it bee not, as Spiritual, fo outward too. And although fome Arguments urged from Daniels firft Prophecy, to prove this Kingdom to be not Spiritual only, but outward alfo, are laid down in our following Difcourfe; yet do I not here judge it amiffe to enlarge fome of them, and alfo adde fomething new, to vindicate thereby a most bleffed, but fuffering truth, hoping my labour in fo doing may not be altogether loft. Let us therefore (Ifay) ask Daniels minde upon our Queftion.

First, As for his Prophecy of the Great Image, Chapter two, the Stone, verle thirty fourth, which is interpreted Chrifts Kingdom, verfe forty fourth, cannot be meant of Christs Spiritual Kingdom, but muft neceffarily point at an outward.

The Reasons are,

1 Because the rife of this Kingdom is not till after that the feet of the great Image, i. c. the Roman Monarchy in its Antichriftian flate, is rifen and in being, which is clear;

I Becaufe Daniel, to whom things in the Vision were reprefented (as his interpretation, verfe thirty fixt to forty fixt,

doth

doth evidently manifeft) in that order of fucceffion that they were to come forth in afterwards, beholds the Feet before yet hee fees the Stone; as verse thirty fourth, Thou faweft till that a ftone was cut qut without hands, which fmote the Image upon his feet; the feeing of the Stone cut out, and Imiting, was after that the whole Image in its feveral parts had been prefented to him; therefore I fay, as all the other parts, fo likewise the Feet of the Image were in being before the Stone.

2 Because Daniel beholds the Stone, lo foon as formed, to imite the Feet, verle thirty fourth, therefore must the Feet bee in being before the Stone was formed.

3 Becaule the Kingdom fignified by the Stone is not fet up till in the days of the ten Antichriftian Kings, verfe forty fourth, And in the days of thefe Kings fall the God of Heaven fet up a Kingdom. That thefe Kings can point at no other but the ten Antichriftian Kings John fpeaks of, Revelations 17. 12, 13, 14. See our future difcourfe, page three hundred and eighteen, and three hun

dred

dred and nineteen. Now the Kingdom of the Stone being to bee fet up in the days of the ten Antichriftian Kings, therefore muft the Antichriftian State be before the Kingdom of the Stone. If fo, then cannot Chrifts Spiritual King dom be the thing fignified by the Stone, for that was set up when Christ first gave forth his Spirit, immediatly upon his Afcenfion which was within the time that the Iron Leggs of the Image, verfe fortieth, i. e. the Roman Monarchy in its first, and as yet Pagan ftare, did bear rule, being three hundred years and upwards before the Feet, viz. the Antichriftian State, had existence or being in the World. Chrifts Spiritual Kingdom therefore being long before Antichrifts Kingdom was begun, but the Kingdom of the Stone having not being till afterwards, it follows, that the Kingdom of the Stone cannot bee Chrifts Spiritual Kingdom, but must be an outward.

Second Reason, Because it is the Stones proper and peculiar work to break in peeces the Great Image, i. e. outward Pow

ers.

;

First, That it is its proper work, is clear, because it doth the thing not accidentally, but intentionally, and therefore it is faid to do it by fmiting, verfe thirty four, thirty five, & forty five which Phrafe notes the intention of the Agent, it fmites the Great Image, with full purpose and refolution to break it, and therefore obferve, it never leaves Imiting, after once it hath begun, tïll it hath beaten the Great Image to very chaff and duft, verf. 35.

Secondly, That it is its principal work, is clear, because no other work is attributed to the Stone but this only, which fheweth, that the Kingdom of the Stone is a Kingdom fet up by God to perform this work, which in cale it doth it not, it doth nothing. But now the proper and principal work of Christs. Spiritual Kingdom is another thing, viz. The increasing and edifying it self in love and it doth not at all intermeddle, much less undertake it as its proper and principal work, with the routing and breaking of Worldly Powers, which if indeed it thould, then Chrifts Spiritual Kingdom (the proper and principal work

thereof

hereof being once rightly apprehended by the Saints, the Children of this Kingdom) would foon prove a thing of as dangerous confequence to the Rulers of this World, as the Doctrin of the Fifth Monarchy either is, or can be. But this I fay is not the work of Christs Spiritual Kingdom, therefore cannot the Kingdom of the Stone bee Chrifts Spiritual Kingdom, but must bee an outward.

Third Reafon, Because the Kingdom of the Stone is fuch a Kingdom, as that the Standing and continuance of the Great 1mage is altogether inconfiftent with the growth and profperity thereof; which is clear, because it neither doth, nor can grow up to be a great Mountain, filling the whole Earth, till the total removal of the Great Image, verfe thirty five. But now the standing and continuance of the Great Image is no way inconfiftent with the growth and profperity of Chrifts Spiritual Kingdom, but rather is indeed advantagious unto it, as the Perfecutions that Chrifts Spiritual Kingdom hath met with, and that in all Ages, from the Great Image, which have always been

the