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 University of Illinois Library 
 
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 KYlC 
 
 
 
■ 1 1 i t | i ( i| i I j 
 
 AN 
 
 EPISTOLARY DISCOURSE 
 
 CONTAINING 
 
 A NEW RESOLUTION AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE 
 GRAND APOCALYPTICAL QUESTION, 
 
 CONCERNING 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL OF ROME PAPAL. 
 
 BY ROBERT FLEMING. 
 
 (Reprinted from the first edition in 1/01.J 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 HOULSTON & STONEMAN, PATERNOSTER ROW; 
 
 SHAW, SOUTHAMPTON BOW; JACKSON, ISLINGTON. 
 
 1848 . 
 

 
 
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 it£ 
 
 LUNTLEY AND EASON, 
 PRINTERS, 
 
 NEW BROAD STREET COURT, LONDON. 
 
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 PREFACE 
 
 V 
 
 & 
 
 Want of discernment of the signs of the times is 
 reprobated as folly by the highest authority. When, 
 however, a Revelation has been given, expressly to show 
 “ things which must shortly come to pass,” such folly 
 is more culpable. Especially in great crises of national 
 affairs, when gloom and doubt pervade society, when 
 the whole political horizon is clouded, and men are 
 anxiously feeling their way towards ah untried state, 
 we shall do well to take heed to our sure word of pro- 
 phecy, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place. 
 If any despise this illumination, let him ponder the 
 import of the Apostle’s statement, that when he heard 
 no answer to the proclamation in heaven, “ Who is 
 worthy to take the book, and to loose the seals thereof ? ” 
 he wept much ; but when the “ Lamb in the midst of 
 
 I 02 1 375 
 
IV 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 the throne ” had taken it, fresh adoration and a new 
 song celebrated His worthy triumph, 
 
 In common with other words of prophecy, especially 
 those written in symbolic characters, the precise mean- 
 ing of the Apocalypse is not patent to every reader ; 
 but is rather covered from the unlearned, the sceptical, 
 and the disobedient. Many and profound have been 
 the investigations in this field ; though but few divines 
 have succeeded, with true instinct, in tracking the 
 precious vein, and unearthing the hidden treasure. The 
 author of the following Discourse has been eminently 
 successful in this way ; and as he has long since passed 
 on, to receive his reward, it devolves upon us, who come 
 after him, to summon our neighbours to rejoice over the 
 recovered riches he has left us. For, though his dis- 
 coveries were made nearly a century and a half ago, 
 the lapse of time, instead of tarnishing their lustre, 
 has served but to illustrate their value. The time is come, 
 when they will be subjected to a more rigorous assay ; 
 and as they have endured the test so far, they are thus 
 again introduced to public notice. 
 
 Mr. Robert Fleming, one of the last of the Puritan 
 divines, published this Epistolary Discourse in 1701. 
 His principal object is to give a new resolution to the 
 grand apocalyptical question concerning the rise and fall 
 of the great Antichrist, or Rome Papal. He dates its 
 first rise in 606, when the pope first received the title 
 
PREEACE. 
 
 Y 
 
 of supreme and universal bishop ; from which he com- 
 putes that its reign, of 1260 prophetic years’ duration, 
 will expire in the present year, 1 848. But, as he 
 reckons its full rise did not take place till 758, when the 
 pope was invested with independent temporal authority, 
 he supposes it will continue to exist till the year 2000, 
 though in a weakened state. He regards its fall to be 
 symbolized by the outpouring of the seven vials ; which 
 he interprets on this principle : “ that seeing the vials do 
 suppose a struggle or war between the popish and 
 reformed parties, every vial is to be looked upon as the 
 event and conclusion of some new periodical attack of that 
 first party upon this other ; the issue of which proves at 
 length favourable to the latter against the former.” He 
 therefore supposes the event prefigured by the outpouring 
 of the first vial upon the earth, to be the beginning of 
 the Reformation. He considers the period in which he 
 writes, to be that of the fourth vial, poured out upon 
 the sun, as the type of the French monarchy ; which 
 period would close about the year 1794. “The French 
 monarchy,” he says, “at least before the year 1794,” 
 may be " considerably humbled.” The fifth vial, poured 
 out upon the “ seat (or throne) of the beast,” he con- 
 jectures to be a judgment upon the papal power, 
 extending from 1794 to 1848, “so as to ruin his 
 authority.” 
 
 The signal confirmation which these conjectures, as to 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 VI 
 
 the periods of then future judgments, have received, 
 requires little comment. That regarding the fourth 
 vial, has been verified to the letter. The recent over- 
 throw of the French monarchy may be regarded as 
 confirming the sentence formerly pronounced against it ; 
 and is, perhaps, designed to show the futility of human 
 efforts to reverse a Divine decree. For it would seem 
 as if in the thrice-subverted throne of the French 
 monarch, were fulfilling the word concerning the profane 
 prince of Israel : “ Remove the diadem, and take off 
 the crown : this shall not be the same : exalt him that 
 is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, 
 overturn, overturn ; and it shall be no more, till he 
 come, whose right it is ; and I will give it him.” 
 
 The author’s conjecture regarding the fifth vial, the 
 period of which is just expiring, is not less important. 
 The expulsion of monastic orders from many catholic 
 countries ; the estrangement of the most powerful sup- 
 porters of the Roman hierarchy, and their enfeebled 
 condition ; the contemplated withdrawment of state 
 support from religious establishments in France ; the 
 surrender of despotic power in temporal affairs by the 
 present pontiff, and his willingness to renounce all his 
 secular authority ; — these, and other events that already 
 cast their shadows across the present year, will form 
 a fitting conclusion to the judgments which have visited 
 the Roman Antichrist during the last half-century. It 
 
PREFxVCE. 
 
 Vll 
 
 is remarkable, too, tbat as the “event,” according to 
 Mr. Fleming, of this vial, was ushered in by the first 
 French B,e volution, so its “ conclusion ” is accompanied 
 by the second. It is too soon, however, to determine 
 how the papacy will withstand this repeated shock. 
 “ The throne of the beast,” upheaved from its old 
 foundations by the convulsions which shook the earth in 
 1794, may yet be seen in ruins ere this year is run out. 
 
 Mr. Fleming’s conjectures concerning the ensuing 
 judgment upon the Mohammedan power, symbolized by 
 the outpouring of the sixth vial upon the river Euphrates, 
 and the complete destruction of both the forms of. Anti- 
 christ about the year 2000, at the commencement of the 
 sabbatical millennium — the final apostacy — and the 
 judgment day, of a thousand years’ duration — are 
 likewise full of interest. The practical character, too, 
 of the Discourse is not its least recommendation ; ac- 
 cording well with the benediction, “ Blessed is he that 
 readeth, and they which hear the words of this prophecy, 
 and keep those things which are written therein ; for 
 the time is at hand.” 
 
 March 1 Qth, 1848. 
 
EPISTOLARY DISCOURSE. 
 
 TO ALL MY TRUE AND GOOD FRIENDS EVERYWHERE ; BUT MORE 
 PARTICULARLY TO THE WORTHY GENTLEMEN AND OTHERS 
 THAT COMPOSE THE CHURCH TO WHICH I AM NOW RELATED 
 AS A MINISTER. 
 
 My Dear Friends, 
 
 In compliance with the frequent and repeated desires of 
 a great many of you, I suffer the following discourses to 
 break loose from their fellows, to take their fortune, as 
 we used to say, in the wide world. And, seeing the 
 candour of so many of my friends has made them think 
 they might not be unuseful, I must therefore expect that 
 they will, from the same principle, defend this publica- 
 tion of them, against the censures they may be supposed 
 to fall under, both from open enemies and pretended 
 friends. For, though it be a common and, as it were, 
 thread- bare argument, to plead importunity in this case ; 
 yet it is sufficiently known to several of you, that if it 
 had not been for this, the world had not been troubled 
 with any thing further of this kind from me. For as I 
 am sure no affectation to be more known or taken notice 
 of, has influenced me to present these discourses to public 
 
2 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 view ; so I do suppose it is not unknown to some of you, 
 that retirement from this noisy and vain world has ever 
 been the sum of my ambition, excepting when public 
 work and service has obliged me to shake off the beloved 
 fetters of so dear a confinement. 
 
 I shall not, therefore, say more as to the following 
 essays, than to tell you (what many of you know already) 
 that, as the first of the discourses that follow this pre- 
 fatory one gave rise to the publishing of the second, so 
 the second gave occasion to the printing of the third. 
 And, therefore, seeing the late opportunity of preaching, 
 when we entered into our new Meeting-place here in 
 London, Sept. 29, 1700, did induce some of you to de- 
 sire the publication also of that sermon I preached when 
 I entered upon the pastoral and ministerial work among 
 you, June 19, 1698, the same occasion has given birth 
 to the last additional discourse, which some remember I 
 made, when I was solemnly set apart to the ministerial 
 office, Feb. 9, 1687-8, which I have the rather consented 
 to print now, because it doth not only suit with the 
 second discourse, but because I remember several false or 
 at least imperfect copies were taken of it, when I did at 
 first deliver it. 
 
 And seeing the last discourse (which yet was the first 
 as to time) doth now appear in the view of the world, I 
 found myself in some sort obliged to interest all my 
 friends in this prefatory address : wherein I do particu- 
 larly include those of the English Church of Leyden, and 
 Scots Church in Rotterdam, to whom I stood related 
 successively as minister or pastor; whom I do the rather 
 mention here, that I may let them know how much they 
 are still upon my thoughts, though we are separated as 
 to place. 
 
 Rut seeing my work is more particularly appropriated to 
 you, whom I am more immediately concerned with and 
 related unto at present, I do therefore in a more special 
 
OF THE PAPACY* 
 
 3 • 
 
 manner address myself to you at this time. And I hope 
 ye will bear with me, if, from my sincere respect for your 
 welfare, I detain you awhile here, before ye enter upon 
 the perusal either of my apocalyptical thoughts follow™ 
 ing, or the other discourses, which I do present you with, 
 at your own desire. For, in case either of death, or being 
 otherwise rendered incapable to serve you, I am willing 
 to give a vent to my thoughts and affection at this 
 time ; that whatever comes of me, the following dis- 
 courses, together with this, may stand as a lasting witness 
 of my real concern for your souls’ welfare. 
 
 In the first place, therefore, I do declare, that though 
 I am not willing to state my sufferings upon little mat- 
 ters or modes of worship and expression ; yet I can sin- 
 cerely say, that should the Divine providence call me to 
 lay down my life for the truths themselves, whitih I have 
 preached among you, I hope I should be so far from 
 quarrelling with the procedure of God, this way, that I 
 should rejoice in such a martyrdom. And, as I hope I 
 have not contradicted in my life, what I have preached 
 in the pulpit, whatever my infirmities have been ; so, I 
 presume, it will not be looked upon as pride or vanity, if 
 I say with the great apostle (though, as to the last clause, 
 
 I dare not pretend to have been any pattern to you) ; 
 
 “ Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatso- 
 ever things are venerable, whatsoever things are just, 
 whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, 
 whatsoever things are of good report ; if there be any 
 virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 
 Those things which ye have both learned and received, 
 and heard and seen in me, do ; and the God of peace 
 shall be with you.” Phil. iv. 8, 9. 
 
 For, in the next place, I thank God, that he, who 
 knows the secrets of all hearts, doth testify together with 
 my conscience, that a sincere concern to be useful to our 
 common Christianity, was the thing that did, at first, 
 
 b 2 
 
4 
 
 THE RISE AND PALL 
 
 influence me to enter upon this great work of the minis- 
 try, and hath ever since engaged me, though under more 
 discouragements than most men, to continue in it. So 
 that it is matter of sweet reflection to me, that I never 
 gave any occasion to brand our holy profession with the 
 odious name of priestcraft, whatever any others have done. 
 For, as I have had no other ambition, than to engage 
 and draw men over to the great and catholic interests of 
 Christianity itself, in order to their becoming the follow- 
 ers and servants of our glorious God and blessed Saviour ; 
 so, I am sure I can confidently say, without any vanity 
 or affectation (for which I dare appeal not only to you, 
 but all others that have known me, ever since I began to 
 preach), that there is not one in the world, that ever had 
 just occasion so much as to think, that I did at any time 
 attempt fo bring any person over to my way, as a party. 
 And as thus I have been far from from seeking either 
 honour, interest, or popularity ; so there are not a few 
 that can bear me witness, that I have incurred the cen- 
 sures of some men of very different denominations, be- 
 cause I could never be induced to think that religion did 
 properly stand in the rituals of any of the contending 
 parties. 
 
 The differences, therefore, but especially the animosi- 
 ties, that are among Protestant Christians, have ever been 
 grievous and afflictive to me. And to heal these, I 
 could cheerfully be offered up a sacrifice, if I can be sup- 
 posed to be conscious of the sentiments and movements 
 of my own soul. For though we of this congregation 
 differ from all others that dissent from the episcopal 
 communion, in this, that we are in a peculiar sense upon 
 a national foundation — viz., in as far as we not only own 
 the same church government, but keep up the same way 
 that the Church of Scotland useth in her public admin- 
 istrations, to which most of us belong as natives, and all 
 of us as proselytes ; yet I must publicly own, that abstract- 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 5 
 
 ing from this, I am a dissenter from that party who 
 engross and monopolize the name of the Church of Eng- 
 land. For though I have ever looked upon other contro- 
 versies as more edifying and momentous, than those 
 unhappy ones that have kept that great body and ours 
 divided, yet I have so far considered them, as hitherto 
 to find no reason to quit that way T was educated in, 
 notwithstanding the specious reasons made use of, to pre- 
 judice people against us as schismatics, rather than to 
 convince us that we are so. 
 
 Therefore, in the third place, I cannot but own (with- 
 out any design to reflect upon them that differ from me 
 in such matters), that I look upon that way as nearest to 
 the Christian institution, that has the fewest, and most 
 natural and unaffected, and consequently most spiritual 
 rites and ceremonies, in the performance of gospel ordin- 
 ances. For, as a learned Conformist says* in a book 
 which he did afterwards indeed seem to differ from, but 
 never attempted to retract or refute, and, perhaps, was 
 never able to do, “ Certainly the primitive church, that 
 did not charge men with such a load of articles, as now 
 in these latter ages men are charged with, would much 
 less have burdened men with imposing doubtful practices 
 upon them as the ground of church communion. There 
 is nothing, then, that the primitive church deserves more 
 imitation in by us, than that admirable temper, moderation, 
 and condescension, which was used in it towards all the 
 members of it. It was never thought worth the while to 
 make any standing laws for rites and customs, that had 
 no other original than tradition, much less to suspend men 
 from her communion for not observing them.” And if 
 this was the practice of the primitive church, it was emi- 
 nently so in the apostolical age ; to whom, as acted by 
 the Holy Ghost, it seemed good to require nothing by 
 
 * Stilling. Iren, page 122, 68. 
 
6 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 way of imposition, but a few very necessary things — viz., 
 that Christians should abstain from idols, blood, things 
 strangled, and fornication. (Acts xv., 28, 29.) But alas ! 
 since that time it hath seemed good to men (but I am sure 
 not to the Holy Spirit), to impose a great many unneces- 
 sary things on the consciences of others, without any such 
 allowance as was given them, that every man should 
 be fully persuaded in his own mind, in what he did. 
 (Rom. xiv. 5.) For what regard have some men to this 
 apostolical rule, when their impositions are laid as stum- 
 bling-blocks in their brethren’s way, (Rom. xiv. 13, &c.,) 
 without any regard to the wounding of their weak con- 
 sciences, upon the supposition they are so? (1 Cor. viii. 
 12.) Is this to imitate the apostle’s tenderness, who re- 
 solved rather never to eat flesh, than to offend any weak 
 brother? (1 Cor. viii. 13.) Or, do men this way seek the 
 things of Jesus Christ, or their own private ends and 
 emoluments most? (Phil. ii. 21.) 
 
 Therefore, let men dispute about forms and ceremo- 
 nies, and their decency or necessity, as long as they please : 
 I must say, with a reverend conforming minister,* “ That 
 all the art and power of the world cannot make trifles in 
 the worship of God, seem matters of importance to them 
 that relish heaven. What trumpery are habits, various 
 gestures and postures, to a man that is swallowed up in 
 the contemplation of the infinite majesty of the glorious 
 God ? Or that is lost in the ravishing admiration of his 
 goodness and love? Or that is sunk into the lowest 
 abasements and self-abhorrence for his sins ? Such a soul 
 may be loaded with human inventions, but he can never 
 look upon them as ornaments or helps to devotion.” 
 
 Whatever then be the various ideas and theories of 
 what we call edification ; yet still, as none can dispute 
 
 * See P. M. in his “Vanity, Mischief, and Danger of Cere- 
 monies,” proposed to the Convocation, and printed a.d. 1690. 
 
OF THE PAPACY, 
 
 7 
 
 us out of what we receive most advantage from, as to our 
 bodies, so neither as to our sotils. For if no man can be 
 able to persuade me, that his constitution of body is such 
 a standard to mankind, that I and all others are obliged 
 to reckon that food most healthful for us, which the im~ 
 poser tells us is so to him, though, at the same time, we 
 experience it to be noxious or disagreeable to us. I 
 know no more reason, why any man should pretend a 
 power of imposing modes and forms on my conscience, 
 which I am dissatisfied with, from no other reason but 
 this, that they appear to be the most excellent or decent 
 to him. So that, as liberty is equally necessary in the 
 one case as in the other, unless we value the health of 
 our bodies above the peace of our consciences and security 
 of our souls ; so the contrary practice, w r hen force is used, 
 can admit of no softer term than that of anti-christian 
 tyranny. I cannot, therefore, but highly approve of what 
 I find in a book I have already mentioned.* “ What 
 possible reason can be given,” says the author, “ why such 
 things should not be sufficient for communion with a 
 church, which are sufficient for salvation ? And certainly 
 these things are sufficient for that, which are laid down 
 as the necessary duties of Christianity, by our Lord and 
 Saviour in his word.” 
 
 I mention these things, God is my witness, for no pri- 
 vate design, to uphold a party, or to serve the ends of it 
 as such, but to let those that are prejudiced against us, 
 know, that we are acted by religion as a principle, and 
 not as a notion only ; and that this is the reason of our dis- 
 sent from those that share the emoluments of the church 
 among them. Otherwise it were not probable that we 
 should unite, in acting contrary to our own interest, 
 merely from faction or humour, if we may presume to 
 know our own sentiments ; and I hope most, if not all of 
 
 * Stilling. Iren, preface, p. 8, 
 
8 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 us, durst not dissemble before the great God all our days, 
 in a matter of so great- importance as this is. So that the 
 dissenting of so many persons from the established church, 
 to their own hurt and disadvantage in the world, may be 
 looked upon as no contemptible argument by unbiassed 
 persons, that there are some men that are acted by reli- 
 gion as a principle, and that take up the ministry other- 
 wise than as a trade. 
 
 But I had this further design in touching upon our 
 unhappy differences ; that considering that they do only 
 concern the externals and circumstantials of religion, 
 both ye and all others that peruse these lines, and the 
 following discourses, may be taken off from that fury and 
 bigotry, by which so many seem to be possessed at this 
 day, and may learn to mind the great essentials of 
 Christianity more, acting conscientiously yourselves in 
 all things, and judging charitably of those that differ 
 from you, whether they do so of you or not. For what 
 I have said on this head, is not in the least designed to 
 reflect upon those that differ from us, among whom I 
 acknowledge there are many distinguishable, not only 
 for parts and learning, but for piety and moderation also, 
 upon which accounts I cannot but honour and love them, 
 though they should both despise and hate me. Nay, I 
 question not, but even many of the bigots for cathedral- 
 worship and its annexed hierarchy (who are for running 
 up these to as near a conformity to Rome as they can, 
 and yet stamp all with a confident pretending to a jus 
 divinum,) may act from conscience even in their uncha- 
 ritableness to them that conscientiously differ from them, 
 yea, in their hatred of them, and rage against them 
 where they have power. But then it must be remem- 
 bered, that as their zeal is not according to knowledge, 
 so they are of the same tribe with those of whom our 
 Saviour speaks when he tells us, that they would perse- 
 cute, yea, kill his servants, w^hen they had opportunity. 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 9 
 
 believing at the same time, that they did God most 
 acceptable service. But he immediately adds, “ And 
 these things will they do, because they have not known 
 the Father nor me.” (John xvi. 2. 3.) However, my 
 design is not to reflect even on them, but rather to pity 
 them, and wish them more knowledge, and a better 
 mind. 
 
 For as a contentious and especially a persecuting 
 temper was never from God, nor according to the rule 
 of the meek and holy Jesus, whose religion is first pure 
 and then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated 
 (James iii. 17, 18) ; so such a disposition was nevermore 
 unseasonable than at this time. For they must be unac- 
 countably unobservant of, and unconcerned with the pre- 
 sent state and posture of affairs in Europe, who see not in 
 what danger the Protestant interest is at present ; consi- 
 dering what it has lost already, and is in hazard of losing 
 further, together with the sad decay of true Christian 
 piety, as well as unity, among all sorts of persons. I could 
 therefore wish we might learn a little prudence, even from 
 our popish adversaries, that we might unite in love, and 
 in design to promote a general interest, though we at- 
 tain not to an exact uniformity in all things. For why 
 should not we join as one soul against that bloody and 
 idolatrous party, when we see them do so against us ? 
 though their various sects and orders, such as Franciscans 
 and Dominicans, Jesuits, and Jansenists, differ as much 
 from one another, both in their opinions and in their 
 form and habits (as they are regimented under their 
 several heads or generals, and as they live according to 
 vastly different laws and rules,) as we can possibly be 
 supposed to do. But, alas ! what moral prognostications 
 have we now, but such as seem to portend ruin and 
 misery to us ? when we see the differences of parties 
 grow up in a stated hatred, with a fixed design to ruin 
 one another, and consequently murder the reformed 
 
10 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 cause, which we are obliged not only upon religious 
 accounts to appear for, but even upon civil considerations, 
 seeing Popery is inconsistent with freedom and liberty, 
 than which nothing in this world ought to be so dear to 
 us. Can we have forgotten what barbarities that inhuman 
 party have committed in the world? “For, if we may 
 believe historians,” says a learned man* “ Pope Julius in 
 seven years, was the occasion of the slaughter of 200,000 
 Christians. The massacre in France cut off 100,000 in 
 three months. P. Perionius avers, that in the persecu- 
 tion of the Albigenses and Waldenses, 1,000,000 lost 
 their lives. From the beginning of the Jesuits, till 1580, 
 that is thirty or forty years, 900,000 perished, saith 
 Balduinus. The Duke of Alva, by the hangman, put 
 36,000 to death. Yergerius affirms that the Inquisition 
 in 30 years destroyed 1 50,000. To all this I may add 
 the Irish Rebellion, in which 300,000 were destroyed, 
 as the Lord Orery reports in a paper printed in the reign 
 of Charles II.” And how many have been destroyed in 
 the late persecutions in France and Piedmont, in the 
 Palatinate and Hungary, none, I believe, can fully reckon 
 up, besides those that are or have been in the gallies, 
 and that have fled. This is that idolatrous harlot, so 
 glutted with the blood of the saints, that a late author, 
 in his Treatise of Convocations, sets up as a pattern to 
 the Church of England ; and that another author, in his 
 book entitled, The Case of the Regale and Pontificate 
 (to the scandal of the Church of England, for whom they 
 pretend such a zeal), would so fain have us united unto, 
 and represents therefore in such favourable colours. But 
 I hope all true Protestants will easily see the snake in 
 the grass ; and, surely, when we are in hazard of being 
 betrayed within ourselves, we have sufficient reason to 
 
 * Dr. More in his Divine Dialogues, p. 161. See also his 
 Mystery of Iniquity, lib. 2, chap. 15, 16, &c. 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 11 
 
 awake out of our lethargic sleep, that we may do what 
 possibly we can to save the nations we belong to, from 
 approaching desolations : or if that cannot be, that we 
 may, at least, save our own souls in the day of the Lord. 
 For seeing we are like to feel the effects of the new 
 conjunction of France and Spain, the election of a young 
 politic Pope, and the apostacy of some Protestant princes 
 to the Romish interest (which, together with the impie- 
 ties and scepticism of a great many within ourselves, are, 
 I am sure, no good prognostics,) have we not just reason 
 to prepare for remarkable revolutions ? While, therefore, 
 I think of these things, I cannot forbear to give a vent 
 to my thoughts on the great and dark head of futurity, in 
 presenting you with some conjectures in relation to our 
 times, founded upon Scripture prophesy, as far as I 
 understand it. 
 
 Therefore, seeing this is the chief design of this dis- 
 course, which I have inscribed to you, I hope ye will 
 bear with me in giving you some brief account of the 
 times we are fallen in, and what we may expect if we 
 live much longer. Which I am the rather induced to 
 do, because we are just now entering upon a new age, 
 from which we look back upon seventeen centuries, which 
 have elapsed since our blessed Redeemer came into the 
 world, and may therefore be allowed to conjecture with 
 some just ground perhaps of probability (for 1 do indus- 
 triously avoid the fatal rock of positiveness, which* so 
 many apocalyptical men have suffered themselves to 
 split upon) what part of the revelation remains yet to be 
 accomplished. 
 
 But since I am to confine myself to a little compass 
 here, as remembering I am writing no book properly, but 
 an epistolary discourse, prefatory to those that follow, 
 with which therefore it must keep some proportion, I 
 shall content myself in giving you a few hints towards 
 the resolution and improvement of that grand apocalyp- 
 
12 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 tical question, When the reign of Antichristianism or 
 the Papacy began ? 
 
 There are two things, therefore, which lie before me to 
 be considered at this time. 
 
 I. I must fulfil my promise in giving you a new reso- 
 lution of the grand apocalyptical question concerning the 
 rise of the great Antichrist or Rome Papal. For when 
 we have done this, and fixed this era, or epocha, we may 
 by an easy consequence, see the time of the final fall and 
 destruction of this dreadful enemy. 
 
 II. I must in the next place improve the resolution 
 of this question, both theoretically, as a key to unriddle 
 the dark apocalyptical times and periods ; and practically, 
 in order both to the regulation of your thoughts and the 
 government of your lives, in some very weighty consi- 
 derations deducible from thence. 
 
 The first thing, therefore, which I have to do, is to 
 attempt the resolution of the principal apocalyptical ques- 
 tion concerning the rise of Antichristianism. 
 
 Now in order to answer this distinctly (which hath 
 exercised and wearied out all apocalyptical writers hitherto) 
 there are some things I would premise as so many post- 
 ulata, which generally all are agreed in, and which Mr. 
 Mede, Dr. More, Mr. Durham, and Dr. Cressener, have 
 irrefragably proved. 1. That the revelation contains * 
 the series of all the remarkable events and changes of the 
 state of the Christian church to the end of the world. 
 
 2. That f mystical Babylon, or the great whore described 
 there, doth signify, Rome in an anti-christian church state. 
 
 3. That therefore this cannot be Rome pagan properly, 
 but Rome papal. 4. That the J seven heads of the beast, 
 or the seven kings, are the seven forms of government, 
 which obtained successively among the Romans : and 
 
 * Rev. iv. 1 and x. 5, 6, 7. f Rev. xvii. 1, 5, 18. 
 
 % Rev. xvii. 10, 11. 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 13 
 
 seeing the * sixth of these was that which was only in 
 being in J ohn’s time (the former five having fallen before) : 
 that therefore consequently the seventh head, which 
 under another consideration is called the eighth, (the 
 intervenient kingdom of the Ostro- Goths being the seventh 
 in number, though not properly Roman, and therefore, 
 in that sense, none of the heads of the Roman govern- 
 ment) is the last species of government, and that which 
 is called most peculiarly, and by a speciality the Beast, 
 or Antichrist. 
 
 These postulata being supposed as certain (which I 
 would reckon no difficult thing to prove, were it needful), 
 I must in the next place, premise two preliminary consi- 
 derations, before I come directly to answer the question 
 itself. 
 
 The first is this : that the three grand Apocalyptical 
 numbers of 1260 days, forty-two months, and time, 
 times and a half, are not only synchronical, but must 
 be interpreted prophetically, so as years must be under- 
 stood by days. 
 
 That these three numbers are synchronical, will appear 
 plain to any impartial considerer, that will be at pains 
 to compare them, as we have them set down in this book 
 of the Revelation — viz., the 1260 days, chap. xi. 3, and 
 chap. xii. 6 ; the forty-two months, chap. xii. 2, and 
 chap. xiii. 5 ; and the time, times, and a half, chap. xii. 14. 
 For it is clear, that the Gentiles treading down the 
 holy city forty-two months, chap. xii. 2, is the cause of 
 the witnesses prophesying for 1260 days in sackcloth, 
 3. And is the woman or church’s being in the 
 
 ver. 
 
 wilderness for the same term of days, chap. xii. 6, any 
 other than a new representation of the witnesses’ prophe- 
 sying in sackcloth ? Seeing this must be while the 
 Beast is worshipped and served by the whole Roman 
 
 * Rev. xvii. 10, 1]. 
 
14 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 world, during men’s lunacy of forty-two months’ continu- 
 ance, chap. xiii. 5. And therefore seeing the woman is 
 said to be in the wilderness -state of desolation and perse- 
 cution for a time, and times, and half a time, in order 
 thus to be preserved from the Beast and Serpent, as we 
 see chap. xii. 14. It is likewise plain that this number 
 of three years and a half must be the very same with the 
 two former numbers. Only it is to he observed by the 
 way, that this period of time, when it is mentioned in 
 relation to the church, is spoken of with respect to the 
 sun, either as to his diurnal or annual rotation ; whereas 
 when it is described in relation to the Beast’s unstable 
 kingdom of night and darkness, it is made mention of 
 with respect to the inconstant luminary, which changes 
 its face continually, while it makes our months ; and 
 hence it is that the church is represented, chap. xii. 1. 
 under the emblem of a woman clothed with the sun, and 
 the moon under her feet. 
 
 Now, as these numbers are synchronieal, and the same, 
 so it is easy to prove that they must be understood pro- 
 phetically for years. I shall not insist here upon the 
 conjecture of * a learned man, that there was no diurnal 
 rotation of the earth before the fall, and consequently no 
 days of twenty -four hours, but only an annual rotation 
 of this our planetary world : which he gives us as the 
 original reason of the Scripture’s putting days for years 
 frequently. For whatsoever be in this, it is plain that 
 the Scripture speaks thus in several places ; by putting a 
 lesser number figuratively for a greater, as well as a 
 definite one for an indefinite. Witness the appointment 
 of the week of years, Exod. xxxiii. 10, 11. which is 
 spoken of as if it were a week of days, ver. 12, the 
 seventh year of which is therefore called Sabbatical, 
 with respect to the seventh day, Sabbath. In the same 
 
 * Whiston’s Theory of the Earth, p. S, 79, 81. See Hypoth. 3. 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 15 
 
 way of speaking, Ezekiel was commanded to lie 390 
 days on his left side, and forty on his right, each day 
 for a year, as God himself says, chap. iv. 5, 6. So 
 likewise, God punished the murmuring Israelites with 
 forty years’ abode in the wilderness, with relation to the 
 forty days that were spent in searching of the land of 
 Canaan. (Numb. xiv. 32.) The seven years of Nebuchad- 
 nezzar’s lycanthropy, is thus called indefinitely, days or 
 times. (Dan. iv. 32, 34.) Nay, our Saviour himself 
 speaks in this dialect, when he calls the years of his 
 ministry days, saying, “ I do cures to day, and to-morrow, 
 and the third day I shall be perfected.” (Luke xiii. 32.) 
 But the most remarkable place to our purpose is the 
 famous prophesy of Daniel’s seventy weeks, or 490 days, 
 chap, ix. 24. reaching down from the edict of Artaxerxes 
 Longimanus, in his twentieth year, (Neh. ii. 1 — 10,) to 
 our Saviour’s suffering at Jerusalem ; which was exactly 
 490 prophetical years, not Julian ones. The not distin- 
 guishing of which, has hitherto confounded all interpre- 
 ters, as I might show at large, were this a proper place 
 for it. But what the difference between these is, we 
 shall quickly see. 
 
 In the mean time, I am now to prove that the 1260 
 days are to be understood, in a prophetical sense, for 
 years ; for, if I can prove this, it will necessarily follow, 
 that the other numbers must be so interpreted also, since 
 they are the same with this. Now, that the 1260 days 
 cannot be taken literally, but prophetically, will appear 
 from hence : That it is impossible to conceive how so 
 many great and wonderful actions, which are prophesied 
 to fall out in that short time, could happen during the 
 space of three solar years and a half ; such as, the obtain- 
 ing power over all kindreds, tongues, and nations — the 
 world’s wondering at, and submitting unto the beast’s 
 reign — and the setting up an image to the imperial head, 
 and causing it to be worshipped instead of the living 
 
16 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 emperors, &c. And besides these things, seeing the 
 1260 days are the whole time of the papal authority, 
 which is not to be totally destroyed until the great and 
 remarkable appearance of Christ, upon the pouring out 
 of the seventh vial f and that therefore Christ will have 
 the honour of destroying him finally himself (though this 
 iniquity began to work even in the apostolical times) : 
 therefore we may certainly conclude that it must take 
 some centuries of years to carry on this abomination that 
 maketh desolate. For though the Lord will gradually 
 consume or waste this great adversary by the spirit of 
 his mouth, yet he will not sooner abolish him than by the 
 appearing of his own presence. (2 Thes. ii. 8.) As * I 
 choose both to render and understand the words. 
 
 The second preliminary consideration is, That, in 
 order to understand the prophetical years aright, we 
 
 * The learned Dr. Whitby, in his late Paraphrase and Com- 
 mentary upon the Epistles, does indeed advance a new notion on 
 this verse and chapter — viz. that the Jewish sanhedrim, govern- 
 ment and nation, is primarily and chiefly understood here by the 
 apostle, as the Man of Sin and Antichrist, both upon the account 
 of their opposing themselves to Christ and persecuting of his fol- 
 lowers, and upon the account also of their rebelling against the 
 Romans. And he has said so much for the proof of this, that it 
 may be thought to contain a refutation of my interpretation of the 
 place. But even upon the supposition that all the Dr. says for his 
 opinion should be true ; yet it will be found no way to invalidate 
 what I advance here. For all that are acquainted with the Jewish 
 and Apostolical writings, know, that besides a first sense to be ob- 
 served in prophecies there is a second and remoter one more tacitly 
 insinuated frequently as the principal design of the Spirit of God. 
 I might show this in innumerable instances, especially in the 
 ancient prophecies that relate to David, or some other person, in 
 the first sense, or typical one, but in the Messiah ultimately and 
 completely. But I shall not insist upon any thing of this kind 
 now, seeing so many have done it already : and there is no need to 
 do it here, seeing Dr. Whitby himself doth grant all I desire, when 
 he says in his preface to this epistle, page 383, “But that I may 
 not wholly differ from my brethren in this matter, 1 grant these 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 17 
 
 must reduce them to Julian years, or such as are in use 
 with us now in Europe. 
 
 This is no idle or chimerical inquiry ; seeing the ig- 
 norance of this has misled all our great apocalyptical 
 men hitherto in their calculations, and yet unless we are 
 able to adjust the difference between prophetical and 
 Julian years, we must still reckon at a venture, without 
 any certainty of the truth and exactness of our arithmetic. 
 Therefore, that we may understand this difference, we 
 are to remember, that the ancients were far more rude 
 and indistinct in their calculation of time than we have 
 been since ; and indeed, such is their confusion this 
 way, that we are obliged to God’s providence in giving 
 us the exact compass of a prophetical year, even in this 
 book, by fixing the synchronism of the three numbers 
 above-mentioned. For by these it is determined, that 
 thirty days make a month, and twelve of such months, 
 a year. So that 1260 days being divided into three years 
 and a half (or time, and times, and a half, in the apo- 
 calyptical dialect), 360 days must make up a year, with- 
 out the additional five days and odd hours and minutes, 
 that are added in the calculation of the Julian year. For 
 the Julian (and Gregorian) months consisting, some of 
 thirty, and some of thirty-one days, (excepting February 
 only) and the years consequently of 365 days, there 
 must needs be some considerable difference in the revolu- 
 tion of many centuries ; which difference appears still 
 greater if we consult the curious astronomical calculations 
 
 words may, in a secondary sense (in which expression I only differ 
 from the Dr. seeing I look upon it to be the principal sense, because 
 it is the second), be attributed to the Papal Antichrist, or Man of 
 Sin, and may be signally fulfilled in him, in the destruction of him 
 by the Spirit of Christ’s mouth, he being the successor to the apos- 
 tate Jewish church, to whom these characters agree, as well as to 
 her, and, therefore, in the Annotations I have still given a place to 
 this interpretation also.” 
 
 C 
 
18 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 of Petavius, Tycho. Kepler, and others. But since their 
 exactness hath only added five hours to every year (to- 
 gether with some minutes, firsts, seconds, &c. comminibus 
 annis , which they themselves are not fully agreed in) I 
 shall not be so nice upon this point, as to follow them 
 exactly in all their criticisms this way. However, since 
 five minutes additional to a year, arise to an entire day 
 in the revolution of 163 years, it ought not to be alto- 
 gether neglected. But passing even these, and consider- 
 ing only the five days that are added to the 360, in our 
 ordinary years, we will find that the 1260 days in the 
 Revelation being reduced to years, are eighteen years 
 short of Julian years, in the prophetical reckoning, by 
 reason of the additional days turned into years in the 
 ordinary accounts now, above the apocalyptical reckoning. 
 To demonstrate which, I present you with the following 
 scheme : — 
 
 One . . . 
 
 Two . . . 
 
 Three . . 
 
 Half . . . 
 
 Three years 
 and a half 
 
 The Prophetical Year. 
 
 . . 360 
 
 360 
 
 . . 720 
 . . 1080 
 . . 180 . 
 
 1260 
 
 The Julian Year. 
 
 . 365 
 . 365 
 . 730 
 . 1095 
 . 183 
 
 . 1278 
 
 Now if, according to this computation, we subtract 1260 
 apocalyptical years from 1278 Julian or Gregorian ones, 
 (I call them so, ore rotundo , overlooking the smaller 
 measures of time,) there remain eighteen years to be cut 
 off. 
 
 To apply this therefore to our design : If we may 
 suppose that Antichrist began his reign in the year 606, 
 the additional 1260 years of his duration, were they 
 Julian or ordinary years, would lead us down to the year 
 1866, as the last period of the seven-headed monster. 
 But seeing they are prophetical years only, we must cast 
 away eighteen years, in order to bring them to the exact 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 19 
 
 measure of time which the Spirit of God designs in this 
 book. And thus, the final period of papal usurpations 
 (supposing that he did indeed rise in the year 606) must 
 conclude with the year 1848. 
 
 And now that I have hinted at the time of Antichrist’s 
 rise, as the conclusion of the preliminary considerations, I 
 must proceed to prove this to be, in one sense, the true era 
 of the papal beast’s reign. And here it is, that I find 
 myself extremely straitened, in discoursing of so great a 
 subject in so narrow a compass. All, therefore, that I can 
 say here, will amount to a few short hints only, though 
 perhaps no inconsiderable ones. 
 
 Seeing therefore, as I said before, in the 4th postula- 
 tum, it is plain from Rev. xvii. 10, that the imperial 
 government was the regnant head of the Roman beast, 
 at the time of the vision ; we have only the two follow- 
 ing heads to consider, as to their rise and duration. Let 
 these things, therefore, be minded here. 
 
 1. That the seventh head, or king of Rome, (as I 
 hinted before,) whose character is, that he was immedi- 
 ately to succeed to the imperial government, and to con- 
 tinue but a short space (Rev. xvii. 10) — that, I say, this 
 government could be no other than that of the kingdom 
 of the Ostro- Goths in Italy. 
 
 For it is plain that the imperial dignity was extin- 
 guished in Italy, and in the western parts of the empire, by 
 Odoacer, the king of the Heruli, who forced Augustulus, 
 the last sprig of an emperor, to abdicate his throne and 
 power in the year 475, or 476, as others say. And 
 though this Odoacer was soon destroyed by Theodoric, 
 the king of the Ostro- Goths ; yet the same form of regal 
 government was continued by Theodoric and his success- 
 ors. And though this kingdom continued for nearly 
 eighty years, reckoning from Odoacer to Teias, yet the 
 angel might justly call this a short time : for so it was, if 
 compared either with the preceding imperial or succeed- 
 
 c 2 
 
20 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 ing papal government. Which suggests a very strong 
 argument against some who would make this seventh 
 king denote the Oriental empire, which, as it began long 
 before this time, so lasted many centuries afterwards, and 
 was not totally extinct till Mahomet the Great’s time, in 
 the year 1453. And surely this kingdom was sufficient 
 to constitute a new head of the Roman people, seeing 
 Rome and Italy was subjected entirely to those Gothish 
 kings, and that they not only acted with the same au- 
 thority that the emperors had used before (excepting that 
 they abstained from that title by a special providence, that 
 they might not he confounded with that government), 
 hut were owned by the senate and people of Rome as 
 their superiors, yea, by the emperors of the East also ; 
 as might easily be proved from * historians, particularly 
 Cassiodorus,j‘ who was chief minister of state to two of 
 those kings. 
 
 Whence it doth plainly appear, that this kingdom of 
 the Ostro- Goths, was the seventh head, that was to con- 
 tinue a short time ; and that therefore, it follows — 1 . That 
 the change wrought by Constantine the Great, both as 
 to the seat and religion of the empire, could not be looked 
 upon as a new head, seeing the old government in all 
 other respects was continued. And, 2. Neither can any 
 person justly suppose that the form of the government 
 was altered, when the empire was divided into the East 
 and West, seeing in all other respects also, the imperial 
 authority and rule was preserved. Therefore, 3. It follows 
 also, that the papal government was not regnant until 
 the destruction of this Gothish kingdom in Italy, for there 
 could not be two supreme heads 6f Rome at the same 
 time. 
 
 * See Baron, ad Ann. 472, 475, &c. Petav. Ration. Temp. 
 Lib. 7. cap. 5. Bellarm. de Translat. Imp. Rom. Lib. 1. cap. 9, &c. 
 
 f In Lib. Variarum. Lib. 1. Ep. 23, 31, &c. Lib. 4. Ep. 45. 
 &c. Lib. 3. Ep. 16, 18. Lib. 8. Ep. 2, 3, 4, &c. 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 21 
 
 Therefore, 2. We may conclude that the last head of 
 the beast, which is the papal, did arise either immedi- 
 ately upon the extirpation of the Gothish kingdom, or 
 some time after ; but it could not rise to its power im- 
 mediately after, seeing Justinian did by the conquest of 
 Italy revive the imperial government again there, which 
 by that means was healed after the deadly wound which 
 the Heruli and the Goths had given it. Though, I con- 
 fess, Justinian’s conquests of Italy laid a foundation for 
 the Pope’s rise ; and paved the way for his advancement, 
 both by the penal and sanguinary laws which he made 
 against all those that dissented from the Romish church, 
 and by the confusions that followed upon Narsus, his 
 bringing in the Lombards. For, during the struggles 
 of them and the Exarchat, the Pope played his game so, 
 that the emperor Phocas found it his interest to engage 
 him to his party, by giving him the title of supreme and 
 universal bishop. 
 
 Therefore we may justly reckon that the papal head 
 took its first rise from that remarkable year 606 ; when 
 Phocas did, in a manner, devolve the government of the 
 West upon him, by giving him the title of universal 
 bishop. From which period, if we date the 1260 years, 
 they lead us down (as I said already) to the year 1866, 
 which is 1 848, according to prophetical calculation. Or, 
 if a bare title of this sort be not thought sufficient to con- 
 stitute the Pope head of the Beast, we may reckon this 
 two years later, viz., from the year 608, when Boniface 
 the 4th did first publicly authorize idolatry, by dedicating 
 the Pantheon to the worship of the Virgin Mary and all 
 the Saints. 
 
 Now it is very remarkable, that in the year 666, Pope 
 Vitalian did first ordain that all public worship should be 
 in Latin ; and therefore, however the notion of Irenseus * 
 
 * Iran, adv. Hseret. Lib. 5. cap. 30. 
 
22 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 lias been of late ridiculed, who observed that the charac- 
 teristical number of the beast, viz., 666, answering to the 
 number of a man’s name, was to be found in the word 
 Aarsivog, from whence he concluded that he was to be a 
 Roman, I cannot but think that there is something re- 
 markable in this, (even though the numerical letters of 
 other words should jump with this number also,) not so 
 much because of the antiquity of the notion, as upon the 
 account of the reason he suggests to us for this, when he 
 says, that though he grants that other names (as that of 
 svavQag) may be so rendered, yet he fixed upon this, be- 
 cause the * Latin monarchy is the last of all, and there- 
 
 * It ought to be observed here, that not only the Greek word, 
 but even the Hebrew contains the number 666 in the numerical 
 letters thereof ; whether we make use of TT^T”! Romana scil. Se- 
 des, or Romanus vel. Latinus . As will appear from the 
 
 following scheme. 
 
 200 ! 
 
 1 
 
 200 
 
 A 
 
 50 
 
 6 
 
 73 
 
 40 
 
 a 
 
 1 
 
 40 
 
 ? 
 
 70 
 
 7 
 
 300 
 
 10 
 
 D 
 
 50 
 
 £ 
 
 5 
 
 10 
 
 
 6 
 
 / 
 
 10 
 
 400 
 
 V 
 
 300 
 
 V 
 
 50 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 0 
 
 70 
 
 666 
 
 
 666 
 
 £ 
 
 200 
 
 666 
 
 And whereas Bellarmin objects, that Latinus should be rendered 
 by a single Iota , and not by ei — he is exceedingly mistaken : for 
 not only Irenseus renders the word thus, but all the Greeks do the 
 same, as is plain in innumerable instances, such as in the names 
 Avroveivog, Hatnvog, which the Romans pronounce Antoninus , 
 Sabinus . Nay, the ancient Romans spake the same way as, the 
 Greeks, as is plain in Plautus and the Fragments of Ennius , with 
 whom, nothing is more common than queis for quis, preimus for 
 primus , capteivei for capivi , lateinei for latini, fyc. 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 23 
 
 fore the beast must relate to this or none. Wherein I 
 suppose, he alludes to Daniel’s account of the four mon- 
 archies, (chap. ii. 7.) And indeed, the little horn that 
 arose out of the head of the fourth beast, (chap. vii. 8,) 
 seems not unfitly to represent, not only Antiochus Epi- 
 phanes, but the papal Antichrist, whose type he may 
 therefore be supposed to be. For, as he supplanted three 
 kings, in allusion to which, that little horn is said to 
 have plucked up three horns before it by the roots : so 
 did the papal government rise also upon the ruins of the 
 Exarchat, the Lombards, and the authority of the em- 
 perors in Italy. 
 
 I believe this account of Antichrist’s rise will not be 
 very acceptable to some, whose zeal for the pope’s 
 downfal has made them entertain hope of living to see 
 that remarkable time ; which has made them invent 
 plausible schemes to prove that this great enemy was 
 seated in his regal dignity long before the year 606. 
 But if a man will trace truth impartially, he will have 
 reason to think, that the rise of this adversary could not 
 be before that time. Nay, I must tell you, that I do 
 not reckon the full rise of the pope to the headship of 
 the empire till a later date still. For though the pope 
 got the title of universal bishop at that time, yet he was 
 afterwards, for a long time, subject, in temporal con- 
 cerns, to the emperors. And, therefore, I cannot reckon 
 him to have been, in a proper and full sense, head of 
 Rome, until he was so in a secular, as well as eccle- 
 siastical sense. And this was not until the days of 
 Pepin, by whose consent he was made a secular prince, 
 and a great part of Italy given to him as Peter’s patri- 
 mony. So that as Boniface the third (and his successors), 
 by assuming the title of universal bishop, was the fore- 
 runner of Antichrist, as Gregory the great prophesied 
 he would be, who should be known in the world by that 
 proud title: So, likewise, we may conclude that Anti- 
 
24 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 christ was indeed come, when Paul the first became a 
 temporal prince also. Phocas, therefore, did only pro- 
 claim the pope to be the last head of Rome, in the 
 apocalyptical sense ; but it was Pepin who gave him 
 the solemn investiture, and seated him on his throne, 
 which Charlemagne did afterwards confirm to him. 
 
 Now, as near as I can trace the time of this donation 
 of Pepin, it was in or about the year 758, about the 
 time that Pope Paul the first began to build the church 
 of St. Peter and St. Paul. Now, if we make this the 
 era of the Papal kingdom, the 1 260 years will not run out 
 before the year 2018, according to the computation of 
 Julian years ; but, reducing these to prophetical ones, 
 the expiration of the papal kingdom ends exactly in the 
 year 2000, according to our vulgar reckoning. And if 
 what I suggested above be true, that Antichrist shall 
 not be finally destroyed until the coming of Christ, then 
 may this calculation be looked upon to be very consi- 
 derable. For it has been a very ancient opinion, that 
 the world would last only six thousand years ; that, 
 according to the old traditional prophecy of the . house 
 of Elias, the world should stand as many millenaries as 
 it was made in days ; and that, therefore, as there were 
 two thousand years from the creation to Abraham, with- 
 out a written directory of religion, and two thousand 
 from thence to Christ, under the old economy of the 
 law, so there would be two thousand years more under 
 the Messiah. So that after the militant state of the 
 Christian church is run out, in the year 2000, it is to 
 enter upon that glorious sabbatical millenary, when the 
 saints shall reign on the earth, in a peaceable manner, 
 for a thousand years more. After the expiration of 
 which, Satan shall be let loose to play a new game, and 
 men shall begin to apostatize almost universally from 
 the truth, gathering themselves together, under the 
 character of Gog and Magog, from the four corners or 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 25 
 
 parts of the world, until they have reduced the church 
 to a small compass. But when they have brought the 
 saints to the last extremity, Christ himself will appear 
 in his glory, and destroy his enemies with fire from 
 heaven (Rev. xx. 9) ; which denotes the great conflagra- 
 tion (2 Pet. iii. 10, &c.); which is followed with the 
 resurrection, and Christ’s calling men before him into 
 judgment. And, perhaps, the time of this judgment 
 will take up the greatest part or the whole of another 
 millenary of years ; that, as there were four thousand 
 years from the creation to his first coming, there may 
 be four from thence to his triumphant entry into heaven 
 with all his saints. For though the Scripture call this 
 time a day, yet we know what Peter says, that a thou- 
 sand years and a day are the same thing in Divine 
 reckoning (2 Pet. iii. 8). But that all men that ever 
 lived should be publicly judged in a day, or year, or 
 century, so as to have all their life and actions tried and 
 searched into, is to me, I confess, inconceivable, not 
 indeed in relation to God, but in relation to men and 
 angels, who must be convinced of the equity of the pro- 
 cedure and sentence of the Judge. 
 
 But to return, I cannot forbear to take notice of one 
 thing here, that the year 758 was the year 666 from the 
 persecution of Domitian, when J ohn was in Patmos, and 
 wrote this book (as Tertullian, Irenaeus, Origen, Euse- 
 bius, Jerom, and all the ancients, excepting Epiphanius, 
 tell us, which, though some say was A. c. 95, was most 
 probably in or about the year 92, the persecution of 
 Domitian having begun two years before. So that here 
 we have another characteristic mark of the number of 
 the beast. 
 
 And now, I hope, I have said enough of the future 
 part of time, as to the general idea which, I think, 
 the Revelation gives of it. But I must proceed one step 
 further with you, and consider under what revolution of 
 
26 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 time we are at present ; that we may thence see what 
 we are to expect, and how we are to act. 
 
 So that here I find myself insensibly taken off from 
 any further direct prosecution of the question proposed 
 by way of answer thereunto. And, 
 
 Therefore, II. I proceed to improve what I have said 
 as to this question, both theoretically and practically. 
 
 And, 1st, I shall advance something here, as a theo- 
 retical improvement of what I have said upon the former 
 head. For by this key, we may attain, in a great mea- 
 sure, to unlock the dark apocalyptical periods and times : 
 those, I mean, that relate to the continuance of the Papal 
 power, both as to his gradual growth and increase first, 
 and his decay afterwards, until his last and final de- 
 struction. And, in relation to these, the far greatest 
 part of the Apocalypse must be understood. 
 
 Now, in order to this performance, I must premise this 
 one thing : viz., that the^ seven seals, trumpets, and vials 
 (in which is contained the order and series of the whole 
 apocalyptical prophecy, and to the explication and illus- 
 tration of which, all the other particular visions are sub- 
 servient) ; that, 1 say, these are joined together by the link 
 of the seventh seal, and seventh trumpet ; so as the seventh 
 sealpoth, as it were, produce or include the seven trumpets, 
 and the seventh trumpet the seven vials, in the same manner. 
 
 This I should reckon no difficult thing to demonstrate, 
 but that it would be too long to insist upon it in this 
 place. And seeing Mr. Durham has done it, in a great 
 measure, already, I pass it now the more easily. Only 
 let me desire you to consider, that it was not until after 
 the opening of the seventh seal, that John saw the 
 angels with the seven trumpets (chap. viii. 1, 2). And 
 that it was after the sounding of the seventh trumpet 
 also that he tells us, he saw aXXo Gr^ziov [nya xou 
 another sign, great and wonderful (chap. xv. 1), 
 which was the vision of the vials. So that I wonder 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 27 
 
 that Mr. Mede, Dr. More, and almost all others, have 
 suffered themselves to be confounded in their interpre- 
 tations, by reason of their not observing this, and, con- 
 sequently, by jumbling some of the trumpets with the 
 seals, and most of the vials with the trumpets. 
 
 Now, this being supposed, we will find the series of 
 time run in the following order, according to this three- 
 fold septenary of periods, which do insensibly run out 
 one into the other. 
 
 The first septenary of seals relates to the Christian 
 church, during the state of the Roman empire. And 
 these do accordingly run in this order. 
 
 The first seal exhibits the state of the church, under 
 the conduct of a glorious Rider on a white horse, having 
 a bow in his hand, and a crown given unto him, who 
 went out conquering and to conquer (chap. vi.2). Under 
 which emblem Christ himself is represented, going forth 
 upon his conquests over Jews and Gentiles. And, as 
 this relates to Christ’s first victory over his enemies, after 
 his commission to his disciples, to preach the gospel to 
 all nations (Matt, xxviii. 18 — 20), and the pouring down 
 of his Spirit for this end, on the day of Pentecost 
 (Acts ii.) ; so the full completion of it is not till the end 
 of time. For after all other horsemen and enemies of 
 the church have done their utmost against Christ and 
 his people, we find this Horseman leading them all in 
 triumph as his captives, and proceeding in his conquests 
 to make a full and final end of them. For which see 
 chap. xix. 11, 12, &c. So that this seal begins with 
 a. D. 33 or 34, and does not end till the end of time, as 
 to its full completion. But if we reckon it only in 
 relation to the beginning of the next seal (Christ’s con- 
 quests being darkened, as to the outward view of men, 
 by what follows), we shall see that immediately. 
 
 The second seal (chap. vi. 3, 4), under the emblem of 
 a rider upon a red horse (who had a great sword given 
 
28 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 him, in order to take peace from the earth, and to en- 
 gage men in wars), represents the state of the empire 
 from the time that Nero made war on the Jews,A.D. 66 ; 
 and so contains the civil wars of Galba, Otho, and 
 Vitellius, when men did so remarkably kill one another ; 
 and the wars of Vespasian and Titus against the Jews, 
 completed afterwards by the terrible destruction of that 
 nation under Hadrian ; together with his other wars, 
 and the preceding persecutions of Domitian and Trajan, 
 and the conquests of this last prince. So that, as this 
 begins with a. d. 66, it ends with Hadrian’s wars in 134, 
 or with his life, 138. 
 
 The third seal (chap. vi. 5, 6) begins, therefore, with 
 A. D. 138 ; where, under the hieroglyphic of a rider on a 
 black horse, with a pair of balances in his hand, to weigh 
 and measure all things exactly, is set forth the excellent 
 reigns of the admirable Antonines, Pius and Philosophus. 
 And, therefore, this seal runs out in the year 180. 
 
 The fourth seal (chap. vi. 7, 8) represents the Roman 
 horse turned pale, and the rider changed from a grave 
 and awful judge to a murderer, so as to be called Death, 
 by reason of his throwing so many into Hades, or the 
 future state, by immature deaths. Where we have a 
 very remarkable account of the state of the Roman 
 empire, after the decease of the brave Antoninus Philo- 
 sophus, under the barbarities of Commodus, the short- 
 lived reigns of Pertinax and Didius Julianus, but espe- 
 cially under the severe and bloody Septimus Sever us, 
 in his wars against Perscennius Nigerius, Albinus, and 
 others, and under his son Caracalla; and, afterwards, 
 under Macrinus, Heliogabulus (the reign of the excel- 
 lent Alexander Severus being but a short breathing to 
 the empire and the Christians), Maximinus, and his son 
 Pupienus, Balbinus and Gordianus, and Philippus and 
 his son ; with whose death, I think, this seal runs out, 
 in the year 250. And with the death of these Philippi, 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 29 
 
 who favoured Christianity, the four Evangelical living 
 Creatures (which our translation renders Beasts, most 
 unaccountably) cease to speak openly. 
 
 The fifth seal, therefore, discovers the state of the 
 Christian church to be exceedingly languishing and 
 melancholy, as if the saints were all slain, praying and 
 crying for vengeance against their persecutors, while they 
 are represented as lying under the altar, (chap. vi. 9, 1 O, 
 11.) So that this period begins with Decius, the first 
 universal persecutor of Christians (for all the former per- 
 secutions under Nero, Domitian, Trajan, and the Anto- 
 nines, were but provincial ones, and that of Maximinus 
 against the ministers only), who began his reign and 
 persecution together in the year 250, and was seconded 
 in it by Valerian (for the short reigns of Trebonianus, 
 Gallus, and iEmilianus, hardly deserve to be taken notice 
 of in this case). Now, the souls of the martyrs are desired 
 to rest patiently, until the confused reign of Galienus 
 should run out, and the thirty tyrants that rose in his 
 time should be cut off, together with the short-lived 
 Claudius Gothicus ; seeing, after that little interval, their 
 brethren were also to suffer still further under Rome 
 pagan — viz., under Aurelian, and afterwards (when the 
 short reigns of Tacitus, Probus, Carus, and Carinus 
 should be over,) under the cruel persecution raised against 
 them by Dioclesian and Maximianus, elder and younger, 
 together with Severus and Maximinus. So that this 
 seal ends with the conclusion of this last persecution 
 begun by Dioclesian, and so expires, a.d. 306. 
 
 The sixth seal, (chap. vi. 12, — 17,) gives us an account 
 of God’s gracious answer, at length, to the prayer of the 
 slain witnesses, in the destruction of Roman pagan, after 
 their cup was made full by the last cruel persecution ; and 
 this is described, as if heaven and earth were come to an 
 end. For so the prophets use to represent the ruin of 
 kingdoms and monarchies, as we see among other places, 
 
30 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 (Jer. iv. 24 ; Isa. xiii. 10, and xxiv. 21, 23 ; Joel ii. 10.) 
 So that this seal contains the great and terrible wars of 
 Constantine the Great, against all those last tyrants, 
 from the year 306, to the death of the last pagan 
 emperor, Licinius, a.d. 324. 
 
 The seventh seal, therefore (chap. viii. 1), represents 
 the short breathing of the church, and peace of the 
 Christians under Constantine, from the year 313, when 
 he first published an edict in their favour ; and particu- 
 larly from the death of Licinius, a.d. 324, to his own 
 decease, in the year 337, immediately upon which the 
 scene alters : And then begins 
 
 The second septenary of trumpets, which gives us an 
 account of the state of the church, in relation to the 
 gradual growth and increase of her antichristian enemies, 
 though in a way, also, of judgment upon them : -which 
 I represent to you in the following series and order. 
 
 The first trumpet, (chap. viii. 7,) began a little after 
 Constantine’s death, in the wars between his eldest and 
 youngest son, or at the death of the first in battle, and 
 of the last by the usurpation of Magnentius, which was 
 a kind of mixed storm of hail, fire, and blood. The contin- 
 uance of it was in the persecutions against the orthodox 
 by Constantius and Valens, with the intervention of that 
 against all Christians by Julian the apostate. And the 
 conclusion of it seems to be the usurpation of Maximus, 
 upon the death of Gratianus, and afterwards the death of 
 Valentinian the Second, and finally the w r ars and death of 
 Theodosius ; so that it began with the year 339, and 
 ended a.d. 395. 
 
 The second trumpet, (chap. viii. 8, 9,) represents a 
 great kingdom, under the emblem of a mountain, (see 
 Jer. li. 25,) burning with fire (i. e, in a cruel and fierce 
 manner), and thrown into the midst of the body politic, 
 or empire of Rome, represented by the sea, (see chap, 
 xviii. 15,) by which the third part of it became blood; 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 31 
 
 by which we are, unquestionably, to understand the 
 irruption of the barbarous nations of the Vandals and 
 Goths into the Roman dominions. This began about 
 the death of Theodosius, and made a formidable progress 
 (a.d. 405) in the days of Arcadius and Honorius, by 
 Radagisus, and afterwards Alaricus, who took Rome, 
 (a.d. 410) ; and it was continued during the inroads of 
 Athaulphus the Goth (who pillaged the great city, a.d. 
 414,) and of Gensericus the Vandal, and of Attila the 
 Hun into Italy, and other Roman provinces, which they 
 and others about that time wasted miserably, to the year 
 355, and afterwards to the year 476. 
 
 The third trumpet (chap. viii. 10, 11), doth plainly 
 represent the destruction of the Western empire, by a 
 star falling from the heaven of its glory, as a burning 
 lamp. For after it had struggled with its fatal destiny, 
 under the obscure Caesars, Avitus Majoranus, Sever us, 
 &c. it did at length expire with Augustulus (a.d. 475 
 or 476). This star was called Wormwood, because of 
 the bitter troubles this brought upon the empire. For 
 the Ostro-Goths planted themselves in Italy, and reigned 
 as arbitrarily as the emperors had ever done. So that 
 this period began with the kingdom of the Ostro-Goths, 
 a.d. 476, and ended with it, a.d. 553. 
 
 The fourth trumpet (chap. viii. 12,) brings yet further 
 desolations on Rome, by darkening its splendour and 
 glory, represented by the eclipsing of the sun, for a third 
 part of it, and the moon and stars also, in a like manner ; 
 by which we are to understand, no doubt, the decay of 
 the imperial power and authority in the West, by the 
 Lombards, and the Exarchat afterwards. So that this 
 trumpet lasted from the year 568, to the year 758, when 
 Pepin made the pope, in a manner, king of Rome (who, 
 in requital of his kindness, gave his son Charlemagne, the 
 empty title of Emperor of Rome ; making thus the 
 succeeding western empire an image of the ancient one, 
 
32 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 Rev. xiii. 14, 15), by which both the power of the Lom- 
 bards, of the Exarchat, and the Emperors did, as it 
 were, terminate in him ; and as the Exarchat ended 
 a.d. 7 52, so the Lombards were totally expelled Italy a 
 little after — viz., 773. 
 
 Now follows a threefold woe, which makes up the 
 subject of the three following trumpets, which are there- 
 fore called the woe-trumpets, because of the remark- 
 ableness of these judgments above the former. There- 
 fore, 
 
 The fifth trumpet, (chap. ix. 1 — 1 1,) brings forth the first 
 woe. The description of which is long, and the figures 
 many, so that I cannot be supposed to say much on so 
 large a head here : let a short account satisfy you. In 
 the first place, therefore, we are to understand, that no 
 other than the bishop of Rome can be meant by the star 
 that fell from heaven. For this is the symbol of the gos- 
 pel ministry, (chap. i. 20,) and agrees not, therefore, with 
 Mahomet. Neither can the place this star fell from, viz. 
 heaven, which denotes the glorious and holy state of the 
 church, agree to any other, than one that apostatizeth 
 from the service of Christ to the service of the world and 
 Satan. So that, as ancient Babylon is said to fall from 
 the heaven of temporal glory, as Lucifer, or the morning 
 star of the nations, (Isa. xiv. 12,) so is the bishop of 
 Rome said to fall from the spiritual heaven of his primi- 
 tive glory and purity ; being degenerated from the first 
 angel of light in the church, to be the grand angel of 
 darkness, and becoming thus, the prince of incarnate 
 devils — the key of the bottomless pit (which he and his 
 followers boast of, as the keys of St. Peter) being put into 
 his hand by the old Serpent, for carrying on the black 
 designs of hell. 2. The dark pitchy smoke that came 
 out of the pit upon his opening it, was certainly designed 
 to signify the ignorance that did then prevail in the world, 
 and thegross and horrid errors that were spread abroad and 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 33 
 
 vended for Divine truths by the sottish monks, that then 
 swarmed abroad under various names and leaders ; and 
 particularly the idolatry that then began to prevail uni- 
 versally in the world. For, about that time, though 
 several of the Greek emperors did stiffly oppose image 
 worship, yet the popes did at length prevail, though mul- 
 titudes on both sides lost their lives in this quarrel. 3. 
 The locusts that came out of this smoke, were the Sara- 
 cens that followed Mahomet, who compiled the model of 
 his religion, by the help of Jews and Christian heretics, 
 especially of Sergius, a Nestorian monk, whom the Arabian 
 and Turkish writers call Bahira.* These Arabian locusts 
 (whose hegyra or era is dated from Mahomet’s flight 
 from Mecca, a.d. 622, a little after the pope got the 
 title of Universal Bishop, a.d. 606) did, in a little time, 
 so increase, that they conquered or overran a great many 
 countries in a very little time. For they overflowed 
 Persia, Syria, Egypt, Palestine, and other places, about 
 the year 729. They extended their arms into India in 
 643, and into Spain, in 711, and ravaged several parts 
 of France from 721, to the year 726, till they were routed 
 at length, with great slaughter, by Charles Martel, about 
 the year 728. However, they continued after that, to 
 he a scourge to the Christians, especially under the reign 
 of the great Almanzor, until about the year 772, when 
 the Turks began to grow famous. f So that the five 
 months, or 150 years, wherein they tormented the 
 Christians (though they had no power to destroy their 
 empire) was from A. d. 622 to 722. But we must not 
 imagine that these five months or years are the period of 
 this trumpet ; for this must be reckoned from 758 to 
 1067 or thereabouts, when Tangrolipix the Turk, put 
 an end to the Saracen empire by conquering the Caliph 
 
 * See Dr. Prideaux, his Life of Mahomet, page 45 to 48. 
 f See the Authors of the Turkish History, put out by Conradus 
 Clauserus. 
 
 D 
 
34 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 of Persia. Now, therefore, in the fourth place (to pass 
 by the other things observable in this Saracen woe-trum- 
 pet), let it be considered, that as the apostate bishop of 
 Rome is called the angel or messenger of the bottomless 
 pit, so Mahomet, the king and prophet of these Saracen 
 locusts, is called Abaddon or Apollyon, (ver. 11,) i. e ., a 
 destroyer, as carrying on his religion by sword and vio- 
 lence ; from whence, his locust-followers are said (ver. 
 10) to have stings like scorpions, by which they poisoned 
 the souls of men, if they did at all spare their bodies ; for 
 they were, in other respects, swift and strong as horses, 
 and had faces like men, in their reasoning, as well as 
 fighting, for their superstition ; adorned with hair like 
 women, appearing soft and insinuating at first view, 
 though armed with lion’s teeth, as being fierce and cruel. 
 By reason of which qualifications, they got many victories, 
 and are therefore, represented as crowned with crowns 
 of gold, (ver. 7 — 9.) But, upon the whole matter, this 
 trumpet, as it supposes the rise of the Saracen empire, 
 from the era of the Hegyra 622, and the begun rise of 
 pope, from the year 606 or 608 ; so, after five months, 
 or 150 years, i. e.*to the year 772, the Saracen prepara- 
 tions continued, and the papal, from 606, or 608, or 756, 
 or 758. So that the duration of this begins with 758, 
 and expires, in relation to that part of it that concerns 
 the Saracens, about the year 1060. But in as far as it 
 relates to the popish antichristian party, it is continued 
 down through the next trumpet, and the last. But 
 seeing the Saracens are brought in here as a scourge to 
 the worshippers of the beast, the Turks succeeding them 
 in this w r ork, therefore, the trumpet is denominated from 
 this visible scene of affairs, and we must accordingly sup- 
 pose that it ends with them. 
 
 The sixth trumpet, therefore, which is called the 
 second woe, brings in the Turks upon the stage of the 
 Roman empire ; who are represented as four angels or 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 35 
 
 messengers of judgment, chap. xiii. 13 — 15, &c., which 
 were bound on the other side of the river Euphrates for 
 a time, but are now let loose to pass that river, and make 
 their inroads into the Roman empire, and to erect them- 
 selves into a monarchy upon the ruins of it. Now they 
 are called Four Angels, because they were then divided 
 into four Sultanies or principalities, as their ambassadors 
 told the emperor Justin, in the year 570, as is related by 
 one of the Byzantine historians, and taken notice of by 
 all writers on this head.* For, at their remarkable pass- 
 ing the river Euphrates, they were under the command 
 of Solyman Shahum and his three sons ; and when he 
 was drowned in the passage, they brought themselves 
 under four other captains, viz. Otrogules and his three 
 sons ; of whom, one was the famous Ottoman, who a 
 little after laid the foundations of that great empire, over 
 which his family keeps the sceptre to this day. They are 
 described as horsemen, for so they generally were, fight- 
 ing on horseback, for the most part, of which the horse’s 
 tail is still a monument, being used as their chief ensign 
 of honour or command. Their number was prodigious, 
 and might be, at that time, perhaps, exactly two hundred 
 thousand thousand, as it seems to be here asserted, for 
 they seldom sent out an army of fewer than a thousand 
 thousand fighting men at once. Their polished breast- 
 plates represented fire, when shone upon by the sun ; 
 and their horses are said to be like lions, for fierceness. 
 And seeing fire-arms began then to be used in war (of 
 which they had great store, together with cannon of 
 prodigious bigness, which did facilitate their taking of 
 cities, and particularly Constantinople), their shooting 
 these on horseback, is represented as if the fire and 
 smoke and brimstone had come out of their horses’ 
 
 * See Pocock’s Supplem. ad Abul-phar, page 106 — 108, and 
 Leunclav. Hist. pag. 86. 
 
 D 2 - 
 
36 
 
 THE RISE AND PALL 
 
 mouths, their pieces being discharged over their heads. 
 With these they killed the bodies of men ; and with 
 their tails, which had heads also, they killed the souls of 
 those poor creatures that were stung or bit with their 
 poisonous doctrines ; insomuch that the third part of 
 men, i. e. the third part of the ancient Roman empire 
 (viz. that part which fell to Constantius, when Con- 
 stantine divided the whole among his three sons) was 
 destroyed and conquered by them. Now, if we inquire 
 into the time of this trumpet, we have an exact calcu- 
 lation given of it. For they are said to be prepared for 
 an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year : an hour 
 being ever used indefinitely in this book for a season or 
 period of time, we are accordingly to take it here. But 
 days, years, and months, being used definitely always, 
 we must likewise interpret them so here also. So that 
 the sense of the place is, that the Turks were loosed 
 from Euphrates, as being prepared instruments in the 
 hand of God, for the ruin of the Grecian empire, for a 
 certain hour or season ; even for a day, and a month, 
 and a year. For in that period of time they destroyed 
 the Eastern empire. For a prophetical year being 360, 
 and a month 30 ; these, with the addition of one more, 
 make up the period of 391 years. Now, we took notice 
 before, that in or about the year 1067, i. e. 1062 of 
 prophetical reckoning, Trangrolipix erected the Turkish 
 empire upon the ruins of that of the Saracens. From 
 thence, therefore, if we compute the 391 years, we are 
 led down to the year 1458, according to our ordinary 
 computation ; but according to prophetical reckoning, to 
 the remarkable year 1453, when Mahomet the Great 
 took Constantinople, and so erected his own empire upon 
 the ruins of the Grecian. For, as it is very remarkable 
 that John does not make the period of 391 years to be 
 the whole duration of the Turkish empire, but only its 
 preparation for after action, from its first rise to its 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 37 
 
 highest exaltation ; so we see how exactly this is fulfilled 
 in the event ; which, therefore, I hope, is no unedifying 
 speculation. 
 
 Now, seeing there is a remarkable stop and void, as 
 it were, between the end of the sixth trumpet and the 
 beginning of the seventh, which is filled up with the 
 account of the slaying of the witnesses, in chap, xi., I do 
 humbly conceive, that whatever particular slaughters of 
 the saints were before, or may be afterwards, the great 
 slaughter must have been during that interval of time. 
 For this could not be during the height of the two former 
 woes upon Antichrist and his followers ; and much less 
 can it be supposed to be after the sound of the seventh 
 trumpet, and while God’s last plagues upon the beast are 
 a-pouring out. I do therefore reckon, that the witnesses 
 who prophesied in sackcloth from the beginning of papal 
 superstitions, were the honest Piedmontois, Albigenses, and 
 Waldenses, who were slain at length, after they had 
 stood the shock of all former attacks, particularly that of 
 Simon Montfort, with his 500,000 Croissades, whom 
 Innocent the 3rd diverted from the Saracen war, in 
 order to extirpate that good people, about the year 1416, 
 when John Huss, and afterward Jerom of Prague were 
 burnt. But came not to its height until the Bohemian. 
 Calixtines complied with the council of Basil, a.d. 1434, 
 after which the faithful Taborites were totally ruined, as 
 well as their brethren in Piedmont, France, &c., which 
 happened about the year 1 492. F or they being destroyed, 
 the Calixtines were no better than the dead carcases (as 
 they are called, ver. 8) or corps of the former living 
 witnesses, over which the popish party did triumph : for 
 they looked upon them as standing trophies of their 
 victory, and therefore did not think fit to kill them further, 
 or bury them out of their sight. For it is said (ver. 7, 
 8), that after they had finished their testimony, the beast 
 did make war upon them, a mxrsvsi uvtovs nai ra, 
 
38 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 ^rrw/^ara, avrov , &c. He killed them'and their corps also, 
 (for the additional words, in our version, shall lie , are 
 not in the original, and do but mar the sense) or their 
 bodies (for some reading have it O'Hara), in the streets 
 of the great city, i. e. in Bohemia, one street of the pa- 
 pal dominions, or the great city Borne, in a large sense. 
 For I find that, towards the end of the fifteenth century, 
 the witnesses were in a manner wholly extinct. For * 
 Comenius tells us that about the year 1467, the Walden- 
 ses in Austria and Moravia had complied so far as to 
 dissemble their religion, and turn to popery in profession 
 and outward compliance, f The Taborites in the mean 
 time, upon their refusal to do so, were so destroyed, that 
 it was much that seventy of them could get together to 
 consult about continuing their church, and about finding 
 out some qualified person to be their minister, for they 
 had none left, a.d. 1467. And so low was the church 
 of Christ then, that when the hidden remains of the 
 Taborites (who were called Speculani, from their lurking 
 in dens and caves), sent out four men (as the same 
 author relates in another J book, to travel, one through 
 Greece and the East, another to Russia and the North, a 
 third to Thrace, Bulgaria, and the neighbouring places, 
 and a fourth to Asia, Palestine, and Egypt ; they did 
 all, indeed, safely return to their brethren, but with this 
 sorrowful news, that they found no church of Christ, 
 that was pure or free from the grossest errors, superstition, 
 and idolatry. This was in the year 1497. And when 
 they sent two of their number two years afterwards — viz. 
 Luke Prage and Thomas German, to go into Italy, 
 France, and other places, to see if there were any of the 
 old Waldenses left alive ; they returned with the same 
 
 * Hist. Pers. Eccl. Bohera. eh. 20, sect. 4, 5. pag. 70, 71. 
 t Ibid. ch. 20, sect. 3. 
 
 t Comenius in his Short History of the Bohemian Church, pre- 
 fixed to his Exhortation to the Church of England, sect. 66, p. 40. 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 39 
 
 melancholy news as the former had done, that they could 
 neither find nor hear of any remaining ; only they were 
 informed of the martyrdom of Savanarolla (who suffered 
 in the year 1498), and they were told of some few 
 remains of the Piedmontois, that were scattered and hid 
 among the Alps, but nobody knew where. Now, a few 
 years after this, even the few remains of the Taborites 
 were found out and persecuted, hardly any escaping; 
 so that a.d. 1510, six suffered together publicly ; and 
 the year following, that famous martyr Andreas Paliwka, 
 who, I think, was the last of that period. From whose 
 death, in the end of the year 1511, or beginning of 
 1512, to the dawning of the reformation, by the first 
 preaching of Carolastadius and Zuinglius (who appeared 
 at least a year before Luther, as * Hottinger and others 
 telhus), there was only about three years and a half, 
 which answers, as near as can be, to the three days and 
 a half of the unburied state of the witnesses ; so that the 
 spirit’s entering into the witnesses (ver. 2) began with 
 the year 15 16, if not the year before, though this appeared 
 most remarkably when Luther opposed the pope publicly, 
 a.d. 1517. They were not only enlivened, but (to 
 explain the words of John, ver. 2, a little further) they 
 rose upon their feet, a.d. 1529, when so many princes 
 and free cities in Germany, protested against the edict 
 of Worms and Spire, and so got the name of Protestants. 
 They heard a voice from heaven saying, ascend hither, 
 (ver. 12) i. e. to power and peace, when Maurice of 
 Saxony beat the Emperor Charles a.d. 1552; and 
 accordingly they did after that, ascend to the heaven of 
 honour, rest, and security, as if they had been wafted up 
 by a cloud, and that in the sight even of their enemies ; 
 when the Protestant religion was established and legally 
 settled and allowed of, in the year 1555, which was 
 continued and confirmed by Maximilian and Rulolph 
 * Hist. Reform, vol. 1. 
 
40 
 
 THE KISE AND FALX* 
 
 afterwards. In whose days the church began to be 
 settled in several other countries — viz., in England, 
 Scotland, Denmark, Swedeland, Switzerland, and the 
 Low Countries. Now, it is observable, that in this period 
 of time, when the witnesses finished their testimony, or 
 were about to do so, the Turks took Constantinople, a.d. 
 1453 ; which I take to be designed by the earthquake 
 that destroyed the tenth part of the Roman dominions, 
 (ver. 13,) for the Grecian empire was reduced before 
 that, from being the third part of that empire ; so that 
 Mahomet’s prevailing over the Greek church, and the 
 pope’s conquests over the western Christians was much 
 about a time, and therefore said to be in the same hour 
 or period of time, i. e. before the sixth trumpet ended, 
 and before the seventh began : for the sixth trumpet is 
 the hour of the Turkish woe. And indeed their triumph 
 was much of the same kind also. For as the papists 
 triumphed only over the dead bodies of the witnesses, i. e. 
 over the Calixtines (who were no longer living witnesses, 
 the Taborites being all gone, and having overcome their 
 enemies by their blood, and the word of their testimony), 
 so the Turkish triumph was only over seven thousand 
 names of men, i. e. over the remaining eastern Christians, 
 who were so degenerated in all respects, that they were 
 only names or shadows of true Christians ; only, whereas 
 the Grecians did yet own themselves to be the same in 
 profession with their ancestors, and so were the same 
 with them, as to name, the Calixtines were even debarred 
 that privilege. 
 
 These things being therefore considered (which I 
 could easily enlarge upon, were I not confined at this 
 time), I think it is abundantly plain, that the great 
 slaughter of the witnesses must have been precisely at the 
 time I have mentioned. For it could not be till Anti- 
 christ was at his highest pitch of power and grandeur, 
 which was not before this time ; and it was not possible 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 41 
 
 that it should be after the seventh trumpet sounded, 
 and the vials began to be poured out ; seeing the wit- 
 nesses were not only risen then, but were the instruments 
 of this last and greatest woe to the worshippers of the 
 beast ; and, therefore, we find (chap. xi. 14, 15, &c.), 
 that as soon as the witnesses arose the second woe ended, 
 and the third commenced in the begun exaltation of the 
 saints and servants of God ; and it is to me altogether 
 inconceivable, that the witnesses should be risen, and the 
 antichristian interest decline ; and yet that the witnesses 
 should be entirely cut off during such a period, so that I 
 am almost bold on this head (though I am resolved to 
 propose my apocalyptical thoughts only by way of pro- 
 bable conjecture), to affirm that it is impossible, morally 
 speaking, that the witnesses can ever be so entirely slain, 
 as they have been before, whatever particular and pro- 
 vincial persecutions they may be under for a time, and 
 whatever formidable appearances there may be against 
 the Protestant interest every where. Against this asser- 
 tion I can foresee no objection of moment, excepting one, 
 and this is, that seeing the witnesses are said to prophesy 
 all the 1260 days of the beast’s reign, in sackcloth, and 
 to be slain only when they have finished their testimony, 
 (ver. iii. 7), it seems, therefore, very strange to say, 
 that they shall be slain during the time of their 1260 
 days’ or years’ prophesy, and so long before the end of 
 them. To which I answer, that in ver. 3 there are 
 two things spoken of with respect to the opposers of 
 Antichrist ; the first is, that they are called witnesses or 
 martyrs, against the abominations of that enemy ; and the 
 second is, that they are said to preach or prophesy against 
 that interest. Now, it is only in the second sense that 
 they are spoken of, in relation to the whole 1260 days; 
 so that though the -tfgopsrs/a, or witness-bearing of the 
 saints, continue, in a large and general sense, for 1260 
 years (and that, for the most part, in sackcloth, because 
 
42 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 of the constant troubles they meet with from that rest- 
 less enemy), yet their or witness-bearing by 
 
 martyrdom and sufferings, in a strict and proper sense, 
 relates only to the time of their low and obscure state, 
 during the rage of the papists, before the sounding of 
 the seventh trumpet. Now, it is not said (though per- 
 haps, this was never taken notice of before), that the 
 witnesses were killed after their whole prophesy or 
 preaching was over, or after the 1260 days were run 
 out ; but only, that after their jubagrvgia, or testimony for 
 Christ, by suffering was over, that then, I say, they were 
 universally slain and cut off (ver. 7). Now, though 
 there have been many persecutions since the reformation, 
 and the sounding of the seventh trumpet, yet they were 
 never universal ones. Besides, that the difference is 
 great, between the witnesses before and since that time, 
 in this respect : for since Luther’s appearing, our reli- 
 gion has been established publicly in several nations, 
 and authorized by law in opposition to popery, which it 
 never was before. But, to proceed, 
 
 The seventh Trumpet sounds, chap. xi. 14, &c., imme- 
 diately upon the end of the sixth, i. e ., upon the rising 
 of the witnesses. Now, as the 13th and 14th chapters 
 are but further representations of the state of affairs under 
 the six Trumpets preceding, relating to the condition 
 both of the church and anti-christian party ; so the 
 15th and 16th chapters are preliminary to the period of 
 the seven vials being poured out upon the papacy and 
 its dominions. Of which visions I have a great many 
 things to say, but I must curb myself now, lest I prove 
 too tedious. I shall, therefore, only put you in mind of 
 what I hinted before, that the seventh trumpet compre- 
 hends the seven vials. For these are but the parts of it, 
 which gradually destroy the papal interest, which had 
 increased under the former trumpets. As, therefore, 
 this period brings in reformation, and by various steps, 
 
OP THE PAPACY. 
 
 43 
 
 makes the kingdoms of the world (which, before, were 
 under Antichrist), to change so far and so wonderfully, 
 as to become the kingdoms of God and Christ (chap. xi. 
 14, &c. ;) so, after a general, but glorious, account of 
 the state of the church from the reformation (chap, xiv.), 
 and a general account of the vials to he poured out on 
 the popish party during the same period (chap, xv.), we 
 have a distinct account of the pouring out of these seven 
 vials (chap, xvi.), in obedience to the great voice out of 
 the temple, (ver. 1,) which is but a repetition of the 
 sounding of the seventh trumpet, (chap. xi. 14,) under 
 a new representation of it. 
 
 The third and last septenary, therefore, is that of the 
 vials, or last plagues and judgments upon Rome papal ; 
 which, as far as I can, I shall explain, by a distinct ac - 
 count of such of them as I reckon to be fulfilled, and by 
 some few conjectures upon the remaining ones. 
 
 But before I proceed to the particular consideration 
 of these, there are two things which I would premise. 
 The first is, that as the trumpets did raise Antichrist up, 
 and the vials must pull him down, so there is a wonder- 
 ful relation that the last bear to the former, especially 
 the four first ones. For the first trumpet and first vial, 
 bring judgments on the earth, the second trumpet and 
 vial on the sea, the third trumpet and vial on the rivers, 
 and the fourth trumpet and vial on the sun. The second 
 is this, that seeing the vials do suppose a struggle and 
 war between the popish and reformed parties, every vial 
 is to be looked upon as the event and conclusion of some 
 new periodical attack of that first party upon this other; 
 the issue of which, proves at length, favourable to the latter 
 against the former. Which seeing it is the most noble 
 and remarkable part of the period that the vial relates 
 to, is therefore that which denominates the period itself ; 
 even as the conquest of Pompey by Caesar, and of An- 
 tony by Augustus, suppose their wars before, and give 
 
44 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 the denomination to their governments. These things 
 being premised, I now proceed. 
 
 The first vial, which fell upon the earth, to the tor- 
 menting of the subjects of the beast, (chap. xvi. 2,) doth 
 denote God’s judgments upon the foundations of the 
 papal power ; the earth being that on which we walk 
 and build our houses, and out of whose womb we are 
 maintained. So that by this I understand the popish 
 clergy and the papal dominions and revenues, as they 
 are upheld by them. This, therefore, began with the 
 reformation, and continued until the time that the popish 
 factors and trumpery were thrown out of as many coun- 
 tries of Europe as embraced the reformation. And we 
 may easily conceive what a mortification this was to that 
 party, when the pretended sanctity of their priests, monks 
 and nuns, was found to be mere cheat, and their miracles 
 nothing else but lies or legerdemain ; and when their 
 tales of purgatory were exposed to public contempt, and 
 their pardons and indulgences would sell no longer ; and 
 consequently, when the pope and his red- hatted and 
 mitred officers saw themselves driven out of so great a 
 part of their dominions — their seminaries for breeding 
 their motley soldiers, of all denominations and orders, 
 pulled down — and so much of their yearly revenues lost. 
 Whence they are said to fall under a noisome and grievous 
 ulcer , or sore ; being this way pained and vexed in- 
 wardly, and rendered contemptible to the whole world, 
 that looked upon them as no better than vermin, and 
 the plagues of mankind. So that this vial began with the 
 rise of Zuinglius and Luther and the other reformers, in 
 the year 1516 and 1517, and continued to the year 1566, 
 i. e. 9 about forty years : for by that time all the reformed 
 churches were settled, and had published their creeds and 
 confessions against Rome, in opposition to the determin- 
 ations of the popish council of Trent, published 1563, 
 and the creed of Pope Pius the 4th, which added twelve 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 45 
 
 antichristian articles to the twelve primitive Christian 
 ones, which was put out, a.d. 1564. 
 
 The 2nd vial, (ver. 3,) must therefore begin where 
 the other ended, as to the period of time that commences 
 from thence. Now, I find that in the year 1566, the 
 wars between the king of Spain, and the states of the 
 Netherlands began, when the latter got the nickname of 
 Geuse. And though the Spaniards were often victorious 
 at first, yet they were at length forced to declare them 
 free states. It was then that the sea became blood to 
 the Romanists, their votaries being miserably defeated in 
 their expectations. For after their cruelties under the 
 duke of Alva in the Low Countries, and their massacres of 
 the protestants in France, and other places, the scene 
 was changed very quickly. So that a.d. 1588, the 
 Spaniards lost their vast Armada, and did ever after de- 
 cline in their power. And the duke of Guise, the invete- 
 rate enemy of the Protestants, was killed the same year. 
 And a.d. 1598, died Philip the 2nd of Spain, being 
 eaten up of lice : the edict of Nantes being given out the 
 same year in France in favour of the protestants. So 
 that as the reformed interest was in peace everywhere, 
 and conquered in Holland and England, the popish party, 
 on the other hand, saw Spain, the late terror of the pro- 
 testants, brought to a languishing condition, and all their 
 allies weary of wars and persecutions. And as in the 
 year 1609, the truce was made between the Spaniards 
 and the Dutch, so the war, though renewed and carried 
 on afterwards, became languid and faint, so as hardly to 
 be felt or minded by either party, especially the Dutch, 
 who were for the most, victorious and successful. So, 
 that as the period of this vial began 1566, so we may 
 reckon it continued about fifty years, viz, to the year 
 1617, seeing we shall find that the third vial did begin 
 then. For, 
 
 The 3d vial, (ver. 4 — 7,) was poured out upon the 
 
46 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 rivers and fountains of water, or those territories of the 
 papacy which were as necessary to it as rivers and foun- 
 tains are to a country, being as it were, the former vial 
 continued, as to the kind of the plague. For as the for- 
 mer destroyed the living creatures or living souls that 
 were in or upon the sea, viz the Spaniards, the great 
 mariners of the world at that time, as to their marine 
 power, who after the year 1588, lost their former 
 sovereignty of the seas, to the English and Dutch ; so 
 this latter plague makes it difficult for the popish party 
 to subsist and keep their ground even in the inland 
 country and several dominions of Germany, and the 
 neighbouring places. For in the year 1617, Ferdinand 
 being forced upon the Bohemians by the Emperor 
 Matthias, and crowned king, the foundation of new 
 quarrels was laid this way. For a little while after 
 another most bloody religious war ensued, which shook 
 all the empire, and frightened Europe. And though the 
 Protestants lost Bohemia, the palatinate in part, and 
 were driven out of Moravia, Austria, and Silesia, at this 
 time, and were not only persecuted in many places, but 
 like to be extirpated and rooted out universally, yet the tide 
 turned all on a sudden. For after the emperor had ruled 
 Germany with a veteran army, for a considerable time, 
 Gustavus Adolphus enters Germany in the year 1630, 
 and conquers everywhere. And though he was killed 
 about two years after, yet his army continued victorious ; 
 until at length all things were accommodated at the 
 peace of Munster, A. d. 1648 ; with which therefore the 
 period of the 3d vial must be supposed to end, which con- 
 sists of thirty-one years. Now as this began with perse- 
 cutions against, and cruelties upon the protestants, so^at 
 length the angel of the waters is heard to give thanks 
 for making the papists drink of their own blood at last. 
 Which song of praise another angel falls in with, and says 
 Amen to. All which seems to denote the joy both of 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 47 
 
 the Protestant state and church upon the success of the 
 Swedish arms against the emperor. 
 
 The 4th vial comes now to be considered. And as 
 this is poured out upon the sun of the papal kingdom, 
 (ver. 8,) so the effect of it is men’s being scorched or 
 burned with fire, which yet does not make them to turn 
 to God, but blaspheme his name the more, as we may 
 see, (ver. 9.) Now as this vial must begin where the 
 other ends, viz., at, or a little after, the year 1648 ; so I 
 cannot see but it must denote the wars that followed the 
 peace of Munster, with other incidental occurrences. Now 
 we find that the French hostilities and wars in Flanders 
 began about this time. And though this fire seemed 
 to be quenched by the Pyrenean peace, about ten years 
 after that of Munster, yet this proved rather fuel to the 
 flame, which broke out with more violence than before, 
 by the seizure of Lorrain, the new conquests of the French 
 in Burgundy and Flanders, and the wars upon Germany, 
 and invasion on the Low Countries. To which we may 
 add, the French king’s quarrel with several popes, about 
 the restitution of Castro, the rights of the duke of Mo- 
 dena, the affair of Corsi, and about the Regale and the 
 Franchises. Now, seeing the bombarding of towns and 
 cities was chiefly made use of in these later wars, we may 
 see how properly the scorching and burning men from 
 above (as if the sun had sent down fire and heat from 
 his own body), is made use of to characterise the time of 
 this vial. But the chief thing to be taken notice of here, 
 is that the sun and other luminaries of heaven, are the 
 emblems of princes and kingdoms, as we took notice of 
 before. Therefore, the pouring out of this vial on the 
 sun, must denote the humiliation of some eminent po- 
 tentates of the Romish interest, whose influences and 
 countenances cherish and support the papal cause. And 
 these, therefore, must be principally understood of the 
 houses of Austria and Bourbon, though not exclusively 
 
48 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 of other Popish princes. Now, it is not unusual with 
 God, to make his enemies crush and weaken one another. 
 And thus, I suppose, this vial is to be understood, when 
 it is said, that upon the pouring of it out on the sun, 
 power was given to him (i. e ., the sun, as most under- 
 stand the words from the connexion) to scorch men with 
 fire. And this is plain, in what of the vial is fulfilled, 
 and will be, perhaps, more so afterwards. As, therefore, 
 France was made use of, in the instances given, to vex 
 and scorch the Austrian family, in both branches of it ; 
 so, afterwards, was he himself tormented, when he saw 
 himself forced to leave Holland, which he was so near 
 surprising, 1672, and especially, when he was forced to 
 resign all his conquests in Flanders, by the late peace of 
 Keys wick. It is true, he seems now to have got more 
 glory than ever, by the accession of his grandson to the 
 Spanish monarchy. But then this is by an eclipse upon 
 the Austrian family, which is expired in the first branch 
 of it. And who knows but this advancement may lay 
 the foundation of the ruin or decay of the French power, 
 by exhausting that kingdom, both as to men and money, 
 in defence of a weak monarchy ? In the mean time, we 
 see this vial has already taken place, in darkening the 
 glory of King James (whom the Papists expected new 
 conquests from) by the hand of King William ; by whom 
 also, God put a stop to the career of the French monarch 
 in his conquests in Flanders, and on the Rhine. And, 
 we see it further poured out, in the eclipse of the Austrian 
 family, by the loss of Spain, and its dependent principali- 
 ties, as also in defeating the wicked designs of the three 
 confederate monarchs, of Poland, Denmark, and Russia. 
 
 And now, seeing I have marked out the time we are 
 in at present, it is time also to put a stop to our apoca- 
 lyptical thoughts ; seeing no man can pretend, upon any , 
 just grounds, to calculate future times. However, see- 
 ing I have come so far, I shall adventure to present you 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 49 
 
 you further with some conjectural thoughts on this head ; 
 for I am far from the presumption of some men, to give 
 them any higher character. 
 
 Now, my conjectures shall relate to two things — viz. 
 to the remaining part of this vial, and to the other vials 
 that follow this. 
 
 And, first, as to the remaining part of this vial, I do 
 humbly suppose that it will come to its highest pitch 
 about A. d. 1717, and that it will run out about the year 
 1794. The reasons for the first conjecture are two. 
 The first is, because I find that the papal kingdom got 
 a considerable accession to its power, upon the Roman 
 western empire’s being destroyed A. d. 475 ; to which 
 the Heruli succeeded the year following, and the Ostro- 
 Goths afterward. Now, if from this remarkable year 
 we begin the calculation of the 1260 years, they lead us 
 down to A. d. 1735, which in prophetical account is this 
 year 1717. The second is, because (as I have many 
 years ago observed) this year leads us down to a new 
 centenary revolution : For is it not observable that John 
 Huss and Jerom of Prague (to run this up no further) 
 were burned a. d. 1417 ? After which the true religion 
 in Bohemia and other places, was more and more ob- 
 scured and suppressed, until that famous year 1517, 
 when Luther arose, and gave the reformation a new 
 resurrection : according to that remarkable prediction of 
 Jerom of Prague, Centum cinnis revolutis Deo res - 
 pondetibus et mihi; which the Bohemians afterwards 
 stamped upon their coin as their motto. From which 
 year the reformed interest did still increase (what- 
 ever particular stops and troubles it met with) till the 
 year 1617 ; about which time the German and Bohe- 
 mian w^rs began to break out. And it is but too ob- 
 vious, what an ebb hath followed since that time to this, 
 notwithstanding the pouring out of the second, third, 
 and fourth vials. So that there is ground to hope, that 
 
50 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 about the beginning of another such century, things may 
 again alter for the better ; for I cannot but hope that 
 some new mortification of the chief supporters of Anti- 
 christ will then happen ; and perhaps, the French mon- 
 archy may begin to be considerably humbled about that 
 time ; that whereas the present French king takes the 
 sun for his emblem, and this for his motto, nec pluribus 
 impar , he may, at length, or rather his successors, and 
 the monarchy itself (at least before the year 1794), be 
 forced to acknowledge, that (in respect to neighbouring 
 potentates) he is even singulis impar. 
 
 But, as to the expiration of this vial, I do fear it will 
 not be until the year 1794. The reason of which con- 
 jecture is this, that I find the pope got a new foundation 
 of exaltation, when Justinian, upon his conquest of Italy, 
 left it, in a great measure, to the pope’s management, 
 being willing to eclipse his own authority, to advance 
 that of this haughty prelate. Now, this being in the 
 year 552, this, by the addition of the 1260 years, reaches 
 down to the year 1811 ; which, according to prophetical 
 account, is the year 1794. And then, I do suppose, the 
 fourth vial will end, and the fifth commence by a new 
 mortification of the papacy, after this vial has lasted 
 148 years, which, indeed, is long, in comparison with the 
 former vials ; but, if it be considered in relation to the 
 fourth, fifth, and sixth trumpets, it is but short, seeing 
 the fourth lasted 190 years, the fifth 302, and the sixth 
 393. 
 
 And now, my friends, I may be well excused, if I ven- 
 ture no further, in giving you any more conjectural 
 thoughts upon this present period of time. But, seeing 
 I pretend to give my speculations, of what is future, no 
 higher character than guesses, I shall still venture to 
 add something to what I have already said. — Therefore 
 be pleased, first, to call to mind what I premised to the 
 consideration of the seven vials, as the second pre- 
 
OF THE PAPACY, 
 
 51 
 
 liminary — viz. that seeing the vials do (all of them) 
 suppose a struggle or war between the popish and re- 
 formed parties, every vial is to be looked upon as the 
 event and conclusion of some new periodical attack of 
 that first party upon this other ; the issue of which, proves, 
 at length, favourable to the latter against the former. 
 For, if this be duly considered, it will let us see, that 
 great declining of the protestant interest, for some time, 
 and great and formidable advances, and new degrees of 
 increase in the Romish party, are very consistent with 
 the state of both these opposite interests, under the vials. 
 For, as Rome pagan was gradually ruined under the 
 seals, under many of which it seemed to increase to out- 
 ward observation, and to become more rampant than 
 before, when yet it was indeed declining ; so must we 
 suppose it will be with Rome papaL For monarchies, as 
 they rise gradually and insensibly, so do they wear out 
 likewise. And, therefore, we must not entertain such 
 chimerical notions of the fall of the papacy, as if it were 
 to be accomplished speedily, or miraculously, as many 
 have done. For, as it rose insensibly, and step by step- 
 so it must fall in like manner. But to illustrate this, 
 further, as to what of the vials is yet unfulfilled, by what 
 is past ; let us look back on the two preceding vials. 
 The second vial, therefore, began with a formidable 
 attack upon the protestants, by the growth of the Aus- 
 trian family, from the year 1566, to the year 1588; 
 during all which time, the vial seemed rather to be 
 poured out on the protestants than papists. But, as 
 there must be a, war, to denote a victory ; so it was in 
 this case. So that the vial was seen at last, in its 
 effects, upon the Austrian party, from 1588 to 1598 ; and, 
 afterwards, to 1617. For it is with the church, as it is 
 with particular Christians, who are often sorely buffeted 
 by Satan, and sometimes brought even to extremities by 
 temptations ; but do ever carry the victory at last. Who 
 
 e 2 
 
52 
 
 THE RISE AND FARL 
 
 would have believed that the Christian church was about 
 to triumph over the Roman pagan empire, when the 
 dreadful persecution under Dioclesian, and his collegiate 
 emperors, was at its highest pitch? But the darkest 
 time of the night, ushers in the dawning of the church’s 
 day, in the usual way of God’s providence over the same. 
 And this is very conspicuously to be observed, in the 
 period of the third vial. Who would have thought that 
 the loss of Bohemia, and the emperor Ferdinand’s ruling 
 all Germany with a formidable army, were like to issue 
 in the victories of the Swedish arms, and the future 
 security of the protestant interest through the empire and 
 elsewhere ? So that we must not wonder if for sixteen 
 years, the house of Bourbon be raised up to be a further 
 terror and scourge to the world, and to protestant nations 
 particularly. And, as a confirmation of this conjecture, 
 let it be considered, in the second place (besides what I 
 hinted before on this head), that it is something very 
 extraordinary, and peculiar, in some sense, to this vial, 
 that the sun, upon which it is poured out, should yet be 
 made the executor of the judgment of it on others, at the 
 same time that he is tormented with it himself. So that 
 whosoever is denoted by the sun here (as I suppose the 
 house of Bourbon principally is), is made use of, as the 
 devil is, both to torment others, and to be tormented 
 himself in so doing. And, if the king of France, there- 
 fore, be denoted by this principally, I fear he is yet to be 
 made use of, in the hand of God, as Nebuchadnezzar was, 
 of old, against the Jews — viz. as a further severe scourge 
 to the Protestant churches everywhere. And, besides 
 this characteristical mark, which seems to forebode his 
 further exultation and our humiliation ; there is yet a 
 third thing, that I cannot but think upon with dread and 
 trembling of heart — viz. that it is further said, That 
 while this sun of the popish world is running his fatal 
 and dreadful career, and scorching men with fire, they 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 53 
 
 are so far from being bettered by these judgments, that 
 they go on more and more to blaspheme the name of 
 God, who has power over these plagues. And while this 
 continues to be the state of the Protestant world, and, 
 while atheism, deism, Soeinianism, irreligion, profane- 
 ness, scepticism, formality, hatred of godliness, and a 
 bitter persecuting spirit, continue and increase among 
 us ; what can we expect but new and desolating judg- 
 ments? For, while we continue to walk thus contrary 
 to God, we cannot but expect that he should walk con- 
 trary to us also. It is vain for us to boast of our privi- 
 leges, or plead exemption from judgments on this account. 
 For, where there is no national reformation and repent- 
 ance, national sins are like to pull down miseries upon 
 us, so much the sooner and more certainly, that we have 
 been so singularly and peculiarly privileged. For we 
 may in this case expect that God will say to us, as to 
 the Israelites of old, “ You have I specially known and 
 chosen above all the families or nations of the earth, 
 therefore will I punish you more certainly and more 
 severely than any other kingdom or nation.” (Amos iii. 
 2.) And, therefore, if we go on in sin, as we have 
 hitherto done, let us take heed to ourselves, lest ven- 
 geance be near. I pray God I may be mistaken in my 
 fears. But I am afraid I have but too just reason to turn 
 prophet here, by applying to ourselves, what Peter said 
 to those of his time : “ The time is come, that judgment 
 must begin at the house of God.” ( 1 Pet. iv. 17.) Though 
 I do also conclude with him, that if it begin at us, dread- 
 ful will be the end of our enemies at last. And if the 
 righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly ap- 
 pear? Wherefore, if we be called to suffer for our holy 
 religion, let us do so according to the will of God, com- 
 mitting the keeping of our souls to him in well-doing, as 
 to a faithful Creator. And I wish my conjecture be not 
 found to be more than a mere guess, that for about six- 
 
54 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 teen years our Romish enemies may prevail more and 
 more. Though how far these may be lengthened out or 
 shortened, we can only conjecturally judge of, from the 
 future carriage of the reformed churches, under the cir- 
 cumstances that may be stated afterwards. If any say, 
 that these are melancholy conjectures : I must tell them 
 I cannot help the matter ; for I must follow the thread 
 of the text, and the aspect of the times. If they ask, 
 but when will the tide turn for the Protestant church ? 
 I answer, when they turn more universally to God, and 
 no sooner. But if they enquire further, whether the sun 
 of the popish kingdom is not to be eclipsed himself at 
 length ? I must positively assert he will ; else this vial 
 were not a judgment upon him and the Romish party. 
 But if yet the question be, when this is to fall out, and 
 how ? I must tell you, that I have nothing further to 
 add to what I have said, as to the time. But as to the 
 manner, how this is to be done, our text does lay a 
 foundation of some more distinct thoughts. Therefore, 
 in the fourth and last place, we may justly suppose, that 
 the French monarchy, after it has scorched others, will 
 itself consume by doing so ; its fire, and that which is the 
 fuel that maintains it, wasting insensibly, till it be ex- 
 hausted at last towards the end of this century, as the 
 Spanish monarchy did before, towards the end of the 
 the sixteenth age. And if we do now heartily and un- 
 animously enter upon a war against France, with the 
 assistance of allies, and be but vigorous and faithful in 
 the prosecution of it, securing the source of money and 
 treasure in the heart of America, and bringing the war 
 into the bowels of a nation, where a young monarch is 
 hardly established ; I say, if we do this, without losing 
 our opportunities, our peace and security may yet be 
 lengthened out. Whereas, if we suffer ourselves to be 
 lulled asleep at this time, we may have cause to lament 
 our not having improved our season. But seeing I am 
 
OF THE FAFACY. 
 
 55 
 
 not called to give my advice one way or other, I shall 
 leave the determination of such weighty matters to the 
 wisdom of national councils. However, as my duty is to 
 pray for direction unto these ; so I earnestly wish, that 
 there may be nothing to stop the regular and secure pro- 
 cedure of public matters at this critical juncture ; upon 
 the wise improvement of which our future stability and 
 peace does so much depend. And now, after all this, I 
 desire ye may consult a book I formerly published, called, 
 “ The Rod, or the Sword ; or the present Dilemma of 
 these Nations.” For ye will there see, more fully, my 
 thoughts of our times, and how the moral reasons given 
 there, taken from the aspect of our age, though preached 
 in 1692, and published the year following, do exactly 
 agree with my present apocalytical thoughts. 
 
 One thing only I shall further take notice of here, 
 upon the occasion of the king of Spain’s death, that God 
 seems to mark out great things sometimes by very mi- 
 nute ones, such as names, e, g . as the Spanish monarchy 
 begun with Charles the Fifth (as to the Austrian family), 
 so it has now expired in one of the same name : which I 
 the rather observe, because of many instances of the 
 same kind. Of which number take these following: 
 Darius the Mede, as Daniel calls him (though Xenophon 
 call him Cyaxares), the uncle of Cyrus, was the first 
 Medo-Persian monarch, after the destruction of the 
 Babylonian ; and Darius Codomanus was the last. 
 Ptolemeus Lagi began the Egyptian kingdom after 
 Alexander’s death, and Ptolemeus Dionysius was the last 
 of that race. Augustus fixed the Roman empire, and it 
 ended in Augustulus. The Eastern Roman empire was 
 erected by Constantine the Great, and expired with 
 Constantine Paleologus. The Scots race came into 
 England in a James, and has gone out again in another 
 of that name. And whether William, the third king of 
 England of that name, as well as the third William, 
 
56 
 
 THE RISE AND FALE 
 
 prince of Orange, be likely to be the last both these 
 ways, is left to future time to unriddle. Only I pray, 
 that God may long preserve him, and us by him : and 
 may he live to be a further scourge to France, and a ter- 
 ror to Romanists. 
 
 But, secondly, to proceed with my other conjectures, 
 relating to the remaining vials, I do further suppose, 
 that 
 
 The fifth vial, (ver. 10, 11,) which is to be poured 
 out on the seat of the beast, or the dominions that more 
 immediately belong to, and depend upon the Roman 
 See ; that, I say, this judgment will probably begin 
 about the year 1794, and expire about 1848. So that 
 the duration of it, upon this supposition, will be for the 
 space of fifty -four years. For, I do suppose, that seeing 
 the pope received the title of supreme bishop no sooner 
 than 606, he cannot be supposed to have any vial poured 
 upon his seat immediately (so as to ruin his authority so 
 signally as this judgment must be supposed to do), until 
 the year 1848, which is the date of the 1260 years, in 
 prophetical account, when they are reckoned from 606. 
 But yet we are not to imagine, that this vial will totally 
 destroy the papacy (though it will exceedingly weaken 
 it) ; for we find this still in being, and alive, when the 
 next vial is poured out. 
 
 The sixth vial, (ver. 12, &c.) will be poured out upon 
 the Mahometan Antichrist, as the former on the papacy. 
 And seeing the sixth trumpet brought the Turks from 
 beyond the Euphrates, from crossing which river, they 
 date their rise, this sixth vial dries up their waves, and 
 exhausts their power, as the means and way to prepare 
 and dispose the Eastern kings and kingdoms to renounce 
 their Heathenish and Mahometan errors, in order to their 
 receiving and embracing Christianity. For I think this 
 is the native import of the text, and not that the Jews 
 are to be understood under this denomination of the kings 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 57 
 
 of the East, which is such an odd straining of it, to serve 
 a turn, as I cannot admit of. Now, seeing this vial is to 
 destroy the Turks, we hear of three unclean spirits like 
 frogs or toads, that were sent out by Satan, and the 
 remains of the polity and church of Rome, called the 
 beast and the false prophet, in order in insinuate upon 
 the Eastern nations, upon their deserting Mahometism, 
 to fall in with their idolatrous and spurious Christianity, 
 rather than with the true reformed doctrine. And these 
 messengers shall be so successful, as to draw these East- 
 ern kings and their subjects, and, with them, the greatest 
 part of mankind, to take part with them. So that, by 
 the assistance of these, their agents and missionaries, they 
 shall engage the whole world, in some manner, to join 
 with them in rooting out the saints. (And here, in a 
 parenthesis, Christ gives a watch-word to his servants, 
 to be upon their guard in this hour of trial, ver. 15.) 
 But, when the pope has got himself at the head of this 
 vast army, and has brought them to the place of battle, 
 called Armageddon (i. <?., the place where there will be a 
 most diabolical, cunning, and powerful conspiracy against 
 Christ’s followers) ; then, immediately, doth the seventh 
 angel pour out his vial, to their ruin and destruction. 
 
 The seventh vial, therefore, being poured out on the 
 air, (ver. 17,) brings down thunder, lightning, hail, and 
 storms ; which, together with a terrible earthquake, de- 
 stroys all the Antichristian nations, and particularly Rome, 
 or mystical Babylon. And as Christ concluded his suf- 
 ferings on the cross with this voice, 4 6 It is finished,” so 
 the church’s sufferings are concluded with a voice out of 
 the temple of heaven, and from the throne of God and 
 Christ there, saying, “ It is done.” And, therefore, with 
 this doth the blessed millenium of Christ’s spiritual reign 
 on earth begin, of which, and what may be supposed to 
 follow, we took some notice above. 
 
 Now, seeing these two vials are, as it were, one con- 
 
58 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 tinued, the first running into the second, and the second 
 completing the first ; the one giving us an account of 
 the beast’s preparations for warring against the saints, 
 aud the other showing the event of the whole. There is 
 no need to give you any conjectures about the conclusion 
 of the sixth vial, or the beginning of the last ; only you 
 may observe, that the first of these will probably take up 
 most of the time between the year 1848, and the year 
 2000, because such long messages and intrigues (besides 
 the time spent before, in destroying the Turkish empire), 
 and preparations for so universal a war, must needs take 
 up a great many years, whereas, our blessed Lord seems 
 to tell us, that the destruction of all those his enemies, 
 will be accomplished speedily, and in a little time, in 
 comparison of the other vial. Supposing, then, that the 
 Turkish monarchy should be totally destroyed between 
 1848 and 1900, we may justly assign seventy or eighty 
 years longer to the end of the sixth seal, and but twenty 
 or thirty, at most, to the last. Now, how great and re- 
 markable this last destruction of the papal Antichrist will 
 be, we may guess by that representation of it, (chap. xiv. 
 19, 20,) where it is set forth under the emblem and char- 
 acter of the great wine-press of the wrath of God (which 
 can refer to nothing properly but the event of the seventh 
 vial, as I might show at large, had I time). Now, this 
 wine-press is said to be trodden without the city (viz., of 
 Jerusalem, or the church, seeing this is called the City, 
 in scripture style, as Rome is called the Great City) in 
 Armageddon (Rev. xvi. 16), which may bear allusion to 
 the valley of Decision (Joel iii. 2, 12, 14). However, 
 the greatness of this slaughter appears in this, that the 
 blood is represented to flow in such a current as to reach 
 even to the horse -bridles, viz., of the servants of God, 
 employed in this execution ; for, without doubt, this re- 
 lates to what we have in chap. xix. 14, which I beseech 
 you to compare with this place. For ye will find that a 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 59 
 
 large account is given of the fall of Babylon, (chap, xviii.) 
 and of the triumph of the church, upon her final victory 
 over this enemy, (chap. xix. 1, &c.) And, among other 
 things spoken of, relating to the battle and victory ob- 
 tained at Armageddon, ye have this account of the Gene- 
 ral and his victorious army (ver. 11, &c.) — “ And I saw 
 heaven opened, and behold, a white horse ; and he that 
 sat on him was called Faithful and True . . . and he was 
 clothed with a vesture dipped in blood : and his name is 
 called the Word of God. And the armies which were 
 in heaven followed him upon white horses. . .And he treaded 
 the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of God . * . And 
 I saw the beast and the kings of the earth, and their 
 armies, gathered together, to fight against him that sat on 
 the horse, and against his army. And the beast and 
 the false prophet were taken, and both were cast alive 
 into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the 
 remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon 
 the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth ; and 
 all the fowls were filled with their flesh.” And now, to 
 return to the representation of this slaughter, by the 
 wine-press of blood (chap. xiv. 20) ; it is further said of 
 it, that it flowed to the height of the horse-bridles, for 
 the space or extent of 1600 furlongs. So that Arma- 
 geddon seems to be denoted here, in the extent of it, as 
 the field of battle, which is now turned into a field of 
 blood. Now, what place can we imagine to be so pro- 
 perly meant by this, as the territory of the See of Rome 
 in Italy, which (as Mr. Joseph Mede, who first made this 
 observation, says), from the city of Rome to the further- 
 most mouth of the River Po, and the marshes of Verona, 
 is extended the space of 200 Italian miles, that is exactly 
 1600 furlongs: the Italian mile consisting of eight fur- 
 longs. Now the Hebrew word Armageddon or Harma- 
 geddon may be justly derived from TO'in, which signi- 
 fies both a malediction or anathema, and a destruction 
 
60 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 or slaughter, and ’pTi, or more fully pTro, which signi- 
 fies an army, or their army. So that both the anathemas 
 darted against the saints by the Romanists, and their 
 armies made use of against them (all which proceeded 
 from Rome papal), may be here alluded to, in the expira- 
 tion of both their ecclesiastical and temporal interest. So 
 that this conjecture upon the name does confirm that 
 other of Mr. Mede, that the Stata Della Chiefa, or the 
 territory and possession of Italy belonging to the See of 
 Rome, is the place called Armageddon, where the final 
 destruction of antichristianism will be. 
 
 And now, my friends, I have fulfilled my promise to 
 you, in giving you, not only a resolution of the grand 
 apocalyptical question, When the papacy began, and 
 when we may suppose it will end, but some considerable 
 improvement of it, with respect to the knowledge not 
 only of times past, but that particular period we are now 
 under, together with conjectures (and some of them, I 
 am sure, new and uncommon) about future time. By 
 all which, I hope, I have given the world such a key to 
 unlock all the chambers of the Book of the Revelation, 
 as I hope I may venture to say (if considered and used 
 impartially, judiciously, and diligently), will be found to 
 give some new light to us, in our mental journey through 
 the mazes, and turnings, and dark passages therefore. 
 And had I not been so confined, as ye may see I have 
 been, I might have cleared a great many other dark 
 things in this prophecy. But, seeing I could not neglect 
 this opportunity of presenting these thoughts to the 
 world, as a new year and new age’s gift at once, I do, 
 therefore, hope ye will the more easily excuse what may 
 seem dark or defective in this discourse, as considering 
 how much I am straitened, not only as to the limits 
 of paper that I must keep to, but of time also. 
 
 Now, seeing I have already given you a theoretical 
 improvement of the question I have presented you with 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 61 
 
 a resolution of, all that remains is to bring you from 
 speculations and notions to practice ; that your thoughts 
 may be so seasoned with a serious and deep sense of 
 your duty and interest, that ye may get advantage both 
 by the perusal of my preceding apocalyptical meditations, 
 and the following discourses. That after ye have con- 
 sidered the duty of improving your time (which, together 
 with some other things I am now to treat of,) ye may 
 make application to yourselves of what I have said con- 
 cerning God’s dwelling with men upon the earth, so as 
 ye yourselves may become temples of the living God, see- 
 ing God hath promised this privilege to all true Christians, 
 saying, “ I will dwell in them, and walk in them ; and I 
 will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (2 Cor. 
 vi. 16.) And when ye have thus applied to yourselves 
 the first of the following discourses, I hope ye will not 
 reckon it lost time, to consider what I have said as to the 
 ministerial work, especially the application, as to that 
 part of it, at least, which does immediately relate to you 
 and all Christians, as well as ministers ; that this way ye 
 may learn to join in with Christ’s ordinances for the future, 
 with greater seriousness, and in order to further good 
 than perhaps any of us have yet attained to do. And 
 when ye have improved this way, also by the perusal 
 of the second discourse, let me desire you to read the last 
 concluding one, with serious meditation, in order to see 
 the connexion and design of the whole. For, though it 
 be short, yet it contains much in little, and may be of 
 use to introduce your minds to some further and more 
 distinct apprehension of our holy religion, as it centres 
 in Jesus Christ. And when ye have thus perused and 
 considered both this and the following discourses, I am 
 willing ye think as meanly of both me and them as ye 
 please, upon condition, that ye may this way value the 
 holy Scriptures more. For, as my design, in all my 
 performances of this kind, is to dig my materials from 
 
62 
 
 THE RISE Am) FALL 
 
 the fruitful and rich mines of this divine depositum and 
 sacred treasure ; so I have no other end than to lead 
 you in there also, that ye may be more and more en- 
 riched with the saving knowledge of the truth as it is in 
 Jesus. In order to this, therefore, 
 
 Let me, in the second place, suggest something here 
 by way of a practical improvement of what I have said 
 above, especially that part of our discourse which I was 
 last upon, relating to the apocalyptical times and periods, 
 with the transactions of the same, in as far as they con- 
 cern us. And what I have to say here I shall propose 
 by way of observations, which may be of some use, I 
 hope, both to regulate our thoughts and actions, while 
 we live in the world, in relation to the concerns of the 
 church of God. 
 
 The first observation is, that it may justly be looked 
 upon as an eminent confirmation of the truth of Chris- 
 tianity, that so wonderful an account should be given of 
 the transactions of the world, so long before they came 
 to pass. 
 
 The verity of our holy religion is proved from two 
 things principally — viz. miracles and prophesy ; and both 
 these arguments have been excellently improved by 
 learned men. But yet, as the first of these was perhaps 
 the principal and most convincing topic to those that 
 lived in our Saviour’s days ; so I look upon the second 
 to be the most considerable to those that live in after 
 ages. Nay, we find that Christ himself did not lay the 
 foundation of the belief of his mission on miracles alone, 
 but seemed to build the faith of his disciples chiefly on 
 the Old Testament prophecies, as he did to the two disciples 
 going to Emmaus (Luke xxiv. 27), &e. ; and I suppose, 
 it is too plain to need any proof, that the apostles did 
 ever insist upon the prophecies of the Old Testament, 
 more than either upon Christ’s miracles or their own, in 
 order thence to demonstrate that Christ was the Messias. 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 63 
 
 “ For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy,” 
 (Rev. xix. 10,) i. e. (as I understand the words) the spirit 
 of prophecy is the great standing evidence and testimony 
 of the divinity of Christ, and of the verity of his word ; 
 and therefore (as the angel argues with John) he only is 
 to be worshipped who is truly God, and who inspires his 
 servants with the gift of knowing things to come. 
 
 It has therefore been the work of learned men in all 
 ages, to prove that Christ was the true Messias, and 
 consequently that his institution of religion was truly 
 divine, by shewing how punctually the Old Testament 
 prophecies were fulfilled in him. But I am much mis- 
 taken, if an impartial considerer of the New Testament 
 prophecies may not find some things that do almost as 
 plainly characterize several later events, as the ancient 
 prophecies did the former ; and of this, let what I have 
 said of the sixth and seventh seal, and fifth and sixth 
 trumpet, and of the slaughter of the witnesses, be taken 
 as instances ; or if this will not be allowed, let it be 
 considered, that we see the full completion of the Old 
 Testament prophecies relating to the erection of Chris- 
 tianity, whereas we see not the entire fulfilling of the 
 apocalyptical ones. Therefore we must make allowance 
 for the different representation of the one and the other 
 of these. For they only that shall live after the great 
 battle of Armageddon is over, can see the exact fulfilling 
 oF this prophecy in the destruction of Antichrist, with the 
 same advantage they see also the fulfilling of Daniel’s 
 visions, with respect to the coming of the Messiah and 
 his death. We therefore now have no more advantage, 
 as to time, in explaining and understanding this latter 
 event, than the Jews had as to the first, who lived in the 
 days of the Maccabees, while Daniel’s weeks of years 
 were running out ; and I question if they then did under - 
 stand the periods of time they were under, more clearly, 
 if at all so distinctly, as we do the times that have past 
 
64 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 over the Christian church, and that part of time we are 
 now under. Therefore, I say, we have great reason to 
 thank God, that so much of this book is already made so 
 clear to us, as to prove confirming thus far to our faith. 
 For what differences have been among the most eminent 
 interpreters of this book, as to particular calculations and 
 accommodations of things ; yet they have all of them 
 agreed in the main foundations of the interpretation 
 thereof, which I have built upon (excepting Grotius and 
 Hammond, whose hypothesis has had few followers, and 
 will have fewer), as Dr. Cressener has irrefragably proved 
 in his book, entitled, “ A demonstration of the first prin- 
 ciples of the Protestant applications of the Apocalypse.” 
 So that there are two things almost equally strange to 
 me, that the Jews should own the verity of the Old 
 Testament and particularly of Daniel’s prophecy, and not 
 see that the Messias is come ; and that the papists should 
 believe the divinity of the New Testament, and particu- 
 larly of the Revelation, and not see that their church 
 is antichristian. But while I admire the wilful stupidity 
 of both these parties ; I cannot but admire also the 
 wisdom of God in making use of both these in his 
 Providence to confirm to us the verity of Christianity, 
 in prophesying both of the one and the other so long 
 before, and in continuing them to this day as standing 
 monuments of the divinity both of the Old and New 
 Testament. But besides, there is 
 
 A second observation, that may be of great use to us 
 this way also — viz. that this book represents to us, as in 
 a small but exact map, the steadiness and exactness of 
 Providence, and Christ’s government of the world. 
 
 For here we see various and seemingly confused events 
 of Providence so exactly methodized, as to make up one 
 uniform and noble piece. The seeming discords and 
 jarring sound of things, being so disposed by infinite 
 wisdom, as to make up one perfect harmony. Here 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 65 
 
 piety and wickedness, angels and devils, the church and 
 Antichrist, act various and contrary parts ; and yet Christ 
 makes use of all for noble purposes, and carries all on for 
 one great end. 
 
 And now, as in other respects so in this, we may take 
 notice of the perfection of the Holy Scripture ; that 
 what is wanting in history is made up in prophecy, which, 
 in some sense, is history also. For if history, in the 
 general notion of it, be an account or relation of the 
 actions of men in the world, prophecy is no less a species 
 of this than that to which the name is most commonly 
 appropriated. For, as that is a relation of things past, 
 prophecy is an account of things to come. Now, as 
 Daniel makes up the hiatus or defect of the history of the 
 Old Testament, so the Revelation of John supplies that 
 of the New, by leading us down from Christ’s first to his 
 second coming. 
 
 And here let me observe, that these two books give 
 us the exact plan of a Divine history, which never yet 
 was given ; the only essay towards something of this kind 
 that I know of, having been given by a near and dear * 
 friend of mine. For though there have been many ec- 
 clesiastical as well as civil histories written, yet none of 
 these run in the strain of Scripture history, where all 
 matters of fact are related, not so much in a reference to 
 men as, in relation to God, and his providence, in go- 
 verning the world. 
 
 A third observation is this, that we may now, after 
 what I have said, attain to a distinct view of what part 
 of this prophecy is past, and what remains yet to be ful- 
 filled. 
 
 Of this 1 shall say nothing directly at this time, 
 seeing the preceding scheme I have given of the apoca- 
 
 * My father, in his third part of the fulfilling of Scripture, 
 called “ Scripture Truth confirmed and cleared, by some eminent 
 appearances of God for his church, under the New Testament . ” 
 
 F 
 
6S 
 
 THE RISE AND FALE 
 
 lyptical periods may, I humbly hope, afford you a suffi- 
 cient thread to regulate and fix your thoughts and medi- 
 tations in relation to this subject. Only I shall hint 
 some things to you, that are deducible from what I have 
 already said this way. 
 
 Therefore, first, let me advise you not to suffer your- 
 selves to he deluded with the specious or confident pre- 
 tences of some men ; when they go about to impose, not 
 only upon themselves but upon the world, by their 
 notions relating to the sudden coming of Christ to judge 
 the world, or to the speedy destruction of the papacy. 
 I love to expose no man’s weaknesses, and I perfectly 
 abhor the way that of late is become modish, to rip up 
 and publish personal failings. And, therefore, I shall 
 neither trample upon the graves of the dead, nor affront 
 the living : as remembering that we do all know in part 
 and prophecy in part only. But, without detracting from 
 others, I do in faithfulness and love desire ye may not 
 suffer yourselves to be imposed upon by a vain imagina- 
 tion that the end of things is so near, as some both of 
 old and of late have pretended to foresee. For, from the 
 scheme I have given you, ye may easily see, that there 
 are many and great events to fall out, before the final 
 fall of antiehristianism, and more before the consumma- 
 tion of all things. 
 
 And, secondly, as I would not have you to suffer your 
 hope to carry you too far, so neither your fear. For, as 
 the warm imagination of some men has represented to 
 them the fall of Antichrist and the day of judgment so 
 near, that these must happen in their times ; so the me- 
 lancholy and fear of others has so far wrought upon them, 
 that they have fancied the great slaughter of the wit- 
 nesses is yet to come. And of both these sorts of men, 
 this observation will be found generally to be true ; that 
 those over whose reason, fancy and imagination has the 
 ascendant (whether it be an airy or sprightly, or a dull 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 67 
 
 and melancholy one), have still limited great events to 
 their own time, and most commonly to a very few years. 
 But lam much mistaken if I have not proved, that the 
 universal slaughter of the witnesses is already past ; 
 though, at the same time, I do readily grant that there 
 is just ground to fear, that we are near some very trying 
 judgments, of some years’ continuance. But I have said 
 enough of this above, and therefore shall add no more 
 here. 
 
 But, thirdly, seeing I have touched but slightly upon 
 the millennium, or the thousand years’ reign of the saints 
 on earth ; I shall desire you to think a little further on 
 this, as the greatest event that is to happen before the 
 end of the world. 
 
 I dare not, indeed, expatiate upon this vast subject ; 
 only I shall suggest a few things concerning it. The 
 first is, that this is to begin immediately after the total 
 and final destruction of Rome papal, in or about the year 
 2000 ; and that, therefore, Christ himself will have the 
 honour of destroying that formidable enemy, by a new 
 and remarkable appearance of himself, as I said above. 
 But, secondly, we must not imagine that this appearance 
 of Christ will be a personal one, no more than his ap- 
 pearance in the destruction of the Jews by Vespasian and 
 Titus was such; for, “the heavens must retain him, 
 until the great and last day of the consummation or 
 restitution of all things.” (Acts iii. 21.) Thirdly, yet 
 we must have a care of confounding this millenary peace- 
 ful state of the church, with the day of judgment ; seeing 
 nothing is more plainly distinguished, than these are in 
 the 20th chapter of the Revelation ; where it is told us, 
 That after the thousand years are expired, Satan shall 
 again be let loose, and men shall apostatize almost uni- 
 versally from Christ, and make war against the saints ; 
 and that after the destruction of those enemies, the day 
 of judgment shall commence. And, therefore, fourthly, 
 
 f 2 
 
68 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 we are not to imagine that the millenary reign of the 
 saints shall he free from all mixture of hypocrisy and 
 wicked men, or from sin and trouble ; seeing the sudden 
 and general apostacy that follows that period is a demon- 
 stration, that all were not Israel that feigned themselves 
 to be of it, and wanted therefore only an opportunity to 
 shake off the church’s yoke. Nay, the expiration of that 
 period shews, that long peace and prosperity must have 
 corrupted the church itself ; else it cannot be conceived 
 to be consistent with the equity and goodness of God, to 
 suffer her enemies to go so near to the total extirpation 
 of his own professing people. 
 
 These things I have hinted thus, because I have no 
 time or room to insist upon them as the subject does re- 
 quire. But I do the more readily pass them now, be- 
 cause a * late learned author has materially considered 
 them, at least the three last of them ; wherein he has 
 very much confirmed my apocalyptical thoughts, which 
 several years ago I had entertained upon this head. 
 
 And the same j* author has prevented my enquiry con- 
 cerning the call of the Jews, and their national conver- 
 sion to Christianity ; for, as I took notice before, I could 
 never fall in with the strained interpretation of Rev. xvi. 
 12, as if by the kings of the east, the Jews were to be 
 understood, and that, consequently, their full conversion 
 was to be under the sixth vial. Therefore, after various 
 thoughts upon this head, being satisfied that the Jews 
 were to be converted, and that this great event could 
 not be wholly left out in the Revelation, I did at last 
 conclude, that this must not be (whatever particular con- 
 versions of some part of them might happen) until the final 
 destruction of the popish party ; whose idolatry, villanies, 
 
 * Dr. Whitby’s Treatise of the Millennium, added to his Para- 
 phrase and Comment on the Epistles. 
 
 f The same author, ibid, and on the 11th of the Romans, and 
 in the Appendix to the same. 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 69 
 
 lies and legends, and bloody temper, is the chief thing 
 that prejudices them against Christianity. So that I did 
 at length conclude, that the resurrection or revival of the 
 ancient Jewish church, is understood by the resurrection 
 of the martyrs, (chap. xx. 4,) who being thus added to 
 the true reformed Christian church, and making up one 
 body, together with those Gentile believers, in the ful- 
 ness or ripened state of the Gentile church, shall be to 
 them as life from them the dead. (See Rom. xi. 15 — 25.) 
 
 One notion only I crave leave to add to those of the 
 above-cited author on these heads — viz. that I look upon 
 the millenary state to be the most eminent and illustrious 
 time of the Christocraty (I hope none will reject the 
 word, though it be new, seeing it is so expressive of the 
 thing), wherein Christ will revive, but in a more spiritual 
 and excellent way, the ancient Theocraty of the Jews. 
 For, as under Moses, the judges and kings of Judah, 
 God acted as king of the Jews (or Christ rather, in a 
 more peculiar and immediate sense, as I may, perhaps, 
 have an occasion, afterwards, to prove to the world) ; so 
 I do expect, that after God has delivered his Christian 
 church from spiritual Egypt, and destroyed his enemies 
 in the Red Sea of their own blood, he will once more 
 exert his power and authority, and our blessed Redeemer 
 will reign as king of his people, not indeed in such a 
 pompous way as among the Jews of old (for John saw 
 no temple in the New Jerusalem, Rev. xxi. 22), but in a 
 way adapted to the New Testament dispensation, and 
 more immediately preparative unto, and typical of the 
 state of glory in heaven, after the day of judgment is 
 over. 
 
 And now that I am upon this great prophetical event, 
 I cannot forbear to give you a new conjecture upon the 
 last numbers of Daniel. For his seventy weeks of years, 
 (chap. ix. 24,) are already remarkably elapsed in the 
 in the incarnation and death of our Redeemer. And the 
 
70 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 number of 2000 days, (chap, viii.) are plainly to be in- 
 terpreted of the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, his pro- 
 fanation of the sanctuary ; for, as it is restricted to that 
 short period, as is plain to any that will attentively con- 
 sider the words themselves, (ver. 9 — 14, especially if 
 compared with ver. 21 — 26,) so the Spirit of God, by de- 
 signing this period by the title evenings -mornings, i. e, 
 natural days, does plainly assure us that we are not to 
 interpret these days prophetically for years, as we are 
 allowed to do the seventy weeks, and other numbers. 
 To return, therefore, to the last numbers of Daniel ; there 
 are two distinct periods of time, as I take them to be 
 (though all other interpreters go another way), to be 
 found in his 12th chapter. The first is of a time, times, 
 and a half, or three years and a half, (ver. 7,) i. e. 1290 
 prophetical days, or years, as Daniel himself has it ex- 
 plained to him. (ver. 11.) This, therefore, is the same 
 period of time that John borrows from Daniel, and ac- 
 commodates to the duration of Rome papal ; excepting 
 that there is the difference of thirty days, or years : only 
 that era of this period in Daniel, is vastly different from 
 that of John ; for, as to the latter, we have seen it already ; 
 but as to the former, Daniel fixes it at the scattering of 
 the holy people, or the Jewish nation, (ver. 7,) and at the 
 taking away the daily sacrifice, and the setting up of the 
 abomination that maketh desolate, (ver. 11.) Now, our 
 Saviour, who was certainly the best expositor of his own 
 word, explains this abomination that maketh desolate, 
 and which w r as to pollute and ruin the sanctuary, to 
 be nothing else but the idolatrous and desolating Ro- 
 man army; as we see by comparing Matthew xxiv. 15, 
 with Luke xxi. 20, 21. The epocha, therefore, of the 
 time, times, and a half, in Daniel, or his 1290 years, must 
 be the year 70 from the birth of our Saviour, when 
 Jerusalem was taken, if we should consider the beginning 
 of the setting up the abomination that maketh desolate. 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 71 
 
 But seeing the era of this number is not the beginning 
 of the conquest of the Jews, but the complete scattering 
 of that nation, or “ the accomplishing the scattering of 
 the power of the holy people,” as the words are (ver. 7), 
 and the full setting up of the abomination that maketh 
 desolate, (ver. 11,) which was not done till Hadrian’s time ; 
 who fully conquered the Jews, and built a city near the 
 ruins of Jerusalem, which he called ASiia, building, at 
 the same time, a temple to Jupiter, on the ground where 
 the temple had stood, and engraving over the gate of 
 this new city the figure of a swine, in derision of the 
 Jews. Now, this work was finished in or about the year 
 135. From whence the period of 1290 years leads us 
 down to a.d. 1425, which, in prophetical reckoning, is 
 the year 1407. About which time, the papal power was 
 at its utmost elevation ; for, after this time, the Hussites, 
 Albigenses, Wickliffites, Waldenses, Picards, &c. began 
 to fall before the Romanists, until they were, in a man- 
 ner, totally extirpated before another century had well 
 nigh run out. Now this dismal period expires about this 
 time; and then, there follows the second period of 1335 
 days or years, (ver. 12,) which being calculated from the 
 year 1407, terminates a. d. 2724, i. e. 2722 of prophe- 
 tical reckoning : which, therefore, includes the begun 
 downfal of the papacy under the seven vials; and the 
 final accomplishment thereof afterwards, together with 
 the greatest part of the millennium ; and, consequently, 
 the great conversion of the Jewish nation during that 
 period. And, perhaps, the begun apostacy of Jewish and 
 Gentile Christians (which is to issue in an universal war 
 against the saints, upon the expiration of the millennium), 
 may begin about that year 27 22. 
 
 And, now that I have come again upon prophetical 
 numbers, I shall venture to digress a little more still, 
 in giving you some further illustration of these two 
 great periods, from the 14th chapter of the Revelations. 
 
72 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 Of which take these few hints at this time. In the 
 first place, then, ye have a description of Christ’s followers 
 adhering to him, during the reign and rage of Antichrist, 
 (ver. 1 — 5, inclusive) : which must therefore, reach down 
 from a.d. 606, or 758 rather, to 1517. After which, we 
 have the begun revival of the church of Christ, repre- 
 sented, in the second place, by the testimonies of the 
 three angels, succeeding one another. The first angel 
 has a commission to preach the gospel purely to all 
 nations (ver. 6, 7), which must therefore begin with the 
 preaching of Zuinglius and Luther ; and does include, 
 I humbly suppose, the periods of the four first vials. The 
 second angel follows, (ver. 8,) and proclaims the fall of 
 Babylon, or the papacy ; and must therefore be syn- 
 chronical with the fifth vial, being poured out upon the 
 seat of the beast. The third angel gives men warning, 
 that they should not join with the beast, and denounceth 
 severe judgments against them that shall be found to do 
 so. (ver. 10, &c.) Which, therefore, relates to the last 
 part of the time of the sixth vial, when the unclean 
 spirits go forth to insinuate into the nations, in order to 
 engage them to make war against the saints, (chap. xvi. 
 13 — 16.) Now, after all these things, we have in the 
 third place, a typical or emblematical account of the deli- 
 verance of the church, and of the destruction of the bloody, 
 persecuting, antichristian party. Therefore, we have 
 first, the emblem of an harvest, which seems immedi- 
 ately to relate to Christ’s gathering his church into a 
 happy state, (ver. 14 — 16.) And then, secondly, we 
 have the representation of the final destruction of the 
 popish party, under the emblem of a vintage ; wherein 
 the bloody clusters of the several popish fraternities and 
 communities are to be bruised and squeezed to death in 
 the wine-press of God’s wrath, (ver. 17 — 20.) But I 
 have spoken already to this great period of time above, 
 which issues in the blessed millennium, and therefore I 
 shall say no more to it at this time. 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 73 
 
 Only there is one thing- which falls in my way here, 
 which ought not to be passed over in silence, and that is, 
 to what period we are to refer the happy state of the 
 new Jerusalem, (chap, xxi.) and of the blessed river and 
 tree of life, (chap, xxii.) For I find interpreters at a 
 mighty loss this way, whether these relate to the millen- 
 nium or heaven itself, after the day of judgment is past. 
 And, indeed, there are some things that seem inconsis- 
 tent with either of these states. For what is said of the 
 nations flocking into this new state, and walking in the 
 light of it ; and of the kings of the earth, that they shall 
 bring in their glory and honour to the church, (chap. xxi. 
 24 — 26,) seems not to agree with the notion the Scrip- 
 ture gives us of the state of the glorified in the higher 
 heaven, after the resurrection, but does exactly suit with 
 the peaceful reign of the saints, when Jerusalem, or the 
 church, shall be exalted above the nations, who shall all 
 run into her. And yet, upon the other hand, there are 
 things also that seem to be too great even for the blessed 
 millennium, as we have given the notion of it above. 
 Such is the account of the perfection of this state, that it 
 will be exempted from all death, sorrow, crying, and 
 pain, (chap, xxi, 4.) And yet, as the former expressions 
 may be adapted to the state of the church triumphant in 
 heaven, in a spiritual sense, so these last expressions may 
 be made to suit also with the state of the church on 
 earth, during the millennium, in a comparative sense, L e. 
 if considered with respect to the preceding afflicted con- 
 dition of Christians. 
 
 Therefore, seeing this last glorious scene of affairs 
 may be interpreted in relation either to the one or other 
 of these periods, I conclude that we ought to interpret it 
 of both, viz., of the millennium, in a first sense, and of 
 the future glory of the church in heaven, in a second and 
 complete sense. For as I observed above, that the sacred 
 prophecies, particularly that in the 24th chapter of Mat- 
 thew, and 2d chapter of the 2d epistle to the Thessalo- 
 
74 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 mans, are to be interpreted both in a first, and second or 
 ultimate sense ; so do I believe we must of necessity un- 
 derstand the account of the new heavens and new earth, 
 and of the heavenly Jerusalem, in this book. And if 
 this be once supposed, then it will be easy to adjust the 
 seemingly different figures used by the Holy Spirit in 
 this place, seeing the whole is so contrived, that it may 
 correspond both with the millenary state and the future 
 state of glory, viz., to the first, as an emblem and type of 
 the latter. So that as the destruction of the Jewish 
 nation and church, is given in such words (Matth. xxiv.) 
 as to become this way an emblem of the final destruction 
 of the world, so likewise, is the millennium so painted 
 and described (Rev. xxi.) as to be designedly given as a 
 type of the state of the church-triumphant in heaven, 
 after the day of judgment is over. 
 
 A fourth observation from what I said before, is this, 
 that our reformers did not rashly, but upon just grounds, 
 desert the church of Rome as antichristian and apos- 
 tatical. 
 
 For, not to insist upon prophetical indications of the 
 Roman church being indeed the great Antichrist, there 
 are four things that lay a just foundation for all honest 
 men’s leaving that interest — viz., 1. Gross errors, such 
 as purgatory, human merits, and works of supererogation, 
 indulgences, transubstantiation, &c. 2. Horrid idolatry, 
 
 in worshipping angels, saints, and canonized persons, 
 together with images, statues, crucifixes, and a conse- 
 crated wafer. 3. The pretended infallibility of the 
 Roman see, in imposing upon men’s consciences what 
 they please, and debarring us from reading the Scriptures 
 ourselves, or making use of our own reason in the matters 
 of religion. And 4. The dreadful tyranny of that party, 
 seen and felt both in their inhuman cruelties, persecutions, 
 massacres, and diabolical barbarities, used against all 
 those that differ from them. For the proof of all which 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 75 
 
 things, let Chamierus he consulted, together with “ Hey- 
 degerus de Babylone magna, Turretinus de necessaria 
 Secessione ab Ecclesia Rom ana,” and besides innumerable 
 others, Stillingfleet’s late pieces against the Romanists. 
 For my time allows me not now to enlarge upon any of 
 these heads. 
 
 Only, that I may not leave you without some speci- 
 men of popery, I shall copy out in English the twelve 
 articles of the Romish faith, additional to the twelve 
 Christian ones, which are contained in the Apostle’s 
 Creed, as to the sum and substance of them. These 
 twelve additional articles are contained in the famous 
 bull of Pope Pius the IVth, dated at Rome in the year 
 1564, in the ides of November, and the fifth year of his 
 pontificate, which is to be found at the end of the printed 
 canons and decrees of the council of Trent ; where, after 
 an enumeration of the primitive articles, beginning with 
 Credo in unum Deum , fyc. “ I believe in one God, &c.” 
 he proceeds to charge all men that would be saved, to 
 own and swear unto the following articles also ; anathem- 
 atizing all that do not so. These begin thus — Apostoli - 
 cas et ecclesiasticas traditiones , fyc., which take in Eng- 
 lish thus : 
 
 “ 1. I do also (i. e . together with the articles of the 
 Apostle’s Creed) most firmly admit and embrace the 
 apostolical and ecclesiastical traditions, and all other ob- 
 servations and constitutions of the same (i. e . the Roman) 
 Church. 
 
 “ 2. I do admit the sacred Scriptures in the same sense 
 that holy Mother Church doth, whose business it is to 
 judge of the true sense and interpretation of them ; 
 which I will receive and interpret according to the unani- 
 mous consent of the fathers. 
 
 “3. I do profess and believe, that there are seven 
 Sacraments of the new law, truly and properly so called, 
 instituted by Jesus Christ our Lord, and necessary to the 
 
76 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 salvation of mankind, though not all of them to every 
 person. These are, baptism, confirmation, eucharist, 
 penance, extreme unction, orders, and marriage, which 
 do all of them confer grace. And I do believe, that of 
 these, baptism, confirmation, and orders, may not he 
 repeated without sacrilege. I do also receive and admit 
 the received and approved rites of the catholic ( i . e. Ro- 
 man) church, in her solemn administration of the above 
 said sacraments. 
 
 “ 4. I do receive all and every thing that hath been 
 defined and declared by the holy council of Trent, con- 
 cerning Original Sin and Justification. 
 
 “ 5. I do profess, that in the Mass there is offered to 
 God a true, proper, and propitiatory sacrifice for the 
 quick and the dead. And that, in the most holy sacra- 
 ment of the Eucharist, there is truly, really, and sub- 
 stantially, the body and blood, together with the soul 
 and Divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ ; and that there 
 is a conversion made of the whole substance of the bread 
 into the body, and of the whole substance of the wine 
 into the blood ; which conversion the catholic church 
 calls transubstantiation. 
 
 “ 6. I confess, that under one kind only, whole and 
 entire Christ, and a true sacrament, is taken and received. 
 
 “ 7. I do firmly believe that there is a Purgatory, and 
 that the souls kept prisoners there, do receive help by the 
 suffrages of the faithful. 
 
 “8. I do likewise believe that the saints reigning 
 with Christ are to be worshipped and prayed unto ; and 
 that they do offer prayers unto God for us, and that their 
 relics are to be had in veneration. 
 
 “9. I do most firmly assert, that the images of Christ, 
 of the blessed Virgin, the mother of God, and of other 
 saints, ought to he had and retained ; and that due 
 honour and veneration ought to he given to them. 
 
 “10. I do affirm, that the power of indulgences was 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 77 
 
 left by Christ in the church ; and that the use of them 
 is very beneficial to Christian people. 
 
 “ 11. I do acknowledge the holy Catholic and Apo- 
 stolic Roman Church, to be the mother and mistress of 
 all churches : And I do promise and swear true obe- 
 dience to the bishop of Rome, the successor of St. Peter, 
 the prince of the apostles, and vicar of Jesus Christ. 
 
 “12. I do undoubtedly receive and profess all other 
 things which have been delivered, defined, and declared 
 by the sacred canons and oecumenical councils, and 
 especially by the holy synod of Trent ; and all things 
 contrary thereunto, and all heresies condemned, rejected, 
 and anathematized by the church, I do likewise condemn, 
 reject, and anathematize.” 
 
 Lo ! hei^e, my friends, ye have a fair prospect of 
 popery, without any misrepresentation, or so much as 
 comment ; for these are the words of the creed itself, 
 which all papists are obliged to believe and profess, in 
 order to salvation ; and which all those who enter into 
 religious orders do solemnly swear unto. And, therefore, 
 it is plain that these things are not looked upon by the 
 church of Rome as disputable opinions, but as necessary 
 articles of faith ; and, therefore, let the author of the 
 Case of the Regale and Pontificate, see how he can 
 make good the last concluding words of his book, which 
 are these : Concors Romance et Reformatce Ecclesice 
 Fides , & c. : i, e . “ the faith of the Roman and Reformed 
 Church doth agree,” or “is the same,” &c. For if these 
 things be so slight and trivial to him, that he can (as the 
 Popish Gallican church doth) swallow and digest all, 
 excepting the 11th Article; he must pardon others, if 
 they continue in the faith of the reformed church, as that 
 which is opposite to the Roman creed, in so many mo- 
 mentous particulars. 
 
 Nay, let me add one thing further here, as a necessary 
 consectary or inference from what I have said, in relation 
 
78 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 to this consideration we are still upon : that, as our 
 reformers did justly separate from the Romish church ; 
 so we have just ground also to continue separated from 
 that antichristian party. 
 
 Let others, under pretence of a dread of what they 
 call schism, run back into antichristian errors and here- 
 sies. Let them, if they are so disposed, forsake pure 
 Christianity, that they may promote the priests’ power, 
 and adorn their altars with gold and jewels. And let 
 them, in order to enslave men’s consciences and bodies 
 both, sound a retreat to Babylon again. We, I hope, 
 know our duty better, than to run the risk of damning 
 our souls, by becoming renegados to that bloody and 
 wicked party, against whose abominations so many 
 thousands of our ancestors witnessed, under racks and 
 torments, and at the stake in Smithfield and elsewhere. 
 They believed that what they did and suffered was in 
 obedience to the call of God, saying, Come out from the 
 apostate Romish church, my people, that ye be not par- 
 takers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues : 
 for her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath 
 remembered her iniquities. (Rev. xiii. 4, 5.) And God 
 forbid that any temptation should bring any of us back 
 again to that sink of all impurities and errors, after 
 we have enjoyed the sunshine of the gospel, in its purity 
 and power, so long. Therefore, seeing we know what 
 interest we are to keep to, let us be faithful to it, by 
 doing all we can for its security, establishment, and 
 honour. And if God call us to suffer for it, let us act as 
 the former heroes of the reformation have done before us, 
 that Christ may be glorified and the church edified by us, 
 whether it be by doing or suffering, by life or by death. 
 
 The fifth and last observation that I shall propose to 
 your thoughts, as the conclusion of all I have said, is 
 this, that though we are not to live to see the great and 
 final destruction of the papacy, the blessed millennium, 
 
OP THE PAPACY. 
 
 79 
 
 or Christ’s last coming to judge the world : yet, seeing 
 death is the equivalent of all these to us, if we be so happy 
 as to get into Paradise ; we ought, therefore, accordingly, 
 to spend and improve our time, that we may partake of 
 the future glory when we go hence. 
 
 I say, death is the equivalent of all these things to us, 
 if we be so happy as to get into Paradise. For then we 
 shall get the conquest over all antichristian enemies, and 
 be with Christ in a better state than any earthly millen- 
 nium can be supposed to be, waiting until He come to 
 judge the world, and till we appear also with him in 
 glory, having reassumed our then glorious bodies. 
 
 Improve your time, therefore, and all the opportunities 
 and advantages of it, with your utmost diligence and 
 seriousness, as remembering that ye are dying and 
 accountable creatures, and that your time is given you 
 for this very end, that ye may prepare for a better world. 
 
 And now that we see the beginning not only of a new 
 year, but of a new age, I must give a further vent to my 
 zeal and concern for your souls’ good, upon this great 
 and practical head — viz. the improvement of time with 
 respect to the upper world, that when I am gone, I may, 
 by what I have said, and am about to say, continue to 
 speak still to those that shall survive me, and even (if 
 this Discourse last so long) to succeeding generations 
 also. And I suppose ye will the more readily bear with 
 me in this, when ye remember with what unanimity and 
 importunity ye desired me to print a Sermon on this 
 head, which I preached on New Year’s Day, 1699, from 
 Psalm xc. 12. For, seeing I was prevented in yielding 
 to your desire then, I shall lay hold on this opportunity 
 to make amends, in some measure at least, for that 
 seeming neglect, by presenting you with some useful 
 hints on this subject. 
 
 And here, as I begin to speak upon this head, the 
 story of Xerxes comes to my remembrance ; who, when 
 
80 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 he saw his vast army of a thousand thousand men march 
 by (with whom he expected to have swallowed up the 
 poor Grecians), is reported to have wept, upon this 
 thought, that before a hundred years should run out, 
 none of all that multitude would be alive ; little imagin- 
 ing, that before the end of that very year, he was to see 
 the destruction of almost all of them, and draw his last 
 breath himself also. For, methinks, it is a serious and 
 weighty thing to think, that before the end of this 
 century, all those that now make a figure in the world, 
 will have finished their course, and be gathered into 
 heaven or hell ; new actors coming upon the stage, in 
 their stead. And yet, while I lengthen out my medi- 
 tation to the end of a century, I find just reason to con- 
 tract my thoughts, and I suppose I see both you and all 
 others, that crowd our streets and places of worship, or 
 fill remoter islands and continents, gradually dropping 
 into an eternity, some this year, some the next, and so on. 
 
 But to proceed to the consideration of the subject in 
 hand : I suppose I need not tell you w T hat we are to un- 
 derstand by the improvement of time ; seeing this is too 
 plain to need any explication in a general sense. And 
 neither can it be dark to Christians, in a spiritual sense. 
 For it can denote nothing else, but such a rational and 
 religious regulation of our time and disposal of our 
 talents and opportunities, especially as we live under the 
 advantages and means of the gospel, that we may ever 
 be occupied in doing and getting good, so as to find 
 favour in the sight of God, and attain afterwards to the 
 happy enjoyment of him. For, seeing, as the apostle 
 says (2 Cor. vi. 1, 2), now is our accepted time and day 
 of salvation, w r e ought to take heed to ourselves, that we 
 receive not the grace of God in vain. We ought to 
 reckon, therefore, that this space of our life is given us, 
 that we may be taken up in promoting the honour of 
 God, and our own and other men’s good, as being, in all 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 81 
 
 these respects, in a state of trial. Let us therefore 
 improve our time, by labouring to gain our own assent 
 and consent fully to the terms of the gospel, by studying 
 the word of God more and more ; by a close and impartial 
 trial of ourselves ; by frequent and fervent prayer, and 
 by a universal and constant obedience to all God’s laws 
 and institutions. And let us argue ourselves into this 
 as our duty, by considering how dearly our Lord Jesus 
 has purchased our day of grace and opportunity of sal- 
 vation ; how many have been damned and lost for ever, 
 by their not improving this talent of time ; how dreadful 
 the condemnation of such will be who choose darkness 
 rather than light ; how unreasonable it is to be so careful 
 of the body, and so regardless of the soul ; how strange 
 it is, that we should not do that for our eternal advan- 
 tage, which worldlings do for a little temporal gain ; 
 and lastly, how uncertain we are of the continuance of 
 our time and season of grace. 
 
 And seeing, in order to improve time aright, we 
 ought to lay hold of all the special seasons and peculiar 
 opportunities which God puts into our hand for this 
 end; these will deserve to be particularly considered 
 by us. But since it is the work of prudence, that every 
 man know and observe his own circumstances and pro- 
 vidential occurrences, in order to a right improvement 
 of them accordingly; all that I can do here, is to hint 
 at some generals this way. Therefore 1. Let me advise 
 you to make a right improvement of the circumstances 
 of your outward lot in the world. Are you in a state of 
 prosperity ? Then, be thankful to your gracious Bene- 
 factor. Are ye honoured ? Improve this, that God may 
 be honoured through you. Are ye in any place of 
 power and authority ? Lay yourselves out to advance the 
 kingdom of God among men. Are ye rich? Remem- 
 ber what Solomon says, “ That wisdom is good with an 
 inheritance” (Eccles. vii. 11); and therefore serve God 
 
 G 
 
82 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 with what he gives you. But if ye be in adversity, de- 
 spond not, but remember, that as prosperity gives men 
 greater advantages for doing good, adversity affords more 
 seasons, usually, for getting good. For in the day of 
 adversity we are more ready to think and consider, than 
 in the time of prosperity, as Solomon says (Eccles. vii.) ; 
 for then is the time and season to consider the vanity and 
 uncertainty of the world, to know ourselves better, and 
 God more, and to prepare more readily and thoroughly 
 for another world. 2. Improve your circumstances in 
 relation to company or retirement. If ye be hurried 
 with company, labour to gain that by them, which may 
 in some measure make up your loss of time. If ye can 
 get no good from them, then study, if possible, to do 
 them good, by insinuating what may tend to their 
 advantage, and then ye can have no reason to reckon 
 your time lost. But if ye enjoy the company of good 
 and wise men, it is not to be believed what profit and 
 advantage may be got by mutual discourses to edifica- 
 tion, where men are communicative, and can bear with 
 different apprehensions about things, without running 
 into heats and quarrellings. But if we are shut out 
 from company, we may justly look upon solitude and 
 retirement, as a happy opportunity of advantage and 
 profit, if we do but know how to improve the same, 
 by filling up such seasons with study, meditation, and 
 prayer. 3. Improve the means and opportunities of 
 grace and salvation. For the end of all that Christ has 
 suffered and done for us, is to redeem us from all ini- 
 quity, and to purify us to himself a people zealous of 
 good works. (Tit. ii. 14.) Therefore let us so hear the 
 word preached, and so join with the prayers of the 
 church, and so partake of the ordinances of Christ, 
 particularly that of the Lord’s supper, that we may be 
 built up a spiritual house, as lively stones, concurring 
 to the raising up of such an edifice ; and that we may 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 83 
 
 become also a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacri- 
 fices, acceptable by Jesus Christ to God. (1 Pet. ii. 5.) 
 And 4. If at any time or upon any occasion, ye find 
 the Spirit of God to move your thoughts and affections 
 more sensibly than usual, as the angel moved the waters 
 of the pool, of old ; oh ! my friends, neglect not such 
 a fair gale and favourable opportunity, but improve 
 this happy season, and strike the iron when hot and 
 malleable. For how dreadful must it be to quench the 
 Holy Spirit, and stifle the convictions, motions, and in- 
 fluences thereof, especially such as are sensible and 
 peculiar. 
 
 But seeing, to begin aright, is one great mean to 
 carry on a thing successfully, we ought to set about the 
 improving of our time as early as we can, without any 
 delay or procrastination in a matter of this weight and 
 moment. For it is only our present time that we can 
 reckon ours. For as our yesterdays are irrecoverable, so 
 our to-morrows are but may-bes and uncertainties. 
 Therefore we are always called to hear God’s voice to- 
 day, if we will do it at all. And, therefore, let us not 
 delay, but make haste to keep God’s righteous and holy 
 commandments. (See Heb. iii. 7, 13, 15 ; chap. iv. 7 ; 
 2 Cor. vi. 2; Luke xix. 42; Isa. lv. 6; Job xxii. 21 ; 
 Mat. v. 25 ; Psalm cxix. 60.) 
 
 Now, if we would improve our time and life to ad- 
 vantage this way, let us be sure not to neglect the 
 morning of time. And here, then, let me put you in 
 mind of four mornings of time. The 1st is the morning 
 of your life, i. e . the time of your youth, health, and 
 strength. Such of you as have lost this season, in 
 whole or in part, pray double your diligence, in the 
 improvement of what remains of your time. But such 
 of you as are young, be advised to remember your 
 Creator in the days of your youth, (Eccles. xii. 1), and 
 act so as you may afterwards look back upon your past 
 
84 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 days with satisfaction and pleasure. 2. The morning 
 of every day is a time to be peculiarly improved for 
 God and your own good ; for the doing so has a mighty 
 influence upon us as to the right spending of the rest of 
 the day. It is a reason, that is not only arnica musis , 
 a friend of study, as the old saying is, but that is favour- 
 able also oratione et devotioni , to prayer and devotion ; 
 for while our minds are fresh and undisturbed with the 
 hurries of company and business, it is certainly the fittest 
 time for duty as well as study. And, therefore, the 
 saints of old were careful not to neglect this season, (see 
 Psalm v. 3 ; xcii. 2 ; Job i. 5 ; Mark i. 35 ; Acts v. 21.) 
 3. Improve the morning of every week carefully, viz. 
 the Lord’s day. For as we discharge our duty then, we 
 may expect God’s blessing through the week, more or 
 less. But if we refuse to give God what is his due on 
 his own day, we must not think it strange, if God with- 
 draw from us on those days that he has allowed us to 
 serve ourselves upon. And hence it is no wonder, if we 
 find that true, which many have confessed with sorrow 
 at the hour of death, that the profanation of the Lord’s day 
 has been the inlet to all their after -sins and miseries both. 
 And 4. Perhaps it may not he unprofitable for us, to set 
 apart the morning of every year, to review what we have 
 done, and what has happened to us the year past, and to 
 beg God’s blessing through the year following. It has 
 been the practice of some holy persons to do this ; some 
 reckoning the year, as it is usual with us in our compu- 
 tations, from the 1st of January; and others reckoning 
 from the day of their birth, or baptism, or conversion ; 
 in all which every one may take which way pleaseth 
 him best. And now, that we enter upon the morning 
 or beginning of a new century, let me beseech you to 
 begin this work now, if ye have neglected it during the 
 years of the last age, which ye have run through, 
 whether these have been more or fewer. 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 85 
 
 Having thus given you an account of time, and the 
 opportunities and seasons of it to be improved, I shall 
 proceed to recommend this duty from three considera- 
 tions, and then to direct you how to do it, by proposing 
 three rules to be observed this way. 
 
 In the first place, therefore, let , me earnestly recom- 
 mend this duty to you from three weighty considerations. 
 
 The first consideration is this, that it is the duty and 
 wisdom of every one of us, to be duly and deeply im- 
 pressed with the sense of the worth and value of time. 
 
 I might take occasion here to show you, from innu- 
 merable examples, that the best and wisest men, in all 
 ages, both Christians and heathens, have been under 
 the deepest and most constant impressions of the value 
 of time. But, as this would be too long for this place, 
 so it is needless to insist upon it, seeing I believe ye can 
 as little form an idea of a wise or good man, that does 
 not value and improve time, as I can. 
 
 Therefore, I suppose, there is no need to prove to you 
 the worth and preciousness of time. To you, I say, who 
 know the uncertainty of it, and yet how much depends 
 upon the improvement and loss of it. But if any of you 
 need any awakening this way, consider how valuable 
 time will appear to a convinced sinner when he lies upon 
 a death-bed, who sees himself dropping into another 
 world, and yet apprehends that his peace is not made 
 with God. Oh, cries the poor wretch, that I had spent 
 less of my time on the world and my lusts, and more of 
 it minding the good of my own soul ! Oh that I had 
 those hours and days back again that I spent in taverns 
 and bad company ! Oh for a year, or a month, or a week, 
 at least, of health and strength, to make my peace with 
 God ! And pray, my friends, were ye never sick, and 
 under some such thoughts then ? Were ye not sensible 
 then of mis-spent time ? Or did ye never promise amend- 
 ment and reformation, if God should recover you ? 
 
86 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL, 
 
 Where is now the performance of your vows ? Oh, if 
 there be any that forget God, and neglect to do as they 
 have promised and resolved, let them consider their duty 
 and interest in time, lest God tear them in pieces, when 
 there is none to deliver them. Alas, my friends! w T hat 
 would those poor wretches give for one day, nay for one 
 hour, who are now in the infernal prison ? What would 
 they give for one offer of a Saviour, who are now lament- 
 ing their slighting of the gospel, and their mis-spending 
 their time and opportunities of salvation ? Therefore do 
 ye learn to value time more, and improve it better, be- 
 fore it be too late to retrieve lost opportunities. And 
 this leads me to another consideration. Therefore, 
 
 The second consideration is, that it is our wisdom, not 
 only to be impressed with the sense of the worth and 
 value of time, but to be duly and deeply affected and 
 influenced this way, so as to set about the improvement 
 of it, as our greatest and most concerning duty and 
 interest. 
 
 For it is not speculation but practice that we are to 
 mind here : and, therefore, if our apprehensions of the 
 worth of time do not influence us to improve it, they will 
 only tend to our greater condemnation. Therefore, that 
 what I have said may so affect you, as to incite you to 
 your duty this way ; I shall not grudge a little pains in 
 writing further on this head, in hope that ye will not 
 be weary in reading what is written. Take it not amiss, 
 therefore, if I address you with some seriousness and 
 warmth of affection, and, throughyou, all others that may 
 cast their eyes upon these sheets. 
 
 My dear friends, some of you have lived twenty, some 
 thirty, some forty, some fifty, some sixty, or more years 
 in the world. Now, I beseech you to consider what ye 
 have been doing all this time. Have your performances 
 borne any proportion to the mercies ye have received from 
 God ? Have ye been faithful to improve your talents 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 87 
 
 for your God and Saviour ? Have your convictions 
 brought forth a saving conversion r Have your resolu- 
 tions and promises been all performed ? Has it been a 
 matter of conscience to you, to serve God with the best 
 of your time, the greatest vigour of your thoughts, the 
 utmost energy of love and delight,, and, in a word, with 
 all your heart and strength ? 
 
 If ye have been deficient this way, then pray consider 
 not only how impossible it is to bring back any part of 
 the time that is past, but how little, or, at least, how un*- 
 certain the time is, that remains to be lived over. And 
 if any be secure this way, because they are young, or 
 strong and healthful, let them remember how often the 
 old carry the young to the grave, and the weak and 
 sickly see robust and vigorous persons drop off before 
 them. And what is our life at longest ? Does not the 
 Scripture labour, as it were, under a want of metaphors, 
 to describe its vanity, when it compares it to a hand- 
 breadth, a span, a vapour, the grass that is soon mowed 
 down, the flower that quickly fades, the shadow that de- 
 clines, and the tale that is told ? How poor a thing then 
 is it, to be able no otherwise to number our days and 
 years ; than by our being born at such a time, and having 
 lived to such another time? There is, therefore, no 
 more unreasonable desire in the world, than to live long, 
 where there is no concern to live well : for this is only to 
 wish to have more time to mis-spend, to sin longer than 
 others, and to be more miserable in the other world. 
 Besides, that it is impossible, as the course of things is 
 now, to live long in a proper sense : for, as the following 
 distich expresses it, 
 
 Vivere quisque , diu qucerit, bene vivere nemo : 
 
 At bene quisque potest , vivere nemo diu . 
 
 That is — 
 
 To live long, all desire ; to live well, none : 
 
 Yet all may live well, but none can live long. 
 
88 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 For is it not for this very end that time is given us, 
 that it may be improved and lived well, in order to our 
 being fitted and prepared for the happy state of a 
 glorious immortality ? Surely God did never make so 
 glorious a creature as man, endued with an immortal 
 soul, merely to live the life of the beast, to eat, and 
 drink, and sleep, or to enjoy his sensitive lusts and plea- 
 sures. 
 
 Think then, my friends, that according as ye improve 
 or mis-improve time, ye are to be happy or miserable for 
 an eternity. For we are now in a state of trial, and 
 upon our behaviour, in order to be rewarded or punished 
 afterwards as we shall be found to have acted, when we 
 come to be judged : therefore we may rejoice now, and 
 take our pleasure as we please (Eccl. xi. 9) ; but we have 
 reason to rejoice with trembling, (Ps. ii. 11,) when we 
 remember that we are to be called before God, and 
 judged for all we do now. For they that live in the 
 flesh (1 Pet. iv. 2, 5) according to their lusts, must give 
 an account to him, that is to be the Judge of the quick 
 and the dead. And then every one of them will hear 
 that dreadful word, “ Take the unprofitable servant, and 
 cast him into the outer darkness, where there shall be 
 weeping and gnashing of teeth,” (Matth. xxv. 25.) 
 
 Consider, therefore, that it is impossible to recall any 
 moment of time that is lost, in a proper and physical 
 sense : and that thus it is a foolish and ridiculous wish ; 
 O mihi prceteritos referat si Jupiter annos ! O if God 
 would give me back the years that are past ! But yet 
 in a moral sense, we may be said to bring back past time, 
 when, by doubling our diligence, we do, in some sort, 
 retrieve the mis-improvement of former days. But then 
 it must be remembered, that this must be done now or 
 never ; for if our time comes to an end here, there is no 
 returning to a state of trial again, such as we now enjoy : 
 
 “ If a man die, shall he live again?” No, alas, says 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 89 
 
 Job : u For, as the cloud is consumed, and vanisheth away ; 
 so he that goeth to the grave, shall come up no more 
 (*. e. to live on earth again, as the following words ex- 
 plain the meaning). He shall return no more to his 
 house, neither shall his place know him any more.” 
 Therefore let us all say with him, and improve the thought, 
 “ When a few years are come, then shall I go the way 
 whence I shall not return.” (See Job vii. 9, 10, xiv. 14, 
 xvi. 22.) 
 
 Now, besides all these things, it may be of great use 
 to enforce this consideration, to take a view of the com- 
 plexion and genius of our age, or the time wherein we live. 
 For if the apostle Paul, when he exhorts his cotemporary 
 Christians to redeem the time, gives this as the reason 
 of his advice, “ Because the days are evil,” (Eph. v. 16), 
 I am sure we have much more reason to call the days 
 wherein we live by this name. For the sense of the apo- 
 stle, when he calls the days wherein he lived, evil days, 
 is no doubt this chiefly, if not only, that they were afflic- 
 tive and perilous times : for times of trouble are called evil 
 times, or evil days, frequently in Scripture. (See Gen. 
 xlvii. 8 ; Psal. lxxvii. 19 ; Amos v. 13, 18.) But we may 
 justly take this in a larger sense, in reference to our times ; 
 for an age or time may be denominated evil, either with 
 respect to the abounding of errors, profaneness, or calami- 
 ties. And upon all these accounts these days of ours 
 may be justly said to be evil. For as to errors, how many 
 and how gross are these ! How many deny the Lord 
 that bought them ! How many oppose his Divinity and 
 satisfaction both ! Yea, how many revile him as an im- 
 poster, and ridicule all revealed religion ! Nay, how 
 many dare blaspheme God, and deny his being, and 
 even the first principles of natural religion? And, as 
 to profaneness and immorality, where did we ever hear or 
 read of more among Christians? Nay, it may be a 
 question, if ever the heathens were worse than the 
 
90 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 Christians are now. And, again, as for calamities and 
 troubles, we see what other churches have suffered of 
 late, and do suffer still ; and we see in how tottering a 
 condition all the Protestant interest is. And though, I 
 believe, it will prove a burdensome stone to the enemies 
 of Christ ; yet how far God may suffer them to prevail 
 for a time, none of us know : only I am afraid we are 
 upon the brink of very great troubles. And that (as I 
 have hinted already), as we have been, like Israel of old, 
 peculiarly blest with mercies and privileges, and are as 
 peculiar and singular in sinning ; so we are like to be 
 punished in a peculiar and particular manner also. So 
 that if there be (as sure there is) a rule to judge of the 
 connexion of mercies, sins and judgments, we may see 
 our case, as well as that of Israel of old, in the propheti- 
 cal threatenings of God to that people, when he says, 
 “You only have I known of all the families of the earth ; 
 therefore will I punish you for all your iniquities.” (Amos 
 iii. 2.) 
 
 Seeing, therefore, this is the state and complexion 
 of our time, let us take heed to ourselves, that we be not 
 involved in the sins of it, lest we come under the judg- 
 ments also that seem to hasten on this generation. Con- 
 sider, for this end, the Apostle’s advice ; “ Beware, (says 
 he,) lest as the serpent beguiled Eve, so your minds 
 should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” 
 (1 Cor. xi. 3.) Let us not, therefore, hear the instruc- 
 tion that causeth us to err from the words of knowledge* 
 (Prov. xix. 27), but let us beware, lest, being led away 
 with the error of the wicked, we fall from our own stead- 
 fastness. (2 Pet. iii. 17.) 
 
 But yet be not so selfish as to mind only your own 
 concerns, but remember that ye are members of a 
 city, of a church and nation, and that ye are members 
 also of the catholic church of Christ, that is everywhere 
 dispersed. And therefore act as under all these ties and 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 91 
 
 relations. And if ye can do no more, intercede at least 
 with God, that he may be gracious ; stand in the gap, 
 that ye may, if possible, avert his displeasure. Act, 
 therefore, as serious, faithful, and importunate remem- 
 brancers of the Lord, giving him no rest, but crying unto 
 him night and day, until he arise, and until he make his 
 Zion and Jerusalem a praise in the whole earth. (See 
 Isa; lxii. 6, 7. Luke xviii. 7.) 
 
 There is yet a third consideration, which I would add 
 to the former, in order the more effectually to recom- 
 mend this duty to you — viz. the improvement of your 
 time. And this is what is indeed frequently insisted upon, 
 but I am afraid, very little lived up to — viz. that we are 
 in the sight, and under the inspection of an all-seeing 
 God, who is to be our Judge at last. 
 
 O, my friends, is this a matter of speculation to you ? 
 Dare any of you do that in the sight of God, which ye 
 .would be ashamed to do in the view of the world ? 
 
 Even the heathen moralist, Seneca, adviseth men to 
 act in all things, as if they had both God and the wisest 
 and best of men looking on. “ Set Cato, Scipio, or 
 Loelius before you,” says he, “or some such excellent 
 person, upon whose appearing even the most wicked 
 person would be frighted from doing amiss openly.” But 
 he adds in another place, “ What will it avail you to hide 
 yourselves and your actions from men, since there is 
 nothing concealed from God ? For he looks into our 
 breasts, and is present in our very minds and hearts.” 
 And elsewhere, “ It avails a man nothing,” says he, 
 “to shut up or stifle conscience, since every thing we 
 do lies open to God’s view, and therefore our great wis- 
 dom is act so, that we may approve ourselves to him.” 
 
 How consonant are such expressions to the sacred 
 standard of our holy religion ? and what shall we answer 
 to our Master at the great day, if we suffer such persons 
 to exceed and outrun us, who are Christians. Let us, 
 
92 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 therefore, mind the principle that swayed Joseph when 
 he said under a very great temptation, considering his 
 low and obnoxious condition, “ Shall I do this great 
 wickedness and sin against God?” (Gen. xxxix. 9.) And 
 let us imitate David, who set the Lord always before 
 him, and looked upon him as present at his right hand, 
 to the end that he might never be moved, but be encou- 
 raged still to trust in him, (Psalm xvi. 8.) For we are 
 ever to remember that our secret, as well as public sins, 
 are set in the light of God’s countenance, (Psalm xc. 8,) 
 seeing the darkness hides us no more from God, than 
 the meridian light of the sun. (Psalm cxxxix. 12.) 
 
 But we must consider likewise, that we have not only 
 a constant witness and inspector of our actions without 
 us, but one within us, even our own conscience, which 
 doth excuse or accuse us, according as we behave and 
 act. And as one says well on this head, “ Quid pro- 
 dest non habere conscium, habenti conscientiam ? i. e . 
 What avails it to have no witness of our actions, while 
 we have a conscience that keeps an exact register of all 
 we do ? “ Only we must remember that this is but a 
 
 secondary witness : “ For if our heart condemn us, God 
 is greater than our heart, and knows all things,” (1 John 
 iii. 20.) 
 
 And now, my friends, I have done with what I had 
 to say to the three considerations, from which I proposed 
 to recommend and enforce this great duty of improving 
 our time. And I leave it to you to consider whether 
 what I have said be not sufficient this way through the 
 blessing of God, and your pains and concern to apply to 
 yourselves what has been said. 
 
 Therefore, in the second place, I proceed to direct 
 you, how ye may attain rightly and successfully to 
 improve your time to the best advantage, as ye are 
 Christians and accountable creatures. And this I shall 
 do, by proposing three rules, which will take in all that 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 93 
 
 is necessary or useful this way, though the first rule is 
 the principal and only direct one, which doth take in 
 the whole of our duty this way ; the second and third 
 being only subservient unto this, though exceedingly 
 useful, if not necessary also in their places. 
 
 The first rule is this : that ye take heed that ye lose 
 not your time, and the opportunities and seasons thereof, 
 by sin and vanity ; but that it be always filled up with 
 the conscientious and diligent discharge of all necessary 
 duties. 
 
 This being, as I said already, the principal rule, in 
 order to the regulation of our time ; and being so con- 
 trived, as to direct us both negatively and positively, as 
 to what we are to avoid and what we are to do ; I shall 
 accordingly consider it distinctly in both the parts of it. 
 
 The first part of this rule teaches us how time is lost, 
 and what we are therefore to avoid, in order to the right 
 improvement of it. And it is necessary to premise this, 
 before we consider the other part : for we can only then 
 apply ourselves to fill up our time wisely, in the per- 
 formance of those duties, in the discharge whereof the 
 redemption and improvement of time consists ; when we 
 apprehend what those things are, which are detrimental 
 and hurtful to our souls, both here and herea r ter. 
 
 Now, in the general, we are to take care to rescue 
 our time out of the hand of those two grand robbers, 
 that thieve it away from us — viz., Sin and Vanity. For 
 as we are carefully to avoid the mis -spending of our time, 
 by thinking, doing, or speaking what is sinful in itself ; 
 so we are to take heed of such things which, though 
 they are not simply sinful in themselves, are yet such 
 trivial matters or by-concerns, as become sinful to us, 
 when we spend too much time upon them, or mind them 
 as if they were our most weighty and principal business. 
 
 But because those things that are evil and sinful in 
 themselves, such as blasphemies and lies, immorality and 
 
94 
 
 THE RISE AN D FALL 
 
 profaneness, ought not to be so much as named among 
 Christians, or have a moment’s time allowed them, so 
 as to be entertained or thought upon with delight or 
 design, far less brought forth in life and action, we shall 
 therefore pass by these wholly at present, in order to 
 consider those things that, though lawful in themselves, 
 ought not to be so minded as to take up all or most of 
 our time. Allow me, then, to give you my advice in 
 these things following. 
 
 Be not too prodigal of your time in the gratification 
 of your senses, and the services of your body. Let the 
 cultivation and adorning of your souls, take up more of 
 your time, than the clothing and dressing of your bodies. 
 Be not buried in sleep and sloth too long, while time is 
 so short and uncertain, and ye have so much business to 
 fill it up with. Neither do ye allow yourselves more 
 time than is necessary or convenient, for the feeding and 
 pampering of your bodies. Be not like them, therefore, 
 who are so severely reproved by God, for living sensually 
 in this world, when they ought to have minded higher 
 things. Of whom this sad character is given ; that they 
 put away far from them the evil day ; that they lay 
 upon beds of ivory, and did eat the iambs out of the 
 flock, and the calves out of the stall, chanting at the 
 sound of the viol, drinking wine out of bowls, and 
 anointing themselves with the chieftest ointments ; but 
 that, in the mean time, they were altogether unmindful 
 of the state of the church, and no way grieved for the 
 afflictions of Joseph, (Amos vi. 3 — 6.) Therefore (as 
 the apostle exhorts, Rom. xiii. 13, 14,) let us walk 
 honestly, as in the day (or clear sunshine of the gospel), 
 not in rioting (or in dancings) and drunkenness, not in 
 chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying : 
 for these things (says he) are the making provision for 
 the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” 
 
 Spend not too much of your precious time in divertive 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 95 
 
 exercises and recreations. We may, indeed, use these 
 not only lawfully but profitably, both with respect to 
 the health and strength of the body, and the vigour even 
 of the mind ; which being unbended for a while with 
 innocent amusements, will be in better case to return 
 again to close thinking. But we must not make recre- 
 ation our business, as too many do, who are so intoxicated 
 with the secret witchery of gaming, as to have their 
 minds rendered almost incapable of any close application 
 to serious and important matters. 
 
 Spend not too much of your time in company and 
 discourse, unless business oblige you do so. The com- 
 pany of atheistical and wicked men, especially if they be 
 witty, and of an engaging temper, carries commonly an 
 infection with it, and their discourse breathes a secret 
 and insinuating poison, that every one has not a strong 
 enough antidote in his nature to resist. And though 
 the company we associate ourselves with be good, yet 
 we are to remember the old saying, amici sunt fures 
 temp oris, that friends are frequently the thieves that 
 rob us of our time ; the commodity that, of all others, we 
 are to be most parsimonious of, seeing we can never retrieve 
 its loss. To visit friends, is often a great duty ; but it 
 is frequently to the hurt both of the visitors and visited 
 that these are made. For as much time is commonly 
 lost this way to no purpose, so the discourses that are 
 the entertainment of most companies, are too often mere 
 vanity, if not worse ; for it is too customary at such 
 times to give way to foolish talking and jesting, or to 
 censorious reflections upon other persons. There is an 
 innocent freedom indeed, and facetiousness in discourse, 
 which is both allowable and pleasant ; but, alas, how 
 soon doth this degenerate, if great care be not taken to 
 keep our minds in a right poise ! And if I appear to 
 any to be to rigid in what I say on this head, let it be 
 remembered, that Christ has forewarned us, that we 
 
96 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 must give an account of every idle word, as well as un- 
 warrantable action, in the day of judgment. (Matt. xii. 
 36.) As, therefore, we are to avoid moroseness on the 
 one hand, so we are to take care that we tire not our 
 friends by too frequent or too long visits. There are 
 some such friends in the world, though very rare to be 
 found, who, the more they are together, do the more 
 love and profit one another. But as to ordinary friends, 
 the case is quite otherwise. In relation to whom, Solo- 
 man gives this wise advice, 66 Withdraw thy foot from thy 
 neighbour’s house, lest he be at last weary of thee, and 
 so hate thee.” (Prov. xxv. 17.) That is, according to 
 the gloss of some upon the words, Make thyself precious, 
 wear not out every man’s threshold, by obtruding thyself 
 upon them ; neither make thyself vulgar and cheap, as a 
 mean commodity, that is every man’s money. 
 
 But remember also, that ye may be guilty of mis- 
 spending your time in vain and unprofitable musings, as 
 well as in vain discourse. Idle thoughts are as foolish 
 a mis-spence of time as idle words. For every sort of 
 thinking and meditating is not judicious no more than 
 holy. And though a man think not upon his lusts, he 
 may think very impertinently, and consequently sinfully. 
 
 And this is not only the fault and weakness of pie-, 
 bian, but of learned heads, who mis-spend time frequently 
 as much as any other sort of men, upon their difficiles 
 nugce , their useless, yet painful curiosities and niceties. 
 This was the custom of the learned doctors of old 
 Athens, who spent their days in almost nothing else but 
 telling or hearing some new notion, scheme, or theory, 
 and then disputing, pro et contra , for and against it. 
 (Acts xvii. 21.) But while they are earnest to dispute 
 about forma substantiate, universale a parte rei, fuga 
 vacui, apathies, the possibility of motion, and such like 
 nugce and whims, they forgot God and solid religion, 
 and were such sceptics, or superstitious! y ignorant (for 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 97 
 
 ye may interpret the words either way), that in the 
 midst of their multitude of gods, they were willing to 
 erect one altar more, with this inscription, (ver. 23), 
 Ago-Otheo, “ To the unknown God.” It is true indeed, 
 that there are many curiosities of this kind, that a wise 
 man may improve to great advantage. But when they 
 are made our main or only business and study, instead of 
 being parergons or by-studies, we are certainly far out 
 of the road of true wisdom. What profit has the meta- 
 physician, in abstracting from all particular beings, that 
 he may define ens genericaliy, as unum , verum , bonum , 
 while he is ignorant of Him that is truly such. To how 
 little purpose, at length, will the mathematician find he 
 has studied, in order to adjust and determine the pro- 
 portions of points, lines, sides, and angles, if he neglect 
 the proportions of piety and virtue ? What will it avail 
 the astronomer to see the planets through a tube, if he 
 fall short of the happy world at last, that is above all 
 these ? Is any man the better for being able to adjust 
 and reconcile the Egyptian, Chaldee, and Grecian dyn- 
 asties, by reducing all the different eras of nations to the 
 Julian period, while he neglects to number his own days, 
 so, as to apply his heart to true wisdom ? And, lastly, 
 what advantage has any man, by being able to speak all 
 the languages in the world, while he worships and praises 
 God in none of them ? 
 
 Nay, I tell you further, that a man may even mis- 
 spend his time in the service and worship of God, cir- 
 cumstantially considered. For though we worship God, 
 yet what advantage can we reap by it, if we do so, 
 ignorantly or hypocritically, or customarily or merely 
 for the fashion, or profanely and irreverently, or dully 
 and heartlessly ? Nay, we may lose our labour this way 
 also, when by this we thrust out more immediately in- 
 cumbent and necessary duties ; or when we neglect the 
 performance of this, till we be altogether unfit for it, 
 
 H 
 
93 
 
 THE RISE AND FALX, 
 
 offering thus to the Lord a corrupt thing, while we have 
 a male in our flock. 
 
 And if thus we may mis-spend time, how much more 
 are we like to do so, while the cares of the world, and 
 the inordinate desire of what we call its pleasures, profits 
 and honours, jostle out religion, both from our thoughts 
 and lives ? Solomon adviseth us not to labour to be 
 rich, but he immediately subjoins, 44 Cease from thy own 
 wisdom,” (Prov. xxiii. 4, 5.) Whereby he insinuates, 
 that a man must be mortified to his carnal and worldly 
 ratiocinations, and taught by the spirit of God to know 
 the true value of things, before he can possibly learn 
 this lesson from him. However he positively determines 
 these two things. That he that hasteth to be rich, hath 
 an evil eye ; and that he that does so shall not be found 
 to be innocent. (Prov. xxviii. 20 — 22.) Mottos that 
 all men might find it convenient to write on the head Qf 
 their books of accounts. And if Solomon’s words have 
 little effect upon you, consider what a greater than Solo- 
 mon says of a covetous or anxious disposition and practice 
 in the 6th chapter of Matthew, where he represents and 
 condemns it as unchristian and heathenish, and as un- 
 reasonable and pernicious. And, after all, remember 
 these serious and pungent words of his, 44 What is a man 
 profited, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own 
 soul ? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul.” 
 (Matth. xvi. 26.) 
 
 And now, I hope, I have said enough as to the things 
 we ought to avoid, if we would rightly improve our 
 time, but, seeing it is not sufficient to know how time 
 is lost, unless we know also what we are to be occupied 
 about, and wherein the best and wisest disposal of our 
 time stands ; therefore we must further consider the 
 great and necessary duties with which we ought to fill 
 up the seasons and vacuities of our life. And therefore 
 I proceed now to 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 99 
 
 The second part of this great and principal direction 
 concerning the improvement of our time. Which is 
 this, that we take care to fill it up with the conscien- 
 tious and diligent discharge of all necessary duties* 
 
 And here, though in the general we cannot but know,, 
 that our time is wholly to be taken up in getting and 
 doing good, yet we must remember, that it is only in 
 relation to time that we are to consider our duties in this 
 place. And therefore, I am only to consider here those 
 great and necessary duties which are always obligatory 
 upon us, and the neglect of which is inseparable from 
 the mis“ improvement of time. For it cannot be sup- 
 posed that I should so much as hint all those things that 
 come under the general notion of duty ; or consider 
 those things which particular circumstances and emer- 
 gence render obligatory to us, or such duties which are 
 called relative, from the stations we are in, and the rela- 
 ^ tions we bear to others. 
 
 There are therefore a few things only which I shall 
 recommend to you as altogether useful and necessary, 
 and which none of us can ever plead exemption from. 
 
 And, in the first place, let me beseech you to improve 
 your time by frequent, diligent, and serious reading and 
 studying the holy Scriptures. In the first book of 
 which, ye will find your minds led up to the first anti- 
 quities, which no other book beside can furnish you with 
 any just account of. There we see the origin of man 
 and the world — man’s primeval state, when first created 
 — the original of sin, and death, and misery — the sub- 
 version of the first race of man, by the great deluge 
 which heathen antiquities speak of only as through a 
 cloud — the first spring and dawning of mercy and hope 
 to lapsed man — the succession of the first and most primi- 
 tive church, and the beginning and progress of Gentile 
 idolatry, superstition, and wickedness — together with 
 the first original of nations, cities, arts, goverments, lan- 
 
100 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 guages — and in all these, the superintending providence 
 of God, in its justice and goodness, wisdom and steadi- 
 ness. And by this knowledge, we bring back, as it were, 
 all past time, and make it our own as to our profit and 
 advantage. In the other books of Moses, we have an 
 account of God’s erecting a poor, oppressed people to be 
 a church, and God’s peculiar possession. Wherein we 
 see his wonderful appearance for them, by signs and 
 miracles — his strange and unusual way with them in all 
 their journey, in trying, feeding, and preserving them— 
 his giving them laws, ecclesiastical, moral, and political, 
 his wrapping up most profound mysteries under ceremo- 
 nies and customs — and his bringing them into a noble 
 country with power and glory, destroying their enemies 
 before them — together with innumerable observable oc- 
 currences, and theoretical and useful things to be taken 
 notice of therein. The historical part of the Old Testa- 
 ment, that follows that of the law, as the Jews call it, 
 gives us a relation of most admirable and great revolu- 
 tions and transactions as ever fell out in the world. 
 Wherein we may observe the various, and yet uniform 
 steps of divine providence in governing the world, and 
 the church — God’s trying, and yet rewarding the right- 
 eous — his permitting sin, and yet punishing sinners. 
 In all which occurrences, we have the best examples 
 that can be, to be imitated by us, and an account of 
 the worst also, that we may avoid such pernicious courses* 
 The book of Job is a mirror, wherein w r e may learn what 
 afflictions the best men are liable unto, and what re- 
 proaches they may unjustly fall under, even by good 
 men like themselves, through mistake and infirmity ; as 
 also, how we ought to behave in the time of calamity, 
 and what the end of the Lord at length usually is. The 
 Psalms are the most excellent model of practical and ex- 
 perimental piety, and the best prayer-book and directory 
 for devotion that ever the world was blessed with. The 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 101 
 
 Proverbs of Solomon are the most excellent and refined 
 ethics that were ever published, or ever will be. Eccle- 
 siastes is the noblest picture and demonstration of the 
 world’s vanity. And Solomon’s Song the most spiritual 
 pastoral, the finest allegory, and the divinest poetical 
 description of the love between Christ and devout souls, 
 that ever saw the light. The prophetical writings, give 
 us the noblest and distinctest idea of God’s government 
 of nations, and the righteousness and equity of all his 
 providences and administrations, besides innumerable 
 other lessons to be learned from thence. 
 
 And as for the New Testament, the first thing that 
 occurs to us, is the most excellent part of the whole 
 Bible. I mean the four-fold history of our blessed 
 Saviour. O, let your thoughts dwell long, and strike 
 deep here, for all the historical passages of the gospel, 
 — all the wise and sage parables to be found there — all 
 the miracles wrought — all the prophecies mentioned — all 
 the truths revealed — and all the counsels and exhorta- 
 tions there given — I say, all these are as so many rich 
 veins of what is more precious than the finest gold, and 
 admirable and useful above all thought. The book of 
 the Acts of the Apostles, gives us a noble and impartial 
 account of the beginning and progress of the gospel, and 
 the first settlement of the church. Wherein we have a 
 naked and clear view of Christianity in its pure and 
 primitive dress, together with some most profitable exam- 
 ples, and useful discourses. The apostolical Epistles 
 give us a full and copious account of the religion of th e 
 blessed Jesus, both in its principles and practice, its ori- 
 ginal and design. So that these are sufficient alone, if 
 rightly understood, to enlighten our minds, to influence 
 our affections and designs, and to regulate our lives and 
 conversations. And the book of the Revelation, though 
 dark and enigmatical, represents to us in an august and 
 lofty manner, the rectorship of our Lord Jesus in govern- 
 
102 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 ing the world, oyer-ruling and disposing the designs and 
 actions of men, and making all things at length work 
 together for the illustration of his own glory, and his 
 people’s good. 
 
 Thus we see something of the special properties of the 
 several parts of the scripture, and what excellent things 
 may be learned from thence. But let us consider also 
 those properties that are common to the whole Bible, 
 and every part of it. Let us therefore look upon all 
 the books that compose this sacred volume, as divinely 
 inspired, and as designed, in all respects, for our profit 
 and edification. (2 Tim. iii. 15.) Therefore let us read 
 and study them, not as the word of men, but as they are 
 indeed the word of God, i. e. so as to prize and value 
 them according to their worth — to love and delight in 
 them — to praise God for them — to meditate upon them 
 as men, not as children — and to conform our lives wholly 
 to them. And in order to become thus, the humble, im- 
 partial, and obedient scholars of Christ, let me put you 
 in mind of one thing, than which nothing is more neg- 
 lected, and yet nothing is more necessary in order to 
 profit truly by the bible, viz., that ye have a care of lay- 
 ing down any opinion or scheme of opinions in matters 
 religious, previously to your having impartially examined 
 the sacred scriptures in such matters. For they that do 
 so, come not to be taught of God, but to dictate to the 
 Almighty, and are not afraid often to withdraw the 
 sacred text, in order to force it to speak, not what it 
 really does, but what they would have it do, as best 
 suits with their prejudices, passions and party designs, 
 that I say not lusts also. Therefore let me desire you 
 (as I have often done from the pulpit) to make the Bible 
 itself, and particularly the New Testament, your chief 
 (and in a proper sense only) system, confession of faith, 
 and creed. For whatever excellency there is in any human 
 composures of this kind, we are to own them no farther 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 103 
 
 than we find them to agree and harmonize with the 
 divine oracles. 
 
 In the next place, let us improve our time, by frequent, 
 serious, and close meditation on divine and profitable 
 things. Let the character of the blessed man, (Psalm i. 
 2, 3,) be ours, by our meditating on the laws and truths 
 of God day and night. For to what purpose do we read 
 the Scriptures, and other good books, if we be not at 
 pains to penetrate into the things therein contained? 
 Now, it were endless, and in some sense impossible to 
 name all those things that may be profitably thought 
 upon. But perhaps it may not be amiss to suggest to 
 you the principal heads of sacred theology ; by which, as 
 so many avenues, ye may attain mentally to converse 
 with God and truth. 
 
 In the first place then, meditate on God himself, his 
 attributes, works and word, and the blessed persons of 
 the Godhead. Then think on man in his first innocent 
 state, in his lapsed condition, and begun recovery ; and 
 on thyself particularly, thy nature, thy faculties, thy 
 state, thy faults, thy end, thy duties, and thy privileges 
 and advantages. Meditate often on Jesus Christ, his 
 person, his properties, his offices, his merits, his sufferings, 
 his conquest, his business and work now in heaven, and 
 his management of the church on earth, and the world 
 in general. Then think of the Holy Spirit, his office, 
 work and influences. And let the church also be con- 
 sidered in its obligations, ordinances, sufferings, progress 
 and victory. And think likewise of the particular state 
 of the saints of God on earth, their temptations, the 
 principles by which they are acted, their conversation, 
 and the promises made them. Hence let your minds be 
 led in to contemplate the great blessings of true religion, 
 such as conversion, justification, adoption, sanctification, 
 peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, communion 
 with God, the prelibations of heaven, and final perse- 
 
104 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 verance. And then let your thoughts terminate upon 
 what we call the last things. Think, therefore, on death, 
 its certainty : yet the uncertainty of the time of it ; the 
 great change it brings upon us ; how terrible it will be to 
 be unprepared for it, and the happiness of being ready 
 for so great a change. Then think upon the dissolution 
 of this world, when the elements shall melt with fervent 
 heat, and this vast pile of our planetary world become 
 one great bonfire. And from thence let your minds con- 
 template the great day of judgment, those grand assizes, 
 where all mankind must be impartially judged, and sen- 
 tence be pronounced upon them accordingly. And after 
 all let your thoughts pass beyond the limits of time, and 
 step into the eternal state. There go down to the in- 
 fernal prison for awhile and view the horrors of the place, 
 the frightful aspect of the company, and the intenseness 
 and perpetuity of the torments. Then mount the steep 
 ascent, and soar aloft upon the wings of contemplation, 
 to the blissful regions of the celestial paradise. There 
 satiate your thoughts with the pleasures and beauties of 
 the place, the felicity and joys of that state and govern- 
 ment the excellency of the company, the glory of the 
 discoveries made there, the noble employment that takes 
 them up, and the eternity and immutability of all these. 
 Think then upon these few hints, my friends, (where 
 there are almost as many subjects as words) and ye can 
 never want matter for your thoughts to work upon. 
 
 And now, seeing all our study and meditation must 
 be so managed, that we may * receive some real and 
 abiding advantage, let us ever call ourselves to a serious 
 and impartial account as to the spending of our time ; 
 for how can we satisfy ourselves, without conversing with 
 our own souls, in order to know how it is with them. 
 And how can we attain to know ourselves, if we never 
 examine and try how it is -with us ? If merchants and 
 men of business are so careful to set down everything in 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 105 
 
 their journals and books of account, that they may bfc 
 able exactly to balance what they call their debit and 
 credit, their losses and gains : ought not Christians to 
 mind their eternal concerns, with the like exactness and 
 accuracy ? How wonderfully does Seneca speak on this 
 head, when he tells us, that in imitation of one Sextius, 
 whom he highly commends, he had been accustomed to 
 examine himself every night. “ When at night,” says 
 he, “ the candle is out, and all is still and quiet, then do 
 I look back upon, and search all the day past, by mea- 
 suring and running over all I have thought, said, or done. 
 I hide nothing from myself; I overlook and pass by 
 nothing. I say to myself, so and so thou hast done un- 
 advisably; do so no more. And again, I ask myself, 
 what evil have I healed ? What vice have I resisted ? 
 What passion have I moderated ? What lesson have I 
 learned ? and what good have I done ; And oh,” says 
 he, “ what a sweet sleep follows, after this recognition of 
 a man’s self, when one is conscious of his impartiality and 
 seriousness, in the review and censure of himself and his 
 own manners ! ” 
 
 And to this purpose we find an excellent direction in 
 the Golden verses, as they are called, of old Pythagoras ; 
 which begins thus, Mqdvww, &c. The sense of which I 
 render thus : 
 
 Before thine eyes to slumber sweet give place, 
 
 Be sure the past day’s journal first to trace. 
 
 Survey thy steps and actions all : then say, 
 
 Which good ? which bad ? how ordered were they ? 
 
 Oh then, my friends, let not it be said of us, that we live 
 in the neglect of this duty, lest heathens rise up in judg- 
 ment against us and condemn us. 
 
 But since we are not born for ourselves only, let us be 
 concerned to promote the good of others also. Let us 
 therefore improve time, by being useful in our stations 
 
106 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 to the church of God and good men, and to all as far as 
 we can ; for so we are obliged, as we are members of 
 communities, cities and nations, and as we are inhabitants 
 of the world. And in order to be thus useful, let us set 
 before ourselves the glorious example of Christ, whose 
 meat and drink it was, to do the will of his heavenly 
 Father, and who went about always doing good. And, 
 therefore, let us be ashamed to live as useless plants in 
 the world, which do only cumber the ground. 
 
 And, in order to perform all these things aright, and 
 so to improve our time to the best advantage, let us be 
 sure to spend as much of our time in prayer, as possibly 
 we can : for as it is thus that we attain to most immedi- 
 ate and direct communion with God ; so it is this way 
 that we attain to be strengthened and directed in the 
 performance of all the duties we are obliged to be taken 
 up in. Therefore let us remember, that it is not without 
 just ground that we are commanded to pray always, and 
 to pray without ceasing. (Eph vi. 16; 1 Thess. v. 17.) 
 The sense of which expressions 1 take to be this : that as 
 we are to keep up stated times of solemn prayer to God, 
 and to have recourse to him, in a more special manner, 
 upon extraordinary emergence and occurrences, in order 
 to be peculiarly directed and assisted then from God ; so 
 we are ever to keep ourselves, as much as possibly we 
 can, in a praying frame : and, for this end to fill up all 
 the vacuities of other affairs and studies with ejaculatory 
 prayers and breathings. But, besides all these things, 
 there is one thing further that I never found any writer 
 take notice of, that I look upon to be the principal design 
 of such expressions : and this is, that we be careful to 
 prosecute the design of our prayers from one time of our 
 life to another, waiting for the answer of them, and im- 
 proving the same in praise, when received, e . g. if a 
 Christian pray long for a full victory over such or such 
 a temptation or lust, let him prosecute this design in all 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 107 
 
 his prayers until he receive an answer ; which, when he 
 has got, let him turn this from the catalogue of his peti- 
 tions to that of his thanksgivings. And so let him act 
 also, with respect to mercies to be received, promises to 
 be fulfilled, and miseries to be averted. 
 
 And thus I have at length finished the first and prin- 
 cipal rule I had to propose to you, with respect to the 
 improvement of time* in both the parts thereof. And 
 now I am to hint to you two more, which are only sub- 
 servient ones ; though, at the same time, worthy of your 
 most serious thoughts. 
 
 The second rule, therefore, is this, that in order to the 
 right improvement and disposal of time, we do both dedi- 
 cate ourselves solemnly to God, and as explicitly as we 
 can, in order to spend our lives wholly in his service ; and 
 be concerned, in order to this, to keep a secret and exact 
 register or diary of all our own actions, and the provi- 
 dences of God in relation to us. 
 
 But seeing I have hinted something in relation to both 
 the parts of this rule in another discourse — viz., that 
 concerning the ministerial work : I shall not therefore 
 trouble you with any thing more upon either of these 
 heads. 
 
 Only let me say this one thing further, in relation to 
 the keeping of a diary or private register : that every 
 man must be left to his own discretion as to the manner 
 and method of adjusting those things that occur to him 
 in his life. As, therefore, some may think it best to set 
 things down according to the series of the time they fall 
 out in : so others may look upon the method of heads, or 
 common places to be the best, And if any serious per- 
 son shall think this last way the best (for as to the first 
 the method cannot be missed) he may perhaps find these 
 heads not unreasonable or useless — viz. that after a short 
 series of his life, to be further continued, he proceeds in 
 this order. 
 
108 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 1. To consider God’s providence to him, in adapting 
 and disposing of him for particular ends, agreeable to 
 the faculties of his soul, and constitution of his body, 
 together with his eternal circumstances, in a relation to 
 both. 
 
 2. What his conversion has been, with the time and 
 manner of it. 
 
 3. How far, and in what way he has been led into 
 covenant with God, with the renovations of the same. 
 
 4. What crosses and troubles he has met with, and 
 how far these have been improved and sanctified. 
 
 5 . The dangers, spiritual or temporal, he has been 
 delivered from. 
 
 6. The sins he is most inclinable unto naturally, and 
 those he has been most guilty of and overcome by. 
 
 7. How frequently, in what manner, and upon what 
 occasions, he has been deserted by his God ; and, so far 
 as he can conclude, for what ends these have happened 
 to him. 
 
 8. What evidences he has had of the wrath and dis- 
 pleasure of God, upon the account of sin. 
 
 9. And what intimations he has met with of the love 
 and kindness of his heavenly Father. 
 
 10. What temptations, inward or outward, he has 
 been most assaulted by, and what he has found to be the 
 best antidote and relief against these. 
 
 11. What observations and experiences he has met 
 with, to confirm him in the belief of the Christian reli- 
 gion, as to the being of God, the divinity of Christ, and 
 the existence of invisible powers. 
 
 12. What observable and remarkable things have 
 happened to him, in his business, studies, or converse 
 with men, that may be of use to himself or others, as to 
 life and conversation in the world. 
 
 13. Particularly, what has occurred to him in the 
 remarkable turns and changes of his life, in health and 
 sickness. 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 109 
 
 14. What intimacy, familiarity and communion God 
 has graciously admitted him into with himself ; and what 
 answers and returns of prayer God has granted him. 
 
 And 15. What special and peculiarly distinguishing 
 circumstances he has been under, wherein the footsteps 
 of a peculiar conduct have been conspicuous to him. 
 
 Under these heads I humbly suppose all things may 
 be regularly disposed, that can be thought necessary to 
 compose a private Christian’s register. Though I pre- 
 sume not to dictate to any man, but leave every one to 
 follow his own method. 
 
 The third and last Rule is this : That, in order to the 
 right regulation of time, we set down some short, ra- 
 tional and natural directory, according to which we may 
 be enabled and assisted rightly to improve our time, 
 
 But seeing every one is to compose this, according to 
 his own circumstances, there is no man that can justly 
 prescribe to another in this matter. Nay, there is none 
 that can set to himself such a directory, as to all parti- 
 culars, that he can be supposed to be tied up to, at all 
 times ; since the providence of God is so various this 
 way, that our circumstances render our condition, and 
 consequently our duty, almost as different as the weather 
 is. And therefore a spiritual prudence is that which is 
 to every one the great directory of his life. For when 
 the providence of God renders our particular rules and 
 methods impracticable, unlawful, or inconvenient, it is 
 both our duty and wisdom to fall in with the present 
 circumstances of things, rather than with our own arbi- 
 trary demonstrations ; seeing, then, the state of the 
 question is, W^hether’s God’s method or ours should be 
 followed ? 
 
 All. therefore, that I shall propose to you here, is the 
 consideration of three things ; which are easily minded, 
 and may be put in practice every day, whatever our 
 circumstance are, 
 
 1 . When we awake in the morning, let this be among 
 
110 
 
 THE RISE AND FADE 
 
 your first thoughts — how shall I spend this day to best 
 advantage, for the honour of God, and my own good ? 
 And when ye have considered what is most proper to 
 promote these ends ; then firmly propose to yourselves 
 your business through the day, and fixedly resolve upon 
 acting so ; and accordingly proceed and fall to work. 
 
 2. In the middle of all your business or studies, allow 
 yourselves some time of breathing, in order to reflect 
 upon these two things, viz. What ye are, and what ye 
 do ; putting these frequently to yourselves, by way of 
 query, thus — What am I ? i. e. am I sure I am in favour 
 with God ? am I indeed regenerated ? am I spiritual in 
 thought, affection, and design ? And again ; What do 
 I ? am I employed as I ought to be ? are my ends right ? 
 are the means I make use of lawful and proper ? are my 
 studies, or my business such as I ought now to be occupied 
 about ? do I behave in all respects as one that is jour- 
 neying towards the better country ? 
 
 3. In the evening, sleep not before ye have examined 
 yourselves, as to the actions and occurrences of the past 
 day. But having spoken already to this duty, I shall only 
 add here, that it will be of great use for you to examine 
 yourselves as to two things, by way of question to your- 
 selves, thus : What has God’s providence been to me 
 this day ? what have I seen or heard that deserves special 
 observation and improvement ? what mercies have I re- 
 ceived ? what troubles have I met with? what dangers 
 have I escaped ? did God assist me, or desert me in my 
 devotions and business ? have I learned nothing new 
 from his holy word ? did he seem to receive, or shut out 
 my prayers ? And again, What has my way been 
 towards God ? have I done nothing to dishonour him, or 
 to discredit my profession ? have I acted so as to approve 
 myself to my God, in thought and design, as well as in 
 word and action ? wherein have I failed in my duty ? 
 what have I done for religion ? and what for my own 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 Ill 
 
 good, or the good of others ? what have I done that I 
 ought to beg the pardon of? and what have I to praise 
 God for ? 
 
 Now, my friends, I hope these three generals are 
 easy, both to be remembered and practised. For as for 
 the particular questions I have suggested, they are only 
 proposed to show more fully the design of the general 
 ones : and therefore every one may pick and choose, or 
 vary from these, as his own circumstances do require, 
 and as his prudence will direct : I only desire you, then, 
 to remember the three heads themselves, with relation 
 to the morning, the day, and the evening, as they are 
 comprehended in these three mnemonical words, propose, 
 reflect, and examine. 
 
 And thus I have at length come to the end of that 
 which I had to say to you upon this great and practical 
 head of improving time to the best advantage. Which 
 I conclude with a few watch-words. Spend not your 
 time so, as to be afterwards obliged bitterly to repent of 
 what ye have done : spend no time on that which ye 
 cannot review and look back upon with comfort : spend 
 no time so, as ye dare not pray for a blessing from God 
 upon what ye do : spend no time without some respect 
 to God’s glory, or your own and others’ good. And be 
 sure so to spend and improve your time, that your great 
 work may be done before your life end ; that when your 
 few days are lived over, ye may joyfully enter in upon a 
 happy eternity. 
 
 Now, having finished all I had to say, by way of im- 
 provement of the apocalyptical thoughts I have presented 
 you with, I desire ye may candidly interpret my design, 
 and favourably construe my performance. And one 
 thing I hope ye will remember, that seeing this discourse 
 is by way of epistle, I have therefore used an epistolary 
 freedom, both in what I have said, and in the way of 
 writing, not tying myself up to so close a method as in 
 
112 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 other discourses, though I have not altogether neglected 
 even that ; but if I have failed in any respect, remember 
 further, that I write to those I look upon to be my true, 
 good, and kind friends. Let, therefore, the name and 
 ties of friendship plead for me, where ye may discern my 
 infirmities, and induce you to pass a favourable sentence 
 upon my attempt to assist you in the way to heaven. 
 
 And now that I write to such dear friends, and have 
 mentioned the ties of friendship, let me beg of you that 
 ye would make it your business to live together as such : 
 for there is nothing Christ has enjoined us more, than 
 mutual love, insomuch as he has made it the badge of 
 our Christianity, when he tells us, “ By this shall all men 
 know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another.” 
 (John xiiL 35.) And therefore it was one great end of 
 his coming into the world, to introduce a divine and 
 universal friendship among men. (Eph. ii. 14 — 17, &c.) 
 For as the devil promotes his kingdom in the world, by 
 dissentions, emulations, hatred and malice : so our blessed 
 master carries on his, by union, gentleness, peaceableness, 
 universal kindness, love and charity. 
 
 But besides a general friendship, it would be of great 
 use to cultivate a peculiar one with one or more, whose 
 disposition is most agreeable to ours. And seeing there 
 is little of this now to be found in this selfish age, let me 
 give you such a description of it as may make you fall in 
 love with it. And if this appear too florid, remember 
 that, as the subject itself is so, it is part of a youthful 
 composure of mine, in a letter to a worthy friend, who 
 had desired my thoughts upon this head many years ago. 
 “ True friendship is a divine and spiritual relation of 
 minds, a union of souls, a marriage of hearts, and a har- 
 mony of designs and affections ; which, being founded 
 on a known agreeableness, and entered into by a mutual 
 hearty consent, groweth up into the purest kindness, and 
 most endearing loye ; maintaining itself by the openest 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 113 
 
 freedom, the warmest sympathy, and the closest secrecy. 
 And such friends are as twins, every way alike ; or like 
 sweet flowers, agreeing in beauty, like the rose and lily, 
 the primrose and violet, twisted round one another, and 
 mixing both colours and smells. Or they may be com- 
 pared to two pleasant rivulets flowing from one spring 
 and fountain, though separated perhaps by some unlucky 
 rising of the ground ; yet meeting again in some kind 
 and flowery mead, which they bless by their cheerful and 
 gentle meanders ; and, it may be, thence separated again 
 at some distance, where they glide along silently, mur- 
 muring now and then to another, and mutually com- 
 plaining of the rude banks that obstruct their joining ; 
 until at length, having run their full course, and becom- 
 ing one stream, they pour themselves forth into the great 
 ocean itself, and become one with it also. So that, like 
 the rest of the bitter sweets of this life, friendship has its 
 ups and downs until it flow into heaven, from whence it 
 took its rise ; which is the consummation of all divine 
 friendships, and where all true friends do at length hap- 
 pily meet, never to part.” 
 
 And now, my friends, I shall conclude this long epistle 
 in the words of a * famous doctor and father of the 
 ancient church : “ Learn, Oh faithful and religious men, 
 and carefully apprehend the design of the gospel polity. 
 For which end study to conquer fleshly lusts, to be hum- 
 in heart, pure in mind, and masters of your passions. 
 If ye are called to suffer, act heroically, and do some- 
 thing over and above mere passiveness, for the honour of 
 your Lord. If ye are unjustly treated, evidence that ye 
 are not contentious ; if hated, love your enemies ; if per- 
 secuted, endure it ; and if reviled, answer no man other- 
 wise than by prayer and good wishes. Die to sin, crucify 
 
 * Basil. Magn. in his ’Nov&ecria 7r pog tovq veovq. The words 
 begin thus : MaS'e av } o ttictoqt av^p(jj7rog, &c. 
 
 I 
 
114 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL &C. 
 
 your affections for God, and cast all your care upon your 
 Lord and Master. That thus ye may at length reach 
 the glorious place, where millions of angels, and the 
 glorious assembly of the first -born are praising God, and 
 where the holy Apostles, Prophets, Patriarchs, Martyrs, 
 and all the righteous are. To this blessed society, let 
 us labour and pray to be joined, through Jesus Christ 
 our Lord, to whom be glory for ever.” 
 
 Now, that both ye and I may attain, through grace, 
 to be thus happy, is and shall be the serious, fervent, and 
 constant prayer of, 
 
 My very dear Friends, 
 
 < . 
 
 Yours to love and serve you in the gospel of 
 our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, 
 
 ROBERT FLEMING. 
 
 London, Jan. 1, 1701. 
 
 Being the first day both of the year and century. 
 
115 
 
 
 # 
 
 A POSTSCRIPT, 
 
 CONTAINING A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE FIRST PRINCIPLES OF 
 THE APOCALYPTICAL INTERPRETATIONS ADVANCED IN THE 
 PRECEDING DISCOURSE. 
 
 After I had finished the foregoing discourse, and that 
 all the sheets were almost printed, I was earnestly urged 
 by a friend, to say something to secure the foundation I 
 go upon : especially because the learning of Grotius and 
 Dr. Hammond had influenced many to follow another 
 way of interpreting the Revelation, as the reputation of 
 Mr. Baxter had swayed others to think well of the same. 
 And when I urged that Dr. More, in his Mystery of 
 Iniquity, and Dr. Cressener, in his Demonstration of the 
 first principles of the protestant interpretations of the 
 Apocalyse, had done this sufficiently already : he replied, 
 that these books were both voluminous and dark, and not 
 easy to be purchased by every one ; and that therefore 
 some short account of this matter at this time seemed to 
 be necessary. I urged many things against this, as that 
 this advice came too late, and that should I contract 
 never so much, it would swell this part of my book too 
 much, to keep a due proportion with the other discourses, 
 
 i 2 
 
116 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 and indeed make the whole too bulky. But after all, im- 
 portunity and the respect I bore my friend, prevailed with 
 me, to say something to all those things, that he thought 
 I ought to premise. Therefore, not to spend any longer 
 time in giving the reasons, why I did not speak to these 
 things before, in their proper place, or why I do so now : 
 I shall give my thoughts of this book and the .first prin- 
 ciples of the right interpretation of it, in some propo- 
 sitions, which do gradually lay the foundation of what I 
 advanced before. 
 
 1st Proposition. — The Revelation was written by the 
 Apostle John, and is a sacred and canonical book 
 of the New Testament. 
 
 I hope there is no Christian that will dispute the truth 
 of this proposition with me. For, besides that the style 
 of John may be easily traced in this book, notwithstand- 
 ing the difference of the subject from that which he wrote 
 of it in his gospel and epistles : he does frequently make 
 mention of himself, and that with such peculiar circum- 
 stances, as agree with none but the apostle ; as we see 
 chap. i. verse 1, 2, 4, 9. (See also chap. xxi. 2, and 
 xxii. 8.) 
 
 I know indeed that some of the ancients doubted of 
 this, as Caius, a Latin father, mentioned by Eusebius, 
 (hist. lib. 3, cap. 28.) and Dionysius of Alexandria, who 
 made a great noise against it for a while, as we see in 
 Eusebius also, Hist. lib. 7. cap. 4. But yet even this man 
 declares that he owns it to be a sacred book, though not 
 written by the apostle John. Wherein he speaks, what 
 we must look upon to be altogether absurd. For if St. 
 John be not the author, it must be an imposture, seeing 
 his name is inserted in it, as being the penman. So that 
 if it be not St. John’s, it is no sacred book. Or if it be 
 a sacred book, the author is none but the beloved apostle. 
 But the weakness and inconsistency of this, denies his 
 reasons against this book, are sufficiently though briefly 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 117 
 
 exposed by Monsieur du Pin, both in his preliminary 
 dissertation to his Bibliotheque des Auteurs Ecclesias- 
 tiques, and in his History of the Canon of the books of 
 Scripture. 
 
 And if this were any argument against the divinity of 
 this book, that some persons have doubted of it, or denied 
 it to be canonical, there is hardly one book in the New 
 Testament that would stand the test : seeing we find in 
 the ancient church history that there have been not only 
 particular men, but even sects of them, that have ex- 
 cepted, some against one book, and some against others* 
 And we know, that the epistles of James and Jude, and 
 the second and third epistles of John, and that admirable 
 epistle of the Hebrews, have been controverted, as well 
 as the Apocalypse : of the authority of which neither 
 Papist nor Protestant, Grecian nor Armenian Christian 
 doubts at this day. 
 
 And as all Christians do now acquiesce in the Reve- 
 lation, as a canonical book ; so excepting those I men- 
 tioned, and the heretics called Alogians, all the eminent 
 fathers of the church received it of old. So did Justin 
 Martyr, (Dialog, cum tryph. Irenseus, lib. iv. cap 37 and 
 50, and lib. v. cap. 30, and apud Euseb. lib. v. cap. 8 ; 
 Tertullian, adv. Marc. lib. iii. cap. 23.) Origen in Mat. 
 and in John, and apud Euseb. lib. vi. cap 25, and Euse- 
 bius himself, Hist. lib. iv. cap 28. Nay all the other 
 Fathers agree in this also — viz. Epiphanius, Victorinus 
 Theophilus, Cyprian, Methodius, Jerom ; and other 
 authors quoted by Eusebius, Epiphanius, and Jerom — 
 viz. Melito, Hippolitus, Victorinus, &c. 
 
 But for my own part, were all these authorities want- 
 ing, there is that in this book itself, that would inforce 
 me to own it as divine. For besides the augustness of 
 its style, the wisdom of its contexture, and the purity of 
 its design and counsels, there is something that I want a 
 name for, that commands my belief and veneration, and 
 
118 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 insinuates itself into my affection and conscience, as if 
 Christ himself breathed something divine in every line. 
 But the clear view of the fulfilling of the several parts of 
 its prophecy, is an argument that even several other 
 books of the New Testament want. 
 
 2nd Proposition. — The hook of the Revelation of John 
 was written after the destruction of Jerusalem. 
 
 The notion of Grotius, upon which his interpretation 
 of the Apocalypse is founded, is this : That the seven 
 kings or heads of the Beast, (mentioned Rev. xvii. 10,) 
 are not to be understood of seven several forms of govern- 
 ment, but of seven particular emperors— viz., Claudius, 
 Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian, and Titus, and 
 that Domitian is the eighth, who was of the seventh, 
 because as he pretends, he governed during his father’s 
 absence. 
 
 The foundation which he lays, for the probation of 
 this, is that John was banished into Patmos, in the reign 
 of Claudius : but that though he saw his visions then, he 
 did not write them till Vespasian’s time. For he must 
 make this last supposition, as well as the first, else his 
 notion would be condemned immediately, seeing it is said, 
 that five of these kings were fallen, (Rev. xvii. 10,) that 
 is, says he and Hammond, when he wrote, not when he 
 saw these visions. But how false this is, any body may 
 see with half an eye ; seeing these words are not John’s 
 but the angel’s to him. And, therefore, the defenders 
 of this opinion must find out five emperors that were 
 fallen before Claudius, if they will restrict these heads of 
 the Beast to particular men ; for if the angel spake these 
 words to John in the days of Claudius, they must relate 
 to them that went before, or to none. 
 
 This is enough to destroy this notion of theirs, and I 
 know how it is possible for any of their admirers to salve 
 their credit this way. But seeing the principal thing 
 they found upon, is this, that John saw the apocalyptical 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 119 
 
 visions in the days of Claudius, and that so all, or at 
 least most of the Revelation relates to things that fell out 
 before the destruction of Jerusalem ; I shall say something 
 further to disprove this assertion, and to confirm the 
 verity of our proposition. 
 
 Now there are only two things adduced by Grotius 
 and Hammond, to prove that John was in Patmos in 
 Claudius’ reign ; the first is, that Claudius raised a per- 
 secution against both Jews and Christians, and that being 
 the first persecutor, it is probable that J ohn was banished 
 at that time. The second is, that Epiphanius does ex- 
 pressly assert, that it was by Claudius that John was 
 banished to Patmos. 
 
 As to the first of these, it is nothing but a supposition 
 without any proof ; for we have no account, either in the 
 Acts of the Apostles, or any other writer, that Claudius 
 did ever persecute either Jews or Christians. And Lac* 
 tantius (de Mort. Pers.) does expressly assert, that no 
 emperor did persecute the Christians before Nero. It is 
 true, Suetonius says, “ Claudius Judacos impulsore Chresto 
 tumultuantes Roma expulit.” And Luke tells us, that 
 Claudius banished the Jews from Rome, which occa- 
 sioned Aquila and Priscilla, and other Christian Jews, 
 to retire from Rome ; but neither of them say that he 
 persecuted the Christians, or even the Jews. Now, as 
 for the expression of Suetonius, “ impulsore Chresto or 
 Christo,” the meaning must be this, that the Jews that 
 did not believe, going about to stir up the government 
 at Rome, as they did every where else, (as is plain from 
 the books of the Acts,) against the Christians, and 
 appearing against them in a tumultuous manner, upon 
 the occasion of Christ, complaints might probably be 
 brought to the emperor, who no doubt upon this account 
 banished all that nation from Rome. So that Suetonius 
 having a confused notion of Christ, might easily be in- 
 duced to express himself this way. And now that this 
 
120 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 was all that Claudius did against the Christians, it is 
 plain to me, from one argument that has escaped Dr. 
 More, but is to me unanswerable, taken from the 18 th 
 chapter of the Acts, where, after the sacred historian 
 had taken notice of Claudius’ banishing the Jews out of 
 Rome, and of Aquila and Priscilla’s being lately come 
 upon that account from Italy to Corinth, he tells us of 
 Paul’s lodging with them, because he was of the same 
 occupation. But being pressed in spirit, to preach Christ, 
 upon the coming of Silas and Timothy from Macedonia, 
 he goes into their synagogue, and reasons with the Jews 
 and proselytes there, upon this head : and having con- 
 verted some, particularly Crispus, the chief ruler of the 
 synagogue, and Justus, in whose house he afterwards 
 disputed ; Crispus no doubt being thrown out of his 
 office, and Sosthenes put in his stead, and Paul continuing 
 to preach in Justus’ house, which joined to the syna- 
 gogue ; the Jews are incensed to such a degree, as to 
 rise tumultuously against Paul. Sosthenes therefore, 
 the new chief ruler of the synagogue, and the unbeliev- 
 ing Jews, make an insurrection, and seize upon Paul, and 
 carry him to the judgment-seat, before the pro-consul 
 Gallio, that excellent Roman, the elder brother of Seneca. 
 He tells the Jews, that if Paul, or any other man, were 
 guilty of what was lewd, wicked, or unjust, that in that 
 case he was obliged to punish such persons according as 
 the Roman law and justice did require, but seeing they 
 accused Paul of nothing of that kind, but only of doc- 
 trinal matters, relating to their own law and religion, he 
 had nothing to do with them ; and therefore he drove 
 them all away, and set Paul at liberty, which made the 
 Gentiles fall upon Sosthenes, the chief author of this tumult, 
 and beat him before the judgment-seat ; which Gallio 
 permitted to be done and connived at, either as judging 
 that he did deserve to be so treated, or supposing it might 
 prevent the Jews from acting so factiously and tumul- 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 121 
 
 tuously again. Now, after this short, but exact account 
 of this history, it will be easy to see how precarious and 
 groundless, nay false, Grotius’ opinion is, of a persecu- 
 tion being raised against Jews and Christians, in the 
 days of Claudius. For if there had been any such thing, 
 or any edict for it, how came Gallio to tolerate a public 
 synagogue of the Jews, and suffer Paul to preach openly ? 
 Or if the Christians were only ordered to be persecuted, 
 why did not the Jews use this as the reason of their ac- 
 cusing Paul, who to be sure wanted not good will to have 
 done so, and were not ignorant that this would have 
 been the main argument to prevail with the pro-consul ? 
 And had there been any such edict, can we imagine that 
 Gallio was ignorant of it? For so he must have been, 
 seeing he tells the Jews that he had no orders to punish 
 any man for his religion or sentiments that way, but 
 only those that were guilty of wickedness or lewdness in 
 life. If any say that his temper was to care for none of 
 these things, I answer, this expression may indeed denote 
 his temper. But I suppose it speaks forth not only that, 
 but his principle and sentiment, as judging it unrighteous 
 to persecute or punish any man for mere opinion. But 
 whatever this had been, had there been any edict for per- 
 secuting the Christians or Jews, he durst not have neg- 
 lected his orders, especially when the edict must have 
 been so recent, and when he had what might have passed 
 for a just reason of his punishing both the party accusing, 
 and the party accused, viz., their disturbing (as he might 
 have represented it) of the public peace. But indeed it 
 is too plain to need any further proof, that Claudius’ ban- 
 ishing the Jews out of Home, was accompanied with no 
 persecution, either against them, or against the Christians. 
 And this Dr. Hammond confirms, by what he says in 
 his annotations on Acts xxvi. 31, forgetting, that this 
 way he destroys his own foundation of interpreting the 
 Revelation. Where upon these words of Luke, that 
 
122 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 Agrippa, Festus, and Berenice, and the rest of the com- 
 pany, after they had heard Paul’s defence, did conclude, 
 that he had done nothing that deserved either death or 
 imprisonment, the Doctor observes, that the reason why 
 they did conclude so was, because there had been as yet 
 no edict emitted against the Christians by any of the 
 emperors ; and this was the reason also, says he, why 
 Gallio, the pro- consul of Achaia, said publicly, that it 
 was not for him to judge of things that the Roman laws 
 had determined nothing about. For, continues the doc- 
 tor, though Claudius had commanded the Jews to leave 
 Italy, by which the Christian Jews were forced to go 
 away also, not as they were Christians, but because they 
 were Jews, yet there was yet no law made against 
 Christians, as such, at this time. It is true, he says, that 
 J ohn was not only banished, as Aquila and Priscilla were, 
 but confined in the Isle of Patmos. But he should have 
 given the reason why John was the only person persecu- 
 ted. However, I shall examine this assertion, and the 
 reason that the Doctor gives for it in other places of his 
 Annotations. 
 
 We come therefore now, in the 2d place, to consider 
 the testimony of Epiphanius, upon whose credit alone 
 Grotius and Hammond believe that John was in Patmos 
 in Claudius’ time. And here, by the way, I cannot 
 forbear to observe the strange mistake of Dr. Lightfoot, 
 who agrees in the main with these learned men, in in- 
 terpreting the Revelation, in relation to the Jews, before 
 the destruction of Jerusalem, and therefore makes John 
 to see these visions long before that ; but has this pecu- 
 liar to himself, that he imagines John was not banished 
 there, but went thither voluntarily, to preach the gospel 
 to the inhabitants ; whereas John himself doth expressly 
 tell us, that he was there as a sufferer and witness for 
 Christ, (chap. i. 9.) “ I, John, who also am your bro- 
 
 ther and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 123 
 
 and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the Isle that is called 
 Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of 
 Jesus Christ.” So that as this refutes Dr. Lightfoot, 
 and confirms what Grotius and Hammond agree in, that 
 ' John was not in Patmos as a traveller, but as a prisoner 
 and sufferer, so it is enough to refute even them also ; for 
 the words do plainly insinuate, that John was not the 
 only persecuted man at this time, but that there was then 
 a persecution raised against all Christians in general ; 
 and therefore, we may be assured that he was not in 
 that island in the days of Claudius, in whose time we 
 have proved there was no persecution. 
 
 But to return — Epiphanius says, indeed, that John 
 saw his visions in Patmos, in the reign of Claudius. 
 (Heres. 51, sect. 12, and 33.) But can his single au- 
 thority weigh down all antiquity, that says the contrary ? 
 Shall we believe him rather than Irenseus, who lived two 
 hundred years before him, and was the scholar of Poly- 
 carp, the scholar of John himself? Now, what can be 
 plainer than the words of Irenaeus, (Lib. 5. cap. 30, as 
 they are preserved in the original by Eusebius, lib. 5, cap. 
 8. Hist. Eccl.) E/ yccg edsi avapavdov toj vvv za/gco zqgurretf- 
 S-ot/ to ovo/JsU a vrou, di ’exsivov av s ggfoy] rou zcu ttjv Ako- 
 xmXv^iv zwga xorog. ovds, yag tfgo ttoXXov %govov ecoga07] 9 
 aXXct <f%edov s<r/ ryjg Yifizrsgag yzvsag, rnrgog ru reXei rrjg A o- 
 (Airiuvov agyr\g. That is, “ If his name (viz., that of 
 Antichrist, or the beast) had been openly to be divulged 
 at this time, it would no doubt have been told by him 
 that saw the apocalyptical visions. For it is not a long 
 time since he saw these, but even, in some sense, in our 
 own time,” viz., towards the end of the reign of Domitian. 
 And that Irenaeus had just reason to say, that John’s 
 seeing the revelation was almost in his own time, or 
 within the memory of the men of that generation, if not of 
 his own also, is plain from chronology ; for he being the 
 scholar of Polycarp, who was martyred in the year of 
 
124 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 Christ, 167, and being himself put to death in the year 
 20 2, if we suppose that he wrote this but ten or twelve 
 years before his death, yet he might justly say, that 
 there was hut about an age’s difference from his time, and 
 that wherein John saw the Revelation ; for if John was 
 in Patmos towards the end of Domitian’s reign, it could 
 not be sooner, in any propriety of speech, than the year 
 90, seeing he began his government A. d. 81, and 
 died 96. And who can doubt but Irenaeus does deliver 
 here, what his master Polycarp had told him ? For as 
 none knew the history of John better than that worthy 
 person, so none had better opportunity to know what re- 
 lated to this matter than Irenseus, by reason of his long 
 and intimate acquaintance with him. 
 
 This seemed a foundation sure enough, of old, to 
 Eusebius, and if some men had not some private ends to 
 promote, by opposing it, might be a sufficient founda- 
 tion to all men still. Let us therefore hear what this 
 learned historian says on this head.* “ In those days, 
 (says Eusebius, viz., in the days of Credo, Ignatius, and 
 Simeon, of whom he had been speaking,) the apostle 
 John, the beloved disciple, was yet alive, inspecting the 
 churches of Asia, having returned after Domitian’s death 
 from the island, whither he had been banished. Now, 
 that John was then alive, it is enough to adduce the tes- 
 timony of two persons of great authority, who are worthy 
 of all belief, and were ever eminent for defending the 
 truth, I mean, Irenaeus and Clemens Alexandrinus ; the 
 first of whom, in his Second Book against Heresies, 
 speaks thus — All the Presbyters (says Irenaeus) who 
 lived familiarly with the apostle John in Asia, do assure 
 us, that they had this related to them from John himself, 
 for he lived with them even unto the times of Trajan . . . 
 In his Third Book also, Irenaeus gives us the same 
 
 * Euseb. Eccl. Hist. lib. 3. cap. 23. 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 125 
 
 account, In these words — The church of Ephesus also, 
 which was founded by the apostle Paul, and was after- 
 wards under the care of the apostle John, until Trajan’s 
 time, is an eminent witness of what was delivered to us 
 by the apostles. And besides him, Clemens likewise 
 (says Eusebius) does not only take notice of the same 
 time, but gives a particular story relating to him, in that 
 hook of his, which bears this title, “ What rich man can 
 be saved ? ” And then Eusebius recites the story at 
 length, which were too long to insert here. 
 
 Now, if John lived to the days of Trajan, he must 
 have been a prodigiously old man, according to Epipha- 
 nius, who says he was ninety years of age in Claudius’ 
 time. For giving him all the allowance that can be 
 desired, viz., that John was so old in the last year of 
 Claudius, and that he died in the last year of Trajan, 
 he must have been 134 years old, at least, when he died ; 
 seeing Claudius died a. d. 54, and Trajan did not be- 
 gin to reign until the year 98, though |others say, with 
 more probability, not until A. d. 100. Now, besides that 
 it is not easy to believe, that so thoughtful and laborious 
 a man should live so long, the improbability of what 
 Epiphanius says, appears further from this ; that if in 
 the year 54 from Christ’s birth, John was ninety years 
 of age, he must have been thirty-six years older than 
 Christ. And if so, it seems very odd, that Christ should 
 say to him from the cross, “ Man, behold thy mother ; 
 and to Mary, Woman, behold thy son.” (John xix. 26, 27.) 
 For as this seems to say, that he was at least as young 
 as Christ, this account makes him an old man of near 
 seventy years of age at that time. Which, as it must 
 suppose Mary to be a very aged person of between eighty 
 and ninety at least ; so it contradicts the constant and 
 unanimous tradition of the church, which supposes him 
 to be very young at that time. Whence Baronius says, 
 that he was but twenty-five years old. And Nicephorus 
 
126 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 relates, out of an epistle of Evodius, bishop of Antioch, 
 that the Virgin herself was not then fifty seeing Christ, 
 as he asserts, was born when she was but fifteen years old. 
 
 Whence it appears, how little we ought to trust Epi- 
 phanius, in opposition to all antiquity besides. Which, 
 made Drusus say, Scimus omnes Epiphanium in multus 
 graviter hallucinatum. (Lib. xiv. obser. cap. 21.) And 
 upon the same account Petavius scruples not to correct 
 him ; for where he has it, Imperante Claudio , he writes 
 this short note in the margin, Mendose pro Domitiano. 
 
 But the truth is, though I am not willing to detract 
 from this author’s credit, yet I suspect it was not so much 
 an error of judgment as of will, or that which some call 
 a piafraus , that made him desert the tradition of the 
 church in this matter. For his telling us this story is 
 upon the occasion of an objection of the Montanists 
 against the Apocalypse, taken from this supposition, that 
 there was no church in Thyatira, when John wrote the 
 Revelation ; which it seems, he thought would serve 
 another turn, if he inverted it, by telling them John said 
 so only by way of prophecy. Whence he proceeds to 
 prove the verity and divinity of the book ; and therefore 
 thought his argument would be the more cogent, the 
 further he ran up the date of the Revelation, and John’s 
 being in Patmos. But as this was a poor as well as 
 unlawful shift, so I shall leave him and his authority 
 both, to those that have more time and leisure to consider 
 them further. 
 
 For to me there is proof enough, from the Revelation 
 itself, to assure us that it was written in Domitian’s 
 time. For it is plain, not only from chap. i. 9, which I 
 touched upon before, but from the strain of all the seven 
 epistles which John writes to the churches of Asia, that 
 at the time of his being in Patmos, or rather before, 
 there had been a severe persecution upon them. There- 
 fore he tells the church of Ephesus, that she had laboured 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 127 
 
 and endured, and had not fainted under the troubles that 
 had come upon her. (chap. ii. 2.) And so the Christians 
 of Smyrna are told of their tribulation, and exhorted 
 not to fear imprisonment or any thing they should suffer, 
 (ver. 9, 10.) This being added, that they must expect 
 tribulation for ten days ; which, by the way, is no incon- 
 siderable hint, seeing the persecution of Domitian, from 
 the first beginning of it, lasted about ten years, which in 
 the dialect of St. John, are called days. I might men- 
 tion many other things, but this is plain, that the church 
 was under persecution every where at that time, if it were 
 only from these and the like expressions, “ Be thou faith- 
 ful unto the death,” and “ To him that overcometh,” &c. 
 And besides all these things, mention is made of an 
 eminent martyr of the church of Pergamos (chap. ii. 13), 
 whose name was Antipas. For the apostle John, or 
 rather Christ, is so express in relating this, that we may 
 deny any thing in the Bible, if we deny this matter of 
 fact. I am not concerned here with the allegories some 
 fanciful men make upon this name, when they tell us, 
 tell us, that it signifies as much as Antipater or Antipapa ; 
 nor have I any thing to do with the stories that later 
 authors tell us of him, as of his being bishop of Pergamos, 
 and of his being burnt in a brazen bull, with other 
 circumstantial matters relating to his person or death. 
 Let Aretha, therefore, Metaphrastes, Cedrenus, Pererius, 
 Surius, Baronius, Cornelius a Lapide, and a thousand 
 more, be supposed to mistake in their relating this 
 story ; yet no man shall ever make me disbelieve 
 what St. John says of this matter. And I must have 
 further proof, than ever I expect to receive, before I can 
 believe that all these authors are mistaken, as to the 
 foundation of their relation ; when they unanimously tell 
 us, that this martyr suffered in the reign of Domitian. 
 
 And now I suppose I have said enough to prove that 
 John was not in Patmos before the reign of Domitian. 
 
128 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 And if so, the foundation of Grotius and his followers 
 falls to the ground. So that these corollaries must 
 naturally follow from what has been said, and remain as 
 certain truths : 
 
 1st Corol. The visions of the Apocalypse relate 
 neither to the Romish nor Jewish state, before 
 the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus. 
 
 2d Corol. The Revelation relates to the church and 
 her adversaries, as to those things that were to 
 fall out after the eversion of the Jewish state. 
 
 Now, before I proceed, I must desire the reader to ob- 
 serve the distribution, which Christ himself makes of the 
 subjects treated of in this book (chap. i. 19), when he 
 commands John,- saying, Tgapov a sidsg, xai a s/o'/, %oli 
 a {JjzWzi yiv&ai (JjZtol ravra ; i.e. “Write the things 
 which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the 
 things which shall be hereafter.” Where it is plain, 
 three things are distinguished. 1. The things which 
 John had seen, viz. the emblems, figures, or hierogly- 
 phical representations, that had been presented to his 
 eyes or imagination, from ver. 12 to 19. Then, 2. The 
 things which were existent and in being at the time 
 when John was in Patmos, viz. the churches planted by 
 the apostles, particularly the seven Asiatic ones, to which 
 John had a peculiar relation, and to which he was 
 ordered to direct seven epistles. And then, 3. The 
 things which were to fall out hereafter, viz., the pro- 
 phetical part of the book, beginning with the fourth 
 chapter ; as is plain from the first verse thereof. Where, 
 after John had written what related to both the former 
 heads, he tells us, that he heard a voice, like the voice 
 of a trumpet, talking with him, and commanding him 
 now to begin and write the things which he was to show 
 him, and represent to him emblematically, which were 
 to be ruvra, after the expiration of the things men- 
 
OF THE PAPACY* 
 
 129 
 
 tioned before, which were said then to exist, viz., the 
 then present circumstances of the Asiatic churches. 
 
 So that this is a sufficient answer to those that object, 
 that this book cannot be supposed to contain a prophecy 
 of the state of the church for any long time, seeing it is 
 said, that the things prophesied of in the revelation must 
 shortly come to pass (chap. i. v. 1). For seeing we have 
 a double explication of this expression — viz., chap. i. ver. 
 19, and chap. iv. ver. 1 ; I ask whether we are to stick 
 so to the letter of the first short proposition, as to reject 
 the explication given of it in the following places. It 
 was very proper indeed, when some things in this book 
 did concern the then present state of the church, and 
 some other things that did relate to the future condition 
 of it ; to say as in chap. i. ver. 1, that the prophecy re- 
 lated to things that were shortly to come to pass ; because 
 not only were those things to be soon fulfilled that con- 
 cerned the churches of Asia at that time ; but the other 
 things were then also to enter upon their begun accom- 
 plishment. But that we might not imagine that the 
 whole of this book was to be accomplished shortly, we 
 are told, (chap. i. ver. 19, and chap. iv. ver. l y ) that 
 what related to future time, was to be accomplished and 
 fall out afterwards. And that accordingly we might see 
 the full extent of this prophecy, we are led down from 
 scene to scene, till we are brought to the end and con- 
 summation of all things at last. And now seeing we 
 have proved that this book was written after the de- 
 struction of J erusalem, we must desire our antagonists to 
 to find out something else, to which they can accommo- 
 date all the figures of the Revelation, before we quit our 
 interpretation, merely because they dislike it, though 
 they can offer us nothing in the room of the same. So 
 that until they be able to enlighten our minds, with ano- 
 ther scheme than that of Grotius, which we have suffi- 
 ciently, though briefly refuted : I must be bold to lay 
 
 K 
 
130 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 down this further Corollary, which is the same with our 
 first postulatum in the preceding discourse. 
 
 3d Corol. That the Revelation contains the series of 
 all the remarkable events and changes of the 
 state of the Christian Church to the end of the 
 world. 
 
 And the distribution of this book, into the three parts 
 I have mentioned, lays a sufficient foundation for ano- 
 ther proposition also. 
 
 3d Proposition. The seven epistles directed to as 
 many churches in the lesser Asia, do not immedi- 
 ately relate to the Christian church in general, 
 and therefore cannot be interpreted prophetically, 
 in any proper sense, as if they did denote so many 
 periods of time in relation to it. 
 
 I might demonstrate this, were it needful. But seeing 
 it makes nothing for my design, which way soever men 
 understand it, I shall say nothing to it now : especially 
 because the learned Witsius, my professor and master 
 formerly, has sufficiently demonstrated what I assert in 
 this proposition, in his Diatribe de septem Epistolarum 
 Apocalypticarum sensu Historico and Prophetico, pub- 
 lished in his Miscellanea Sacra. 
 
 And neither have I time to prove other propositions, 
 that might appear more necessary : only seeing the key 
 of interpreting the Apocalypse, which the angel gives 
 John (chap, xvii.) is so very plain, I cannot but build 
 another proposition upon it. 
 
 4th Proposition. Babylon the great, or the Apoca- 
 lyptical beast, taken in a general sense, as it is 
 represented, with its seven heads, and ten horns, 
 is no other than an emblem of the Roman empire. 
 
 For besides that Dr. Cressener, and others, have proved 
 this, the text itself is demonstration enough to all those 
 that will be at pains, attentively and impartially, to con- 
 sider it. For seeing the angel does expressly say, that 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 131 
 
 by this was meant the seven hilled city, (ver. 9,) and the 
 city that then did reign over the kings of the earth, (ver. 
 18,) I cannot imagine what he could have said more 
 plainly upon this head. 
 
 But seeing he represents the empire, under the pecu- 
 liar consideration, of its being governed by a woman, 
 who is called the great whore, or adulteress ; therefore, 
 this lays a foundation for another proposition. 
 
 5th Proposition. The seven headed beast, especially 
 considered, as it is represented as rid upon by the 
 whore, doth represent Rome to us as it is under 
 the ecclesiastical government of the papacy, or 
 apostate church of Rome. 
 
 This the angel does sufficiently insinuate, (chap. xvii. 
 ver. 8,) when he says, “ The beast which thou sawest, 
 was, and yet is not at this time.” i. e. that beast is indeed 
 the same Roman empire which was before, and was re- 
 presented to thee, (chap. xiii. ver. 1.) But it is not yet, 
 in another sense — viz., as now thou beholdest it under 
 the rule of a whore, or the apostate church of Rome. 
 For this last ecclesiastical form of government is not yet 
 come, but it is to come (when it ariseth) out of the 
 bottomless pit, in order to go thither again, into endless 
 perdition. 
 
 And if this be once granted, then that will naturally 
 follow, which I am to represent as another proposition. 
 
 6th Proposition. The seven kings represented by the 
 seven heads of the beast, are no other than the 
 seven forms of supreme government, that did suc- 
 cessively obtain among the Romans. 
 
 This the angel doth likewise sufficiently insinuate, 
 (ver. 10,) which can never be understood of particular 
 emperors, at least not of those Grotius fixed upon, whose 
 opinion this way we have already refuted. And there- 
 fore, seeing five of the forms of the Roman government, 
 were fallen in John’s time — viz. Kings, Consuls, Dictators, 
 
132 
 
 THE RISE AND FALL 
 
 Decemvirs and Military Tribunes, (as Tacitus reckons 
 them, AnnaL lib. i. section 1); and seeing the imperial 
 authority was that which was in being then, we have no 
 reason to quit so plain and exact an interpretation, until 
 more be said against it, than ever has been yet produced 
 to the world. 
 
 And w 7 ere it not that I am confined so much now, both 
 as to time, and lest this postscript should swell to an 
 enormous bulk, 3 should not fear to attempt the demon- 
 stration of these last propositions, and to proceed to others 
 that would lay a further and more strong foundation still, 
 of that method of interpreting the revelation, which the 
 generality of protestants are agreed in. But I hope I 
 have said enough for this place, to secure the principles 
 I go upon, by which the things which I proposed at first 
 as postulata are, I think, sufficiently proved. And see- 
 ing my principal design in writing this postscript, was to 
 refute the hypothesis that Grotius and Hammond go 
 upon : I leave it to the candid and impartial thoughts of 
 the reader, whether I have not said enough to prove it 
 to be altogether precarious. 
 
 And now seeing every one must see how much I have 
 been straitened, both as to time and paper, in this post- 
 script, I hope the reader will pass the more favourable 
 construction on what defects he may observe in my per- 
 formance, either as to matter, method, or the calculations 
 of time, w hich I have run upon ; in which, if there be any 
 thing obscure or confused, the study of brevity and dis- 
 patch has occasioned it. But since I have advanced 
 nothing, in relation to future time, but by way of con- 
 jecture, nor indeed asserted any thing (in relation to that 
 part of the prophecy which is fulfilled) dogmatically and 
 positively, but only proposed my thoughts, after the 
 manner of a rational probability ; I suppose no man will 
 think it worth his while to make a noise about little 
 mistakes, that perhaps I may have been guilty of, through 
 
OF THE PAPACY. 
 
 133 
 
 haste or inadvertency. But if any person shall take oc- 
 casion, from what I have said, to study the Apocalypse 
 to better advantage than I have attained to do, and shall 
 give the world a better built, and more clearly connected 
 scheme of the visions of this book ; I assure him that 
 none shall more rejoice in such a performance than I, 
 and I shall be one of the first to return him thanks for 
 refuting me. For truth is all I seek after, and that it 
 may ever, and in all respects prevail, is, and shall be my 
 constant prayer and study. 
 
 Luntley & Eason, New Broad Street Court, London. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
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