blood; the blood of Saints &Martyrs,as it follows in the 6.v. And the better to find this ftrange Woman, her Refidence, or Place of Abode, is pointed out; the great City which Reigned over the Kings of the Earth,viz.RO ME; which was famous for its feven Mountains, and therefore called Civitas Septicollis. Virgil speaking of Rome says, Septem que una fibi muro circumdedit Arces: And the Ancient Romans had a Feaft called Feftum Septimontium. And becaufe great Cities are very much known and distinguished by the Staple, or principal Wares they deal in ¿ we have an Account of the Trade drove to, and from this Myftical Babylon, by her Merchants and Chapmen; and the very Commodities, as well thofe Imported as Exported, are here Enumerated. The Invoice, which indeed is very particular, begins at the 12th. verfe, with Gold & Silver, and ends. in the 13th verfe, with the Slaves and Souls of Men,as our English Bible reads it. The Margin indeed has it Bodies; The words in the Original,are καὶ σωμάτων, Καὶ ψυχας ανθρώπων the true Meaning of which, I fhall now inquire into: And there being the leaft difficulty with the word Souls, I fhall begin with that, tho' the other ftands firft in the Text. It must be acknowledged, that in Scripture, as well as in other Writings, the word Soul, is often taken figuratively for the whole Perfon: yet on the other hand, the facred Hiftorians, and other Writers ufe the word xs, and scarce any other, when they speak of departed Spirits,or the Soul after it's Separation from the Body; as might be proved from innumerable Inftances, were there occafion. Homer the Foun ; Fountain of the Greek Language, for the most part, if not always, uses the word x, for the Ghosts or departed Spirits of the Grecian Heroes *. But I need not labour this our Proteftant Expofitors being generally agreed, That by the word ʊxas in this place, we are to understand Souls departed. Our I proceed therefore to.Explain the word oparov. famous Mr. Brightman reads it Bodies: The French Bible renders the word Esclaves: Junius and Tremellius tranflate it Mancipia; and fo do's the Vulgar Latin Bible, with many of the Criticks. It is probable, that which occafioned our Tranflators, together with Junius and Tremellius, and the Latin, and French Bibles, to render the word ouparov, Slaves, or Mancipia, is a paffage in the Description which the Prophet Ezekiel,Chap. xxvii. gives of the rich Trade and Supply of Tyre, verfe 13. Favan, Tubal, and Mefbec, they were thy Merchants; they traded the Perfons of Men, as our Bible reads it, and fo does the French. The Latin has it Mancipia; Junius and Tremellius, Hominibus: But the general Opinion of Expofitors, is that the Prophet Ezekiel intends Servants, or Slaves that were fold at Tyre: And without doubt the Allegorical description of Myftical Babylon in this Chapter, is taken from that Prophecy in Ezekiel. But then as Mr. English'd by Mr. Pope: C That Wrath which hurl'd to Pluto's gloomy Reign, B 2 f and Brightman upon the Place obferves, thefe words in the Revelations have a far other Meaning than those in Ezekiel: upon the last words in the verfe, viz. and Souls of Men fays, "THE HOLY GHOST feems to have changed the "Conftruction of the words of fet purpose, that He might "note out the Difference between this Commodity, and all "the other, especially those of the Bodies; for these words "and Souls, are not put in the Genitive Cafe, as it is clear « in the Greek text, but in the Accufative, as we have tranf"lated it in the Latin; whereby it is fignified that there « is a diverse, and distinct Consideration made in the Place, "of Souls and Bodies". Thus that Learned Man. This remarkable Distinction makes it the more frange, that fuch of our Proteftant Expofitors, as understand by the word uxas, Spirits or feparate Souls, fhould render the preceding word wor Slaves: For Slavery is Conditio Perfona, and takes in the whole Man, to wit, Soul and Body, Conjunctim; whereas in the text they are plainly Enumerated as two diftinct Species of Merchandize. Befides, I doubt upon Examination, even the Proteftants will be found as much concerned in the Merchandize of Slaves, as those of the Romish Religion, and fo it can't be a Characteristic of the Apoftate Church, which (as has been noted) is the great Design of the Context. I have already observed, That Mr. Brightman reads the word crv, in this place, Bodies: but then he applies it to the Switzers, who are a Corpulent People, and furnish the Pope with his standing Guards. Some Some Learned Men have thought, that the wretched Subjection and Vaffalage of the Princes and People in Europe, to the Church of Rome, efpecially in the Ages preceding the Reformation, when the Popes treated them like Slaves is here intended. Others again are of Opinion, That by the word oujsatav, we may very well underftand,the Merchandize made by the Romish Church of the Bodies of Men while alive, in those Rigorous and unnatural Chastisings of the Body, by Shirts of Mail, Haircloth, Whippings, and other Bodily Penances : which,tho' enjoyned & practifed under pretence of spiritual Mortification, and for the good of the Soul; yet upon occafion may be dispensed with,and are commuted into Money, or fome other Emolument to the Church, and fo turned into Merchandize. But Veritas rei, & veritas loci, are two different things. The Queftion is not what the word σωμα, in general fignifies, or how it may be rendred in other Places; but what the Meaning of it is in this Invoice of the Merchandize of Myftical Babylon. And with Reverence to our English Tranflators, and the other Venerable Authors before-mentioned, I am of Opinion, That by the word car, in the Text, we ought to understand the DEAD BODIES of Men: To fupport which, befides what has been already mentioned tending that way, I would offer the following Confiderations. 1. First, It is well known, That the Romish Churches for feveral Ages, have made Merchandize as well of the Dead Dead Bodies, as the feparate Souls of Men (as is proved in the following Effay.) Now if we are to fuppofe the HOLY GHOST in this Place, (as our Proteftant Expofitors grant) Deligns by the word yuxas, the Merchandize which the Church of Rome makes of feparate Souls; certainly it is as reafonable to think, That by the word omμarwv, fhould point out another Branch of their vile Trade, vi, that of the Dead Bodies of Men. He tho 2. Secondly, The manifest Diftinction in the Original, and fo between the two Species of Merchandize, obferved by Mr. Brightman, will be moft effectually preferved by this Interpretation of the word cut for the Soul andTM Body are never fo much Contradiftinguished, as after they are feparated. And therefore Death is defined to be Kappa TX as wμr, Separatio Anima et Corporis. 3. Thirdly, And to mention no more, the word cr is fo render'd, not only by the Greek Authors and Lexicons, but alfo by the Tranflators of the Bible in many other Places. 'Tis likewife very obfervable, That the only words us'd in the Septuagint and New Teftament, for Servants and Bondmen,are and Oxers: And among the Ancient Grecians se was the Name of a Slave, or the worft fort of Servants. Scapula, after he has render'd up Corpus, efpecially Corpus hominis,takes notice that Plutarch, when fpeaking of burning the Dead Bodies, expreffes it in the Greek, by Καυσαντες τα σώματα And in another Place defcribing the manner of Crucifying among the Romans, fays, |