(3.) Did not Judah prefer Moses above and before Christ, and at that time when Christ was personally amongst them, working most stupendous Miracles, which did evince his Divine Mission? Nay, did they not prefer a common and notorious Villain before the blessed Lord of Glory, when they desired a Murderer to be freed, and pressed hard to have the good and blessed Jesus, the Saviour of the World, killed? And did not this wise Apostle know this to be true in Fact, and to equal, nay, out-do ⟨p. 300⟩any thing that the Turks or Saracens ever did, or can be accused of? And if St. John was transported with astonishing Wonder, at Matters much less than he had seen before, doth it not give good reason to suspect him of Weakness and Defect, that he should suffer himself to be surprised with the greatest Wonder, at far less Things than he had seen and known before? Certainly therefore we must conclude, there was something more of Mystery in John's Vision, than what hath been showed to the World by the Great Turk, or any other Power; and indeed, undoubtedly, the greatest Mystery that ever the World was acquainted with: For the Characters of Babylon must either be singular, that is, such as none have besides; or else they must be transcendent, to go far beyond what others had in a lesser degree. Otherwise John might have kept the Description of Babylon to himself, there being no clear Distinctions, to render the wisest and most discerning Men able to make a Judgment upon her. The Mystery then that is written upon this Woman Babylon, seems clearly to lie in these Particulars following.
(3.) Did not Judah prefer Moses above and before Christ, and at that time when Christ was personally amongst them, working most stupendous Miracles, which did evince his Divine Mission? Nay, did they not prefer a common and notorious Villain before the blessed Lord of Glory, when they desired a Murtherer to be freed, and pressed hard to have the good and blessed Jesus, the Saviour of the World, killed? And did not this wise Apostle know this to be true in Fact, and to equal, nay, out-do ⟨p. 300⟩any thing that the Turks or Saracens ever did, or can be accused of? And if St. John was transported with astonishing Wonder, at Matters much less than he had seen before, doth it not give good reason to suspect him of Weakness and Defect, that he should suffer himself to be surprized with the greatest Wonder, at far less Things than he had seen and known before? Certainly therefore we must conclude, there was something more of Mystery in John's Vision, than what hath been shewed to the World by the Great Turk, or any other Power; and indeed, undoubtedly, the greatest Mystery that ever the World was acquainted with: For the Characters of Babylon must either be singular, that is, such as none have besides; or else they must be transcendent, to go far beyond what others had in a lesser degree. Otherwise John might have kept the Description of Babylon to himself, there being no clear Distinctions, to render the wisest and most discerning Men able to make a Judgment upon her. The Mystery then that is written upon this Woman Babylon, seems clearly to lie in these Particulars following.
