vefted by Pepin, King of France, with the exarchate of Ravenna; and foon after poffeffing himself with the complete fovereignty of Rome, and the kingdom of Lombardy.Then was completed that union of civil and ecclefiaftical tyranny, which conftitutes the reign of the Antichriftian Beaft".”

The feven heads reprefented feven mountains (the type of Rome), and also feven

• As the fole object of this application of History to the "fure word of Prophecy" is the elucidation of divine truth, it would ill become me to contend for the certainty of any ftatement, whenever fufficient reasons are affigned to fhow that I have adopted an error. I have long

thought that the interpretation given by former Expofitors of the 7th and 8th Forms of the Roman Government, as alluded to in the Prophecy, was involved in confiderable obfcurity, and that any one who laboured with fuccefs to remove it would deserve the thanks of every inquirer into prophetic truth. To such acknowledgements is the "Layman," the author of the "Obfervations on the 7th Form of the Roman Government," wery juftly entitled. And the best proof that I can give of my high opinion of his candor, and his diligent researches into Scripture and Hiftory, and his very able application of them to the points in question, is the adoption of his ingenious fug, geftions in this edition of my work, inftead of the interpretation given in the two former editions. And I beg leave to return my acknowledgments for the very hand fome manner in which the author of that Letter, (whofe name I am not allowed to mention) has permitted me to make this important correction.

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kings,

of God, which hath power over thefe plagues, and repented not of their deeds, to give him glory," that is, did not acknowledge the juftice of his judgments — perhaps event denied that they were judgments, attributing their fufferings to mare fecondary causes ou It is also faid, that when the fifth vial was poured out," they blafphemed the God of heaven,” (indicating, I prefume, a still bolder kind, or higher degree of blafphemyi) “ and repented not of their deeds."It cannot therefore be doubted that this period, during the violence of the fourth and fifth vials, will be remarkable for GENERAL profaneness, and irreligion, and depravity of heart, and corrup tion of manners, as well as for the avenging judgments of the Almighty; and, I confefs, it appears to me little less certain, that the fourth, fifth, and fixth vials are contempo rary with the reign of the fecond beaft and his ImageLet us now examine farther, how far the character of that reign will agree with the character of thefe vials.

i

It was afked by Bishop Prideaux about the year 1650, Whether Socinianifm and lighting of all'antiquity be not an Introduction to Paganifm and Atheism?" Introd. to Hift. p. 155. fifth Edit. 1672. Barruel and Robifon will convince us of the rapid progress made by Deifm within the last fifty years towards them, and every evil work."

1.GOV

I confider the fecond beaft and his image, to be connected juft as the dragon and the first beast were connected. The idolatrous fpiritual power of the dragon was vifibly exerted in ecclefiaftical tyranny, which the world faw united with civil tyranny in the first beast. But a great change having taken place in the earth before the rifing of the second beast the great city having been divided into three parts," at the Reformation (that is, the three Confeffions as they are called, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and Calviniftic), by which the power of the first beast was confiderably weakened, and the minds of men emancipated from the chains of ignorance and fuperftition which had held them enflaved to the power of Babylon, "which now came up in remembrance be fore God" the dragon raifed up another beaft, in a form better fuited to the ftate of the world towards the end of the time ap pointed for his reign. For this beast is not to continue beyond, only until the termination of the 1260 years appointed for the dominion of Antichriffa great part of which term was expired before his reign commenced.

See Jurieu and other Commentators.

DD 2

I am

I am aware it has been objected, that as this 'divifion of the great city is mentioned after the pouring out of the feventh vial, it cannot, without violating the order of time, be referred to the Reformation. But I conceive this earthquake to be a particular judgment upon the great city, or the power of Rome, rather than the effect of the feventh vial. If we compare Rev. xi. 13. we fhall find the earthquake that destroyed the tenth part of the city, and 7000 men, or names of men, took place during the fecond woe. For by the fame hour, is to be understood the time of the fecond woe, or, according to the eastern mode of expreffion, "the reign of the angel of the fecond woe trumpet," alluding to an 14 opinion, common in the Eaft, that different angels, good or bad, were permitted to exercife authority during different portions of the day, and over different regions of the earth'. Now the fecond woe began when the Turkish Empire was established in 1005, or in 1299, and is yet in power; and there is nothing in this expreffion to fix this earthquake at any particular time within the

Our Lord, accommodating his language to this popular opinion, fays, “This is your bour, and the power of darkness."

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hour.

2

hour. From the context however, or rather from the courfe of events, I fuppofe this earthquake is to be placed near the end of the fecond woe, and after the earthquake which divided the city into three parts. The earthquake mentioned Rev. xi. 19. I apprehend to be diftinct from these, and to fynchronize with the third woe, and the feventh vial, which is to have univerfal power and effect (being poured into the air, to denote both its extenfive operation, and the utter deftruction of the Antichriftian power-the air being represented in Scripture, as the feat of the power and authority of Satan), and to bring fudden deftruction on all the enemies of Chrift, when the feventh trumpet founds the termination of the days of vengeance. Inftead of breaking the order of time, this idea places the earthquakes in regular fucceffion, marking the most striking events in the hiftory of the church; and it will probably be confirmed when we obferve further, that when the earthquake, which

In like manner the three unclean fpirits (Rev. xvi. 13.) out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the falfe Prophet," muft not be fuppofed to make their firft appearance under the fixth vial. They might have been at work for a courfe of ages, but they would now unite their arts and powers, and be peculiarly active juft before the great day of battle." (Rev. xix. 19.)