and it was the wall and fortification of the city; in fo much, that Cyrus and Darius, the kings of the Medes and Perfians, laying fiege against it, could not take it, till by policy they digged water trenches, and turned the water another way, and so dried them up, that the Holy Ghoft faith, The way was prepared for them to pass over.' Now, as this Euphrates was the strength and fortification of old Babylon: fo the honour, wealth, riches, power and authority of Rome is the very fortification of it. But the punishing angel is commanded to pour down the vial of wrath upon this Euphrates; Rev. xvi. 12. that is, upon all that upholdeth or fortifieth Rome, and forthwith it dried up; that is, all the credit, power, riches, and authority of Rome did diminish daily, doth diminish, and shall diminish by degrees unto the end of the world. For the utter deftruction of Rome is not yet come, but it is greatly decayed from that it was fourfcore years ago: and if it continue decaying eighteen years more, as affuredly it hall, then will it be brought to a low ebb. Since Luther's time we know how the Pope's Euphrates hath dried up; but there is yet much water left, and it is yet too deep for the kings of the earth to pafs over and take it. But it fhall ebb fo low, that the kings of Europe fhall eafily pafs Numb. II. Cc

over and take it, as we fhall hear afterwards. But in the mean time we fee that it falleth, and that it is in falling, and the work of God goeth forward every day. For now in this age, God be thanked, many kings and princes, with great multitudes of their fubjects have their eyes opened to behold, that the Romifh religion is abominable; and that the papacy is the very kingdom of the great antichrift. And whereas before they worshipped the beaft, now they hold up their hands only to the God of heaven, and glorify him in his Son Jefus Chrift. Now we fee that many laws are made in fundry kingdoms and provin ces to abolish that ufurped power of the, bishop of Rome: Many acts, edi&s, and injunctions are fet forth in fundry nations. and kingdoms of Europe to deftroy, root out, and deface all monuments of idolatry and fuperftition, which antichrift had erected in all kingdoms.

Now the Popes which were honoured as gods in the earth, are counted and adjudg- ́ ed as the moft vile and abominable crea tures that live upon the earth. Doth not all this experimentally fhew that Babylon is fallen, and that Babylon doth fall by degrees? It is very palpable, we need no further proof for this fecond point. But here we are further to obferve, that the Jefuites,

perceiving the great decay of Rome, and the continual drying of their Euphrates, do beftir them to ftop the leak, that it might not dry up altogether. Even as when men let out the waters of great fish, ponds, fo as the water waxeth low, we fee the fishes fkip and plunge, and take on wonderfully: fo the Jefuites, perceiving the waters of their Romish Euphrates to impair and dry up daily, do mightily take on, digging and fearching every day to open the fprings, and to find out fome ferfh fountains to maintain their great fifhpond, and to keep the waters deep enough, that there may be no fafe paffage over for the kings of the earth to come and take their great Babylon. All this doth appear out of the fixteenth chapter of this prophecy: where St. John in a vifion feeth three 'unclean fpirits like frogs, coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the 'mouth of the beaft, and out of the mouth of the falfe prophet,' Rev.xvi. 13. By which frogs the Holy Ghoft meaneth the Jefuites and feminary prieits, which are compared to frogs for three reafons: First, That as frogs delight in filthy lakes and puddles; fo the Jefuites delight in the filthy puddles of idolatry and fuperftition.

Secondly, As frogs make a great croak

ing in their marifh grounds: fo the Jefuites make a great croaking in kings courts, in noblemens houfes, and gentlemens houfes, and almoft every were, where they can get any entertainment, croaking and cracking of the Pope's fupremacy, the Popes holinefs, the Pope's bleffing, the Pope's keys, the Pope's power, Peter's chair, Peter's fucceffors, Chrift's vicar, and many good morrows, L know not what.

Thirdly, As frogs are all of one nature and quality, delighting in croaking and living in puddles: fo the Jefuites are all of one mind and difpofition in evil, croaking every where to maintain their Euphrates, and living daily in whoredom, Sodomy, and all kind of outragious beaftliness. But that I may more fully perfuade the confcience of the reader, that by these frogs are meant the Jefuites and feminary priests; let us feriously weigh that which goeth before, and that which followeth after in this text, and we shall difcern it to be very clear and apparent.

First, It is faid, verfe 10th, that when the fifth angel poured out his vial of God's wrath upon the throne of the beast, by and by his kingdom waxed dark,' that is, the majestic power, pomp, credit, and eftimation of antichrift began to be

diminished, obfcured, and to fuffer a great eclipfe: which thing was fulfilled fhortly after Luther's preaching. And prefently it followeth, that they gnawed their tongues for forrow:' that is, they were full of fury and rage, barking and grinning like mad dogs, or rather like hellhounds, against all fuch as fend the gospel abroad, whereby their Babylon began to shake. For at the firft, when the gofpel began to peep forth, they did defpife it, as a thing which they could easily fupprefs; but within a fhort time they found, that neither by excommunication, wherewith in former times they had, even as it were with lightning and thunder, caufed kings and nations to tremble; neither by force of wars and bloody flaughters, neither by any fkill in learning, nor by treacheries they could any thing prevail, but that the gofpel did ftill more and more lay open their filthinefs and fhame; then did they become, and fo do they continue unto this day, even as mad-men in forrow and rage which the Holy Ghoft expreffeth, in faying, that they gnawed their tongues for forrow, and blafphemed God,' &c. whereby it is evident, that the beat, and all that received his mark, are full of fiery hatred and malice, and cannot tell which way to be revenged. For the more they.

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