Lateinos among other interpretations, and this he applies to the Roman power, which, according to the numerical character of the Greek Letters, composing it makes up the number 666. Various other attempts have been made to ascertain these Numbers, and to fix the Person here meant, which I pass over; because I DOUBT whether ANY RELIANCE WHATEVER can be placed on SUCH A METHOD of DEDUCTION and, when I BELIEVE that the PASSAGE can be SATISFACTORILY made out WITHOUt it, MY OPINION IS, that WE NEED NOT TROUBLE OURSELVES CONCERNING IT. I am not without MY DOUBTS, however, whether THIS is not A FALSE READING, and whether IT has not been INTRODUCED by some EARLY COPYIST, for the purpose of filling up what HE might have supposed to be ELLIPTICAL. The passage Now is: ἀριθμὸς γὰρ ἀνθρώπου ἐστὶ, καὶ ὁ ἀριθμὸς ἀυτου χξς': and, TAKING AWAY the NUMERALS, we shall have kaì i àpiμès avτõu, parallel to the same Evangelist in Chap. viii. 44. kai i naThe autou, which has given abundance of trouble to the Commentators.'

It is true that Professor Lee has (in the foregoing words) alluded to IRENEUS from the mention of his Name, and that of LATEINOS; but can we reasonably suppose, therefore, that the Hebrew Professor had carefully read over, or studied, what that Greek and Christian Father had written on the subject of the Number 666, when he expressed his 'DOUBTS concerning the authenticity of it, by insinuating that it isA FALSE READING,' and questioning whether ANY RELIANCE WHATEVER can be placed on SUCH

6

a METHOD of DEDUCTION?' Surely he could not; because IRENEUS has given us the THREE identical GREEK NUMBERS XES', in the precise manner in xs', which they are set forth in the TEXT of all the authentic copies of the Greek Testament : 1 καταλλήλως ουν και τὸ ὄνομα ἀυτὸν ἕξει τὸν ἀριθμὸν χξς'.

And not only has IRENEUS given us the THREE Greek Numerals x§s', but he has likewise assured us in the most unequivocal Terms that the Number 666, was delivered by those who had seen St. John' face to face,' as well as set forth in ALL THE ANCIENT, the MOST APPROVED, and OLD SCRIPTURES, and that it was the true Number of the Beast: 2 His autem sic se habentibus, et IN OMNIBUS ANTIQUIS et PROBATISSIMIS et VETERIBUS SCRIPTURIS NUMERÔ HÔC POSITÔ, et Testimonium perhibentibus his, qui FACIE AD FACIEM JOANNEM VIDERUNT, et ratione docente nos, quoniam NUMERUS NOMINIS BESTIE secundum GRÆCORUM COMPUTATIONEM per LITERAS quæ in EO sunt, SEXCENTOS hahebit, et SEXAGINTA, et SEX.' Furthermore, as if with a view to remove all possible DOUBTS which might be subsequently entertained concerning the PERFECTION of the Number 666, and to guard us against any SPURIOUS NUMBER, we have his testimony in affirmation of the former, in opposition to the latter: 3 Oportet itaque tales discere, et ad VERUM recurrere Nominis NUMERUM: ut NON IN PSEUDOPROPHETARUM LOCO Deputentur. Sed SCIENTES FIRMUM NUMERUM qui à SCRIPTURA

1 Irenæ. lib. V. cap. xxix. p. 446.

3 Ibid. cap. xxx. p. 448.

Ibid. cap. xxx. p. 447.

ANNUNTIATUS EST, id est, SEXCENTORUM SEXAGINTA SEX,' &c. Moreover, having summed up the Iniquity and Apostacy of the Numbered Beast, IRENEUS concludes by saying, in the words of the Ancients : 1 Et propter hoc IN BESTIA VENIENTE recapitulatio sit Universa Iniquitatis et Omnis Doli, ut in Ea (scil. BESTIA) confluens et conclusa Omnis Virtus Apostatica, in caminum mittatur ignis. CONGRuENTER autem et NOMEN EJUS, habebit NUMerum, SEXCENTOS SEXAGINTA SEX,' &c. IRENEUS has still further certified to us by three several Examples that the NUMBER of the Beast is 666, as he says: 2 ΕΥΑΝΘΑΣ enim NOMEN habet NUMERUM de quo quæritur:'.... Sed et LATEINOS NOMEN habet SEXCENTORUM SEXAGINTA SEX NUMERUM,' &c. .. 'Sed et TEITAN,' &c. &c. As then IRENEUS was one of the Christian Fathers who wrote expressly AGAINST ALL HERESIES, (contra omnes Hæreses,') surely it is charging Irenæus, and THE HOLY SPIRIT with deliberate falsehood to DOUBT,' 'whether THIS NUMBER XES', or 666, is not a FALSE READING.'

MEDE is not simply content with the words of St. John, but inserts parenthetically (lest we should be unmindful of the Divine Agent who indited these Numerals) INQUIT SPIRITUS.' 3 Hic est sapientia.' (INQUIT SPIRITUS) Qui intelligentiam habet, computet Numerum Bestiæ: numerus enim hominis est; et Numerus ejus 666.'

...

Shall we then excuse the Professor for his non

1 Irenæ. lib. V. cap. xxix. p. 446.

Rev. xiii. 18.

2 Ibid. cap. xxx. p. 448, 449.

examination of this subject? What can we say? It is most extraordinary that one so highly gifted with the knowledge of many languages should not have perceived the Truth of this Number, so plainly exhibited before his eyes in the reiterated words of IRENEUS, and so very often referred to by the earliest and best Commentators who have written upon the Number 666. I most assuredly thought that the Professor of Hebrew had more veneration for this Christian Father than to relinquish his Testimony upon so important a point, without a SUFFICIENT VOUCHER, but that Voucher is evidently wanting, and therefore, I must leave the Professor (as I have done in another part of this work) to second Reflections, more substantial and satisfactory. As I have answered Professor Lee more at large concerning the SPURIOUS NUMBER xis', or 616, so I must refer my Reader to that place. [See CHAPTER XIII.]

As Mr. Potter's hypothesis concerning the Square Root of the Number 666 has been so greatly extolled by the learned Dr. Henry More, Mede, and many celebrated Divines, I shall notice it in this place, and endeavour to show that it is untenable upon scriptural grounds, and that an Algebraical or Geometrical solution of the Number x§5' is foreign to the Interpretation. St. John informs us that the 2 NAME of the Beast" "Is the NUMBER of a MAN, "" and HIS NUMBER is 666." Now as we

1 Potter's Interpretation of the Number 666. 2 Rev. xiii. 17, 18.

Printed at Oxford. 1647.

have already established from IRENEUS the correctness of the Number 666; so we can equally establish the incorrectness of Mr. Potter's hypothesis; for, as the Number 666 is not a perfect Square Number, so no perfect Square Root can be extracted from it. It is manifest that the Method pursued by Mr. Potter is merely to find the nearest Square Number to the Number 666, which he would blindly lead us to suppose is 625, the Square Root of which being 25. Thus, by Multiplying the Square Root (25) into itself, and adding 41, we shall have the Number 666, which is true enough. But be it remembered that the Number 676 is a Square Number, the Root of which is 26, and which, when multiplied into itself, with 10 subtracted, will produce the Square of 666. And because the Number 666 is not a perfect Square of any Integral Number, and that the Number 26 is nearer to the Square Root of 666 than the Number 25, therefore, the Number 26 is to be preferred to the Number 25, if the Square Root system be allowed to prevail. But what, I would inquire, has St. John said about the Root of the Number 666? or, what concerning the Cube Root of the Number 666? or, what concerning the Square Root of the Number 666? The Apostle merely says, " Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding COUNT THE NUMBER of the Beast; for it is THE NUMBER of a MAN, and HIS NUMBER is SIX HUNDRED THREESCORE AND SIX." We are plainly instructed by the Holy Spirit in these words in what way our "wisdom" and

1 Rev. xiii. 18.