_Roman_ Empire looked upon those Churches as enemies, because _Jews_ by
birth; and therefore to prevent insurrections, secured their leaders, and
banished _John_ into _Patmos_. It seems also probable to me that the
_Apocalypse_ was there composed, and that soon after the Epistle to the
_Hebrews_ and those of _Peter_ were written to these Churches, with
reference to this Prophecy as what they were particularly concerned in. For
it appears by these Epistles, that they were written in times of general
affliction and tribulation under the heathens, and by consequence when the
Empire made war upon the _Jews_; for till then the heathens were at peace
with the _Christian Jews_, as well as with the rest. The Epistle to the
_Hebrews_, since it mentions _Timothy_ as related to those _Hebrews_, must
be written to them after their flight into _Asia_, where _Timothy_ was
Bishop; and by consequence after the war began, the _Hebrews_ in _Judea_
being strangers to _Timothy_. _Peter_ seems also to call _Rome_ _Babylon_,
as well with respect to the war made upon _Judea_, and the approaching
captivity, like that under old _Babylon_, as with respect to that name in
the _Apocalypse_: and in writing _to the strangers scattered thro'out
_Pontus_, _Galatia_, _Cappadocia_, _Asia_ and _Bithynia__, he seems to
intimate that they were the strangers newly scattered by the _Roman_ wars;
for those were the only strangers there belonging to his care.

This account of things agrees best with history when duly rectified. For
[29] _Justin_ and [30] _Irenaeus_ say, that _Simon Magus_ came to _Rome_ in
the reign of _Claudius_, and exercised juggling tricks there.
_Pseudo-Clemens_ adds, that he endeavoured there to fly, but broke his neck
thro' the prayers of _Peter_. Whence [31] _Eusebius_, or rather his
interpolator _Jerom_, has recorded, that _Peter_ came to _Rome_ in the
second year of _Claudius_: but [32] _Cyril_ Bishop of _Jerusalem_,
_Philastrius_, _Sulpitius_, _Prosper_, _Maximus Taurinensis_, and
_Hegesippus junior_, place this victory of _Peter_ in the time of _Nero_.
Indeed the antienter tradition was, that _Peter_ came to _Rome_ in the days
of this Emperor, as may be seen in [33] _Lactantius_. _Chrysostom_ [34]
tells us, that the Apostles continued long in _Judea_, and that then being
driven out by the _Jews_ they went to the _Gentiles_. This dispersion was
in the first year of the _Jewish_ war, when the _Jews_, as _Josephus_ tells
us, began to be