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fteps, and retain many of her spurious doctrines, though they may prudently have endeavoured to throw a veil over their likenefs to her, and ftudiously have fhunned all open intercourfe with her.

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It deferves to be noted, that this fumptuously-dreffed WOMAN, ftigmatized with the name of Babylon the Great, is fometimes represented under a different emblem, and called the great CITY Babylon. That they refer to the fame antitype all admit. The propriety of the name, Babylon, (were it neceffary) might be evinced; and it might be shewn, as it actually has been, in what various refpects the antichriftian church in general, and that of Rome in particular, resembles that ancient seat of tyranny, and perfecutor of the children of Ifrael. That this city Babylon is not a city of brick and stone, but a 'polity, and particularly the Roman hierarchý, I have,' fays Dr. More, evidently proved in my Joint-Expofition". That it has this extenfive import is indeed demonftrable, because the Babylonish woman appeared to St. John in his prophetic vifion (v. 1) as fitting upon many waters, and the words of the interpreting angel are (v. 15), the waters which thou faweft, where the whore fitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. She is, fays Dr. More in allufion to this fymbol, a water-nymph, whofe fkirts are fo large, that 'fhe has fat floating upon the whole Imperial ocean for these many ages'.' This learned writer alfo obferves, that it is remarked by Grotius and by the Jefuits Alcafar and Cornelius a Lapide, that the fymbolic waters fig

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6 Myft. of Iniq. p. 424.

7 Myft. of Iniq. p. 306.

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• Lewis d' Alcafar was a celebrated Jefuit of the 16th cent. a native of Seville, who, for almoft 20 years, wholly bent his attention to the study of the apocalypse; and to this prophecy the whole of his two volumes in folio have either an immediate or indirect reference. But Cornelius a

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nify, the universal extent of the Roman empire'.' In consistency with this Dr. More admits, that Babylon is not to be understood folely of the church of Rome 10; and declares, that it comprehends the whole body of 'the idolatrous clergy throughout the Roman empire11. But to give any farther statements respecting the extenfive fignification of the apocalyptic Babylon will not here be neceffary, as in the next chapter the subject will be refumed.

So long has the antichriftian power in the apocalypfe been regarded as completely applicable to the papal ufurpation in particular, that it would probably be vain to inquire, from what quarter the opinion originated. Its origin it might poffibly derive from the words of a Roman pontiff, from Gregory the Great, who, in the 6th century, writing to the bishop of Constantinople, and disputing his claims, says, ' I affirm it confidently, 'that whoever styles himself Univerfal Bishop, or is solicitous for the title, by this elation of heart, proves himself to be the forerunner of Antichrift.' A coun ́cil, held in the 10th century at the city of Rheims, Arnulph, bishop of Orleans, thus addressed, whilst he spoke of the reigning pontiff. What think ye, reverend Fathers, of this man, elevated on a lofty throne, and glittering in gold and purple? Whom do ye account * him to be? Surely, if deftitute of charity, and elated ' with the pride of science alone, he is Antichrift, fitting in the temple of God, and fhewing himself that he is 'God.' That the Beast in the apocalypfe occupied the

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Lapide was a yet more voluminous commentator. His annotations on fcripture occupy no less than ten volumes in folio. Moreri. Bayle.

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9 Myft. of Iniq. p. 306. The waters you saw the woman fitting upon, i. e. ruling over, are the people of the feveral European countries.' Mr. Pyle's Paraph.

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chair of St. Peter,' was the declaration of St. Bernard12, abbot of Clairvaux in Champagne, who, in the 12th century, founded 160 monafteries; and whilst he faw his admonitions refpectfully liftened to by princes and by pontiffs, was obeyed by the nations of Europe, when he fummoned them to the defence of the holy fepulchre. By another famous abbot, Joachim of Calabria, fimilar fentiments were advanced. Richard I. of England, when spending his winter at Meffina, and in his way to Palestine, fent for him to hear him interpret the prophetic visions of St. John; and the abbot then maintained, that Antichrist was already born in the city of Rome, and would be elevated to the apoftolical 'chair.' So far from being offended by his discourse, the king and his courtiers, as we are told by a contemporary annalift of the 12th century, listened to him with a high degree of pleasure. But this adaptation of prophecy was not confined to thefe or to other celebrated individuals that might be specified. The Waldenfes and Albigenfes, fo renowned for their numbers, their virtues, and the purity of their faith, taught, in the 12th and 13th centuries, that the pope was Antichrift, and the church of Rome the Babylon of the apocalypfe13. This opinion, as well as others maintained by them, was felt to be fo deeply founded in fcripture, that the papal plunderers,

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1 One day on his entering into church, an image of the Virgin Mary apparently faluted him with Good morrow, Bernard;' but the abbot of Clairvaux, instead of receiving fo flattering a compliment with the civility of a devotee, replied to her sharply, that her Ladyship had forgotten 'both herfelf and her fex, for that it was not permitted to women to speak in the church,' 1. Tim. ii. 12. See this ftory related in a small treatise on Antichrift (p. 51), now fcarce and unknown, by Christopher Nefs, printed in 1679.

* Such, says Vitringa, was the language of pious men in general, during the whole of the four centuries which preceded the Reformation. Ig Apoc. p. 749.

in order to preserve their authority, exerted against them all their power and exhausted all their cruelty.

These early interpretations of prophecy I have been rather tempted to introduce, not only because they are remarkable in themselves, not only because they proceeded from eminent men, but because their genuineness is unqueftioned, as they are either extant in their own works, or are recorded by celebrated writers of the Roman Catholic communion 14.

Hitherto I have been speaking of the xviith chapter. In the 2d v. of the xviiith, the deftruction of the figurative Babylon is folemnly announced; and an angel is represented as crying mightily with a strong voice, faying, Babylon the Great is fallen, is fallen, A few verfes farther it is declared (v. 8), that her plagues fhall come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine15. The pomp and fplendor,' fays Mr. Pyle, the plenty and ex'travagance, the artifices and delufions, that have accompanied this falfe religion and worship, shall end in 'fhame, poverty, and difgrace'.'

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Three of the intervening verses (v. 4, 5, and 6) are justly thought to implicate a strong cenfure and a folemn threatening against all perfons and all nations, who, in the period of its decline, fhall in any way affift the cause of Antichrift, or attempt to arrest the certain downfal of the antichristian church. And I heard another voice from Heaven,

14 The declaration of Gregory, the most respected of all the popes, may be seen in his 30th Epistle, lib. vi. (Opera, Par. 1518, fol. 398); that of the abbot of Clairvaux in his 125th. For the teftimony of Arnulph, delivered at the council of Rheims, and as bp. Newton erroneously supposed by Gerbert, the archbishop of that city, fee Baronius (in Ann. 992, vol. X. p. 863); for that of the Calabrian abbot, confult Rogeri de Hoveden Annales, inter quinque Scriptores. Edit. Franc. 1601, p. 681.

5 There will be mourning and famine; i. e, fays Dr. More, grief of heart, with scarcity and poverty to requite their luxury before.'

16 P. 155.

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faying, COME OUT OF HER, MY PEOPLE, THAT YE

BE NOT PARTAKERS OF HER SINS, AND THAT YE

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RECEIVE NOT OF HER PLAGUES. For her fins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as fhe rewarded you, and double unto her double, according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. I take the word double,' says Daubuz, in all fuch cafes to fignify vaftly great,' and of this force of the word he alleges many specimens from claffical authors". The Papists seem to me,' fays Mr. Evanson, to reafon very justly when they conclude, ' if the words come out of her, my people, &c. lay Christians under an obligation to feparate from the apostate church; the words reward her as she hath rewarded you, &c. lay them under an equal obligation, as far as is in their power, to endeavour her extirpation. At the 'fame time it is evidently impoffible that they, who are really actuated by the spirit of that amiable religion, ' which breathes nothing but benevolence and love to⚫ wards all mankind, should be guilty of revenge, or treat any of their erring fellow-creatures with that unfeeling 'cruelty and inhuman hardness of heart, with which the ⚫ intolerant zeal of antichriftianism hath, at all times, in'spired its bigotted votaries. But it is by no means requifite that fimilar ends fhould always be effected by fimi-'lar means. The utter deftruction of the antichriftian church, and the offering perfonal violence to any of its members, are very diftin&t things; and the latter is far from being, in the least degree, neceffarily implied in the former 18. Another writer, alike diftinguished by the depth of his learning, and his independent spirit, after quoting the first of these verses, fays, if, upon delibe'rate examination, we should unexpectedly find ourselves

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