only had these ten horns, but in some of its parts refembled all the first three beafts, it must be the fourth of these beafts, and the fymbol of the Roman empire, which comprehended within its boundaries fome parts of the territory of all these three monarchies. Being made up of parts from every one of them, it is here represented by a monftrous beaft, which in fome of its parts resembles a leopard, in fome a bear, and in others a lion.

Hence the feat of this

"The dragon gave this beast his power, his feat, "and great authority." The feat of the dragon was Rome, the city built upon the feven hills, as was fhewn chap. xii, 3. empire was alfo to be the city of Rome, and its power was also to be as great as that of Heathen Rome. And it was to have great authority. It was to govern the world more by mere authority, more by opinion, than even by real power. In this laft inftrument of domination, it was greatly to excel and be diftinguished from Heathen Rome. Is not the city of Rome the feat of the Papal empire? Was not its power long as great as that of Heathen Rome? And did it not govern the world much more by mere authority than by real power? Were not the kings of the earth, for a long time, more terrified for the Papal anathemas than ever they were for all the arms of the Roman legions.

John faw one of the heads of this beaft, as if wounded to death. Thefe feven heads are feven

different

different forms of government in the city of Rome as their feat. Five of these were paft before John's day, and the fixth, that of the emperors, was in existence when he faw the vifion. This is the fact in hiftory, and alfo the exprefs declaration of this book, chap. xvii. 10. "and there are fevent kings, five are fallen, one is, and the other is not "yet come." The one head, therefore, which John faw wounded to death was that of the emperors. The imperial government was to receive a deadly wound before this beaft fhould appear; and though the wounded head fhould die, yet the beaft itself fhould not die, for the deadly wound in fo far as it affected the beaft fhould be healed. As the beaft had lived when the other five heads had been cut off, it lived alfo after the fixth head had been wounded to death. It livedunder the feventh head.

After this "deadly wound was healed, all the "world wondered after the beaft." The word rendered world ought to have been tranflated earth. It is yn in the original, the proper fignification of which is earth, and which is uniformly in this book tranflated the earth. The earth in this book is the fymbol for the Roman empire. Not all the world, but all that part of it which was within the limits of the Roman empire at the time John faw this vifion, was to wonder after, admire, and become fubject to this last head of Roman government. Do not all these marks exactly fit Papal

Rome?

Rome? Hath not the imperial government been diffolved? After the diffolution of this form of government, did not Rome for a confiderable time cease to be the feat of empire, and to be ranked among the kingdoms of this world? Was not the proud city of Rome for a confiderable time a fmall duchy, under the Exarchate of Ravenna? Did not the imperial government of Rome then receive a deadly wound? Did any perfon then living ever fuppofe, that Rome should again govern the world? But whilft the fixth, the wounded imperial head, died, did not the beaft itself recover from the wound? The imperial government hath never yet been reftored to Rome, but the Papal government was erected in it, in the year of Chrift 756, and hath continued in it to this day, in the year 1790. Hath not all the antient western Roman empire wondered after and become fubject to the Papal government?

That the Papal as a civil government was not to arife until after the diffolution of the imperial government, was clearly predicted alfo by the apoftle Paul, 2 Theff. ii. 3.-12. efpecially veries 6th, 7th, where he faith, "and now ye know what with"holdeth, that he might be revealed in his time. "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work;

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only he who now letteth, ( narexwr, who with

holds), will let, (that is, withhold), until he be "taken out of the way." He who withheld in

VCL. II.

F

the

the days of Paul was the imperial government. It was not poffible in the nature of the thing, that the Papal government in its civil character could be erected in the city of Rome as its feat, until the imperial fhould be removed from that feat.

Verse 4th. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beaft? who is able to make war with him?

All the Roman empire who wondered after the Papal hierarchy, fhould worship the dragon who gave power to the beast. All idolatry and fuperftition may be denominated the worshipping of devils, because they are not the worship of God, the fole object of all religious worship, and because they originally proceed from the devil, and prepare men for his fervice. In particular, certain doctrines long and publicly avowed by the church of Rome, because indeed they are of fuch a nature that they cannot be concealed, were predicted by the apostle Paul, and exprefly called doctrines of devils.-Such for inftance, as not keeping faith with heretics, equivocations, and mental refervations, the celibacy of the clergy, and the dif

tinctions

1

tinctions and prohibitions of meats, 1 Tim. iv. I, -3. "Now the Spirit fpeaketh exprefly, that in "the latter days fome fhall depart from the faith,

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giving heed to feducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrify, having their "confciences feared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abftain from meats "which God hath created to be received with

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thanksgiving of them which believe and know "the truth."

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They worship the beaft alfo."--Men do not pay religious worship to civil governors and governments. But he must be a ftranger to the hiftory of Papal Rome, who does not know that the votaries of Rome express their respect for the. Pope and the Papal hierarchy, in a manner too like adoration and religious worship; they worship the beast in afcribing omnipotence to him.

They fay," Who is like him? who is fo great "and powerful as he? Who can make war with "him? They impiously imagine, that the King of kings and Lord of lords cannot overthrow him. They worship the Papal hierarchy, by afcribing to it infallibility.

Verse 5th. And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things, and blafpheF 2

mies;