.An Advertifernent. leis Synopfis, bath recited greater diverfity of Opinions than I have done ; where the Argil-. menu for them may be partly feen, which my fhort Notes mutt not take in. The Points which are too hard for me, are there efpecially: I. Whether the Dragon, Bean, or Falfe prophet, or Whore, be the fpecial Antichrift ? Andwhether the Cafe ofAntichrift be here much, or at all, meddled with ? n. Who is the first Beall ? Chap. 13. III. who is the fecundBeall ? Iv. What is the image ofthe Beaft? V. What is his Mark receiv'd, and what hisName, and what is the Number of it re- ceiv'd ? VI. What is the Whore ? VII. Who are the two Witneffes? and where and whenkill'd? VIII. What is the binding of the Dragon, and the Thoufand Years Reign, and Refurre. (lion, andwhere ? lx. What, and when, and where is the Army againft the Holy City, and the Wars at ..Armageddon i X. What, and when, and where is the New Yersrfalem ? I. As to the firtt, I long took it for granted, that Antichrift is here fpoken of, even the fame mention'd by yohn in his Epiftle, and by Paul, z Iheff, z. z. But, to my admiration, when I fearch'd, I couldfind neither the Name of.Antiehrift, nor an arm-raining Defcripti- on of him ; fo that I began to think better ofthe moll LearnedJudicious Hiercm. Zanehy, who rook Mahomer to be the Antichrift, tho' the Pope's Crimes might allow us to take him for one of thole other Antichritts, of whom john faith there were many. And ifany find hitn here charalteriz'd, as call'd the Beat, thefalfeProphet, or the Whore, I will crave his Pardon for my choofing to take up with theScripture- Names. I amnot wirer than the Revealer of there things, in naming fuch ashe here fpeaketh of; Why are not the Names here given us (ùflicient? I will explain the word (,Anrichrifi] where I find it,and the words I Beall, falje Prophet, IY ore, &c.3 where I find them. I dread Fif9ion and Addition. Of the Dcfcriptton I Shall fj eak after. H. Who is the fill Beaft, is ofgreat importance, ofwhich I find many Opinions : Thofe ofthe Fathers and thePapifts I pats by ; there nowamong us Rand chiefly in competition. t. Thofe that fay it ìs the Roman Empire, as containing both the Pagan and the Papal State. 2. Thofe that fay it is the papal Civil Power only, as upheld by Popish Princes, the ten Kings.' 3. Thofe that fay it is only the Papacy, or Antichrift, who is the frft Beaft, as in Civil Power, and the fecund in Ecclefiaiical. 4. Thofe that fay it is only the Pagan Empire. (Others I pars by that fay, s. It is theGreeks Eaftern Empire ; 6. Or the Turi ii , Empire ; 7. Or a future unknown .Antichrift I. Or the Devil.) a. Mr. Merle faith, the firlt is the common Opinion, but not true, he is for the fecund ; and Mr. Durham, and nianyof late, for the third, and all ofthem againft thefourth. I Shall not further mention their Reafons againft each other, but only thof that are brought for the papacy, either alone, or with its Supports, and chore that are brought againft the fourth Opinion, (which is for thePagan Empire.) I. They fay that the firfl Beaft molt needs be the Papacy (or its Supports.) t. Betauf'e yahn law the riling of ir, fo that it was then to come : but PaganRome was before. 2. Be. carafe he fucceedeth the Dragon in his Seat. 3. It is the Pope that owneth the Names of Blafphemy. 4. He is adord. s. He only healeth the wounded Head. 6. He is contem- porary with the ten Kings with.crowsid Horns. 7. He is contemporary with Babylon,which is Papal Rame. 8. All the Texts agree to Plal Rome. 9. He is Antichrift, who is to fit in the Temple ofGod. to. That which hinder d was to be remov'd before his Revelation, which was the Empireas Pagan. N. And they fay, it cannot be the Pagan Empire ; t. Becaufe that was rifen long before. s. Becaufe it was not that power which was the fìxth Head, but the feventh and eighth, and afcended out of the bottomtefs Pit, with whom the ten Kingswere to receive King- doms. 3_ Becaufe the Pagan Empire was not contemporary with Babylon. 4. This Beall was to continue One thoúfand Two hundred and fixty years, whereas the Pagan Empire Knúitued but Three hundred and fixty. $. It had not the tea crowned Horns. 6. The Roman
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