beaft it is also monftrous, for it is like a lamb, and yet fpeaks like a dragon.

It has two horns, and only two. By the two horns it is intimated, that this government is vested with two kinds of power. As a lamb it is partly ecclefiaftic, pretending a relation to Chrift, who is reprefented frequently in this book, and in other parts of facred fcripture, by a lamb; and as a dragon it is partly civil, and in reality more nearly related to the devil than to Chrift. The whole hieroglyphic taken together fignifies, that soon after the Roman empire fhould be established or fettled under the seventh or laft form of government, another power should rise up within the empire, and fubfervient to it, partly ecclefiaftic, and partly civil: That this power fhould put on the appearance of an ecclefiaftic; for though it fhould have two horns, they should not be horns of a lamb, but like the horns of a lamb: But that, in reality, it fhould have much of the nature of the dragon in it, for it fpake as a dragon. Like the dragon it had Rome for its feat; like the dragon it should throw floods of error out of its mouth; like the dragon it fhould be wroth with the woman, and should make war with the remnant of her feed; like the dragon it fhould imagine that the firft beaft derived its power and authority from it. It hath no crowns upon its horns, nor upon that head which fpoke like a dragon, to fhew us, that this power though both ecclefiaftical

go

ecclefiaftical and civil, and though its feat of vernment should be the city of Rome, should not be a crowned head.

The first beaft which rofe out of the fea fignifies the conftitution of the Roman government under its laft or seventh form. And this fecond beaft fignifies the Pope individually, who foon after the conftitution of Papal Rome was fully fettled and confirmed, affumed a defpotic power to himself; and, notwithstanding the conftitution of the Papal government, acted as an abfolute defpot, as if there had been no law nor counfel in the empire but his own will. For a confiderable time after the grant of Pepin, in the year 756, the Pope acted as the bishop of Rome, and the chief magiftrate of the Roman state. He never attempted to affume a defpotic power to himself, either in ecclefiaftic or civil matters. But in the end of that century and the beginning of the next he affumed a defpotic power in both; and from that time the government of Rome was the most fingular and extraordinary that ever appeared in the world. At the fame time, over the fame extent of territory, and in the fame feat of government, the conftitution of Rome was a mixed government of the monarchical and aristocratical kinds, and the Pope himself was vefted with a power abfolutely defpotic; and yet these two oppofite kinds of government mutually fupported and ftrengthened each other.

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'As this fecond beast had no crowns upon it, the Pope does not wear a crown like other kings. All ́ hiftorians are agreed, that it was in the end of the eight century, and in the ninth one, that the Roman pontiffs affumed that defpotic power which they have long held. The reader will be fully fatisfied of this by looking unto the writers on these centuries of the church, particularly Mofheim.

That this fecond beaft fignifies the Pope individually acting with defpotic authority, will I hope clearly appear from the character which is drawn of this beaft in the fix following verfes.

Verfes 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th. -And he exerciseth all the power of the first beaft before him, and causeth the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast, whofe deadly wound was healed. And hedoeth great wonders, fo that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the fight of men, and deceiveth them that

dwell on the earth, by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the fight of the beaft, faying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life un

to

to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he caufeth all both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or fell, fave he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

This fecond beaft exercifeth all the power of the first beast before him, or as the word two fignifies, in his presence. They should be cotemporary powers, and both in the Roman empire. All the power of the first beast is both a civil and ecclefiaftic power, and both these the Pope individually exerciseth during the existence of the laft form of government. By the exertions of his civil and ecclefiaftic powers, the Pope hath made the Roman empire and all its citizens not only to fubmit to, but almoft to adore the Roman hierarchy.

The Pope hath wrought many falfe miracles, with the fame intention of proving himself to be the fervant of God, and the fyftem of worship which he teaches, the true worship of God, with which the prophet Elijah in a miraculous manner brought down fire from heaven, as recorded in VOL. II. H 1 Kings

Kings xviii. 37, 38. and 2 Kings i. 10,-12. These falfe miracles he works in the fight of men not of faints. He does not perform them in the presence of the true worshippers of God, leaft examining them with impartiality and attention they should discover and publish the tricks by which these false miracles are wrought. But he performs them in prefence of the votaries of Rome, who, on account of their prejudices and ignorance are easily deceived by these falfe miracles which they wish to be true.

By these false miracles, "they who dwell on "the earth," the inhabitants of the Roman empire are deceived and led into grofs errors.

By the power and influence of the Pope the inhabitants of the Roman empire were perfuaded to make an image to the beaft, which had the wound with the fword and did live. It was the imperial head of Roman government which was the head of the beaft, that had the wound, as was fhewn on verse 3d. Hence, when it is faid that the Pope perfuaded them to make an image to the beast which had the wound, the meaning of it is, that through the influence of the Popes, the Papal hierarchy, both in its civil government and in its ceremonies of religious worship, was in a great meafure modelled upon those which were established under the Heathen emperors. That this is in fact the cafe with the conftitution of the Papal government, must be evident to every candid and intelli

gent