plunder her, and utterly confume her with fire. Rome therefore will finally be deftroyed by fome of the princes, who are reformed, or fhall be reformed from popery: and as the kings of France have contributed greatly to her advancement, it is not impoffible, nor improbable, that fome time or other they may alfo be the principal authors of her deftruction. France hath already fhown fome tendency towards a reformation, and therefore may appear more likely to accomplish it. Nay even the kings of Spain and Portugal, their moft catholic and faithful Majefties, as they are ftiled, have reftrained the power of the Pope, and the Inquifition, and have not only banished the Jefuits from their refpective kingdoms, but have likewife infifted upon the fuppreffion of that order, which may be confidered as leading fteps to fome farther revolution. Such a revolution may more reasonably be expected, becaufe (ver. 17.) this infatuation of popish princes is permitted by divine providence only for a certain period, until the words of God fhall be fulfilled, and particularly the words of the prophet Daniel, (VII. 25, 20.) They shall be given into his hand, until a time, and times, and the dividing of time: But then, as it immediately follows, the judgment fhall fit, and they fhall take away his dominion, to confume, and to deftroy it unto the end. Little doubt can remain after this, what idolatrous church was meant by the whore of Babylon: But for the greater affurednefs it is added by the angel, (ver. 18.) The woman which thou faweft is that great city. The angel had undertaken to tell the mystery of the woman, and of the beaft. He hath explained the mystery of the beast, and of his feven heads and ten horns; and his explanation of the mystery of the woman is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth. And what city at the time of the vifion reigned over the kings of the earth, but Rome? She hath too ever fince reigned over the kings of the earth, if not with temporal, yet at least with fpiritual authority. In the arts of government fhe hath far exceeded all the cities both of ancient and of modern times: as if the had conftantly remembered and put in practice the advice of the poet, Tu Tu regere imperio populos, Romane, memento: VIRGIL. Rome therefore is evidently and undeniably this great city; and that Chriftian and not Heathen, papal and not imperial Rome was meant, hath appeared in feveral inftances, and will appear in several more. CHAP. XVIII. 1 ND after these things I faw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. 2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, faying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul fpirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. 3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. 4 And I heard another voice from heaven, faying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her fins, and that ye receive not of her plagues : 5 For her fins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. 6 Reward her even as the rewarded you, and double unto her double, according to her works: in the cup which the hath filled, fill to her double. 7 How much the hath glorified herself, and lived delicioufly, fo much torment and forrow give her: for fhe faith in her heart, I fit a queen, and am no widow, and fhall fee no forrow. 8 Therefore fhall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and the thall be VOL. II. 2 utterly utterly burnt with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. After this account of the ftate and condition of fpiritual Babylon, there follows a defcription of her fall and deftruction, in the fame fublime and figurative stile as Ifaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel have foretold the fall of ancient Babylon and Tyre, the types and emblems of the fpiritual Babylon. A mighty and glorious angel defcends from heaven, (ver. 1, 2, 3.) and proclaims as before, (XIV. 8.) the fall of Babylon, and together with her punishment, the crimes which deferved it, her idolatry and wickednefs. It is farther added, that after her fall the fall be made a fcene of defolation, and become the habitation of hateful birds and beafts of prey; as Ifaiah alfo predicted concerning ancient Babylon, (XIII. 21.) IVild beafts of the deferts fhall lie there, and their houfes fhall be full of doleful creatures, and owls Jhall dwell there, and fatyrs fhall dance there: where the word that we tranflate fatyrs, the Seventy tranflate das μova, demons or devils, who (6) were fuppofed fometimes to take the fhape of goats or fatyrs, and to haunt forlorn and defolate places: and it is from the translation of the Seventy that the apoftle hath borrowed his images and expreffions. But if this fall of Babylon was effected by Totilas king of the Oftrogoths, as Grotius affirms, or by Alaric king of the Vifigoths, as the Bishop of Meaux contends, how can Rome be faid ever fince to have been the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul Spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird, unless they will allow the popes and cardinals to merit these appellations? μονία, Another voice is alfo heard from heaven, (ver. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.) exhorting all Chriftians to forfake the communion of fo corrupt a church, left they should be partakers of her fins and of her plagues, and at the fame time denouncing that her punithinent fhall be great and extraordinary in proportion to her crimes. But was there any fuch neceffity of forfaking the church of Rome (6) Vide Bocharti Hieroz. Part. prior. Lib. 2. Cap. 55. Col. 643. in the days of Alaric or Totilas before fhe had yet degenerated again into idolatry? or what were then her notorious crimes deferving of fuch exemplary punishment, unless Rome Chriftian was to fuffer for the fins of Rome Pagan? She faith in her heart, like aucient Babylon, (If. XLVII. 7, 8.) I fit a queen, and am no widow, and shall fee no forrow; She glories like ancient Rome, in the name (7) of the eternal city: but notwithftanding he shall be utterly burnt with fire; for ftrong is the Lord God who judgeth her. Thefe expreffions can imply no lefs than'a total deftruction by fire; but Rome hath never yet been totally destroyed by fire. The moft that (8) Alaric and (9) Totilas did, was burning fome parts of the city; but if only fome parts of the city were burnt, it was not an event important enough to be afcribed to the Lord God particularly, and to be confidered as a strong exertion of his judgment. 9 And the kings of the earth, who have com mitted fornication, and lived deliciously with her, fhall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall fee the smoke of her burning. 10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, faying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. 11 And the merchants of the earth fhall weep and mourn over her, for no man buyeth her merchandife any more: (7) It is to be found in the very title of Kircher's Obelifcus Pamphilius: In urbis æterne ornamentum erexit Innocentius X. Pont. Max. apud Daubuz. p. 812. (8) Tertia die barbari, quam ingreffi fuerant urbem, fponte difcedunt facto quidem aliquantarum adium incendio, &c. Orof. Hift. Lib. 7. Cap. 39. Edit. Havercam. Alaricus trepidam urbem Romam invafit, partemque ejus cremavit incendio, &c. Marcellini Chron. Indict. 8. p. 38. Edit. Scaligeri. Quinetiam ædificia quadam incenfa, aliáque opera te merè furore barbarico deturbata funt. Sigonii Hift. de Occidentali Imperio Lib. 1o. in fine. (9) Procop. de Bell. Goth. Lib. 3. Cap. 22. Ρωμην δε ετε καθελείν ετε απολιπειν τολοιπον Τωτίλας ήθελεν. Porro Totilas Romam nec delere, nec relin quere amplius voluit. Ibid. Cap. 36. Ibid. Lib. 4. Cap. 22. Totilas do lo Ifaurorum ingreditur Romam die XVI. Kal. Jan. ac evertit muros, domos aliquantas igni comburens, &c. Marcellini Chron. p. 54. ibid. Sigonius ibid. Lib. 19. 12 The merchandise of gold and filver, and precious ftones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and filk, and fcarlet, and all thyne wood, and all manner veffels of ivory, and all manner veffels of moft precious wood, and of brafs, and iron, and marble, 13 And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincenfe, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, . and wheat, and beasts, and fheep, and horfes, and chariots, and flaves, and fouls of men. 14 And the fruits that thy foul lured after, are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly, are departed from thee, and thou fhalt find them no more at all. 15 The merchants of these things which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off, for the fear of her torment weeping and wailing, 16 And faying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was cloathed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious ftones, and pearls! for in one hour fo great riches is come to nought. 17 And every fhip-mafter, and all the company in fhips, and failers, and as many as trade by fea, ftood afar off, 18 And cried when they faw the fmoke of her burning, faying, What city is like unto this great city? 19 And they caft duft on their heads, and cried weeping and wailing, faying, Alas, alas, that great city wherein were made rich all that had fhips in the fea, by reafon of her coftlinefs! for in one hour is the made defolate. 20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apofiles and prophets, for God hath avenged you on her. In this folemn manner, by an angel and by a voice from heaven, is declared the fall of Rome, and her deftruction by fire: and then are fet forth the confequences of her fall, the lamentations of fome, and the rejoicings of |