"Descend* and explication of his meaning. sit on the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; sit on the bare ground, without a throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: thy nakedness shall be uncovered, even thy shame shall be seen" (nakedness of evangelical faith and true piety, amidst the most pompous pretences to both). "I will take vengeance, neither will I suffer man to intercede with me. Sit thou in silence, go into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans; for thou shalt no longer be called the lady of the kingdoms"-(the mistress of the world, imperial Rome !)† "And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: because thou didst not attentively consider these things; *Lowth's Translation. "The lady of kingdoms.". Septem urbs alta jugis, toti quæ præsidet orbi. Exalted Rome gives law to all the globe From her seven hills. Hic domus Æneæ.cunctis dominabitur oris. Propertius. Virg. Æn. iii, 97. Through the wide world th' Anean house shall reign. VOL. II. DD Dryd: thou didst not think on what was in the end to befal thee. But hear now this, O thou voluptuous, that sittest in security: thou that sayest in thy heart, I AM, and there is none else ;* I *Whether the holy Spirit which dictated this prophecy, meant to intimate the blasphemous arrogancy of the imperial Pontiff, in making himself equal with God, and taking to himself the divine attributes and names, I will not determine; but the words here put into his mouth are the same by which the Almighty Tavrongάtwę describes himself, (Isai. xlv. 22,) “for I am God, and there is none else."-St John has drawn the beast which carried the woman, "full of names of blasphemy,” which was the case both in the times of the pagan idolatry and the popish. Formerly there were temples and altars raised for the worship of Rome, and she was flattered with divine titles, the highest their mythology could supply. "Terrarum dea gentiumque Roma," as she is called by Martial, "Great Rome, the Goddess whom the Earth adores." But if the blasphemy of both ancient and modern Rome be not meant by these words, it is certain that her insufferable pride and arrogant supremacy over every creature in both states, as pagan and antichristian, undoubtedly is. Romanos rerum dominos gentemq: togatam,"-Æn. i. 278. shall not sit a widow; I shall not know the loss of children. Yet shall these two things come upon thee IN A MOMENT ;-IN ONE DAY, loss of children--and widowhood.* On a sudden shall they come upon thee; notwithstanding the multitude of thy SORCERIES, and the great strength of thine EN which Dryden magnificently renders, perhaps in compliment to HIS HOLINESS, "The subject world shall ROME's dominion own, Dryden. * I have already stated my idea of the probability of a double fall being reserved for the destiny of Rome. This seems to be the meaning of St John's "double unto her double.”—And it may be fulfilled as here predicted,—" in a moment-in one day," by a DOUBLE CATASTROPHE, the loss of her children, in the VALLEY OF DECISION, and the loss of her husband, or head, by the opening of TOPHET, "Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it riseth: and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off: and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know." (Isai, xlvii. 11.) To the note in Sect. xxii. p. 96, upon the SORCERIES of popery, may be added here the manufacture of the AGNUS DEI, (or little images of a lamb in wax, called by them "lambs of God," and to which innumerable powers were attributed, after the opus operatum performed upon them by the pope) The CHANTMENTS. But thou didst trust in thy wickedness, and saidst, none seeth me." whole of this prophecy applies far more closely to mystical Babylon than to the Chaldean city, and especially this trait of character, su was done with many crosses, genuflections, idolatrous prayers, and other magical ceremonies They then had the miraculous power to drive away devils, and purge sins, as well as the blood of Christ, and were consequently a special article of trade with these MERCHANTS -Dealers in the “ SOULS OF MEN. (Rev. ix. 20, and xvi. 11.) The manufacture of holy water, holy chrism, and the whole system of purgatory, were derived from the imitation of the heathens. Terq. senem flamma, ter aqua, ter sulphure lustrat. Thrice the old man with cleansing flames she urg'd, And thrice with water, thrice with sulphur purg'd. These magical lustrations were most useful when they were going about their idolatries.-Thus Virg. Æn. vi, 230. -Ter socios pura circumtulit unda, Spargens rore levi et ramo felicis olivæ, He compass'd thrice the crew, And dipt an olive branch in HOLY DEW; Which thrice he sprinkled round, and thrice aloud Invok'd the dead, Dryd, perlative wickedness, and hypocrisy along with it. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge"(false jewels both, like her miracles,)—“ have perverted thy mind; so that thou hast said in thy heart, I AM, and there is none besides." The papists do every thing the same, even to INVOCATION Yet amongst the heathens there were minds OF THE DEAD. superior to these vulgar superstitions. Ah nimium faciles! qui tristia crimina cædis, Ah fools! to think that guilt and stain of blood, Ovid. And Cicero, in his second book of laws, observes,-Animi labes nec aspersione aquæ, nec &c -tolli potest :- -“ No sprink ing of water, nor work of hands, nor stated time of penance, can leanse the mind from guilt." Cardinal Bellarmine de Purgator. lib. i. c. 11, proves its existence upon the authority of PLATO, CICERO, and VIRGIL, more suitable resources than prophets or apostles for "doctrines of demons.” Amongst their sorceries may well be reckoned the BAPTISING OF BELLS, which is done with water mingled with salt and oil, and the addition of many crosses and exorcisms, and consecration in the name of the Holy Trinity. The bishop praying that "God would give his holy spirit to THE BELL, that it may become sanctified, for the expelling of all the power, snares and illusions of the devil, for the souls of the dead, and especially for the chasing away (or AVERRUNCATION, |