kindreds, and tongues, and nations; and (XVII. 2.) the kings of the earth have committed forni-. cation, or idolatry, with the whore of Babylon; and (XVII. 13.) have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.-Hath the church of Rome inlarged the powers of her clergy both regular and fecular, given them an almost abfolute authority over the purfes and confciences of men, enriched them with fumpĭ tuous buildings and noble endowments, and appropriated the choiceft of the lands for church lands? This was plainly intimated by Daniel speaking of the blafphemous king, as the passage should be tranflated; (XI.39.) Thus shall he do; to the defenders of Mahuzzim, together with the firange God whom he shall acknowlege, he shall multiply bonor, and he shall cause them to rule over many, and Shall divide the land for gain—Is the church of Rome distinguished above all churches by purple and scarlet color, by the richness and fplendor of her vestments, by the pomp and parade of her ceremonies, inticing and inveigling men with all artifices of ornament and oftentation to join in her communion? This was particularly specified by St. John fpeaking of the myftic whore of Babylon or the corrupted church, (XVH. 4.) And the woman was arrayed in purple and fcarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stone and pearls, Bb 4

having

376

Differtations on the PROPHECIES.

having a golden cup in her hand, full of abomi
nations, and filthiness of her fornication.
Have the bishops and clergy of Rome in all
ages been remarkable for their policy? have
they not fcrupled to promote their religion by
all manner of lies and pious frauds? have they
allowed of equivocation and mental refervation
in oaths and promises, and with the appearance
of lambs, in meeknefs and fanctity, acted like
ravening wolves, with fury and violence? Daniel
hath given the fame character of the little horn,
(VII. 8.) Behold, in this horn were eyes like the
eyes of a man, and a mouth Speaking great things;
and St. Paul of the apoftates in the latter times,
(1 Tim. IV. 2.) Speaking lies in hypocrify, having
their confcience feared with a hot iron; and St.
John of the two horned beast, (XIII. 11.) And
I beheld another beaft coming up out of the earth,
and he had two borns like a lamb, and he spake
as a dragon. -Doth the church of Rome boast
of visions and revelations, and make a how
of miracles in atteftation of her doctrins? do her
legends contain as many fpurious and pretended
wonders, as the fcriptures do genuin and real?
From St. Paul we learn, (2 Thef. II. 9, 10.)
that the coming of the man of fin is after the
working of Satan, with all power, and figns, and
lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of un-

፡

righteoufnefs;

righteoufnefs; and from St. John, (XIII. 13, 14.) that the false prophet doeth great wonders in the fight of men, and deceiveth them who dwell on the earth by the means of thofe miracles which he bath power to do.-Doth the church of Rome require an implicit obedience, condemn all who will not readily conform as heretics, and excommunicate and exclude them from the civil intercourfes of life? So the falfe prophet in St. John (XIII. 16, 17.) caufeth all, both small and great,

rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads; and that no man might buy or fell, fave he that had the mark of the beast. Have the Roman pontiffs occafioned the fhedding of as much or more Chriftian blood than the Roman emperors themselves? have they all along maintained their spiritual sovranty by fecret plots and inquifitions, by open dragoonings and maffacres, and imprisoned, and tortured, and murdered the true worshippers of God, and the faithful fervants of Jefus Chrift? This particular, as well as all the reft, exactly answers the predictions. of the prophets. For it is affirmed of the little horn in Daniel, (VII. 21, 25.) that he fall make war with the faints, and shall prevail against them; fhall Speak great words against the moft High, and fhall wear, out the faints of

the

the most High: and the woman in the Reve lation, Babylon the great, the mother of barlots, (XVII. 6.) is reprefented as drunken with the blood of the faints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jefus; and (XVIII. 24.) in her was found the blood of prophets, and of faints, and of all that were flain upon the earth.

*

Befides these plain and direct prophecies of the corruptions and innovations of the church of Rome, there are feveral fecret glances at them, feveral oblique intendments and intimations of them.-Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world: (Acts XV. 18.) and when the holy Spirit dictated to the ancient prophets the prophecies concerning Babylon, Tyre, Egypt, and other tyrannical and corrupt governments, he dictated them in fuch a manner as plainly evinces that he had a farther view to this laft and moft tyrannical and corrupt government of all. Babylon, Tyre, Egypt, and the reft, are made the types and emblems of Rome; and many of the particulars predicted concerning the former, are more truly and properly applicable to the latter; and feveral of them have been applied accordingly by St. John. Jeremiah faid concerning ancient Babylon, (LI. 7, 45.) Babylon hath been a golden cup in the Lord's band, that made all the earth drunken ;

ye re

drunken; the nations have drunken of her wine, therefore the nations are mad: My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver ye every man bis foul from the fierce anger of the Lord: But how much more applicable are thefe expreffions, as St. John hath applied them, to myftic Babylon or Rome? (XVII. 4. XVIII. 3, 4.) She hath a golden cup in her hand, full of abominations : All nations have drunk of the poifoncus wine of ber fornication: Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her fins, and that ceive not of her plagues. The prophets themselves might not understand this myftical, and faw perhaps no farther than the litteral meaning; but they pake as they were moved by the holy Ghoft, (2 Pet. I. 21) who comprehends all events, the most remote as well as the most immediate. But the intimations of popery, which I particularly meant, are more frequent and more obvious in the New Teftament. Why was our bleffed Saviour fo very cautious in giving honor to the Virgin Mary, that he feemed to regard her lefs than the leaft of his difciples? (Matt. XII. 48.) Who is my mother? (John II. 4.) Woman, what have I to do with

量

thee? (Luke XI. 27, 28.) Blessed is the womb

that bare thee; Yea, rather blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it.

Why did he rebuke