A34679:229
An exposition upon the thirteenth chapter of the Revelation by that reverend and eminent…
An exposition upon the thirteenth chapter of the Revelation by that reverend and eminent servant of the Lord, Mr. John Cotton ... ; taken from his mouth in short-writing, and some part of it corrected by himself soon after the preaching thereof ; and all of it since viewed over by a friend to him ... wherein some mistakes were amended, but nothing of the sense altered.
London: printed for Tim. Smart, 1656
Title page typeset from the transcription.
AN EXPOSITION Upon the thirteenth Chapter of the REVELATION. › Part
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
And a second thing that moved them was the strange success of the Beast in recovering of his wounded head;1 for that made them wonder after the Beast, when they saw such a mortal wound so throughly healed: They thought, had it not been above the power of mortal men, it had not been possible it should have been healed, but certainly there was a power above mortal men in it, and that is the reason in the Text to give him a mouth to speak great things, to speak what he would.
And a second thing that moved them was the strange successe of the Beast in recovering of his wounded head;1 for that made them wonder after the Beast, when they saw such a mortall wound so throughly healed: They thought, had it not been above the power of mortall men, it had not been possible it should have been healed, but certainly there was a power above mortall men in it, and that is the reason in the Text to give him a mouth to speak great things, to speak what hee would.
- 1Reason 2.
And a third reason why Princes gave this power,1 was their devout superstition; many were convinced by Machiavellian policy, of their great sins, and they had in those days a notable dexterity to apply the Law of God, and to sting mens ⟨p. 70⟩consciences like a Cockatrice, Rev. 9. 5. and then they would do any thing for ease out of the bondage they lay under, and this was a great means: Then they directed them to give so much to such a Monastery, or to go a Pilgrimage, or fast such a time, and such devotion which a mans own unsanctified heart could reach: That when this Beast speaks great things, that he can pardon sin, and his Shavelings will take a course for redeeming souls, and preserving them out of hell, this was such satisfaction to them, that you need not wonder if all Princes gave their Kingdoms to the Beast: And so having advanced him as supreme over them all, he hath a mouth he may speak what he will; Princes may make Laws on this hand or on that; but if they do not suite with him, they are disannulled: And they must be reconciled to the mother Church, and so this Harlot gives them all to her, and hath a mouth speaking great things, and therewithal great blasphemies.