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emperor of Constantinople, to the following tenour: "That the Greeks had abused too long the patience of "both God and men, in persisting still in heresy and "schism; that, conformable to the parable in the Gos"pel, God would further wait, to see if the fig-tree, af❝ter so much care and attendance in vain, would at last "yield fruit: that if it did not within the space of three 66 years, which God still allowed them, the tree would "be cut down by the root, and the Greek nation entire"ly ruined by the ministers of divine justice, who "would be sent to execute the sentence already pro"nounced in heaven against them." We shall presently see the literal accomplishment of this prediction.

The pouring out of the Fourth Vial.

APOC. Chap. XVI. v. 8. And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the Sun, and it was given unto him to afflict men with heat and fire:

V. 9. And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who hath power over these plagues, neither did they penance to give him glory.

Here is the punishment of the Greek schismatics for their long and obstinate rebellion against the Catholic Church.

In the prophecy of the fourth trumpet, the Sun was introduced to represent the principle of light, here it is employed as the principle of heat; which are known to be the two chief qualities of the sun. The vial is there

fore poured out on the sun, to convert its quality of heat or fire, into an instrument of divine vengeance against the Greeks. And in consequence, it is given unto him, the sun, to afflict men with heat and fire. In effect, this people suffered extremely by the destructive fire of terrible engines of war, that were worked by gunpowder. We have seen, page 132, that no less than fourteen batteries of cannon were employed to fire against the town of Constantinople, besides the ships of war; and that in this dreadful artillery were some such huge pieces of cannon, as had never been seen or heard of before. With these were the walls of the city shatter

ed to pieces, and the Greeks themselves miserably cut off. They were the more terrible, as cannon were, at that time, a recent invention, and but newly brought into use in the eastern countries. Hence it appears how the Greeks were scorched with great heat. And thus the taking of Constantinople by the Turks, being the most fatal and finishing stroke upon the Greek empire, which was then put an end to, the vial here chiefly points at that event.

And they blasphemed the name of God, who has power over these plagues. They blasphemed the name of God, that is, they spoke impiously against religion and its ministers. They uttered the most virulent invectives against the Romon Church, presumed to condemn its doctrine, and to treat with ignominy those Greeks who espoused it. They would not even pray in the same church with those who had signed the Union. Two years before the siege, that is, in 1451, the schismatics of Constantinople had writ to those Bohemians who had adopted the errors of John Huss; approving the part they had taken against the Church of Rome, and inviting them to a coalition with themselves în religious tenets. The year after, perceiving that the emperor had embraced the Union, and prevailed upon a few to follow his example, they rose up tumultuously, both clergy and people, and cried out anathema upon aff those who had united themselves with the Latins. This spirit of animosity against the Catholic Faith, and the supremacy of the Church of Rome, continued to rage, even at the time of the siege. Notaras, admiral of the Constantinopolitan fleet, seeing the people struck with consternation at the view of Mahomet's immense army, scrupled not to cry out, he would rather choose to see the turban in Constantinople than a cardinal's hat. In this manifold manner they blasphemed the name of God. And thus they persevered in rebellion against God, who has power over these plagues, that is, who sent those calamities with the view to punish and reclaim them. Instead of corresponding with the design of heaven, and taking admonition from the scourge they felt, to renounce their errors, and associate themselves to the bo

dy of the faithful and to the centre of unity; they on the contrary hardened themselves in their obstinacy, nor would they do penance to give God glory. What wonder, then, that the avenging hand of God, which they had armed against themselves, fell at last as a thunderbolt upon them, and crushed them. In the general wreck, the fate of Notaras, the above-mentioned impious admiral, appeared somewhat conspicuous. After the town was taken, having surrendered himself to Mahomet, and presented him with a rich treasure to gain his good graces, he was nevertheless received with contempt, and by the sultan's order, was, with his two sons, beheaded.

The third vial, in the preceding age, poured out the wrath of God on ancient Rome and the Roman empire; the fourth vial here, in like manner, pours out the divine indignation on the guilty Greeks, which pursues them first through their several provinces, and then finishes their ruin at Constantinople itself, the seat of their empire, in 1453. The Russian nations, which

had espoused the Greek schism, and persevere in it to this day, have they not reason to apprehend a share in this vial, and being involved, sooner or later, in the punishment of those, in whose guilt they participate?

The Almighty is the disposer of kingdoms. He raises them up like huge fabricks, for the execution of his designs; and he equally throws them down, when they presume to rival his power, or to disobey his commands. The most High rules in the kingdom of men; he will give it to whomsoever it shall please him, and he will appoint the basest man over it, Daniel, c. iv. v. 14.

Of the vast empire of Rome, the western part had been sacrificed, as we saw, for the extinction of idolatry ; and now the castern part, having made itself the fortress of heresy and schism, becomes obnoxious to the jealousy of the most high and undivided deity, and therefore is sentenced to be equally a victim of destruction. It may be said, that idolatry is an offence more injurious to supreme majesty, than heresy or schism: we allow it, and for that reason Constantinople sustained one calamity less than pagan Rome, namely, that of fire, by

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which Rome was reduced to ashes, but which Mahomet prohibited, perhaps by superior direction, from Constantinople. But on another hand, if pagan Rome was burned, from its ashes arose up a Christian Rome, with a new kind of power and dignity peculiar to itself, which was to last to the end of the world: whereas, though Constantinople was spared from destruction, it was enslaved by a barbarous people, the greatest enemies to Christianity. The Jews had formerly rejected the preaching and miracles of the Son of God, for which reason they were delivered over to the sword of the pagans, their inveterate enemies. In like manner, all the entreaties, exhortations, and labours of the Catholic Church, to reclaim the Greeks from their errors, they rejected with disdain; and on that account they fell a just sacrifice to the anger of God. He had waited many years, to give them time to resume a spirit of obedience and produce good fruit, but finding their obstinacy invincible, he cut them down like the barren figtree, as pope Nicholas had foretold them. They refused the jurisdiction of a spiritual superior, whom Christ has appointed over his whole flock; and they fell into the hands of tyrannical masters, from whom they have nothing to expect, but oppression, slavery, and despair. No kingdom can stand that opposes the kingdom of Christ; for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings, Apoc. xvii. 14, and a two-edged sword proceeds from his mouth, Apoc. i. 16, see p. 8, for the destruction of his enemies.

CHAPTER VIII.

The History of the Fifth Age of the Christian Church.

The Opening of the Fifth Seal.

APOC. POC. Chap. VI. v. 9. And when he, the Lamb, had opened the fifth seal, I saw, says St. John, under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held.

V. 10. And they cried with a loud voice, saying: How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and revenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

V. 11. And white robes were given to every one of them one and it was said to them; that they should rest yet for a little time, till their fellow servants and their brethren, who are to be slain, even as they, should be filled up.

The Lamb having opened the fifth seal, St. John hears the complaints of those who had been slain for the word of God, that is, for the observance of the law of God, and for the testimony which they held, or for the testimony which they had rendered to Christ in preaching and defending his doctrine. These martyrs are seen under the altar in heaven, similar to the altar of Holocausts, which stood in the Jewish tabernacle. On that altar the victims, called Holocausts, were burnt, and their remains, the ashes, fell under the altar. In allusion to this, the souls, or precious spiritual remains of those whose bodies had been slain, and sacrificed in the fire of persecution, are here seen under the altar. Who are the martyrs, spoken of in this seal, we are now to examine and it must be observed, that under the name of martyrs, we comprehend all those who have suffered death for religion, whether they have been declared

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