e time of his conquering
_Licinius_, was monarchical over the whole _Roman_ Empire. Then the Empire
became divided between the sons of _Constantine_: and afterwards it was
again united under _Constantius_, by his victory over _Magnentius_. To the
affairs of the Church in these three successive periods of time, the third,
fourth, and fifth Epistles, that is, those to the Angels of the Churches in
_Pergamus_, _Thyatira_, and _Sardis_, seem to relate. The next Emperor was
_Julian_ the Apostate.

In the sixth Epistle, [5] to the Angel of the Church in _Philadelphia_,
_Christ_ saith: _Because_ in the reign of the heathen Emperor _Julian_,
_thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the
hour of temptation, which_ by the woman's flying into the wilderness, and
the Dragon's making war with the remnant of her seed, and the killing of
all who will not worship the Image of the Beast, _shall come upon all the
world, to try them that dwell upon the earth_, and to distinguish them by
sealing the one with the name of God in their foreheads, and marking the
other with the mark of the Beast. _Him that overcometh, I will make a
pillar in the Temple of my God; and he shall go no more out_ of it. _And I
will write upon him the name of my God_ in his forehead. So the
_Christians_ of the Church of _Philadelphia_, as many of them as overcome,
are sealed with the seal of God, and placed in the second Temple, and go no
more out. The same is to be understood of the Church in _Smyrna_, which
also kept the word of God's patience, and was without fault. These two
Churches, with their posterity, are therefore the _two Pillars_, and the
_two Candlesticks_, and the _two Witnesses_ in the second Temple.

After the reign of the Emperor _Julian,_ and his successor _Jovian_ who
reigned but five months, the Empire became again divided between
_Valentinian_ and _Valens_. Then the Church Catholick, in the Epistle to
the Angel of the Church of _Laodicea_, is reprehended as _lukewarm_, and
[6] threatned to be _spewed out of _Christ's_ mouth_. She said, that she
was _rich and increased with goods, and had need of nothing_, being in
outward prosperity; _and knew not that she was_ inwardly _wretched, and
miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked_. She is therefore _spewed out of
_Christ's_ mouth_ at the opening of the seventh seal: and this puts an end
to the times of the first Temple.

About one half of the _Roman_ Empire turned _Christi