whofe life and doctrin were a continual reproach to them. But after three days and a half, (ver. 11.) that is in the prophetic ftile after three years and a half, for no lefs time is requifite for all these transactions, they fhall be raised again by the Spirit of God, and (ver. 12.) fhall afcend up to beaven; they fhall not only be restored to their priftin ftate, but fhall be farther promoted to dignity and honor; and that by a great voice from heaven, by the voice of public authority. At the fame hour there shall be a great earthquake, there fhall be great commotions in the world; and the tenth part of the city shall fall, as an omen and earnest of a ftill greater fall; and seven thousand names of men, or feven thousand men of name, fhall be flain; and the remainder in their fright and fear fhall acknowlege the great power of God.

Some interpreters are of opinion, that this prophecy of the death and refurrection of the witneffes received its completion (8) in the case of John Hufs and Jerome of Prague, who were two faithful witnesses and martyrs of the bleffed Jefus. It is very well known, that they were condem

(8) Fox & Vitring. p. 487, &c. Vide etiam Fred. Spanhemii Hift. Chrift. Sæc. XV. Cap. 6, 7. Hiftoire du Concile

de Conftance par Jaques Lenfant. Voltaire's General History and State of Europe. Part 2.

and

condemned to death, and afterwards burnt for herefy by the council of Conftance. Which council fitting about three years and a half, from November 1414 to April 1418, their bodies may that time be faid to have lain unburied in the Street of the great city, in Conftance where was the greateft affembly not only of bishops and cardinals, but likewife of embaffadors, barons, counts, dukes, princes, and the emperor himself. But after the council was diffolved, thefe two preachers were reftored as it were to life in their difciples and followers, who propagated the fame doctrins, and maintained them by force of arms, and vanquished the Imperialifts in feveral battles. It was truly faid to them Come up hither, when they were invited to the council of Bafil with a promife of redress of grievances: but the council having dealt fraudulently with them, they broke out again into open rebellion, and the tenth part of the city fell, the kingdom of Bohemia revolted, and fell alike from its obedience to the pope and emperor.

Others refer this prophecy to (9) the proteftants of the league of Smalcald, who were entirely

and Annals of the Empire. Vol. 2.

(9) Brightman and Vitring. P. 493, &c. See also Sleidan's

Hift. of the Reformation. B. 19, &c. Voltaire's Annals of the Empire. Vol. 2.

(1) Vitring.

entirely routed by the emperor Charles V. in the battle of Mulburg on the 24th of April 1547 when the two great champions of the proteftants, John Frederic, elector of Saxony, was taken prifoner, and the Landgrave of Heffe was forced to surrender himself, and to beg pardon of the emperor. Proteftantifm was then in a manner fuppreffed, and the mafs reftored. The witneffes were dead, but not buried; and the papists rejoiced over them, and made merry, and fent gifts one to another. But this joy and triumph of theirs were of no very long continuance; for in the fpace of about three years and a half, the proteftants were raifed again at Magdeburg, and defeated and took the duke of Mecklenburg prisoner in December 1550. From that time. their affairs changed for the better almost every day; fuccefs attended their arms and counfels; and the emperor was obliged by the treaty of Paffau to allow them the free exercise of their religion, and to re-admit them into the imperial chamber, from which they had ever fince the victory of Mulburg been excluded. Here was indeed a great earthquake, a great commotion, in which many thousands were flain; and the tenth part of the city fell, a great part of the German

(1) Vitring. p. 496, &c. Thuani Hift. Lib. 52, 53, & 62. Davila's

German empire renounced the authority, and abandoned the communion of the church of Rome.

Some again may think this prophecy very ap→ plicable to (1) the horrid massacre of the proteftants at Paris, and in other cities of France, begun on the memorable eve of St. Bartholomew's day 1572. According to the best authors, there were flain thirty or forty thousand hugonots in a few days; and among them without doubt many true witnesses and faithful martyrs of Jesus Chrift. Their dead bodies lay in the street of the great city, one of the greatest cities of Europe; for they were not fuffered to be buried being the bodies of heretics; but were dragged thro' the street, or thrown into the river, or hung upon gibbets, and exposed to public infamy, Great rejoicings too were made in the courts of France, Rome, and Spain; they went in proceffion to the churches, they returned public thanks to God, they fung Te Deums, they celebrated jubilees, they ftruck medals; and it was enacted that St. Bartholomew's day fhould ever afterwards be kept with double pomp and folemnity. But neither was this joy of long continuance; for in little more than three years and

a

Davila's Hift. B. 5 & 6. Meżeray, Charles IX and Henry III. (2) Jurieu's

a half, Henry III, who fucceeded his brother Charles IX, entered into a treaty with the hugonots, which was concluded and published on the 14th of May 1576, whereby all the former fentences against them were reverfed, and the free and open exercife of their religion was' granted to them; they were to be admitted to all honors, dignities, and offices, as well as the papists; and the judges were to be half of the one religion, and half of the other; with other articles greatly to their advantage, which were in a manner the refurrection of the witneffes," and their afcenfion into heaven. The great earthquake, and the falling of the tenth part of the city, and the flaying of thousands of men, according to this hypothefis, must be referred to the great commotions and civil wars, which for feveral years afterwards cruelly difturbed, and almost deftroyed the kingdom of France.

Others again have recourse to later events, and the later indeed the better and fitter for the purpose. Peter Jurieu, a famous divine of the French church at Rotterdam, (2) imagined that the perfecution then carried on by Lewis XIV against the protestants of France, after the revocation of the edict of Nantes in October 1685, would

(2) Jurieu's Accomplishment of the Prophecies. Part 2. Chap, 12 and 13.

(3) Whifton's

2