the yet more blasphemous abominations of Antichrist. Yet, although there will be no further reforma, tion, it does not appear, that the inspired writers give any intimations of some still more dreadful persecution of the witnesses, than that which they have already undergone from the two Latin beasts on the contrary, Scripture seems to me at least rather to lead to a directly opposite opinion. I mean not indeed to deny, that individual protestants, those for instance who reside in popish countries, may experience persecution; these will continue to prophesy in sackcloth to the very end of the 1260 days: I would only be understood to intimate, that I can discover no warrant for expecting that Protestantism in general, as nationally professed, will ever be so far subdued by Popery, as to undergo throughout the whole world a grand universal persecution. The troubles, produced by incessant war with the atheistico-papal powers, will be the great means of purifying the Church; not, I think, any persecution resembling those of the pagan Emperors or the Roman Pontiffs in the plenitude of their power. I am led to form this opinion by observing, that all the vials of the last woe-trumpet are represented as being poured out upon the Papal and Mohammedan Roman Empire*; upon those, that have the mark * "Phialæ omnes," says Mr. Mede, "in bestiam (scil. VOL. II. D D "Roma mark of the beast; upon those, that have shed the blood of saints and prophets; upon those, that have blasphemed the name of God by reason of the noisome sore of atheism; upon the seat and kingdom of the beast. None of these particulars are descriptive of such protestant states, as have held fast the faith of their ancestors, and have not apostatized, like Holland, Switzerland, and protestant Germany, to the lie of Antichrist. The last plagues, comprehended under the third woe-trumpet, are poured out only upon Papists, blaspheming Atheists, and Mohammedans: and, although under the seventh vial" there shall be a time of "trouble, such as never was since there was a "nation;" yet it is a time of trouble to none but the beast, the false prophet, and the congregated kings of the Roman earth. At the glorious era of the Reformation, the voice of the Lord called aloud from heaven, "Come out of the be not par ye mystic Babylon, my people, that "takers of her sins, and that ye receive not of "her plagues." Surely then we must unavoidably conclude, that those, who did come out of her, who obeyed the warning voice, who ceased to be partakers of her sins, who suffered themselves not a second time to be deluded by the yet more gross lie of atheism, will likewise receive not of her "Romanam) effunduntur" (Com. Apoc. in loc.). "Go your upon the ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God "earth" (Rev. xvi. 1.). The earth throughout the Apocalypse denotes the Roman empire. her plagues. Whether the mighty king of the North, who is neither papist nor protestant, and whose ample territories are without the limits of the great Latin city, be destined to inflict, "at "the time of the end," its death-wound upon the, spiritual empire of Mohammed, events alone can determine. The position of his dominions gives him immediate access to the realms both of Persia and Turkey: but upon this point I presume not to be wise above what is written. It is however written, that, although the dragon shall direct the rage of his favourite minister Antichrist against the remnant of the seed of the woman*; yet the vials shall be exclusively poured out upon the enemies of God. Hence I conjecturet, that this final attempt of the dragon will totally fail of success, because it exceeds the peculiar commission of the infidel king: and hence I conclude, that, as protestantism has hitherto been marvellously preserved amidst the plagues of the papal Babylon, so it will be preserved even to the time of the end. "And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon "the seat of the beast: and his kingdom was full "of darkness, and they gnawed their tongues for * Rev. xii. 17. + I may do more indeed than merely conjecture that such will be the case: the complete failure of this last attempt of the dragon is expressly predicted in the overthrow of the false prophet and his adherents at the battle of Armageddon, in the region between the two seus. pain, and blasphemed the God of heaven, because "of their pains and their sores, and repented not "of their deeds." In the Apocalypse mention is made of two beasts, the secular and the ecclesiastical; and it might be doubted which of the two was here intended, were we not assisted in our inquiries by the general context of the whole prophecy. Whenever the beast is simply mentioned, by way of eminence as it were, I believe it will invariably be found, that the ten-horned or secular beast is meant*, not the twohorned or ecclesiastical beast. In addition to this general proof, the particular context of the present passage may be adduced. The angel is said to pour his vial upon the seat of the beast. Now the first beast is expressly said to have had a seat or throne given him by the dragon; because, although nominally Christian, he exercised his secular authority, like his predecessor the pagan Empire, in persecuting the Church of Godt: whereas no mention is made of the seat of the second beast, and for this plain reason; the secular authority of the Pope was confined within the narrow limits of an Italian principality, and, all the persecutions which he ever excited against the faithful were carried into effect by the first beast through the instrumentality either of his last head or of his ten horns. Hence I think it manifest, that the beast, upon + Rev. xii. 2. See Rev. xiv. 9, 11. xvi. 2. xix. 19. upon whose seat the present vial is poured, is the first or secular beast. What is precisely meant by this judgment it is impossible at present to determine with any certainty, inasmuch as it is yet future. If however we may argue from analogy, since the giving of a seat or throne to the beast by the dragon evidently means the investing him with the same secular power of making war with the saints as that exercised by him while in his pagan state, the pouring out of a vial upon that seat so as to fill his whole kingdom with darkness seems most naturally to represent some grievous calamity which should materially affect that secular power of persecution, and fill his whole kingdom with consternation and confusion. The beast here spoken of is the beast under his last head: but what power will be that last head, when the present vial is poured out, must be determined by the event *. "And as heretics, after they had been found guilty by the ecclesiastical courts were formally delivered over to the secular arın for punishment, "It is not lawful for us to put any man to death," was the constant language of the two-horned beast as it heretofore was of the Jewish priests when demanding the death of Christ. Sometimes even, with a crocodile affectation of clemency, the secular beast was besought by his merciful colleague not to deal too harshly with the condemned. * I have already observed, that the last head of the beast is by the Apostle termed the beast himself. Since this was written, the battle of Austerlitz has been fought, DD 3 |