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ye Rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the Law of our "God, ye people of Gomorrha. After which Isaiah falls not upon their Idolatry, but upon their corrupt manners. He reproaches them with nothing but their injuftice and violence.

Babylon fig. a- nifies the

Antichri

Laftly, Babylon fignifies Idolatry. All do gree, that Babylon was the fountain of all forts Idolatry of of Idolatry. From Chaldea it fpread it felf over ftianifm. all the Earth That is the fountain and fpring of men, 'tis alfo of falfe Gods. As fhe was the first fountain, fo fhe did continue the chief Seat of it. Twas there that was the most famous Temple, of tlie most infamous of all the Heathen Divinities, viz. Venus the Goddess of profțitutions. And 'tis plain, that by way of allufion to this infamous Goddefs, Spiritual Babylon is reprefented in the 17th of the Revelation, as a whore fitting on a beaft, and offering her felf from on high to every comer. For Women did expofe and prostitute themfelves in the most vilible places of the Temple of that Venus of Babylon.

ranny, Ido.

of manners

with in all

Antichrift.

So then, thefe are the three Characters, by Thefethree which the Antichriftian Empire is reprefented to things Tyus, in those places that fpeak of it. In the fe- latry, and cond Chapter of the fecond Epiftle to the Thef corruption falonians, the head of this Empire is called the we meet man of fin, and the fon of perdition, i.e. utterly the defetiploft, and plunged intoa mighty fink of corruption; tions of Behold Sodom Tis faid, that he should exalt himself above all that is called God, that he should fit in the Temple of God, behaving himself as though he were God; Behold Egypt, pride and tyranny. His Religion is called a mystery of iniquity, and he is to establish it by figns and lying wonders; behold Idolatry, and behold Babylon. All the Heathens

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Heathens called their Religion and their Ceremonies by the name of Myfteries. Ceres had her myfteries, Bacchus had his, and Venus of Babylon had hers alfo; but thefe Mysteries were abominable and idolatrous.

In the eleventh of the Revelation this Em pire is called a Gentilifm, a Paganism. The outward Court is left to the Gentiles, for them to tread under foot for 42. months. Behold Babylon, behold Idolatry. By the prophaning of the outward Court, is alfo meant the corruption of manners; because the Heathens were wont to make the Temples of their Idols, the place of their most 7. filthy debauches. In the fame Chapter it is faid, that the beaf which comes out of the bottomless pit, shall make war with the Saints, and overcome them, and kill them. There is the tyranny and cruelty of Egypt.

In the two Vifions of the 13th Chapter of the Revelation, this Antichriftian Empire is reprefented as a Beaft. In the firft as a beaft compounded of a Leopard, a Bear and a Lion, three cruel Beafts. This is to fet forth its cruelty and tyranny. It is given to him to make war with the Saints, and to overcome them. Here again is Egypt, that oppreffes the children of God, and makes a cruel war upon them. Men worship this Beaft and the Dragon, that gave him his power. And they worshipped the Dragon, which gave power to the Beast, and they worshipped the Beaft. Behold Babylon, where a Dragon was worfhipped, to which it may be the Holy Ghoft alludes. Laftly, to this Beaft was given a mouth, Speaking great things, and blafphemies against God, his Name, his Tabernacle, and them that dwell in Heaven; There is pride and idolatry.

The

The fecond Beast works great figns to feduce Rev.13.14. men: And deceiveth them that dwell upon the Earth, by means of thofe miracles, which he had power to do in fight of the beaft. "Tis therefore

a falfe Prophet, that works falfe Miracles, to caufe his falfe Gods to be worshipped. "Tis a Prophet of Babylon and of Idols. He caufes all them to be killed that do not worship the image of the beast. Its cruelty and tyranny makes this Empire a true Egypt.

In the 14th Chapter, 'tis faid of this Babylon, that she made all nations drunk with the wine of the wrath of her fornications. They are her Idolatries, that are fo called. And in the 17th Chap. the is more largely defcribed as a prostitute woman, arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious Stones and Pearls, baving a golden Cup in her hand full of abaminations and filthiness of her fornication. And upon her fore-head was a name written MYSTEŔr, i. e. Religion; and for the explication of this. word Myftery, 'tis added, the mother of forni cations or idolatries; this is Babylon. She is alfo the mother of the abominations of the Earth; This is Sodom, whofe corruption fpreads it felt even to the end of the World. She makes her felf drunk with the blood of the Saints, this is Egypt, 'tis cruelty and tyranny.

three Cha

found,

One cannot question whether thefe be the wherefoCharacters ofthe Babylonish Empire. But we muft ever these carefully obferve, that in all places of Chriften- racters are dom where thefe Characters are found, the pride there is and tyranny of Egypt, the filth and abominations Antichriof Sodom, and the Idolatries of Babylon, there it is not is the Antichriftian Empire, in whole or in part, confined And hereupon we muit conclude, that this Em- Empire of pire the Pope

It

only to the

pire is not confined to what we call the Papifm, the Places fubject to the Pope, the Latin Church. In the Greek Church there is Idolatry, there is Babylon; for there they invocate Saints, and part of Ba. Worship Images and Relicks. There is Sodom;

The Greek Church makes a

bylon.

P

for the corruption of manners there is great; and this corruption when the Eastern Church was not under the Turkish Crofs, appeared much more than it doth at this day. Laftly, There is Egypt, for there were tyranny and pride in that Church. The Patriarchs and Prelates of the Eaft, in their time, and in their profperity, carried themselves like Mafters and Tyrants, though in that refpect they did not go fo high as the Bishop of Rome. The Greek Church did not feparate from the Latin before the tenth Century; when the Latin Church was already become Sodom, by the horrible corruption of her manners; Egypt by her Tyranny and Pride; Babylon by her Idolatries. Thefe two Churches made but one Body and one Babel. And we muft not imagine, that the Greek Church by her feparation became a ferufalem, feeing the retained the corruption of Babel.

But this doth not hinder, but that we may look Yet Rome for the capital of this Anti-chriftian Empire in ceafeth not Rome, and find the man of fin, the head of the head of the Babylonish Empire, in the Pope. The Greek Babylonish Churches, and thofe of the Eastern Communion Empire.

to be the

do no longer obey him. They are revolted Provinces, over which he pretends a right, and who indeed ought to obey him, feeing they have taken his mark and fign, which is Idolatry. The Pope always keeps his Titles, and as he pretends, he keeps his ancient rights over these feparate Churches, calling himself the univerfal Bishop. Befides, we must confider all the Churches that

have revolted from their obedience to God, as united under one spiritual head which is Satan; juft in the fame manner as Churches of different communions remain united under one fpiritual head, which is Iefus Chrift, if they hold the fundamental Doctrines. In like manner the corrupt Societies are united under one fpiritual head, which is the Devil, as far as they follow the Doctrine of Devils, which is Idolatry, though they are of different communions ; yea, and excommunicate each other.

I therefore make no fcruple to affirm, that the Babylonish Empire is in all places, whereever tyranny, pride, corruption of worship manners and Government mingled with Chriftianity are to be found. And that which I fay in refpect of places, must be extended to times alfo. Tis in those ages, where pride, tyranny, corruption of manners and idolatry, have been vifibly eftablifht in the Church, that we must look for the birth and beginning of the Antichriftian Empire. And in the process of this discourse, this obfervation will be usefull to us, to find out that which we principally feek for in this work, i. e. the time where we are to begin the 1260. years, that are affigned for the duration of Antichriftianifm.

other Cha

ranny, hath

miftake the

'Tis this chiefly, that hath caused our Inter- Mens midpreters to be at a lofs about the time of the birth ding no of the Antichriftian Empire. They have looked racter but only to Tyranny, as if that were the only Cha- that of tyraiter of this Empire. Monfieur du Pleffis hath made them made a great Book about it, with this Title The time of AnMystery of Iniquity; in which he traces this Ty- tichrifts ranny of the Church of Rome and the Popes, from its birth to its perfection; as if the Mystery of niquity fignified nothing else: Whereas on the

contrary,

birth.

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