The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 3
II. Cotton Mather-All Prophecies Indicate End Nearing
As the first major witness we summon COTTON MATHER (1663-1728), Congregational theologian, scholar, and author, who was born in Boston. The eldest son of Increase Mather, he became the most distinguished clergyman of his day, and one of the most remarkable men of his age. Markedly precocious as a child, he was the youngest student ever to enter Harvard- being admitted when only twelve. He was graduated in 1678 and began to preach, assisting his father in ministry at the Second Church at Boston. Obtaining his M.A. in 1681, and receiving ordination in 1685, he continued to fill the pulpit of the Second Church till his death. He was also overseer at Harvard. And in 1701, when his father gave up the presidency of Harvard, Cotton mourned the passing of the institution into hands less orthodox, and came to look upon Yale as the hope of Congregational education. Celebrated for his own learning, he was offered its presidency, but declined. (Portrait on page 34.) PFF3 147.1
When, back in 1692, the Royal Charter for Massachusetts was secured, the new governor appointed a court to try those suspected of witchcraft, which phenomenon had just appeared in Salem. Mather plunged into the controversy, and to convince the world, wrote his Wonders of the Invisible World (1693). 1 He was deeply involved in these witchcraft prosecutions of 1692, and believed obsession could be cured by fasting and prayer. Intensely emotional, high strung, and overwrought, he was involved in a constant succession of quarrels. 2 PFF3 147.2
With almost incredible industry, Cotton Mather amassed a prodigious amount of knowledge 3 and left nearly four hundred fifty published treatises. 4 Twenty volumes pertained to eschatology, and prophetic exposition characterized a number of the leading titles. His most celebrated work, Magnalia Christi Americana; or The Ecclesiastical History of New-England (1702), is a veritable mine of information on the noted seventeenth-century colonial leaders-preachers, governors, judges, and educators-the church synods and Confessions of Faith, and the story of Harvard. Intimate glimpses are given of their prophetic faith, invaluable in our quest. An epitome of Mather’s interpretations of prophecy is given by his son Samuel (not to be confused with Cotton Mather’s uncle of the same name, who has been discussed earlier, on page 108). 5 PFF3 148.1
1. ANTICHRIST’S KINGDOM ENDED BY SECOND ADVENT
Discoursing on the coming kingdom of God in Things to be Look’d For (1691), on the “Speedy Approaches of that State Which is Reserved for the Church of God in the Latter Dayes,” Mather stresses the second phase of the stone kingdom of Daniel 2, which is to follow the “four monarchies,” as it becomes a mountain filling the whole earth. 6 He observes succinctly that “the World is a little while hence to have a New Face upon it; and in that New World, the Lord Jesus Christ shall have as much Influence in the Hearts and Lives of men as now the Divel has.” 7 But the papal Antichrist will continue until the 1260 years are finished, and must be destroyed before the saints possess the kingdom. The “Antichrist afterwards accepted the prefer of the Divel” of the kingdom offer rejected by Christ, and so becomes his vicar. 8 The breakup of Rome, and the ten barbarous kingdoms succeeding, he believes, throw the rise of Antichrist around 456. 9 This 1260-year period should therefore end soon, he thought, though he would not set the year. PFF3 148.2
2. BEGINS TURKISH WOE PERIOD IN 1300
Applying the second woe trumpet to the Turks, with their prophesied period of time, beginning about 1300, he says: PFF3 149.1
“You cannot but allow me, with all sensible Interpreters, that the second Wo Trumpet is the Turkish Empire; which begun to play its Reaks upon the Roman Empire in the Tenth and Eleventh Century, and at last between the years Fourteen and Fifteen hundred, siez’d Constantinople it self into its hands. All those Execrable Plunderers whom we call, Conquerors, from the beginning of the World, have hardly shed such Rivers of Blood, as these woful Turks have done. But how long must this game hold? There seems to be a Term allotted for them, in Revelation 9:41, 15. Loose the Four Angels, which arc bound in the great River Euphrates; and the four Angels were loosed, which were prepared for an Hour, and a Day, and a Month, and a Year, to slay the Third part of men. PFF3 149.2
“There were four Sultanies, or Kingdoms of Turks, hovering about the River Euphrates; until they all united in the one Ottoman family, under which, by the Year Thirteen hundred, they were making themselves a formidable Wo to the Roman Empire. Now cast up, an Hour, a little space for preparation; a Day, that is one year; a Month, which is Thirty years; and a Year, which comes to Three hundred and Sixty five [or perhaps, but Sixty] years; according to the Prophetical Cypher of Dayes for Years; and one would Suspect, that within less than Seven Years from this Time, the Turk should be under such Humiliations, as might Obstruct his ever giving Europe Trouble any more. If we should shortly hear of a general Peace or Truce with him, it would add unto our Probabilities.” 10 PFF3 149.3
3. APPROACHING END OF PROPHETIC TIMES
The first four trumpets he applies to the barbarian incursions upon the Western Empire-such as by Alaric and Genseric 11 -with the seventh seal of the seventh trumpet to come soon. The fifth-trumpet first woe was thought to be the Saracens. 12 Maintaining that these phases were already accomplished, Mather stressed the approaching end of the remaining prophetic times. 13 Such supporting names as Jurieu are cited. PFF3 149.4
4. FLATLY REJECTS THE GROTIAN ANTICHRIST
Mather sharply rejects Grotius’ Preterist idea of an early pagan Roman Antichrist, saying pointedly, “The Day Light is now a little too broad for us, to take the Sorry Puppet of the Grotian Antichrist, for the Man of Sin.” 14 In contrast, Mather contends explicitly that it must be an empire, with a false religion, whose chief city must be seated on seven mountains, ruling over the kingdoms of the earth. It must be a continuation of the fourth monarchy, sitting in the temple of God with ten kings as supporters. 15 Then he appeals to men not to pay homage to this Babylon, but to come out from her. 16 PFF3 149.5
Picture 1: LEADERS IN ALL WALKS APPEAL TO PROPHECIES
Group statement of faith, of 1680, identifies papal antichrist (upper left); noted clerics like cotton mather write book upon book on prophecy (upper right); Governor burnet expounds prophetic time periods (lower left); and famous new England schoolmaster cheever explains scripture prophecies (lower right), even injecting his prophetic faith into his will (center)
page 150
5. CITES COUNCIL OF RHEIMS, AND EBERHARDT
Mather closes this remarkable treatise by referring to the declaration of Antichrist’s identity at the Council of Rheims, in 991, and the identification of the Antichrist by Archbishop Eberhardt of Salzburg in 1240, as the historical Papacy, 17 as fully noted in Prophetic Faith, Volume 2. Among his last admonitions is this: “Tis not possible for a man to Do a more Dangerous thing, than to Continue in the Romish Communion, at such a Time as this.” 18 PFF3 150.1
6. 2300 YEARS TO BABYLON’S FALL
In 1692, in connection with the “Tryals of Several Witches,” Mather preached a dis course on The Wonders of the Invisible World (1693), declaring that the book of Revelation is a commentary on Daniel. 19 He stresses the fourth, or Roman, monarchy, with the fifth as the coming kingdom of God. He refers approvingly to Beverley’s Line of Time concerning the “Two Thousand and Three Hun dred Years, unto that New Jerusalem, whereto the Church is to be advanced, when the Mystical Babylon shall be fallen. At the Resurrection of our Lord, there were seventeen or eighteen Hundred of those Years, yet upon the Line, to run unto, The Rest that remains for the People of God.” 20 PFF3 150.2
7. TRUMPETS BRING DOWNFALL OF PAGANISM AND PAPACY
Mather then summarizes the prophecies of the Apocalypse, especially the seals and trumpets which involve the downfall of paganism and the Papacy. 21 The 1260 years of Antichrist are next pictured, 22 with his continual oppression of the people of God. Referring to the first four or five hundred years of the Christian Era, he adds that it “shows us the Face of the Church, first in Rome Heathenish, and then in Rome Converted, before the Man of Sin was yet come to Mans Estate.” 23 PFF3 150.3
8. SEVEN-HEADED BEAST ON SEVEN-HILLED CITY
Leading from this, Mather affirms that the devil and fallen spirits vex mankind, 24 and from this premise enters into the discussion of witches. Toward the end of Satan’s time, as it grows short, the devil descends with wrath upon mankind. 25 Mather next calls the papal power Satan’s “Antichristian Vicar, the seven-headed Beast on the seven-hilled city,” who will go down to the bottom less pit when he shall have spent his “determined years.” 26 This will produce the perilous times of the last days. 27 PFF3 151.1
Later he writes: PFF3 151.2
“The views both of Daniel and of John, do assure us that whatever Monarch, shall while the Papacy continues go to swallow up the Ten Kings which received their power upon the Fall of the Western Empire, he must miscarry in the attempt.” 28 PFF3 151.3
9. CENTRAL PLACE GIVEN ADVENT HOPE
The central place given the advent hope and expectancy by Cotton Mather is clearly expressed: PFF3 151.4
“I am verily perswaded, The Judge is at the Door; I do without any hesitation venture to say, The Great Day of the Lord is Near, it is Near, and it hastens Greatly. O That our Minds May be as deeply Engaged in Thinking on the Second coming of our Lord, as the Saints of old were in thinking on His First.” 29 PFF3 151.5
10. END OF 1260 YEARS MAY BE KNOWN
In Things for a Distress’d People to Think Upon, in the 1696 election sermon of the General Assembly, Mather cites Daniel’s understanding by books of the approaching end of the Jewish captivity. He declares past mistakes should aid in reaching more accurate conclusions. PFF3 151.6
“When the Twelve Hundred & Sixty years assigned unto the Reign of the Antichristian Apostasy, draw towards their Period, this Period also may be Known, as well as any of the former. The Mistakes that have been in the Guesses of some Learned men, about this Happy Period, are far from Inferring a Necessity of Wrong Reckonings to the Worlds end; No, they rather make it more easy now to Reckon Right.” 30 PFF3 153.1
Declaring that he appears with a message from heaven of a “Revolution and a Reformation” to be at hand, Mather insists that the “Abominable City” is to experience an earthquake, and the Turk would cease to be a “wo to Christendome.” 31 PFF3 153.2
11. LAST SANDS OF HOURGLASS RUNNING
Asserting that Christ’s kingdom will succeed upon the kingdom of the “Vicar at Rome,” he makes this declaration: PFF3 153.3
“Tis very certain, That there will be no more than Twelve Hundred & Sixty years allow’d unto that Papal Kingdom: Tis very certain, That when Ten Soveraign Kings arise, in the broken Roman Empire, the Twelve Hundred & Sixty years of the Papal Kingdom, are Commenced: And It is very certain, That by the middle of the Fifth century, Ten several Distinct Kingdomes, took advantage from the Distractions then upon the Roman Empire, to set up for themselves. By this Calculation, we have nothing less than a Demonstration, that the Papal Kingdom, has the last Sands, of its last Hour-glass, now running for it.” 32 PFF3 153.4
12. WILL GIFTS BE RESTORED BEFORE ADVENT?
Mather deplores those schemes that put off this most “Happy Period, unto further and further ages.” 33 He closes by suggesting that the gifts of the Spirit, particularly of healing, which continued in the early church until the growth of the great apostasy, might be restored under the “Mighty Shower” of the Spirit when the allotted period of the apostasy should be over. 34 PFF3 153.5
13. CATECHISM IDENTIFIES ANTICHRIST
URGES SEPARATION. -Concerning his Fall of Babylon (1707), 35 Mather explains that Maryland contains many papists. Therefore he “printed some hundreds of the catechism by itself, to be dispersed in Maryland. I considered also, that it was a Blessedness, to do a part in the work of this Day, ye pulling down of ye Romish Babylon. Accordingly, I entitled the little peece of work, The Fall of Babylon.” 36 Dealing first with the distinction between canonical and apocryphal writings, the treatise leads on to the sole mediatorship of Christ, and the sacrilege of employing images in the worship of God. 37 Further on we find these two searching questions and answers: PFF3 153.6
“Q. Is the Pope of Rome, to be look’d upon as, The Antichrist, whose coming and Reigning was foretold in the ancient Oracles? PFF3 154.1
“A. The Oracles of God, foretold, Rising of an ANTICHRIST in the Christian Church; and in the POPE of Rome, all the Characters of that Antichrist, are so marvellously answered, that if any who read the Scriptures do not see it, there is a Marvellous Blindness upon them. PFF3 154.2
“It is Written, [2 Thessalonians 2:2, 8, 9, 10.] Then shall thai wicked one be Revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of His mouth, & shall Destroy with the Brightness of His coming; Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all Deceivableness of Unrighteousness in them that perish; because they receive not the Love of the Truth that they might be Saved. [Daniel 7:20, 21.] PFF3 154.3
“Q. Is the Church of Rome that Babylon, from which the Churches of the Reformation have done well to make a Separation? PFF3 154.4
“A. The Church of Rome, has, in its PLACE, and its Idolatry and Cruelty and Filthiness, the Unquestionable Marks of the MYSTICAL BABYLON. And all that would be Saved, ought to Separate from the Communion of it.” 38 PFF3 154.5
14. COMPREHENSIVE SUMMARY OF PROPHETIC VIEWS
There is extant a Cotton Mather unpublished manuscript dated Boston, December 25, 1703, and titled “An Essay Concerning the Happy State Expected for the Church Upon Earth; Endeavoring to Demonstrate that the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ Will be at the Beginning of that Happy State. With Some Thoughts Upon the Characters and Approaches of it.” 39 Its scope is so comprehensive and illuminating that a terse sum mary is here given, with pages indicated: PFF3 154.6
1. The second advent comes at the beginning of the Happy Estate. (P4.) PFF3 155.1
2. The thousand years are not yet begun-striking at Augustine’s false theory. (P. 17.) PFF3 155.2
3. Satan has never yet been bound for a thousand years from deceiving the nations. (P. 19.) PFF3 155.3
4. After the tribulation the stars will fall literally-then comes the advent. (P. 27.) PFF3 155.4
5. In Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 the ten horns are ten divisions of Rome. (P. 37.) PFF3 155.5
6. Of the Little Horn he says: “Behold, the Bishop of Rome, and his Kingdome, in most lively colours.” He has all under his sway. (P. 41.) PFF3 155.6
7. The fourth beast was understood to be Rome by Jewish rabbis for nine hundred years after the giving of the prophecy. (P. 43.) PFF3 155.7
8. The first resurrection (of the just) is at the second advent. (Pp. 44, 58, 59.) PFF3 155.8
9. The destruction of Antichrist is at the beginning of the thousand years. (P. 48.) PFF3 155.9
10. It will come soon after the destruction of the Turk. (Pp. 52, 53.) PFF3 155.10
11. The first woe was the Saracens. (Pp. 54, 55.) PFF3 155.11
12. The second, or Turkish, woe is 1300 to 1697. (Pp. 56, 57.) PFF3 155.12
13. The 1260 years and 1290 and 1335 began about A.D. 440 or 450. (Pp. 88, 89.) PFF3 155.13