ebb' evelationofthe Apocalypse. CAP.17. to be talewhoré, theymull needs grant all the raft alfo with it. Fit (l, that Rome is the feat of Antichrift and not Ierufalem : For is not this Beaft Antichrifl himfelfe ? Bellarmine granteth this alfo , and the truth will wring it from him though he would not give it, as we fhall fee. But he atlirmeth that Antichrift (hall he Rome out ofthe 16. verfe beneath, thus acknowledging the Beall to beeArntichrifl very rightly, but how truly he hath fpoken that of hatred of Rome, we (hall examine it when we come to that place. Wehave and hold thefe two things out ofthis confefsion, both that this Whore is Rome, and that the Beau is Antichrit. Out of which it rnuft needs be gathered that Antichrift fhall have his Beaflly denne at Rome, fling it is the Beaft itfelfe, vpon which theWhore is carryed;doth not the Holy Ghoft fhowthat there is great coniuntion and affinity of both thefeof the whore to theBeaft, by fitting onhim,ofthe Beall. to thewhere bybearing of her.There is no man that will not fay that theman is very neerly joyned to hishorfe which he rideth on. Certainly if Antichrift fhould reign at Ierufa- lem, Rome that isfet fo far out of the Saddle, fhould walk on his ten toes, poor and bale, whichhad fo little aide from the Emperours, after thatthey took themfelves toBiz,antiiem, where they were no- thing fo farreoff. Secondly as touching the time, how abfurd is this diftine ion, that heathenifh Rome fhould be the Whore in the firfl three hundred yeers after Chrifl,but Antichrift the Beaft, should not not come till threeyeers and an half before the Taft day ? Shall fhe ride upon the Beat that was not born, no nor conceived for an ex- ceeding long time after ?Or (hall theBeaft when he (hall come,carry the whore that was dead fo many ages before ? For fhe (hall live to be the Whore a thoufand three hundredyeers,and weknow not how many more,beforc Antichrift (hall come into theworld. Thefe aredreames yea monllrtrous conceits of bearing and riding in this fenfe. The Holy Cjhoft hath taken away from you every fuch 'ihu t as this, when as he coupleth them two things togetherwith fo infeparable a connextion, whereby he forbidsus, both to feek for eflntichrift any whereLyeat Rome and not to judgeher tobe this whore at any other time, then when Antichrifl (hallhave his Sea there. Thefe two things are to be joyned together neccffarily loth inplace and time.But when (hall this time begin ? For this is a mat- ter that is yet to bedoubtedof. Namely when (hall we fee theWhorecarriedupon this Beafand through his power, authority, and help, placed in dignity, and lift up
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