I. Some would have it to be the whole World of wicked Men. Againſt this 1t 15 ſaid, 1. That Fohn ſpeaks here of a certain great City which reigneth over the Kings of the Earth, wer. 18. This cannot be meant of the wicked World. 2. The World of wicked Men are theſe In- habitants of the Earth, whom this Woman made Drunk with the Wine of her Fornications : Now ſhe that made them drunk, 21d thoſe that were made drunk cannot be the ſame. 3. This Woman, ver. 9. fitteth on ſeven Mountains, and fo do not all the wicked of the World, 4. We are commanded to come out of this Baby/5n, but we are not obliged to go out of the World.
2, Others would have this Woman, or this Babyl-m, to be the od Chaldean Babylon. But, 1. Where then is the Myſtery mentioned, ver. 5 ? 2. The Babylon here mentioned, 1s by all agreed to be the ſeat of Antichriſt; ſo was that never.
3- The generality agree it to be Rome. Amongſt the Ancients, Tertullian, Hierome, Ambroſe, Oecumenius, Auguſtine, Erſebins, Of latter writers Beda, Aquinas, Salmeron, Pererius, Bellarmine, Lapide, Ribera (all Papiſts,) beſides a multitude of Proteſtant VVriters ; that City 1s alſo like old Babylon for Power and Greatneſs, for Oppreſ- ſion of, and Tyranny over God's Iſrael ; beſides the City here men- tioned 1s deſcribed by two Charatters, agreeing to none but Rome, ver. 9. dwelling upon ſeven Hills. 2. Reigning over the Kings of the Earth : For the firſt Rome is the only City in the VVorld, founded upon ſeven Hills, and famed for it by its old Pcets, Ovid, Virgil, Horace, Propertins, &c, It is atteſted to be fo founded by Plutarch, Pliny, Dioryſius, Halicarnaſſeus; the names of theſe Hills are known, Palatimus, Quirinalis, Aventinus, Celius, Viminalis, Elquilinus, Ca- pitolinus, Both Papiſt and Proteſtant VVriters agree, that here, by Babylon, Rome 1s meant. But they are divided, whether it be to be underſtood of Rome, in its old Pagan-ſtate, or in its preſent ſtate, or 1n a ſtate yet to come.
4- Some would have it to be Rome in its Pagan-ſtate ; of this mind are Grotius and Dr, Hammond, and ſome others; but againſt this many things are ſaid. 1. It is manifeſt that God here deſcribes Rome not as under its ſixth Head, viz. the Pagan Emperors, but as it was under its laſt Head, the Eighth King, ver. 11. as it ſhould aſcend out of the bottomleſs Pit, ver. 8. 2. VVhat John ſaw here, 1s mentioned as a Secret, about the Blood of the Saints, which he wondred at ; now the Pagan Emperors fpilling the Blood of Saints, was a thing long ſince done. 3. The Deſolation of the Babylon here mentioned, was to be final, never to be repaireg, as appears by chap. 18. 21, 22, 23. but Pagan Rome was never made fo deſolate. 4. If Rome Pagan be here meant, thea after its fall, Rome Chriſtian was the habitation of Devils, chap, 18.2, 5, Rome Pagat fell —_
rae
| 7 N7;1 Chap. %YY 1 ]. ment of rhe * great whore Þ that fitteth upon many > 55S ! ICT» SL. a This whole Verſe is but a Preface to a new Viſion which Fohn L 3
Chap. X VII.
the Saints with down-rigtit blows, not with allurements, making them drunk with the Wine of her Fornication, as ver. 2.
5- The Papi/t, who grant that by Babylon, Rome is meant, would have it to be Rome toward the end of the VVorld, when they ſay Rome ſhall apoſtatize from the Pope to Paganiſm again z but for this
| Opinion there is no foundation in Scripture, nor the judgment of
the Ancients, and ſome of the Papiſt themſelves reje& it as impro- bable and deteſtable.
6. The Generality and beſt of Proteſtant VVriters, underſtand by Babylon and by this VVoman, Rome as it is at this day under the condutt of the Pope, for which they give theſe Reaſons.
I Becauſe it cannot-be underſtood of Rome in either of the other Notions, as hath been proved.
2. Becauſe Antichriſt is to ſit in the Temple of God, 2 Theſl. 2. 4. as God, therefore not in any Pagan City, The Myſtery of Iniquity was working in the Apoſtle's time, but ver. 7. the Roman Emperors hindred the appearance of Antichriſt ti:|the Popes had wrung Rome out of their hands, and were the ſole Rulers there; then Antichriſt ſhewed himſelf.
3- Becauſe there is nothing ſaid of this great Whore, or this Ba- bylon, but admirably agreeth to Rome in its preſent ſtate.
4 And the woman was arayed in purple, and ſcar-
*Ch.18.15 1et colour þ, and * decked with gold, and precious + Gr.Gild- ſtones, and pearls z, having a golden cup in her hand,
ed,
* 2 Thel.2,
7. | Or, Foy- nications.
full of abominarions and filthineſs ; of her fornica- tion &,
h Purple was the colour of Kings and Princes. This VVoman, ch. 18, 7. ſaid ſhe was _ Scarlet alſo was a rich and noble co- lour, anciently moſt uſed in a time of VVar. How much it is in uſe with the Pope and his Cardinals, is ſufficiently known, i This ſhews the VVorldly Ri:hes of the Papacy. & Alluring and tempting Per- ſons to Idolatry, as VVhores uſe, with their Phi/ters or Inchanted Cups, to allure and provoke Men to ſenſual fatisfation.
5 and upon her forehead was a naine written /, * MYSTERY #: BABYLON THE GY*EAT x THE MOTHEx OF || HAKLOTS o AND ABOMINA- TIONS OF THE EARTH p.
1 As Publick Harlots were wont to write their Names, ſome upon the Fronts of their Houſe, ſome upon their Foreheads ; it denotes the open Guilt, and Impudence of this Spiritual Harlot. m That 1s, there 1s a Myſtery in what follows in her Name. n Babylon the Great, not to be underſtood of the Chaldean Babylon, but of a City or Polity under the Goſpel, as chap. 11. 8. ſhe was called Spiritually Sodom and Egypt, ſo alſo in a Spiritual or Myſtical ſenſe ſhe is cal- led Babylon, becauſe a City like to Babylon for Idolatry and Perſecu- tion of God's Iſrael. o Not a meer #arlf, but one that bred up Harlots, and nurſcd up Idolatry, communicating 1t to others. This js the true Name of Rome inſtead of Holy Mother Church. p A place in which aot only Idolatry reigneth, but all abominable things com- mitted in the VYorld ; Carnal VVhoredom noted by them, and
Sodomy, &C.
6 And I ſaw * the woman 9 drunken with the
*Cn.18:24 100d of the Saints, and with the blood of the Mar-
*Ch.13.1. .FCh.13.10 i Ch.1343.
FCh.13-18»
tyrs of Jeſus : and when I ſaw her, I wondred with great admiration f. | |