flesh his arm," Jerem. xvii. 5. Since flesh signifies the selfhood of man, or his proprium, and since they who entertain hatred against others make attempts upon what is proper to them, or upon their property, with intent to destroy them, therefore this is what is signified by eating flesh; as also in the following passages: "That that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another," Zech. xi. 9. "They shall devour Israel with open mouth, they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm;-Manasseh Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh," Isaiah ix. 12, 20, 21. "I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh," Isaiah xlix. 26. "They shall eat every one the flesh of his friend," Jerem. xix. 9. "By eating the flesh of sons and daughters,” Jerem. xvii. 5, xix. 9, is signified to destroy truths and goods in themselves; for by sons are signified truths, and by daughters goods, as may be seen above, n. 139, 543, 546, 612. Moreover, the expression, all flesh occurs in the Word, and by it is signified every man, Gen. vi. 12, 13, 17, 19, Isaiah xl. 5, 6, xlix. 26, lxvi. 16, 23, 24, Jer. xxv. 31, xxxii. 27, xlv. 5, Ezek. xx. 48, xxi, 4, 5.

749. "For God hath put it in their hearts to execute his will, and to act [with] one mind, and to give their kingdom unto the beast," signifies, judgment from the Lord among them, that they might totally reject and condemn the Roman Catholic religion, and root out and extirpate it from among themselves, and their unanimous determination to acknowledge the Word, and thereupon to found the church. Since by the harlot is signified the Roman Catholic religion, and by the ten horns which will hate the harlot, are signified the Protestants, as above, n. 746, 747, 748, it is evident, that by executing his will, is signified that they came to a determination. and conclusion to reject and desecrate that religion altogether, and to root out and extirpate it from among themselves, as above, n. 748; and it is also evident, that by acting with one mind, and giving their kingdom unto the beast, is signified to come to an unanimous determination

"The

and conclusion to acknowledge the Word, and to found the church upon it. By the beast is signified the Word, as above, without exception, see n. 723; and by their kingdom is signified the church and its government, as will be seen below. By God's putting it in their hearts, is signified that these things are from the Lord. That a kingdom signifies the church may appear from the following passages: "But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness," Matt. viii. 12. good seed are the children of the kingdom," Matt. xiii. 38. "When any one heareth the Word of the kingdom and understandeth it not," Matt. xiii. 19. "The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof," Matt. xxi. 43. "No man having put his hand to the plough, and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God," Luke ix. 62. "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven," Matt. vi. 10. Jesus, John, and the disciples preached that "the kingdom of heaven was at hand," Matt. iii. 2, iv. 17, x. 7, Luke x. 11, xvi. 16, as also "The Gospel, or good tidings of the kingdom," Matt. iv. 23, ix. 35, xxiv. 14, Luke viii. 1. "But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come unto you," Luke xi. 20, besides many other passages in the Word where the kingdom of God occurs. So in these "If ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant,-ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests," Exod. xix. 5, 6. "And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong-hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion, the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem," Micah iv. 8. "But the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever," Dan. vii. 18, 22. "And the kingdom, and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him," Dan. vii. 27. "There was given to the Son of Man a kingdom, which should not be destroyed, and all peoples, nations, and languages

should serve him," Dan. vii. 14, besides other places. The reason why kingdom signifies the church, is, because the Lord's kingdom is in heaven and on earth, and his kingdom on earth is the church; therefore the Lord is called King of kings.

750. "Until the words of God should be consummated,” signifies, until all things should be fulfilled which are foretold concerning them. By being consummated is signified to be fulfilled; and by the words of God, are signified the things which are foretold in the Word; and because it is said "consummated," it signifies until all be fulfilled; this is spoken of the Protestants, and of their giving the kingdom to the bease, that is, that they would acknowledge the Word, and found the church upon it, as above, n. 749: but they indeed do acknowledge the Word, and say that the church is founded upon it, and yet they found the doctrine of the church upon this single passage of Paul, that man is justified by faith alone without the deeds of the law, Rom. iii. 28, totally misunderstood, n. 417. Inasmuch as it is here said, until the words of God are consummated, the explanation of the last words of the Lord to his disciples shall also be given, which are these: "Go ye, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you alway, even until the consummation of the age. Amen," Matt. xxviii. 19, 20, until the consummation of the age, means even to the end of the church, n. 658; when, if they do not approach the Lord himself, and live according to his commandments, they are left by the Lord, and when they are left by the Lord, they become as Pagans, who have no religion; and then the Lord is among those only who are of his New Church. This is what is signified by, until the words of God are consummated, and until the consummation of the age.

751. "And the woman which thou sawest, is that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth," signifies, that the Roman Catholic religion, as to doctrine, prevails in the christian world, and in some measure even yet among the Reformed, although they are not under

the papal dominion. The reason why all this is signified by these words, is, because they form the conclusion, and thence involve not only what was said concerning the Roman Catholics, but also concerning the French nation, and concerning the Protestants, so that the woman, which is the great city, reigns also over these, but in what manner shall be explained; she does not reign over the Protestants in the same way as she does over those who are attached to her religion, but only so far as they have in part received her doctrinals. The doctrinals which they have received are these: That they approach God the Father, and not the Lord; that they do not acknowledge the Lord's Humanity to Be Divine; that his passion upon the cross is expiation, propitiation, and satisfaction with God the Father; concerning the imputation of the Lord's merit; a few things relating to baptism, original sin, and free-will; and among the Lutherans that they come very near to the doctrine of transubstantiation. These doctrinals, the remains of popish Catholicism, and in part agreeing therewith, form the reasons why it is said, that the woman, which is the great city, reigneth over the kings of the earth. By the woman is signified the Roman Catholic religion, as above; by a city is signified doctrine, n. 194, 501, 502, 712; by kingdom is signified the church, n. 749; therefore by having the kingdom is signified government. By the kings of the earth are signified the truths or falses of the church, n. 20, 483, 664, 704, 720, 737, 740, therefore also doctrinals; by earth is signified the church, n. 285; from these considerations it is evident that by "the woman which thou sawest is that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth," is signified that the Roman Catholic religion, as to its doctrine prevails in the Christian world, and in some measure even yet among the Reformed, although they are not under the papal dominion.

752. To the above I will add this MEMORABLE RELATION. I was permitted to discourse with Pope Sextus Quintus; he came from a certain society in the west towards the left; he told me that he presided as chief

moderator over a society collected from the Catholics, and who excelled the rest in judgment and industry; and that he was chosen to this office, by reason, that half a year before his death he believed, that the vicarship was an invention for the sake of dominion, and that the Lord, the Saviour, being God, alone is he who ought to be adored and worshiped; also, that the sacred Scripture is divine, and thus more holy than the edicts of popes. He added that he had continued in the belief of these two capital tenets in religion to the end of his life. He further re

marked, that their saints are not any thing; and was surprised when I informed him, that it was decreed in a synod, and confirmed by a bull, that they ought to be invoked. He said that he led a life of activity, as he had done in the world; and that every morning he proposed to himself nine or ten things, which he wished to finish before the evening. I inquired by what means he obtained in so few years a treasure so considerable as that which he had deposited in the castle of St. Angelo? He replied, that he wrote with his own hand to the superiors of rich monasteries, to send at their own discretion as much of their wealth as they chose, as the use for which it was intended was holy, and that because they were afraid of him, they contributed largely; and when I told him that this treasure still remains, he said, "What use can it answer now ?" In the course of my conversation with him, I related, that the treasure in Loretto, since his time, was immensely increased and accumulated; and in like manner the treasure in certain monasteries, especially in Spain; but at this day not in so great a degree as in former ages; and I added, that they hoard them up without having any useful end in view, and only for the sake of the delight experienced from the possession of them. Upon which I further remarked, that thus they resemble those infernal deities whom the ancients called Plutos: when I mentioned Plutos, he said, "Hush, I know." He related also, that no others are admitted into the society over which he presides, but such as excel in judgment, and are capable of receiving that the Lord is the only God of heaven and earth, and that the Word is