perfecution is in all its Circumftances, let us confider it in its fuccefs, and with refpect to thofe on whom it hath fucceeded. I look upon that general Defertion, an whole Kingdom in a manner changing its Religion in four moneths time, as a thing that cannot be parallel'd. 'Tis true, the Roman Empire hath been feen to become Arrian in a very little while, by the perfecution of the Emperors. But Arrianifm was a fpeculative Herely, and the Arrians cheated the People by equivocal Confeffions of Faith, which taken in good fenfe, might now be fubscribed unto. And for other things, their Worship, Prayers,Ceremonies, Altars,Bishops, Government,'twas all alike; and fo the paffage from one to another was very easy. But here is the greatest difference imaginable, in worship, the object of adoration, the manner of it, in Ceremonies, Government, and Difcipline. The Reformed Religion and the Roman differ as Day and Night; fo that there must have been a prodigious Current, for the paffage from one to another in fo little time. 'Tis a frightfull and furprizing thing to fee People make lefs difficulty to change their God, than good Subjects would do to change their Prince; in cafe an Enemy break into any Country, he would not find People fo ready to abjure their former Oath of Fidelity. "Tis true, this kind of perfecution, which is made ufe of against the reformed, feems to me more cruel and more likely to overcome their conftancy, then Maffacres, and Fires, Wheels, and Gibbets. When a man can fee to the end of his fufferings, though that end be death, he may be able to ftand his ground: but when he is given over to an hundred Executioners, who are commiffioned to torment him by turns, without giving him the leaft repofe, I confefs, this is the ready way to defpair. If they did nothing more than hinder a man from fleep,

it were fufficient to make him diftracted, and to make him do what ever they would have him. 'Tis certain then, that several of those who have yielded, would more willingly have fuffer'd death for their Religion, and have earnestly and feriously defired it. But what is very strange, is that the greatest part have not tarried for thefe Perfecutors. At the very approach of the Dragoons they cowardly complied, and a fmall number of True Believets remain'd victims, expofed to the Rage of an Army of an hundred thousand men, which were let loose upon the Kingdom.

This, Ifay again, is without Example in any Hiftsry.S. Cyprian in his Treatife de Lapfis,feems to fay that fome fuch thing happened in the perfecution of Decius; but he himself in his Epifles makes it evident, that the Apoftacy was not fo general: for he remitsthofe who had fallen tobe judged at the return of Peace,in the Affemblies of the Faithful who perfevered; fo that the number of thofe that perfevered must have been confiderable. In our time it would be difficult out ofevery Flock to make up an Affembly of fuch as perfevere to judge the rest. 'Tis therefore an Event, wherein we must admire the depth of Divine Providence. 'Tis a fpeaking Prodigy, which tells us, we are now in those laft days, when Chrift fhould come, and not find true Piety, or true Faith upon Earth. This is a Touch-ftone for all Proteftants; their Brethren of France were not more wicked than others: Wherefore we may believe, that the fame thing would happen in any other, place, on fuppofition of the fame Circumstances; and confequently, that Chriftian courage and true Faith are at this day very rare, and few Inftances to be found. Lastly, this Affair tells us, that God would melt the Heart of that People, and fuffer

them

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them to fink and be fwallowed up, that he may hortly raife to himself another a new People. These are the Characters of this perfecution, which makes me regard it as very fingular and extraordinary in its kind,and confequently as a prefage,that God willfhortly finish the establishment of his Kingdom, and the Ruin of that of Antichrift. If we only confider, how this Perfecution hath been more effectual than any the Church ever fuffer'd, it were enough to make us judge, that the Devil now imploys his utmoft force and power, as apprehending 'tis the laft Time, and that the ruin of his Kingdom is at hand. When Paganism was ready to fall under Conftantine, he then excited the sharpeft perfecution under the Emperor Dioclefian.

These are the different Reflexions that confpired to poffefs me, that the coming of our Lord was near, to deftroy the wicked one by the Breath of his Mouth. I had a strong inclination to be certain and affured of the truth of thefe Thoughts, which could no otherwise be done but by finding in the Apocalypfe, the accomplishment of thofe Circumstances, which were to precede and accompany the fall of the Babylonish Empire. With this defign I betook my felf to read over the Apocalipfe, not the feveral Commentators on that Book, but the Book it felf, only with the Expofition of lofeph Mede, whom I formerly look't upon as a man infpired for the Interpretation of the Prophecies. His Key of the Apocalypfe, and annexed commentary, did heretofore charm me. I could find nothing like it in all the other Expofitors. I added that of his Chronicles, and his Book called The Apoftacy of the latter Times which is a large Commentary on 1 Tim. Chap. 4. v.1,2,3,4. And the Spirit faith exrefy, that in the last times there shall be fome whe

shall

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shall depart from the Faith. Befides feveral excellent and curious things, (a part whereofyou will find in this Treatife) I met with in that Author the thing which I fo eagerly fought for, viz. the true Epocha of the 1260 years, during which Time the Antichristian Empire should laft; he makes them to begin about the year of our Lord 450. or 455. by dateing them from thence, they muft end about the year 1710, or 1715. which agrees very well with my conjecture. But Iofeph Mede, who fet me right at firft in the beginning of the true path, forfook me in the middle of the way; and when the circumftances and preliminaries of the fall of Babylon were to be adjusted according to this Calculation, which are fo exactly defcribed in the Apocalypfe, I found no affiftance at all from him; on the con-" trary, he led me out of the way, wherin he himself had put me; and to make me wander and go aftray. According to the Epocha which he himself had mark't, for the beginning of the 1260 years for the reign of Antichrift, I thould fee the end of it in 25 or 30 years, but according to Mr. Mede there must be many Ages to accomplish all things which are to be fulfilled before the period of the Kingdom of Antichrift.

In the 11th, 14th, & 16th, Chapters, we have an account of the Circumftances and degrees of the Fall: of that Empire; the Eleventh Chapter fpeaks of the death of the two Witnesses for three days and half, of their Refurrection, and of the fall of the tenth part of the City, &c. In the 14, Chap. where the Fall of Babylon is divided into two Acts, one is called the Vintage, the other the Harvest. In the 16th. Chap. where the feven Periods of the declenfion and Fall of the Antichriftian Empire, are fet forth by feven viols and feven Plagues; of all this Jofeph

1

Jofeph Mede understood nothing; yea, fuppofing, as he doth, that of thofe feven Plagues not above two or three were come to pafs in his Time, he remits us far enough off for the accomplishment of the five others. The Periods defcribed by every Viol are each of them more than one Age: fo that we fhould have four or five hundred years yet to come, before the end of the Kingdom of Antichrift.Ifevery one of the four viols, that remain to be poured out, were but of fifty years, we should have yet two hundred years longer to wait.

I confefs, that after having read thofe places of the Apocalypfe, and reviewed them twenty times, I understood nothing more therin; I was only more and more confirmed, that no man had rightly understood them. In the midst of these diftractions I yet begun my work, without knowing well where I went. But I can fay, that God fo opened mine eyes in the way, that gave me unexpreffible confolation; for after having confulted the Eternal Truth above an hundred times, with a deep Humility, and very great Attention, at length I received an answer, at least I believe fo, and think it very plain, that all that must precede the laft Fall of the Antichriflian Empire, is fully accomplisht. I have no right to require the fame affurance from others, neither do I require it. But that which I demand at leaft, is a little of that attention which I imployed in the meditation of thofe divine Oracles, and then I am perfwaded, that if you are not as fully convinc'das I am, you will yet fee reafon enough not to condemn me of rafhnefs.

In the first part of this work you will find nothing new for the fubftance of it; for'tisalong time that Rome hath been called Babylon, and that the Characters of the Antichriftian Empire