G A p.il. loo Again1 Bellarmine, Atlibe one, andnot many ; For, faith he, the Scripture loth alwayes II, e * in the fingular number, as bell of the CharaEler as oftheName, and the number ofthe name ofAntichril ; and therefore feeing the ad- verfaries multiply fomany Chara&ters,as the oathof fdelity,the Priefl- ly annoynting,tbe profefTon ofthe TomiJhfaith, &c. they knout not *hat this MarkJhould be. I anfwer, that this is verrweakwhichyou fay touching the fingular number ofthe Gharafter, feeingAretas, Com- plutenfas, and force other Copies ofno (mall authority reade it thus in the6. verfe, that they may give markunto them ; neither do they meanmany marks in regardof the multitudes of them that do take the mark, feeing the fame Copies do with one confent exp reffe the Seal ofGod in the ungular number, though they fpeak of many, as Which havenot thefeal,not the Seals,Chap.9,4, Befides,is it ffrange to you to have many things fignified by a ungular number, and on the contrary, to have one thing expreffed by a plurali number? But the name and the number of the name are fingularmatters, be it fo; Cer- tainly, you might as well conclude, that Mizraim is in the fingular number,becaufe Put & Canaan with whom it is joyned,are the fame number,Gen.zo.6. Whowas ever fo ffrift as to require this, that all words which are reckoned up inone fentence, fhould be alike in all things, Cafe, Number and Gender ? or if Grammar rules will not fatisfie you, Logick will make you be quiet, which teacheth that a Charatler is one in name, many indeed t For it is the Charatler, whichall muff needs take, verfe i6. But it is as neceffary, that all men fhould take either the Character, fo called properly, or the nameof the Beaft, or the number of his name, verf 17. Therefore all thefe are Marks, and that which was called a Mark in generali, verfe 16. We underffand now, that it containethmany kinder, and that it is falfe which you affirm that there is but one Mark. Secondly, you obje}, that the Markin common to allmen, but the oath offidelity, and the Prieflly untlion, i6 proper to .t feW. I anfwer, that the Mark, is double, one general! comprehending within it all the reff ofthe badges of the Beall : the other fpeciall, that is a part and member ofthe former. For that which is called firff a Mary,, verf, i6. is diftributed into three members, verf. 17. namely, the Mark fo called by the name of the whole , the name of the Beal, and the number of the name. Now therefore fee how properly you realon : The Marke is common to all men, the Oath of fidelity is not common to all men. Therefore it is not the Mark. In the Major, the Character is taken generally , but
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