THE c H u R c H OF R 0: M E. riads of Chriftian Saints that have been barbarouily murdered, by Malracre, and publie– Martyrdom, fince they were ruined and deftroycd by 'fitus Vejpajian, which we find po• fitively charged upon this City Baby/on : And I jaw the Woman drunk with the Blood of Saints, mtd with the Blood of the Martyrs of Jefus, and I wondered with great Admira– tion ; as indeed well he might, as lliall be lliewn. And i·n her was found the Blood of Prophets, and of Saints, and of all that were jlain upon the Earth ; that is, fince the IleftruC\:ion of Jerufalenr, Rev. xv·ii. 6. and xix. 24. 6. And 1-aftly; Not to multiply more upon this Head, though Jcrufalem- was fear– fully deftroyed, as the Hifrory of Jofephus lliews; yet lliall il1e rile again, be built upoo: her own Heap, be repleniil1ed with her own Children, which. this· City Baby/on under Confideration lliall never be, after this Cataftrophe which John faw vifionally coming. upon it : And a mighty Angel took up a Stone, like a great Mill-flone, and ca.ft it into thgo Sea, flqing, 'fhus with Violence Jhall that great City Babylon.be thro.wn down, andJhall be· found no more at· all, Rev. xviii. 2'1·. II. It cannot be the 'furks and S-aracens, f<Jr two Reafons offered by the learned lvfead,. lib. iii. p. 6H. . 1. Becaufe though•they did arife to great Power in the World, yet they had not their Seat in that great City,. which in St. John's Time reigned over the Kings of the Earth>. which this Bab;,/on is expreily faid to have, R ev. xYii. t 8. 2. That they did r.ot rife by Apo!l:acy from the Chrif1:ian Religion, which this Ba– by/on, with her Head, the Man of Sin, did ; for, as this worthy Author faith, the 'furk, whatever he be,. could be no' Apo!l:ate, becaufe he was o£ a Nation that nevec· was Chri!l:ian. To wh1ch we flraH add fomething for the clearing of this Head, that we may dif– d1arge that Debt we owe wGod, to the Church, and the World. · 3· It cannot be the·'furks, becaufe they are not f1:rangely and wonderfully my!lerious, which this Baby/qn is faid to be : And upon her Forehead was a Name written, MYS– <IERY, BABYLON <IHE GREA'f, 'fHE MO'!'HER OF HARLOTS, AND ABO– MINA'!'IONS OF THE EAR'!'H. And the Angel Jaid unto me, Wherefore didjl thou; marvel? ]! will tell thee the JV!yjlery of the Woman, and the Beafl which carrieth her• whit'h bath the feven Heads, and ten Horns, Rev. xvii. 5, 7· What fpecial My!l:ery hath /hewed itfelf to the World from the 'furh and Saracens, more than from other common Empires or Kingdoms, that is mat·ter of Admiration to· the wife!t of Men? Is it matter of Wonder, that the 'furks do own but one true, and· mo£1: high. God?· Is is matter of Wonder, that they do own Jefus Chrifr to be a Pro– phet, and. a good Man ?· Is it mauter of highe£1: Wonder, that they prefer MahomeP above Jefus? Is it matter of Wonder, that they appear true to their Contracts, in Mat– ters of civil Commerce?·Is it matter of highe£1: Wonder, for them to endeavor to keep• what Dominion they have,. and to enlarge ir, to make Slaves and Prizes of thofe prefefr Enemies they take Prifoners? vVe fay, in none of theft Things is there any high Myl~ tery, or matter of greate£1: Wonder, being Things common to all Places and Kihg– doms invelted with Power: For, ( r.) Did not the great King of literal·Baby/on own the only true God,. yet !l:ill held the Church in Captivity ? (z•.) Did not Ifrael own the fame, and yet kept their Idols, after their Revolt from Judab? (3.) Did not Judah prefer Mofes above and before·Chri£1:, and at that Time whm Chri£1: was perfonally among£1: them, working mof1: !l:upendous Miracles, which did evince his divine Million? Nay, did they not prefer a common and notorious Villain before the blelfed-Lord of Glory, when they defired a M.urderer to be freed, and prelfed hard to have the good and blelfed Jefus, the Savior of the World, killed? And did• rrot this wife Apo!tle know this to be true in Fact, and t<l equal, nay, om-do any Thing that the 'furks or Saracens ever did, or can be accufed of? And if St. John was trant: parted with a!l:onilliing Wonder, at .Matters much.lefs than he had feen before, dorlt it not give good Reafon to fufpect hun of Weaknefs and Defect~ that he lliould fuffer liimfelf to be furprized with the greatefr Wonder, at farlefs Thmgs than he had feen and known before? Certainly therefore we mu£1: conelude, there was fomething more of Myf1:ery in John's Vifion, than what hath been lliewed to the World by the Great <furk, or any other Power.; and inde~d, undoubtedly, the greate£1: My!l:ery that ever & ~
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