General, Juftinian, who finding himself wounded, retired without appointing any one to command in his room; nor could he be prevailed upon to return by the moft preffing remonftrances of the emperor. This retreat of Juftinian fo difcouraged the Greeks, that they began to give way, and presently fled in great diforder and precipitation. The Turks immediately pouring in, like a torrent, at the breach, purfued the fugitives, flaughtering them, and preffing them fo clofely, that eight hundred of them were trodden to death. Among these was the emperor, who having placed himself at the breach, and made prodigious efforts to ftop the inundation of the barbarians, was carried away by the multitude and perished with them. Thus ended the reign of Conftantine Palæologus in 1453; and in him expired the empire of the Greeks, that is, the eastern Roman empire, which had lafted 1123 years from its firft establishment by Conftantine the Great, in the year 330.

After the death of the emperor, the Turks met with no more refiftance; and thofe, who had attacked the town at the fide of the port, having alfo made good their entrance, the Greeks had their enemies both before and behind, and were flaughtered without mercy. Then the ruffians transferred their fury against the inhabitants, of whom they butchered fuch a number, that it is reckoned there perifhed in this fack of Conftantinople, forty thousand Greeks, and fixty thousand were afterwards fold for flaves. On this unhappy occafion, the churches were prophaned; bishops were feen prifoners in their pontifical habits; and nuns, in their religious drefs, tied as flaves. The holy veftments were used as trappings for the horfes. Meat was ferved up to the table in the facred veffels, and chalices were used to drink out of. In fine, the barbarians gave a loose to all the human paffions, and rioted with fuch licentiousness for three days, that they committed all

kinds of exceffes, and the most enormous and execrable crimes, that hiftory has ever informed us to have been perpetrated on fuch occafions.

This Mahomet and his fucceffors added to their conquefts many other countries, both in Afia and Europe, which the Turks are ftill in poffeffion of. To purfue this history any further, feems therefore unneceffary, and we may conclude with obferving in general, that the Mahometan power and religion have prevailed to a prodigious extent, taking in the greatest part of Afia, many fpacious countries in Africa, and not a small fhare of Europe; fo that the event demonftrates that power was given to him, to Mahomet and his fucceffors, over the fourth part of the earth, that is, already over the fourth part of the old world.

The Sounding of the fourth Trumpet.

Apoc. Chap. VIII. v. 12. "And the fourth angel founded the trumpet, and the third part of the fun was fmitten, and the third part of the moon, and third part of the ftars, fo that the third part of them was darkened, and the day did not shine for a third part of it, and the night in like manner.

At the founding of the fourth trumpet, behold! the third part of the fun, and of the moon, and of the stars, is eclipsed or ftruck with darkness: a noble figure indicating, that, while the Church of Chrift is in the most flourishing ftate, and fhining like thofe glorious luminaries, a third part of it becomes unfortunately obfcured by the fatal herefy and fchifm of the Greeks. This fchifm was firft broached by Photius at Conftantinople in the year 866. It infected all orders of Chriftians, the clergy, the princes, and the body of the faithful, fignified refpectively by the fun, moon, and stars; and it lopt off nearly one third part of the Church, spreading

itself from Conftantinople over a great number of the eastern Chriftian countries. Hence it happened that the Catholic Church was robbed of a third part nearly of her members of all ranks and degrees, and was confequently defpoiled of a third part of her luftre, which the prophet expreffes by saying, that the day did not fhine for a third part of it, and the night in like manner.

It is plain the defection of the Greeks gave fuch a fhock to the Catholic Church, and tore away fuch a large portion of her, that it may by a juft metaphor be called a great earthquake, Apoc. viii. 5. See p. 28.

At the opening of the fourth feal, we faw the rife of Mahometanism, which ushered in the fourth age: here we see the birth of the Greek fchifm, a fecond remarkable event, which diftinguishes what may be deemed another period of the fame age, commencing about the year 866.

The preceding Explication elucidated by a fucsinet Hiftory of the Greek Schifm.

Photius, an eunuch, a man equally remarkable for his high birth, his abilities, and learning, was honoured with confiderable employments at the imperial court of Conftantinople: but he difgraced his talents and dignities by his bafe fraudulent prac tices and ambition.

He was a favourite of Bardas Cæfar, who was uncle to the young emperor Michael, and governed the ftate for him. This Bardas having been reprimanded and even excommunicated by St. Ignatius, patriarch of Conftantinople, for his fcandalous debauched life, refolved upon this prelate's ruin. Having much influence with his nephew, the

kinds of exceffes, and the most enormous and execrable crimes, that hiftory has ever informed us to have been perpetrated on fuch occafions.

This Mahomet and his fucceffors added to their conquefts many other countries, both in Afia and Europe, which the Turks are ftill in poffeffion of. To purfue this history any further, feems therefore unneceffary, and we may conclude with obferving in general, that the Mahometan power and religion have prevailed to a prodigious extent, taking in the greateft part of Afia, many fpacious countries in Africa, and not a fmall fhare of Europe; fo that the event demonftrates that power was given to him, to Mahomet and his fucceffors, over the fourth part of the earth, that is, already over the fourth part of the old world.

1

The Sounding of the fourth Trumpet.

"And the fourth an

Apoc. Chap. VIII. v. 12. gel founded the trumpet, and the third part of the fun was fmitten, and the third part of the moon, and third part of the ftars, fo that the third part of them was darkened, and the day did not fhine for a third part of it, and the night in like manner.

At the founding of the fourth trumpet, behold! the third part of the fun, and of the moon, and of the ftars, is eclipsed or ftruck with darkness: a noble figure indicating, that, while the Church of Chrift is in the most flourishing ftate, and fhining like thofe glorious luminaries, a third part of it becomes unfortunately obfcured by the fatal herefy and fchifm of the Greeks. This fchifm was firft broached by Photius at Conftantinople in the year 866. It infected all orders of Chriftians, the clergy, the princes, and the body of the faithful, fignified refpectively by the fun, moon, and ftars; and it lopt off nearly one third part of the Church, fpreading

itself from Conftantinople over a great number of the eastern Chriftian countries. Hence it happened' that the Catholic Church was robbed of a third part nearly of her members of all ranks and degrees, and was confequently defpoiled of a third part of her luftre, which the prophet expreffes by faying, that the day did not shine for a third part of it, and the night in like manner.

It is plain the defection of the Greeks gave fuch a fhock to the Catholic Church, and tore away fuch a large portion of her, that it may by a juft metaphor be called a great earthquake, Apoc. viii. 5. See p. 28.

At the opening of the fourth feal, we saw the rise of Mahometanism, which ushered in the fourth age: here we fee the birth of the Greek fchifm, a fecond remarkable event, which diftinguishes what may be deemed another period of the fame age, commencing about the year 866.

The preceding Explication elucidated by a fuccinct Hiftory of the Greek Schifm.

Photius, an eunuch, a man equally remarkable for his high birth, his abilities, and learning, was honoured with confiderable employments at the imperial court of Conftantinople: but he difgraced his talents and dignities by his bafe fraudulent prac tices and ambition.

He was a favourite of Bardas Cæfar, who was uncle to the young emperor Michael, and governed the state for him. This Bardas having been reprimanded and even excommunicated by St. Ignatius, patriarch of Conftantinople, for his fcandalous debauched life, refolved upon this prelate's ruin. Having much influence with his nephew, the