N. B. If it be faid that the famous Kingdom of the Saracens or Moors in Spain, is here omitted, I answer, that fuch Kingdoms as were neither originally a Part of the Roman Empire, nor ever became fuch a Part by Infertion and Coalition in Laws and Religion therewith, as did the other barbarous Nations, which was the Cafe of the Saracens, have no Pretence to be any Part of the Roman Eagle, and fo are justly excluded from our prefent Catalogue of its Kingdoms, which is only concerned with the Body, the Wings, the Heads, and the Talons of the Roman Eagle. An Explication of the III Heads of the Roman Eagle. I. The Kingdom of France in the Middle, fince Francis the Greats A. D. 1515. most of whofe Succeffors have perfecuted the Proteftant, ever fince they appeared in the World: Which Head was all along more potent than either of the reft. This Head has already disappeared fuddenly, in the Perfon of Lewis XIVth, he has already died, after he had been throughly vanquished by Queen Ann's General, the great Duke of Marlborough, not by the Sword in Battle, but with Pain on his Bed, A.D. 1715, in exact Agreement with this Prophecy. I The Kingdom of Spain on the Left or South Side; fince Ferdinand the Catholick, the Author of the Inquifition, A. D. 1468, whofe Succeffors have till perfecuted the Proteftants, ever fince they appeared in the World. This Head is to be devoured by the next Head, i. e. by that on the Right or North Side ; and this with the Sword. III. The House of Auftria on the Right or North Side; fince the Emperor Albert of Auftria, A. D. 1438, which Family hath alfo perfecuted the Protestants, ever fince they appeared in the World. This Head is to perish by the Sword at laft. xi. 1, 4, 9, 23, 24, 29, 30-35. xii. 22 -30. An Explication of the Body of the Roman Eagle. This Body of the Eagle can be nothing, I think, but the German Empire, fince Charles the Great, A. D. 800, and must confift of the feveral particular Electorates and States of Germany, that are within the old Roman Empire, or South of the Danube, xi. 37, 45, 46. xii. 3, 31, 32, 33. An Explication of the Talons of the Roman Eagle. 4 Thefe Talons must be two very cruel and rapacious Kingdoms or Governments, one on the North, and another on the South Side, but too fmall to be called Heads of the Eagle; with which they are contemporary. I interpret them of the Kingdom of Portugal, fince A. D. 1640, and of the Netherlands, fince 1558; both which have been bitter Perfecutors of the Proteftants ever fince they appeared in the World: Witnefs not only in general the Inquifition in Portugal, and the Severity of the Netherlands, both well known; bat in particular the barbarous Inquifition at Goa, and the favage Cruelty of the Duke D' Alva, belonging to the fame Go vernments. CONCLUSION. The intire Body of this Eagle, with his horrible Great Wings, and wicked Small Wings, and malicious Heads, and hurtful Talons, are all to perish, upon the Approach of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, and Seed of of David, when he comes to the Jews, [at A. D. 1766. pag. 431-435.1 xi 37, 45, [ 15 ] Judgment, a little before the Restoration of See Sacred Hiftory of the Old Testament, 46. xii. 3, 31, 32, 33, 34. Apoc. v. 5, N. B. The Reader cannot poffibly underftand thefe two Chapters of Efdras thoroughly, as here explained, without confulting the Arabick Copy, as well as that in our Bibles: Both which Copies ftand in oppofite Columns, at the End of my fourth Volume; and may be had feparately at every one of the Places where these Proposals are given, pr. 1 s. It will also be very proper for the curious Reader to perufe Dr. Lee's learned Differtation upon this Book already published; which is fold at the fame Places, price is. and his very valuable Expofition of its VII Vifions, almoft ready for the Prefs, price is. 6d. To which this my Expofition of the Vth Vision is defigned as a Supplement. March 21, 1725-6. William Whifton. N. B. In my Chronological Table, published A. D. 1721, I unhap pily followed ferom's Copy of the Samaritan Pentateuch, in the Years of Mathuselah and Lamech, which has 249 Years more than the Copies of Eufebius, Syncellus, and all the prefent Copies afford us. So that whereas the 6000 Years of the World in that Table, and in my latest Sacred Hiflory of the Old and New Teftament, which is accommodated to it, end at Luther's Beginning, A. D. 1517; by this other Calculation, which is far more authentick, thole 6000 Years end not till 1766. See my Jofephus Differt. iv. §. 6, 7. pag. 65, and pag. 152. And Effay on the Revelation, Edit. zd. pag. 322. And principally which is there quoted, Authentick Records, pag. 462, 463, 464. With the Sacred Hiftory of the Old Teftament, pag. 435. N. B. That our prefent Dread of the Prevalence of Popery again, over the Proteftant Religion in general, which from miftaken Applications of certain Prophecies of the Apocalypfe, fuch great Men as Archbishop Ufher, Sir Isaac Newton, and Dr. Clarke, have fupposed, may not at this Juncture torment us overmuch, and betray us into unwarrantable Extremes against the Papifts, of which I am fenfible we are now in great Danger; I fhall here add a Claufe out of my Effay on the Revelation, 2d Edit. pag. 309, 310, to prevent it. Where I having interpreted, Apoc. vii. 9-17. and its Parallel, xiv. 6, 7. of the Proteftant Reformation: To which, and to which only, thofe Texts feem to be appli cable, I collect our Security from any fuch general Return of Popery and Popish Perfecution, out of Chap. vii. 16, 17. Where I there draw the following Corollary: "Hence we see the Vanity of all thofe Fears and "pretended Predictions, as if there was to be a total Suppression, or at "leaft a general Depreffion and Perfecution of the reformed Religion, be"fore the Fall of Antichrift. For we have here, according to our pre"fent Expofition, our Saviour's firm Promife to the Proteflant Churches "in general; (for of any particular Church we have nothing revealed,) "that, They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; and that the "Sun fhall not light on them, nor any Heat. For the Lamb which is in the Midst of the Throne fhall feed them, and fhall lead them to living Foun"tains of Waters, till at length, God shall wipe away all Tears from their Eyes. Eyes. Which gracious Promife, as it refpects the reformed Churches in general, to which alone it belongs, has been plainly fulfilled hither"to; and so we need not at all doubt, but what remains shall be equally "fulfilled hereafter." N. B. I would here farther defire the Reader to mind feme very remarkable Obfervations of Bp. Burnet, in the Hiftory of his own Times, at the Years 1672 and 1685, that the Proteftant Religion has been very wonderfully and providentially preferved five, he fhould have faid fix feveral Times: (1.) When the Emperor Charles Vth, got the two Heads of the Proteftants, the Elector of Saxony, and the Landgrave of Heffe into his Cuftody, 1547. (2.) When Queen Mary married Philip of Spain, 1554, and both of them zealously endeavoured to extirpate the Proteftant Religion, by the bittereft Perfecutions, 1555, 1556, &c. (3.) When the Spanish Armado came to overturn the Proteftant Religion in England, and to depofe Queen Elizabeth, 1588. (4.) When, after the Battle of Prague, 1620, the Protestant Elector Palatine, then chofen King of Bohemia, as well as almost all the Empire came under the Aufirian Yoke. (5.) When Levis XIVth, overran Holland, one of the grand Supports of the Protellant Religion, 1672. (6.), When King James IId, in his four Years Reign, from 1685 to 1688, did almoft accomplish the Introduction of Popery into thefe Kingdoms; which were the principal Support of the Proteftant Religion in the World. Now I fay, that as the Proteftant Religion has been thus very wonderfully and very providentially delivered fix feveral Times already, fo if it be not our own Fault, by our Obftinacy against farther Reformations, to a prodigious Degree, we may juftly depend upon a like Deliverance now at this feventh, and I believe laft Crifi, by the fame Interpofition of Providence for our Prefervation. Nor indeed does the most potent King of Pruffia's late particular Care to protect the Proteftants in Saxony in his laft Treaty, upon his late very great and very unexpected Succefs there, feem to me any other than a Pledge of the divine Protection and Preservation of the Proteftant Religion at this Juncture allo. N. B. I conclude the whole with my earnest Defire, joined to my Hopes and Belief, that all Chriftian Princes, so called at leaft, will ere long lay afide their unchristian' Wars one with another, to the fhedding of fuch great Quantities of Chriftian Blood, that even the Turks them elves, formerly great Deftroyers of Mankind, are ashamed of us, and publickly exhort us to Peace and Unity; and may I live to fee them beat their Swords into Plough Shares, and their Spears into Pruning Hooks; and that Christian Nations fhall not lift up Sword against Nations, neither learn War any more, If. ii. 4. As alfo I particularly wifh, that our own Governors, both in Church and State, may at length learn to rule those that are under their Care, by the Laws of God, and not by the Laws of Men; and fo fet themselves for a Pattern, that most excellent Chriftian Hero, the great Grandfather to our prefent Princess of Wales, Earneft the pious Duke of Sax Gotha; whofe Life, published in English by Mr. Philips, the late Preceptor of His Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland, 1740. I heartily recommend to the careful Perufal of every Christian Reader. LYNDON, Rutland, Feb. 8, 1745-6. FINI S. William W'hifton. AN ALPHABETICAL INDE X то Mr. WHISTON's LIFE. Page Page ABDIEL, 283, 284 Anftis, [Mr.] 435. 440, Abercorn, [Lord] 110 441 Abiathar, 133, 134 17 Antrobus, [Mr.] 17, 18 Addifon, [Dean] 31. 302. 588 Addifon, [Mr.] 299, 300. 302, 303 Apolinarians, 217 Adrian, 194 Apology for Dr. Clarke, 25t Aetius, 352 Apology, old, reviv'd, 232 560 Apostolical Fathers, 265 Agur, 156 Appleby, 17 Abimelech, 133 Arabick, 588 Ainboe, 249 Archimedes, 131 Alcoran, 170 173 Ardock, 583 Aldgate, 153 Argyle, [Duke of ] 136 Alexander, [Mr.] 227, 228 Argument, 510 Arians, [See Eufebians] 539 328 Armagh, 247 Alix, [Dr.] 186, 187 Armenia, Ararath, 593 596, 597, 598, 599 Articles 39, 168. 560 371.374 Anicetus, Affembly for Worhip, 236 Annapolis, 405 Adon, 582 Anne, [Queen] 440. 446 Affyrians, 577 |