Serm. XXVI. The 13Zeffëdnefr äfGóódMëñ after I3eäth. j 9 So that ibis Beafl is plainly the Roman Empire; and the Woman that fitteth upon ber, is the great City ftanding. upon f vee mountains, whichrreigneth over the Kings of the earth ; which can be no other than Rome, as is agreed by In- terpreters on all fides. Bellarmine (1. 2. c. 2. de Rom. Pontif.) confeifeth that St. Yohn in the Revelations every where calleth Rome, Babylon, as Tertullian ( faith he ) hath noted, and as is plain from Chap. i 7. where Babylon is faid to be feared on fevers mountains, and tohave dominion over the Kings oftbe earth : There being no other City than Rome, which in the time of St. Yohn haddomi- nion over the Kings of the earth ; and that Rome was built upon fevers bills is famous. Thus much Bellarmine acknowiedgeth, conftrained by the force of Truth; and for another finali Reafon ; namely, becaufe St. Peter writes his firft Epiftle from Babylon, by which if Rome he not meant, they have no proof from Scripture, that St. Peter was ever there. Indeed they of the Church of Rome would have it to be only Rome Pagan. But that cannot be ; becaufe this Beal, after his lafl head etas wounded to death, and his deadly wound was healed, hadpower given him to continue two and forty Minaths, or (as it is elfewhere expreft,) a 26o days; that is, in the Prophetick Style, fo many Years ; and likewife becaufe it was not to begin till the Ten King- doms, into which the Roman Empire upon its diffolution was divided, were fet up ; which was not till after the Weflern Empire was Overthrown and Deftroyed, by the Goths and Vandals. And Laftiy, becaufe this is that Rame or Babylon, which should finally be deflroyed, and call as a Milliane into the bottom ofthe Sea, never to rife again ; which is yet to come. AncLof this Beau, it is faid, that he fhould make War with the Saints, and overcome them. Chap. 13. Ver. 7. that is, that he should raife a long and great Perfecution againft them, which Mould. try their Faith aitd Patience ; Ver. t o. Here is the Patience, and the Faith ofthe Saints. The Beall then with Ten Horns, inuit be Rome, governing the Tan Kingdoms, into which the Roman Empire was broken ; and this can be nothing elfe, but Rome Papal, to which the Ten Kings are faid to give their Power, and to which they were in a moft Servile manner fubje& for Several Ages, as is plain from Hiftory. And to confirm this, it is very obfervable, that the Ancient Fathers generally agree, that that which hindered the revealing of the Wicked. One, (fpoken of by St. Paul, 2 Theft. 2. 7, 8.) was the Roman Empire and that being removed, the Man of Sinor Antichrill was to fucceed in its room. I shall produce a few Tefti. monies to this purpofe, but very remarkable ones. Tertullian expounding what St. Paul means, by him that with-.holdeth or letteth, hath theft words, Q sis, üfï ,Romanus Status, &c.? Who is that, but the Roman State, which being broken in- to Ten Kings, Jhall bring on Aníichri/i? And then the. Wicked one thrall be reveal- ed. And in his Apology he gives this Reafon, why the Chriftians íhould pray for the Roman Emperours, and the whole Stateof the Empire; becaufe thegreateff mifchief hanging over the World, is hinder'd by the continuance of it. St. Chry- fo/lom fpeaking of that which hinders the revelationof the Man of Sin; this (fays he) can be no other, than the Roman Empire : for as long as that !lands, hedarn not thew himfelf; but upon the vacancy or çeafzngof that, he (hall aflame io him- felf both the Power of God and Man. St. Auflin, in his Book de Civit. Dei, nd Man (fays he) doubts, but that the Succefor to the Roman Emperour in Rome (hall be the Man of Sin ; and we know who bath fucceeded him. But now after this, another Beal is reptefented coming out of the Earth ; not fucceeding in the place of the Aft Beeff, but appearing during his confirm.: ante, Ver. 52. and he hath thefe remarkable Chara&ers, by which he may bd known. z. He is faid to have but two horns ; bywhich, according to the Interpretation of the ten horns, fignifying the ten Kingdoms, into which the Roman Empire of. ter its diffolution fhould be divided, we are in all Reafon tounderftand twoofthefe Kingdoms, of which this Beal, whoever he be, (hall be Poffeft. 2. He is Paid to be like a Lamb, but to fpeak like a Dragon; that is, to pre- tend and make a Phew of great Lenity and Mildnefs, in his Proceedings ; but that C c .really
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