A Paraphrase on the New Testament, Revelation · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
1. ANd I ſtood upon the ſand of the ſea, and ſaw a beaſt riſe up out of the ſea, having ſeven heads, and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blaſphemy.
1. Moſt of the ol… Fathers expounded this of an Antichriſt, that ſhould come toward the end of the World. Some Papiſts take it to be the ſecond Coſroe, that ſucceeded his Father in Perſia. Others take the Beaſt to be the ſtate of the Heathen Religion at Rome; the ſeven Heads ſignifying either ſeven Emperors, or the ſeven Hills; and the ten Horns, and the Crowns, the Conſederate Kingdoms; and the name of Blaſphemy, the Titles of Rome, called, A Goddeſs, and the eternal City, with its Idolatrous Profeſſion. Others take the two Beaſts here, to be but one, under two Relations; that is, the Pope, or Papacy: Or, ſay ſome, the Roman Kingdom under the Pope, and the Papacy it ſelf, as Eccleſiaſtick. Some take the Devil to be this Beaſt; ſome, the Turkiſh Empire; ſome, the Greek Empire: and ſome take this firſt Beaſt to be the Roman Empire, as Chriſtian. The hardeſt part of the Controverſie is between them that ſay, It is Heathen Rome, and thoſe that ſay, It is Papal Rome: And the Reaſons which they give againſt each other, ſeem ſtronger than the aſſertive Reaſons of either ſide; of which, many Volumes are written. Some ſay, that the ſeven Heads are ſeven Kings, which went immediately before Antichriſt; and that the name of Blaſphemy is, ſay ſome, the Titles given the Pope (as God, and Ʋniverſal Head, or Biſhop, and Chriſt's Ʋniverſa… Vicar, that can forgive ſin, and bring Souls from Purgatory, &c.) Or, as others, his Idolatry.
2. And the beaſt which I ſaw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his ſeat, and great Authority.
2. The Leopard was the Type of the Greeks, the Bear of the Perſians, and the Lyon of the Babylonians: And all are ſet together, to ſignifie the Cruelty of the firſt Beaſt, and variety of its Exerciſe. This was the Heathen Idolatry, as exerciſed by Domitian, &c. ſay ſome, to which Satan made the Imperial Power to contribute its utmoſt help. Or, as others, it was the Papal Idolatry and Cruelty, which Satan now propagated by Chriſtian names and pretences, as before he had promoted the like, in the name of Heathens Gods.
3. And I ſaw one of his heads, as it were wounded to death, and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondred after the beaſt.
3. To paſs by thoſe, that expound this of the Son of Coſroe, King of Perſia, ſome take it for the burning of the Capitol at Rome, the Head-Temple of Idols; either in Vitellius's Stirs, when after Veſpaſian rebuilt it; or in Titus's Reign, when, being burnt by Lightning, Domitian rebuilt it. But it ſeemeth unlikely that all this ſhould be ſpoken of ſo ſmall a matter as a Temple. Others expound it of the ſacking and taking of Rome five times in forty two Years, by the Goths and Vandals; and the Recovery, by Juſtinian, and Beliſarius, and Na…ſes. The moſt learned Proteſtants ſay, the deadly Wound of the Beaſt was, the Overthrow of the Heathen, Roman, Religion and Power; but what the Healing was, is the doubt: Julian's Cure was too ſhort to be meant: Moſt think, that the very erecting of the Papacy is meant, as reſtoring Deviliſm, or Idolatry, under the Chriſtian name. Other Proteſtants think, that the many Schiſms in the Papacy, was the deadly Wound: and that it was healed by the Councils of Conſtance and Baſil. And others think, that the Reformation gave the Pope the Wound; and that the Revolt to Popery, in France, by Hen. IV. in England, by Queen Mary; in Germany, by the Overthrow of the Palſgrave, &c. was the healing of it. To wander after him, is, to follow him in blind Devotion.
4. And they worſhipped the dragon which gave power unto the beaſt, and they worſhipped the beaſt, ſaying, Who is like unto the beaſt? who is able to make war with him?
4. That is, ſay ſome, They worſhip the Devil, under the name of Heathen Gods, for making their Empire ſo great, and repairing the Wound of their Religion. Say others, They honoured and ſerved the Papacy, and him that erected it, thinking it had been God, when it was the Devil: admiring the Sanctity and Power of the Papacy.
5. And there was given unto him a mouth ſpeaking great things, and blaſphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
5. This the Ancients expound, of an Antichriſt not yet come: And others, of Domitian: And others, of the Pope.
6. And he opened his mouth in blaſphemy againſt God, to blaſpheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
6. Say ſome, He blaſphemed the true God and Chriſt directly; (that is, Domitian, perſecuting Chriſtians.) Say others, 'Tis the Papal Blaſphemy, by Tranſubſtantiation, Image-worſhip, arrogating God's Prerogatives, perſecuting them that obey his Word, &c.
7. And it was given unto him to make war with the ſaints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
7. Thoſe that take the firſt Beaſt to be Mahomet himſelf, with his Arabian, Saracen Powers; and the ſecond, to be the Turkiſh Mahometans; do eaſily tell when, and how the Saints were overcome, and Nations ſubjected to him. But ſeveral Objections lie againſt this, and ſo there do againſt thoſe that apply it to Domitian: And why it may not more plauſibly be applyed to ſome following Perſecutors, eſpecially Diocleſian, I ſee not yet. But that it is meant of the Papal Tyranny, is the more eaſily believed by many that know the truth of the Hiſtory, that all the ten Heathen Perſecutions, ſet together, were a little thing, compared to the Papal Blood-ſhed. Mede truly tells us, that Perion reporteth (and divers ſecond him) t…a…, in France alone, a Million of the Albigenſes and Waldenſes were killed: And that Sanders de Viſ Mon. l. 8. dem. 34. confeſſeth, that infinite Lollards were burnt in Europe: And that Vergerius ſaith that, within thirty Years, an hundred and fifty thouſand were conſumed by the Inquiſition, and ſuch Means. And the numbers murdered in Bohemia, and other Countries; and ſince then, in the Low-Countries, France, England, Ireland, &c. render the ten Perſecutions by Heathens, as deſcribed by our moſt aggravating old Church-Hiſtorians, to appear but as Morſel to the Papal Sacrifices.
8. And all that dwell upon the earth ſhall worſhip him, whoſe names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb ſlain from the foundation of the world.
8. And his great Power and Victories ſhall cauſe the generality of worldly men, to own, admire and obey him (whether it be the Heathen Rome, or Mahometans, or the Pope;) except thoſe choſen Children of Wiſdom, whoſe names, from the foundation of the world, were by God's Decree written in the Book of the ſlain Lamb, or in the Catalogue of thoſe who were to be ſaved by Chriſt crucified.
9. If any man have an ear, let him hear 10. He that leadeth into captivity, ſhall go into captivity: he that killeth with the ſword, muſt be killed with the ſword. Here is the patience and the faith of the ſaints.
9, 10. Let all Chriſtians regardfully mark what I ſay, that they be not by the ſucceſs of Perſecutors or Tyrants, tempted from their Patience, Conſtancy or Duty: Though theſe great Conquerours and Perſecutors are a while adored for their Succeſs and Power, in the end they ſhall be uſed as they uſed others, commonly when they have conquered and triumphed, others conquer them, and triumph over them; and when they have killed many, they are uſually killed themſelves: Few famous Conquerors die the common death of all men. Therefore the holy Wiſdom of God teacheth his Saints, as much as is poſſible, to avoid War, even defenſive, and to overcome by Faith and Patience, eſpecially in the caſe of Perſecution, and of private and particular perſons towards injurious Rulers; though Kingdoms may exerciſe ſelf-defence, leſt they tempt all their Neighbours to make them their prey.
11. And I beheld another beaſt coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb, and he ſpake as a dragon.
11. Many ſay, that by Another Beaſt, is meant the former in another reſpect, and that they are but one. But when the Text ſaith, it is Another, with ſo many notes and acts of difference, ſuch preſumption doth not expound the ſenſe, but make it, and may ſay any other improbable thing. Others that ſay, the firſt Beaſt was Heathen Rome, and the ſecond Papal Rome, will as hardly as the former make it probable, that Heathen Rome was one of the Popes Heads, if he be the Beaſt: Was the firſt Beaſt but one of the many Heads of the ſecond Beaſt? Or, was the Heathen Religion but one of Heathen Rome's own Heads? Or, was the Pope's wounded Head in being before him? If the Heathen Rome or its Heatheniſm, was the wounded Head of the firſt Beaſt, then the Pope was not the firſt Beaſt, for that was not one of his Heads, eſpecially at its overthrow by Conſtantine. Grot. and Dr. H. that ſay the ſecond beaſt is Apollonius, or Magicians, or Magick, if they ſoconfine it, ſpeak as improbably. Whoever was the ſecond, his Lamb-like Horns ſhew him to be an Hypocrite pretending to Truth, & his Dragon-like Speech ſhew him to be the Devil's Agent. But the Reaſons to prove both one, being againſt the plain Text, ſome think rather that the firſt Beaſt was the Idolatrous Emperours that ſo cruelly ſet up Image-worſhip, in the Eaſt and Weſt, and the Pope the ſecond Beaſt that flattered them, and rebelliouſly excommunicated thoſe that were againſt them; and his firſt notable Power was obtained by engaging himſelf in the cauſe of the Image-worſhippers, and extolling and flattering them; and withal flattering Pipin, and Ch. Martell, and others, to maintain him in …his Rebellion, by invading the Weſtern Empire, and then engaging moſt ſucceeding Princes in the ſame cauſe.
And ſome think that the Pope is the firſt Beaſt, and the ſecond are his Councils, and Cardinals, and Clergy, and Jeſuits, and Fryars, that cry him up, and perſuade the World to obey and follow him, according to his univerſal claim.
And if the difficult Objections againſt all theſe laſt, ſhould incline us rather to think that it is the Heathen Empire that is the firſt Beaſt, I ſhould (by reviewing the Hiſtory of Fact) think that the ſecond Beaſt was (not Apollonius fabled of by Philoſtratus and Hierocles, but) the whole Gowned and Literate Tribe; Learning, and the pompous oſtentation of it, being then almoſt as much of the Glory, Pride, and Strength of Rome, as the Military Power: And I ſhall ſhew anon how ordinary it was for the firſt Beaſt, the Imperial Military Power, to arrogate the name of God's, and to have Temples, Altars, and Sacrifices: And the ſecond Beaſt, Poets, Orators, Comedians, Philoſophers, Hiſtorians, as well as Augurs, and Southſayers, and Magicians, and Prieſts, all flattered and applauded theſe blaſphemous Emperours; and the great Learning of theſe men was ſet up againſt Chriſtianity, as deſpiſed fooliſhneſs: As they did with Paul at Athens, so did the Learned Romans count Chriſtians Bablers, and ignorant Barbarians: Learning (vain and carnal) was as great a glory to Rome as Arms, and it's doubtful whether the Imperial Power, or the Literate Oppoſition and Scorn, did more hinder the reception of Chriſtianity. But Chriſt and the Croſs at laſt conquered both, and uſed both to promote the Goſpel. Yet this might be ſaid to ariſe out of the Earth; for when it was uſed for enmity and ſtrife againſt Chriſt, it was fooliſhneſs with God, and as James ſaith, ch. 3. was earthly, ſenſual and deviliſh, cauſing confuſions, and every evil work.
12. And he exerciſeth all the power of the firſt beaſt before him, and cauſeth the earth, and them which dwell therein, to worſhip the firſt beaſt, whoſe deadly wound was healed.
12. If it be the Heathen Empire that is ſpoken of, 1. Then it ſeemeth likeſt that the deadly wound was the ſhame and ſhaking of the Empire by the deaths of Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Galba, Otho, and Vitellius; every Emperour, between Auguſtus and Veſpaſian, murdered by others or themſelves; and the Suſpenſion of Veſpaſian at firſt, (or afterward the ſhake that Heatheniſm had there by the Wiſdom and Honeſty of the Antonines, and after of Alexander Severus, and Philip) yet the firſt ſoon repaired by Veſpaſian, Titus and Domitian, and all the reſt at laſt by Diocleſian (after Decius, Aurelian, &c.) And the Learned Tribe did live in Power, and in their Senate, and all their City-Officers, exerciſe ſuch ſplendid Pomp and Rule, as the Emperour did in his place: And cauſed the Roman City and Empire to worſhip their victorious blaſphemous Emperours, and with them to continue the common Idolatry.
13. And he doth great wonders, ſo that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the ſight of men,
13. This Roman Learning is uſed to overcome truth and Chriſtianity, and to make men believe that the Sun and Moon and Stars are Gods, and have Oracle; where they ſpeak, and that it is they that conquer the enemies of Rome; ſo that their power was in the viſ…on repreſented to me, as if they brought down fire from Heaven.
14. And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth, by the means of thoſe miracles, which he had power to do in the ſight or the beaſt, ſaying to them that dwell on the earth, that they ſhould make an image to the beaſt, which had the wound by a ſword, and did live.
14. Their powerful Oratory and Learning deceiveth the ignorant multitude, to erect Images to their victorious Blaſphemous Heathen Emperours, who recovered from the foreſaid wound by the military murders: Images, and Atlars and Sacrifices, are to be made the means of worſhipping them.
15. And he had Power to give life unto the image of the beaſt, that the image of the beaſt ſhould both ſpeak, and cauſe that as many, as would not worſhip the image of the beaſt, ſhould be killed.
15. They ſo deceived the people as that the Oracles ſeemed to them to ſpeak, and to tell them as from the Gods, that they muſt kill all thoſe that would not worſhip the Image of the Emperour, and the Gods that he worſhipped, and would not be of his Religion.
16. And he cauſeth all, both ſmall and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their fore-heads: 17. And that no man might buy or ſell, ſave he that had the mark, or the name of the beaſt, or the number of his name.
16.17. It was the cuſtom of the Romans, in thoſe times, to mark both Servants, and many Soldiers, as notes of relation and appropriation, moſtly on their arms or hands, by which the perſon marked, as by a Badge, Livery, or Colours, owned his Maſter or Captain: And alſo to mark their ſlaves, and puniſhed perſons, with a brand of diſgrace, in the face or hand: The mark of Servants, or Soldiers, was ſometime his Maſters Eſcotcheon, or choſen Badge and ſometime his name, and ſometime the Chief Letters of his name, which leaving out the reſt, flood for the name (as M. for Marcus, L. for Lucius, S. P. Q. R. for Senatus Populuſque Romanus, &c.) And it ſometime fell out that theſe Letters were numerall (M. D. C. L. I. V. are with us) Now this Text ſerveth to ſome to mean that the flattering Literate Tribe in Rome (Orators, Senators, Poets, Prieſts, Aruſpices &c.) who were the Second beaſt did, by their Laws, Orations, Poems, Comedies, Oracles, and Deceits, cauſe the people commonly to come under obligations, thus to enſlave themſelves to the Idolatrous Emperors, to own them as petty Gods, and offer at their Altars and Sacrifices, and to Worſhip the Idols alſo which they worſhipped, and ſo to be the owners of, and actors, in their Idolatry: And in order hereto to honour them by receiving their Badges, or their names, or the Chief Letters of their names: And it fell out that the Chief Letters here meant were Numerall and Nominative both, and made up 666.
And if it be, (as moſt Proteſtants think) Rome-Papall, that is the Second here meant, then as the Firſt Beaſt is the Papacy, as Idolatrous and Potent, ſo the Second is likeſt to be the flattering Clergy, who are to the Popes much like what the Literate Romans aforeſaid were to the Heathen Emperours: I mean his Prelates, Councils, Jeſuits, and Fryars of all ſorts; Theſe have pretended to abundance of Miracles, to advance the Papacy and its corruptions of Religion, in ſo much that they make ſuch Miracles one of the Chief Marks of their Church. Gregories Dialogues, and ſuch other, led the way; and their monſtrous Legends feign ſo many, and ſo ſhamefully (of St. Francis, St. Dominick, and multitudes more) as makes men ſuſpect that this tribe are the miracle-working beaſt; not but that many miracles are true, that are written of Gregory Naeoceſar. Martin, and others, by Euſeb. Socrat. Sulp. Severus, Auguſtin, &c. Which were all for the confirmation of the Chriſtian Faith, and not for Popery: And many of the Monks, and others, of whom theſe fictions are written, were holy men, and God did ſome wonders at their prayers; And it is this which the Legenders take occaſion from to add their multitudes of falſehoods, and then to perſwade men, that all theſe were Miracles wrought for Gods atteſtation to Popery: It being uſual for that Clergy to perſecute the living Saints that are not for their wills & waies, & to canonize thoſe, as wonders of ſanctity, whoſe ſtrictneſs and auſterity is joined with ſubjection to the Papall dominion. Such mens writings as Baronius, Bellarmine, Genebrard, &c. With their many falſe Councils, and Jeſuits that compaſs Sea and Land to promote the Papal Kingdom, do ſeem much more fully to do the part of the ſecond beaſt for the Papacy, than the Poets, Prieſts, &c, did for the Heathen Idolatrous Empire. And the Mark in their Right Hand or Forehead, ſeemeth to be ſome profeſſing Badge, by which they tie themſelves to worſhip the beaſt and his Image, that is, ſubject themſelves, by conſent, to the Papal Soveraignty & Canons, and Idolatry, or corrupt Imagery and ſcenicall worſhip: And herein the Papacy ſo far exceedeth the ſeverity of the ſaid Heathens, that they do, by the Laws of their Church, put ſtrict oaths upon all the Clergy to believe many new Articles of Faith, and to obey the Pope; yea and on Princes to exterminate a…l that the Pope will but call Hereticks; and that thoſe temporal Lords ſhall be excommunicated, depoſed & damned, that will not do it. No man, called by them a Heretick, may ſo much as make a will, or have the benefit of the Law, no not of his liberty, or life, but be tormented in the inquiſitions, or burnt. No Miniſter may preach Chriſts Goſpel, that is not a ſubject of the Popes; nor any Chriſtian elſe meet to Worſhip God, no nor read the Bible in a known tongue, but by this Licenſe, and theirs that he empowereth. Theſe things are far more than to forbid buying and ſelling without the Mark of the beaſt, or his name.
18. Here is wiſdom. Let him that hath underſtanding count the number of the beaſt: for it is the number of a man, and his number is ſix hundred threeſcore and ſix.
18. Here is work for the Sagacity of a ſharp witted man: Let ſuch trie to find out the beaſt by the number of his name; for it pleaſeth not God more plainly to reveal it. It is numeral Letters, which denominate a man: And the Letters are foreign, which in numbering ſignifie DCLVVVI or 666.
About this name and number the Fathers, Papiſts, and Proteſtants, are of many minds among themſelves. The firſt generall difference is, whether it ſignifie the name of a Man properly, or only ſome other mark that belongeth to him, called his name? And the next whether the name belong to a ſingle perſon, or to a ſtate, or policy, or party? Of the Proteſtants many think its a mans name, but belonging to the Papacy in Common: Junius taketh it for the Canon Law and Decretalls; Broughton for Adonikam, Ezra 2.13 Bright man reciteth theſe, and divers names, found out by divers fancies, Titan, Lampetis, Ninetes, Cacos, Odegos, Alethes, Blaberos, Palas, Baſcanos, Amnos, Adicos in Arethas, Eccleſia Italica and Romaghnus. All which he rejecteth, and faſteneth on that which Irenaeus choſe of old, which is Lateinos. And he thinks that this number of the name, to be received, was meant of the Greeks, who were brought to ſubmit to the Latin Church; And ſo all the Greeks that ſo ſubmit, receiving the number, are joined in the guilt and damnation with them that had the Mark, or the Name it ſelf.
This is clear that all they, that only find out a name, or number, which are not impoſed, and by the ſubjects received, ſpeak not at all to the Text. It is only the receiving of the mark, name or number that is here mentioned: It is the ſubjects Badge. If the racked word Lateinos be uſed as added to Catholick, and put inſtead of Roman, it may reach the Papiſts, whoſe name and Badge now is to be [Roman Catholicks, as diſtinct from all others, that are but meer Chriſtian Catholicks.]
But lately moſt Proteſtants take the number of the name to be but ſome characteriſtical acts or marks: Some ſay, It is the Syſteme of Papal corruptions in doctrine and worſhip; ſome (as Mr. Potter) make it the number of 25, as the ſquare root of ſix hundred ſixty ſix, and he largely tells us how many waies it ſuiteth Rome. But how is this number of 25 received as a Badge by reprobates? Some ſay, that Patriarchall and Metropolitan (and ſuch like) Idolaters and Perſecutors are the Image of Papacy, and that PERIURY is the mark of the beaſt, who by falſe Oaths bindeth all to him, and to his Prelates; ſo that who ever will not be Perjured, by falſe and wicked oaths, are not received into his Church, nor tolerated by them: And I read not in hiſtory that ever any party on earth did ſo long, & ſo violently, bind men by wicked oaths, and involve all ſorts in heinous Perjury, as the Pope and his Prelates have long done and do: Abbot Ʋiſpergenſis lamenteth it in his daies that Prieſts and people were commonly involved in Perjury. Swear, or Suffer, is their Law; and, when intereſt requireth it, unſwearing and forſwearing is as violently impoſed, and whole Countries abſolved from their oaths to their Sovereigns. PERIURY, PERFIDIOUSNESS and PERSECUTION ſeem to be the mark of the Papall Dominion: And (as my old fellow Miniſter in the ſame Congregation) Mr. Nath. Stephens ſaith, The name of the beaſt ſeemeth likeſt to be his aſſumed Power, or pretended authority; to which it is that he maketh all to ſwear: And the Oath or ſubjection is not to the Number, but to the Power or Perſons marked by that Number; the Number being but the Name abbreviated, and the Name the notification of the Party, or Policy, to which men conſent.
But Mr. N. Stephens thinks that 666 is the time between the beginning of the Roman Monarchy, according to Daniel's computation, as it reſpected the Church, which was in Pomper's time, and the riſe of Antichriſt, which he thinks was in 606. (Anno Dom.) and ſo is juſt 666 years: For he taketh (as many others do) the title of Univerſal Biſhop given Bonif. 3. by Ph…cas, to ſet …p Antichriſt firſt; and the antecedent Fall of the Roman Empire to be that by the Goths, &c. But I am paſt doubt, that neither wicked Phocas, nor Bonif. themſelves, did mean that the Univerſality ſhould extend over all the World, but only over the Empire; for what pretence could Phocas have to give power or titles to his Subjects, to rule in all Princes Dominions on Earth? They only meant that he ſhould be, before the Biſhop of Conſtantinople, the Prime Biſhop in the Univerſal Empire; and that Leo challenged before Phocas. But the claim, of Governing all the World, came up by degrees long after both; and it was about 700 years before the Popes caſt off their Subjection to Emperours and Kings.
On the other ſide, thoſe that appropriate all this to Heathen Rome, are not of one mind. Some take the Beaſt to be the Heathen Worſhip as it ſtood as Rome, and the Roman Empire, ſupporting it, to be repreſented by ſeven Heads, that is, particular Emperours or Hills▪ and the ten Horns to be ten confederate Kings, and Tributary: And that Domitian is ſpecially meant, as a ſelf-idolizing Blaſphemer and Perſecutor, for three years and a half; and that the Magick, Auguries and Oracles, are the ſecond Beaſt; and ſpecially Apollonius: That the Image is the Idol-worſhip ſet up in the reſt of the Empire in imitation of Rome: And all were compelled to bear ſome Mark of their God, or his Name, or ſome numeral Letters ſignifying his Name, branded on them; but that it being not revealed, then what theſe Letters ſignifie, foreign, it cannot be known now, ſave that it was a diſcriminating note received by ſome, and not by others.
But others think, that Veſpaſian was the Beaſt, and Antichriſt, 1. Becauſe ſome fooliſh Jews took him (as they had done Herod) at firſt to be the Meſſiah. 2. Becauſe he anſwered to Antiochus Epiph. who before him violated and profaned the Temple and Worſhip. 3. Becauſe Chriſt ſeemed to lead them to that interpretation, Matth. c. 24. by aſſimilating the caſe to that in Daniel. 4. Becauſe he was ſaid to work Miracles, to cure a blind man, &c. 5. Becauſe he ſo deſtroyed the S…cred Nation, and enſlaved the remainder; which the Chriſtians were far from rejoycing in, being ſtill much inclined to the honour of Jeruſalem, and thinking that a glorious Throne of Chriſt was there to be erected, and grieving for them, as Paul did, Rom. 10. & 11. 6. And theſe gather the name from the Letters of Teitan, as if Titus had been ſo called by alluſion to Titan. And Heſychius ſaith that Titan was to be written, as of old foreign, as containing the number of 666.
Others rather lay the name and mark on all the Heathen Emperours, as Idolaters and Perſecutors, or Enemies at leaſt to Chriſtians. And 1. They may well prove that it was very ordinary with them to uſurp ſome degree of Deity while they lived, or to be Deified by the Senate, or their Succeſſors, when they were dead; and to have Altars erected to or for them, and Sacrifices offered accordingly. Of Auguſtus himſelf there is full evidence, Virgil, & Horace, Deifie him, and mention his devoted Sacrifices and Altars. So doth Valerius Maximus invocate Tiberius, and Propertius calls him God. Claudius is called Divus in an old Monument. The Self-deifying of Caius Caligula, and Domitian, is commonly known: It is no wonder that the great worth of the Antonines, ſpecially M. Aurel. Philoſophus, made the Romans Deifie him when he was dead, and would have done ſo, for his ſake, by his Succeſſors of the Antonine Race, had not they, by the inhumane Villanies of Commedus and Heliogabalus, changed their minds, (Though Antonine accepted not this while he lived.) Many Emperours preſumed to Deifie their Wives when dead: And indeed building Temples over their dead Bodies, and erecting Altars there, was too ſoon imitated by the zealous Chriſtians over the Graves, Bones, or Suffering places, of the Martyrs. Aurel. Victor ſaith indeed, that Diocleſian was the firſt after Domitian (and Caligula) that ſuffered himſelf publickly to be called LORD, and named and adored as God: (But not the firſt that was Deified by the Senate, or Flatterers, eſpecially Poets.)
And that they uſed to mark or ſtigmatize their Servants, Soldiers and Slaves, he that will read may ſee in Pignorius de Servis; out of Ambroſe de obit. Valentin. Plin. jun. Ep. Auſonius; Petronius Arbiter; Sutton. de Calig. Aetius Amidenus Medic.
And it is not impoſſible to invent congruous numeral Letters that might be the abbreviations of their names: And though John writing in Greek put [foreign] yet ſeeing the Emperours and Roman Subjects were Latines, who can doubt but that the Letters, being at once Nominative and Numeral, were Latine, and not Greek, however Teitan, and O…lpius, and Lateinos, &c. be inſtanced by many.
For inſtance [T. FLAV. VESPAS. C. DIV.] is the abbreviation of [TITO FLAVIO VESPASIANO CAESARI DIVO] (The Father and Son had the ſame name) the numeral Letters are [D. C. L. V. V. V. I.]
[T. FLAV. DOM. C. DIV. VOT.] that is [TITO FLAVIO DOMITIANO CAESARI DIVO VOTUM] the numeral Letters of the abbreviation are [D. C. L. V. V. V. I.] Galba, Otho, and Vitellius are not worth the naming.
[D. ULP. TRAIANO C. VOTUM] that is, [DIVO ULPIO TRAIANO CAESARI VOTUM] D. C. L. V. V. V. I.
[AEL. ADRIANO C. AUG. VOTUM] that is, [AELIO ADRIANO CAESARI AUGUSTO VOTUM.] is [D. C. L. V. V. V. I.]
[DIV. AE. LU. VER. ANTON. C.] that is [DIVO AELIO LUCIO VERO ANTONINO CAESARI] D.C.L.V.V.V.I.
So [DIV. AUREL. ANTON. C. VOT.] is [DIVO AURELIO ANTONINO CAESARI VOTUM.] D.C.L.V.V.V.I.
So [DIVO VALER. C. VOT.] is [DIVO VALERIANO CAESARI VOTUM.] D.C.L.V.V.V.I.
So [DIV. AUREL. C. VOT.] is DIVO AURELIANO CAESARI VOTUM.] D.C.L.V.V.V.I.
So [VA. DIOCLES. VOTUM.] that is, [VALERIO DIOCLESIANO VOTUM.] D.C.L.V.V.V.I.
So [DIV. HERCUL. VOT.] that is [DIVO HERCULIO VOTUM.] C.L.V. V.V.I.
I do but give Inſtances how eaſie is to conceive how ſuch nominal marks might be given and received: But that de facto it was juſt ſo, or why that number is choſen, who can tell?