(2.) A second reason is. That by his own wisdom he may frame such a power, as may best conduce to the carrying on of his own kingdom among the sons of men.'
He hath promised his church, that he will give unto it holy priests and Levites, Isa. Ixvi. 20, 21. which shall serve at the great feast of tabernacles ; Zech. xiv. 16. (a sufficient demonstration that he will dwell still in his churches by his ordinances whatsoever some conceive) so also, 'That he will make her civil officers peace, and her exactors righteousness ;' Isa. Ix. 17, 18. They shall be so established, that the na- tions, as nations, may serve it, and the kingdoms of the world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord ; Rev. ix. 15.
For the present, the government of the nations (as many of them as are concerned therein) is purely framed for the interest of antichrist. No kind of government in Europe, or line of governors so ancient, but that the beast is as old as they, and had a great influence into their consti- tution or establishment, to provide that it might be for his own interest. I believe it will be found a difficult task, to name any of the kingdoms of Europe (excepting only that remotest northward) in the setting up and establishment whereof, either as to persons or government, the pope hath not expressly bargained for his own interest, and provided that should have the chiefest place in all the oaths and bonds that were between princes and people. Bellarmine, to prove that the pope hath a temporal power indirectly over all kings and nations (if he mean by indirectly, gotten by indirect means, it is actually true as to too many of them''), gives sundry instances in most of the most eminent nations in Europe, how he hath actually exercised such a power for his own interest.'
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 discern- able.
' Psal. ii. 9—12. Rev. xvii. 14- Matt, xxviii. 20. 1 Cor. xi. 26. Epiics. iv. 11— 13. 1 Tim. vi. 13, 14. Psal. xlv. 16. Isa. xlix. 7. 23.
•* Rev, xviii. 3. Oi^as-iXerj riif ytft /wit' airS? im^ysufay, 'Bell, de Rom. Pon. lib. 5. cap. 8.
362 THE SHAKING AND TKAKSLATIXG
The first was between the years four and five hundred 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 set- tlino- 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 their kings in peace, who had been their leaders in war. This furious inundation settled the Frankes in Gaul, the Saxons in England, the west Goths in Spain, the east Goths and Longobards into Italy, and set up the Al- lemans in Germany ; from some whereof, though for divers years the papal world was exceedingly tormented, and Rome itself sacked, yet in the close and making up of their govern- ments, their manners and religion, they all submitted to the usurpation 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 action about three hundred years, reckoning it from the translation of the French crown from Childeric the Fourth, 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 Europe, 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 in the undertaking and pursuing their unjust conquests, or foolish mitred con- firmations of sword purchases, he got them all framed to his own end and purpose, which was to bring all these nations into subjection to his Babylonish usurpations, which tlieir kings finding no way inconsistent with their own designs did willingly promote, labouring to enforce all consciences into subjection to the Roman see.
Hence it is, as I observed before, that such an interpo- sition was made of the rites of holy church, that is Babylon
'" 2 Thess. ii. 6, 7. » Dan. ii. ^11.
Rev. xvii. 13.
OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. 263
the mother of fornications, in all the ties, oaths, and bonds between princes and people.P 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 potentates 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.''