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pled 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 sent 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 themfelves, fell at last as a thunderbolt upon them, and crushed them. In the gene ral wreck, the fate of Notaras, the above-mentioned impious admiral, appeared fomewhat confpicuous. After the town was taken, having furrendered himfelf to Mahomet and presented him with a rich treafure to gain his good graces, he was nevertheless 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 several 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 persevere in it to this day, have they not reason to apprehend a fhare in this vial, and being involved fooner or later in the punishment of thofe, in whose guilt they participate?

The Almighty is the difpofer of kingdoms. He raises them up like huge fabricks, for the execution. of his defigns; and he equally throws them down, when they presume to rival his power, or to disobey

his commands. "The Moft High rules in the kingdom of men; he will give it to whomsoever it shall please him, and he will appoint the basest 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 jealoufy of the Moft 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 lefs 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 reafon they were delivered over to the fword of the pagans, their inveterate enemies. In like manner, all the intreaties, 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 fpirit of obedience and produce good fruit, but finding their obftinacy invincible, he cut them down like the barren fig-tree, as pope Nicholas had foretold them. They refufed the jurifdiction of a fpiritual fuperior, whom Chrift has appointed over his whole flock; and they fell into the hands of ty

pled 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 againft God, who has power over thefe plagues, that is, who fent thofe calamities with the view to punith and reclaim them. Inftead of correfponding with the defign of Heaven, and taking admonition from the fcourge 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 themfelves, fell at last as a thunderbolt upon them, and crushed them. In the ral wreck, the fate of Notaras, the above-mentioned impious admiral, appeared fomewhat confpicuous. After the town was taken, having furrendered himfelf to Mahomet and prefented him with a rich treafure to gain his good graces, he was nevertheless received with contempt, and by the fultan's order was with his two fons beheaded.

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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 firft 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 reason to apprehend a fhare in this vial, and being involved fooner or later in the punishment of thofe, in whofe guilt they participate?

The Almighty is the difpofer of kingdoms. He raises them up like huge fabricks, for the execution of his defigns; and he equally throws them down, when they prefume to rival his power, or to difobey

his commands. "The Moft High rules in, the kingdom of men; he will give it to whomsoever it shall please him, and he will appoint the basest 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 eaftern part, having made itself the fortrefs of heresy and schifm, becomes obnoxious to the jealousy of the Moft 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 reafon they were delivered over to the fword of the pagans, their inveterate enemies. In like manner, all the intreaties, 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 fpirit of obedience and produce good fruit, but finding their obftinacy invincible, he cut them down like the barren fig-tree, as pope Nicholas had foretold them. They refufed the jurifdiction of a fpiritual fuperior, whom Chrift has appointed over his whole flock; and they fell into the hands of ty

rannical mafters, from whom, they have nothing to expect, but oppreffion, flavery, and defpair. No kingdom can ftand that opposes the kingdom of Chrift; for he is the Lord of lords, and King of kings," Apoc. xvii. 14. and "a two-edged sword proceeds from his mouth," Apoc. i. 16. See p. 1o. for the deftruction of his enemies.

CHAPTER VIII.

The Hiftory of the fifth Age of the Chriftian Church.

APOC.

The Opening of the fifth Seal.

POC. 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 should reft yet for a little time, till their fellowfervants 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 those who had been flain for the word of God, that is for the obfervance of the Jaw 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. These martyrs are feen under the altar in heaven, fimilar to the altar of holocaufts, which food 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,

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