which is referv'd for the 19th Chapter in the Revelations. The Fall of Rome in the Oracles is before the Earthquakes, therefore 'tis probable that 'tis to be plac'd before it, tho' related after it in the Revelations, and 'tis joyn'd with the Ruin of the Iflands:. Roma ruet, Delos nusquam deleta parebit Fiet arena Samos. in faltum Sylvamque re datus. This describes the Judgment of the great Rev. ch. 17. Whore, or Pope, of the Western Church; for the Church is reprefented by a Woman Chap. 12, a corrupt idolatrous Church by a Whore. This Woman is feen in the Wil- The Wilderdernefs, and therefore is the fame as wore according to ness is Italy, the Crown in the 12th Chapter: She is full the Orac.1.5 of blafphemous Names, Chrift's Vicar, Head Italia, infali of all Churches, a Temporal Prince as well as a deferta, Spiritual; fhe rides on the fcarlet Beaft, the Emperors of Germany; and to this Beaft belong the ten Horns, into which the Ro man Western Empire was divided. The Woman is array'd in Purple and Scarlet, as a Princess, and deck'd with Gold and precious Stones; the Kings of the Earth have committed Fornication with her, and fhe has a Cup in her Hand full of Abomination, and upon her Forehead Mystery Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots. By Fornication is understood Idolatry by the Prophets, and the Pope made the Western Princes drunk with the Wine of his Fornication; that is, taught 'em to worship Saints, Images, Re licks. She was drunk with the Blood of the Saints and Martyrs of Jefus, i. e. the Proteftants, whom the perfecuted because they reform'd this corrupt Worship. The Angel interprets all this Vifion, The Beast was, and is not, and fhall afcend out of the bottomless Pit, and go into Perdition. The Seven Heads are feven Mountains, on which the Woman fitteth; the Waters are multitudes of People; the Woman is the great City which reigneth over the Kings of the Earth. Mystery and Babylon fhew fhe is the Spiritual Babylon, but Babylon mention'd above is the Eaftern Babylon, Bagdat, conquer'd first by Tangrolopix the Turk, and after by the Tartar. The Beast was, and is not, and yet is. This Beast is the Western Emperor, reviv'd after 324 Years by the Popes; he was formerly, but was not in the interval mention'd, but is now reftor'd by the Papal Power to the Empire of the Weft, ann. 800. There are feven Kings, five are fallen, which are thefe: A.D. 800 Charles the Great 814 Lewis the Godly 840 Lotharius, Son to Lewis Reign'd Years 14 26 855 Lewis, fecond Son to Lotharius, 878 This is the other to come, who 880 Carolus Craffus, who was depos'd, 8. Thefe These are the feven French Emperors fet up by the Popes, and the Beast that was, and is not, is the eighth. In 888 Arnulphus, the German Emperor fet up the Pope, reign'd twelve Years, and then the Pope transferr'd the Empire to the Germans. This proves the Emperor of Germany to be the Western Beast in Scarlet, on whom the Pope rides; and he is of the feven, (i. e. he was of the fame Caroline Family as the other were) and at the end of the World muft go into Perdition: He afcended out of the bottomlefs Pit, was to ferve the Devil's defign in Perfecutions, and the Empire was rais'd by the Popes. All the ten Western Kingdoms joyn'd their Power with the Beast, or Emperor, in making War with the Lamb and his Faithful and Chofen, but the Lamb fhall overcome them. The ten Horns are ten Kings, which have receiv'd as yet no Power, but fhall receive Power, for a while with the Beast to perfecute Proteftants; that is, they fhall make ten Perfecutions against them, as well as the Beaft or Emperor, with whom for that end they are confederate; but the ten Western Kingdoms fhall hate the Whore, make her defolate, burn her with Fire, eat her Flesh, destroy her Revenues. The ten perfecuting Kings are of France, Spain, England, Germany, &c. Sibyl. Orac. Lib. 5. Lib. 3. Lib. 5. This is the Defcription of the Rife of the Western Empire: Ex illo fextâ defunîti ætate latini Reges poftremum vivent, & fceptra relinquent. Succedetq; ejuftirps inconcussa nepotum. Magne Rex magnus Roma, fimilifq; deo vir. The Destruction of the Papacy will be By this 'tis evident, that the Papacy muft laft to the end of the World, and that the Whore in the Revelations is call'd by the Oracles a Widow: At nunc quidam rex ignobilis atq; fceleftus, Nec dum tale fuit fignum mortalibus ullum, The The fame Destruction of Rome by the Turks is repeated in Book 8. This introduces an Angel very glorious, Rev. ch. 18. fent to acquaint the Earth with the Fall of Spiritual Babylon, (i. e. Rome) for her Fornication, or Idolatry: A Voice from Heaven says, Come out of her my People, that you be not partakers of her Sins, and that you receive not of her Plagues: reward her as fhe rewarded you, and double unto her double, according to her Works. She faith, I fit a Queen, and am no Widow, and fhall fee no forrow; therefore fhall her Plagues come in one Day, Death, and Mourning, and Famine; and he fhall be burnt with Fire. The Destruction of Rome is poetically defcrib'd by the Lamentation of Kings, Merchants, Sailors; the Apoftles and Prophets muft rejoyce, because God hath aveng'd them on her, for in her was found the Blood of Prophets and Saints. By this 'tis intimated St. Peter and St. Paul fuffer'd in this Ronian Babylon. The glorious Angel with Light enlightned the Earth (i.e. the first Reformers began the Reformation) in the 12th Century, and 'tis mention'd in Chap. 14. but now there appears a clearer difcovery of Rome's Fornication, by the Proteftants in the 16th Century, and then a Voice from Heaven plainly call'd God's People to come out of her Communion : Tunc hominum furget tandem gens facra piorum, Ejus Sibyl. Orac. |