An humble attempt to promote explicit agreement and visible union of God's people in…

3. If it should be so, that Antichristian Tyranny and Darkness should hereafter so prevail against the Protestant-Church, and the true Religion, and every Thing appertaining to it, as to bring Things to the Pass forementioned, this would hardly so properly answer the Prophecy of slaying the two Witnesses; for doubtless, one Reason why they are called two Witnesses, is that the Number of the remaining Witnesses for the Truth, was, tho' sufficient, yet very small. Which was remarkably the Case, in the dark Times of Popery: but since the Reformation, the Number of those appearing on the Side of true Religion, has been far from being so small. The visible Church of Christ has been vastly large, in comparison of what it was before: The Number of Protestants has sometimes been thought near equal to that of the Papists; and doubtless the Number of true Saints has been far greater than before.

4. It seems to be signified in Prophecy, that after the Reformation Antichrist should never prevail against the Church of Christ any more, as he had done before. I can't but think, that whoever reads and well considers what the learned Mr. Lowman has written on the five first Vials, Rev. xvi. in his late Exposition on the Revelation, must think it to be very manifest, that what is said Ver. 10 of the pouring out of the fifth Vial on the ⟨p. 109⟩Throne of the Beast, (for so it is in the Original) is a a Prophecy of the Reformation. Then the Vial of God's Wrath was poured out on the Throne of the Beast, i. e. according to the Language of Scripture, on his Authority and Dominion, greatly to weaken and diminish it, both in Extent and Degree. But when this is represented in the Prophecy, then it is added, and his Kingdom was full of Darkness, and they gnawed their Tongue for Pain. If we consider what is commonly intended by such-like Phrases in the Scripture, I think we shall be naturally, and as it were necessarily led to understand those Words thus; Their Policy, by which heretofore they have prevailed, shall now fail them; their Authority shall be weakened, and their Dominion greatly diminished, and all their Craft and Subtlety shall not avail them to maintain and support the Throne of the Beast, or ever again to extend his Authority so far as it had been before extended, and to recover what it lost; but all their crafty Devices to this End shall be attended with vexatious tormenting Disappointment; they that have the Management of the Affairs of the Beast's Kingdom, shall henceforward grope as in the Dark, and stumble, and be confounded in their Purposes, Plots and Enterprises; formerly their Policy was greatly successful, was as a Light to guide 'em to their Ends, but now their Kingdom shall be full of Darkness, and their Wisdom shall fail 'em in all their Devices to subdue, and again to bring under the Church of God.— The Scripture takes Notice of the great Policy and Subtlety of the Powers that support this Kingdom,