An exposition upon the thirteenth chapter of the Revelation by that reverend and eminent…

Charles the Great had his Empire from the Bishop of Rome, and translated it from Constantinople to France, and Germany, and therefore he had reason to stand to the Authority that set him up. And the ten Kings of Christendom that rose upon ⟨p. 117⟩the demolition of the Grecian Empire, which was then called the Empire of Rome, their absolute authority did much depend upon the Bishop of Rome; if the Grecian Empire had not yielded, they had been liable in conscience to restore these ten Kingdoms: In point of State-policy, they had cause to be much observant to the Pope: But that is not all, for they could never have done it, had not the Subjects yielded: And what moved them? Truly they were all taken with the Religion of the man of sin: That flood of Heresies and Abominations which the Catholic Church did hold forth (as in a cup of poison to the world) these earthly sort of Christians swallowed it all up. They were carnal, and yet superstitious and devout: Carnal, for want of saving grace and regeneration: And devout, for then generally Christians lay under the terror of the Law, as in Rev. 9. 5, 6. The locusts came in, which were the Friars and Monks, and they had this power to sting their Consciences even to the death, that a man would give all he had for pardon of sin: Now having power to sting mens Consciences, but not to heal them; to kill, but not to make alive, they were now fitted to receive the Impression of the Popish Religion; and that religion to men so qualified and disposed, was fit to heal them overly, and to skin the wound of Conscience; and there are three things in that Religion that helped to skin over the Conscience.

Charles the Great had his Empire from the Bishop of Rome, and translated it from Constantinople to France, and Germany, and therefore he had reason to stand to the Authority that set him up. And the ten Kings of Christendom that rose upon ⟨p. 117⟩the demolition of the Grecian Empire, which was then called the Empire of Rome, their absolute authority did much depend upon the Bishop of Rome; if the Grecian Empire had not yeelded, they had been liable in conscience to restore these ten Kingdoms: In point of State-policy, they had cause to be much observant to the Pope: But that is not all, for they could never have done it, had not the Subjects yeelded: And what moved them? Truly they were all taken with the Religion of the man of sinne: That flood of Heresies and Abhominations which the Catholick Church did hold forth (as in a cup of poyson to the world) these earthly sort of Christians swallowed it all up. They were carnall, and yet superstitious and devout: Carnall, for want of saving grace and regeneration: And devout, for then generally Christians lay under the terrour of the Law, as in