CHAP. XVI.

The Explication of the feventeenth Chapter of the Revelation, where the Empire of the Papifm is plainly defcribed.

N purfuing the picture of Antichrift, according to the Prophecies, to fhew that that Empire is found in the Papifm, we enter on the 17t Chap. of the Revelation, which contains an explication of the 13th Chapter. 'Tis the fame thing under lefs obfcure anigma's. In the 13th Chapter we have feen two Beasts. Here only one of them is feen; but by way of amends for that, here is a woman feen, fitting on the beast. So that here are two perfons.

So be carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness; and I saw a woman fit upon a Scarletcoloured beaft, full of names of blafphemy, having feven heads and ten horns. See here the first Beaft of the 13th Chapter, i. e. the Roman Empire. The Beast is of a fcarlet colour. It was the colour of the Roman Empire. Its Emperours, its Senators, and its Grandees were clothed with purple; all the World knows that. In the following Chapter it fhall be proved, that these two Beafts, this here, and that of the thirteenth Chapter, are one and the fame Beast. On this Beaft fits a woman: See here a thing that speaks, and that loudly. A woman: who doth not fee, that this fignifies a Church? Did any ever fee in the Prophets an Empire, as an Empire reprefented under the image of a woman? Is not this the Emblem, which the Holy Spirit useth every where

vhere, to reprefent either the true Church, the poufe of Jefus Chrift; or the falfe Church, that, s become unfaithful to her Spouse. A woman itting on a Beaft. This is vifibly a Church engraffed, and fitting upon an Empire. 'Tis the Roman Church engraffed on the Roman Empire. But we fhall touch again on this reflection in the following Chapter.

And the woman was arrayed in purple, and d fearlet colour, and decked with gold, and precious ftones, and pearls. 'Tis not the Beat only that is of a fearlet colour, the woman alfo is clothed with purple. The Church, which is engraffed on the Empire, hath taken the colour of the Empire. The Pope, the Cardinals, the Minifters of the Court of Rome, are diftinguifht by the imperial purple and fearlet: The gold, the pearls, and the ftones, encrease the magnificence. Nothing is more proud than the pomp of the Roman Court. She holds a golden cup in her hand, full of abominations. Poculum Aureum Plenum Abominationum. 'Tis a wonderful accident, that the four initial letters of these four words P. A. P.A. make the name of Papa in the Bible of the Latins and of the Roman Church. Let him believe it that will, that this was purely by chance, but I can't believe it. This Woman is a Proftitute, an adulterous Woman, a Church unfaithful to Jefus Chrift her Spouse. She is represented to us, making the Kings of the Earth drunk with the Wine of her Fornications. These are her Abominations, her Superftitions, her falfe Worship, her Idols, and her false Religion, wherewith the makes people and Kings drunk by her unhappy perfwafions. The figure is borrowed from those debauched Women, that give delicious liquors

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to their Gallants to enflame them. The cup of gold, into which all these abominations are poured out, is the pretended infallibility. This Do&trine contains all the fuperftitions and the errours of the Roman Church, as a Cup. It retains and unites them together. Without this, all would run out, as wine out of a veffel. 'Tis a Cup of gold for this pretended priviledge of infallibility, would be the most precious thing in all the World to him that should have it. This Cup of gold, fignifies alfo that pompous out-fide of ceremonies, and thofe fo glittering externals, which contain disguised abominations and idolatries. The People drink the poifon by favour of the Cup. They receive the idolatry by favour of the pomp, and the fair out-fide.

Upon her fore-head was a name written MrSTERT Babylon the great the Mother of Harlots and abominations of the Earth. 'Tis the defcription of the Roman Church. She bears writ ten on her fore-head MYSTERY, for it is the mystery of iniquity, as we have seen before. All there is Mytery, all there appears like Religion, 'tis the proper name of Religions: but the truth is, 'tis a mystery of iniquity, a Religion full of abominations. 'Tis a very remarkable thing, that the Popes did fometimes bear this name MYSTERY written in the fore-part of their Miter. A Venetian Author affures us of it, and IoSeph Scaliger faith " that he had feen them fo marked. 'Tis the great Babylon. We have seen why she is so called; Babylon was once the Foun

tain of all Idolatries.

And I faw the woman drunk with the blood of the Saints? 'Tis no longer the Beast that sheds the blood of Martyrs; 'tis the Woman. 'Tis

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no longer the ancient Roman Empire; 'tis the falfe Church? 'tis the Roman Church that ufes the paws of the Beast, the Arms of the Empire, and of Kings, to perfecute the Church. As in the fecond Beast of the 13th Chapter, the image of the Beaft, the Roman Church, though he is but an image of an Empire, gives order for the killing of the Saints.

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The Beast that thou faweft, was and is not. "Tis v.8. the Angel that speaks, explaining the vifion to Saint John. The Empire, which thou haft feen represented by the beast, is the Roman Pagan Empire, that tends toward its end, and of which two thirds are already paft. He muft afcend ont of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition. That Empire muft very fpeedily be brought to nothing. But after it shall have been deftroyed, it shall arife again out of Hell, under another form, under the name and the form of a Church. 'Tis the head that was wounded to death, and which was to revive. But this fecond Empire, that must raise up the first again, and fpring from its afhes, fhall finally perish; whereas the Empire that shall be given to the Saints, fhall never perish.

And they that dwell on the Earth, &c. shall wonder, when they behold the Beast, that was, and is not, and yet is. And the Inhabitants of the Roman Empire fhall comprehend nothing of this mystery. They fhall fee, that the Roman Empire fhall be abolifht, Rome fhall cease to be the Mistress of the World by the fall of the Emperours; and all on a fudden they shall again fee Rome mounted up again to the fame dignity. The Beast was. The Roman Empire hath been. He is not; the Empire hath ceafed. And yet is: and yet they fhall fee this Empire return, without knowing

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knowing how. This prodigy will make them dizzy

and enchaunt them.

Here is the mind, which hath wisdom. The feven heads are feven mountains, on which the woman fitteth. We have feen feven Heads on the Beaft on which the Woman fate. Thefe feven Heads fignify two things. 14. Those feven Mountains on which the Roman Church is raised, by reafon of the feven Mountains of Rome, which is its Metropolis. 'Tis a Character that makes her remarkable; for the hath always been called Septicollis.

Thefe feven heads are alfo feven Kings, five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come. Thefe feven Heads fignify alfo the feven Kings, that is to fay, the feven forts of Soveraign Governments, under which this Empire hath pafled, and must pass along. First Kings. 2d. Confuls. 3d. Decemvires. 4th. Tribunes of the people. 5th. Perpetual Dictators. Thefe five are fallen, thefe five Governments were paffed in St. John's time. The one is, viz. the fixth, that is the Government of the Emperours; and the other is not yet come; that is to fay, the feventh Head, which is that of the Popes, is not yet come. And when he cometh, he must continue a fhort space. Iformerly believed, that thefe words might be applied to the Pope and to the Papifm; but I believe it no longer and to understand them, we must read the following verfe.

And the Beast that was, and is not, even he is, the eighth, and is of the feven, and goeth into perdition. Tis it may be defignedly, that is to fay, to render the Prophecy more obfcure, that the H. Spirit hath inverted, the words. We muft therfore refume the laft words of the foregoing