confidered

together

Part 2. conjointly with her Empire. Babylon fignifies the whole Antichriftian Empire, and this Antichriftian Empire, is faid to fit upon feven Mountains, and to Rome must rule over the Kings of the Earth, because this is true always be of its Capital City. Nothing is more ordinary (not to add, that'tis conftantly used) than to denote a whole Kingdom by the ruling City. Thus, men always fpoke of Rome; Rome hath conquered the Na tions; Rome hath enlarged her Empire to the end of the World; this fignifies, that the Roman Em pire hath fubdued all Nations, and extended its bounds even to the utmost parts of the Earth.

with her

Empire.

The tenth

pire of the

Papacy.

Chap. 17.

12, 13.

This being fuppofed and proved, that the City is part of the the whole Babylonian and Antichriftian Empire; City is one of the ten it must be remembred, that this Empire of Antithat make chrift is made up of ten Kingdoms, and ten Kings, up the Em- who muft give their power to the beaft: The teh borns which thou faweft are ten Kings. These have one mind, and shall give their power unto the beast. From which 'tis clear, that the tenth part of the City fignifies here one of those ten Kingdoms, under the authority of the Antichriftian Kingdom. A tenth part of the City fell, i. e. one of these ten Kingdoms, which make up the great City, great City, the Bảbylonian Empire fhall forfake it. This therefore, is exactly that, which must happen within a little while after, the three years and a half of the total fuppreffion of the Trush fhall be exfpired; anda while after that the Witnesses fhall be rais'd, i.. after the profeffion of the Truth fhall be rais'd to life again in France and elsewhere.

And then, the fame hour, immediately after that, the Reformation fhall be establisht by a Royal Edict, without delay; There shall be an Earthquake, and a tenth part of the City shall be overturn'd. Mark that, the Earthquake, .e. the great alteration of

affairs

affairs in the Land of the Papacy, muft for that time Part 2. happen only in the tenth part of the City that fhall fall for this fhall be the effect of this Earthquake.

shortly

the Monar

chy, but by

a ruin Popery

of

Now what is this tenth part of this City, which Frabte shal fhall fall? In my opinion, we cannot doubt that fall, not by tis France. This Kingdom is the moft confidera- a ruin of ble part, or piece of the ten horns, or States, which once made up the great Babylonian City: it fell; this does not fignify, that the French Monarchy fhall be ruin'd; it may be humbled, but in all appearance, Providence does defign a great elevation for her afterward. 'Tis highly probable, that God will not let go unpunifht the horrible outrages which it acts at this day. Afterward, it must build its greatness upon the ruins of the papal Empire, and enrich it felf with the fpoils of those who thall take part with the Papacy. They who at this day perfecute the Proteftants, know not whither God is leading them this is not the way by which he will lead France to the height of glory. If the comes thither, 'tis because the fhall fhortly change her road. Her greatning will be no dammage to Prote ftant States on the contrary,the Proteftant States fhal be enricht with the fpoils of others; & be ftrengthned by the fall of Antichrifts Empire. This tenth part of the City fhall fall, with respect to the Papacy; itfhall break with Rome, and the Roman Reli gion. One thing is certain, that the Babylonian Empire fhall perish through the refufal of obedience by the ten Kings, who had given their power to the Beaft. The thing is already come to pafs in part. The Kingdoms of Sweden, Denmark, Eng tand, and feveral Soveraign States in Germany, have withdrawn themselves from the furifdiction of the Pope. They have spoyl'd the harlot of her riches. LI 311;

They

Part 2. They have eaten her flesh, i.e. feiz'd on her Benefices and Revenues, which fhe had in their Countries. This muft goon, and be finifht as it is begun. The Kings, who yet remain under the Empire of Rome, muft break with her, leave her folitary and defolate.

But who must begin this last revalt? "Tis moft probable, that France fhall. Not Spain, which as yet is plunged in fuperftition, and is as much under the tyranny of the Clergy as ever. Not the Emperor, who in Temporals is fubject to the Pope, and permits that in his States the Archbishop of Strigonium fhould teach, that the Pope can take away the Imperial Crown from him. It cannot be any Countrey but France, which a long time ago hath begun to shake off the yoke of Rome. 'Tis well known, how folemnly and openly war hath been declared against the Pope, by a Declaration of the King, (ratified in all the Parliaments) by the decifions of the Affembly of the French Clergy, by a Difputation against the Authority of the Pope, managed in the Sorbon, folemnly, and by order of the Court. And to heighten the affront, the Thefes were pofted up, even upon the gates of his Nuntio. Nothing of this kind had hitherto happened, at leaft in a time of peace, and unless the Pope had given occafion by his infolences.

Befides this, Superftition and Idolatry lose their credit much in France. There is a fecret party, though well enough known, which greatly defpifeth the popular Devotions, Images, worship of Saints, and is convinced that thefe are humane inftitutions; God is before-hand preparing for this great work.

To this it may be objected, that for the faft hundred and fifty years, the Popes Empire hath not been

been made up of ten Kings, because the Kings of Part 2. England, Sweden, Denmark, &c. have thrown off his Government; and confequently, France is not at this day the tenth part of the Babylonian Empire; for 'tis more then a tenth part of it. But this is no difficulty for we must know, that things retain the names which they bore in their original, (without regarding the alterations which time does bring along.) Tho at this day, there are not ten Kingdoms under the Babylonian Empire, 'tis not withstanding certain, that each Kingdom was called, and ought to be called in this Prophecy, the tenth part; because the Prophet having defcribed this Empire in its beginning, by its ten horns, or ten Kings, 'tis neceffary for our clear understanding, that every one of these ten Kings, and Kingdoms, fhould be called one of the ten Kings, or of the ten Kingdoms, with refpect to the original conftitution of the Antichristian Empire.

Seeing the tenth part of the City which must fall, is France, this gives me fome hopes, that the death of the two witneffes hath a particular relation to this Kingdom, "Tis the street or place of this City, i.e. the most fair and eminent part of it. The Witneffes must remain dead upon this Street, and upon it they must be raised again. And as the death of the Witneffes and their Refurrection have a relation to the Kingdom of France, it may well fall out, that we may not be far diftant from the time of the Refurrection of the witneffes, feeing the three years and a half of their death, are either begun, or will begin hortly.

And in the earthquake were flain feven thousand; in the Greek it is, feven thousand names of men

L14

and

Part 2: and not seven thousand men. I confefs, that this seems somewhat mysterious: in other places we find not this phrafe, names of men put fimply for men. Perhaps there is here a figure of Grammer called, Hypallage cafus, fo that names of men, are put for men of name, i.e. of raifed, and confiderable quality, be it on the account of riches, or of dignity, or of learning. But I am more inclined to fay, that here these words, names of men, must be taken in their natural fignification, and. doe intimate, that the total Reformation of France, fhall not be made with bloodshed, nothing shall be destroyed but names, fuch as are the names of Monks, of Carmelites, of Augustines, of Dominicans, of Iacobins, Francifcans, Capucines, Iefuites, Minimes, and an infinite company of others, whose number 'tis not eafie to define, and which the Holy Ghoft denotes by the number feven, which is the number of perfection, to fignify, that the orders of Monks and Nuns, fhall perish for ever. This is an Inftitution fo degenerated from its firft Original, that 'tis become the arm of Antichrift; Thefe orders, cannot perish one without another.

fKing.

19.18

If any will have it, that thefe feven thoufand, flain, fignifie, that there fhall be bloodshed, it fhall not be great; for the number feven put for an indifinite number, never fignifies a great one. De Launay is very much mistaken when he fayes, that the feven thoufand, who had not bowed the knee to Baal, fignified a great multitude; on the contrary they fignified a very fmall number, indeed the number was fo fmall, that Elijah did not know of them: he fayd, I am left alone.

The Kings of France at this day, do lift their guthority so high, that nothing can refiftit. Tis there