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ing in herself, the nationality being only part of the church polity of the iew». Nor was it until they had wearied out the patienctj and long-sufTeriug of the Lord with tbeir idolatries and seditions, that he was forced to break up their nationality, and put them under tbe oppression of the four mo- narchies» there to continue \mtil Messiah the Prince should deliver them : not, however, until, aj« hath been >jtid, he had defined the person and office of Messiah, io a great body of prophecy, and determinod tbe times of waiting which he bad before appointed. And this condition of ftubjec- t)on which he introduced by the mouth ol Jcrc- iah the prophet, the Lord afterwardi^ conhrmed by his own example, and the Apofitles in iill their Epistles bound and rivetted upon the church. Now, for all this lon^ period of more tlian one thouf^and yearif, during which the church under- lay the oppression of thi9 firrit spirit, which is aractenzcd in the text by the spirit out of the onlh of the dragon^ becauae tbe power had asficd through theform of the lion, and the bear, •nd the leopurd. and in the time of our seer did stand in the form of the ten horned motuiter ;— dur* g this long period, the church, while she bore a K MS THK TlfltKF. l^^crr-AV *fl«lT4, [ putienlly and obeyed pas^irrlv the hnvs ami ii poeu of arbitrary aod aQtocrstic power, h: coatinually to testify ogtunst iu blft^phemy. arrogating to itself Dirtne honours. For rcsistii tbifi^ Daiiiel was cast into the lion's deo, afid t1 three chitdrcn into the fiimare of fire; for Hame cause tlte huge cruelties of Antiochu« a&i the Greek emperors were inflicted, which stoi the natioD inlo open rebellion, and most heroic sistoncc uodcr the Maccabees : for this cause a1 I may aay, w8» Jenus himself cutoff, becau5e made himsL'lf King of th^ Jews, that sti[>er»cri| lion being written over his cross : therefore the Apostles and fir^t Christians were burnt Rome, bccau&c they would not worship the Em* peror Nero s image : therefore also, funher on, the time of Trajan, and the Antonines, and inde* throughout the ten pentecutionA, nuA I ma^ say ncver*C4--afiing marlyrdoms of the fir&t thi centuries. Of which testimonies against ill boundlcsa extravai^ancies, and blasphemous tetuiona of Arbitrary power, the effect was change ils vcr^' character, and so to ameltoral il«^ hirart, thai tov^arcls the beginning of the tbiri century^ it beg»n meekty to submti itself to iau|;lit of God 8 word, and to govern accordto] to the laws and statutes of Christ, r