tending Popes forming plots, and thundering "out anathema against their competitors. The "distress and calamity of these times is beyond all

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power of defcription; for not to infift upon the

perpetual contentions and wars between the fac"tions of the feveral Popes, by which multitudes "loft their fortunes and lives, all fenfe of religion

was extinguished in moft places, and profligacy "rofe to a moft fcandalous excefs. The clergy, "while they vehemently contended which of the "reigning Popes was the true fucceffor of Christ, "were fo exceffively corrupt, as to be no longer "ftudious to keep up even an appearance of religion or decency: And in confequence of this, many plain well meaning people, who conclud"ed that no one could poffibly partake of eternal "life, unless united with the vicar of Chrift, were "overwhelmed with doubt, and plunged into the "deepest diftrefs of mind."

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Page 770." Thus was the Chriftian church di"vided into three great factions; and its govern"ment violently carried on by three contending chiefs, who loaded each other with reciprocal maledictions, calumnies, and excommunications. Page 782. Be that as it may, there was little "done at Ferrara, where matters were carried on' "too flowly to afford any profpect of an end of "their diffentions; but the negotiations were more "fuccefsful at Florence, whether Eugenius reVOL. II. "moved

Y

"moved the council about the beginning of the

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year 1439, on account of the plague, which "broke out at Ferrara. On the other hand, the "council of Bafil, exafperated by the imperious proceedings of Eugenius, depofed him from the

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Papacy on the 25th of June, in the year 1439, "which vigorous measure was not approved of by "the European kings and princes. It may be eafily conceived what an impreffion this. ftep "made upon the affronted pontiff. He loft all

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patience; and devoted, for the second time, to "hell and damnation the members of the council "of Bafil, by a folemn and moft fevere edict, in "which alfo he declared all their acts null, and "all their proceedings unlawful. This new peal "of Papal thunder was held in derifion by the "council of Bafil, who perfifting in their purpose, "elected another pontiff, and raised to that high

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dignity Amadeus duke of Savoy, who then lived "in the most profound folitude at a delicious re"treat, called Ripaille, upon the borders of the "Leman lake, and who is known in the Papal lift

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by the name of Felix V. This election was the "occafion of the revival of that deplorable schism, "which had formerly rent the church, and which

had been terminated with fo much difficulty, "and after fo many vain and fruitless efforts, at "the council of Conftance. Nay, the new breach "was ftill more lamentable than the former one,

"as

"as the flame was kindled not only between two "rival pontiffs; but also between the two con

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tending councils of Bafil and Florence."

Can words form a more exact comment on this vial, than that last sentence of Mofheim is? What candid and intelligent perfon can compare these hiftorical facts with the judgement predicted in the fourth vial, and not perceive their exact agreement? Who can believe these facts, and at the fame time, believe the infallibility of Popes, of councils, or of councils with Popes at their head? Is it not then furprising, that the western fchifm did not totally destroy all that implicit faith, which the votaries of Rome place in her infallible head? But let us remember that their adherence to Rome, after this fchifm, is another part of their history which fulfills this prophecy, for the men who were fcorched by the heat of the fun, ftill blafphemed the name of God, and they repented not, to give him glory.

Verfes 10th, 11th.-And the fifth angel poured his vial upon the feat of the beaft and his kingdom was full of darkness, and they gnawed their tongues for pain, and blasphemed the God of heaven, because of their pains and their fores, and repented not of their deeds.

tongues for pain, and even blafphemed God. The peculiar appellation which is here given to God, merits our particular attention.

"They blafphemed the God of heaven." Heaven, in the fymbolical language, and in this book, fignifies the true church of Chrift. The God of heaven, therefore fignifies that God whom true Chriftians believe, worship, and obey; and who protects and governs the Chriftian church. Under the preceding vial, it is faid, "they blafphemed "the name of God," that is, they blafphemed the Divine perfections exerted in the government of the world; because the judgements under that vial were of fuch a nature, that the Popes, councils, and votaries of Rome themselves, were the only visible inftruments in inflicting them, and true Chriftians did not appear in them at all. But the judgements predicted in this vial, are of fuch a nature, that the church of Rome shall attribute them to true Christians, whom they call heretics; and therefore fhall blafpheme the God whom these heretics worship.

The fourth vial brought us down to near the end of the fifteenth century, it is therefore probable, that the commencement of this one will be found in the beginning of the fixteenth century. In the history of Rome at this period, great events, which accomplish the predictions in this vial, rush upon us; even thofe, which, under Divine providence,

vidence, ushered in and accomplished the glorious Reformation in the fixteenth century. Before this period, the power of Papal Rome was very great. The Pope claimed, and very frequently with effect exerted a fupreme power both in fpiritual and temporal affairs, over all the kings and fubjects in all the different countries, unto which the western empire had been parcelled out. With a defpotic fway, he interdicted whole kingdoms, excommunicated and depofed emperors and kings, and raised up others in their places. In the thirteenth century, this fupremacy and defpotism of the Popes rofe to a moft enormous height.

Of Innocent III. Mosheim, cent xiii. vol. i. page 642. thus writes, "Innocent III. who re"mained at the head of the church until the "year 1216, followed the fteps of Gregory VII. "and not only ufurped the defpotic government "of the church, but also claimed the empire of "the world; and thought of nothing less than

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fubjecting the kings and princes of the earth to "his lordly fceptre.In Afia and Europe he disposed of crowns and fceptres with the moft wanton ambition."

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In that and the following pages, Mofheim enumerates many kings and emperors whom he excommunicated and depofed, and others whom he raised to imperial and regal dignities. Even England, with all its innate and boafted courage, trem

bled