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loud voice: Wo, wo, wo, to the inhabitants of the earth, becaufe of the founds to come of the three angels which were yet to blow the trumpets, Rev. viii. 13. Because the judgments which were to be executed hereafter, upon the blowing of the next three trumpets, were far more dreadful and horrible than any were before; therefore here is a special angel or messenger of God, fent of purpofe to give warning thereof, and to proclaim openly in the church three fearful woes, which fhould come upon the inhabitants of the earth, that is, all earthly-minded men, as worldlings, Papifts, and Atheists, at fuch time as the next three angels fhould blow the trumpets.

The first, of these great woes, is to be understood of the Papacy. The fecond, of Turkifm. The third, of the last judgment. As if he should have faid, wo unto the world, because of Popery. Wo unto the world, because of Turkifm. Wo unto the world, because of the laft judgment. Wo unto the world, for Popery, because thereby men fhould be punished in their fouls. Wo unto the world, for Turkifm, because thereby thousands fhould be murdered in their bodies by the Turkish armies. Wo unto the world, becaufe of the laft judgment, for thereby all worldings fhould be

plagued both in body and foul in hell-fire for evermore.

Since then these three laft plagues which were to come upon the world, are more fearful and terrible than any of the other four, no wonder though here is fent of purpose a special meffenger to give intelligence thereof, that every man might look to himfelf, feeing fuch great dangers were at hand. And for this caufe alfo it is faid before, that there was filence in the church for the fpace of half an hour.

THE

CHAP. IX.

'HE principle scope and defign of this chapter, is to point out both the Pope and his clergy, and alfe the kingdom of the Turk, and his cruel armies. For having already fet down how a way and paffage was made for the Pope to climb up in-. to his curfed chair, by the prevailing of herefies, the falling away of the pastors of the church, and the great over-fpreading of darkness and ignorance; now he cometh to defcribe the Pope in his full heighth and greatest exaltation, being now univerfal bishop, and in full poffeffion of his feat

and fea of Rome, which was about fix hundred years after Chrift, as formerly hath been fhewed. At what time Pope Boniface obtained of the emperor Phocas, that murderer, which flew his mafter Mauritius, the emperor, that the Bishop of Rome fhould be called the univerfal bishop, and the church of Rome, the head of all churches.

This ninth chapter may be divided into two parts: The firft is a lively description of the Pope himself, his kingdom and his clergy. The fecond is a description of the kingdom of the Turk, and his most savage armies; fo that this opening of the first two great woes mentioned before, concerning the Papacy and Turkifm.

And the fifth angel blew the trumpet, and l'faw a ftar which fell from heaven, and to him was given the key of the bottomlefs pit,' Rev. ix. 2.

Warning was given before, that when this fifth angel fhould blow the trumpet, a moft fearful wo fhould come upon the world, furpaffing all that went before, which is the fetting up of Antichrift in his pride, that man of fin, that fon of perdition.

The Pope is here compared to a star, as well as other godly minifters in this book, becaufe the Bishops of Rome at the first

were godly and excellent men; for amongst the first thirty of them, there were fome martyrs. But it is here faid, that now this ftar was fallen from heaven unto the earth; that is, the bishops of Rome were greatly degenerated and fallen quite away from heavenly things to earthly; for they declined from time to time, and grew worse and worfe, fo far as to become the great Antichrist.

But fome man may fay, why may not this ftar falling from heaven upon the earth, be understood of other paftors falling from the truth, as well as the Pope, as it is tak en in the former chapter, and in the twelfth chapter, and the fourth verfe? I answer, that the circumftances will not here bear it. Therefore to perfuade every honest man's confcience, that this must needs be understood of the Pope in his pride, let us give ear to these three reafons following.

First, We are to confider, that the main defign of the Holy Ghost in the opening of the seven seals, and blowing of the feven trumpets, is to lay out the ftate of the church in all ages, till the coming of Christ. Further, we are diligently to obferve, that the things contained under the opening of the feventh feal (whereof the blowing of the feven trumpets are as it were parts, and do all belong unto it) do ftretch even to

the end of the world, fo as there is no ftrange accident, or any woful condition of the church in any age, but it is set forth under the opening of thefe feals, and blowing of thefe trumpets. But the Papacy was a ftate of the church, and that most woful and lamentable, therefore it is defcribed under the opening of the feals, and blowing these trumpets. But is not defcribed under the opening of any other feal, or blowing of any other trumpet: therefore of neceffity it must be referred to this feventh feal, and the fifth trumpet; and this is my first reafon. If any man object that the Pope and his kingdom are most lively defcribed in the chapters from the twelfth to the laft, I answer, that all thofe chapters belong to a new vifion, wherein fome things propounded under the opening of the feven feals are more fully opened and expounded. But this I fay, that in the second vifion, the whole eftate of the church in every age is laid open, even until the laft judgment; and therefore when the feventh angel here doth blow the feventh trumpet, immediately followeth the last judgment, as appeareth, Rev. x. 6.-xi. 15, 16.

My fecond reafon is drawn from the courfe and confideration of times; for the great prevailing errors and herefies mentioned before, which made way for Anti