tive interpretations of the prophetic character of the second beast and the image.

Bp. Newton's scheme is much less objectionable. That valuable commentator clearly saw, that the two apocalyptic beasts instead of being at utter enmity with each other, were united in the closest bonds of friendship. Having therefore adopted the opinion that the first beast was the Papacy, he concluded that the second was the Roman Church; thus injudiciously separating what ought never to have been divided, and thus rending

Mr. Sharpe supposes the second beast to be the secular Roman empire under Justinian. Justinian however was the representative of the sixth head of the first beast. Hence it is manifest, that Mr. Sharpe makes the second beast to be in fact the same as the first. Independent of this palpable tautology, which the prophet carefully guards us against by assuring us that the second beast was another beast, the Emperor Justinian neither performed any miracles for the purpose of deceiving those that dwelt upon the earth, nor can he or any of his successors be termed a false prophet. In short, whatever power be intended by the second beast or the false prophet, it must be some power at this present moment in existence, because the false prophet is not to be destroyed till the battle of Armageddon at the expiration of the 1260 years. (Rev.xix. 20.) The second beast therefore cannot be the Empire of Justinian, because that has long since been subverted by the Turks. Yet does Mr. Sharpe censure all preceding commentators, as having entirely misunderstood the character of the second beast, because they apply it to the Pope himself: he ought rather to have said the Roman clergy, for I doubt whether any commentators ever supposed the Pope himself to be intended by the second beast. Append. to An Inquiry into the Description of Babylon, p. S—6.

Mr. Bicheno endeavours to prove, that the second beast is the tyranny exercised by the Capets since the time of Louis XIV, and that the image is the system of persecution adopted by them against the Protestants. The memory of him who revoked the edict of Nantz I detest as much as Mr. Bicheno himself can do; but mere abhorrence is no argument. It will be superfluous to discuss this scheme at large, when a single word is sufficient to overturn the whole fabric. The second beast or the false prophet, for Mr. Bicheno very justly maintains their identity, is to be overthrown at the battle of Armageddon under the last vial; and the Ottoman empire, for so Mr. Bicheno with equal propriety understands the mystic Euphrates, is to be subverted under the sixth vial. But the Ottoman empire is not yet subverted; therefore the sixth vial is not yet poured out: and, if the sixth vial be not yet poured out, of course the seventh is not; and, if the seventh be not, the false prophet is not yet overthrown: and, if he be not yet over. thrown, he is now in existence. The tyranny of the Capets however is already overthrown therefore that tyranny cannot be the second beast. Signs of the times, Part I, p. 17-25.

Mr. Lowman thinks, that the second beast symbolizes the German ecclesiastical electors, prince-bishops, baronial-abbots, and other ecclesiastico-temporal states that resemble in their constitution the bishopric of Rome united with St. Peter's patrimony. Independent of every other objection that might be made to this scheme, it has received, like the foregoing one of Mr. Bicheno, a practical confutation. The recently adopted system of recy larization, for the purpose of indemnifying (as it is called) those German temporal princes who have been despoiled of their territories by the robberies of France, has effectually slain this supposed second beast previous to the war of Armageddon under the seventh vial, to which period his overthrow is assigned by the prophet. Hence it is manifest, that the second beast certainly cannot be what Mr. Lowman supposes him to be. Paraph. in loc.

(as it were) the head from the body.* The fact is, what might appear a contradiction till it was actually fulfilled, E the two beasts are two universal empires, not only existing together each under its proper and distinct head, but mutually supporting and strengthening each other. Daniel however declares, that the ten-horned beast is the last universal empire; and yet St. John represents this very beast as co-existing with another beast, or another universal empire: for, that the two beasts are two powers perfectly distinct from each other, is manifest, not only from their different symbolical conformation, but from the express words of the prophet: "I beheld," says he, "another beast." Hence it is plain, that the second аросalyptic beast cannot be a temporal universal empire: both because it is physically impossible, that two temporal empires, each universal so far as the Church is concerned, should exist together; and because, if the second beast of the Apocalypse were a temporal empire, it would be a fifth temporal empire, whereas Daniel declares that there shail only be four. But, if the second beast be not a temporat empire, it must be a spiritual empire; for nothing but a spiritual empire can co-exist with a temporal empire. Accordingly we find this to be the very case: for St. John, as if to prevent the possibility of error, explicitly informs us, that the second beast should be a false prophet,t or an ecclesiastical power; which, under the pretence of a divine commission, should grievously corrupt the genuine Gospel of Christ.

Here then we have a plain prediction of some spiritual power, which should come in the name of God as a sound evangelical prophet or preacher; which should arrogate. to itself universal or catholic authority in religious matters; which should co-exist upon the most friendly terms with the ten-horned temporal empire, instigating it to per

* Mr. Mede more judiciously supposes the second beast to be the Roman pontiff with bis clergy. "Bestia bicornis, sive pseudopropheta, pontifex est Romanus cum suo Com. Apoc. in loc.

cle ro."

+ Compare Rev. xiii. 12-17. with Rev. xix. 20.

"The false prophet," says Bp. Newton very justly, " is a body or succession of men propagating false doctrines, and teaching lies for sacred truths." The second beast is manifestly styled a false prophet in direct opposition to the two mystic witnesses, who are the true prophets of God.

secute, during the space of 42 prophetic months or 1260 years, all such as should dare to dispute its usurped domination; and which, in short, should solve the symbolical problem of two contemporary beasts, by exhibiting to the world the singular spectacle of a complete empire within an empire. Where we are to look for this power, since the great Roman beast was divided into ten horns and during the period of his existence under his last secular head the Carlovingian line of feudal Emperors, let the impartial voice of history determine: and that voice without hesitation will declare, that the catholic church of Rome, the spiritual empire of which the Pope is the allowed head, can alone answer to the prophetic description of such a power." At its first rise, the Papacy appears in the book of Daniel only as a little horn springing out of the first or secular beast: but that little horn is represented as soon becoming exceeding powerful, and as influencing the actions of the whole beast. When the saints were given into its hand in the year 606, the papal kingdom became an universal spiritual empire; and, as such, it is represented by St. John under the symbol of a distinct beast having a proper head and horns of his own. That the little horn of the Roman beast typifies the same power as the second apocalyptic beast, is manifest indeed from this circumstance. Daniel, who fully delineates the character of the little horn, is entirely silent respecting the two-horned beast; and St. John, who as fully delineates the character of the two-horned beast, is entirely silent respecting the little horn. Accordingly we find, that the little horn, and the two-horned beast, act precisely

The Papists, by a wonderful fatality, have constantly styled themselves Catbelies, and their particular church the Catholic Church; thus holding themselves forth as members of the body of the second beast, or catbolic ecclesiastical empire. In this sense of the word, we readily concede to them the title of Catholics; in its genuine sense, as importing members of the spiritual body of Christ, we claim the title no less than themselves. These pretended Catholics the Church of England uniformly denomi nates Papists; and, as I have no inclination to uncatholicise myself, I have throughout the present work adopted her phraseology in preference to the more fashionable one of the day. I freely allow, that the Papists are members of the catholic beast ; but I cannot bring myself to style them Catholics, as if they were the only members of the true catholic church. If protestants, in the height of modern liberality, grant that none but the adherents of the Papacy are real Catholics, they do indeed plead guilty to the less courteous appellation of Heretics, with which I am not aware that the Papists have ever ceased to honour us,

in the same capacity; each exercising all the power of the first beast before him, each being a false seer or prophet, and each perishing in one common destruction with the first or secular beast.*

I. The second beast sprung up out of the earth, and is described as being another beast perfectly distinct from the first-In the language of the Apocalypse, the earth denotes the Roman Empire:† the spiritual power therefore, symbolized by the beast, must be sought for within the limits of that empire. There accordingly we find the eclesiastical empire of the Pope. The sixth head of the temporal beast long claimed and exercised supremacy over the Church: but, in the year 606, the tyrant Phocas constituted Pope Boniface supreme head in spirituals, and bestowed upon him the title of Universal Bishop. In this year then the second beast, or the universal empire of the Pope, arose out of the earth: and it has ever been the policy of its ruler to separate it from the temporal empire, to keep it perfectly distinct as an imperium in imperio, and never suffer it to lose its prophetic character of "another beast." To cite history for the purpose of proving so well known a fact seems almost superfluous, nevertheless I cannot refrain from noticing a single incident which amply explains the nature of this policy of the Popes.

Compare Dan. vii. 8, 11, 21, 25, 26. with Rev. xiii. 5, 7, 12, 15, 16, 17. and xix. 20.

Mr. Mede and Bp. Newton suppose, that the beast rising out of the earth means, that the porver typified by the beast should grow up like a plant silently and without noise, intimating further that "the greatest prelates have often been raised from monks and men of the lowest birth and parentage." Mr. Whitaker and Dr. Zouch, confining without any just warrant the character of the beast to the monastic orders, think that the phrase implies his rise in the East; and Mr. Whitaker adds, that it may partly allude to the rise of those orders in times of peace and prosperity. Both these interpretations seem to me to be needless, not to say unauthorised, refinements. Since the earth throughout the whole Apocalypse means the Roman empire, and no where more decidedly so than in the present chapter, what occasion is there to annex to it here a fresh idea? The prophet had just before declared, that the whole earth wondered after the great Roman beast, and that all that dwell upon the earth should worship him; (Rev. xiii. 3, 8.) and he now proceeds to inform us, that he beheld another beast coming up out of the earth, (Rev. xiii. 11.) teaching us afterwards that this other beast should deceive those that dwelt on the earth. (Rev. xiii. 14.) Now it is only reasonable to suppose, that what the word earth means in one part of a chapter, it should mean in another. Since then the earth which wondered after the Roman beast can only mean those who dwelt upon that earth, and since those who dwelt upon the earth can only mean the inhabitants of the Roman Empire; we must surely conclude, that, when a beast is said to come up out of this very earth, the Roman empire is here likewise intended.

When Edward the first of England wished to imposé a tax upon the Clergy, "Boniface the eighth, who had succeeded Celestine in the papal throne, was determined to resume the authority, which had been for some time relaxed by his predecessors, and to become the protector of the spiritual order, against all invaders. For this purpose he issued very early in his pontificate a general bull, prohibiting all princes from levying with out his consent any taxes upon the clergy, and all clergymen from submitting to such impositions; and he threatened both of them with the penalties of excommunication in case of disobedience. No sooner therefore had the king made his demand on the clergy of the fifth of their moveables, than they intrenched themselves under the bull of Pope Boniface, and pleaded conscience in refusing to comply with the requisition. Edward avoided proceeding immediately to extremities on this account; but, having given orders to lock up all their granaries and barns, and prohibited all rent to be paid to them, he appointed a new synod to confer with him upon his demand. The primate, not intimi dated by Edward's resolution, plainly told him, that the clergy owed obedience to two sovereigns, their spiritual and their temporal; but their duty bound them to a much stricter attachment to the former than to the latter: they could not therefore comply with his commands, which were directly contrary to the positive prohibition of the sovereign pontiff."* The subsequent steps taken by Edward to inforce obedience it is needless here to detail: enough has been said to shew in what manner the second beast which sprung out of the earth, was "another beast."

2. He had two horns like a lamb-As the secular beast is represented with seven heads and ten horns, so the ecclesiastical beast appears with only one head and two horns. Now, since we have already seen, that the secular beast under his last head is the divided Roman empire under the line of Carlovingian emperors; the ecclesiastical beast under his single head, who has co-existed and co-operated with the secular beast, must necessarily be the corrupt

Mod. Univ. Hist. Vol. xxxix. p. 205, 206.