Winter, yet Five Months must be their Term, which they cannot exceed: The Question is, How long is that? (1.) Answ. Suppose a Definit and Certain time be set down for an Indefinite and Uncertain Here, however it holds out this Comfort, 1. that it shall not be for Ever, 2. it shall be onely for a short Time, as this phrase (Five Months) plainly Imports. (2.) Answ. 'Tis True, Antichrists Lease is much longer than Five Months, (even Forty-Two Months, Rev. 13. 5.) and his beast∣ly biting hath lasted much longer, yet this term may hold out the five Ages of the Beasts biting Life, 1. Infancy, 2. Childhood, 3. Youth, 4. Middle-Age, 5. Old, Decrepit, or Dote-age, and so, his last Bite is not yet over. 3d Answ. by the five Months may be Understood the five Hundred Y. wherein the Pope stood in his prime

pride and plenary power, that is, from the 6th. Century to the 11th. when God stirr'd up the Waldenses, &c. to call the Pope Antichrist (which is exactly 500 Y.) and Bellarmin (him∣self) confesseth, that ever since the Pope was so called, [Non Modò non Crevit ejus Imperium, sed Magis ac Magis Decrevit,] He hath lost a great part both of his Command and of his Commodity more and more Dayly, De pap Rom. lib. 3. cap. 1. So long was he Trump and Tri∣umphant in the World, and why his Term is Reckon'd by Months. See my Discovery of An∣tichrist, p. 200. 4th. Answ. Those five Months hold an Exact Correspondency with the time of Noah's Deluge prevailing over the Earth, which was 150 Days, which make up five Months Compleat, Gen. 7. 24. Now Noah's Deluge and this (which the Dragon powr'd out of his mouth to Drown the Church, Revel. 12. 15) do Symbolize together after a most singular manner in sundry particulars; 1. as that was a General Flood over all the Habita∣ble World, so is this over all the Christian World. 2. As that began in April, and lasted to September, (in the prevalency of it,) Gen. 7. 11, 24. and 8. 3, 4. so those Locusts here do prevail just the same Term of Time, and then it shall be said [The Waters are abated,] or A∣bating: 3. As Noah and his Family (the Church) onely, were Deliver'd from that De∣luge, so Gods Sealed Ones onely, are Saved

from this Antichristian Deluge in the Ark or Church. 3ly. They were limited in their Tor∣ment which they put others to, their Commis∣sion reach'd not to Torment any to Death: [to them it was given,] this is oft repeated in the Revelation, to shew, that Antichrist and his Auxiliaries (though Bandying and Bending all their fraud and force for Destroying Souls) are so Butted and Bounded by the great God, that they all can do no more than is given them from above: The Popish Locusts are so Confined in their Commission, that as they must not Hurt whom they will save onely those that are not Sealed, as in the first Limitation, so they must not Hurt as much as they please, they have power onely to Hurt, but not to Kill, ver. 5. 10. This was all in the 1st. Commission, onely to Torture and Torment the Consciences of Men by their Penances, Pilgrimages Pur∣gatory, &c. And though larger power was given after, of Killing the Witnesses, Chap. 11. 7. and the Saints, Chap. 13. 7. Yet while they Killed their Bodies, they could ne∣ver Kill the Souls of any of Gods Sealed Ones, as they did of the Ʋnsealed.