done, with delegated authority from Rome, by means of the Tribunal of the Inquisition *, calling itself the "Holy Office," professing to propagate the Gospel; bearing an olive branch in one hand, and a drawn sword in the other, uniting the Lamb with the Dragon. This they have also done, by imposing unrighteous oaths and monstrous confessions of Faith, which may truly be called marks of the Beast, in which implicit faith in, and obedience to,-not Scripture, but-the Roman Pontiff, is made the main article; and not allowing any to buy or sell —that is, not permitting any one to exercise any ministry in the Church §, unless he binds himself by an oath of unqualified obedience to the Papal See. The Trent Creed, or Confession of Pius IV., which is at this day, and has been for near three centuries,

* See Sarpi's and Limborch's History of the Inquisition.

See the plate in Limborch, p. 373, and ibid. p. 370.

A brief Account of some of these savage and portentous Confessions may be seen in Letter IX. of the Sequel of the Author's Letters to M. Gondon. Marvellous is the applicability to them of St. John's words, - They cause the earth and the dwellers therein to worship the first beast, and to make an image to him ; and to receive his mark on their right hands or their foreheads. See Rev. xiii. 12-17.

§ Haymo ad cap. xiii. Nemo poterit vendere aut emere] Prædicatio negotio comparatur : nemo poterit prædicare nisi qui fidem bestiæ tenuerit; et ad cap. xvi. Character bestia fides Ejus intelligitur; Numerus est Hominis, (says Aquinas,) non Dei; super ipsius Divinitatis potentiam extolletur, ita ut homo peccator (homo peccati, 2 Thess. ii. 3).-Joachim, p. 168. Prædicatores dicuntur venditores, auditores autem emptores, qui suscipiunt verbum.

imposed on all the Clergy, secular and regular, of the Church of Rome, and which, setting out with the Creed of Nicæa, adds to it Twelve Articles unknown to the primitive Church,-thus joining the Lamb with the Dragon,-must, if the truth be spoken, be called a Symbol of the False Prophet †.

St. John, we see, describes Two Beasts. The most striking characteristic of Papal Rome is its twofold character: it claims two Supremacies. It wears the Imperial Tiara and the Sacerdotal Mitre. It bears two Swords.

Upon the whole, then, we conclude that, as in the Seals, the Arch-Enemy of man is represented as a Rider on different horses; so, in the two Beasts, are two personifications of the Papacy in its two forms-Civil and Ecclesiastical.

These two Beasts appear to be foreshown by Our Lord Himself, Who says, There shall arise false Christs, and false Prophets, and shall show great Signs and Wonders §. The former Beast in the Apocalypse assumes divine power-he is a false Christ.

* Petrus Olivi apud Baluz. Misc. i. p. 250. Per illam Bestiam intelligitur Pseudo-Papa cum suo Pseudo-Propheta.-This was written in the fourteenth century. See Appendix D.

†The words of Aquinas on this passage are very remarkable: -Et vidi] quasi dicat, ita mihi ostensum est quomodo Antichristus persequetur Ecclesiam per Principes (the first beast), ostensum mihi etiam est quomodo eam persequetur per suos Prædicatores.

Rev. vi. 4-8.

§ Matt. xxiv. 24.

The latter teaches and imposes false doctrines, for the maintenance of that assumption: he is a false Prophet*, and is so called by St. John.

The description of these two Beasts is followed by a Vision of the Victory of the Lamb, and of the Twelve times twelve thousand with him; that is, the Apostolic Church. These, says St. John, are they who have not been defiled with women, for they are Virgins. Here is another anticipatory reference to what

* The interpretation of the Abbot Joachim is very remarkable, p. 10. Caput septimum erit ille Antichristus, qui sicut Christus dictus est Rex et Propheta, ita et ipse se nuntiabit esse. Joachim, p. 7. Assimilatur destructio Babylonis destructioni Romæ. P.117. Babylon in apertione sexti sigilli accipiet malum quod in quinto contulit aliis, et duplo magis. P. 133. Antequam reveletur Antichristus oportet desolari Imperium Romanum, quod ei resistit ne reveletur. P. 167 and 168. Ut prima Bestia habitura est quendam magnum Regem sectâ suâ, sic prædicta Secunda Bestia seu Pseudo-propheta egredietur de sinu Ecclesiæ. P. 173. Tradenda est ipsa Meretrix Babylon et Imperium Romanorum Bestiæ. P. 198. Roma est illa civitas magna, et nova Babylon et meretrix ; in quâ civitate etiam peregrinatur Hierusalem civitas sancta. Et (p. 168) habitura est quendam magnum Prælatum quasi sit Universalis Pontifex in toto orbe terrarum, ut ipse sit ille Antichristus de quo dicit Paulus, Extollitur et adversatur super omne quod dicitur Deus aut quod excolitur, ita ut in templo Dei sedeat, ostendens se tanquam sit Deus. These interpretations from the pen of the Abbot Joachim (A. D. 1200) are the more striking, because they are contained in a work inscribed to a Roman Pontiff. Some other similar passages concerning the Church of Rome (e.g. Mulier auro inaurata quæ cum terræ principibus fornicatur, Romana Ecclesia ista est) from Joachim's other writings, will be found in Appendix C. in the Second Volume of the present Work.

follows. They have not been defiled with women *. What women? it may be asked. If we proceed, we read of THE WOMAN seated on the Beast, and of the harlotry of the Woman, with whom the Kings of the earth commit fornication. And soon we see her displayed in all her meretricious splendour ‡. There, then, is the reply §.

This Vision of the One hundred and forty-four thousand shows us that we are now again at the period of the Sixth Seal, and of the Sixth Trumpet or Second Woe.

An Angel now appears, flying in mid heaven, having in his hand the Everlasting Gospel-a remarkable contrast to the great City vaunting herself Eternal, which is a name of blasphemy ||. He has the everlasting Gospel to preach to all Nations and Tongues; and He cries, Fear God, and give Him glory; for the hour of his judgment is come **.

This confirms the interpretation before given†† concerning the Second Woe. The loosing of the four Angels at the river of Babylon-the rising of the Two Witnesses-and the Preaching of the Ever

*The critical reader need not be reminded that this use of the Plural for the Singular is very frequent in the New Testament, as in classical authors. See Matt. ii. 20. Acts xvii. 28. 18.Bentley's Sermon ii. on Atheism, and Glassii Phil. Sacra, p. 282. 421.

+ Chap. xv. 8.

§ Compare Rev. xv. 2. **Rev. xiv. 7.

tt See above, Lect. VII.

Chap. xvii. 1-7.

|| Rev. xiii. 1.

p. 213-225.

lasting Gospel to all the World, appear to refer to the same period, and to describe the free spread of the Holy Scriptures in every tongue, as a Witness to the World, and as a Woe to their Enemies, and then shall the end come*.

Another Angel follows; announcing the fall of Babylon t. This appears to be in the time of the Seventh Vial,-when Babylon comes into remembrance before God. Babylon is destroyed: but the Beast still remains. Romanism will survive Rome.

A third Angel warns the world against worshipping the Beast, or receiving his mark; and declares the eternal punishment due to that sin §. And a Voice from Heaven is heard, saying, Write, Blessed are the dead, who die in the Lord: yea, now, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works follow them ||.

One like the Son of Man appears, sitting on a white cloud, having a golden crown, that is, as King of Kings, and bearing a sickle in his hand. And a fourth Angel proceeds from the Sanctuary, and cries, Put in thy sickle, and reap; for the time of harvest is

come

**

* Matt. xxiv. 14.

Rev. xvi. 19.

+ Rev. xiv. 8.

§ Rev. xiv. 9-12.

|| Rev. xiv. 13. ἀπάρτι, ναὶ, λέγει τὸ Πνεῦμα This is a prophetic encouragement, promising immediate rest to all who suffer for Christ.

** Rev. xiv. 15, 16.