Rev. xiii.

SER M. Power, to whom was given Great AuXV. thority, and a Mouth Speaking Great things, and Blafphemies: And he opened his Mouth 2,5,6,7, in Blafphemy against God: And it was gi8, 12, 13, ven unto him to make War with the Saints, 14,16,17. and to overcome them: And Power was given him over all Kindreds and Tongues and Nations; And all that dwell upon the Earth fhall worship him.- ·And be doth great Wonders,-and Deceiveth them that dwell on the Earth, by the Means of thofe Miracles that he had Power to do. And the Kings of the Earth have one ch. xvii. Mind, and fhall give their Power and 13,15,17, Strength unto the Beast;--even Peoples

ver. 3, 7.

ver. 5.

Ver. 2.

and Multitudes and Nations and Tongues.For God hath put in their Hearts [in the Hearts of the Kings of the Earth] to fulfil bis Will, and to agree, and give their Kingdom unto the Beaft, until the Words of God fhall be fulfilled. The Name of the Perfon, in whofe hands the Reins or Principal Direction of the Exercife of this Power is lodged, is Myftery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots, and Abominations of the Earth: With whom the Kings of the Earth have committed Forni

cation,

cation, (that is, have been led into idola- SER M. trous Practices,) and the Inhabiters of the XV. Earth have been made drunk with the Wine

herself is

ver. 6.

23, 24.

of her Fornication: And She drunken with the Blood of the Saints, and with the Blood of the Martyrs of Jefus : ch. xviii. And by her Sorceries (that is, artificial Me thods of making men Religious without true Virtue,) by her Sorceries are all Nations deceived: And in Her is found the Blood of Prophets, and of Saints, and of All that are flain upon the Earth. And This Perfon, (the political Perfon,) to whom thefe Titles and Characters belong, is That Great City, Rev. xvii. 18, standing upon feven Mountains, ver. 9, which Reigneth over the Kings of the Earth.

IT is hardly poffible for any one carefully to read thefe Texts, as they lie in Scripture; but he muft immediately apprehend, if he has any historical Knowledge of the State of the World for many paft Ages, that This Defcription was either intended to be a prediction of That tyrannical Power, which Popery in its moft flourishing times eftablished in the World; or at least that it is as exact and

com

SER M. complete a Picture of it, as could pofXV. fibly have been drawn even after the Event. Oppreffive Powers there have been Many in the World, by the righteous Judgement of God, both Great and Lafting: But This has been, after a most remarkable and wonderful manner, in its whole Nature and Kind, different from all Other Powers wherewith men ever were oppreffed. According to the description given in my Text: It shall be diverfe from all Kingdoms, and fhall devour the Whole Earth, and fhall tread it down, and break it in pieces.

THE Peculiarities, wherein This Great Oppreffive Power differs from all other Tyrannies which have been set up among men; and is diverfe from all Kingdoms, which have at any time devoured the whole Earth; are principally Thefe which follow.

I.IT is a Religious Tyranny; a Power, fitting in the Seat and Temple of God. Other Tyrannies, founded originally in Force, and in the Power of the Sword; have indeed frequently made ufe of Pretences of Religion, to fupport themselves

XV.

occafionally; and no lefs frequently laid S ER M. afide thofe Pretences again, when they had no further occafion for them. But This is a Tyranny, founded originally upon mere matters of Religion; and carried on through its whole Progrefs, to the utmost length of an univerfal arbitrary Dominion, under the Name and Title ftill of a merely Spiritual Authority. The Church of Rome claims to be itself the whole, the univerfal Church of God; and to be invefted with a Power, which indeed the real univerfal Church has no pretence to, even a Plenitude of Divine Power. By virtue of this Power, they have taken upon themselves to change Laws and Times ; to establish what new Doctrines and Practices they pleased, under the name of Religion: forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from Meats, which God bath created to be received with Thankf giving. Destroying men's plain and natural Notions of God, and of his Worship: and thereby undermining and making unintelligible the very Foundation of all Religion. Introducing new, fuperftitious, and idolatrous Objects of Worship; the

Ele

SER M. Elements in the Sacrament; and the MoXV. ther of Chrift, whom (by a profane and blafphemous ambiguity) they affect to stile the Mother of God; and even Images, Pictures, and Statues representing her. Giving beed to feducing Spirits, and Doctrines of Dæmons; Doctrines, concerning the Spirits of Saints departed; and of Saints, who were no Saints, but very Wicked men ; and of Saints, who never lived nor had any Being at all, but in the imaginations of deluded men: Invoking them, as Mediators and authoritative Interceffors; as invefted with miraculous Powers, to protect Men, Cities and Nations; and as having in the Court of Heaven a corrupt Intereft, to fkreen their Devotees, even the most abandoned Sinners, from the Wrath of him that fitteth upon the Throne, from the Sentence of the righ teous Judge of the whole Earth: To the utter Subverfion of all real religion and virtue, and turning into Ridicule the ef Sential and unalterable Difference of Good and Evil, and the Eternal Laws of God and Nature; which are more immoveable, than the Foundations of Heaven and Earth.

For,