Babylon, which was feated on the great river Euphrates, is described by Jeremiah (LI. 13.) as dwelling upon many waters: and from thence the phrase is borrowed, and fignifies, according to the angel's own explanation, (ver. 15.) ruling over many peoples and nations. Neither was this an ordinary prostitute; she was the great whore, (ver. 2.) with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication: as Tyre (If. XXIII. 17.) committed fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth. Nay not only the kings, but inferior perfons, the inhabiters of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication; as it was faid of ancient Babylon, (Jer. LI. 7.) the nations have drunken of her wine, therefore the nations are mad. Fornication in the usual stile of fcripture is idolatry; but if it be taken even litterally, it is true that modern Rome openly allows the one, as well as practifes the other. Ancient Rome doth in no refpect fo well answer the character; for the ruled more with a rod of iron, than with the wine of her fornication. What, and where were the kings, whom the courted and debauched to her communion? What, and where were the people, whom the inveigled and intoxicated with her idolatry? Her ambition was for extending her empire, and not her religion. She

per

permitted even the conquered nations to continue in the religion of their ancestors, and to worship their own gods after their own rituals. She may be faid rather to have been corrupted by the importation of foreign vices and fuperftitions, than to have established her own in other countries.

As Ezekiel, while he was a captive in Chaldæa, was conveyed by the spirit to Jerufalem, (Ezek. VIII. 3.) fo St. John (ver. 3.) is carried away in the Spirit into the wilderness; for there the scene is laid, being a scene of defolation. When the woman, the true church, was perfecuted and afflicted, she was faid (XII. 14.) to fly into the wilderness: and in like manner, when the woman, the false church, is to be destroyed, the vision is presented in the wilderness. A woman fitting upon a beaft is a lively and fignificative emblem of a' church or city directing and governing an empire. In painting and fculpture, as well as in prophetic language, cities are often reprefented in the form of women: and Rome herself is exhibited (5) in ancient coins as a woman fitting upon a lion. Here the beaft is a Scarlet-colored beast, for the fame reason that the dragon was (XII. 3.) a red dragon; to denote

(5) Vitring. p. 757. Emmenefs. ad Virg. Æn. VI. 854. VOL. II.

U

his

(6) Vitring,

his cruelty, and in allufion to the distinguishing color of the Roman emperors and magiftrates. The beaft is alfo full of names of blafphemy, baving feven beads and ten horns; fo that this is the very fame beaft which was defcribed in the former part of the 13th chapter: and the woman in fome measure answers to the two-horned beast or false prophet: and confequently the woman is Christian, and not Pagan Rome; becaufe Rome was become Chriftian, before the beast had completely feven heads and ten horns, that is before the Roman empire experienced its laft form of government, and was divided into ten kingdoms. The woman is arrayed too (ver. 4.) in purple and fcarlet color, this being the color of the popes and cardinals, as well as of the emperors and fenators of Rome. Nay the mules and horfes, which carry the popes and cardinals, are covered with fcarlet cloth, fo that they may properly be faid to ride upon a fcarlet colored beaft. The woman is alfo decked with gold, and precious ftone, and pearls: and who can fufficiently defcribe the pride, and grandeur, and magnificence of the church of Rome in her veftments and ornaments of all kinds? Alexander Donatus (6) hath drawn a comparison between

(6) Vitring. p. 759. Donat. (7) Platina's Lives of the de Urbe Roma. Lib.1. Cap. 29. Popes tranflated by Sir Paul

Rycaut.

between ancient and modern Rome, and afferts the fuperiority of his own church in the pomp and fplendor of religion. You have a remarkable inftance in Paul II, of whom (7) Platina relates, that" in his pontifical vestments he.. "outwent all his predeceffors, especially in his.. regno or mitre, upon which he laid out a great "deal of money in purchafing at vaft rates,

66

112

s

diamonds, faphirs, emeralds, chryfoliths, jaf

pers, unions, and all manner of precious "ftones, wherewith adorned like another Aaron "he would appear abroad fomewhat more

august than a man, delighting to be seen and "admired by every one. But left he alone. "fhould feem to differ from the reft, he made "a decree, that none but cardinals fhould "under a penalty wear red caps; to whom he

had in the first year of his popedom given "cloth of that color, to make horse-cloths or "mule-cloths of when they rode." You have another confpicuous inftance in the Lady of Loretto; the (8) riches of whofe holy image, and house, and treafury; the golden angels, the gold and filver lamps; the vaft number, variety, and richness of the jewels, of the vestments for the holy image, and for the priests;

with

123. Addifon's Travels. p. 93.

(8) See Wright's Travels. p.

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(9) yum

with the prodigious treasure of all forts; are far beyond the reach of defcription; and as Mr. Addifon fays, as much furpaffed my expec"tation, as other fights have generally fallen "short of it. Silver can fcarce find an admif

,,

fion, and gold itself looks but poorly among "fuch an incredible number of precious stones.' Moreover the woman, like other harlots who give philters and love-potions to inflame their lovers, hath a golden cup in her hand, full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication; to fignify the fpecious and alluring arts, wherewith fhe bewitcheth and inticeth men to idolatry, which is abomination and Spiritual fornication. It is an image copied from Jeremiah, (LI. 7.) Babylon hath been a golden cup in the Lord's hand, that made all the earth drunken: and in that excellent little moral treatise, (9) intitled the Table of Cebes, there is a like picture of Deceit or Impofture;. a fair, beautiful, and false woman, and having a cup in her hand; the is called Deceit, and feduceth all mankind.' And is not this a much more proper emblem of pontifical than of imperial Rome?

(9) you Tetλaopem Ty side, και πιθανη φαινομένη, και εν τη χειρι έχεσα ποτηριον τι-Απατη καλείται, ἡ παντας τες ανθρωπος hawa. Mulier ficto vultu,

Yet

argutaque fpecie, et manu poculum quoddam tenens. impoftura vocatur, quæ omnes homines feducit. Tab. Cebetis non longe ab initio.

(1) Nomen