beaft induces the earth to worship the first beast, is not force, but delufion : "And he doth great "wonders; fo that he maketh fire come down.

from heaven on earth, in the fight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth, "by the means of those miracles which he had

power to do in the fight of the beaft." By all this we learn that he wrought lying wonders, according to the character formerly given, 2 Theff. ii. 9. We are not to fuppofe that he wrought thofe miracles in reality; for he is faid " to deceive them that dwell on the earth," and -to do those wonders" in fight of men; that is, to appearance, as tricks performed by fleight of hand, feem miracles to the by-ftanders. His making fire to come down from heaven, is an allufion to the conduct of Elijah, who, by bringing fire from heaven, proved himself to be the Prophet of the true God; and fo convinced the people that they bowed the head and worshipped, 1 Kings xviii. 38, 39.; intimating, that the fe. cond beaft or falfe prophet fhould, after the example of Elijah, offer miracles, to prove himfelf the Prophet of the true God; and that by thefe miracles, though feigned, he should prevail, as Elijah did, fo as to perfuade the world to bow the head, and worship the first beast. The application is obvious. The Roman clergy not only profess to work miracles, but likewife offer these miracles as an invincible argument of

their

their being the ministers of the true church. It must be allowed, that in a fuperftitious age this argument had, of all others the greatest weight with the ignorant multitude; and it is certain that the clergy made ufe of the influence acquired by it, to establish the Antichriftian fupremacy of the Bishop of Rome.

A fourth conftituent part of the Antichriftian government, is the image. It appears from the description to be formed for the first beaft, that is, for the feventh head, or revived form of Roman government; it is reprefented as formed by the people at large-at the inftigation of the fecond beaft; for he faid "to "them that dwell on the earth, that they "fhould make an image to the beaft, rohich had "the wound by a sword, and did live." It appears that this image, when first formed, was dead, as all images are, but was made alive by the second beaft; "for he had power to give "life unto the image of the beaft:" That when alive, the image uttered his voice, in imperial mandates, commanding fuch as would not worfhip him, to be put to death, and excluding from the privileges of civil fociety, all fuch as would not in fome fhape or other teftify their fubjection: "That the image of the beast fhould both "fpeak, and caufe that as many as would not "worship the image of the beaft, fhould be kil"led. And he causeth all, both small and great,

"rich

"rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a "mark in their right hands and in their fore"heads! And that no man might buy or fell, "fave he that had the mark, or the name of the

2

beaft, or the number of his name." An image may be confidered either as a dead reprefentation of a living fubject, or as an idol, and fo an object of divine worship. This image, therefore, fitly reprefents the twofold claim of -the Roman Pontiff to a fupremacy in temporals and fpirituals: By the firft, he claims authority over all the kings of the earth; by the fecond, he claims divine honors, and infallible authority, as the reprefentative of the Deity..

The image is no new member of the Antichristian government, but the member firft described, now reprefented in a different light; it was formed for the first beaft. Accordingly, this claim, has been confidered as invariably annexed to the papacy, yet perfectly distinct from the power and authority belonging to the Pope, as a temporal prince." The Sovereigns of Europe, in their tranfactions with the Pope, have conftantly made a diftinction betwixt the court of Rome and the holy fee, while they treated the former with a confiderable degree of afperity, if not contempt; they profeffed the most profound veneration for the latter, exactly fulfilling the prophecy, which fhews that Anti

chrift

christ would attain the greatest authority and power, not as a temporal prince, but as being the idol of the people, confidering him as the representative of the Deity. This image was formed by them that dwell on the earth, at the inftigation of the second beaft. It was originally dead, but the fecond beast had power to give life unto it. The authority claimed by the Pope in temporals is a mere chimera. It differs as much from the real power of the princes of the world, as an image (which has neither voice to terrify nor teeth to tear) differs from a fierce living animal. The authority claimed in fpirituals is an impious ufurpation of the rights of the Deity. And it is certain that the twofold claim would have been rejected by the world with contempt, if the Roman clergy had not universally and steadily supported it, by all the influence which fuperftition gave them over the minds of the people. They converted it into a real authority. They enabled the Pontiff to use it effectually. In confequence of their fupport, he fpake in the lordly ftrain of a Supreme King, to the princes and the people. He iffued the thunders of the Vatican against those who disputed his authority, He put to death in a variety of forms, fuch as dared to oppofe him. He excluded from the privileges of civil

fociety,

fociety, all fuch as would not fubmit to his claims and authority'.

The fifth conftituent part of the Antichriftian government is the Babylonish woman. She is represented as "arrayed in purple and scarlet, deck"ed with gold, and precious ftones and pearls," that is, affecting the pomp, and decorated with the ornaments purchased by the wealth of this world, " holding

(1) See the decree of Alexander III. in the Synod of Tours; the bull of Martin V. against the errors of Wickliff and Hufs, annexed to the acts of the Council of Constance: There it is decreed, "That men of this fort be not "permitted to have houses, to rear families, to make con"tracts, to carry on traffic or bufinefs of any kind, or to "enjoy the comforts of humanity, in common with the "faithful." These are almost the exprefs words which the prophecy has put into the mouth of the image. See likewife the bull of Paul III. against Henry VIII. and the bull of Paul V. Regnans in Excelfis, fulminated in the 11th year of Queen Elizabeth. To quote instances in order to prove that the Roman clergy supported this extravagant claim, would be to copy a great part of the history of Europe for a thousand years paft: However, one instance I cannot omit. An encyclical letter, dated London, 19th January 1791, figned by three Vicars Apoftolic of England, exprefsly prohibits the Catholics of that kingdom to take an oath prescribed by Government, though that oath contains nothing inconfiftent with Catholic principles, but a renunciation of the Pope's fupremacy in temporals. They exprefs themfelves thus: "The four "Apoftolical Vicars, in the above mentioned encyclical "letter