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ed; before which an incalculable number of innocent and pious Chriftiars were condemned as heretics, and ordered to be executed; and that the terror of their punishment might operate as an example towards the converfion of others, the means of the moft lingering and agonizing death were fixed on. By this method oppofition to her blafphemous authority has been conftantly prevented; and her people, intimidated, have continued in the faith of her idolatrous fuperftition.

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inftituted. By thefe dreadful tribunals, all perfons in France, who would not worfhip the image of her deity, Liberty, and fupport her atheistical authority with their lives and fortunes, were adjudged, not as heretics indeed, but fanatics and moderés, and ordered to be put to death, without a trial. And to render their punishment a terrible example to others, novel and unufual inftruments of death were invented, and contrived to dispatch as many lives as poffible, within the fhortest time. Such were the guillotine, the national bath, and the cannon. Innocent men, women, and children, fnatched from their firefides without notice, have, in this cruel manner, been mowed down in an hour, as grafs before the fcythe, to an incredible amount and by these dreadful measures, the people of France have been deterred from returning from a state of anarchy and mifery, to their former fubordination, order, and peace; nay, compelled to unite in the fupport of her power.

Such then are the powers and policy which have been exercifed by the church of Rome, and fuch thofe which have been exercifed by that republic before that churchy and in its fight." The ana logy is ftronger than one would think the nature of

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things would admit. Indeed, I could fhow as great a fimilitude between them in many other inftances, but the fear of prolixity forbids it; and furely enough has been faid to prove, that the republic could not have conformed more exactly to the policy of the church of Rome, if the had made it the pattern of her wicked ambition, of which, indeed, from all the circumflances, there is a ftrong probability; and that in this policy thus "exercifed" by the republic, the truth of this part of the text ftands clearly fulfilled.'"

One word more, before I leave this mark of the beaft of the earth. He is to exercife the power of the first-mentioned beaft before him, or " in his "fight*." Now, when we fay, an act was done "before, or in the fight" of a man, it may imply, that it was done to his prejudice, and that he did not take any pains to prevent it: this was literally the cafe of the Pope. He faw the republic exercife the fame fraudulent, coercive, and blafphemous measures, which he had done before. He faw his wealth feized, his priests murdered or banished, and millions of his devotees converted to atheism, and loft to all faith in his infallibility and idolatry: and yet, to prevent these remarkable acts of injury to his power, he remained, as it were, an inactive, ftupid fpectator,

This conduct in the Papal church reminds me of the heathen maxim (for heathens who believe in God can be the authors of truth), " Quos Deus vult perdere, prius dementat," "To those who wan"tonly refufe the inftructions of his revealed word, "and even presume to blafpheme his holy name, "God fends a ftrong delufion;" that is, he leaves

* Ver. 14.

† 2 Theff. ii. II.

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them fimply to their fallen, frantic nature, by righteously withholding from them his gracious mercies. Indeed it seems to have been the divine will, that the power of the church of Rome thould be deftroyed by the fame kind of fraudulent policy and force, by which the had been established, and by which the had done fo much mischief in the world; and moreover, that the fhould be made fenfible of this rule of divine justice, "Nec lex eft juftior ulla, " quam necis artifices arte perire fua."

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Nor is there a more perfect rule of justice, than that he who "contrives the means of deftruction, fhould perish himself by the fame means:" or, to quote a higher authority," If any man will hurt them (oppofe his

divine will), he muft, in the fame manner, be "killed;"" that he that leadeth into captivity "thall go into captivity; and that he that killeth "with the fword must be killed with the fword."

Ver. 12. (continued)." And causeth the "earth, and them that dwell therein, to wor fhip the first beaft, whofe deadly wound was "healed."

The prophet, having told us, that the republic fhould exercise all the fraudulent arts and powers of Papal Rome, points out in the fame verfe another remarkable feature of the former, which is, that the "fhall caufe the earth (the French nation), and "them that dwell therein (even the people of fo"reign nations refiding therein), to worship the "beaft, whofe deadly wound was healed" (or pagan and imperial Rome). This beaft, commentators are generally agreed, is a type of Rome in, its pagan ftate; and in this fentiment I concur, al

* Chap. xi. 5.

+ Chap. xiii. 10.

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though for different reafons. However, it only then remains to fhow, in what manner the French republic has caufed the people of France, to worship and venerate the policy and cuftoms of ancient Rome.

The profeffion of a high sense and veneration of human liberty, was fingularly characteristic of the Roman republic. Liberty was her political god, by whofe dictates the pretended to regulate her conduct. She held all other nations as barbarians, ignorant of their rights, and oppreffed by tyrants. Her common pretexts for making war on them, were to relieve them from oppreffion, to civilize and give them liberty. And yet, with thefe fair profeffions in their mouths, the Roman leaders were in their hearts, a fociety of tyrants and robbers. Inftead of conferring upon the conquered nations the promised civilization and liberty, their temples were robbed, their public treasures feized upon; and after being plundered of all that was valuable, and that plunder carried to Rome, heavy contributions and exactions were fuperadded; and ever after reduced to the Roman yoke, the oppreffive governments of her generals and lieutenants, completed the scene of calamity.

Now, upon weighing the conduct of the French republic, we shall find, that she has trod in the very fteps of pagan Rome. She fet out with proclaiming to mankind the excellence of liberty, and the perfect equality of all men. She has declared that all men are "ignorant of their rights," and therefore barbarians; that all kings being tyrants, eternal hatred and vengeance fhould be fworn againft them. She has announced her commiffion from "Heaven, to reform the world, oppreffed by the "kings of the earth;" and that she will give liberty to mankind, by fraternizing them into her plan of liberty

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liberty and equality. Under this fpecious pretext, fhe has made war upon the nations of the four quar ters of the world. But instead of giving to thofe fhe has conquered the promised liberty, and equality, and freedom from oppreffion, fhe has, in imitation of the policy of pagan Rome, robbed their churches, feized upon their public treasures, plundered the people of all that was valuable, laid them under the moft diftreffing contributions, and carried her spoil to Paris. And although she has pretended to inftitute several independent republics, yet she has, in every instance, taken care to fubject them to her own power, under a military defpotism,

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And it is not in her civil polity only that she has worshipped, or imitated the customs of the Romans. She has paid particular refpect to their religious rites. The Romans had their Dii majorum et minorum gentium. In the first clafs they placed Jupiter or Thunder, Juno or Riches, Minervą or Wifdom, &c, &c. in the other, dead men, whom they had deified; as Hercules, Faunus, Evander, Romulus, &c. &c. So the republic has conftituted greater and leffer deities of the firft kind are Liberty, the Country, the Conftitution, and Reafon; of the fecond, are Voltaire, Rouffeau, Mirabeau: and that they might surpass pagan Rome in fin against the God of heaven, they have added to the facrilegious catalogue that affaffin Ankerfirom, whom they employed to murder the King of Sweden.

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The Romans not only deified dead men, but the virtues; as Honour, Peace, Plenty, Safety, Hope, &c. So the republic has deified les Vertus, namely, le Genie, le Travaile, l'Opinion, et les Recompenfes Genius, Labour, Opinion, and Rewards; and, refolving to excel her pattern, fhe has ordered the churches in Paris to be named after the human appetites.

The

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