66

"rum una ecclefiæ, altera impérii partes, more accepto in Italiam, fuo ceperat, hoc anno abdi"tam et tamdiu conceptam odiorum flammam "evomuerunt ; quippe contractis propinquorum ac "clientum fuorum viribus arma inter fe contule"runt, ac magna cæde utrique facta, et civili fanguine urbe imbuta, tranquillum ftatum reipublicæ, in omnes annos, qui confecuti funt, per"turbarunt. Neque enim hoc loco libido ftetit, "fed nullis coercita frenis in dies ad afperiora atque iniquiora proceffit." That is, "Moreover that "infectious disease of fedition, which the ftate "had long ago contracted fecretly, broke out openly at the city of Bononia. For the minds "of many families had begun to be feparated and "alienated by mutual flaughters committed upon "each other for fome years before; who, when in procefs of time, they could not be revenged on "their enemies by their feparate powers, collected together their ftrength, and their deliberations"for carrying on their affairs; and having feparat"ed into two factions, the one of which, accord

66

ing to the established cuftom, fupported the party "of the church, and the other that of the empire,

they in this year (viz. 1258) vomited out upon "Italy that flame of hatreds which had been fo long enkindled, but concealed. For having col"lected together the forces of their neighbours "and clients, they took up arms among them

"felves

"felves, and having made great flaughter on both "fides, and having ftained the city with the blood "of citizens, they difturbed the peace of the state *for all the years that have followed. Nor did "their rage ftop in this place, but being reftrained "by no bridles, it daily rushed forward to actions "more cruel and injurious."

Here we may obferve, that a Roman Catholic hiftorian of high character fixes the commencement of these civil wars in Italy to the year 1258, the very time to which history leads us to look for the commencement of the judgement predicted in the third vial. And also, that he defcribes this judgement in plain language, in terms of the very fame import with thofe fymbolical ones in which it is predicted in the prophecy. The prediction. fays, that this vial became blood in the rivers and fountains of waters. Sigonius fays, "that the one "faction supported the claims of the church, and "the other thofe of the empire; that there was "much flaughter on both fides, and that the city 66 was stained with the blood of citizens." When he fays that they disturbed the peace of the city for all the years that have followed, he means all the years which have followed in his history of Italy, which he brings down only to the year 1286; at which time, these civil wars, not ended, were still going forward to actions more cruel and injurious.

On

On this judgement the prophet makes two obfervations. ft, That it displays in a ftriking manner the righteoufnefs, the omnifcience, and omnis prefence of God, in his providential government of the world. "Thou art righteous, O Lord, "which art, and waft, and fhalt be, because thou "thou haft judged thus: for they have fhed the "blood of faints and prophets, and thou haft giv"en them blood to drink; for they are worthy." God is present at all times and in all places, and he is ever the fupreme Lord of the univerfe; as the Judge of all the earth he ever does that which is right. This judgement upon Papal Rome, fo exactly fitted to their crime, difplays at once his perfect knowledge of their character, and his impartial justice. He gives them blood to drink for fhedding the blood, not of criminals, but of faints, holy men; not of impoftors, but of prophets of God who preached to men only what God himself had revealed. Rome had long been diftinguished for fhedding the blood of the faints of God, whom the blafphemously called heretics. But, in the end of the 12th century, and in this 13th century, fhe went far beyond all her former bounds, in deluging the world with the blood of faints. The chief zeal of the church of Rome in these times confifted, in putting to death, in the moft cruel manner they could invent, thofe whom they called heretics. The perfecution of the Albigenfes

bigenfes and Waldenses in the 13th century, was the most bloody one that ever difgraced the hiftory of fuperftition. When the town of Beziers was taken, above 60,000 of them were put to the fword at once. And as if all the other methods of perfecution known in the church of Rome in former ages had been too few or too mild, the infernal court of the inquifition was invented, and established in the beginning of the 13th century, by Pope Innocent III. and Father Dominic was made inquifitor about the year 1216. Of these facts the reader may fatisfy himself fully, by cons fulting Mofheim and Dupin on the 13th century, Limborch on the history of the Inquifition, and efpecially Jo. Paul Perrin Hift. de Vaudois. Since they had shed fo much blood of men, against whom they could prove no crime, against whom they could allege nothing, but a contempt of thofe articles of faith and modes of worfhip which were inconfiftent with the word of God; was it not a ftriking display of the perfect knowledge which God had of the conduct and character of thefe men, of his prefence at all times and in all pla ces, of his fuperintendency of the world, and of the exactness of his juftice; when thofe men who had fhed the blood of faints were made to fhed the guilty blood of one another, in a profufion to be equalled only by that deluge of the blood of faints which they had thed with wicked hands? :

And

Ch. XVI. And 2d, That it is a striking proof of the truth of God in performing his promises, and of his power in doing fo in fpite of all oppofition. This obfervation is contained in verse 7th, "And I heard "another out of the altar fay, Even fo, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judge"ments." What is faid out of the altar, refers to -a promise which God made to the fouls under the altar, chap. vi. 9,-11. The judgements inflicted on Papal Rome under this vial, are a part of thofe judgements promised to the martyrs under the fifth feal, who fuffered under Heathen Rome; and hence, in reference to that promise they are called true; that is proofs of the truth of God in performing his promises to his people.

The promise is thus expreffed in that paffage: "And when he had opened the fifth feal, I faw "under the altar the fouls of them that were "flain for the word of God, and for the teftimony

which they held. And they cried with a loud "voice, faying, How long, O Lord holy and true, "dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on "them that dwell on the earth. And white robes "were given to every one of them, and it was faid "unto them that they should reft yet for a little season, until their fellow fervants alfo and their brethren that fhould be killed as they were, "fhould be fulfilled." This judgement, as being a part of the accomplishment of that promife, is

*...

here