places with the reliques or pretended reliques of the Martyrs, for invoking them in the Churches; and then they filled the fields and high-ways with altars, for invoking them every where: and this new religion was set up by the Monks in all the _Greek_ Empire before the expedition of the Emperor _Theodosius_ against _Eugenius_, and I think before his above-mentioned Edict, A.C. 386. The same religion of worshiping _Mahuzzims_ quickly spred into the _Western Empire_ also: but _Daniel_ in this Prophecy describes chiefly the things done among the nations comprehended in the body of his third Beast. Notes to Chap. XIV. [1] Chap. xi. 38, 39 [2] Orat. de vita Greg. Thaumaturg. T. 3. p. 574. [3] Vide Hom. 47. in. S. Julian. [4] Epist. 27. ad Eustochium. [5] Edit. Frontonis Ducaei, Tom. 1. [6] Ad. an. 381, Sect. 41. [7] Hist. Eccl. l. 2. c. 23. [8] L. 4. c. 24. [9] Hom. 66. ad. populum, circa finem. & Hom. 8, 27. in Matth. Hom. 42, 43. in Gen. Hom. 1. in 1 Thess. [10] Exposit. in Psal. 114. sub finem. * * * * * _The end of the first Part._ * * * * * PART II. * * * * * OBSERVATIONS UPON THE APOCALYPSE OF St. _JOHN_. * * * * * CHAP. I. _Introduction, concerning the time when the _Apocalypse_ was written_. _Irenaeus_ introduced an opinion that the _Apocalypse_ was written in the time of _Domitian_; but then he also postponed the writing of some others of the sacred books, and was to place the _Apocalypse_ after them: he might perhaps have heard from his master _Polycarp_ that he had received this book from _John_ about the time of _Domitian_'s death; or indeed _John_ might himself at that time have made a new publication of it, from whence _Irenaeus_ might imagine it was then but newly written. _Eusebius_ in his _Chronicle_ and _Ecclesiastical History_ follows _Irenoeus_; but afterwards [1] in his _Evangelical Demonstrations_, he conjoins the banishment of _John_ into _Patmos_, with the deaths of _Peter_ and _Paul_: and so do [2] _Tertullian_ and _Pseudo-Prochorus_, as well as the first author, whoever he was, of that very antient fable, that _John_ was put by _Nero_ into a vessel of hot oil, and coming out unhurt, was banished by him into _Patmos._ Tho this story be no more than a fiction yet was it founded on a tradition of the first churches, that _John_ was banished into _Patmos_ in the days of _Nero_. _Epiphanius_ represents the _Gospel of John_ as written in the time of _Domitian_, and the _Apocalypse_ even before that of _Nero_. [3] _Arethas_ in the beginning of his Commentary quotes the opinion of _Irenaeus_ from _Eusebius_, but follows it not: for he afterwards affirms the _Apocalypse_ was written before the destruction of _Jerusalem_, and that former commentators had expounded the sixth seal of that destruction.