The Revelation Unveiled, Chapter 2
CHAP. II. Of the Ten Horned Crowned Beaſt, Rev. 13. 1.
IT is impoſſible to regulate our Knowledge in theſe Prophetical Matters, or our enſuing Practice without rectified Apprehenſions, in what ſtate the Roman Empire muſt be conſidered, when it became a Beaſt.
I cannot concur with an eminent Writer, in thinking the firſt …eaſt, Rev. 13. 1. to be [the Roman Catholick Viſible Church▪ ]
For I cannot find that the claim of Univerſal Churchſhip, was firſt before the claim of Univerſal Supremacy or Headſhip, to make a ſecond Beaſt. Nor do the other Characters, v. 3. 5, 7. agree to that.
If that were the firſt Beaſt, then who is the Whore that rideth upon the Beaſt, Rev. 17. 3, 7. Surely that is the pretended Roman Catholick Church, and ſo that cannot be the Beaſt that is ridden upon. Nor is the Church one of the eight Kings or ſeven Heads, v. 11. and ſo cannot be the firſt Beaſt.
Nor is this firſt Beaſt Rome, as under Pagan Emperours. For then it had but ſeven Crowns, and theſe upon the Heads, Rev. 12. 3. Whereas this firſt Beaſt hath Ten Crowns, and theſe upon the Horns, Rev. 13. … Becauſe the Ten Horns aſſumed a Supremacy and Soveraignty (which Crowns are Emblems of) to themſelves. And this Beaſt is the Dragons Succeſſor, v. 2. and received a deadly wound in one of his Heads, v. 3. Whereas although …aganiſm was wounded by Conſt…ne the Great, yet the ſixth Head of Emperours was not wounded, much leſs unto Death during the Dragon or Pagan State; it was … this Beaſt, nor wounded until the … were upon the Horns; nor did Pagan Emperours continue forty two Months, as this Beaſt doth, Rev. 13. 5.
Nor is the Pope the firſt Beast. I am perſwaded that the accounting him ſo hath cauſed divers miſtakes in the matters of the Revelation, as ſeeking the E…ocha of the Prophetical days in him, which ſhould be found in another, as this firſt Beaſt. I grant that the Pope is the ſecond two Horned Beaſt, Rev. 13. 11, 12. and Antichriſtian; but I humbly conceive, that there was a firſt Antichriſtian perſecuting Beaſt, up above two hundred years before the ſecond Beaſt aroſe, and ſo before the Pope became the two horned Beaſt, and ſeventh Head.
Take my Notion under this Rule.
Rule 2. That the firſt ten horned Crowned Beaſt is a Civil State of the Roman Empire, as broken or divided into ten perſecuting Kingdoms.
For 1. The firſt Beaſt is distinct from the two horned Beast; or theſe are two diſtinct Beaſts, and not barely a double Power Temporal and Eccleſiaſtical of the ſame Beaſt: Here are many Notes of Diſtinction. They have a different manner of riſing. One [out of the Sea,] Rev. 13. 1. the Other [out of the Earth,] v. 11. the former is wounded in one of his Heads, v. 3. the latter is another Beaſt, v. 1. 11, 14. they are differing in Shape, the firſt hath ten Horns Crowned, v. 1. the ſecond hath two Horns, v. 11. Nay, the ſecond Beaſt exerciſeth all the Power of the firſt Beaſt, and that before him, i. e. before the firſt Beaſt, and therefore they are diſtinct, yet ſome part of the time exiſt together, i. e. the ſecond Beaſt is up before the firſt is down, elſe it could not be [before him:] And hence it cannot be the ſame Beaſt, conſidered as wounded as the firſt Beaſt, and as healed as the ſecond Beaſt: For, how could the ſecond Beaſt, as healed, exerciſe the Power of the firſt Beaſt before him as wounded? Seeing the wounded State, as well as that before the wound is paſt, when the healing time cometh, and ſo it could not be [before him] if after the ſecond Beaſt were up, the firſt were not up alſo. How can one act before another, if both be not up together, as diſtinct each from other, even ſtill in ſome reſpects? And hence it is evident, that it cannot be limited only to a double Power of the ſame Beaſt; ſeeing whatſoever Power the firſt Beaſt hath, the ſame the ſecond hath alſo; (and ſo the firſt is in ſome degree ſubjected to the ſecond) if the firſt Beaſt did exerciſe Temporal Power, then ſo did the ſecond alſo; for, the ſecond exerciſeth not only ſome, but all the Power of the firſt Beaſt, v. 12. From all which it is evident, that they are two diſtinct Beaſts, and that therefore the firſt Beaſt cannot be the Pope or ſeventh Head. For, there are but ſeven Heads in all, Rev. 13. 1. Chap▪ 17. 3, 9. And if the Pope be the firſt Beaſt and ſeventh Head, how can another diſtinct Beaſt come after and exerciſe all the Power of the firſt without making eight Heads? And who ſhould that ſecond Beaſt be after Popes or ſeventh Head, if the Pope be the firſt Beaſt?
2. He to whom the Dragon reſigned or gave his Power, Throne and great Authority about the time of Crowning the Horns, he is the firſt Beaſt, Rev. 13. 1. Ʋpon his Horns ten Crowns. And v. 2. The Dragon gave him his Power, and his Seat and great Authority.
Now the Pope had not from the Dragon (i. e. from Pagan Rome) his Throne, Power or Military Forces, nor great Authority, he had the ſame Seat before, and at Crowning the Horns, and therefore the Pope is not the firſt Beaſt, but the Crowned Horns, who had theſe, as Alaricus.
3. That which was Head of the Roman Empire, after the riſing of the firſt Beaſt, received a deadly wound, which afterward was healed, Rev. 13. 1, 2, 3. I ſaw one of [his] i. e. of the Beasts Heads—wounded as it were unto Death. It was then one of the firſt Beaſts Heads that was wounded, and ſo in his time, after he was up.
And therefore the Pope cannot be the firſt Beaſt, or the ſeventh Head then, for the Head of …opes (as it was not up ſo early, as the Crowning of the Horns, ſo) did not receive a deadly wound, he was rather in a riſing than a falling poſture thence forward.
But there was a manifeſt wound, in the ſixth Head of Emperours by Alaricus about Ann. 410. and others afterwards, till about Ann. 475. in Augustulus; that wound was ſo great, that there were no Emperours in the West, or at Rome, till Charles the Great, about Ann. 800. when the wound was after a ſort healed again, yet it had not the extent of the former Empire. The manner and occaſion take thus.
Alaricus took Rome, and ſet up a Mock Emperour, that he might bring the Majeſty of the Imperial Scepter into Contempt and Deriſion, he proclaimed Emperour One, whoſe Name was Attalus, and the ſame day they carried him up and down the Streets in the habit of an Emperour, and the next day they made him ſerve as a Slave. It's ſaid to be occaſioned thus; Alaricus having over-run many places, ſent Meſſengers to Honorius, declaring, that if Lands were granted to him and his to dwell in, he would ceaſe ſpoiling of the Country: Honorius not knowing how to recover France and Spain from the Suevians, Vandals, &c. giveth Alaricus Power to go into France, confirmed this Grant with an Oath. Alaricus ſteering his Courſe towards France, Sti…ico againſt the Covenant followeth him, and made a great ſlaughter, Alaricus not the leaſt ſuſpecting it before: Hereupon the Goths ſnatching up their Arms, and Alaricus exaſperated by this injury and violation of Covenant, turned back into Italy waſ…ing with Fire and Sword, and at laſt Rome it ſelf was taken by him. Socrat. 1. 7. c. 10. Cent. 5. c. 16. Funcc… —
And whereas ſome grant that the ſixth Head of Emperours was wounded, and would have the Popes obtaining Headſhip to be the healing.
I confeſs I underſtand not, how a wound in one Head ſhould be healed by the riſing up of another. I think the wound is never healed, unleſs the ſame Head that was wounded, recovereth again. But this is a granting the thing, for it is not a Head of the Dragon, but a Head of the Beaſt that is wounded, Rev. 13. 3. One of [his] Heads—and therefore if it be the ſixth Head of Emperours that is wounded, then that firſt Beaſt is not the Roman State under the ſeventh Head, but under the ſixth Head of Emperours.
4. The firſt Beaſt is the Whore-ridden Beaſt, Rev. 17. 3. I ſaw a Woman ſit upon a Scarlet-coloured Beaſt, v. 4. 5. Rev. 13. 1. Now the Pope is rather carried by the Whore, than the Beaſt that carrieth her, and therefore this Beaſt is not the Pope.
Nor is the Turk this firſt Beaſt, for this Whore doth not ride upon the Turk, nor is Constantinople the City, which in the days of John reigned over the Kings of the Earth; nor did the Turk ariſe the ſame hour with the Crowning of the Horns, as Rev. 17. 12. but hundreds of years after; yet I deny not that the Turk may belong to the Beaſt, after he obtained ſome Territories belonging to the Horns of the Beaſt. It is therefore a Civil State of the Roman Empire.
5. The Beast is both an eighth King and of the ſeven Heads, Rev. 13. 1. And Rev. 17. 3, 11. The Beast that was and is not, even he is the eighth and … the ſeven—There were but ſix, when the … did ariſe, and the wound was of the ſixth …, as I have proved, and ſo muſt the ei…th be ſome diſtinct new kind of Government, and if the … Beaſt, Rev. 13. 1. were Popes, and the ſev…th Head at his firſt riſing, then the Beaſt could not be the eighth and of the ſeven; For, I ask what diſtinct kind of Government or State of the Empire came after Popes to make an eighth King?
If it be ſaid, the Chriſtian Emperours, before the riſing of the Beaſt. I add, that it was the ſame State of Government under Pagan and Chriſtian Emperours, though the qualifications and Actions of Governours were different, both were Emperours. And ſeeing after the ſixth Head of Emperours, two Beaſts ſo different each from other are mentioned, Rev. 13. 1, 11. It is to me a wonder, that men ſhould not ſeek a way how the other ſix might by theſe two Beaſts be made up eight Kings. Thus the firſt Beaſt (Rev. 13. 1.) hath Ten Crowns upon the Horns; or Kingly Government there, which made a different ſort of Government from the other ſix, and ſo may be deemed a ſeventh King or ſort of Government or an eighth, if we will count it after Popes, who maketh another, as 2 Pet. 2. 5. God ſaved Noah [the eighth] Perſon; the meaning is, that there were ſeven ſaved beſides Noah, he was not the laſt of them in order, but did make up that number. So Rev. 17. 11. The Beaſt is the eighth, that is, there are ſeven beſides, ſeven others, and ſo with him there are eight. The Beaſt is the eighth in number, not neceſſarily that he is eighth or laſt in order: Hence he a…deth [and of the ſeven] he doth not ſay he is the [ſeventh] ſo warily doth the Apoſtle ſpeak here.
It is ſaid of this Beaſt, it [was, is not, and yet is] Rev. 17. 8, 11. [was] in its Ten Horns crowned before the deadly Wound, [is not] in reſpect of perfect Headſhip when wounded, for the Head is ſaid to be wounded as it were unto death, Rev. 13. 3. [and yet is] when the Wound was healed, Rev. 13. 3.
6. The Pope obtained not any Civil Supremacy over the Empire, till hundreds of years after the Horns were crowned, and ſo after the firſt Beaſt was …; therefore the firſt Beaſt (Rev. 13. 1.) is not the Pope or ſeventh Head: For the crowning of the Horns, or their receiving Power as Kings, is the ſame hour, or the firſt hour with the Beaſt, Rev. 17. 12. All the former Heads were Civil Heads, as Kings, Conſuls, &c. and therefore ſo muſt the ſeventh be alſo.
And indeed how is it poſſible that Popes ſhould be reckoned a Head of the Roman State or Civil Monarchy, or ſucceed and come in the place and ſtead of the ſixth Head of Emperors, (which was a Civil Head) until they obtain a Civil Supremacy, as Emperors and others had? …hocas his conſtituting Boniface the third Univerſal Biſhop Anno 606. is evidence enough that the Biſhop of Rome had not then obtained a Civil Supremacy, but was under the Head of Emperors ſtill, ſeeing he was beholden to them even for his Eccleſiaſtical Supremacy; and yet the firſt Ten Horned Crowned Beaſt was up long before this.
Indeed there is evidence that a long time after the crowning of the Horns, yet Emperors were the Supream Head, and the Popes of Rome ſubordinate or ſubject to them. Bonifacius writing to Honorius, ſaith [God hath given you the Regiment of worldly things, and the Prieſthood to me—]
Even the Councils for ſpiritual matters were called by the command of Emperors many years after, as Phil. Morney Knight, in his Myſtery of Iniquity, hath largely proved. And claiming Supremacy, or aſpiring after Civil Headſhip, is no obtaining it, any more than John Biſhop of Conſtantinople his claiming and aſſuming the Title of Univerſal Biſhop about Anno 590. did make him Eccleſiaſtical Head over the Biſhop of Rome in that day. The Temporal Supremacy of the Pope cannot be proved until a long time after, and ſo he could not be the firſt Beaſt. And to ſay that his Eccleſiaſtical Power made him the firſt Beaſt, and his Temporal the ſecond, is to invert the Order of Rev. 13. 17. which aſcribeth that to him as a ſecond Beaſt.
7. All the other Characters of the firſt Beaſt agree to the Civil State of the Empire with ten Horns crowned perſecuting, and ſo the complex body of them, or as headed by Emperours, make that Beaſt, Rev. 13. v. 3, 4. When the Wound was healed, then all the World wondred after the Beaſt. Charles was called the Great, becauſe then he was ſo much admired. And they worſhipped the Beaſt. To [worſhip] him is eidem ſubjici, i. e. by civil ſubjection to him noted by worſhip, Gen. 27. 7. and 37. 7. and 49. 8. Iſa. 45. 14. Saying, [Who is like unto the Beaſt? who is able to make War with him?] So early they admired the Horns of the Beaſt, as the Goths and Vandals, and their great Power, and others, as Attila King of the Hunns, who after the death of Ecius grew ſo mighty, that he overthrew the Imperial General and Army, took many Cities, and was held for the moſt powerful Prince in the World, and was ſo much feared, that Martianus the Emperor ſent to ſue for Peace, and ſent him Preſents. See Imper. Hiſtor. and v. 5, 6, 7. made War with the Saints.
Obj. 1. It's a mark of Perdition to worſhip the firſt Beaſt, Rev. 13. 8. but it is not ſo to yield civil ſubjection to Civil Power.
A. 1. It is not made a mark of Perdition. The Text doth not ſhew the danger of worſhipping the Beaſt, but deſcribes him by the multitude of Reprobates that are admirers of him. See Brightman. Civil ſubjection may lawfully be yielded to the Civil Power of thoſe who are over-much honoured by many who ſhall periſh.
2. If a corrupt Religious Worſhip muſt be intended (which is not proved) yet this agreeth to the first as a Civil Perſecuting Beast: For it is a Scarlet-coloured Beaſt, i. e. a cruel Perſecutor, Rev. 17. 3. warreth with the Saints, Rev. 13. 7. a blaſphemer of God, v. 6. And divers of the Ten Horns in their firſt riſing were ſuch, being either Pagans, or in Pagan Worſhip, or Arrians, blaſpheming his Name and Tabernacle, i. e. Jeſus Chriſt; and latter-ward it was a Whoreridden Beaſt, Rev. 17. 7. And to magnifie him in theſe corruptions, or in that wherein he is a Beaſt, is pernicious; yea compliance with him in Perſecution is an evident token of Perdition, Phil. 1. v. 28, 29. And thus it may be a mark of Perdition, though the Pope be not the firſt Beaſt.
Obj. 2. There is but one Beaſt mentioned, Rev. 17. 8. which is the interpretation of Rev. 13.
A. [Beaſt] is a name common both to the firſt and ſecond, and ſo Rev. 17. may notifie the whole Beaſt-ſtate in diſtinction from Dragon-ſtate, Rev. 12. they are ſufficiently diverſified, Rev. 13. and need not be ſo again in Rev. 17. When compared each with other, they are two Beaſts differenced from each other by many notes of diſtinction, but when differenced from Dragon, both agree in the common name of Beaſt. As the Roman Monarchy from firſt to laſt is called a fourth Beaſt, Dan. 7. v. 3, 19, 23. yet that will not deny Dragon and Beaſt to be diſtinct each from other part of its time. But their being two is implied, Rev. 17. v. 10, 11. There is another, and an eighth, which agrees with the word King in gender, and there cannot be an eighth King (i. e. different Government) if there were not two Beaſts.
In ſhort [Beast] without diſtinction may be taken promiſcuouſly either for the firſt or ſecond Beaſt, as the matter enforceth, but it noteth moſt commonly the firſt Beaſt, or whole Roman State after it ceaſed to be under Dragon, i. e. after Pagan Headſhip ended, and may be underſtood either of its after Headſhip, or the complex body of the crowned Horns comprizing the Roman Territory, or Provinces in Eaſt and Weſt, the ſame that the Dragon had before.
But [Beast] when with diſtinction is uſually taken for the firſt Beaſt: Thus when [Beaſt and falſe Prophet] are diſtinguiſhed, the falſe Prophet is he that worketh Miracles, Rev. 19. v. 20. which is the ſecond Beaſt, Rev. 13. v. 14. and therefore the Beaſt diſtinguiſhed from him muſt be the firſt Ten-horned Beaſt.
So when [Beaſt and Image] are diſtinguiſhed, Rev. 14 9, 11. and 15. 2. and 16. 2. and 19. 20. and 20. 4. The firſt with Ten Horns crowned is intended by Beaſt, for it is an Image of him that received a Wound by a Sword, and did live, Rev. 13. 14. which was the firſt Beaſt, v. 1, 3. not the ſecond. It is the ſecond Beaſt which had power to give life to the Image of the Beaſt, and work Miracles, and that in his ſight, v. 15▪ and ſo he cannot be the Beaſt it ſelf whoſe Image is animated, and hath life given to it, and in whoſe ſight thoſe Miracles are wrought, but the firſt.
Alſo when [Beast and Woman] are diſtinguiſhed, as Rev. 17. there [Beaſt] ſignifieth the firſt Beaſt, at leaſt till the riſing of the ſeventh Head, and this in ſo many of the Horns as were ridden by the Whore of Babylon after ſhe aroſe, v. 3.
So when [Beast and Dragon] are diſtinguiſhed, Rev. 13. 1. and 16. 13. there [Beaſt] noteth the firſt Beaſt, or ſo many of the Horns as were profeſſedly Chriſtian, and were ridden by the Whore, and [Dragon] noteth ſuch as were not profeſſedly Chriſtian; for we muſt note, that all the Horns of the Beaſt were not of the ſame Spirit or Religion. About the time of their firſt crowning, ſome were Dragoniſh Pagans, Rev. 12. v. 13, 14. Others profeſſedly Christian and corrupt; ſome Arrians, as Goths, Vandals, &c. and towards the latter end of the Beaſts Dominion ſome Horns or Provinces are Dragoniſh, not profeſſedly Chriſtian, Rev. 16. 13.
The Turk has part of the Territory of the firſt Beaſt, Rev. 13. 1. others are Popiſhly affected. By all which it appeareth, that there is no neceſſity that the Pope ſhould be the firſt Beaſt.
And although herein I differ from other Interpreters, yet I am more for them than againſt them, the matter being rightly ſtated, eſpecially ſeeing hereby I extricate them out of many difficulties where they are at a loſs for a ground in their fixing the Epocha of the Prophetical days on the Pope, which I hereby prove ſhould be taken from another Beaſt, viz. The firſt Civil Ten-horned, crowned, perſecuting Beaſt.