Chapter, under the Notions of the Earth, the Sea, the Rivers, and Fountains, the Sun, and the Seat of the Bea#F. The firſt Command to the Executioners of God's Juſtice, 1s, to pour out his Wrath on the Earth. By the Earth, Parexms underſtands ſome parts of the Earth ; others, the common People ; others, the Roman Empire ; but others, conſidering the Earth as the firmeſt part of the Univerſe ſay, That by the Earth is meant the Popiſh Clergy, the Baſis of the Papacy; and I am very much inclined to judge, that the moſt Prg- bable Senſe of it, not only becauſe there is little of Heaven in th&m and their whole Frame and Model is the Produd of Earthly Phlicy, but becauſe Experience hath told us, that the Pope here received his firſt Wound, in the Diminution of their Power, and Authority and a Contempt of them. God hath uſed many Inſtruments fo pour out this Vial, even ſo many (whether Princes or Miniſters) as he hath made uſe of to root out Monafteries and Abbeys, and to expoſe Maſs-Prieſts to Scorn and Contempt. Mr. Mede ſeem- eth to be of another Mind, thinking, that by Zarth is meant the Commonalty of the People, whoſe Defe&ion from the Pope was his firſt Plague : but that which is to be underſtood by the Earth, being the affected part of Antichriſt, I cannot agree with that learn- ed Man; for though the Beaſt ſuifered by the DefeQion of the Com- monalty, yet I cannot ſee how thoſe that made the DefeQion, ſuf- fered at all by it.
2 And the firſt went, and poured out his vial upon the earth, and * there fell a noiſome and grievous ſore upon the men + which had the mark of the beaſt,and
upon them which worſhipped his image c.
c Here isa plain Allufion to the Plagues which God brought upon Pharaoh King of Egypt, for his Oppreſſion of his ancient Jſael ; God hereby ſhewing us, that he would deal by this Romiſh Beaſt for his Perſecutions of his Goſpel-Churches, as he dealt by Pharaoh ; as he turned the Egyptian Rivers into Blood, fo as the Fiſh died, and the Waters ſtunk, Exod. 7. 20. and as he plagued the Fgyj- tians with Biles and Blains, Exod. 9. 9. fo he would plague the Papacy by proportionable Judgments, until, as Pharagh with his whole Party was at laſt drowned in the Red-Sea, ſo all the Anti- chriſtian Party ſhall be rooted out, Here are two of the Egyptian Plagues mentioned, but this Vifion begins with the ſixth of the Egyptian Plagues, viz. that of Biles breaking out in Blains. What is meant by this grievous Sore, I muſt profeſs my ſelf not to under- ſtand, but think Dr. Moor ſpeaks very probably, interpreting it of Trouble and Vexation, which the Popiſh Party ſhould have upon the firſt Proſpe& of their Kingdom's going down ; 1t being of the Na- ture of Sores, to vex and diſturb thoſe that are affe&ed with them, ſo as they are very uneafie ſo long as they are affe&ted with them. And indeed I find many Interpreters agree in this Notion.
3 And the ſecond angel poured our his vial upon the ſea d, and it * became as the blood of a dead
man e : and every living ſoul died in the ſea f.
d This anſwered the firſt Plague upon Pharaoh, Exod. 7. 20. All the Waters that were in the River were turned to Blood ; and the Fiſh that were in the River died. By the Sea here, Dr. Moor under- ſtands the Furiſaiion and Dominion of the Papacy, wherein he agrees with Mr. Mede., I rather agree with thoſe who underſtand the whole Syſtem of the Popiſh Religion, their Rites and Ceremonies, their Dotrines of Indulgences and Purgatory, gc. e God ſheweth his Prophet, and inftructeth us, that he will bring the Papacy to ru- ine firſt by bringing his Clergy, (which are the Earth upon which
he ſtands) into Scorn and Contempt ; diſcovering their Frauds and Cheats. 2. By &diſcoyering the Folly and Vanity of their Ro 0 an
Chap. XV1.
* Ch. 13- IS, 17.
TCh.13.14
* Exod. 7- te
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Chap. XVI. and Theatrica! Religion, conſiſting only in vain Shews, and idle Rites and Ceremonies, without any regard to that Religion which is ſpi- ritual, and pure, and undefiled before God ; diſcovering the Cheats ot their Conteffions and Abfolutions, their Maſſes, Pardons and Indul- gences , making them appear to be not only idle, but pernicious and damnable; fo as f Chriſtians could not live in the Communion of their Church, but it muſt be damnable to thoſe who kept in the Com» munion of it.
4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers, and tountains of waters g, and they be- came blood þ.
g Mr. Mede and Dr. Mor both agree in interpreting this of the Feſuits and other Popiſh Emiſſaries. þ And the Laws made for the Execution of them in England, in the time of Queen Elizabeth, not excluding thoſe Civil Powers, which are the Upholders and Main- tainers of Antichriſt, as the Spaniard, who alſo within theſe laſt one hundred Years, hath had Blood enough given him to drink, both in 1588, and in the Low-Countries. It ſeemeth a little hard to interpret a Prophecy relating to the whole Church, by what 1s done in ſo ſmall a part of it, We know in what credit theſe Emiſla- ries are at this Day, both in the Empire, and in Spain, and in France, and Venice, (from whence they ſometimes were expelled.) We have indeed, Laws againſt them in England, but principally relating to thoſe of them, who, being native Subje&s of England, . have Apo- ſtatized, So as [ had rather think this Vial is not yet poured out,