Review of the Paraphrase of the New Testament, Revelation
On the REVELATION.
IN the Praemonition, p. 906. lin. 11. Adde, So ſaith S. Jerome. *Ep. 100. …. ….Hieruſalem ex eo tempore non appellatur civitas ſancta, ſed ſanctitatem & priſtinum nomen amittens, ſpiritualiter vocatur Sodoma & Aegyptus, Jeruſalem is called Sodom & Aegypt, referring to that place of Apoc. c. 11. which muſt therefore in his opinion be underſtood of Jeruſalem.
Ibid. p. 907. li. 2. Read, his ſeeing theſe viſions there yea and his return from the Iſland, were in the time of Claudius.
Ibid. li. 4. Four arguments I ſhall adde for the truth of it. The firſt negative, to the diſparagement of that relation, that affirmes him baniſh'd by Domitian, and returned after his death in Nerva's reign. For of the perſecution by Domitian there be but two authors mentioned by *l. 3. c. 10.Euſebius, Tertullian and Hegeſippus, but of *Apol. c. 5.Tertullian he hath theſe words foreign. Domitian went about to do as Nero had done, being a part of his cruelty, but he ceaſed from it preſently, and recalled thoſe whom he had baniſhed, which no way agrees with his baniſhing John, and not recalling him all his life, as is ſuppoſed in the other relation, and affirmed by *l. 3. c. ….Euſebius. And therefore Baronius, that is for his baniſhment under Domitian, in the tenth year of his reign, is forced fairely to *Sed plane errore …apſu… …gnoſcitur, dum vu…t eum quaſi facti poenitentem exules revocaſſe. An. 93. n. 5.reject Tertullians authority in this matter, giving for it his proof out of Dio, viz. that Nerva releaſed thoſe who were condemned of impiety, and reſtored thoſe who were baniſhed. Which affirmation of Dio's being granted, as far as belongs to thoſe, who were in exile, or ſtood condemned at Nerva's coming to the Empire, doth no way prejudice the truth of Tertullians words, of Domitians having repreſt his ſeverity againſt the Chriſtians, and revoked the baniſhed, (wherein he is much a more competent witneſs, then Baronius.) No more doth his killing of his unkle Clemens, and baniſhing his coſin Flavia Domitilla. For that was five years after this time of Johns ſuppoſed baniſhment, in the fifteenth, or laſt year of Domitians reign. In the relation of Hegeſippus (a moſt antient writer, that lived in thoſe times) there is no more but this, that Domitian had made a decree for the puting to death all that were of the linage of David, that ſome de lators had accuſed ſome of the children of Jude the kinſman of our Saviour, foreign, as ſuch who were of Davids ſeed; That Jocatus brought theſe to Domitian, but upon examination being found to be plain men, and ſuch as beleeved not Chriſts kingdome to be foreign, or foreign, of this world or earthy, but heavenly, and Angelical, to begin at the end of the world, foreign, he ſet them free, and by Edict took off the perſecution againſt the Church, and they being releaſed, became Biſhops in the Church and continued peaceably, and lived till Trajans daies. And this certainly agrees very little with the other relation, nor can any account probably be rendred, why, when the perſecution of Chriſtians was taken off by the Edict, and foreign peace reſtored to the Church of Chriſt, and when the profeſſion of Chriſtianity, in the ſonnes of Jude, being by them, avowed to the Emperor, was not yet thought fit to be puniſhed in the leaſt, yet John ſhould be baniſhed, and continue in his exile till Nerva's reign, for no other crime, but that of being a Chriſtian. Where by the way Baronius's artifice much failes him; Tertullian, ſaith he, fell into his error by following Hegeſippus's authority, but Hegeſippus, ſaith he, ſpake apparently de ea perſecutione quae mota eſt in Judaeos, of that perſecution, that was raiſed againſt the Jewes, not againſt the Chriſtians. How true that is, will now appear, when the expreſs words are, that by that Emperors Edict, the perſecution againſt the Church (ſure that was not of Jewes, but Chriſtians) ceaſed.
Ibid. Of Antipas being mentioned as ſlain, foreign.before the time that actually he was ſo, to the prediction of Simeon, Adde, S. Hilary in his Prologue to the Pſalmes, offers inſtances of this; As, ſaith he, when in ſome of the Pſalmes, of which Moſes was the author, there is yet mention of things after Moſes, viz. of Samuel, Pſal. 99.6. before he was born, nulli mirum aut difficile videri oportere, this ought not to ſeem ſtrange or hard to any, when in the books of the Kings, Joſias is by name prophecyed of, before he was born, 1 King. 13.2.
Chap. II. Note. b. To Euſebius's words of the Gnoſtickes doctrine for abjuring the faith in times of perſecution, Adde, So before him Origen, l. 6. Contr. Cels. And the ſame is clearly, though ſarcaſtically ſet down by *Tom. 4.Lucian, or whoſoever was the writer of Philopatris, ſcoffing at the Chriſtians of his time, under the perſecutour Trajane, in that Dialogue. There Triephon, that goes for the Chriſtian, firſt indevours to convert Critias to his religion, and as in that Dialogue it appears that the Chriſtians talked much of the approach of *foreign. p. 481.ruine to the Romane Armie and greatneſs (which might make Triephon ſo well pleaſed with his profeſſion, and ſo forward to invite others to it, as to a party that would ſoon be very proſperous) ſo at length in the cloſe of the Dialogue when Cleolaus brings them newes of the Romans good ſucceſſes in Perſia, and Aſſyria, and Aegypt, and Scythia, which fell out about the fifteenth of Trajane, then Triephon would ſpeak no more of Chriſtianity, but as an Apoſtate or deſertor, *foreign. p. 487.betakes himſelf to the unknown God at Athens, and joynes with Critias in that worſhip, as that which was likely to yeeld him moſt ſafety, and then laughs at the Chriſtians, and gives them leave to ſay what they pleaſe, flatter themſelves with their imaginarie hopes, but foreign, in the Proverbial ſpeech he conſiders them not, lookes no more after them. To this alſo the Emperor Adrians Epiſtle ſeems to referre, which is ſet down by *In Saturnino.Vopiſcus out of Phlegon, where ſpeaking of the great levity of Aegypt (in reference, I ſuppoſe to theſe heretical Chriſtians in thoſe parts followers of Simon Magus, Baſilides, &c. whom, under the title of Samaritae, he diſtinguiſhes from Chriſtians) that it was *Levis, pen dula & ad omnia famae momen… volitans.light, pendulous, flying from one ſide to the other upon every ſlight report, he after expreſſeth it diſtinctly, *Illi qui Serapim colunt Chriſtiani ſunt, & devoti ſunt Serapi qui ſe Chriſti Ep…ſcopos dicunt.Thoſe that worſhip Serapis are Chriſtians, and thoſe who call themſelves Biſhops of Chriſt are devoted to Serapis, and again, *Ipſe ille …atriarch… cum in Aegyptum venerit ab aliis ſerapidem adorare, ab aliis cogitur ChriſtumThe very Patriarch, (i. e. either ſome High Prieſt of the Jewes, or ſome Gnoſtick Pſeudo-Patriarch of Alexandria, or ſome venerable Grave man among them) when he comes into Aegypt, is by ſome, (i. e. by the heathen officers) forced to worſhip Serapis, for fear of perſecution from them, and by others (i. e. the Chriſtians) to worſhip Chriſt. Adding in fine, that *Ʋnus illis Deus eſt, banc Chriſtiani, hunc Judaei, bunc omnes venerantur & Gentes foreign.they have one God, whom Chriſtians, and Jewes, and all, even the Gentiles worſhip.
Note l. Of the foreign, by which the reward was adjudged, in the Agones, Adde, Accordingly the Roman Caeſars in their games, which were in ſome kind imitations of the Graecians, had their teſſerae ligneae, which they threw among the people, with the name of corn, or plate, or ſervants, or garments written on them, which being caught by any, and carried to ſuch an officer, brought him that, whatſoever it was, which was written on it. And ſo Ariſtides the Orator ſaith, he received foreign from Aeſculapius. See Canter. Novar. Lect. l. 5. c. 21.
Ibid. ver. 27.
[Shall *Feed foreign.rule them. —]
Ibid. Note o.foreign. Of thoſe words out of the ſecond Pſalme] Read, And he ſhall feed them (ſo the Septuagint reads [foreign feed] from the Hebrew foreign, from foreign pavit as a ſhepheard feeds his flock, though now the Hebrew copies have foreign, ſhall break from foreign fregit) with a rod of iron, as the potters veſſels are broken, i. e. ſhall begin with the excerciſe of regal (inſtead of paſtoral) power, bring ſome to repentance, and then deſtroy the reſt, and by conjoyning of theſe two means, (both the inſtruments of his power, the one of his ſpiritual power in ſubduing ſouls to the faith, the other of his ſecular power in acting vengeance on the rebellious and obdurate) expulſe heatheniſme, and plant Chriſtianity in the place. For it muſt be remembred, 1. What is the ground of this figurative expreſſion [feed with a rod of iron] viz. an elegant variation from the cuſtome of paſtors; They feed their ſheep, and need no more than a rod or Staffe to manage their whole flock, but the paſtor, that comes to feed any heathen nation, with the ſpiritual food of the pure word of God, muſt come with aids of power, ſtrike their hearts, and powerfully convince them of ſin, bring them to contrition, and really deſtroy thoſe, that will not by the preaching of the Goſpel be thus convinced: This is to feed them with a Scepter, an iron rod, an exerciſe of regal rather than paſtoral power, a powerful work, firſt of grace, and then of vengeance, both neceſſary to reduce an heathen nation to Chriſtianity. And 2. That thoſe words were firſt to be verified of Chriſt himſelf, in ſubduing the Gentiles to the faith, and then as his power given him by his father, is by him communicated to others. So this prophecy is appliable to others alſo. Thus is the phraſe uſed, c. 12.5. of the Church eſtabliſhed at Rome, of which it is there foretold, that it ſhould be very powerful, and efficacious in converting many to the faith, foreign, it ſhall feed all the nations, in a larger manner, then here, &c.
Chap. III. ver. 7.
[He that hath the key of David.]
That hath as a King (See Note on Matt. 16. h.) ſupreme, independent, abſolute power over the Church of God.
foreign.Chap. IV. Note g. That Paul and Barnabas were to be reckoned for two of the foreign, to their ſpeaking at large in the Councel Act. 15.12. Adde, And indeed ſent this journey by immediate commiſſion from heaven, Gal. 2.2.
Chap. VI. Note c.foreign. That the foreign is there the altar of incenſe, Adde, To which purpoſe may be obſerved, what we find in *On Heb. 9.7.Theophylact, that the word foreign was uſed peculiarly for that cenſer, which the Chief Prieſt once a year carried with incenſe into the holy of holyes, and that the ſtanding altar in the Sanctuary was called, foreign.
Chap. VIII. Note g.foreign. Of the Sun ſignifying the Temple the Moon the city, and the ſtarres all the people] Adde, And all together the whole nation, as in Joſephs prophetick dreame, the Sun, Moon, and Starres, are all the family of Jacob.
Chap. IX. ver. 11.
[dd Apollyon.]
Note dd.foreign. That Apollyon here ſignifies the divel, is apparent, by what is affirmed of him in the former part of this verſe, that it is the Angel of the bottomleſs pit; And accordingly the famous God of the Heathens called Apollo (a word ſo lightly changed from this) muſt be reſolved to be the divel, this deſtroying Angel, as he is oft called in Scripture, imployed altogether in deſtructions and miſchiefs. To which purpoſe the 12. chap. of lib. 5. of A. Gellius is worth conſidering, where having taken notice of two antient names of Heathen Gods, Dijovis and Vejovis, and having deduced the former from an Original which ſignifies benigne, or helpful, he determines the latter to belong to a God, qui non juvandi poteſtatem, ſed vim nocendi haberet, which had not the power of helping, but the force of doing miſchief; adding that the image of this God is found to have arrowes in the hand, prepared for ſlaughters and deſtructions, and therefore Apollo is thought to be ſignified by that title. To which purpoſe, ſaith he, it is conſiderable, that Virgil, a man very greatly skilled in antient knowledge, doth in his Georgicks deprecate Numina Laeva, the unlucky, or hurtful deities, ſignifying thereby quandam vim eſſe ejuſmodi Deorum in laedendo magis quàm juvando potentem, that ſuch kind of Gods had the virtue or faculty of hurting, but not of helping any, and of them Apollo is the onelyonly one named there, by that Poet,
—(ſiquem
Numina laeva ſinunt, audítque vocatus Apollo)
Who muſt be ſacrificed to, to avert any evils from them.
foreign.Chap. XI. Note c. Of Barchochebah killing the Chriſtians, to Euſebius, Adde, And ſo likewiſe Oroſius, l. 7. c. 13. Chriſtianos Judaei Cothebâ (i.e. Cochebâ) duce, quòd ſibi contra Romanos non aſſentarentur, excruciabant, the Jewes under their leader Cocheba, tormented the Chriſtians, becauſe they would not comply and take part with them againſt the Romans.
foreign. l. 4. c. 6.Ibid. Note d. Of Adrians Edict of baniſhing the Jewes from about Jeruſalem, Adde, Ariſto Pellaeus in Euſebius, foreign foreign, the whole nation was from thenceforth forbidden to enter the region about Jeruſalem, and this by decree of Adrian, which commanded that none ſhould out of any eminent place ſo much as behold their native ſoyle. And Tertullian Apolog. c. 21. Quibus nec advenarum jure terram patriam ſaltem veſtigio ſalutare conceditur, they were not permitted to ſalute or viſit their native countrey ſo much at travailers or gueſts, and ſo Advers. Jud. c. 13.
Chap. XIII. Note a.foreign. Of Rome being called Eternal, Adde, So Auſonius Gallus.
Ʋrbis ab aeternae deductum rege Quirino
Annorum ſeriem— &
Haec erit aeternae ſeries ab origine mundi.
Ibid. That that title was a title of blaſphemy, to S. Jeroms teſtimony, Adde, So in the ſame words, *Dimid. temp. c. 7.Proſper, Aeterna cùm dicitur, quae temporalis eſt, utique nomen eſt blaſphemiae, cùm mortales, licet reges, in ea dicantur Divi, eíſque ſupplices dicunt, Numini veſtro, altaribus veſtris, perennitati veſtrae, &c. For that which is temporal to be called eternal, is the name of blaſphemy, when their Kings though mortal are called Gods, and their ſuppliants addreſs to them in this ſtyle, to your Deity, your altars, your eternity, &c, See ch. 17. Note a.
foreign.Chap. XIII. Note n. Of the number of the name, to the teſtimony of Martianus Capella, Adde, And an example of this manner of deſcribing a God, even Chriſt himſelf, hath been ſet down from the Sibylline Oracles, Note on 1 Pet. 4. f.
foreign.Chap. XIV. Note c. Of Romes being known by the title of urbs dominatrix, Adde, the ſtyle in Rutilius Numatianus — Regina tui pulcherrima mundi, &c. foreign, in Marcianus Heracleota, the common ſtarre of the whole world.
foreign.Chap. XVI. Of Cyrus turning the river Euphrates, Adde, See Oroſius, l. 2. c. 6.
Ibid. ver. 17.
[i It *Was or hath been. foreign.is done.]
Note i. It is uſual in prophecyes to ſet down the ſad events moſt covertly. Thus *Annot. in Feſtum.Scaliger obſerves, Augures ſedentes in templo abſtinebant vocibus malè nominatis, ideóque alteram avem potiùs quàm averſam dicebant; The Augurs, as ſitting in the Temple, abſtained from the ſadder expreſſions, and therefore when they meant to ſignify any ill aboad, they called it not the averſe but the other Augury. Accordingly is that ſtyle of Horace.
*Od. 10. l 11.Sperat infeſtis, metuit fecundis,
Alteram ſortem —
This the Graecians call *Demoſib. foreign.foreign, & *Id. Cont. L…pt….foreign, not to deliver any ſad thing not to ſpeak any hard or evil ſaying. And their name for this figure is foreign. Agreeable to this is the ordinary ſtyle of fuit, or vixit, he hath been, or hath lived, for mortuus eſt, he is dead, fuimus Troes, fuit Ilium— we have been Trojans, Troy hath been; and in Demoſthenes, foreign,*Cont. Lepti…. now it ſhall be rich, to ſignifie that it hath been, and is yet poor. foreign, ſaith he, for thus I muſt ſpeake, and not uſe groſs, or harſh expreſſions. And juſt ſuch is foreign here, It hath been, i. e. now it ceaſeth to be; It is deſtroyed, by this figure foreign, fit for prophecyes.
Chap. XVII. Note a.foreign. Of the Roman Emperour being ſtyled foreign, Adde, And ſo when Julian introduced C. Caligula, it is in this ſtyle, foreign, an evil beaſt ſucceeds, in his Satyre againſt the Caeſars, and in like manner of Vindex, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, foreign, theſe beaſts, and of Domitian, with a peculiar Epithet, to denote his cruelty (ſuch as was Proverbially obſerved in Phalaris) foreign, the Sicilian beaſt, and again, foreign the bloody beaſt, exactly parallel to the ſcarlet-coloured beaſt in this place.
Ibid. Note e. That the Goths when they turned Chriſtians, came over moſtly to Arianiſme. Adde, The Teſtimony of *l. 7. c. 33.Oroſius, Gothi per legatos ſupplices popoſcerunt, ut illis Epiſcopi, a quibus Chriſtianae fidei regulam diſcerent, mitterentur. Valens imperator Doctores Ariani dogmatis miſit. Gothi, primae fidei rudimentum, quod accepere, tenuerunt: The Goths deſired by their Embaſſadors, that Biſhops might be ſent them from whom they might learn the Rule of faith, Valens the Emperour ſent them Arian Doctors, the Goths retained thoſe rudiments which they firſt received.
Ibid. that it was upon the ſcore of Chriſtianity that Alaricus ſpared any at Rome, Adde the teſtimony of *l. 11. c. 10.Oroſius, Chriſtiani fuere qui parcerent, &c. they were Chriſtians that ſpared, Chriſtians who were ſpared, Chriſtians for the memory of whom there was any ſuch thing as ſparing. To the manifeſtation of this pertains that paſſage ſet down by *Hiſt. R…ven. l. 2▪ p. 64.Hieron. Rubeus, that Saul an Hebrew, or as others affirme, a Pagan, who had the chief command under Stilicho, deſigning to take advantage, and ſet upon the Goths, when they were not prepared, did it upon Eaſterday. And Alaricus diſcerning their approach, ſent to deſire he would deferre the fight till the morrow, in reſpect of the religion of the day, promiſing then to meet him. But Saul would not hearken to it, but ſet upon them unarmed, and holding up their hands and eyes in prayer to heaven for ayd, in tam ſancti myſterii celebratione, in the performance of the duties of the day, and ſo killed many of them, till Alaricus after the ſpace of an hour, ſaying that they had now ſatisfied the religion of the day, and exhorting his ſouldiers to follow him ſtoutly, brake in upon them with a great army, and repulſed, and put them to flight; and if Honorius and Stilicho had not come to their relief, eo omnino die de Roma terrarum domina, quae victori praemium erat futura, actum fuiſſet, Rome had been deſtroyed upon the Fate of that day.
Ibid. Of the Gentile Senators of Rome at that time of Alaricus's ſeige, to the Teſtimony of Sozomen, Adde, *l. 7. c. 38.Oroſius, Continuò de repetendis ſacris, celebrandiſque tractatur, Preſently they entred into conſultation about reſtoring their Gentile ſacrifices, and offering them.
…bid. Of S. Peters Church being a Sanctuary at the taking Rome, to Sozomen, Adde, *l. 2. c. 19.Oroſius, Gothi, ſaith he, relictâ intentione praedandi ad confugia ſalutis (hoc eſt ſanctorum locorum) agmina ignara cogentes, The Goths gave over their intention of rifling, and forced troopes of Chriſtians, not knowing what they did, to ſave themſelves by flying to conſecrated places.
Chap. XVIII. Note a.foreign. Of Rome being ſignified by Babylon to the teſtimony of Auguſtine, Adde, And c. 22. Condita eſt Roma velut altera Babylon, & prioris filia Babylonis Rome is built as another Babylon, and daughter of the former Babylon. And the ground of it may probably be this, becauſe Babylon was the ſeat of the Aſſyrian Monarchie, as Rome of the Roman, and the Aſſyrian Monarchie being the firſt, as the Roman the laſt (illud primum, hoc ultimum imperium, ſaith Oroſius, l. 7. c. 2.) Rome, that thus ſucceedeth Babylon, may well be called by that name.
Ibid. of foreign 1 Pet. 5.13. Read,foreign. the fellow Church in Babylon, the aſſembly of Chriſtians in that heathen city.
Ibid. That Babylon belongs onelyonly to ſo much of Rome as was then heathen, and not to the Chriſtian part of it, (that being called by the other title, by S. Peter, the Church in Babylon, and Babylon it ſelf never ſet to ſignifie the Church) Adde the words of S. Jerom, Ep. 17. Cecidit Babylon magna, eſt quidem ibi Sancta eccleſia, trophaea Apoſtolorum & martyrum, eſt Chriſti vera confeſſio, eſt ab Apoſtolis praedicata fides & Gentilitate calcatâ in ſublime ſe quotidie erigens vocabulum Chriſtianum. The prophane heathen Babylon is fallen, Babylon the great, in the place thereof is the holy Church, the monuments of the Apoſtles and Martyrs, the true faith of Chriſt, or profeſſion of Chriſtian Religion, that which was preach'd by the Apoſtles, and heatheniſme being trodden down, the Chriſtian name is daily advanced on high.
Ibid. Of the General reſcue of the Chriſtians from this deſtruction, Adde, Some of them, ſaith Palladius, *Lauſia…. Hiſt ch. 118.gone out a little before, being perſwaded by Melania to a monaſtick life, and carryed to Sicily firſt, and thence to Jeruſalem, where ſaith he foreign, they rejoyced that they were not together involved in the miſerable evils of that vaſtation, foreign, glorifying God for the excellent change of aeffaires, foreign, and for their own wonderful deliverance. And the reſt which were left in the city, at laſt ſaved by flying to the Baſilicae, &c.
Ibid. That the fall of Babylon ſignified the bringing that City and Empire of Rome to Chriſtianity, Adde, To this purpoſe, ſee S. Hierome adverſ. Jovinian. l. 2. Ad te loquar qui ſcriptam in fronte blaſphemiam Chriſti confeſſione deleſti, Ʋrbs potens, urbs orbis Domina— Maledictionem quam tibi Salvator in Apocalypſi comminatus eſt, potes effugere per poenitentiam, I will ſpeak to thee who haſt blotted out the blaſphemie written in thy forehead, by the confeſſion of Chriſt— Thou potent citie, Thou citie, Miſtreſs of the world— Thou mayeſt avoid the curſe, which Chriſt in the Apocalypſe hath threatened to thee, by repentance, adding cave Joviniani nomen quod de Idolo derivatum eſt, beware of the name of Jovinian, which is derived from the Idol God Jupiter, and this peculiarly in reſpect of thoſe remaining heathens, and heretikes, which now at the time when S. Hierome wrote, not long before the coming of Alaricus, were at Rome, and at length ſet up their Idol-ſervice again, in the time of the ſiege, and were ſignally deſtroyed at this taking of it. So again, S. Hierome in praefat. de Spirity. S. ſpeaking of Rome, Cùm in Babylone verſarer, & purpuratae meretricis eſſem colonus, when I lived at Rome, and was an inhabitant of the purple whore, All noting this heathen Rome to be the ſubject of theſe prophecyes.
Ibid. Of the Chriſtians expecting the ruine of the heathen power at Rome, &c. to the teſtimony of Lucian in Philopat. Adde, So in a narration of Hippolytus ſet down by Palladius, *Lauſia…. Hiſt. foreign.we have a virgin Chriſtian accuſed to the heathen Judge at Corinth, foreign, as one that blaſphemed the ſeaſons, and the Kings, and the Idols, in probability, that ſhe foretold evil, talked of ruine, that ſhould befall the Government of Idolatry of the heathens, and that the ſeaſons of it now approached. For that is the meaning of the like phraſe, when the Jewes ſay of Stephen, that he ceaſeth not to ſpeak blaſphemous words againſt the holy place and the Law, Act. 6.13. for ſo it followes, ver. 14. we have heard him ſay that Jeſus ſhall deſtroy, &c.
Ibid. Of this deſtruction of heathen Rome, After the Targum on Num. 11.26. Adde, So in the Sibylline Oracles, where foreign Beliar or Belial is ſet to denote the Romanes, as appears by foreign, Beliar ſhall come from the Auguſti, or Romane Emperors, at length coming to the great deſtruction threatned by God, under the expreſſion of fire, this is to fall upon Beliar peculiarly,
foreign
foreign
foreign
foreign.
The flaming power of God ſhall burn Beliar, and all the proud men that truſt in him.
foreign.Ibid. Note b. In the end, Adde, Mean while how great the deſtruction was, that now befell that city, may competently appear by one teſtimony of Palladius that lived at that time. Lauſ…ac. Hiſt. ch. 118. in theſe words, foreign. A certain barbarian tempeſt which the Prophets of old had foretold, ſeized on Rome, and left not ſo much as the brazen ſtatues in the ſtreets, but plundering all with a barbarous madneſs, delivered it up to deſtruction, ſo that Rome which had flouriſhed a thouſand and two hundred years, according to the Sibylles word, became a deſolation.
Chap. XX. Note e.foreign. Of Julians diſſembling his heatheniſme, and pretending Chriſtianity, Adde, So ſaith Aſterius, that lived in his time, Hom. 3. de avarit. foreign, &c. he put off the vizard of the Chriſtian, and laid open the ſcene, by drawing the curtain, which he had a long time kept cloſe.
Ibid. Of his acting againſt the Chriſtians, li. 7. c. 30.more by ſubtilty then violence, Adde, So Oroſius expreſſely affirmes of him, arte potius quàm poteſtate, he made uſe of art more then of power. Of his not admitting the Chriſtians to any honours, Adde, So *Ibid.Oroſius Ʋt neg aretur fides Chriſti honoribus magis provocare, quàm tormentis cogere ſtuduit, that the faith of Chriſt might be denyed, he more indeavoured to provoke men by honors, then to conſtrain them by torments. So Aſterius, Hom. 3. de avarit. ſpeaking of his Apoſtaſy, addes, foreign, many advantages were propoſed to them that would do the ſame; And again, foreign; How many receiving the baite of dignities ſwallowed down the hook of Apoſtaſy? foreign, &c. pointed at as traitors, and thoſe of Chriſt, for a little money.
Of his vow at his expedition againſt the Perſians, and his death in it, See Oroſius, l. 7. c. 30.
foreignOf a cubits being no more then a foote, to Joſephus, Adde, So when Solinus ſaith of the walls of Babylon, *Polyhiſt. c. 70.quorum altitudo ducentos pedes detinet, that they were two hundred foot high, and ſo *li. 6. c. 26.Pliny, *li. 2. c. 6.Oroſius ſaith they were fifty cubits broad, altitudine quater tantâ, four times as high, i. e. two hundred cubits, and ſo ſaith Herodotus, foreign, the hight was two hundred cubits.