with two horns like thofe of a Lamb, fignifies the Religion. And these two Beafts together fig• nify the Roman Empire raised up under the name of the Church, and under the outfide of Religion. In the 17th Chap. the fecond Beaft, which fig-. nifies the Religion, doth not appear; but in the place thereof appears a Woman riding upon the Beaft to fignify the Religion. And this for the greater clearness, because the feventeenth Chap. is an explication of the vifions of the thirteenth. For the greater clearness, I fay; for the corrupted Church is much more clearly fignified by aWoman, than by a Beast. In all the Scripture, the Church is always represented to us as a Spouse and a Woman; and the corrupt and idolatrous Church, as a debauch'd Woman, and an Adulterefs. This is too well known to need any proof. Rehold therefore this corrupted Woman, this adulterous Spoufe of J. Chrift. And the H. Spirit could nothave defcribed her in a more lively manner and more proper for us to know her.

,

po

This being fuppofed, that the Beast in the thirteenth Chap. of the Revelations, is the fame with that in the feventeenth, the later cannot be Rome Pagan, because by the confent even of all the pish Interpreters, the two Beafts in the thirteenth Chap. reprefent the Empire of Antichrift. On this confeffion, and upon what we have juft now proved, we argue thus:

The Woman in the feventeenth Chapter, by the confent of the popish Interpreters is Rome. And by the confent of the fame Interpreters, the Beaft in the thirteenth Chap. is Antichrift.

Now according to what we have juft now proved, the Beast of the feventeenth Chapter, and the thirteenth are one and the fame Beaft.

Whence

Whence it is clear, that Rome must be the feat of Antichrift, and that Rome in the feventeenth Chapt, is not Rome Pagan.

the 17th.

not Rome Pagan.

That Rome in the feventeenth Chapter is not Rome in Rome Pagan, appears not only by the compari- Chap. is fon, which we juít before made of the two Beafts, but also if we confider the Beast of the 17th Chap. all alone, and without reference to that in the 13th Chapter.

rous,

calls the

Pagan So

VVhores

I. First of all, there is a proftitute, adulte- God never and debauch'd Women fitting upon this Beast. Every one knows, that in the Holy Scri- cieties ptures Adultery figuratively fignifies Idolatry. and Adul Now we shall never find any one fingle inftance, tereffes. where the Holy Spirit, calls the Pagan Societies, Women and Spouses, Whores and Adultereffes. This name is given only to a corrupted Church. And the reafon is plain, because the Pagan Societies having never plighted their faith to God, have not broken it, and never were his Spouse: they are not therefore unfaithful and adulterous in his account. So that this adulterous Woman cannot here be Rome Pagan, but that Rome that hath plighted her faith to fefus Chrift, and broken it; that Rome that ftyles her felf the Spouse of Jefus, and yet doth prostitute her felf to others.

Secondly, This Women is reprefented to us, as having in her hand a Cup of abominations of her whoredoms, of which she makes all the World to drink, i. e. the endeavours to draw all the Nations of the Earth to her Idolatry. Now Rome. Pagan never troubled her head to change the Religion of thofe people the had conquer'd, nor to force them to worship the fame Gods as fhe did. On the contrary, every one knows, the carried

M 4

carried ftrange Gods in Triumph, and built Temples for them within her own walls.

Thirdly, Thefe words, the Beast which thou faweft, was, and is not, and must afcend out of the bottomless pit, or the deep, can by no means agree to Rome Pagan. For this plainly fignifies, that the Empire fpoken of muft perish, and be fwallowed up, and afterwards be re-establifhed. Now Rome Pagan and its Empire have been fwallowed up, but as Rome Pagan it is not raised up again. Befides, we may obferve by the by, that we do not deny, but that Rome Pagan is reprefented by this Beaft; for the Beast represents the Roman Empire in its whole duration, and in both its periods, the Pagan period and the Antichri ftian period. The Beast which thou faweft, was, and is not; there is the Pagan Period: and must afcend out of the bottomless pit, or the deep; there is the Antichriftian period.

Fourthly, It is faid of this Beaft, And the Inhabitants of the earth, whose names are not written in the book of Life, shall wonder, feeing the beast which was, and is not, and yet is. This fignifies, that men fhall give him homage, and that this homage thall be given to him only by the enemies of Jefus Chrift, and the Reprobates. It is not therefore Rome Pagan; for the true Chrifians obeyed, and gave a voluntary homage to the Roman Empire in its Pagan period, juft as the other fubjects of the Empire. But fince it was raised up again, and is no longer what it once was, they have no longer obeyed it.

Fifthly, That which is faid of the ten Kings, can by no means agree to Rome in its Pagan Period. The ten Horns which thou faweft, are ten Kings, which have not yet beguntareign, but shall receive

power

power as Kings one hour with the Beaft. Let them inform us a little, where are, and who are the ten Kings, that fhall reign the fame time with T Rome Pagan; who in Saint Johns time had not begun to reign, and who yet were to begin their reign at the fame time with the Roman Emperours. Is it not plain, that thefe are ten Kings, that muft receive their birth from the ruin ofthe Roman Pagan Empire, and compofe an Antichriftian Roman Empire, under the rule of the prostitute and adulterous Woman, i. e. the revolted Church and Spoufe of Jefus Chrift.

12.

Sixthly, How can these words agree to Rome v.13% Pagan, thefe, i.e. these ten Kings have one mind, and shall give their power and strength to the beast. Did thofe Kings, whofe Kingdoms were conquer'd by the Roman Pagan Empire, voluntarily give their power to the Beast Did not Rome Pagan by meer violence ravish away thofe great Eftates, of which the formed her Empire ? Can it be faid, that the Kings that were conquer'd and fubdued, had one mind? Did they reign together with Rome Pagan? were they not detroyed, and their Kingdoms reduced into Roman Provinces? This therefore can in no wife agree to the Pagan Period of Rome; but doth very well to the Antichriftian and Papal one. For it is true, that the ten Kings compofe this Ecclefiaftical Empire, and fubmit themselves unto it. It is true, that they have one mind, and that they have given their power unto the Beast. For it was not by Force of Arms, that Rome hath acquired this fecond Empire; but by perfwafion, by illufion, by the falfe religion, by the communion of idolatry, and by the Chimaera of an Empire of Jefus Chrift on the Earth,

How the

shall de

chriftian

built it.

De Rom.

cap. 13. fcct. 2.

This is the only thing to be met with which the popish Interpreters have to oppose, to prove that Antichrift must not fit at Rome, and that Rome in this Chap. is Rome Pagan: fay they, the ten Kings shall hate the Whore, and make her deten Kings folate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn Anti- her with fire. 'Tis the Argument of Bellarmin Rome after which all the reft have adopted. St. John, faith they have he, predicts, that the ten Kings, that shall divide C. 17. v.8, the Roman Empire, and under the reign of whom 16. Antichrift shall come, shall hate the whore clothed Pontif. 13. in purple in purple, i. e. Rome, and shall make her defolate, and burn her with fire. How then, shall she be the Seat of Antichrift, if in that very time she must be overthrown and burnt? A mighty riddle, hard to be folved! We need but read on, Saint John immediately adds, For God shall put it into their hearts to fulfill his Will, and to agree, and give their Kingdom to the beaft, untill the Word of God shall be fulfilled. Who doth not fee, that thefe are two diftinct times? In one of them the ten Kings fhall give their power to the Beast, by the cheat of a falfe piety; and in the other, being better inftructed and recover'd foolish fondness, they fhall fpoil that Empire, which they fhall have formed by their complaifance? Men must be hardly preft upon, that have recourse to fuch vain evafions as these.

V. 17.

The foolish felf con

tradiction

pifts.

But obferve their foolish felf-contradiction. Here Bellarmin and his adherents fay, that the of the Pa ten Kings, which shall divide the Roman Empire, shall come in Antichrifts time: and that these are the fame, that fhall make the Whore defolate, i. e. that shall destroy the City of Rome. viz. Rome that is here fpoken of, and which Bellarmin himfelf defines by the Whore clothed in purple; that is

to