Lib. 5. Lib. 5. The Saracens conquer Alexandria: Vaftabitque tuam terram Vir pessimus omnem ; Rev. ch. 11, The feventh Trumpet founded. The which ought Kingdoms of the World are become the to be ch. 12, Kingdoms of Chrift, and he fhall reign for ver. 15. ever; that is, all the Weft of the Roman Empire, or the greatest part, are now converted to Christianity, and fo will continue till the Judgment and Reward in the Millennium, and till they were deftroy'd who 2 destroy'd the Earth. Thus the continuance of the feventh Trumpet is ftated, but this chiefly refpects the Affairs of the Church in the Weft, which must begin with the Papacy, 606. In the 19th Verfe, the Temple of God was open'd in Heaven, with Thunders, Earthquakes, and great Hail; these must pre cede precede the Hiftory of the Temple's being open'd, as the Scene of the next Chapter. ble miftaken The Hail is the Lombards coming into Rev. ch. 12, a Italy, A. D. 572: They being a Northern 'tis in the Bi Nation, in 589 they befieg'd Rome, but were drove from it by great Rains and Inundations; and there was a Plague, and Famine and Locufts in 590, and in 594 a Comet. All these Prodigies, and the Conqueft of Lombardy, preceeded the Rife of the Papacy. The Wonder in Heaven, is the Papacy; the Woman is the Church, cloath'd with the Sun, that is the Imperial Power; and the Moon under her Feet, that is Rome, the Seat of the Empire, and upon her Head a Crown of twelve Stars. In 606, Phocas made the Pope Head of all Churches, which is reprefented by the Crown with twelve Stars, or twelve Apostles. This is the beginning of the third Woe. And the Hiftory of the Church or Woman, which was paft from its first Conftitution, is related: She brought forth a good fort of Christians, which the Devil deftroy'd by seven perfecuting Emperors, which are his feven Heads crown'd his ten Horns are the ten Kingdoms fet up before the Papacy affum'd the Title of Chrift's Univerfal Vicar. The Devil is the red Dragon, who deftroy'd the third part of the Stars, or Governours of the Church, by Martyrdoms. The Child brought forth was Chrift, or the Chriftians, who are to rule all Nations with an Iron Q Rod. Sibyl. Orac. Lib.3. Lib. 5. Rod. The Woman, for assuming this Imperial and Spiritual Power, is drove into the Wilderness, (that is, made defolate by Wars) and fo must continue 1260 Days, which being reckon❜d as Years, and added to 606, when the Papacy began, the time of its Fall will be 1866: So long it must stand in its Corruption, and then continue in Civil Wars till the Turk destroys her at laft. The War betwixt Michael and the Dragon, is the War betwixt Conftantine and the Hea then Emperor, in which they were overconie, and Christian Emperors fucceeded: This is the cafting out of the old Serpent, which deceiv'd the Roman Emperors by his Oracles, and their Authority he us'd in the Perfecutions; but now is come the Kingdom of God, and the Power of Christ, the Emperors being Christians. Then the Devil perfecuted the Woman with a Flood of Water, (i. e. many Sects and Herefies) or the Northern Nations, all which the Earth fwallow'd up, (that is, they funk, and perish'd by degrees of themselves) and then he made work with the Christians. The Church is a Woman : Tunc autem Mundus manibus muliebribus omni The Pope in his new Empire: The The Miseries of Italy: Italia, baud tibi res cum externo Marte futura eft; In this is reprefented the Saracen Empire Rev. ch. 13. in its full state; but this Beast comprehends all the Parts of the Roman Empire, and its Changes introduc'd by the feven Trumpets, 1. the Goths, 2. the Vandals, 3. the Huns, 4. the Saracens, 5. the Turk, 6. the Pope, 7. the Eastern Emperors. The Beast is defcrib'd like a Leopard, by which the Kingdom of Greece is defcrib'd by Daniel; this is the Conftantinopolitan Emperor. The Feet of the Bear fignifie Perfia, where the Turks were come. The Mouth of the Lyon fignifies Affyria, where the Saratens were, at Bagdat. The feven Heads represent Rome, which is feated on feven Mountains. The ten Horns are the ten Western Kingdoms, which had ten crown'd Princes. On the feven Hills the Pope fits, who has blafphem'd Chrift, by affuming his Power over all Churches. The Eaftern Parts of the Roman Empire were under the Saratens, Türks, and Conftantinopolitan Emperor, and are here farther defcrib'd as one Beast. The other Parts of the Beast, the ten Horns, and the Pope, are defcrib'd in the 17th Chapter by themfelves, under the notion of the Woman riding on the scarlet Beast 02 Beast with ten Horns; therefore there will be two, Beasts, one in the Weft, and another diftin&t in the Eaft, which is farther here defcrib'd, to whom the Devil gave his Power, Seat, and Authority. One of thefe Heads or Parts of the Beast was wounded; that is, the Saracens in the Siege of Conftantinople were near overthrown, ann. 720, but they after recover'd, and rais'd a great Empire in Babylon, Agypt, Barbary, Spain, and in fome parts of Italy and France, and the Mediterranean Ifles, and their Empire came to its height in lefs than 200 Years; and the 42 Months of its continuance must be reckon'd from 622, Mahomet's time, who founded it: And it must comprehend the fecond Beast, the Turk, after mention'd, because he is his Image both in Religion and Tyranny. This Saracen Beast spake Blafphemy, &c. denying Christ to be God's Son; and he muft conquer the Saints, the Christians in Syria, Palestine, Egypt; but thefe Saracens fhall be led into Captivity, and flain, by the Chriftians, Turks, and Tartars, in the Holy War, and after it. The second Beast rising out of the Earth, had the two Horns of a Lamb, because the Turks were Herdímen, and came from Scythia, and he spoke as a Dragon, (that is, tyranniz'd as the Saracens did, who were Dragons in Arabia, as Efdras calls 'em) and the Turk becoming a Mahometan, and feizing their Empire, he caus'd all People to wor |