placed before his coming, and exalting himself to fuch power, by the most wicked and deceitful methods, mentioned in the next verse. And I fuppofe that it was thrown in, to comfort the Chriftians, under fuch a dark profpect, by the affured hopes of this Tyranny's coming to an end.

As the last sentence was inferted by way of parenthefis, we may go on with the principal fubject, as if it had not been there.

V.9, 10, 11, 12. When the obftructing power is removed, "Then fhall that wick"ed one be reveled, whofe coming is after the

working of Satan, with all power, and figns, "and lying wonders;" and with the most fraudulent and unrighteous cheats; tho' none need to be deluded thereby, if they are lovers of truth and virtue.

The many Pretences to Miracles in the Church of Rome have abundantly fulfilled this. They have afferted that Churches have been taken up in one place, and carried thro' the air, into distant countries. That Images have noded, smiled, frowned, or spoken, upon occafion. That the Blood of a Saint hath been annually liquefied, on a certain day of the year. That the first convert, St. Gaul made in Switzerland, was a Bear. That St. Antony of Padua preached to a vaft affembly of

a See Dr. More's myftery of iniquity, p. 133, &c. Addifon's Travels, p. 284. ibid. p. 47, &c.

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of Fishes, which he had miraculously called together, and who devoutly heard him preach the Word of the LORD. That St. Francis preached with great fucceffe to Birds and Beafts, which he thought OUR LORD had commanded, Mark xvi. 15. when he bade the APOSTLES to "Go into all the world, "and to preach the gospel to every creature.

"

Numberleffe have been the fictitious apparitions of the fouls of dead men, in order to prove such a state as Purgatory. Nay, to prove this, what have they not pretended to? voices from heaven or hell; cures at the fhrines of their Saints, or by their bones and reliques; to which they have fometimes afcribed the power of raifing perfons from the dead! All the Legends and lying wonders, which the most diabolical invention could contrive, have been made ufe of, to found and support this notorious Apoftafy.

For my own part, I queftion the reality of all their miracles'. But, fuppofe any of them to be real, a miracle only fheweth that fome Being interpofes, who is fuperior in power to man. And, as we must judge by the doctrine and practice they would promote, whether miracles are worked by a good or a bad Spirit; it is evident that (if they work any real

C

However, that

Popish Catechism,

Austin. de Civit. Dei, 1. xx. c. 19. And Dr. Geddes's tracts, Vol. III. p. 25, &c. they lay claim to miracles, fee the Appendix, §. 13.

real miracles) they are affifted by a malevolent and wicked fpirit; because they would thereby promote ignorance and falfhood, idolatry and wickedneffe.

They have, likewise, by the most unrighteous deceit, appeared as profeffed friends to Chriftianity, tho' really its greatest Enemies *.

They have canonized men for Saints, who have been the moft flagitious finers. And have confecrated murders, treasons, massacres, and rebellions; by promifing their votaries, that they should not paffe thro' the fire of Purgatory, but should have immediate entrance into Heaven; suppose they should be cut off in perpetrating fuch black and horrid crimes.

It were endleffe to mention their pious frauds, and fpecious, aftonishing methods to increase their numbers; to draw in the worst of men, and to difcourage the best; in order to gratifie their own exorbitant luft of riches, power and ambition.

And must not men have caft off the love of truth, who can delight in their fabulous traditions, and monftrous, lying Legends? and

tamely

Lactant. 1. vii. §. 19. Hic eft autem, qui appellatur Antichriftus: fed fe ipfe Chriftum mentietur; & contra verum dimicabit, &c. How remarkably applicable is this to the Bishop of Rome, who lays Claim to the Title

of the Succeffor of St. PETER, and CHRIST's Vicar is upon Earth; and confequently, the head of the Church, the Father and Paftor of all the Faithful?" See the Popish Catechifm, c. ult.

tamely give up the Scriptures, or speak of them with contempt?

Thus have I briefly gone through the feveral parts of this Prophefy, and shown (I think) that no Prophefy can be more exactly accomplished.

COROLLARIE S.

(1.) "From what hath been faid, it is easy "to judge concerning Popery and the Refor"mation.' It is not the largeneffe of a Church, nor her external pomp and fplendor", which makes her the true Church. Nor are they always the Schifmatics, who are the feweft in number. No;-fuppofe all the nations of the earth fhould generally agree together, in maintaining abfurd doctrines, immoral and unreasonable practices, uncharitableneffe and impofitions; They are properly the Heretics and Schifmatics; and let the number, who feparate from them, in defence of truth, virtue, liberty, and charity, be never fo few, they are in reality the true Church. And the other is only a grand Schifm, or worldly Faction: - Even tho' their party be as numerous, as that, with the foles of their feet, they could dry up rivers.

Holding the truth in love is a mark of the true Church. And fuch, as forfake this, are Apoftates. Such is the Schifm, Faction, and Apoftafy

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See the Appendix to the Popish Catechifm. §. 2.

Apoftafy of the present Church of Rome; that Mother of Idolatries, and of the Abominations of the earth. And Reformation is a most glorious thing, when founded upon its right Basis of reason and scripture, liberty and charity.

(2.) "How strong an argument may, "what hath been faid, afford us, for the "truth of the Chriftian Religion?""

Here was a moft fignal event foretold, and that many ages before it came to paffe; An Event, the like to which had never happened fince the creation of the World, (and, most probably, there never will happen fuch another;) it was, therefore, an event, which was out of the reach of all human conjecture, or forefight. And yet experience hath shown that the prædiction was exact.

Neither Enthufiafts nor Impoftors could, poffibly, have gueffed fo agreeably to fo uncommon an event. Nor can we, who have lived to fee and know fo much of the accomplishment, describe this Apoftafy in a more just, or lively manner, than St. PAUL has here done, in a few verfes, and St. JOHN, more largely, in the Revelation.

They, therefore, muft have been true Prophets and divinely inspired: Or else they never could have uttered fuch remarkable Prædictions; which time and fact have fo amazingly verified.

Some