were affured that all would be forgiven them. Can fuch notorious wickedneffe always escape without an eminent perdition?

How juftly may prefent Rome, for her perfecution, idolatry, and notorious wickedneffe, be deemed myftical Babylon, and be (fpiritually, or figuratively) called Sodom and Egypt (where wickedneffe hath rifen to an amazing height, and the people of GOD have been under a long and cruel bondage) and the Mother of fornications and of the abominations of the earth?

V. 4. If rightly tranflated, would (I think) have run thus, "Who opposes himself, i. e.

..

to CHRIST, and exalts himself above every "one that is called a God, or (even) the Im"perial Dignity, fo that he, as a God, fits P

[inthroned] in the Temple of GoD, fhewing "himself to be a God." [Who opposes himfelf] that is, to CHRIST, and true Chriftians.

And

The Inquifition of Spain, and that of Rome have condemned the book, only as they suppose it to have been corrupted by Heretics.

1 muft add, that the fuppreffion of fuch a work is not a fure fign of difapproving the rules it contains. This may only fignifie that they repented of the publication of it, as it gave fo fair an handle for the Heretics to reproach the Court of Rome, and to wound the Church of Rome, thro' the Sides of the Pope.

Thefe ought to be esteemed Mysteries of State, Arcana Imperii, not fit to be divulged.

Rev. xi. 8. and xvii. 5.

• Καθίσαι, το the

Word fignifies, Rev. xvii. 15. and xviii. 7. answering

to a Pfalm ix. 4. and xxix. 10. and cx. 1. Ezek. xxviii. 2. Zech, vi. 13.

And who hath done this more than the Church of Rome? Witneffe their infamous Croifadoes, and the cruel maffacres of the Albigenfes and Waldenfes, of whom they are faid to have flain above 900,000 9.

In about 30 Years from the first founding of the order of Jefuits, above 800,000 of the Proteftants were put to death, by the hand of the executioner only. Befides great numbers, who perished several other ways, of whom we have now no particular account remaining. The Duke of Alva boafted of his having, in a few years, cut off 36,000 proteftants in the Netherlands".

The horrible and infernal court of Inquifition is faid, in about 30 Years, to have confumed 150,000, by various kinds of torments, and ftill remains in Spain, Portugal, Italy, an hell upon earth, the terror of human nature, on purpose to hinder all free inquiry, and to keep mankind in the greatest ignorance of the true Religion, and in a most flavish

B4

See Mede's Works, p. 503.

Ibid. p. 504.

Whoever would fee a faithful and authentic account of the rife, progreffe, and laws of the Inquifition; and of the inhumane treatment, that fuch as differ from the Church of Rome there meet with, - let them read Limborch's Hiftory of the Inquifition, tranflated by Mr. Chandler.-As alfo Ifaac Martyn's account of his own fufferings in the inquifition. And the account lately published by Mr. Couftos, of the dreadful tortures he underwent, in that black and infernal perfon. See alfo Dr. Geddes's brief account of the inquifition, in his tracts. See Mede's Works, p. 504.

flavish subjection to an Hierarchy of ambitious, lazy, and debauched Priests.

The cruel imprisonment, fcourging, and burning of the Martyrs here in England", and the horrid and prodigious maffacres in France and Ireland, can never furely be forgot. No benevolent Perfon can read the accounts, at this distance of time, without weeping eyes and a bleeding heart.

x

Perfecution is a distinguishing characteriftic of this Apoftate". If to wear out the faints of the most high, and to slay fuch as are witnesses for truth, virtue, and liberty, and that bear their teftimony against impofitions, violence and perfecution; if to make war with the faints, and frequently to prevail against, and overcome them; and even to be drunk with the blood of the faints, and of the martyrs of JESUS.-If these things, I fay, can poffibly be accomplished, they have been, and still are, accomplished by the cruel and tyrannical Church of Rome.

By every one that is called A GOD, must be understood earthly magiftrates, or temporal princes; for Oeds, without the Article, doth often fignify a God; and here it is evidently oppofed to esòs, THE GOD, or the one true GOD, in whofe temple this Man of Sin was to

"See Fox's Acts and Monuments. Mystery of iniquity, p. 167, &c. ✓ Rev. xi. 7, 8. z Ibid. xiii.

xvii. 6.

fit.

fit. So Pfalm lxxxii. 6, 7.

"I have faid,

"Ye are gods, and all of you are children of "the most high: but ye fhall die like men, "and fall like one of the princes." And Verse 1. of that Pfalm, "GOD ftandeth in "the congregation of the mighty, he judges among the gods" b.

But as zicarua feems to be an allufion to Casòs, the Greek Name of the Cæfars, or Roman Emperors; it is poffible that the APOSTLE might, in both the phrases, refer to the Roman Emperors; who, after their deaths, were (most of them) inrolled among the Gods. Nay, Caius, before his death, laid claim to Divinity, and would needs be acknowleged and worshiped as a God.

d

That, by the Temple of GOD, where this Impoftor was to fix his feat, may be underftood the Chriftian Church, will appear, if it be confidered that the Chriftian Church, is, in the New Teftament, often called the Temple of GOD, or compared to the Temple. In this Temple it is prophefied, that the Man of Sin would exalt himself above all temporal Magiftrates, Kings and Emperors. And it is very eafy to point out the accomplishment of this part of the prophefy. For how proudly hath

d

с

the

b See alfo Ezek. xxviii. 2; 6; 9. John x. 34, 35. I Cor. viii. 5. Auftin. de civ. dei, L. XX. c. 19. 2 Cor. vi. 16. Eph. ii. 20, 21,

I Cor. iii. 16, 17. 22. 1 Tim. iii. 15. Rev. iii. 12.

Heb. iii. 6. 1 Pet. ii. 5, 6, 7.

the Bishop of Rome thus exalted himself, and been ftiled, by his flatterers and vile dependants, "A God, who ought not to be called "to an account; the fupreme Deity on earth, King of kings, and Lord of lords, by whom "princes reign, and upon whom the right of kings depends?" Nay, the Gloffator upon the Canon Law hath given him the high and blafphemous Title, of our Lord God the Pope. And the Popes have acted accordingly, abfolving Subjects from their Allegiance to their lawful Princes, fomenting and raifing Rebellions, depofing or murthering rightful princes, and feting up others in their ftead. With what pride and haughtineffe have they called Emperors, their vafals? and even obliged fome of them to hold the bridle, till his holineffe, the Pope, has mounted his horfe? Or to bear up his train after him, when his holineffe has been pleased to walk in a pompous proceffion? Nay, with what amazing infolence have the Romish priests whipt kings and fovereign princes? and the Pope has even fet his foot upon an Emperor's neck.

He has claimed the fole right of nominating, invefting, or confirming the princes and rulers of the earth.

If this be not to exalt himself above all that is called a God, or an Emperor; there can

be

f Of

• Vid. Canon. Diftin&t. 96. c. fatis evidenter. which we had moft notorious inftance, fo lately as the years 1745, and 1746. In this Expreffion, there feems to be an evident allusion to Dan. xi. 36.