THis Prophecie begins in an Exposition on the 13 Cha­pter of the Revelation of John, Verse 11. where he saith, I beheld another beast. John saw the Antichri­stian Bishop of Rome rise out of the sea; that is, the great Beast, Vers. 1. but this is not that Beast, but an­other, and yet a very Beast, another Antichrist,

Coming out of the earth] The other Beast was to be raised out of those Cardinalls that are in the Sea of Rome, but William Laud, this Beast, was to come up out of a Protestant Church, where Popery was buried; and to act in the raising of those dead ashes to life, to bring in Popery againe.

And he had two hornes] Those two hornes are the two seats where­in he sate Judge, the one in temporall matters, and the other in spiritu­all; and thus by the High-Commission, the Spirituall Court, the Starre Chamber, and other places where he sate in Judgment, he pushed, and caused to be imprisoned, whipt, pillori'd, stigmatiz'd, and the eares to be cut off of divers godly people that came before him.

Like a Lamb] Thus: 1. As a Lamb is little, so the Archbishop is a little man. As a Lamb is of a meeke nature, so he hath alwayes made a shew as if he had been a meek man. 3. As a Lamb couples not with a Ram, but followes the Ewe, so the Archbishop would not marrie, but followes the Church. And lastly, as a Lamb pretends to be a type of Christ, so hath he alwayes pretended to do all things in the name of Christ.

And he spake as a Dragon] At the opening of the Dragons mouth comes forth poyson: and thus the poyson of Asps hath been alwayes under his tongue; and in all his actions were great cruelty against Gods people; and the Saints that came before his Judgment-seat, became like a prey to the Dragon.

[Page 2] Vers. 12. He exercised all the power of the first Beast before him] The first Beast, that is, the Pope, sent the other Beast, that is, William Laud Archbishop of Canterbury, a Cardinalls Hat, and approved and authorized all his doings: particularly to those Jesuites and Priests a­bout the Queene; to the new Book of Common Prayer to be sent into Scotland; and those things which were of greatest moment, he usual­ly had the approbation and authority of the Pope of Rome for the do­ing of them, just as Johns Revelation foretells.

And caused the earth, and them that dwell therein, to worship the first Beast] Thus he caused Altars of earth and stone to be set up, Ceremo­nies to be brought in, and the people to be compelled to idolatry and su­perstition, according to the Popes Decrees.

Whose deadly wound was healed] This wound was given (not to the Archbishop of the Protestant Church, but) to the Pope, in the Reigne of King Henry the eight, and healed again by Queen Mary; but Queen Elizabeth gasht open that deadly wound here, by setling the Protestant Religion again; and this deadly wound the Archbishop had healed in part, so as he made the Popish Church to look up again and live; but not perfectly to cure her wound, for it is deadly.

Vers. 13. And he doth great wonders] The Archbishop hath not onely done wonders, but made England a wonder to all Nations.

So that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men] The idolatry, and superstition, and other wonderfull things by which he caused the Church to sin against God, provoked the Lord to send downe fire from heaven on the earth, in the sight of men: par­ticularly,

Vers. 14. And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth] The Archbi­shop hath been a notable deceiver; for whilest he did alwayes pretend to cast out Popery and faction, he endeavoured nothing more then to bring it in, and settle it amongst us.

By the meanes of those miracles he had power to do in the sight of the Beast] The miracles which he hath done are many, in the eys of Rome and all the Popes Dominions, of whom he was admired: 1. For pro­curing of so many Priests and Jesuites to live in England by toleration. 2. That he brought in Popery so fast, and by so great a power. 3. For over-topping so many Parliaments, and causing them to be dissolved. 4. For establishing of such strange Canons, as were by him authori­zed, after the Parliament was dissolved: and many other things that he did, which were very wonderfull in the sight of the Pope.

[Page 3] Saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an I­mage to the Beast] That is, to those of the Archbishops owne mould, who came up out of the earth, Vers. 11. That is, the Popish and Pre­laticall Convocation; and there it was where he took such paines to frame those wicked Canons, which were the very image of the Popes own Canons.

Which had the wound by a sword, and did live] Although the wound was deadly, Vers. 12. yet the Beast had breath again here by the Arch­bishops meanes, and did live: and he did all he could to heal this wound, Vers. 12. that so the Beast might come to that vigour, and strength a­gaine in England, as in Queene Maries dayes. And in that this wound is said to be given with a sword, it may have relation to that sword sent by the Pope to K. Henry 8. since which the Kings of England are called Defenders of the Faith.

Vers. 15. And he had power to give life to the Image of the Beast] And thus the Archbishop had authority from the King for the esta­blishing of the Canons: the image of the Popes own Canons, as is be­fore exprest on Ver. 14. procured contrary to the Lawes of the Land.

That the image of the Beast should both speak and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the Beast, should be killed] By what those Canons speake, and the Archbishop in them, it is plaine, that he intended to put to death all that would not submit to the said Canons. Boyes rose against those Canons, against his owne house, and for that Bensted was hang'd, drawn and quarter'd: men opposed them in the High-Commission, and for that M. Quatermaine was arraigned, and the Archbishop sought his life. The Parliament voted against them, and for that the Lord Kimbolton and the five Members were articled against for Traitors. And thus the warres began, and all that oppose them they in­deavour to kill: and many a precious Saint hath been killed for oppo­sing these followers of the Beast, that fight and kill the Saints, because they will not worship the image of the Beast.

Vers. 16. And he caused all, both small and great, rich and poore, free and bond, to receive a marke] That is, let them be who they will that come before him, it is all one; they must be sure to be pushed with his hornes, spoken of Vers. 11. except they have his marke, and that mark was made two wayes.

1 In their right hands] That is, by bribes; not by covenanting and making promises to him, but by bringing their bribes with them in their hands. This downright way of bribing was one: the other mark was,

[Page 4] 2 In their foreheads] This was very notable in the Archbishop, that when any man ever came afore him to be judged in any case, if he frow­ned upon him, and bended his browes, that was a mark of his favour; but if he smiled on him, then the Archbishop was sure to give judge­ment against him: so the second marke was the bending of his brows, it was put for them upon his forehead.

Verse 17. And that no man might buy or sell] There was no man more active in the procuring of Monopolies from the King, then the Archbishop? he was a carnall man, for poor tradesmen could not have their free libertie of trade for him; ad no man must enjoy his owne free trade.

1 Said he that had the marke] The Patentees had marks to set up­on iron; Butterfirkins, and every thing else, before any man was suffer­ed to buy or sell the same, or else,

2 The name of the Beast] that is, he must be a Prelate as the Beast is▪ And indeed, there were none free but they who were growen to so high a pitch, that none durst meddle with them, what ever oppression they brought upon the subjects; they would be sure to be free them­selves.

And if they had not the Patentees marke nor the Prelates, then they must not buy nor sell those wares, except they had

3 The number of his name] that is▪ Will. Laud, the Archbishops: which is the number of the Beast as appeares in the 18. verse next fol­lowing.

Verse 18. Here is wisdome] it is a rare thing to finde this out: and yet there is a way to finde this out.

Let him that hath understanding count the number of the Beast] but he must count it, when he that is the Beast is suspected, he must have somthing to count upon; and then let him that hath skill in Arithmetick take out all the figures out of that name which he subscribeth, who is suspected to be the Beast, and count the same which that number a­mounteth to.

For it is the number of a man, and his number is six hundred sixty six] now it is plaine, that this, is the Archbishop, he writes his name thus: Will. Laud.

[Page 5] And if we take the num­ber of his name thus writ­ten, it will amount to just six hundred sixty six, the just number of this Beast here spoken of, as is here expressed.

• W. is V. twice, that is, 10
• I. is a figure of 1
• LL. is twice 50. that is, 100
• L. is once 50
• A. is no numerall letter.
• V. is 5. more, 5
• D. Stands for 500
• Which in all amounts to the just summe of 666

And thus you see that Will. Laud Archbishop of Canterbury, both by his actions, and also by his name, appeares to be the Beast here spo­ken of, called by Iohn another Beast: verse 11. John speaks again of the destruction of this Beast in the 15. Chapter of the Revellation, where he saith,

Verse 2. I saw as it were a sea of glasse] the Parliament assembled may be compared to glasse, for the clearenesse of their Judgements; I thinke I offend not, if I say they are the wisest Assembly that ever sate since the Apostles dayes, and they are properly call'd a Sea because all the fountaines of the Kingdomes flow thither; so that I say the Parlia­ment are fitly called a Sea of glasse. But further they are mingled with fire] they may be fitly compared to fire because they purge out the Po­pish drosse, and other grievances are purifying, and reforming the Church and State; but that this is to be done by fire, argues some diffi­culty in this worke, which in truth appeares at this day by the unhap­py warres which the Beast of England and his fellow-Prelats; having joyned with the Beast of Rome, have raised war against the Parliament, and it is come to a bloody and cruell war, but (through Gods goodnesse in the end: when Gods good time is come) we shall see that the Parlia­ment are

Them that have gotten the victory over the Beast, and over his image, and over his marke, and over the number of his name] The victory must be complete, the Beast must die, his image must be defaced, there must be no such tyranizing over the conscience as was in the Bishops Canons. All Monopolies must be taken away, all bribing and injustice cast out, all secret Letters of favour to the prejudice of the State, all pride in the Clergie, and sinister respects must be laid aside before this victory be complete, and then the Parliament

[Page 6] Stand on the Sea of the glasse, having the harps of God] that is, all Gods people shall flow to them in peace, and shall finde a sweet and joyfull answer to all their addresses.

First, they (shall) sing the song of Moses the servant of God] which he sung, when the Israelites were delivered out of Egypt, and their E­nemies destroyed in the red Sea, which song is written Exod. 15. 1.

Verse 3. Secondly, They shall sing the song of the Lamb] which song followes in the next words,

Saying, Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God almighty] when the Parliament have gotten the victory (as is before exprest) then shall they see that they have not trusted in God in vaine; and they shall acknowledge that they were not delivered by the strength of men, but by Gods great and marvellous works for them. Therefore they shal say,

Just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints] as if they should say, our trust Lord was not in earthly Princes, for they fought against us, but we waited on thee, and trusted in thy promises and thou hast made them good unto us in giving us the victory. And therefore shall they go on praising God, and saying,

Verse 4. Who shall not feare thee O Lord, and glorifie thy Name, for thou art holy] and having thus beheld Gods goodnesse in their own de­liverance, they shall declare it to others.

For all Nations shall come and worship thee O Lord] For, thy judg­ments are made manifest to them in this great deliverance, which thy Saints wait for: Which good Lord speedily send us, to thy glory, and the peace and tranquillity both of Church and State.