<1r>

Sect II.
The two Witnesses.

The Dragon & Beast have their proper churches true & false. The false Church of ye Dragon is the two horned Beast as above & his true Church is the seven Churches of Asia. The fals church of the Beast is Whore of Babylon & his true Church is the two Churches called the two Witnesses For the Witnesses are t|c|alled two Candlesticks & two Olive trees & Candlesticks signify Churches Apoc 1.20 & so do Olive trees Rom. 11.17 Therefore while the whole Empire continues undivided & is both Dragon & Beast, the Church of the whole Empire is both the seven Churches & the two Witnesses: But when the Empire becomes divided & the Dragon is put for the Church of the {sic} Greek Empire & the Beast for the Latin Empire, the seven Churches signify the true Church of God in the Eastern Empire & the two witnesses are {t}he|i|s true Church in the {illeg} western. For the Beast make|s| war with the two witnesses & overcomes them & kills them & their \dead/ bodies lye in ye stree{s}|t|s of the great city Babylon & therefore they are in ye western Empire & the seven Angels or Angels of the seven Churches sound the {illeg} Trumpets & pour out the \Vials or/ drink offerings at the seven sacrifices while the {illeg} Empire continues divided, & therefore the seven Churches do not cease when the Woman separates from them & flyes into ye wilderness, but \continue in being & by consequence/ remain in the Dragons Kingdō .

So then the two Witnesses \before the Dragon gave the Beast his throne/ are the two Wings of a great Eagle before the |final| division of the Empire were the Church of the whole Empire: for {}{sic} they are the \two churches into wch the whole was {then dis} represented by ye/two wings of a great Eagle wch were given \to/ the woman to fly into the wilderness, & by the two leggs of the son of Man who set his right foot on the earth \sea/ & his left foot on the sear|th|. And as the \Angels or/ teachers of the seven Churches are represented by the seven eyes of the Lamb, so the teachers of the two Churches are represented by the {fla} two flaming eyes of the son of Man

Let us conceive therefore that as the Dragon & Beast were at first one & ye same kingdom {&} afterwards separated from one another by a division of that kingdom so the Woman, two witnesses, seven Churches & two horned beast were at first one & the same Church & afterwards se{}parated from one another |into two parts & the Woman & seven Churches, were at first one Church & afterwards separated from one another so the two Witnesses & two horned Beast were at first one \visible/ Church both with the Woman one another & with the Woman & {two} seven Churches & afterwards separated| by a division of that Church into four parts, & that as the separation of the ten horned Beast is represented by his rising out of ye sea so the separation of the two horned Beast is represented by his rising out of the earth \& the separation of the two witnesses by the building of a new Temple/ & that {that} as the Dragon & Beast {pa} have common heads & horns by reason of their original union \& the beast was wounded wth a sword before he rose out of the sea/ so the two Witnesses & two horned Beast partake of the division of the Empire between Rome & Const{a}ntinople what happened to them in common with the whole Church before their separation. For {while} they were united \before their final separatio/ /while they were united\ the whole Church was distinguished into the Greek & Latine Churches, & this {d}{D}istinction was improved by the building of Constantinople & making that the {illeg} seat of the Greek Empire as Rome was of the Latine {&} by the further division of the Empire first between the sons of Constantine & {illeg} then between Valentinian & Valens And by they \Greek & Latin Churc{h}es/ separated for a while before their final separation: & from this distinction & separation the Beast had two horns before he rose out of the {Sea} {s}|e|arth & the witnesses were two before the{y} buil{d}ing of the second Temple, & having once gained this title they keep it for ever notwithstanding their separation. For as the two horned Beast Dragon by separating from the Beast & tenhorned Beast & retiring into ye eastern Empire loses none of his horns so the two-horned Beast by {th}e{n} like separation & retirement loses neither of his horns.

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Now as ye Dragon & Beast by the like \same/ number of \their/ heads & horns tally one another as a mark of their being originally { , } united: so the seven Churches |of Asia| & |ye| Woman \in the Woman|ilder|ness/ taly|l|y{ . } one another in the number of Churches. For the heads of the Beast are called seven {illeg} mountains where the woman sitteth that is seven & mountains are a type of royal Cities the seats of kingdoms & every kingdom has its Church. After the little horn of Daniels fourth Beast wch is this woman, had {illeg} in its rise {rooted} up three of the ten kings she reigned over \the remaining/ seven | ( such from their first number are also called ten ) | & the seven Churches of these kingdoms answer \in number/ to the seven Churches of Asia{illeg} . by way of opposition. Before she separated she was the seven Churches of Asia: by separation every Church became two, a true one & a false one & the seven false ones fled into ye wilderness & reigned over the seven {h} mountains in the form of a great Whore.

In like manner the two Wittnesses {sic} & two horns of the second Beast tally one another as to ye number of Churches. For \as/ the Witnesses are \two/ Churches so \also/ the \two/ horns of this beast in being \are Churches being/ like the Lambs', that is like his horns, are Churches that is like {Chu} {whi} & the seven horns of the Lamb are\wch represent/ ye seven Churches of Asia. Whence it seems that to me that the two Witnesses & two horns of this Beast were orig{ni}|in|ally united the two Witnesses being the sincere part of Christs \visible/ Church from the beginning & the two horned Beast the dissemb{l}ing hypocritical part \corrupt part called Nicolatians {sic} & {Balaa} fals Apostles & the fals Prophet Balaam./. For as the \ten horned/ Beast was before he rose out from the beginning & his rising out of the sea signifies only his \emerging &/ separating from the Dragon so the two horned Beast {might} be from the beginning \was from the beginning, being the Fals Prophet called Balaam whose doctrine is the doctrine of the Nicola{i}tans. / & his rise|ing| out of the earth may signify|ie|s only his \emerging &/ separating from the two Witnesses. Now the Church of the whole Empire {illeg} was distinguished from the beginning into Greeks & Latines & this distinction was improved by the building of Constantinople \& dividing the Empire between this city & Rome /& still further by the \improved by/ divi{s}{d}ing of the Empire between the sons of Constantine the Great: whereby the Woman received two wings of a great Eagle that She might fly into the Wilderness. For {I} And these wings in differen as the four wings of the Leopard signify the division of the kingdom of ye Greeks into four kingdoms so ye division two wings of the Woman signify her division in|to| the Greek & Latin Churches wch churches are \in different respects/ the two {w}itnesses & the two horns of the {two} second Beast. | [ | When the Woman begins \endeavours/ to fly into the Wilderness then the two horned beast endeavours to rise out of the earth & the ten horned B but this endeavour is checkt for a time untill the ten horned Beast rises out of the sea | ] | . So then as the {B}|f|irst Beast {rose o} had his heads & his wound before he rose out of the Sea so ye second Beast had his \two/ horns before he rose out of ye earth & as the Dragon separated from the Beast and retired into the East\ern Empire/ wthout losing any of his horns so the the se{illeg}|co|nd Beast retired separated from the & retired into the Eastern |Empire| without losing either of his horns, & so the two Witnesses continue to be called two notwithstanding their retiring into the west, there being a mixture of Greeks & Latines in both Empires & names & characters once imposed remaining to the end of the Prophesy.

So then as the whole Empire Dragon & \first/ Beast do each of them signify the whole Roman Empire from the beginning untill it becomes divided & then separat|a|te from one another & signify the two parts: so the Seven Churches, the Woman, the two Witnesses & the two horned b|B|east do each of them \are all of them from the beginning & do/ in several respects signify ye whole \whole/ Church of the \whole/ Roman Empire untill it becomes divided into four parts \two true Churches & two fals ones, / & then separate from one another & signify those \four/ parts. Before the division the seven Churches & Woman signify {illeg}|do| each of them signify the whole Church: the seven Churches have Nicolaitans who among them who \& the Nicolaitans/ hold the doctrine of Balam w|t|ho|e| fals Prophet represented by the two horned {B}{b}east & they that \oppose &/ testify against the Nicolaitans are the two Witnes{s}es.

Now as the {ten h} separtion {sic} of the ten horned Beast is represented by his rising out of the sea & {illeg} that of the two horned Beast by his rising out of the earth, so the separation of the two witnesses is represented by {his rising} the building of a new Temple

<2r>

Sect II
The two Witnesses

When the Church of God ceases to be represented by the seven Churches of Asia it begins to be represented by the two Prophets or Witnesses. For at that time all as many of the Churches as will not worship the Image of the B{a}|e|ast are mystically killed & by being killed become the Martyrs or Witnesses of Iesus & the 144000 who are then {sealed wth} selected out of all ye twelve tribes of Israel and sealed wth the seale of God in their foreheads stand on Mount Sion wth the Lamb & sing a new song in the before the throne in the Temple of God & before the four Beasts & ye Elders & \by reason of their being killed/ are called the first fruits unto God & to ye Lamb being \the martyrs or witnesses/ those that were killed for not worshipping the Image of the b|B|east & called \are/ called the first fruits in respect of the following harvest \& in their mouth was found no lye & therefore they are true Witnesses/ . of Christ. And They also stand on the sea of glass \in the Temple before the throne/ having gotten the victory over the Beast & over his Image by being slain killed not worshipping them \& by & being sealed wth ye seal of God/ , & there they sing the song of Moses the servant of God & the song of the{e} Lamb \with harps/ , that is, they prophesy \& henceforward are the Prophets of God. / . For the singers sons of Asaph Heman & Ieduthun who were appointed by David to sing in the temple at the sacrifices wth Harps & other musical instruments are said to prophesy wth Harps 1 Chron. 25.1, 2, 3 And Saul met a company of Prophets prophesying wth a psalter{y} & a tabet & a pipe & a harp before them. & proph 1 Sam. 10 [ And so praying & singin{s}g is put for praying & prophesying 1 Cor 14.15 ] Now these {W}itnesses or Prophets being all the people of God throughout the whole Roman Empire they are by the division of this Empire into the Eastern & western Empire distinguished into two bodies of Witnesses or Prophets & are thence called the two witnesses & the two Prophets. For these two Empires have their Churches true false & true. Their false Churches are the w|W|hore of Babylon or Woman Iezebel who calleth her self a Prophetess & the two– horned Beast {or} \called also the/ fals Prophet. And in opposition to \to the two fals Churches represented by/ this fals Prophet & false Prophet{e}ss God has his two true {Prophets &} churches represented by two true Prophets. For these two true Prophets are called Candlesticks |& Olive trees| & Candlesticks signify Churches \Apoc. 1.20 & so do Olive trees Rom. 11.17/ . The remnant of the womans seed whom the Dragon went to make war upon are the & who keep the commandmts of God & have ye testimony of Iesus are testimony of Iesus are the true witness or p|P|rophet in the kingdom of the Dragon & the martyrs of Iesus wth whose blood ye Woman is drunken are the true Witness \Witness/ or Prophet in the kingdom of ye b|B|east. These are the two leggs of the son of man who {sit} in the beginning of the prophesy of ye seven thunders set his right foot upon the {earth} sea & his left foot upon the earth. [ As the two leggs of Nebuchadnezzar's Image{s} represent the Ea|W|estern & eastern Churches so {R}oman Empires so the two leggs of ye son of Man represent their Churches. ] And as the seven eyes of the lamb \& seven lamps or stars/ represent the seven spirits of God or sen|v|en Angels or teachers of the Ch seven Churches, so the two eyes of the son of Man represent the teachers of the two Churches.

Now in calling the|se| two Prophets the two Olive trees & two Candlesticks \& two Candlesticks standing before the God of the earth there. / there is a plain allusion to Zechary's vision of two Olive trees emptying their oyle into the a Candlestick in the second Temple. And in \the Angels {illeg} sealing the servants of God {b}efore the winds {hurt} the earth & sea, / Iohn's measuring the {T}emples & Altar & them that worship therein there is a plain allusion to Io ( that is the court of the Temple wth its buildings & the Court of ye Altar wth its buildings & the Court of the people [Editorial Note 1]

<2v>

The two witnesses were in being before they were killed for not worshipping the Image of the Beast: & therefore the Church of the whole Empire was both the se{n}|v|en Churches & the two Witnesses untill that killing.

<3r>

called the weomens court ) , & leaving the outward {d} court unmeasured & giving it to the Gentiles who tread down the Holy City; \& in the two Prophets attending this Temple/ there is a plain allusion to the Babylonian captivity \& rebuilding the Temple/ , & particularly to Ezekiels vision of marking those that mourned for the abominations done in Ierusalem & slaying the rest & burning the city, & to his other vision of measuring the temple in the beginning of captivity in to{q}|k|en that it should be rebuilt & to the {s} subsequent rebuilding of the Courts of the Temple & Altar & weomen's court by the {direc} \pro{ph}esying/ of Cyrus \{E}|H|aggai & Zechary/ & leaving the outward court unbuilt all the reign of the kingdom of Persia wch was about 200 years & then building it for ye gentiles in the days of Simeon Iustus at the charge & calling it the Gentiles court. And all this

After the Babylonians had killed all those who would not worship the Image of the Beast & thereby put an end to the first Temple wherein were seven Candlesticks representing the seven Churches of Asia: the barbarous nations invading the western Empire brake it into ten kingdoms & reigning over nine of them put an end to the {illeg} Roman laws against liberty of conscience in those kingdoms. For the laws of the Roman Emperors ( Theodosius & his sons ) were still extant in ye Thodosian {sic} Code were exceeding severe against all {wor} meeting to worship God in any assemblies whatever but those of the saint worshippers. The places where they met were confiscated, the persons meeting were carried before the judges to be \transported {repelled} or otherwise/ punished, the Bishops Priests & Deacons \were/ banished human society. Inquisitors \were/ appointed to find out offenders & Iudges \were/ punished who neglected to put the laws in execution. And all separation from the communion of the saint worshipper upon the least occasion \difference or occasion whatever/ was by these laws declared Heresy, the word being taken in such a general sense as to include schism all Schismaticks. the word Heresy being taken in a large sense so as to comprehend what we call schism. But in the kingdoms Erected in ye western Empire by the barbar{o}us nations these laws being laid aside the true Christians the & liberty of conscience revived, the {expectio} the true Christians \would/ meet aga{in} to worship God in the|ir| own way & many of them \would/ fle|y|d from ye eastern empire where they were persecuted & escaped into these kingdoms for the sake of this liberty, especially the Bishops Presbyters & teachers who were more persecuted than the rest, \so that both the witnesses worshipped God in this Temple. / And its probable that the Barbarians would favour them the more because they were persecuted by the Romans with whom{ . } they were at war. And a new Temple being thus erected would continue as long as \any of/ the barbarous nations d{i} kingdoms differed from the in religion from the Roman Catholicks, that is till about the beginning of the Woe–trumpets or perhaps a little longer. For \the barbarous kings/ upon {ye|their|} conversion of the Kings of the barbarous nations to the Roman Catholic freligion {they} did not presently begin to persecute their subjects.

Now the \ten/ Kings of by being converted to the {Ro}man Catholic faith religion gave their kingdoms to \became/ the Whore's Beast \& ye Bea{st} began to act under her. \By {t}hat conversion/ They became also/ . And began to {tre} the gentiles wch trode down the Holy City & worshipped in the outward court of the Temple; especially after the setting up the worship of Images. For by the worshipping of Images they become Gentiles in the most proper signification of ye word & the Whore thereb Woman thereby beco|a|mes a Whore in the same sense that the Churches of Iudah & Israel were said to go a Whoring. And its {sic} to be conceived also that at the setting up of that Image worship the two Witnesses put on sackcloth & began to sigh & mourn for the standing of the abomination. Then {&} \also the/ Woman arrived to her place of honour in the wilderness upon the back of her Beast & {I} was \began to be/ fed by kings & other great men the merchants of the earth, who for e|E|mpires & Kingdoms & principalities \& Bishopricks/ & dispensations & pardons & indulgenc{i}es & privileges & titles of honour & reliques & canonizations \& Masses & sermons/ gave her Peters patrimony & tythes & Peter {pence} & gold & silver & gemms & all manner of things valuable. And in this state things continued till the Beast made {w}ar upon the two witnesses who worshipped in the second Temple & were {illeg} principally in the /to prophesy principally in ye\ streets of the great city within the dominion of the Beast.

<3v>

Sect II
The The two Witnesses.

As the Eastern & Western {E}mpires are represented by the two leggs of Nebuchadnezzars Image: so the \ {illeg} true/ Churches of these Empires are represented by the two leggs & their teach of the son of man. & their teachers by his two eyes. And this is signified by his setting his right foot upon the sea & his left foot upon the earth in the beginning of the prophesy of the seven Thunders. And as the seven eyes of the Lamb signify the seven spirits \of God/ or Angels of the or teachers of the seven Churches, so his two eyes signify the teachers of the two ch{u}rches. The two Witnesses are called Ca\n/dlesticks & Candlesticks signify Churches, & I can meet wth no other churches \then those of the two Empires/ to wch these two witnesses can be so well applied. The two Empires have their churches {true &} fals & true & their fals churches have their representatives, the one being represented by the Woman in the wilderness & the other by the two horned Beast or fals Prophet & therefore their true Churches ought also to have their representatives, the one & I meet with nothing else so proper to represent them as the two leggs of the son of man & the two Candlesticks & two Prophets. For if the fals Prophet {illeg} signifies the fals Church of the Greek Empire, the true Prophet ( by wae|y| of opposition ) must signify the true Church thereof, & since there are two true prophets \& two Empires/ the other true Prophet must signify the true Church of the other Empire The remnant of the womans seed whom the Dragon went to make war upon & who keep the commandments of \God/ & have the testimony of Iesus are the true Witness in the Dragons kingdom & the saints whom the Beast made martyrs \Martyrs/ of Iesus wth whose blood the Woman is drunken are the other \true/ {K}|W|itness in the kingdom of the Beast.

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Now when the | [ | Woman separates from the Dragon & retires into the western empire & this retiring is called flying into the Wilderness it imports that this Empire is ba|e|come a spiritually barren wilderness. And | ] | when the seven Churches retire into the Eastern Empire it is to be conceived that the Temple wherein they worship & whose Candlesticks they are, retires into the same empire & leave|s| the Western Empire a spiritua \a spiritually barren wilderness. made desolate by the/ destitute of a Temple untill a new one be built, For the building of a new one \second Temple/ is signified by Iohns {sic} measuring the Temple & Altar & them that worship therein, & leaving out the outward court unmeasured because it is given to the gentiles who shall tread down the Holy City 42 months. For all this alludes to Ezekiels {sic} measuring the Temple in the Babylonian captivity in token that it should be rebuilt & to the building of ye inner Tem the \second Temple with its/ three courts of the second Temple in the reign of Cyrus & Darius & leaving the outward court unbuilt all the reign of the Persians wch was 200 years & then building the outward court in the {11} for ye Gentiles in the reign of ye Greeks & calling it the Gentiles court. And it relates to the western Empire because the great Cit{h|y|} in whose streets the Beast killed the witnesses is called the City where our Lord was crucified, that is where the second Temple stood \was built &/ & where the where the Gentiles trode down the holy city & worshipped in the out|wd| court of this Temple.

Now w|W|hen the Woman fled int{h}|o| ye Wilderness & ye Dragon went from her to make war with the remnant of he|r| seed who {have}|keep| the commandmts of God & have ye testimony of Iesus {i}ts to be understood that the Western Empire into wch the Woman fled was become a spiritually barren Wilderness & that the remnant of the womans seed who ke{e}|p|t wch Commandments of God remained \were left/ in the eastern Empire where the Dragon could make war upon them. And when the two horned Beast {or} rose out of the earth or {pe} eastern Empire & caused \by the dictate of the O an oracle to be erected by whose dictate/ all that would not worship the /Oracle or\ image of the Beast to be killed, its to be understood that they lived among the people of the two horned b|B|east & that this Beast \by the Oracle/ caused \his king/ the Dragon in whose kingdome they lived to make war upon them & kill{ed} them. The Beast was the Western Empire, the people of ye Eastern Empire were compelled to worship him & his Image & those that {wol} would not worship his Image it were mystically killed in the war wch the Dragon made upon them.

Now this distinction of the Christians into those that worshipped the Image & those that were killed for not worshipping it signifies the same thing with the distinction of the twelve tribes of trib Israel into those that were sealed received the mark of the Beast & those that were sealed wth ye seal of God. The Western Empire was a spiritually barren wilderness, the 144000 were sealed in the Greek Empire |{th}|or| being sealed out of \in/ both Empires were translated {pr}|wi|th the Dragon \& seven Churches /{into} ye Gr. Empire being ye| For \true Church in his kingdom. For/ they stand upon mount Sion before the four Beasts & by consequence \those Beasts were only/ in the Tabernacle {or}|&| first Temple. They stand also on the Sea of glass in the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony & \this Temple & Tabernacle/ by consequence are \they were was only/ within the kingdom of the Dragon. |For the{y are} seven Churches by rejecting the hypocrites become the 144000 & are always within that kingdom. |

Thus the Western Empire being left destitute of a Temple & true Church |in the kingdom of the Beast, | a new Temple is built there, that is, the true Christians wch remained in the western Empire among the Latines where the Beast at ye final division of the Empire when \remained among the latines/ & before this division were a part of the Church \Temple/ of the Dragon are considered as a second Temple newly built by this Division.

When the Barbarous nation{s} invaded the western Empire & br{a}ke it into ten kingdoms they In the reign of Theodosius the great & his successors, the Roman laws still extant in the Theodosian Code, were exceeding severe against meeting to worship God in any assemblies what{e}ver except those of the Saint-worshippers. The places

<4v>

So also the Church of the Whole Empire is from the beginning represented by both the Temple & the Tabernacle & the Temple, by {F}or it is called the Temple Apoc 11.      & the four Animals wth the faces of a Lyon, Ox, Man & Eagle allude to the encampment of the four squadrons of Israel in|a|bout the Tabernacles each under their own banner. But when the Empire become divided & the Dragon retires from the West & for the future signifies only the Western \Eastern/ Empire the Temple & the Tabernacle retire with him: &|f|or they are the true church in his kingdom. {&} So long as his he is the whole kingdom \Empire/ so long they are the church of the whole but when he is restrained to signify only the Eastern Empire they are also restrained to signify only the true Church within the Eastern Empire. For the Temple out of \in/ wch the seven Angels appear wth the seven last plagues appear & by consequence in wch are the seven lamps {&} the seven candlesticks or seven Churches of Asia are placed during \while/ those Angels pour out the seven vials of wrath, and {p} is called the Temple of the Tabernacle; & the upon the rising of the Beast out of ye Sea there is a new Temple built to represent the \true/ Church of God in the \new/ kingdom of{illeg} the Beast.

For the building of a second Temple is signified

<5r>

Sect 2.
The two Witnesses

When the Woman fled into \fl{ies}|ed|/ from the Temple of heaven \on mount Sion/ into ye Wilderness & {leaves|ft|} \left/ a remnant of her seed wch keep ye commmandmts of God: it is to be conceived that this remnant \were the remnant of the seven churches &/ stayed in the Temple \being the 144000 wch stand/ \wch \were/ sealed out of ye 12 Tribes & stand/ wth the Lamb on mount Sion, that lamb wch appeared before in this same Temple as it were slain & took the book out of the hand of him that sat upon the throne or Ark in this same Temple. & those are [ ye [ 144000 sealed out of the 12 Tribes of Israel & ] |before the throne & four animals & Elders before the four animals & |ye| Elders: & that {they} are also & continue to be represented by the seven candlesticks in this Temple. They are also| the Victors wch stand upon the sea of Glass in the same Temple. of the tabernacle |And {illeg} the seven Angels wch sound the seven Trumpets & pour out the seven vials of wrath are the Angels |of this remnant of ye seven Churches represented by ye seven lamps in this|ese| Temple candlesticks|| {F}{} It is also to be conceived that the /Woman\ flies|ed| from the \light of the/ seven lamps into a state of darkness, & \in fleeing \from/ Mount Sion into the wilderness changed her Metropolis. She fled/ from the seven golden candlesticks wch represent the seven churches of Asia her first Metropolis & goes \{F} in flying she went/ through the wilderness of Arabia to the great city \the great city called/ Babylon the great city her new Metropolis. seated upon seven hills mountains. This Babylon {the} is the seven hilled city \opposed to the seven churches, / the city Rome wch to this day \is the{illeg} Metropolis of the Woman/ claimi{ng}|s| a supreme motropolitan {sic} power over all the \Christian/ Churches. of Christ. the Christian religion The seven his|l|ls or mountains where the woman |sitteth are opposed to the seven churches of Asia. They are /sitteth are\ literally the seven hills {F}on wch Rome stood, by|u|t mystically they are the| sitteth are ( mystically ) \the/ seven heads of the Beast that is {seve} \they are/ the seven {k} {imp} regal cities royal cites|ie|s or chief ci head cities of the seven kingd of \kingdoms represented by those seven/ horns of the Beast wch remained after the little horn of Daniels fourth Beast has|d| rooted \up/ three of the ten \first/ horns of this Beast . For moutains {sic} in sacred prophesy signify cities, & the Spirit gives a double interpretation of the seven heads of the Beast \saying calling them boath {sic} mountains & kings, saying: / Here is wisdome. The the mind that hath wisdome. The seven heads are seven mountains on wch the Woman sitteth All|s|o they are seven kings: five are fallen & one is & the other is not yet come &c. According to the first interpretation the seven heads import are contemporal|ry| \to one another/ like |ye| four heads of Daniels Leopards & signify seven kingdoms as contemporary kingdoms, the seven mountains upon wch the great City is seated being made a type of the imperial cities of these kingdoms |& the \seven/ churches {&} of these seven cities are set in opposition to the seven Churches of the seven cities of Asia. | According to ye second interpretation the seven heads are seven successive dynast|i|es of the Roman Empire five of wch wer{e} fallen before the Bease|t| rose out of the abyss or sea. T In the|is| \last/ sense the heads {belon} belong more properly to the Dragon then {sic} to ye Beast: in the other sense they belong more properly to the Beast then {sic} to the Dragon. [ Thus the Woman by fly{i}ng into the wilderness changed her metropolis, & deserting the seven churches of Asia represented by the seven candlesticks {i}n the first Temple on Mount Sion, became the sevenfold Church of Rome the great City Babylon in the {sp} wilderness. \seated herself on the seven mountains arrived at the sitting {on sev}/ |the woman| the city \seated/ on seven mountains & beame {sic} the sevenfold Church of Rome. seated her self at Rome on seven mountains \a metropolis/ th|re|presented by the great city Babylon in the wilderness & reigned over \the/ seven of the ten kings after wch remained kings wch remained after three of {them} the ten were rooted up: wch seven are also still called the ten horns in respect of their first number.

Now as Nebuchadnezzar when he captivated Israel carried away \the people/ good & bad together into & then setting up an image in the plane of Babylon commanded all nations to worship it upon pain of death: so the Roman Emperors upon ]

Now when the woman by flying into the wilderness, deserted the Temple of heaven on Mount Sion & wth it Candlesticks, ]

Now when the woman fled from the Temple on mount Sion & arrived at her place in the wilderness, it is to be conceived that a new Temple was built for her there. And For the building of this temple is thus described signified by the <6r> Angels saying to Iohn. Rise |&| measure the temple \of God/ & |ye| altar & them that worship therein, ( that {i}s their three courts ) but the court wch is without the Temple leave out & measure it not{ . } for it is given unto the Gentiles & the {} holy city shall they tread under foot forty & two months. \And I will give power to my two witnesses & they shall prophesy 1260 {days} in sackcloth/ All this alludes to the Babylonians captivating the Iews, & treading Ierusalem under foot & to Ezekiels measuring the Temple in token that it s{hould} be rebuilt & to the building of the inner Temple in the reign of Cyrus & Darius, that is, the T court of the House & the court of the altar & the court of ye people called the weomens court, & leaving unbuilt the outward court unbuilt wch in Solomons days was Temple was the peoples Court but in the second court \Temple/ was given to ye gentiles, & remained unbuilt all the reign of the Persians & was built but the Gentiles came into {it into} it to worship {ab} both in the reign of the Persians while it remained unbuilt & also in the reign of the Greeks & Romans when it was built. It alludes also {th} to ye Pro two Prophets Haggai & Zecchary who prophesied \at/ all the time that ye in of building the inner Temple. in the second Temple.

Now {as} upon the \final/ division of the Roman Empire into ye Eastern & western Empires, as the Dragon wch before till then had signified the whole Empire retrired {sic} into the east{e} & {thence forward}{thenceforward} signified only the Eastern Empire & \in its room/ the ten-horned Beast rose out of the earth to signify the western Empire, & as the wow|m|an wch till then had signified the whole Church fled into of the whole Empire &|f|led from ye Greek Empire into the wilderness & thenceforward signified only the \national/ Church of the western Empire & \in its room/ the two horned Beast rose out of ye Earth to signify the west \{national}{rational}/ Church of the Eastern Empire: so the Temple in heaven of the Tabernacle in heaven \with its Candlesticks & lamps all/ wch till then had signified the \true/ Church of the God diffused throughout the whole Empire, retired from signifying the true Church in the western Empire & thenceforward signified only the true Church of God in the Eastern Empire, & in its room a new church was \second Temple is/ built in the west to with two Candlesticks to signify the true Church of God in the western Empire.

The two witnesses {T} \o{r} Prophets are/ therefore signify are the people of God wch worship in this Temple. For they are the two Candlesticks \standing before the God of the earth, that is before his throne/ in thi|e|s Temple: that is the two Churches wch worship therein And in allusion to Zechar{ie}{sic} [1] vision of {th} two Olive trees empti|y|ing their oyle into the Candlesticks \in ye second Temple/ Io{h} they are also called two olive trees. {illeg} And |ye| Candlesticks \in the Temple/ signify the Churches of God who worship him in his Temple {&} Apoc. 1.20, & { . } so do Olive trees Rom. 11.17, 24. They are called two the Churches of God in the western Empire because they are slain by the Beast, & lyed dead in the streets of the great City, the city Babylon wch in form of a woman rei|id|es upon the Beast.

They If any man will hurt them fire proceedeth out of their mouth & devoureth their enemies{ , } . These have power to shut heaven over the waters to turn them to blood, & to smite the earth with all plagues as often as they will{s} ; that is, they \these two Churches inflict the plagues of the seven trumpets. They/ joyn wth ye seven Angels or Angels of ye seven Churches in smiting the earth wi{t}h all the seven plagues of |ye| Trumpets & Vials of wrath, A{illeg}|n|d therefore they worship in the second Temple all the time of th{e}{o}se seven Trum plagues.

These two Churches are the mystical body of the mighty Angel wch came down from heaven cloathed wth a cloud & a rainbow upon his head & his face as it were the Su{r}|n| & his feet as pillars of fire, & \wch/ had in his hand a little book open & set his right foot or|upon|ye earth & sea & left upon the earth, & cried with a loud voice. When all the seven seals of this book were opened then the son of man in the form of this Angel appears wth it open in his hand to prophesy out of it & for that end hold{s} it open all the time that the seven thunders utter their voices, that is all the time that his mystical body the two Witnesses prophesy. As the seven eyes & seven horns of ye <7r> Lamb represent the same thing wth the seven lamps & seven candlesticks in ye first Temple so the two eyes & two leggs of the son of man represent the same thing wth the two lamps & two Candlesticks in the second Temple. And hence the witnesses are called two. {They} By the building of Constantinople & division of the Roman Empire between {sic} two cities of Rome & Constantinople \& distinguishing the{ose} territories of those cities by ye names of Earth & Sea. / , the Woman received two wings of {a} great eagle upon wch she flew into ye wilderness, the two horned Beast received his two horns & the two witnesses {ha} became two: for christ set his right foot upon ye |s|earth & his left upon the searth. An {sic} these characters being once given t{the} to ye \two-winged/ Woman, two-horned Beast & two Witnesses, they retained them even after before the \final/ division of the Empire, they retained them after it |As the ten-horned Beast rose \out of the sea/ wth seven heads, five of wch were fallen before he rose so & one of them wounded before he rose so| The two horned Beast rose wth two {h} out of ye earth wth two horns wch grew upon his head before he rose{ , } . And as the Dragon hasretains all the \the/ ten horns after he is But {least} the figure may seem hard of retired from ye western Empire whose horns they are: so two horned Beast may keep both his wings horns & the woman both her wings & the two witnesses the number two after they are retired into one of the Empires.

But to remove all difficulty from these figures it is further {to} be considered that the two Empires were never so far parted but that the|y| remained \united in interest &/ {next} heirs to one another. When ye western empire fell being invaded |by| barbarians, the Greek Emperor claimed a right to it & by vertue of that ri{i|g|}ht recovered Afric from the Vandals & Italy from ye Ostrogoths. And the western Emperors while they lasted had the same right to ye Eastern Empire. It is therefore to be conceived that even after the final division of the Empire the Dragon & Beast have a right \are {next} heirs to one/ to one {sic} anothers dominions & upon that account \in token of that right/ partake of one anothers heads & horns [ & for the so it may be said that the two horn Beast, & seven Churches two-winged woman & two witness {sic} continue always affected wth the binary division of the Empire because in some respect they are each of them extended over the whole even after the binary divisi{o} final division into both parts of the division Empire division. The two winged wo Dragon, two horned Beast & seven Churches reign in reside \& act &/ & reign in the east without quitting their interest in the west & the tenhorned Beast Woman & two Churches reside \&/ act & reign in the west without quitting their interest in the east. And therefore by the final division of the Empire they do not lose their names \titles/ & characters wch they had borrowed from the \state of the/ whole Empire before that division. The mystical body of Christ whether in ye form of a lamb with seven eyes & It is further to be considered seven horns {illeg} or in the form of the son of man wth two eyes & two leggs \& seven stars in his hand/ signifies |is| the whole Church of Christ in both Empires |from the beginning to the end of the prophesy {but} yet after the final division of the Empire| : but \yet/ for describing distinctly the different affairs of the eastern & western parts of this Church, the septenary division is number is used as a type & character of the Eastern Church & the binary of the western. from the time of the final division of the Empire ] They are brothers They are twins & in token of their They are twins growing to one another & in token of their being so bear the same coat of arms of Seven heads & ten h{o} ] & H And the same right wch the Dragon & \ten horned/ Beast have to the w severally to \be/ ye whole kingdom \Empire/ |their Churches have under them| ( the two horned Beast has under the Dragon & the woman & two has under the \ten horned/ Beast ) to be the Church of the whole kingdom \Empire/ & in token \& claim/ of that right they partake of the binary division of the whole, the Woman by her two wings & the Beast by his two horns: for \two/ wings & \two/ horns signify \have one &/ the same being \signification/ as is manifest by the Daniels visions where the four wings of the Leopard & the four horns of the Goat signify one & ye same division of ye Greek Empire into four kingdoms. And so \much more is {it} to be conceived that/ the mystical body of Christ in {th} whether in the form of the son of man with two eyes & two leggs & seven stars in his hand, or in form of a Lamb wth seven horns & seven eyes signifies the whole Church of Christ in all ages{ : }{ ; } , And th{e}{o} & \that/ after the division of the Empire, the septenary number \division/ \number/ is applied to the affairs of Chr the Church in the Eastern Empire & the binary to {t}he|r| affairs in the western Empire without making a rent in Christs mystical body.

For the 144000 who were sealed our of \all/ the twelve tribes of Israel stand on mount Sion \with the Lamb harps/ & sing a new song. They stand also on the sea of glass \with harps/ and sing the song of Moses & the Lamb; & singing \with musical instruments/ is prophesying <8r> ( 1 Sam. 10.5. 1 Chron. 25.1, 2, 3 ) & therefore they are Prophets, & Prophets are God's witnesses ( 2 Chron 24.19. ) These {s} From the time that the seven seals of the prophetic boo prophetic Book is opened all Gods people begin to prophesy out of it. as soon as all the seals are opened loosed |They are the mystical body of| the mighty Angel \who/ comes down from heaven cloathed with a cloud & the book open in his hand to prophesy out of it & sets his right foot upon the se{a}{æ} & his left foot upon the earth. The cloud is a cloud of {wit} A cloud is always put a {m} A cloud is the symbol of a multitude. The Angel is cloathed with a cloud of witnesses or Prophets. The Fa two horned Beast is called th a fals Prophet & the Who great Whore is the woman Iezebel wch calleth her self a Prophetess. In opposition to these two fals Prophets God has his two true Prophets in the earth & Sea represented by the two leggs of the mighty Angel: & these two true Prophets prophesy out of the sealed book from the time that the book is opened, & comprehend all Gods people in both {e} the whole Roman Empire, as well the 144000 as the two witnesses prophesy out of it against the Fals Prophet & against the fals Prophetess. The 144000 & the two witnesses are but two names of one & the same Church of God. And if after the final division of the Empire one of these names be used in describing the affairs of this Church within the eastern Empire & the other name be used in describing the affairs of this Church within the Western, yet for preserving the unity of Gods Church both these names are still to be taken for names of the whole derived from the whole & \properly/ significant of the whole & only \{but th}/ \but/ applied to ye several parts for the convenien{ts}|ce|e of describing the affairs of those parts severally. Tis an usual figue|r|e to call a part by the name of the whole ( {r}|a|s when we call a dead body by the name of a man & every part of a river by the name of the river \& the ten Tribes by the name of Israel/ ) & this figure is here made use of. As \in the history of the Bible/ the ten tribes are distinguished from the two Tribes by the name of Israel & yet the two tribes are at ye same time a part of Israel: so \in the Apocalyps/ the people of God in the western empire may be distinguished from his people in the eastern by the names of the two witnesses & the 144000, & yet at the same time the|i|s people in the {e}astern empire may be a part of the two witnesses & his people in the western a part of the 144000. So far as the {peop} easter people of the eastern & western empires are distinguished from one another & considered in this prophesy distinctly, so far they are represented distinctly by the Dragon, Beast, Fals Prophet, Woman, 144000 & two witnesses: but & so far as they are considered without distinction, so far each of those types extend to the whole {illeg} people of the whole Empire without distinction. And therefore before the final division of the Empire, they extend each of them to the whole; after that division while they all continue together they are taken distinctly , for a part of ye but & particularly: but s{o} soon {illeg} as any of them cease & by th{e} ceasing the thereby the distinction begins to be taken away the survivors so far as the distinction is taken {be} away begin again to \be taken generaly {sic} &/ {exten be} extend to ye whole without distinction. So The During the reign of the Woman & Two horned B Babylon the great is her proper name written in her forehead, & t|S|he fals Prophet is the name of two horned Beast: but & the two horned Beast or fals Prophet are considered distinctly: but so soon as this Babylon is fallen & the Woman is burnt with fire, the & this Babylon is fallen, the names of great Babylon & the fals Prophet extend to the whole without distinction. For after ye woman is burnt its said the|a|t three unclean spirits like froggs came out of the mouth of the Dragon Beast & fals Prophet to gather the nations together to the battel of the great day of God Almighty, & the Beast & {D} fals Prophet & kings of the earth ( the \or/ kings of the east here called the Dragon \whose way was prepared to this battel by the drying up of Euphrates/ ) were {taken} gathered together {to} against the army of heaven, & the Beast was taken & fals Prophet were taken & cast alive into the lake of fire & the remnant \ ( the kings of the earth or east ) were/ slain wth the two edged sword. Here the woman is not named because she was burnt before, & the remnant of her seed who continue to worship the Beast & his Image are comprehended under the name of the two horned fals Prophet he being next heir to the woman. T It is also said that in this battel \the great city was divided into three parts &/ great Babylon came in remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fir|i|rceness of his wrath: & hereby great Babylon doth not signify the woman, for she was burt|n|t before: but it signifies the whole extends <9r> comprehends all the three remaining parts of the|a|t \{th} great city ye whole/ Roman Empire, two of wch |parts| are cast alive into the lake of fire & the third is slain wth the two edd|g|ed sword. And in like manner, after the Beast is cas{t} alive into the lake of fire, the Dragon who is his next he{r}|i|r is no longer limited to the eastern Empire but extends into the whole. For when this|e| Dragon called {a} the|a|t old serpent called the Devil & Satan is shut up in the bottomless {at} pit that he should deceive the nations no more till a thousand years are expired, we are thereby to understand that the spirit of error ceases a thousand years in all th{e}|e|se kingd nations & kingdoms of this world wch at the sounding of the seventh Trumpet become the kingdoms of or Lord & his Christ, that is, in all the kingdoms wthin the compass of the four monarchies. So also the two Witnesses wch are opposed to ye two winged Woman, upon the burning of that woman are no longer restrained to ye western empire but ascending up to heaven in a cloud preach the everlasting gospel to all {n} every nation & kindred & tongue & people. And the {sic} 14{4} at the same time the 144000 grow into a great multitude wch no man could number, of all nations & people & kindreds & tongues with palms in their hands, & thereby become one & the same Ch{i|u|}rch catholic wth the two witne|s|ses. This is that Church called the Lamb's wife at whose marriage the king\doms/ of the earth \like sheep & oxen/ are sacrificed mystically sacrifices|d| by the victorious two edged sword & all the fouls {sic} of heaven \ ( the army on white horses ) {illeg}/ invited to the marriage supper \ ( that is, the army on white horses ) / are, ( not literally but mystically, ) filled wth their flesh. For {t}|b|y this victory the Palm-bearing multitude come out of the great tribulation. So then the \Woman &/ two Witnesses, & Woman the 144000 {& t} twoh horned Beast & 144000 signify the Churches true & false & true of the whole Empire: but \yet/ during the division of the Empire untill the fall of Babylon, for expressing that division {thes} & describing the actions of either pa the churches in either part, the names of the two first are applied in a more especial manner to the Churches in the western empire & the names of the two first to the Churches in the eastern.

Now the two Witnesses prophesy 1260 in sackcloth 1260 days, & the Gentiles tread under foot the holy City 42 months \& so long also the woman is fed in the Wilderness & the Beast acts as long. / . The times are equal & by their equality are known to be coincident. When the Gentiles begin to tread under foot the holy {sic} city & the Beast \begins/ to act & the Woman is arrived at her place \of honour/ in the wildernes {sic} & begins to be fed there by the merchants of the earth, then the two Witnesses put on sackcloth. & They prophesyed before, but now they begin to prophesy in mourning. {The P} And \But/ this|e| period when they begin, |to proph| is one of the most mystical in all the prophesy, b not yet known, because it involves the knowledge of the end of the 1260 days wch are not yet expired. For the designe of this Prophesy is not to enable us to foreknow things, but {to}|b|y the fulfilling thereof to enable us to know \certainly that is|t| is a true prophesy & by consequence/ that there is a God above who foreknows all things & governs ye world by his providence, & that Iesus Christ, |the Lamb| who was slain, rose again from the dead & {I} received this prophesy from God & was the o th{e}|a|t he alone was worthy to received it & merited became worthy by his death whereby he \has/ also washed away the sins of his people in his blood & made them kings & Priests, having merited a kingdom for as many as he shall chuse to be his subjects when he comes to \revive the dead &/ reward every man according to his works.

But tho it would be great rashness to pretend to deter the period of time when the Witnesses put on sackcloth [ be not yet sufficiently determined ] cannot yet be known, yet something

But tho the end of the 1260 days cannot yet be \justly/ known, yet there is reason to beleive {sic} that the days are not yet expiring. For the Gentiles wch tread under foot the holy city, & worship in the outward are called Gentiles \with/ respect to their idolatry, & idolatry is not complete without the worshipping images. Invocation of dead men is a breach of the first commandmt <10r> worshipping of Images is a breach of the second, & idolatry |or Idol-worship| is properly a the worshipping of idols images \this is properly Idol-worship or idolatry. / All the heathen Roman Empire w{e}re exceedingly addicted to the worship of images & this worship seems to be the principal character of heathenism {o}r gentilism, & those in wch respect {the} & therefore the Holy City might did \might might/ not begin to be troden {sic} under foot by the Gentiles truly & properly so called |& therefore the Gentiles wch tread under foot the Holy City might not begin to be Gentiles in the sense of the prophesy| before the setting up of Idol Idols in the Pantheon at Rome \A.C. 610/ , perhaps not before the setting up of Idols \Images/ in the Greek Empire { . } by I{m} the Empress Irene & her Council the second Council of Nice A.C. 787, perhaps not before the the reign of the Empress Theodora & her son Michael & their setting up Images in the Greek Empire \by the Council of Constantinople/ A.C. 842

The ten kingdoms into which the western Empire was divided were {no} at first of different religions, & their kings were not all of them converted to the Roman catholic faith till about the beginning of the Wo-trumpets {sic} & after that it was sometime before the generality of the people of some of those kingdoms were converted to that faith. And before such {illeg} conversion, the tenn could kings or kingdoms could not be said to agree & have one mind & to agree & give their kingdom to the Beast, & before they did so the Beast might not be said to act in the sense of the Apocalyps nor to carry the Woman upon his back. & perhap{t}|s| this act agreement & acting might not begin before the erecting of the western Empire by Charles the great, & perhaps not before the breaking of this Empire into smaller parts at the death of his son A.C. 440, whereby the Pope might reign over them wth more power than {o}ver the whole.

The woman

When the woman fled into the wilderness she did not presently arrive at her place \or dignity/ where she is nourished 1260 days. In the Papacy of Gregory the great she was at the lowest ebb of fortune. Rome was then & or a long time after governed by a Duke & did not come into the hands of the Pope till the year 726. This Church {Nor} did \Nor did/ This Church \did not/ \did not/ obtein Peters patrimony \& tiths/ for her nourishmt in quiet possession till the reign of \Pipin &/ Charles the great, nor arrived to its full dignity before the subjects of the Pope began to swear allegiance to him & he was declared above all humane judicature & {s} took upon him to create Charles the great an Emperor A.C. 800 & even after that he grew still greater.

The little horn of Daniels fourth Beast had times & laws given into his hand for a time & times & half a time, wch is the same interval of time wth that of the Womans feeding the Woman in the wilderness. But before this horn began to act in such an absolute manner it is to be conceived that he established himself by rooting up the|r|ee of the first horns wch fell before him as he arose & this was not compassed before the fall of the kingdom{s} of the Lombards wch was one of the three & fell A.C. 774.

And upon comparing all these things it seems to {b} me that the wit\n/esses did not p{u}t on sackcloth before the beginning of the Wo-trumpets {sic} & most probably not \till/ some time after.

Now if you would know what it is that the two Prophets & the 144000 |may| have been prophesying out of this book ever since it was opened or

Now from the prophesying of the two witnesses & 144000 out of this book ever since it was opened, I infer \it follows/ that it is the duty of every Christian to understand as much as he can of th{i}s book & explain it to his neighbour, |As for instance|

As That he that sits upon the throne in the temple of heaven is the God of the Iews. Fore there the Iews worshipped him \sitting upon the throne/ in the Temple.

That he is the God who created heaven & earth Apoc 4. {&} [ & by consequence who said in the fourth commandment \In six days/ The Lord made heaven & earth & in the first Thou shalt have no other Gods but me, that is, so as to worship them . |\Tho/ There are \be/ Gods many, but \yet/ thou shalt not worship them. Thou shalt worship no other God but me the creator of heaven & earth ] . |

That this God has all knowledge of future things originally in his own breast

[Editorial Note 1] The text continues on f. 3r.

[1] Zech. 4.

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