influence, with the fame speed the Spirit of darkness fled away, and retired into obfcurity.

By degrees the Devil's power was fo weakened, that the meaneft Christian could by a word expel him from those miserable creatures he tyrannically poffeffed, and force him to acknowledge with confufion, he was a rebel angel, an enemy to God. This practice is fully attefted by St. Juftin, St. Irenæus, Tertullian, St Cyprian, and all the primitive Fathers, and was common in the three first centuries of the Church. Nor was this power of the Chriftians over the Devil to be wondered at, as it was founded on Christ who had given his word for it. These figns fays he, ball follow them that believe: In my name they fball caft out Devils, Mark xvi. 17.

Facts fimiliar to those above related are seen at this day in the Idolatrous Nations of the Eaft-Indies, where the Devil has maintained for a long time a fettled worship and dominion. It is common there to fee perfons poffeffed, which he manages according to his will, and through their mouths delivers his Oracles, and answers the queftions put to him by his votaries. It is indeed no matter of furprise, that the Devil enjoys fo much power in places where he is perfonally worshipped. But at the fame time there is feen the fame virtue and efficacy refiding in the Christian and Catholic Religion, as in the primitive ages. The perfons poffeffed are delivered from the evil spirit by the prayers or command of the Chriftians, and his influence is obferved to decline as the Gospel gains ground. Thefe facts are certified by unqueftionable teftimonies of the Catholic Miffionaries refiding in those countries, who are daily eyewitneffes of them. See Lettres curieufes et edifiantes.

CHAP.

CHA P. III.

A further Account of the first Age of the Chriftian

Church.

HE firft Seal, Trumpet, and Vial, have ex

Thibited a general defeription of the firft preach

ing of the Chriftian Religion, the perfecutions that attended it, and the Divine vengeance on the Authors of these perfecutions. But as the Hiftory of the Church is highly interefting during this first age, or first three centuries, in which it took its birth and obtained its establishment, Chrift is pleased to dif close to us, in chap. xii. of the Apocalypfe, more circumstances belonging to this period, and unfolds the origin of all obftructions put to the propagation of the Christian Religion, the Agents employed for that purpose, with the progrefs of their machinations and efforts for the fupport of Idolatry, and for fuppreffing the worship of God and Chrift.

APOC. Chap. XII. v. 1. And a great fign appeared in heaven: A Woman clothed with the fun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve ftars: V. 2. And being with child, fhe cried travailing in birth, and was in pain to be delivered.

Here is a great fign or a noble figurative representation of the Chriftian Church. She appears in heaven, as drawing her origin from heaven, by her Author the Son of God: and fhe is reprefented under the form of a Woman, clothed with the Sun, Moon, and Stars, the most splendid raiment the whole compass of nature can furnish. She is clothed with the Sun, as shining with the brightness of her Sanctity, and with the glory of her Spouse Jefus Chrift, who is the Sun of Justice, Mal. iv. 2. She holds the Moon under her feet, as victorious over all fublunary beings, over all earthly powers, and wordly charms. She bears on her head a crown of twelve stars, denoting

I 2

the

the twelve Apostles, who, after Chrift her Sun, make her principal ornament. She appears in labour, and fuffering the excruciating pangs of child-bed in her firft bringing forth Children to Chrift: Such are the ftruggles, and fuch are the difficulties, that obftruct the birth of Chriftianity, or the firft propagation of the Chriftian Faith. On one fide human laws, human paffions, the general depravity of mankind, the pleafures of life on the other fide, the Jews, the Pagans, all confpire to fight against her. But particularly:

V. 3. And there was feen another fign in heaven : and behold a great red Dragon, having feven heads and ten horns: and on his heads feven diadems.

V. 4. And his tail drew the third part of the ftars of heaven, and caft them to the earth: and the Dragon food before the Woman who was ready to be delivered; that, when she should be delivered, he might devour her fon.

Here the Woman, or the Christian Church, sees her chief enemy, the great red or cruel Dragon, which is the Arch-Devil Satan, as St. John explains it below, verfe 9th; and it appears in heaven, or the upper regions, because Satan draws his origin from above, having been formerly a bright Angel. This great Dragon has feven heads, and upon each a diadem or crown, the types of feven Emperors of Pagan Rome, whom Satan actuates and employs as his chief agents to oppose the rife of the Chriftian Religion, and to maintain his own idolatrous worship. That fuch is the meaning of the heads, we learn from the explication given by the Angel, chap. xviith, ver. 9th, of the Apocalypfe: The feven heads, fays the Angel, are feven mountains- -And they are feven Kings: Ancient Rome being here clearly indicated, as it was built on feven mountains. The feven Kings or Emperors here pointed at seem to be, Nero, Domitian, Severus, Decius, Valerian, Dioclefian, and Antichrift, as being the principal and diftinguished Perfecutors of

the

the Chriftian Church. The Dragon has alfo ten horns, denoting ten Provinces, into which the whole Roman Empire is here divided. The horns therefore being animated by the Dragon as well as the heads, the Governors of the Roman Provinces, and the People, will be alfo inftigated by the Devil to perfecute the Church of Chrift.

It was faid that the Dragon with his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, that is, the apoftate Angels whom he had feduced, and he caft them to the earth, to be there employed in feducing mankind. But the greatest part of them we may fuppofe were precipitated down into the infernal dungeons, according to that of St. Jude: The Angels who kept not their principality, but forfook their own habitation, he hath referved under darkness in everlasting chains unto the judgment of the great day, Ep. v. 6. The Dragon himfelf flood before the woman who was ready to be delivered that, when she should be delivered, he might devour her fon. Satan feeing his empire of idolatry in danger of being diffolved by the publication of the Christian Religion, refolves to crufh this in its origin, by ftirring up the whole Roman power against it, and thus to devour the woman's offspring in its birth.

V. 5. And he, the Woman, brought forth a manchild, who was to rule all nations with an iron-rod: and her fon was taken up to God, and to his throne. The Woman brings forth a man-child, that is, a mafculine race of Christians, a progeny of holy Champions, who in conjunction with Chrift their head, are to rule all nations with an iron-rod by a participation of his power, which he has promised them after the victory in their conflicts with the Dragon. He that fall overcome, fays Chrift, and keep my works unto the end, I will give him power over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, Apoc. ii. 26, 27. For fuch is the power he himself exercises over the impious part of

mankind,

mankind, as St. John tells us; He fhall rule the nations with a rod of iron, Apoc. xix. 15. which had been attributed to him even long before: Thou shalt rule them, the nations, with a rod of iron, and shalt break them in pieces like a potter's veffel, Pfalm ii. 9. The Almighty Son of God breaks down empires, diffolves ftates, ftrikes princes, deftroys people, that presume to contend with him. And her fon was taken up to God, and to his throne; part of the woman's offspring, or a confiderable number of the Chriftians, when put to the trial in the perfecutions, generously laid down their lives for Chrift their Lord and Mafter, and thus triumphing over the Dragon, instead of falling a prey to him, are carried up to Heaven to God and to his throne, where they are affocitated with him in power and judgment, according to what we have just above feen, and according to this other promife: To him that fall overcome, says Chrift, I will give to fit with me in my throne; as I alfo have overcome, and am fet down with my Father in his throne, Apoc. iii. 21.

V. 6. And the Woman fled into the wilderness, where She had a place prepared by God, that there they should feed her a thousand two hundred fixty days.

During the cruel Perfecutions, which the Devil ftirred up against the Woman, or the Chriftian Church, by his inftruments the heathen Roman Emperors and Magiftrates, many of the Chriftians fled for fhelter into the Deferts, to inacceffible mountains, and other lurking places, as we learn from the holy Fathers and Hiftorians of thofe times. Great multitudes in particular fought for refuge in the Catacumbs, at Rome, and in many other places. These fubterraneous caverns, termed Catacumbs, are fo prodigiously extenfive, branching out into innumerable ftreets which ftretch to a great diftance, especially at Rome, that they may be properly called a city under ground. The Chriftians lay concealed