D

DISSERTATIONS

ON THE

PROPHECIES.

XXIV.

An ANALYSIS of the

REVELATION.

ΤΙ

IN TWO PART S.

PART I.

IT

This very useful, as well as very curious. and entertaining, to trace the rife and progress of religions and governments; and in taking a furvey of all the different religions and governments of the world, there is none perhaps that will ftrike us more with wonder and astonishment than that of Rome, how fuch a mystery of iniquity could fucVOL. III.

B

ceed

ceed at first and profper fo long, and under, the
name of Chrift introduce Antichrift. Other
herefies and fchifms have obtained place and
credit among men for a time, and then have
been happily expofed and fuppreffed. Ari-
anifm once fucceeded almoft univerfally; for
a while it grew and florifhed mightily, but in
procefs of time it withered and faded away.
But Popery hath now prevailed I know not how
many centuries, and her renowned hierarchs
have not, like the fathers of other fects, ftole
into fecret meetings and conventicles, but have
infected the very
heart of the Chriftian church,
and ufurped the chief feat of the western
world; have not only engaged in their caufe
private persons, and led captive filly women, but
have trampled on the necks of princes and em-
perors themselves, and the lords and tyrants of
mankind have yet been the blind slaves and
vaffals of the holy fee. Rome Christian hath
carried her conquests almost as far as Rome
Pagan. The Romanifts themfelves make uni-
verfality and perpetuity the fpecial marks and
characters of their church; and no people more
industrious than they in compaffing fea and land
to make profelytes.

7

All fincere proteftants cannot but be greatly grieved at the fuccefs and prevalence of this religion,

i

ligion, and the papists as much boast and glory in it, and for this reafon proudly denominate theirs the catholic religion. But it will abate all confidence on the one hand, and banish all fcruples on the other; if we confider that this is nothing more than what was fignified beforehand by the Spirit of prophecy. It is directly foretold, that there fhould be fuch a power, as that of the Pope of Rome, exercised in the Christian church, and that it should prevail for a long feafon, but at last should have a fall. Several clear and exprefs prophecies to this pur pofe have been produced out of Daniel and St. Paul in the courfe of thefe differtations: but others clearer ftill, and more copious and particular, may be found in the Apocalyps or Revelation of St. John, who was the greatest as he was the laft prophet of the Chriftian difpenfation, and hath comprehended in this book, and pointed out the most memorable events and revolutions in the church, from the apoftles days to the confummation of the mystery of God.

But to this book of the Apocalyps or Revelation it is ufually objected, that it is so wrapt and involved in figures and allegories, is so wild and vifionary, is fo dark and obfcure, that any thing or nothing, at leaft nothing clear and certain, can be proved or collected from it. So B 2. learned

+

ཧཱུྃཐཱནཾ

}

learned a man as Scaliger is noted for faying (1)
that Calvin was wife, because he wrote no com-
ment upon the Revelation. A celebrated
A celebrated (2)
wit and divine of our own church hath not scru-
pled to affert, that that book either finds a man
mad, or makes him fo. Whitby, though an ufe-
ful commentator on the other books of the New
Teftament, would not yet adventure upon the
Revelation. "I confefs I do it not (3) (fays he,)
"for want of wisdom; that is because I neither
"have fufficient reading nor judgment, tô dif-
cern the intendment of the prophecies con-
"tained in that book." Voltaire is pleafed to
fay, that Sir Ifaac Newton wrote his comment
upon the Revelation, to confole mankind for the
great fuperiority that he had over them in other
refpects but Voltaire, though a very agreeable,
is yet a very fuperficial writer, and often mif-
taken in his judgment of men and things. He
never was more mistaken, than in affirming that
Sir Ifaac Newton has explained the Revelation
in the fame manner with all thofe who went
before him; a moft evident proof that he had

never

(1) Calvinus fapit, quod in Apocalypfin non fcripfit. Vide "Scaligerana fecunda. p. 41. But Scaliger was not very confiftent in his opinion of the Revelation. For as the Bishop of Rochefter re

marks, he says in another place,
Hoc poffum gloriari me nihil
ignorare eorum quæ in Apoca-
lypfi, Canonico vere libro, pro-
phetice fcribuntur, præter illud
caput in quo ve fepties repeti-