by admin » Mon Feb 01, 2021 11:22 am
THE JUDGMENTS OF GOD.
THE very loud and unusual kind of thunder that was heard in the beginning of January, 1791, was the voice of the angel mentioned in the eighteenth chapter of the Revelation, proclaiming the judgment of God, and the fall of Babylon the Great: it was the loudest that ever was heard since man was created, and shook the whole earth every time the angel spoke; it roared through the streets, and made a noise over London like the falling of mountains of stones.
Many buildings were damaged at the time of this thunder, and many persons were frightened by it; the great flashes of lightening proceeded also from the angel, and was according to the first verse, reflected from the brightness of his glory.
Revelation to St. John, Chap. xviii.
1. And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power: and the earth was lightened with his glory.
2. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, (meaning the thunder) saying, Babylon the Great is fallen, is fallen, &c.
3. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
4. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
5. For her sins have reached up to heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
6. Reward her, even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works; in the cup which she hath filled, fill to her double.
7. How much she hath glorified herself and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her; for she says in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
8. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burnt with fire; for strong is the Lord God who judges her.
The Lord God was so exceeding angry at the time of the loud thunder I have mentioned in the preceding part, that he determined to leave his other judgments unfulfilled relative to London, and burn her immediately with fire from heaven: soon afterwards I was informed by revelation of what the thunder meant, and was commanded to go from London beyond the distance of eighteen miles, I had, similar to the prophet Daniel at Babylon, an attending angel to explain all the visions, and support me under the grief I was loaded with for its approaching fall.
The Lord God knowing that I loved him with all my heart, and had often resisted the calls of hunger and distress, rather than comply with customs that would offend him, pitied me; for I had beseeched him to let me inform the people of London of their danger, and try by all possible means to save them; but was refused permission, because they would imprison and use me very ill for it.
In addition to all that God had promised and repeated by his angel to make me happy, he was now pleased to give me another proof of his unalterable regard, and convince me by it, that, although he could not in justice to his recorded judgments spare London, yet, for my sake, he would shew mercy to some: and take care, that by sickness and other causes, to remove the persons, I desired should be saved, to a sufficient distance beyond the limits to be destroyed and sunk. After thanking the Lord God, I mentioned several, both men and women, and called the remembrance of his mercy to others whose names I did not know, but pointed them out in my mind.
Among those I mentioned, was William Pultney, William Pitt, Gilbert Elliot, Charles Gray, the Earl of Buckinghamshire, the Marquis of Lansdown, the Earl of Chatham, Maitland, now called Earl of Lauderdale; Henry Phipp, for I remembered his brother to have done me an act of friendship; John Dalrymple, John Griffin Griffin, Abraham Pickett, because that during his mayorality he opposed by a public advertisement the frequency of taking oaths; in doing so he honoured that all-remembering God, who will in due time as publicly honour him for it. Wilberforce, Bastard, Sheridan. Philip Stephens, Charles Fox; John Luke, a poor Quaker; Samuel Hood; the King and his family, for they were to be gathered into London: Ponsonby, for whom I conceived an esteem, from observing in his countenance openness & honesty; and possessing, as I thought, a heart similar to my own, I was to lead to entreat for him: until last year I could assign no other reason for mentioning that name than what I have given; but the true one is, that as God had determined not only to keep in London the people then in it, but likewise to allow great multitudes to be drawn to it from all parts of the country, he would be found among the number to be destroyed; for which, to prevent his death in such a place, the Lord God influenced me to regard him, that I might afterwards remember such a person, and be mindful of his safety.
I am not in the least acquainted with the man I have mentioned, whom God was pleased to distinguish by so great a testimony of his regard, but although I am not, and our names are different, he is, as well as myself, descended from David, king of Israel. The Countess of Buckinghamshire, whom I am no more acquainted with than the strangers I mentioned before, is likewise descended from David, king of Israel; the family she is married into are also of the Hebrews, and are descended from Joseph the once president of Egypt.
There are many families of the same origin as those three I have named, made known to me by revelation, but I am forbid to mention any of them at present for public knowledge.
After entreating for the persons I have set down, and pointing from my mind to numbers besides, whose names I did not know, I was, to prepare for the designation of God, carried up to heaven in a vision, and saw on my right side, at a small distance, a beautiful silver-white bird in the shape of a Dove, but a little larger; it was the Holy Ghost, and it was the very same that descended on the head of my blessed Saviour, when he came up from being baptized in the river Jordan; he kept between me and Satan, who was then revealed that I might witness it, and great power given him to visit the earth. The Lord God then spoke to me from the middle of a white shining cloud.
After this I was in a vision, having the angel of God near me, and saw Satan walking leisurely into London; his face had a smile, but under it his looks were sly, crafty, and deceitful. On the right side of his forehead were seven dark sports; he was dressed in white and scarlet robes.
Again I was in a vision, and saw London a scene of confusion: it was effected on a sudden; all the people were armed and appeared quite furious: I was carried through the city in the Spirit of God to see all things that were designed should come to pass, and be informed how quick they could be accomplished.
After this I was in vision, and saw a large river run through London coloured with human blood.
Exceedingly unhappy for all that I saw, and which I knew would soon be fulfilled; I prayed and entreated the Lord God to give me one more instance of his mighty regard, by sparing London, and the great multitude in it. I said I acknowledge, O Lord my God, that the people do very wrong, but it is through compulsion, and for want of knowing better.
The Lord God was so highly displeased, that I should, after all his former kindnesses, strain his affection and to entreat him to annul his recorded judgment, as to stop me, and in a voice of great sharpness and anger, say, They have my blessed Gospel, and will not obey. The angel that was appointed to give me instruction forsook me in an instant on hearing this answer. I trembled for my life, and seemed to be another man; for I was afraid of being destroyed with the city. It was three days after this before the Lord God would be reconciled to hear my prayers, and speak to me with his former kindness.
In ten days after the three I was in a vision, and being carried up to heaven, the Lord God spoke to me from the middle of a large white cloud, and said in a strong clear voice -- All, All. I pardon London and all the people in it, for your sake: there is no other man on earth that could stand before me to ask for so great a thing.
For ever, O Lord my God, I will praise and thank you for this great instance of your blessed regard; all Nations will hear it, and may all Nations honour you by their obedience; your great mercy is over them all, and by its goodness the world is now safe.
Had London been destroyed in the year 1791, the place where it stands would have formed a great bay, or inlet of the channel: all the land between Windsor and the Downs would have been sunk, including a distance of eighteen miles each side, but considerably more towards the sea coast: It would be sunk to the depth of seventy fathoms, or four hundred and twenty feet, that no traces of the city might be ever found, or even so much as looked for.
21. And a mighty angel took up a flame, like a great mill-stone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city, Babylon, be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
That all men of wisdom and discernment may understand, on reading the revelation, that there are two cities mentioned in it spiritually, under the names of Babylon the Great, I will assist them by clearly marking out the distinction.
Rome, the spiritual Babylon, mentioned in the seventeenth chapter, is described, in the third verse, to be a way into the wilderness; meaning by the words into the wilderness, that the city is situated inland.
But London, the spiritual Babylon, also mentioned in the eighteenth chapter, is described, by St. John, as the greatest sea-port for ships, wealth, and commerce, in the world.
11. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandize any more.
12. The merchandize of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner of vessels of ivory, and all manner of vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble.
13. And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
14. And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.
15. The merchants of these things, who were made rich by her, shall stand afar off, for the fear of her torment, weeping, and wailing,
16. And saying, Alas! alas! that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! for in one hour, such great riches is come to nought.
17. And every ship-master, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off;
18. And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, What city is like unto this great city.
19. And they cast dust on their heads; and cried, weeping and wailing, says Alas! alas! that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea, by reason of her costliness: for in one hour she is made desolate.
20. Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
Read attentively the eighteenth chapter; and you will perceive described in it, the prodigious wealth, grandeur, and commerce of London: then remember, that the very great thunder and lightning I have mentioned, was in the depth of winter, an unusual time of year for the like; but they were as St. John exactly describes them, in the first and second verses. Meditate on these things, weigh them attentively in your mind, and all I have wrote besides; and the Spirit of God, if you love wisdom, will enlighten your understanding to see, and will also strike you with a conviction of their truth.
The following would have been the condition of England, which the Lord God shewed me in the month of July 1791, had his judgment of desolation on the world been suddenly fulfilled at the appointed time in 1793.
I was in a vision, and was carried away by the Spirit of God to a field of young wheat, which was grown about four inches high from the ground: an elderly English woman stood by me; she had no covering on her head, but over her arms was an old black silk clo[a]k; it was worn threadbare, and rent in many places. While I was observing the dress and poverty of the woman, the wheat sprung up in an instant, and shot out the size of full ears, the largest I ever saw in my life: astonished at such a sight, and wondering what it should mean, I stooped to feel some with my hand; when I had, the woman looked down to me with a countenance expressive of great distress to implore my pity and assistance, then turned her face away to the east, and afterwards looked up to heaven as if she wanted rain and a cool wind.
After this I cast my eyes over the surface of land; it was scorched to a dark brown, and awful to look at; I could see no grass in the meadows, and the bushes in the hedges were all burnt brown: so great and mighty was the heat: I could see no beasts in the fields, and the fowls of heaven were all flown away.
The judgment of desolation being suspended, is the reason that this vision of famine and distress is also; when it takes place, England, like the woman and her cloak, (for she was an illusion to this country) will be very poor, worn out, and rent in many places.
After this I was in a vision, and saw a large sword unsheathed in heaven; soon after I saw a large cup, full of red wine, and much froth on the top, lifted up, and held out to all nations.
The JUDGMENT of DESOLATION on all Nations.
The thunder that was heard in the evening of the third of August 1793, was the voice of the angel, mentioned in the nineteenth chapter of the Revelation, standing in the sun.
17. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, (meaning the thunder) saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come, and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God.
18. That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
The dead will increase so fast, and be in such prodigious numbers, when this judgment takes place, that the living will not be sufficient to bury them, but will leave the bodies exposed to the fowls of heaven for meat.
[The second thunder, that gave notice of God's approaching judgment, was on Wednesday evening the 7th of August 1793, as is mentioned in the seventh of the Revelation, and was the voice of the angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God.
Verse 2. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God; and he cried with a loud voice (the thunder) to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea;
3. Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.]
The flashes of lightning, which issued during the time of this thunder, proceeded likewise from the glory of the angel, and resembling in colour fine amber [and resembled in colour the clear day light.]
The next and last thunder, (if the judgment had not been suspended for my sake) would be on the 11th of August following, and would have been according to the sixteenth chapter of Revelation, the fourth angel pouring out his vial on the sun.
8. And the fourth angel poured out his vial on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire.
9. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, who has power over these plagues; and they repented not to give him glory.
The flashes of lightning, during this thunder, which would continue many hours, would likewise proceed from the glory of the angel, and would be, in strength and colour, like the burning flame.
This thunder would be accomplished by a violent storm of large hail stones, which, with the lightning, would kill multitudes of people, and destroy the harvest in many countries.
Soon after this thunder, (the short time of four days only) the judgment of God on the world would begin to be fulfilled. The winds would be suspended in the firmament, according to the seventh chapter, that breathing might almost cease; the great body of heat, that would immediately after be poured down from heaven on the earth would be as fierce and powerful as to move the world, and every living thing, both man and beast, exposed under it in open air.
The trees, bushes in the hedges, grass in the meadows, and what corn was left from the hail, would be cut off and destroyed by this great and mighty heat. Most of the ships would be destroyed at sea, and all the fish near the surface killed. Millions of the human race would die in all nations from this burning heat, and many plagues it would produce.
The 19th, 7th, 18th, 6th, 8th, and 14th chapters, mean the same time, the same things; and are as one chapter, to fulfil the judgments of God.
The 15th of August 1793, was the time appointed by the Lord God to fulfill the parts of the Revelation I have mentioned, and punish the world with desolation; but from his great mercy and regard for me, that I may be esteemed in this country, and by all others, when I am revealed, suspended his judgment for a time -- it hangs however over all nations.
Look at the age of the world; read attentively the chapters I have mentioned, with what I have wrote besides; and you will discover in your own breast a light to see and believe by.
That light, I mean, which is often called a certain something, an internal monitor, that applauds man for courting wisdom, for being just, and doing good; but that never fails to reproach him for embracing folly, and doing evil; it is indeed no other than the spirit of the living God.
All the prophecies, given in visions from God, are concealed from the knowledge of man by mysterious allusions, until the proper time, and the appointed person for them to be revealed to. For it is not in the cunning of any one man, even assisted by the wisdom of all the rest on earth, to search out the deep secrets of God, or with truth to unfold the meaning of his visions; they are wonderful; they cannot be discovered until God himself pleases to remove the covering of secrecy; and through an appointed person, blesses the world with a knowledge of their true meaning.
The fulfilling of the judgments of God, however destructively they may prove to the governments and nations which they are directed against, are not allowed to affect my personal safety, nor operate in the least to my prejudice: for the certainty of my elevation, to the greatest principles that ever will be in the world, cannot be prevented by the rise or fall of any human power on earth; because it is the repeated covenant of God to my forefathers, and his sacred promise now by revelation to myself.
The obscurity of David was no objection, with a discerning God, to make him the monarch of Israel, and afterwards promise the succession to his family for ever; neither is mine now to his fulfilling that promise, and holding me up to the world, as the visible governor of the Jews. For all the works of God are wonderful, and very far exceed the capacity of man to know where they begin, how they are directed, on whom, or which way they will end: I that have more knowledge of them, and of futurity, revealed to me, than any other under the whole heaven, observe the operation of every new one with more amazement than the former.
Therefore my present poverty is no obstacle to my future elevation, neither is it of much concern to myself, for the time of my being revealed, with power from heaven, is nigh; when God, to manifest his regard, will give me favour with many, and influence all the people of London to help me.
I am the prophet that will be revealed to the Jews, to order their departure from all nations, to go to the land of Israel, their own country, in a similar manner to Moses in Egypt, but with additional power.
I was an officer in the British navy, and necessarily so, although I did not know it, that the judgment of God on David, king of Israel, might be fulfilled, which was, that the sword should never depart from his house.
It is fifteen hundred years since my family was separated from the Jews, and lost all knowledge of its origin; the last on record, in the Scripture, is James: chap. xiii. 55 ver. of St. Matthew. Told me by revelation.
The government of the Jewish nation will, under the Lord God, be committed to me, that the everlasting covenant from him to David may be manifested in the visible Prince and Governor of the Jews.
Second of Samuel, Chap. vii.
16. And thy house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee; thy throne shall be established for ever.
17. According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak to David.
Jeremiah, Chap. xxxiii.
17. For thus says the Lord: David shall never want a man to sit on the throne of the House of Israel;
19. And the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah, saying,
20. Thus says the Lord; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season;
21. Then may also my covenant be broke with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites, the Priests, my ministers.
22. As the Host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured; so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister to me.
23. Moreover, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying,
24. Considerest thou not what this people have spoken, saying, The two families which the Lord has chosen, he has even cast them off. Thus they have despised my people, that they should be no more a nation before them.
25. Thus says the Lord, If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth,
26. Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David my servant; so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob; for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them.
A knowledge of the Scriptures, the prophecies I have mentioned, and all that I have wrote besides, have been communicated to me through visions and revelations from the Lord God: the Prophet Daniel, and St. John the Apostle, were instructed, in the same manner, to write what they have.
It is by the saving of multitudes: by revealing not only a true interpretation of the prophecies, but also a knowledge of the times, and those secret parts of the Scripture which are not made known to any other man under heaven, that the Lord God begins with announcing to the world a knowledge of his mighty judgments, the return of his former mercy to the Hebrews, their speedy restoration to Jerusalem, and the rise of a favorite family.
RICHARD BROTHERS.
LONDON, No. 57, Paddington Street,
3d of the month called January, 1794.
Revelation to St. John, Chap. xvii.
OF ROME.
1. And there came one of the seven angels, which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying to me, come hither; I will shew thee the judgment of the great whore (meaning Rome) that sits upon many waters, (meaning her government over many nations.)
2: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, (meaning, they have been seduced to imitate her evil practices) and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication (meaning, they are likewise deluded to drink deep to a state of insensibility from her vain doctrines.).
A remarkable instance of this way very largely practiced, and really fulfilled at Naples; which, although governed by a king, is notwithstanding in the see of Rome, and about sixty miles distant. In consequence of a violent irruption of fire out of Mount Vesuvius, which is but a few miles from Naples, the similitude of a human head, called St. Janarius's, was carried in procession, lifted up, and held out, fully believing, that by honouring the saint, through even this small part of his image, he himself in heaven, would be influenced to intercede with God, to stop the great rivers of fire which issued from the burning mountain.
For a people, calling themselves Christians, which have had the Revelation so long to warn, and the blessed Gospel so long to instruct them, to embrace, at this late hour of the world, such an act of superstition and delusion, is indeed astonishing. But it is a part of that great chain of errors, still continued, which the Roman government, at a former period, most wickedly bound its people in all nations, but clergy in particular with; and which is plainly foretold by St. Paul, in the fourth chapter of his First Epistle to Timothy, verse 1. Now the Spirit (which is the Holy Ghost) speaks expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils:
2. Speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their consciences seared with a hot iron.
3. Forbidden to marry, &c.
The papal authority does not allow its clergy to marry, from a belief that a man, by living in a state of separation from a woman, is better qualified to fulfill the duties of a priest, more acceptable to God, than a man that is a husband and father. Such doctrine is an evident proof to every discerning person, that there is a great departure or falling away, from the true faith; to continue then in the practice, after it is explained and made public by Divine command, is preferring darkness to light, the doctrines of devils to the good works of God: it is giving a willing heed to the seducing spirits that St. Paul alludes to. Christ, the saviour of our world, who left his gospel of the kingdom of peace for the direction of all men, never made any such distinction; for some of his apostles were married, and some were not: and he, as God the Father, in the beginning of the creation, blessed Adam and Eve, saying to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, &c. repeating the same after the flood, to Noah and his sons; he never ordered, nor never intended, the cruel imposition of celibacy on his immediate servant, nor any other description of men.
It is also an abomination to him, because inconsistent with the design of his creation, that any description of women, under the vain pretence of what is falsely called religion and piety, of leading a more holy life, of serving God better, should be shut up for ever in monasteries, inhumanely deprived of becoming wives and mothers.
I am commanded to say, it is grievous and sorrowful to the Lord God to see nations, which acknowledge him , and which have the whole Scripture to inform them of his will, paying a blind, an idolatrous obedience to human ordinances, supported by bad oaths, and sinful vows, in direct opposition to what he designs, and what in the beginning, the covenant of his blessing prescribes.
Chapt. xvii. continued.
3. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness, (meaning into the country, as if far inland from the sea) where I saw a woman (meaning Rome) sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, (meaning the Pope) full of names of blasphemy, (his titles) having seven heads (alluding to the seven hills on which the city stands) and ten horns (meaning the Cardinals.)
4. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones, and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations, and filthiness of her fornication.
5. And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery -- Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots (meaning that she as a mother stood exposed for corrupting with her evil doctrines many cities to the condition of harlots) and abominations of the earth.
6. And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered, greatly astonished.
This Babylon the Great, this mother of harlots, means Rome; but is spiritually called by those names as an allusion to her excess of guilt as a Babylon, and corruption of doctrine as a mother.
St. John mentions in the third verse, that he was carried away into the wilderness to see Rime; meaning by the words into the wilderness, that Rome, the city he goes to look at, is situated inland: this description is given to make a distinction between it and London, the maritime Babylon, full of ships, seamen, and commerce, mentioned in the eighteenth chapter.
The scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, with seven heads and ten horns, means the Pope -- in this chapter only, and not in any other part of the Revelation, is the Pope alluded to under any name -- or under any signification whatever: neither is Rome but in one part, which is the sixteenth chapter and middle of the nineteenth verse.
The Pope in addition to his many names of blasphemy, likewise assumes the powers and prerogatives of God, calling himself, instead of his blessed Saviour, The Supreme Head of the Church: as such, he pretends, for it is only pretension to deceive the ignorant, to be infallible, and to pardon the commission of sin in others: again, as if sanctified by the Holy Ghost, and commanded immediately from God to impart freely his mighty blessing and his mighty spirit to whom he pleases, he ordains as it is called Bishops, laying hands on them, and saying at the same time receive the Holy Ghost; he likewise claims the pre-eminence of holiness in his person, and obedience to Christ in his actions, above all the rest of mankind.
There is no man spiritual that is not sanctified by the Holy Ghost, and no man is sanctified that teaches by his doctrines -- or recommends by his prayers opposition to Christ the Saviour, and disobedience to his Gospel of Peace; for it is through and by Christ the blessed spirit is given, that sanctifies, which every man that believes in him, and obeys his commands, may have -- may partake of its blessing and sweets; some more, some less, in all things, and for all occasions, as the Lord himself judges proper; but it will be given in such sufficiency as to make him abundant in knowledge and teaching him clearly the ways of salvation.
Man may give to man a title, but it is God only that can make man spiritual; it is he and none else that can give the Holy Ghost, the Divine Spirit of Truth; all other givers among mankind, who say, "by the imposition of our hands receive the Holy Ghost, whose sins thou dost forgive, they are retained;" are but as so many false Christs -- vain pretenders -- blasphemously endeavoring to imitate the true One.
For a man to attempt to do what the true Christ only can, is attempting an imposition, and justly constitutes a false Christ. For a man to kneel down to a man to receive the Holy Ghost, and then going forth by the authority of this false Christ; teaching and preaching under the name of the true Christ, but in opposition to his commands; deluded by an opinion that he is spiritual because his maker imposed on him to believe so, when in reality he is not, constitutes a false Prophet.
Those are the kind of people that the Lord Jesus Christ alludes to in the twenty-fourth Chapter of St. Matthew, and warns the world to beware of.
There are many that preach and write under the name of Christ, without being influenced by his spirit, or commanded by his word: for which, observe all you that love him, that read this book, that he will not give his blessed spirit, which is indeed the Holy Ghost, to any man exalted in pride and living under names of blasphemy; praying for the success and aggrandizement of particular men in war, at the expense of ruin, and destruction to others. And yet the Pope, to impress the multitude round him with reverence and awe, is entitled Holiness, the Vicar of Christ, successor to St. Peter, and is accounted infallible; all such names are an evident demonstration of pride and falsehood; and as such, he has neither holiness from Christ in his person, nor obedience to the Gospel of Truth in his actions.
It is for blasphemy, idolatry, deceit, teaching rebellion against Christ, and for being a shedder of blood by war, that the Pope is called in the Revelation from God, a scarlet coloured beast; under that dreadful height of Heaven by titles, he sinks down into perdition; he is a fallen man, and is adjudged by that already testimony of St. John, to suffer the punishment of everlasting fire.
7: And the Angel said unto me, wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carries her, (meaning that governs her) which has the seven heads, and ten horns.
8: The beast that thou saw, was, and is not, and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life, from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
War, oaths, violence, and bloodshed, in opposition to the commands of Christ in his gospel of the kingdom of peace, they belong to Satan and his government of darkness,
St. Matthew, Chap. iv.
8. Again the devil takes him up to an exceeding high mountain, and shews him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them:
9. And says to him, all these things I will give thee; if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
10. Then says Jesus to him, get thee hence, Satan; for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shall thou serve.
The Popes rose to what they are, and established their power by the sword, is the reason that God mentions in this part of the Revelation to St. John, the beast; or papal authority, to ascend from the bottomless pit: in the beginning they were great military princes, and governed with large armies; but latterly their power became weak, and their consequence small; yet notwithstanding, the vain titles, pageantry, and military parade, is still preserved and closely embraced by the present.
Chap. xvii, continued.
9. And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sits.
The woman means Rome: and the seven mountains or hills on which the city is built, are meant by St. John as the seven heads of the Pope.
10. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is and the other is not yet come; and when he comes he must continue a short space.
These seven kings, mean seven powerful military Popes: they are denominated kings, because they were warlike men, and in other respects governed with the sword like them.
11. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eight, and is of the same as the seven, and goes into perdition.
This means the last military Pope of Rome: for as popedom has rose by the sword, by the sword also it will fall; and the last pope alluded to in this verse, as well as the first military one alluded to in the eighth verse; goes into perdition.
12. And the ten horns which thou saw, are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength to the beast.
These two verses mean the cardinals, who are compared to kings in name; but not in power: they are great, but not independent; they have a great name, but no independent sovereignty: they are called, like the German electors to the Emperor, as is mentioned in the seventh chapter of Daniel, the horns of the beast; because they assist the Pope with their counsel and authority.
14. These shall make war with the Lamb, but the Lamb shall overcome them; for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings; and they that are with him, are called, and chosen, and faithful.
The pope and cardinals, by their teaching, practice, and government, are in a state of opposition to Christ; that is, they practice and encourage, to support their form of government, swearing and war; the two principal things which Christ, above all others, prohibits in the most positive terms. It is for this opposition to his commands in the Gospel, that they are represented as making war against him; they are permitted, through the patient suffering of God, to do so, until he can bear no longer with their rebellion; when, to fulfil this prophecy and his decreed judgment, they will be entirely cut off. Christ, as supreme head of the church, acknowledges no religion but what he has taught by his Gospel, which is Christianity; for there is no kind of church but one, and that is visible man: it consists of one person, as well as a whole congregation; of one just man in a room, as well as a million any where else; he came into the world to save sinners, and redeem them from the chains of eternal death: the blessed Gospel is the great bond of his promises, now put into the hands of all men that will receive it for their instruction; for which, all that read or hear it, ought to remember their solemn covenant in baptism, and take care that on their part, the terms of his salvation are complied with. To do which, man must, to fulfill the design of his creation, endeavour to live long, and live happy; to do that, he must abolish war, and live in constant peace; he must likewise abolish swearing of every kind, because it leads to falsehood and perjury: and make the innocent words of Yes and No, the solemn bond of this public truth.
The men that are called preachers of Christianity, instead of assuming vain titles and lofty political names; instead of assisting in any way at councils of state, the ought to stand between princes and war, between men and strife, between nations and bloodshed; they should be true teachers of the Gospel; and like the immediate disciples of their blessed Saviour, always the ministers of peace.
The Gospel of St. Matthew, Chap. v.
9. Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called the children of God.
Chap. vi. 7. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking:
8. Be not ye therefore like to them; for your Father knows what things ye have need of before ye ask him.
9. After this manner therefore pray ye: "Our Father, who art in heaven: hallowed be thy name;
10. "Thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven," &c.
The kingdom of God, which is asked for every time this form of prayer is said, is to live in peace and righteousness: the government of God in heaven, is peace: and his will is, that man on earth should have the same. It is prayed for every Sunday throughout Europe; and yet, to the blushing shame of man, in a minute after he forgets it, forsakes the kingdom of peace, and fervently prays to the same compassionate God to go forth with fleets and armies.
St. Paul to the Galations, Chap. i.
2. Grace be to you, and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ.
8. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
To prevent the destruction of man, by war and falsehood, Christ, who shed his blood for the redemption of man, prohibits, in the most plain, clear, and positive words, all kind of strife, that it should not increase to war; and all kind of swearing, that it should not multiply into falsehood. These two evils, enforced by law, and encouraged by religion, under the time of Christianity, and in contradiction to the blessed Gospel of truth, are the two principal fountains that deluge the world with sin, and deprive heaven of many.
St. Matthew, Chap. v.
19. Whosoever shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
33. Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, (meaning the teachers formerly under the law) Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shall perform to the Lord thine oath.
34. But I say to you, swear not at all; neither by heaven, for it is God's throne.
35. Nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.
36. Neither must thou swear by thy head, because thou cannot not make one hair white or black.
37. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; and Nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than these, comes of evil.
38. Ye have heard that it has been said, (meaning under the law of Moses) an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39. But I say to you, that ye resist not evil; but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
43. Ye have heard that it has been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thy enemy.
44. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.
45. That ye may be the children of your father, which is in heaven.
St. James the Apostle, Chap. V.
2. But above all things, my brethren, swear not; neither by heaven. neither by the earth, neither by any other oath; but let your yea, be yea; and your nay, nay; least ye fall into condemnation.
The Gospel of St. John, Chap. xii.
48. He that rejects me, and receives not my words, as one that judges him: the word that I have spoken (which is the Gospel) the same shall judge him in the last day.
St. Pau, Second Epistle to the Thessalonians,
Chap. I.
7. And to you, who are troubled, rest with us; when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels.
8. In flaming fire, taking revenge on them that know not God, and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
As circumcision to the Jews was the seal of their covenant with God, and promise of obedience to his law, so is baptism with Christians the seal of their covenant with Christ, and promise of obedience to his commands.
When teachers professing Christianity, have their maintenance and elevation in the world, dependent on great political warlike government, and want to do, from interested motives, what the blessed Gospel prohibits to, and plausibility to their delusive reason, as in the legal and religious case of swearing oaths; they go back to the law of Moses for a precedent, to justify their apostasy and conduct. The law was for the Jews alone, under the appointed administration of the Levites and elders, in their own country; nevertheless, when strangers acknowledge God, and submitted to its rites, they were also allowed the freedom of its benefit; but when Christ came into the world, for the redemption of man, he abolished the law, which was temporary, and in its place gave the Gospel; which is everlasting. That is, he removed the form of worshipping God by sacrifice; the form of coming at the truth by swearing; and that of obtaining justice for injury, by reprisal and violence.
We all admire the Lord Jesus Christ for his humility and affection, the goodness and wisdom that breathes throughout his Gospel, and the sacrifice of himself for our salvation; yet the generality of the world, as if unmindful of this wonderful influence of Divine love, not only refuse what they promised in baptism to obey, but likewise seek, by opposition and war, to destroy his salvation and happy government of peace. What does a man require from his wife in marriage, but to love and be faithful to him only? Would he not be jealous, and very angry, if she obeyed any commands in opposition to his, and honoured another with the endearing name of husband? By the same rule, all that are baptized are, by covenant, comparatively married to Christ; for the name of Christian implies a belief in him, and obedience to his words. Is it wise or just then, to obey a doctrine contrary to the commands of thy blessed Lord and acknowledged Saviour? And is it not unkind in thee, O man, to honour thy equal with his sacred name?
As a man cannot, in justice, be considered as a servant, any longer than while he obeys the commands of his master, so neither can a man, in truth, be regarded as a Christian, any longer than while he obeys the commands of Christ.
Hear therefore, all nations, what the Lord God commands me to write, and be warned by it; that, as a master is compelled to withdraw his allowance of food, and discharge from his house a servant that will not obey him, so will he withdraw his loving kindness of peace, and in anger remove from the face of the earth, that man or family, city or nation, that will only acknowledge Christ in word, but in practice refuse to obey his commands.
Revelation, xvii.
Continued.
And he says to me, the water which thou saw, where the Whore sits, are people, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
16. And the ten horns (meaning the cardinals) which thou saw upon the beast, (meaning the Pope) these shall have the whore, (meaning Rome) and shall make desolate and naked; and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire.
The cardinals will disagree and quarrel; then Rome will be convulsed by parties: and plundered alternately by each; (which means eating her flesh) destroy it. In due time after this, the latter part of the nineteenth verse in the sixteenth chapter, will be fulfilled on Rome, spiritually Babylon, the capital of Italy; when by a mighty earthquake, the city, with the ground it stands on, will be lifted up, shook violently to pieces, and utterly overthrown.
17. For God has put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
The Cardinals will continue in subjection to the Pope, and agree, in their measures of government, assisting him also with their advice and power until the time already determined is expired, which is nearly so now; that done, the minds of the people will be changed, and another spirit will be given to them, to fulfill the judgment of God, according to this prophecy.
I was not permitted to join this addition to this Book, when first printed, which is the reason that it was passed over; but now I am commanded by the Lord my God, to print and join it to the former part, therefore I do.
RICHARD BROTHERS.
LONDON, 20th of the month
called September, 1794.
END OF PART FIRST.