difputeth: but old Babylon came to utter ruin and defolation in this life, as both Ifaiah and Jeremiah do witnefs: Therefore new Babylon, that is, Rome, fhall come to utter deftruction: and, as the Holy Ghost. here faith, fhall be found no more,' or fhall fall without all hope of recovery.

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Hiftory do report, that Rome hath been fundry times deftroyed by the Goths and Vandals, and others: yea, once fired and quite burnt up; but afterward built and raifed up again by the emperors: but here the Holy Ghost faith exprefsly, that it fhall have a final fall, and an unrecoverable deftruction. For can a mill-ftone caft into the bottom of the sea ever be got up again? No, no,it is impoffible. Therefore let the Jefuites and feminary priests do what they can, they fhall never fet up Rome again, they fhall never reftore her to her former ftate and digni ty; they fhall never repair her credit again. Let the Pope and cardinals, and the king of Spain, and all the world, and all the devils in hell join together, they fhall never get up this mill-ftone out of the bottom of the fea. For the angel hath caft it in with fuch violence, that no power of man fhall ever fetch it out again.

True it is indeed, that the Jefuites beftir them, and.the feminary priefts and papifts do work apace in all lands, and adventure

themselves in the most defperate manner to recover again the credit of popery, and to fet up again the dignity and the power of the Pope, and the glory of their church and city, and their bold enterprizes do make many even to doubt that they will again one day prevail: but affuredly we are to make full reckoning, that although here and there they may support for a time fome ruinous parts of their rotten frame; yet do what they can, it fhall in the end fall down upon their heads, and come to utter defolation.

Indeed, Romé ftandeth yet, and popery. is not quite fallen' down. But they are difclofed, their credit is cracked, their power decayeth; and fo this thing is begun, and the time draweth on when it fhall be fully accomplished. He that had beheld the power, the pomp, the riches and eftimation of the church of Rome about feme

four-fcore years paft, and looketh upon it now, fhall fee a wonderful alteration. It feemed then to be without all danger of fhaking: for the emperor, and the kings of the earth ftood forth with all their force and might, power and policy to uphold it: but, God be thanked, we fee how it is already come down, and fhall come down. every day more and more, whofoever faith nay to it.

But behold, yet more and more plain proof for the utter defolation of Rome.For St. John defcribeth the eternal defolation thereof, by denial of thofe things which are in cities inhabited;

First, He faith, there fhall be no more any voice of harpers, muficians, pipers and trumpeters heard in Rome,' Rev. xviii. 22. that is, all mufic fhall furceafe, which argueth an utter defolation: for what inhabited cities are without mufic?

Secondly, He faith There fhall be no 'craftsmen of what trade foever found in "Rome, which argueth an utter defolation: for what flourishing city is without artificers?

Thirdly, He faith, No light of a candle. 'fhall any more fhine in Rome,' which argueth an utter defolation: for what inhabited city is without candles?

Fourthly, He faith, No found of a mill'ftone fhall be heard in Rome,' which doth argue an utter defolation: for what city is without mills to grind their corn? Lastly, He faith, The voice of the bridegroom and of the bride fhall be heard no more in Rome,' which argueth an utter defolation: For what city is without bride and bridegroom? and without marriage for procreation fake? Then I conclude from all this, that Rome fhall

fall finally' and come to utter deftruction.

But behoid yet a more plain and preg nant proof, drawn from the pitiful mournings and moft woful lamentations of the kings of the earth, the merchants and the mariners, who all do jointly lament and mourn for the deftruction and defolation of Rome, crying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city: for in one hour is thy judgment come: in one hour fo great riches are come to defolation in one hour fhe is made defolate,' Rev. xviii. 10. What can be more plainly and fully fpoken to prové an utter defola-. tion to Rome? What can be more required then to have it fet down in exprefs terms, as here we fee: for now the Holy Ghoft ufeth no figure, no hardness, no circumlo cution, no obfcurity; but telleth us plainly, and thrice for failing, that Babylon, that is Rome, is made defolate, is to come to defolation.

Moreover, it is faid that the kings, merchants and mariners fhall ftand afar off for fear of her torment, and they fhall weep and wail when they shall fee the fmoak of her burning, Rev. xiv. 10, 15, 18. fignifying that the torment and plague of Rome fhall be fo great, that kings, for all their might, fhall not dare to come nigh to refcue her: no, not the

king of Spain with all his great might and power; he fhall be fain to ftand affar off, or rather utterly to forfake her, weeping and wailing as well as others, for her moft fearful and unrecoverable deftruction.

But we are to obferve in all this, that the Holy Ghoft ufeth a figure or kind of fpeech, which they call a profopopæia, or feigning of a perfon, whereby the popifh kings being dead and rotten, are brought in lamenting and bewailing the fall of Babylon, as if they were alive again: or elfe it may be understood of cardinals and legates, which are even as kings upon the earth. But it cannot be understood of Chriftian kings, for they fhall be the inftruments of God to pull down great Babylon, as we shall hear by and by.

Furthermore, let us confider the causes of this great lamentation for the deadly downfall of Babylon, by the popish kings, merchants and mariners.

First, The kings, they mourn and lament, faith St. John, because they had 'committed fornication with the great whore of Babylon, and lived in pleasure 'with her,' Rev. xviii. 9. that is, they have lived long with her in abominable idolatry, and pleafed her that way, and therefore the gave them difpenfations to live in wantonefs and all carnal pleafures, and even to Numb. II. Ee