earth or the perfecutors of the Chriftians. The fore and grievous wound here inflicted, means a grievous punishment, which falls upon those who have the character or mark of the beaft, that is, on the pagan emperors of Rome and their governors of the Roman provinces, as they bore in a fpecial manner the mark of the beaft or of idolatry, by employing their whole power in the fupport of it, and in perfecuting the Christian Religion. The fame punishment also falls upon those who adore the image of the beast, that is, on the idolatrous people of the Roman empire. The Roman ftate was the principal feat and bulwark of idolatry. Hence the pouring out of the firft vial of the wrath of God announces the divine judgments on the monarchs of Rome and their fubjects, for their fupporting idolatry, an abomination fo odious to God, and for the perfecuting his Church and his people.How this was fulfilled the following fhort account will discover:

Nero the firft Roman emperor, that imbrued his hands in Christian blood, had by his cruelties made himself the deteftation of mankind. The people of Rome would no longer bear with him; his armies revolted from him and fet up a new emperor. He was deserted by his own guards, and the Roman fenate. pronounced fentence of death against him. In this defperate and forlorn condition he fled from Rome into the country to a house belonging to his freedman, where, by the help of others, not having refolution himself, he got himself difpatched with a dagger. Thus fell Nero a victim to the vengeance of God.

But Heaven was not appeafed with this fole victim. The weight of divine juftice, conformably to the tenour of the vial, fell alfo upon the whole Roman ftate, which was torn to pieces by inteftine convulfions. Galba fucceeded Nero; but foon after rofe up Otho, who got himfelf proclaimed emperor by the foldiers. Galba was murdered in the Forum,

nd the people were trampled under foot in the treets of Rome by the brutal foldiers. During hefe troubles in the city, the Roman legions in Germany created their commander Vitellius emeror. This new conteft between two competitors ould not be decided but by the fword and the blood f many thousands of Romans. Four confiderable attles were fought within the space of a few months, which gave the empire to Vitellius. But that fame ear the Roman armies in the Eaft vefted their own ommander Vefpafian with the imperial purple in ppofition to Vitellius. This continued the civil var, and a battle was fought between the two pares at the gates of Rome, in which the Vitellians oft the day. Rome was made a fcene of flaughter, eing taken and ravaged by its own fubjects, and e Capitol was laid in afhes.

Eight years after this calamity fprung up a fresh ne. Such a terrible plague infected the city of Rome, hat according to Eufebius it fwept away ten thouand inhabitants in a day for several days together.

Domitian the fecond perfecutor felt alfo the eight of divine anger. His own friends and doeftics, with his wife Domitia, confpired against him nd flew him. And after his death the fenate of Lome refcinded all his edicts, ordered all his ftatues o be pulled down, his name to be erafed in all the ublic regifters, and never more to be mentioned.

CH. 11

ings

people

tica Year

The emperors Trajan, Adrian, and Marcus Auelius, having rather tolerated than raised persecuon, escaped fuch vifible judgments. But the Emire itself felt the difmal effects of the Chriftian lood that had been spilt during these reigns. In he eighteenth year of Trajan there happened a proigious earthquake, which was almoft general in the aft, but Syria chiefly fuffered. Many great towns ere ruined. In the city of Antioch, where the

Went the

Maxin to the wh Africa re declared

emperors

while he

foldiers fe his fon, fe dies to be

During city of Ro tumults, Decius

ings were thrown down, and many thousands of people loft their lives, the emperor himself hardly efcaping by leaping out of a window. In the fecond year of Marcus Aurelius the Tyber overflowed a confiderable part of Rome, carried away a multitude of people and cattle, ruined the country, and caused an extreme famine. This inundation was followed by fwarms of infects, which devoured all that the flood had fpared. Four years after, Lucius Verus coming victorious from the Parthian war, brought the plague along with him, which communicated the contagion to all the Roman provinces through which he paffed, and carried off multitudes of people.

Severus, the fifth perfecutor, among other miffortunes, had for fon Antoninus Caracalla, a most vicious prince, who attempted to take away his father's life by ftabbing him with his own hand, but was prevented by fome that were prefent. This behaviour of his fon threw Severus into a deep me-lancholy, which put an end to his life. The hand of vengeance purfued even his children. Caracalla murdered his brother Geta, and he himself under-. went the fame fate, which extinguished the family.

Maximinus, the fixth perfecutor, became odious to the whole empire for his cruelties and his avarice. Africa rebelled against him. The fenate of Rome declared him an enemy to the state, and fet up new emperors against him. He was fo detefted, that while he was befieging the city of Aquileia, his own foldiers fell upon him in his tent, flew both him and his fon, fent their heads to Rome, and left their bodies to be devoured by dogs and birds of

prey. During the short reign of Maximinus, neither the city of Rome nor the provinces were free from wars, tumults, murders, and all forts of calamities.

Decius the emperor, an execrable beaft, as Lactantius ftiles him, in his war with the Goths being attacked by them, and feeing his eldeft fon killed

and the people were trampled under foot in the ftreets of Rome by the brutal foldiers. During these troubles in the city, the Roman legions in Germany created their commander Vitellius emperor. This new conteft between two competitors could not be decided but by the fword and the blood of many thousands of Romans. Four confiderable battles were fought within the space of a few months, which gave the empire to Vitellius. But that fame year the Roman armies in the Eaft vefted their own commander Vefpafian with the imperial purple in oppofition to Vitellius. This continued the civil war, and a battle was fought between the two parties at the gates of Rome, in which the Vitellians loft the day. Rome was made a fcene of flaughter, being taken and ravaged by its own fubjects, and the Capitol was laid in afhes.

Eight years after this calamity fprung up a fresh one. Such a terrible plague infected the city of Rome, that according to Eufebius it swept away ten thoufand inhabitants in a day for feveral days together.

Domitian the fecond perfecutor felt alfo the weight of divine anger. His own friends and domeftics, with his wife Domitia, confpired against him and flew him. And after his death the fenate of Rome refcinded all his edicts, ordered all his ftatues to be pulled down, his name to be erafed in all the public registers, and never more to be mentioned.

The emperors Trajan, Adrian, and Marcus Aurelius, having rather tolerated than raised persecution, efcaped fuch vifible judgments. But the Empire itself felt the difmal effects of the Christian blood that had been fpilt during these reigns. In the eighteenth year of Trajan there happened a prodigious earthquake, which was almoft general in the Eaft, but Syria chiefly fuffered. Many great towns were ruined. In the city of Antioch, where the Emperor Trajan then refided, almost all the build

ings were thrown down, and many thousands of people loft their lives, the emperor himself hardly efcaping by leaping out of a window. In the fecond. year of Marcus Aurelius the Tyber overflowed a confiderable part of Rome, carried away a multitude of people and cattle, ruined the country, and caused an extreme famine. This inundation was followed by fwarms of infects, which devoured all that the flood had fpared. Four years after, Lucius Verus coming victorious from the Parthian war, brought the plague along with him, which communicated the contagion to all the Roman provinces through which he paffed, and carried off multitudes of people.

Severus, the fifth perfecutor, among other miffortunes, had for fon Antoninus Caracalla, a most vicious prince, who attempted to take away his father's life by ftabbing him with his own hand, but was prevented by fome that were prefent. This behaviour of his fon threw Severus into a deep me-lancholy, which put an end to his life. The hand of vengeance pursued even his children. Caracalla murdered his brother Geta, and he himself under-. went the fame fate, which extinguished the family.

Maximinus, the fixth perfecutor, became odious to the whole empire for his cruelties and his avarice. Africa rebelled against him. The fenate of Rome declared him an enemy to the ftate, and fet up new emperors against him. He was fo detefted, that while he was befieging the city of Aquileia, his own foldiers fell upon him in his tent, flew both him and his fon, fent their heads to Rome, and left their bodies to be devoured by dogs and birds of prey.

During the short reign of Maximinus, neither the city of Rome nor the provinces were free from wars, tumults, murders, and all forts of calamities.

Decius the emperor, an execrable beaft, as Lactantius ftiles him, in his war with the Goths being attacked by them, and feeing his eldeft fon killed