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are as full of venom as a toad, and as full of malice to Chrift as an egg is full of

meat.

And I ftood on the fea fand,' Rev. xii. 18.

Now John affirmeth that he ftood uponthe fea fand to behold the beaft which rifeth out of the fea in the next chapter, or elfe because the Greek word (eftathtus) may be of the third perfon, which is, he stood; that is, the dragon ftood; it may bear that fenfe, that the devil ftood upon the fea fand, as it were working and framing out of the fea his chief inftrument, which is the beaft now following to be fpoken of.

WE

CHAP. XIII.

E have heard in the former chapter the defcription of the church, and. of her arch-enemy the devil, and of the battle betwixt them, with the fuccefs thereof. Now in this chapter we are to hear of the dragons two great inftruments,whereby he fighteth against the woman, that is, the Roman empire, and the Papacy. For by thefe two, as it were his two hands, he, hath in all ages, from the apoftles time to NUMB. II.

X

'this day, moft cruelly affailed and afflicted the church. Therefore the main defign of this chapter is to defcribe at large these two beafts, together with all their beastly proceedings. So that this chapter may fitly be divided into two principal parts.

First, A defcription of the Roman monarchy, when it was at the highest pitch, unto the eleventh verfe.

Secondly, A defcription of the Papacy, when it was in his pride and exaltation, in all the verfes following unto the end of this chapter.

In the first of these two main branches the Roman empire is diverfely defcribed: First, The pedigree thereof.

Secondly, Of her feven feveral govern

ments.

Thirdly, Of her great and out-ftretched

power.

Fourthly, Of her victories.

Fifthly, Of her blafphemies.

Sixthly, Of her fury, rapine, and pride. After this is fet down the wound which was made in the empire, with the curing of the fame.

Lastly, Is fet down the great and admirable power and authority of the Roman empire, which ruled over a great part of the world, and had many nations fubject unto it, especially when the Popes were the heads thereof.

In the fecond main part is Papacy very lively defcribed.

First, From the pedigree thereof, which is of the earth.

Secondly, From the civil and ecclefiaftical power thereof, which is pretended to come from Chrift, although in truth it is of the devil.

After this is fet down, that the Papacy fhould be as mighty, and perform as much in the fervice of the dragon, against God, as ever the empire of the Heathen could do, both by authority, and force; and efpecially by lying wonders.

Then it is fhewed that as the Papacy did in fubftance of matter fet up, and restore again the old Roman tyranny to be worfhipped and wondered at; fo hath it framed an hierarchy or ecclefiaftical government, after the very form and prefident of the ancient Roman tyranny; which is indeed fo like it, that it is called the lively image. thereof: and he hath by his clergy and their jurifdiction, put fuch life and fpirit into this image, that it fpake with authority and power in all countries and kingdoms; in fo much, that whofoever would not fubmit himself thereunto, and both profefs and practife Popery, and yield himfelf wholly to the Papacy, he fhould die for it.

Laft of all, is described and discovered

from the numerative letters of the name of the fecond beaft, both who he was, and from whence he fhall fpring.

And I faw a beaft rife out of the fea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns were ten crowns, and up-` on his heads the name of blafphemy," Rev. xiii. 1.

First, We are to underfland that a beaft in the fcripture doth fignify a kingdom, or monarchy; and that not in refpect of the civil power thereof, which is of God, as it is written, there is no power but of God,' Rom. xiii. 1. but in respect of the tyranny, cruelty, ambition, pride, and other fuch like beastly qualities thereof, which are of the devil: and therefore this beaft is faid to afcend out of the bottomlefs pit, Rev. xvii. 8.

This word beaft is thus taken in the feventh of Daniel, where the three great monarchies of the Babylonians, Medes and Perfians, and of the Grecians, are com pared for their pride, rapine and cruelty, to a lion, a bear, and a leopard, Dan: vii. 17. The angel in that chapter faith exprefsly, that these beafts were kings, that is, kingly governments or dominions.

By the beast in this place is meant the Roman monarchy, not in regard of the civil power thereof, but efpecially in re

fpect of the tyranny of it, in oppreffing the church.

By the fea here is meant the troublefome ftate of the nations; as it is taken, Rev. v. 6. and chap. ii. 1. For from the boiling and broiling eftate of the former kingdoms and heathen nations, which were as a raging fea, did the Roman empire fpring up, as all hiftories do witness. And the prophet Daniel doth plainly teach, that through, the divifion of the Greek empire, which fell out in the fucceffors of Alexander the Great, especially betwixt his two captains Ptolomeus and Seleucus, this Roman monarchy by degrees made a head, till at laft it came to this pitch, which now we fhall hear of, Dan. x. II.

By the feven heads of this beast, are the feven feveral governments of the Roman empire. ft, By Kings. zdly, By Confuls. 3dly, By Decemviri. 4thly, By Dictators. 5thly, By Triumviri. 6thly, By Emperors. And Lastly, by Popes, as hereafter fhall more plainly appear, Rev. xvii. 9.

the ten horns of this beaft is meant the great power and large dominion of the Roman empire; or, as the angel himself doth expound it, thereby is meant ten kings, that is, many kingdoms which fhould be fubject to the Roman monarchy, and where

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