There have been two most famous and remarkable changes of the government of these nations ; and into both of them what an influence the pope had, is easily discernible.
The first was between the years 400 and 500 after Christ, when the Roman empire of the west — that which -withheld the man of sin from acting his part to the life^ — was shivered to pieces by many barbarous nations;* who, settling themselves in the fruitful soils of Europe, began to plant their heavens, and lay the foundations of their earth, growing up into civil states, — for the most part appointing them to be then- kings in peace who had been their leaders in Avar. This furious inundation settled the Franks in Gaul, the Saxons in England, the West Goths in Spain, the East Goths and Longobards into Italy, and set up the Allemanns in Germany; from some whereof though for divers years the papal world was exceedingly tormeuted, and Rome itself sacked, yet in the close and making up of their govern- ments, their manners and religion, they all submitted to the usuipa- tion of the man of sin, so that in all their windings up there was a salve for him and his authority.^
The second great alteration took up a long space, and was in ac- tion about three hundred years, — reckoning it from the translation of the French crown from Childeric IV." unto Pepin and his son Charles by papal authority, unto the conquest of England by the Normans ; in which space the line of Charles in France was again by the same authority and the power of Hugh Capet cut off. No state in Euroi3e— the choice patrimony of the beast — that did not receive a signal alteration in this space ; nor was there any alteration but that the pope had a hand in every one of them ; and, either by pretended collations of right, to pacify the consciences of blood-thirsty potentates
' Rev. xviii. 3, Oi (iairiXsTs tJJ; yy,; fjt.i'T ulTn; Wo^vtuirav.
2 Bell, de Roni. Pon., lib. v. cap. 8. ^ 2 Thoss. ii. 6, 7. * Dan ii. 41.
Rev. xvii. 13.
'^ Childeric III.? — the last of the Merovingian race of French kingf?, — deposed in A.D. 750 by Pepin, to whom the crown of France, by the sanction of Pope Za- cliary, was transferred. The date of the Noi'mau Conquest is a.d. 10G6 — Ed.
2GG THE SHAKING A^D TRANSLATING
in the undertaking and pinsuing their unjust conquests, or foolish initred-confiriiiations of siuord-'purcliases, he got them all framed to his own end and purpose, — which was to bring all these nations into subjection to his Babylonish usuipations ; wliicli their kings finding no way inconsistent with their own designs, did willingly promote, labour- ing to enforce all consciences into subjection to the Roman see.
Hence it is, as I observed before, that such an interposition was made of the rights of holy churcli — that is, Babylon, the mother of fornications — in all the ties, oaths, and bonds between princes and people.^ And for the advancement of the righteous judgments of God, that the sons of men may learn to fear and tremble before him, it may be observed, that that which doth and shall stick upon poten- tates to their ruin, is not so much their own or any other interest, as the very dregs of this papal, antichristian interest thrust into their oaths and obligations, for no end in the world but to keep the Lord Jesus out of his throne.^
This is a second reason why the Lord Jesus, by his mighty power, at the bringing in of his immovable kingdom, " A\ill shake the hea- vens and the earth of the nations;" even because in their present constitution they are directly framed to the interest of Antichrist, which, by notable advantages at their first moulding, and continued insinuations ever since, hath so rivetted itself into the veiy funda- mentals of them, that no digging or mining, but an earthquake, will cast up the foundation-stones thereof'^ The Lord Jesus, then, having promised the sei-vice of the nations to his clmrch, will so far open their whole frame to the roots, as to pluck out all the cursed seeds of the mystery of iniquity, which, by the craft of Satan and exigencies of state, or methods of advancing the pride and power of some sons of blood, have been sown amongst them.
(3.) A third reason is, because as is their interest, so is their acting. The present power of the nations stands in direct opposition to the bringing in of the kingdom of Christ. Two things there are which confessedly are incumbent on him in this day of his advancement.
[L] The bringing home of his ancient people to be one fold with the fulness of the Gentiles, — raising up the tabernacle of David, and building it as in days of old, in the accomplishment of innumerable ])romises,'* and in answer to millions of prayers put up at the throne of grace for this very glory, in all generations. Now, there be two main hinderances of this work that must be removed. The fii-st whereof is, —
' Rev. xiii. 15, IG. - Xlifi^'-' tutu's i ©i«f Ivi^ytia* irXa*>is, 2 Thcss. ii. II.
' " Roma si'des Potri, qiia> Pastoralis honoris