The affairs of the Church begin to be considered at the opening of the fifth seal, as was said above. Then she is represented by _a woman_ in the Temple of heaven, _clothed with the sun_ of righteousness, _and the moon_ of _Jewish_ ceremonies _under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars_ relating to the twelve Apostles and to the twelve tribes of _Israel_. When she fled from the Temple into the wilderness, she left in the Temple a _remnant of her seed, who kept the commandments of God, and had the testimony of Jesus Christ_; and therefore before her flight she represented the true primitive Church of God, tho afterwards she degenerated like _Aholah_ and _Aholibah_. In _Diocesian_'s persecution _she cried, travelling in birth, and pained to be delivered_. And in the end of that persecution, by the victory of _Constantine_ over _Maxentius_ A.C. 312, _she brought forth a man-child_, such a child as _was to rule all nations with a rod of iron_, a _Christian_ Empire. _And her child_, by the victory of _Constantine_ over _Licinius_, A.C. 323, _was caught up unto God and to his throne. And the woman_, by the division of the _Roman_ Empire into the _Greek_ and _Latin_ Empires, _fled_ from the first Temple _into the wilderness_, or spiritually barren Empire of the _Latins_, where she is found afterwards sitting upon the Beast and upon the seven mountains; and is called _the great city which reigneth over the Kings of the earth_, that is, over the ten Kings who give their kingdom to her Beast. But before her flight there was war in heaven between _Michael_ and the Dragon, the _Christian_ and the heathen religions; and the Dragon, _that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan, who deceiveth the whole world, was cast out to the earth, and his Angels were cast out with him_. And _John heard a voice in heaven, saying, Now is come salvation and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his _Christ_: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony. And they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe be to the inhabiters of the earth and sea_, or people of the _Greek_ and _Latin_ Empires, _for the devil is come down amongst you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time_.