That the Pope of Rome is the Enemy, proved from the Scarlet-coloured Beaft, having feven beads and ten horns, Rev. xvii. 2, 3.

HAT the church of Rome is the enemy, or

TH

the Antichrift, appears from Rev. xvii. 3, 4. There John fees a woman fitting upon a fcarlet-coloured beaft, having feven heads and ten horns. These the angel interprets, ver. 9,-14. The feven heads, fays he, are feven mountains on which the woman fitteth: and the woman is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth, ver. 18. Here the angel directs our attention to a city built on seven

out both who he should be, and when he should most openly appear, when I reflect on a paffage relating to the fame subject, Rev. xvii. 9, 10, II. There the seven heads denote not only seven-hilled Rome, where was to be the feat of the woman; but also seven different forms of civil government, after which fhe fhould appear in all her pomp, riding the scarlet-coloured beaft. The Seven heads, fays the angel, are seven mountains : and there are seven kings; or, as Dr. Newton reads it, And they are feven kings. On proph. Vol. III. p. 301.

Why may not the number 666, the number of the beast, have a reference to these two, as well as the feven heads? Had we not an angel for an interpreter, we would have been ready to think, that the feven heads referred only to place, not to time. But he informs John, that they point at both. It deferves our attention, that almoft the fame words ftand as a preface to the number of the beaft, and to the explication of the feven heads. In the one it runs, Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding, count the number of the beaft, Rev. xiii. 18. In the other, Here is the mind which hath wisdom, Rev. xvii. 9.

mountains. And can any be in the dark as to what city is meant? Is not Rome as famous for her feven hills, as the Nile for her seven streams? Is not the one known among Pagan writers, by the name of feven-hilled Rome, as well as the other by the seven-ftreamed river? This is fo evident, that Papifts themselves cannot deny that Rome is meant by the city on the seven mountains; only, fay they, it is Rome Pagan, not Rome Papal. The falfity of which we shall foon fee. It was the city which in John's time reigned over the kings of the earth, that was the woman.

But it was not that city under the fixth king, or the fixth form of government, viz. heathen emperors; but under the eighth, as undeniably appears from verse 11. The then present form of government was to pafs away, another was to fucceed it, and continue a little space; and then the eighth form of government was to take place, at which time the woman was to appear in ftate. The beaft on which he was to fide, was not the fixth form of government, or imperial Rome, but the eighth, as the 11th verfe evinces. And the beast, he is the eighth. This points out Papal Rome fo clearly, that he who runs may read. For, obferve, that the feven heads of the beast on which she rode, fignified not only seven mountains, but also feven kings, or feven different forms of government, which were to take place before the harlot was to mount the beaft. kings, fays the angel; five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh he must continue a foort Space, ver. 10.

There are feven

Five kings, or five forms of government were fallen before John's time, viz. kings, confuls, dictators, decemvirs, and military tribunes, with confular authority. To all these, in their turn, the city Rome, or the Roman empire, had been fubject. One is, fays the angel, viz. emperors; and accordingly Domitian filled the throne at the time when this revelation was vouchfafed. The other, fays he, is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space: by which I would not, with fome, understand Chriftian Emperors; nor, with others, the Patriarchs who ruled at Rome, and from whofe time, the Imperial feat was tranflated from thence to Conftantinople*; but, with the learned Lowman, and Dr. Newton, I would understand the Dukedom of Rome.

It is well known, that in the fifth century, the Goths, Vandals, and other northern nations broke into the Roman empire, and divided it amongst themselves. After fome time the eastern Emperor broke the Gothic power in Italy, and reduced the greatest part of Italy into obedience to himself. And the government of Italy he adminiftred by Lieutenants, who were ftiled, Dukes of Italy. Rome was not now the feat of government, but tributary to the exarch or vice-roy of Ravenna. Thus the continued from the year 568 till 752, when the Lombards having taken Ravenna, claimed Rome as a part of its exarchate. The Pope alarmed, fends to Pepin, king of France, for protection. He enters Italy with an army; conquers Aiftulphus, king of the Lombards; obliges him not only to renounce Turret. de Secef. Difp. vi. Sect. 9..

24.; to the white ftone, given as a token of abfolu tion *, Rey. ii. 17.: fo it is highly probable, that in giving the number of the beaft's name, he alludes to what was in ufe among the ancients. Here the apostle gives the number; and from it we muft, as well as we can, collect the name. After all the fearch I have been able to make; and after delibe rating on what has been offered on this fubject, İ humbly apprehend the number of the beaft implies two things. First, Who he should be; and, Secondly, When he should appear in all his pomp.

1. I fay, it seems to point out who he fhould be. Hence the mark, and the name, and the number of the beast's name, are mentioned as being much the fame, Rev. xiii. 17. Irenæus, who lived not long after John's time, and who was the difciple of Polycarp, the difciple of John, teftifies, That they, who had feen John face to face, taught, ⚫ that the number of the name of the beaft, according to the computation of the Greeks, by the letters which are in it, had fix hundred fixty and fixt.' And the fame Irenæus gives it as his judg ment, that Lateinos is that name. The name La teinos, fays he, contains the number 666.: and it is very likely, because the last kingdom. 'called, for they are Latins who now rei Lateinos is the true orthography, as

.

wrote the long i of the Latins; fo Sabeinos, for Antoninus and Sabinv

therefore can be drawn from

* Compare Ovid Metamorph

Turret, de Seceffi. Difp,

Dr. Newton, Turret

word; and the thing agrees to admiration. The thought is venerable for its antiquity, and has á ftrong appearance of truth.

Lateinos fignifies the man of Latium, the man of Rome; the Latin man, the Latin ftate, or the Latin power: fome fuch fubftantive being understood to the adjective. And we fee that Irenæus useth the plural: the Latins, fays he, now reign. With as much propriety may we call one a Latin as an Hebrew. It was ufual of old, when speaking of an Ifraelite, to call him an Hebrew, Exod. ii. II. And, fays Paul, I am an Hebrew, Phil. iii. 5. So Lateinos fignifies the Latin. And is not he truly the Latin, who is in poffeffion of the remains and the antient seat of the Latin empire? who fuffers public worship to be performed in no other language but Latin? and who iffues out his mandates and his decrees in no other? In every thing do the Papists Latinize: maffes, prayers, hymns, litanies, canons, decretals, bulls, are all conceived in Latin. Nor is the fcripture read in any other language than Latin. The council of Trent commanded the Latin thentic verfion; nor do their fer it to the Hebrew and the 7, the Roman church is by Latin church: and this difthat in the general or bishops were called ireeks.

to

only

de

br

s to its grammatical tive of the church of umeral value in Greek, number of the beast, as