fceptre that governs them, and all the infults and oppreffion of the vile fatraps of the Tyrant. When a fhip of the fleet ar rives in a port, all the people who can, fly to the mountains, or into the country. Others fhut themfelves up in their houses, without daring to ftir out. Every one in the roads and even in the streets are plundered by the foldiers and failors of the ships; and if they are not cut and wounded with a pistol ball, they efteem themfelves happy. The captains and officers raise contributions for themselves, and thus the poor Greeks pay another tax to the fleet, which is heavier to those on whom it unhappily falls, than that paid to the Sultan; and they are generally prevented from complaining out of fear left the next ship should take revenge'."

Such is the government, and fuch are the complicated miferies, under which the Eaft has groaned for many centuries! The Second

Eton, Preface, p. 5.

When Omar, the Saracen Caliph, took Jerufalem by capitulation in A. D. 637, the Chriftians were not allowed liberty of worship, but on the most fevere and humiliating conditions. See Ockley, Pococke, &c.

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Omar

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fecond wo has been of long duration; but from the view we have just taken of the decline and present state of the Ottoman empire, we are furely authorized to conclude that it now draws near its close. It will not however terminate the allotted period of affliction for when this wo shall be past, behold, a third wo com-" eth quickly"—while the fixth trumpet con

;

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tinues to found.

1

In the short account already given of the declining power of the Papal Antichrift, we have seen the effects of fome of those vials of wrath which were to be fucceffively "poured out upon the men who worship the BEAST and his IMAGE.” And the prefent ftate of Rome (supposed to be under the influence of the fifth vial) may be confidered as a confirmation of the opinion long ago formed by feveral of the most able Commentators, that the fixth vial, which is to be "poured out in the river Euphrates," or the dominion of the

Omar built a mofque on the fite of Solomon's Temple, which remains to this day, walled round at fome diftance, and it is death for either Jew or Chriftian to enter the enclosure.

Mabo

Mahometan Antichrift, would be contem porary with the third wo. The following Chapter will perhaps enable us to conjecture how far the reign of the IMAGE, made at the fuggeftion, and acting by the power, of the SECOND BEAST, appears to correfpond with the THIRD WO; and how far it seems probable that "the remainder of wrath" will fall with peculiar violence upon the votaries of the INFIDEL ANTICHRIST, or, in other words, " upon the worshippers of the IMAGE."

THE RISE AND PROGRESS OF THE INFIDEL POWER OF ANTICHRIST.

•

FROM the paffages in Scripture, which have been brought forward to the observation of the reader in the Introductory Chapter, in order to display the revelation concerning the different branches of Antichrist, we find that the Holy Spirit has spoken in explicit terms, not only of those who were to corrupt the faith, as the Papifts have done; oppofe it with open force, as has been the practice of the Mahometans; but of those who were first to undermine it by every infiduous art, and finally, by the union of fraud with violence, were to establish the dominion of Infidelity" in the last days." We have feen that

that such persons were clearly foretold in the Prophecies of Daniel, St. Paul, St. Peter, St. Jude, and St. John. And their characters, principles, conduct, and success are fo clearly reprefented, that these infpired writers have in a manner anticipated the history of those “false teachers," who have been in the past and in the prefent age diftinguished by the name of Free thinkers, Sceptics, Philofophifts, or Illuminati. These predictions have been shown to be generally applicable to fchifmatics and infidels in every period, but to have a particular reference to those who should arife in "the latter times," and occafion a great Apoftafy from the church of Christ.

The rife and progrefs of Jacobinifm, which feems to include every fpecies of Infidelity, and may be defined to mean Hostility to Religion, to Virtue, to Monarchy, to Laws, to Social Order, Rank and Property, have been examined with industry, and difplayed with correctness, by the Abbé Barruel and Profeffor Robifon. The facts brought forward in fupport of their affertions, have baffled the ingenuity of Jacobinifm itself to difprove. And thefe facts have clearly shown, that a CONSPI

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RACY