Emperor of Conftantinople, to the following tenour: "That the Greeks had abused too long the patience of h God and men, in perfifting ftill " in Herefy and Schifm: that, conformably to the "parable in the Gofpel, God would further wait, σε to fee if the Fig-tree, after fo much care and at"tendance in vain, would at last yield fruit: that, "if it did not within the space of three years which "God ftill allowed them, the tree would be cut "down by the root, and the Greek Nation entirely " ruined by the minifters of Divine Juftice, who "would be fent to execute the fentence already pronounced in heaven against them." We shall prefently fee the literal accomplishment of this prediction.

СС

The Fouring out of the fourth Vial,

APOC, Chap. XVI. v. 8. And the fourth Angel poured out his Vial upon the Sun, and it was given unto him to afflict men with heat and fire:

V. 9.

And men were Scorched with great heat, and they blafphemed the name of God who hath power over thefe plagues, neither did they penance to give him glory.

Here is the punishment of the Greek fchifmatics for their long and obftinate rebellion against the Catholic Church.

In the prophecy of the fourth Trumpet the Sun was introduced to reprefent the principle of light, here it is employed as the principle of heat; which are known to be the two chief qualities of the Sun. The Vial is therefore poured out on the Sun, tọ convert its quality of heat or fire into an inftrument of divine vengeance against the Greeks. And in confequence, it is given unto him, the Sun to afflict men with heat and fire. In effect, this people fuffered extremely by the destructive fire of terrible engines of war, that were worked by gunpowder. We

have seen, page 145, that no lefs than fourteen batteries of cannon were employed to fire against the town of Conftantinople, befides the fhips of war; and that in this dreadful artillery were fome fuch huge pieces of cannon, as had never been seen or heard of before. With these were the walls of the city fhattered to pieces, and the Greeks themselves miferably cut off. They were the more terrible, as cannon were at that time a recent invention, and but newly brought into ufe in the eastern countries. Hence it appears how the Greeks were fcorched with great heat. And thus the taking of Conftantinople by the Turks, being the most fatal and finishing ftroke upon the Greek Empire, which was then put an end to, the Vial here chiefly points at that event. And they blafphemed the name of God who has power over thefe plagues. They blafphemed the name of God, that is, they spoke impioufly against religion and its minifters. They uttered the most virulent invectives against the Roman Church, prefumed to condemn its doctrine, and to treat with ignonimy thofe Greeks who efpoused it. They would not even pray in the fame church with those who had figned the Union. Two years before the fiege, that is, in 1451, the fchifmatics of Conftantinople had writ to those Bohemians, who had adopted the errors of John Hufs; approving the part they had taken against the Church of Rome, and inviting them to a coalition with themselves in religious tenets. The year after, perceiving that the Emperor had embraced the Union, and prevailed upon a few to follow his example, they rose up tumultuoufly, both clergy and people, and cried out anathema upon all thofe who had united themfelves with the Latins. This fpirit of animofity againft the Catholic Faith and the fupremacy of the Church of Rome continued to rage, even at the time of the fiege. Notaras, Admiral of the Conftantinopo

litan fleet, feeing the people ftruck with confternation at the view of Mahomet's immenfe army, ferupled not to cry out, he would rather chufe to fee the turban in Conftantinople than a cardinal's hat. In this manifold manner they blafphemed the name of God. And thus they perfevered in rebellion against God, who has power over thefe plagues, that is, who fent thofe calamities with the view to punish and reclaim them. Inftead of correfponding with the defign of Heaven, and taking admonition from the scourge they felt, to renounce their errors, and affociate themselves to the body of the faithful and to the centre of unity; they on the contrary hardened themselves in their obftinacy, nor would they do penance to give God glory. What wonder then, that the avenging hand of God, which they had armed against themselves, fell at laft as a thunderbolt upon them, and crushed them. In the general wreck, the fate of Notaras, the above-mentioned impious Admiral, appeared fomewhat confpicuous. After the town was taken, having surrendered himfelf to Mahomet and prefented him with a rich treasure to gain his good graces, he was neverthelefs received with contempt, and by the fultan's order was with his two fons beheaded.

The third Vial, in the preceding age, poured out the wrath of God on ancient Rome and the Roman Empire; the fourth Vial here in like manner pours out the Divine indignation on the guilty Greeks, which pursues them first through their feveral provinces, and then finishes their ruin at Conftantinople itself, the feat of their Empire, in 1453. The Ruffian nations, which had efpoufed the Greek fchifm and perfevere in it to this day, have they not reafon to apprehend a fhare in this Vial, and being involved fooner or later in the punishment of those, in whose guilt they participate? The Almighty is the difpofer of kingdoms. He raises them up like huge fabricks, for the execution

of

of his defigns; and he equally throws them down, when they presume to rival his power, or to disobey his commands. The most High rules in the kingdom of men; he will give it to whomsoever it fall pleafe him, and he will appoint the bafft man over it, Daniel, c. iv. v. 14.

Of the vaft Empire of Rome, the western part had been facrificed, as we faw, for the extinction of idolatry; and now the eastern part, having made itself the fortrefs of herefy and fchifm, becomes obnoxious to the jealousy of the most high and undivided Deity, and therefore is fentenced to be equally a victim of deftruction. It may be faid, that idolatry is an offence more injurious to fupreme Majefty, than herefy or fchifm: we allow it, and for that reafon Conftantinople fuftained one calamity less than pagan Rome, namely, that of fire, by which Rome was reduced to afhes, but which Mahomet prohibited, perhaps by fuperior direction, from Conftantinople. But on another hand, if pagan Rome was burned, from its afhes arofe up a Chriftian Rome with a new kind of power and dignity peculiar to itself, which was to laft to the end of the world whereas, though Conftantinople was fpared from deftruction, it was enflaved by a barbarous people, the greatest enemies to Chriftianity. The Jews had formerly rejected the preaching and miracles of the Son of God, for which reason they were delivered over to the fword of the Pagans, their inveterate enemies. In like manner, all the entreaties, exhortations, and labours of the Catholic Church, to reclaim the Greeks from their errors, they rejected with difdain; and on that account they fell a juft facrifice to the anger of God. He had waited many years, to give them time to refume a spirit of obedience and produce good fruit, but finding their obftinacy invincible, he cut them. down like the barren fig-tree, as Pope Nicholas Y

had

had foretold them. They refused the jurifdiction of a spiritual fuperior, whom Chrift has appointed over his whole flock; and they fell into the hands of tyrannical mafters, from whom they have nothing to expect, but oppreffiou, flavery, and defpair. No kingdom can ftaud that oppofes the kingdom of Chrift; for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings, Apoc. xvii. 14. and a two-edged fword proceeds from his mouth, Apoc. i. 16. fee p. 9. for the deftruction of his enemies.

CHA P. VIII.

The Hiftory of thr fifth Age of the Chriftian Church. The Opening of the fifth Seal.

APOC. Chap. VI. v. 9. And when he, the Lamb, had opened the fifth feal, I faw, fays St. John, under the altar the fouls of them that were flain for the word of God, and for the teftimony which they held.

V. 10. And they cried with a loud voice, faying: How long, O Lord, holy and true, doft thou not judge and revenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

V. II. And white robes were given to every one of them one and it was faid to them; that they fhould reft yet for a little time, till their fellow-fervants and their brethren, who are to be flain even as they, fhould be filled up.

The Lamb having opened the fifth Seal, St. John hears the complaints of thofe who had been flain for the word of God, that is for the obfervance of the Law of God, and for the teftimony which they held, or for the teftimony which they had rendered to Chrift in preaching and defending his doctrine. Thefe martyrs are feen under the altar in heaven, fimilar to the altar of Holocaufts, which stood in the Jewish Tabernacle. On that altar the victims, called Holocaufts, were burnt and their remains, the afhes, fell under the altar. In allufion to this,

the