The Thirteenth Chapter

The state of the church, and her conflicts with Satan for the first four hundred years, having been described in the preceding chapter; henceforward is set forth its state during the times of Antichrist, wherein both his false church, and the tine church under him, run along together. Now the description of this western Antichrist, (the Pope and his Antichristian church,) in his rise, power, greatness, and extensive dominions and adherents, as set forth in the visions of this chapter, is afterwards inter-

preted and commented on by the Holy Ghost himself in the seventeenth chapter: the opposite company, or adherents of the true church, who have the La~mb for their head, being described in the fourteenth chapter, in all those several states and conditions they should run under, from the rise of the Papacy until those very times wherein we live; wherewith 1 take it, the visions of that fourteenth chapter do end. Now Antichrist and his church, is here exhibited under the vision of a two-fold beast, pointing at the Pope, according to his double pretensions of power and headship in the church; viz. 1st, Temporal, which he claims over all kings and kingdoms, to depose and excommunicate them and their subjects at his pleasure; and whereunto the ten kings and kingdoms of Europe, (to which the western empire was now by the Goths reduced,) with one consent, tacitly submitted and resigned their power, as is interpreted in c. xvii. 12 — 17. Thus the Pope, together with the body of these ten kingdoms, joining into one under him as their head, is that first beast with ten horns, described v. 1 — 8; which new beast is a true image of the former Roman monarchy in the twelfth chapter, which being wounded and slain in the deposition of the emperors, is healed and restored to life again in this beast: and thus the Roman monarchy comes still to continue, though under another head, the Pope; who, 2dly, Besides this temporal power received from these ten kings, (thus together with him making up one beast,) claims also a spiritual power, (and his clergy with him,) of binding and loosing so as to pardon sins, and also to curse men to hell; which is peculiar to Christ alone: in this respect he and the body of his false clergy with him, do make up another beast, having two horns like a lamb, as exercising that spiritual power of Christ; for which they and he are properly called Antichrist, whose description follows in v. 11 — 18; for being head of two bodies, ecclesiastical and temporal, he is set forth under the figure of two beasts. Now this spiritual beast, (the Pope and his clergy,) is he who, by his lying doctrines, persuaded the ten kings and their subjects to submit themselves in one body under him as their head; and he is said to make the image of the first beast, or dragon, (mentioned in the twelfth chapter, viz. the former Heathenish empire and its idolatrous religion,) which is therefore said to live again; for, Not only do these kingdoms become one under the Pope, as their head; being in their very form of government, the image of the former empire, under one emperor, (the Roman monarchy continuing, in this way, still;) But besides, this new beast is called “the image of the first beast,” having like form of government and tyranny; and also in that the Pope and his clergy do mould the Christian religion, and its worship, into a true likeness and conformity to the Heathenish religion, whereunto the empire was before framed: for all the Popish worship is but the translating of those ceremonies

REV. XIII.] THE TWO-FOLD BEAST. 599

wherewith the false gods were worshipped, (Jupiter, Apollo, &c. who were cast down under the sixth seal,) into those religious ceremonies in their worship, wherewith they so worship Christ and his saints, that could any of the ancient Heathen Romans come now into their assemblies, and behold their priests in white, their processions, their sprinklings with holy water, their altars, tapers, images of saints departed, and their worship of them, their Pontifex Maximus, or great bishop and high-priest, &c. &c. they would cry out and say, “This is just our old Roman Paganism; only Jupiter is turned into Christ, and the Priests of the gods of old into Popish Bishops; and our ancient deities, Mars, Janus, ^Esculapius, &c. who were men departed, are changed for saints departed: the life of our old religion remains still, though there be a change of the gods worshipped.” Thus as Babel of old made an image, and put to death all that would not fall down before it, (for hereunto is the allusion;) so hath this mystical Babylon set up an image of the old Heathenish religion and worship; and upon the like penalty she enjoins the adoration of his image, and a conformity in worship to all the subjects of these ten kingdoms.

Now the company who cleave to this beast, and who may more or less be esteemed his followers, are distinguished into three ranks of men in several degrees, (as Mr. Brightman hath well observed on v. 16, 17,) more or less acknowledging him, or cleaving to him, and to this his image and worship; some receiving his mark or character; others his name only; and others again, the number of his name: but so, that those who will not receive or submit to one of these, more or less, during the allotted time of his reign, may not buy nor sell, that is, cannot subsist or abide in these his allotted dominions. This receiving of a mark, &c. is a similitude drawn from the old Roman custom of printing on the forehead of servants, the names of their masters; and on the hands of soldiers, the names of their emperors or generals: so all those, who belong unto this great lord and his faction, do accordingly more or less receive that whereby they may be known to be his: 1st, Some receive his character; as all priests and religious persons do, whether Jesuits or others, who are this Grand Seignieur’s Janisaries, his sworn soldiers and praetorian band: their doctrine is, That a man entered into holy orders, doth by his ordination receive an indelible character, a secret, invisible, stamp or impress, which can never be rased out. 2dly, Others receive his name; and though not in orders under him, yet so cleave to him in his worship, as openly to profess themselves his by appropriation of his name: thus as he is called Papa and Pontifex, they name themselves Papists and Ponlificii. But, 3dly, What is meant by “The number of his name?” this Mr. Brightman carries rightly to a company, taking part witfc him by a more remote kind of subjection; but not knowing well on whom to fasten it, he brings in the poor Grecians, that are strangers to the Pope, and out of the dominion of any of his ten kingdoms; who, though renouncing all acknowledgment of the Pope as their head, for many hundred years, yet were at last,(through sleights, and the baseness of one of their emperors, together with the conquest that the Europeans made at Constantinople for a while,) so far subjected, as to acknowledge him for their head, and to be called Latins, (or of the profession of the Latin Church, by which name some Popish Christians among the Greeks are still distinguished;) so receiving the number of his name, LATEINOS, ( Latinus,y the numeral letters whereof make six hundred and sixty-six, the number named in v. 18: But though this forced subjection of the Grecians, so remote, might be intended for those more ancient times, yet I think that it is not only or principally meant: first, Because these Grecian Christians are not inhabitants within the jurisdiction of those ten kingdoms of Europe, the subjects whereof are mainly intended by the inhabitants of the earth, (v. 8, 14,) that should be the worshippers of, and cleavers to this beast; of and among whom must be found this “number of his name,” as well as those that receive “his name:” And, secondly, Because some of the Christians in the west, (who assist the pouring forth the vials,) are as well said to overcome the number of his name, as others of them do his image, or his idolatrous worship, or his character of lying priests, or the beast himself, as in c. xv. 2. I take it therefore that this “number of his name” must be found in Europe, in some of those ten kingdoms where that company are that pour out the vials.

Now take the times of Popery before the Reformation, (when Protestant kingdoms first began to cast off the Pope;) and none were suffered to have any lax or inferior way of owning the beast; but all received his mark, or his name, as professed Papists, going to mass, acknowledging the Pope, and worshipping the image; or they could not buy or sell, and live quietly as others did. These therefore who receive “the number of his name,” must be some generation of men risen up since, within some of those kingdoms that have renounced the Pope: for within the Popish dominions, not only hath the Inquisition suffered none to profess less; but the most moderate Papists have professed, at least, “the name of the beast,” and therefore more than “the number of the name.” This “number of his name’’ then seems to be a company, not proceeding so far as to receive either his character or his name, by professing themselves either priests of Rome, or Papists; and yet arc they of “the number of his name,” holding and bringing in such doctrines and opinions, and such rites in worship, as shall make all men reckon, account, or number them among Papists in heart and affection; and behaving themselves so as they are, and justly deserve to be accounted and esteemed Papists, and to aim at Popery in the judgment of all orthodox and reformed Protestant*: for though their profession deny it; yet when their actions, and their corrupting of doctrine and worship, shall speak it to all men’s consciences, men cannot but judge that the Pope, and the fear of him is before their eyes, Ps. xxxvi. 1: and as those in Titus i. 16, “profess that they know God, but in works they deny him;” so these that shall profess the reformed religion, yet in all their practices and under-hand policies depress it, and advance the Popish party, are justly to be accounted Papists and to have re ceived “the number of the name” of the beast. Now the “number” of a name is not only taken arithmetically for a name consisting of numeral letters, but it is in many languages put for the account, reckoning or esteem that is commonly had of men; as in Latin we speak of “a man Nullius Numeri” of no number, or account; and so EN POLEMOOI ENARITHMIOS is used by Homer for one of great account in war, being numbered or esteemed a soldier indeed: so “the number of the name” of the beast, is the common repute or esteem to be a Papist, procured though under-hand advancing of the Popish cause. This “number” being therefore spoken in a distinct and lower degree from that “name,” (or open profession,) doth yet neces sarily import so much inclining and cleaving to the beast, (though secretly,) as shall deserve the account and repute to be numbered, truly in heart, (though but tacitly,) of his company, equally with those that receive his name. Now if in opening the meaning of the Holy Ghost in that phrase, this description shall seem to the life to picture out a generation of such kind of Popish persons as these, in any even of the most famous reformed churches, there will not want good ground for it: for though with an impudent forehead, they renounce the Pope’s character, and the name of Papists, and will by no means be called “Baal’s priests,” (though priests they affect to be called,) but boast themselves to be of the Reformation, and opposites to the Popish faction; yet with as much impudence do they bring in an image of Popish worship and ceremonies, adding to some old limbs never cast out, other substantial parts of altars, crucifixes, second service, &c. so to make up in the public worship a full likeness to that of the Popish church; bringing in the carcase first, which may be afterwards inspired with the same opinions: and all this, not as Popery, or with the annexing of

Popish idolatrous opinions, but on such grounds only whereupon Protestants themselves have continued some other ceremonies. Furthermore, As in worship, so in doctrines these men seek to introduce a presence in the sacrament of the Lord’s supper, beyond what is spiritual to faith, wMcb yet is not Popish transubstantiation; and power in priests to forgive sins, beyond what is declarative) yet not that which mass-priests arrogate; justification by works, as a condition of the gospel as well as faith, but not so grossly as in a way of Popish merit: by many such methods they truly set up an image of old Popery in a Protestant reformed way, even as Popery is an image of Pagan worship in a Christian way. Say these men what they will, that they hold not of the Pope, nor any way intend him, or the introducing of his religion into their churches, yet their actions number them as such, and gain them such esteem every where at home and abroad; as the Holy Ghost prophesied of them, fitting them with so characteristic a description of the “number of the name” of the beast. Such sort of apostates from the profession and religion wherein they were trained, being in a church so full of spiritual light and faithful witnesses, the Holy Ghost hath thought worthy of the character given them in this prophecy, to discover to whom they belong, especially seeing they would professedly deny their intention and conspiracy to make way in the end for the beast; this their duplicity going before, as the twilight serves to usher in darkness. And though haply these men will arise but in one of the ten kingdoms, (the Lutherans else where looking also very like this description,) yet growing to so potent a faction as to have power to hinder others buying and selling and quiet living among them, and being the Pope’s last champions before his fall, whom the true saints are to encounter and overcome; (for the greatest number of witnesses in that last age will belong to that one kingdom;) therefore the Holy Ghost thought not fit to leave such a company of new refined Papists out of the beast’s number and followers, although they were to continue but a short time; for the doom, as well as description of such a generation to arise “in the last days,” (of those “latter times” of the Papists rising, 1 Tim. iv. 1,) we have in another prophecy, 2 Tim. iii. 1 — 9: These shall set themselves chiefly against the power and spirit of true worship, setting up “a form” or image instead of it: but they are doomed to “proceed no further; they shall have a stop; and their “folly? madness, and hypocrisy, (to attempt to bring in Popery with denying it; and when it is going down to build such a Babel again,) “shall be manifest unto all men;” and being discovered will be overthrown: yet must they proceed further than hitherto, even to the “killing of the witnesses” in that kingdom, or tenth part of the city; as will be shewn under c. xi. And because these last champions of the beast, and healers of the wound given him, should come in the last days of all, they are therefore lasi. named and overcome by the witnesses and vial-pourers, as in c. xv. 2. Lastly, The Holy Ghost by a wise transition passing from the mention of one thing to another, agreeing in /sound but differing in sense, distinguishes the number of the beast himself from the number of his namey (v. 17, 18,) the former only being six hundred and sixty-six: such a turn is frequent in scripture, and we have it also in c. xx. 17, “The Spirit and the bride say, Come, (as speaking to Christ to come speedily to judgment, as in v. 20,) and let him that is a thirst, come, (as spoken of the believing soul coming to Christ,) unto the water of life.” As for “the number of the beast,” (to calculate which the Holy

Ghost encourages and excites us by “Here is wisdom;” see also in c. xvii. 9,) while most interpret it of the numerals of which LATEINOS, Latin or Roman, is composed, others refer it to the number of the year, A.D. 1666, according to “the number of a man,” or as men reckon dates, leaving out the thousands; and so c. xxi. 17, is “according to the measure of a man.” Thus they date the rise of Antichrist to about A.D. 406 — 410, (others two centuries later, making his fall about A.D. 1866,) when “the tenth part of the city fell;” France being broken off’ from the empire, and possessed by the Goths, who restored Rome, (which they had sacked,) on these conditions. In A.D. 412, Honorius granted the same to the Huns, and in A.D. 415, to the Goths in Spain; and by A.D. 456, all the ten kingdoms were up, who “gave their power to the beast,” and “received power as kings one hour with the beast,” c. xvii. 12. Jerome, who lived in the times of that incursion of the barbarous nations, when he saw Rome taken, and the Goths obtaining pieces of the western empire, said in his epistle to Gerontius, “He that held is taken away, (alluding to 2 Thes. ii. 6,) and we understand not that Antichrist is near.” By adding therefore twelve hundred and sixty years to any of the above supposed periods of the rise of the beast, we get the supposed date of his fall.