THE
PREFACE
TO THE
READER.
THERE is no part of the character of Antichrist more truly applicable to the Church of Rome than this, that she is drunk with the blood of the saints; the martyrs of Jesus Christ, and of all that were slain on the earth. In the book of the Revelation, the great city where the witnesses of God are slain is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt. Sodom on account of its notorious filthiness, and Egypt on account of its being a house of bondage to the people of God, whom they refuse to let go, even when the Lord is visiting them with plagues for detaining them; and to whom these characters are justly applicable, one may see almost with half an eye. The believers of the gospel, so far as the faith of it reigns in their hearts, will ever be disposed to live peaceably, as much as in them lies, with all men. But the enemies of the gospel; when it is plainly out of their power to overthrow the foundation of it, have by infallible proofs endeavoured to terrify and torment the followers of the Lamb of God, by violence and ill treatment, especially when persecution, when murdering the people of God takes nothing out of their pockets, when they can effectuate their diabolical designs, without the formalities of process and conviction, by massacres and assassinations, there they will shew how far they have imbibed
