blocks which the Church of Rome places in the way of the conversion of the Jews, by adding the Apocryphal Books, as Canonical Scripture, to the Old Testament †, and by her adoration of the Blessed Virgin and of Saints, Angels, and Images,-idolatrous practices, which the Jews, having once so severely suffered for Idolatry, regard with the deepest abhorrence, we cannot but believe, with humble submission to the mysterious counsels of Divine Providence, that there is a solemn truth in this their popular conviction; and that the spiritual Redemption of Israel will be ushered in by the downfall of Rome.

To proceed: How were these Chapters of the Apocalypse understood by Christian writers immediately succeeding St. John?

Before this question is answered, one remark must be made. When St. John wrote, Rome was Queen of the World; and whenever she looked on Christianity, it was with an evil eye.

St. John himself was in will a martyr for the faith; he wrote his Apocalypse in banishment, in Patmos, to which he was sent a prisoner, for the testimony of Jesus Christ. He could not speak clearly concerning Rome without exasperating her §. The same

* See Sandys, Europa Speculum, p. 243, ed. 1673.

† See Lectures on the Canon, IV. p. 109–114.

Rev. i. 9.

§ Hence St. Jerome (ad Algasiam, Qu. xi. vol. iv. p. 209) explains the reserve of St. Paul in 2 Thess. ii. 3. Si aperte audacterque dixisset, Non veniet Antichristus, nisi priùs Romanum

observation applies to early Interpreters of the Apocalypse. To identify Rome with Babylon would probably have been represented as treason against her. And we know that the followers of Christ were commonly regarded and described by Roman writers as ill-affected to her, and even as the cause of her calamities.

Now, mark the reply which was made to such allegations as these by the ancient advocates of Christianity. They did not deny that Rome was aimed at in their prophecies; but they averred that it was their bounden duty and interest to wish well to the existing Empire of Rome; because, to use St. Paul's language to the Thessalonians *, the Imperial Government letted, that is, hindered, or postponed, the riset of another Power, to which they deleatur Imperium, justa causa persecutionis in orientem tunc Ecclesiam consurgere videbatur; and Remigius, B. P. M. viii. 1018. Obscurè locutus est ne forte aliquis Romanorum legeret hanc Epistolam et excitaret contra se aliosque Christianos persecutionem illorum qui se putabant semper regnaturos in mundo. * 2 Thess. ii. 6, 7.

Tertullian de Resurr. Carnis, c. 24. S. Chrysostom and Theophylact on 2 Thess. ii. S. Hippolytus de Antichristo, c. 49. S. Hieron. in Dan. vii. 8, ad Algas. Qu. xi. ad 2 Thess. ii. 7. in Hierem. xxv. 26: Eum qui nunc tenet Romanum Imperium ostendit. S. Aug. de Civ. Dei, xx. c. 19. S. Cyril. Catech. xv. 6. 8. Ephraem Syrus, Serm. Ascet. i. p. 44, Rom. 1732.-rà déka képara (says Andreas, Catena Cramer, p. 435) δέκα βασιλεῖς εἶναι φασὶν ἐκ τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῆς ἀναστη σομένους ἐν τοῖς ἐσχάτοις καιροῖς, ὧν ἐν μέσῳ ὁ ̓Αντίχριστος ἀναστήσεται, τὸ δὲ μὴ τὸ λαβεῖν αὐτοὺς βασιλείαν, ἀλλ ̓ ἐξου

could not wish well, inasmuch as it would be more injurious to the Gospel, than the Heathen Empire of Rome.

Let all these things be candidly considered, and it will appear very remarkable, that we should have so large an amount of testimony from the early Christian Church that the Babylon of the Apocalypse is Rome.

Beginning with St. John's own age, we find that one of his own Scholars, Papias, an Asiatic Bishop, was so much impressed with the reality of this identity, that he even supposed, with others of the same time, that the Babylon from which St. Peter dates his first Epistle was Rome t. This erroneous supposition was doubtless caused by the popular belief concerning Babylon and Rome, and proves very remarkably, how strong that belief was.

*

Another ancient witness on this subject is Irenæus.

σίαν ὡς βασιλεῖς, διὰ τὸ ἀνέδραστον καὶ σκιῶδες τῆς βασιλείας αὐτῶν φησιν. A very remarkable Scholium-Cf. Remig. in Bibl. Pat. Max. viii. 1018: His verbis demonstravit Apostolus Thessalonicensibus non prius venturum Dominum ad judicium quam regni Romani destructio fieret, quod jam nos impletum vidimus, et Antichristus appareret in mundo.

* 1 Pet. v. 13.

+ Euseb. ii. 15. τοῦ Μάρκου μνημονεύειν τὸν Πέτρον ἐν τῇ προτέρᾳ ἐπιστολῇ ἣν καὶ συντάξαι φασὶν ἐπ' αὐτῆς Ῥώμης, σημαίνειν τε τοῦτ' αὐτὸν τὴν πόλιν τροπικώτερον Βαβυλῶνα πроσειπóνтα (1 Pet. v. 13).-S. Hieron. in Esa. xlvii. 1: Non ipsam Babylonem quidam sed Romanam urbem interpretantur quæ in Apocalypsi et in Epistolâ Petri spiritualiter appellatur.

He was one of the disciples of Polycarp, the scholar of St. John, and one of the most learned among the writers of the Eastern Church of that age; and he lived and died in the West, at Lyons in Gaul, of which he was Bishop. Referring to the Apocalypse, he says that the world must wait till the Roman Empire is divided into several kingdoms, signified by the ten Horns of the Beast; and that when these kingdoms are increasing in might, then a great power will arise, which will overawe these kingdoms, and will be the Abomination of Desolation, and will be characterized by the number of the Name of the Beast predicted by St. John. And, proceeding to speak of this number, he adds, that it is wiser to be patient, till the Prophecy is fulfilled, than to pronounce confidently upon it; but that, in his own opinion, the word Aareivos, Latinus, which contains the requisite number, expresses the Anti-Christian power. And why, you may ask, does he fix upon this word? "Because the Latins, or Romans, are they who now reign;" alluding manifestly to the words of St. John, The Woman which thou sawest is that great City, which reigneth over the Kings of the Earth*.

* S. Iren. v. 30. p. 448, 449, ed. Grabe. I here insert a testimony from Hippolytus, a Scholar of Irenæus, (Phot. Cod. 121,) Bishop of Aden, Portus Romanus in Arabia, (see Cave i. 102,) de Christo et Antichristo, § 36. οὗτος Ιωάννης ἐν Πάτμῳ τῇ

...

νήσῳ ὢν ὁρᾷ ̓Αποκάλυψιν μυστηρίων φρικτῶν . . . λέγε μοι, μακάριε Ἰωάννη, ̓Απόστολε τοῦ Κυρίου, τί εἶδες καὶ ἤκουσας περὶ Βαβυλῶνος; . . . αὐτὴ γάρ σε ἐξώρισε.

It is therefore clear that Irenæus interpreted the prophecies of St. John, concerning the Woman on the Seven Hills, the Woman which reigneth, the Woman which is Babylon, the Mother of fornications, of no other City than Rome; and, we might add, he did not apply them to Pagan Rome, for he expressly says that the Antichristian power represented by that name was not yet come *.

And why? Because its

The most learned of the Christian Fathers of the Latin Church of that age was Tertullian. He affirms that the Christians of his day pray for the duration of the Roman Empire t. fall would be marked by the rise of an Antichristian power. And in two places of his works he uses these words:" Names are employed by us as signs. Thus Samaria is a sign of Idolatry, Egypt is a symbol of Malediction, and, in like manner, in the writings of our own St. John, Babylon is a figure of the Roman City, mighty, proud of its sway, and fiercely persecuting the Saints."

Who, again, a more competent authority on this

* S. Iren. v. 30. εἰ ἄλλο ἔχων ὄνομα 'Αντίχριστος ἐλεύσεται. Tertullian. Apol. c. 32. Est et alia major necessitas nobis (Christianis) orandi pro Imperatoribus, etiam pro omni statu Imperii rebusque Romanis, quippe qui vim maximam universo Orbi imminentem Romani Imperii commeatu scimus retardari (alluding to St. Paul's & Karéxwv, he that letteth). Hence, in cap. 39, he says: Oramus pro Imperatoribus quiete, pro morâ finis. And see the note of Rigaltius.

pro rerum

Tertullian adv. Jud. c. 9; and adv. Marcion. iii. c. 13.