puted: Whether the figurative use of this term arofe from obferving, how conftantly that pollution attended idolatrous worship; or how fitly a communication with falfe gods may be compared with that unlawful commerce: Whatever be the ground of the analogy, it is clear to a demonstration that whoredom is but another name for idolatry, which, under this idea, is very frequently charged upon the Jews by the antient prophets.

Sometimes, however, (without doubt, to aggravate the charge) the idolatry of the Jews is confidered in the light of adultery, that is, of infidelity to the God of Ifrael; to whom, as to her proper Lord and Hufband, the Jewish nation had, by exprefs ftipulation, and in the most folemn manner, contracted herself.

But, notwithstanding this promifcuous application of the terms, fornication, and adultery, to the idolatry of the Jews in the antient prophecies, it hath been remarked by the Bishop of Meaux, "That Babylon,

L

or Rome, in the Revelations, is conftantly and uniformly spoken of, as a whore, and not as an adulterefs: whence he concludes, that this charge is brought against Pagan Rome only, and not Chriftian Rome. For, why, he asks, is so much care taken not to impute adultery to idolatrous Rome, if it: had been a Chriftian city? when its polluting itself with this crime, contrary to the most express engagements, which Christians take upon themselves, of fidelity to the only true God, might justly deserve, and, in propriety, may seem to require, this opprobrious charge, rather than that other lighter one of fornication; whereas, if Pagan Rome be here meant, its idolatry could only be fet forth under the idea of fornication, and not of adultery [y].”

[y] Le faint apôtre a bien pris garde de ne pas nommer la prostituée, dont il parle, une adultere, poxada, poxanida, mais une femme publique-fans jamais avoir employé le mot d'adultere; tant il étoit attentif à éviter l'idée d'une epoufe infidelle.-Loin de marquer Ja Prostituée, comme une Eglize corrumpuë, nous avons montré clairement qu'il a pris des idées toutes contraires

M 3

Now,

Now, although, as I obferved, the idolatrous Jews are frequently treated by their prophets, as fornicators, as well as adulterers, này, are much more frequently [z] re

à celles-là, puis qu'au lieu de produire une Jerusalem infidelle, ou du moins une Samarie, autrefois partie du peuple faint, comme il auroit fait s'il avoit voulu nous repréfenter une eglife corrompuë, il nous propofe une Babylone, qui jamais n'a eté nommée dans l'alliance de Dieu. Nous avons auffi remarqué qu'il n'avoit jamais donné à la Prostituée le titre d'épouse infidell ou re pudiée: mais que par tout il s'étoit fervi du terme de fornication, et de tous ceux qui revenoient au même fens. Je fçais que ces mots fe confondent quelquefois avec celui d'adultère, mais le fort du raifonnement confifte en ce que de propos deliberé Saint Jean evite toujours ce dernier mot qui marqueroit la foi violée, le mariage fouillé, et l'alliance rompue, &c.-L'Apocalyfe avec une Explication; par Meffire Jaques Benigne Boffuet, Eveque de Meaux. PREF, 26. 29. AVERTISEMENT, p. 321323. Par. 1690, 12o.

[x] The reason I take to be, That fornication, that is, vague luft, and general prostitution, ferved best to exprefs the unbridled and indifcriminate paffion of the Jews for the dæmon-worship of their neighbours: Whereas the crime of adultery, though of a blacker dye, and, in that view, more proper to expose the malignity of their offence, does not convey the fame ideas of univerfal pollution, being ufually committed, because it is fo criminal, with more diftinction and restraint.

presented

presented under the former idea, than the latter; and although it be therefore true, that fornication is not neceffarily, and exclu-. fively, to be understood of Pagan idolatry, but may well be applied to Christian idolaters, as it was to the Jewish; yet the force. of the learned objector's argument will not be obviated by this obfervation only. For the stress of it lies in this, "That the idolatry of Rome in the Revelations is every where, that is, purposely, termed fornication (to infinuate to us, that the charge is directed against a Pagan City, and not a Chriftian Church), and no where, that is, purposely again, called adultery."

The objection is extremely ingenious; and, fo far as I know, hath been, hitherto, unanswered. Yet, if any good reafon can be affigned why the prophet fhould thus ftudiously prefer the term, fornication, to that of adultery, in defcribing the idolatry of Christian Rome, notwithstanding those terms be ufed indifferently by the Jewish prophets, when they reprove the idolatry

of their own countrymen, the Bishop of Meaux would himself acknowledge, that his objection falls to the ground.

Now fuch a reafon offers itself to us in the EMBLEM, under which St. John chufes to represent his idolatrous fociety. This emblem is, Babylon; a Pagan idolatrous city; to which the idea of fornication may be colourably, and hath, in fact, been, applied [a], in order to exprefs the tranfgreffion of the law of nature, in its idolatrous worship: But to fuch a city, adultery, could. in no proper sense, be applied; because, it had never entered into any close engagement, or marriage-contract, as it were, with the God of heaven.

This being admitted, we see the reason, why Rome Chriftian is taxed as a whore fimply, and not as an adulterefs. For what had been improperly faid of the type, cannot, on the principles of decorum, bé transferred to the anti-type. If Babylon be only a barlot, fhe is a harlot ftill, and

[a] Ifaiah xxiii. 16, 17. Nahum iii. 4.

nothing