Commentary on Revelation, Vision 6 · Chapter 17 · Part 1 · Commentary 2
THE COMMENTARY.
AND he led me in the Spirit] Thus much of the Preface: Now followes the first Act of the Viſion: Where firſt we are to obſerve the motion unto the ſame, and the place. In that Iohn doth againe ſay he was led by the ſpirit, as Chapter 1.10. and Chapter 4.2. it ſhewes that hee was not in a continuall Extaſie of Viſions.
The motion unto the Viſion was not of the body but the minde: for bodily he remained in Patmos, beholding there the wilderneſſe and the ſights with the eyes of his mind: like as Ezechiell bodily remaining in Chaldea, was in ſpirit in the Temple of Ieruſalem.
The place where he ſaw this, was the wilderneſſe. But what? Is the Woman, the Beaſt, Rome, and Antichrist in the Wilderneſſe? Do they not inhabit the largeſt poſſeſſions and moſt ſumptuous palaces?
I do not diſlike, that ſome underſtand by wilderneſſe, Gentliliſme, which Antichriſt under the name of Chriſt hath brought into the Church: hence in Chapter 11.1. the Antichriſtian Clergy is ſignified by the name of Gentiles. And indeed the Antichriſtians imitating the Paganes, do fall downe before Idols of wood and ſtone made with hands: And as Paganes, ſo Antichriſtians make God beholding to them by the merit of workes: ſave onelyonly that theſe abuſe the holy Name of Chriſt as a pretence for their Idolatry: which the other know not of.
Notwithſtanding in my opinion there is an higher myſterie in it. Before Chap. 12. the chaſt Woman, Mother, or Church, being perſecuted by the Dragon, fled into the wilderneſſe: when as after Conſtantines time being ſhaken with the floodes of Hereſies and Superſtitions, ſhe withdrew her ſelfe by degrees out of the ſight of men. Now here Iohn ſheweth what he ſaw in the wilderneſſe in ſtead of that woman. He ſaw indeed a Woman alſo, or Church, but a whoriſ… woman, or adulterous Church, riding on a beaſt, that is, being Antichriſtian. There, I ſay, where before he ſaw the Woman clothed with the Sun, the chaſt ſpouſe of Chriſt, viz. at Rome, he now finds a whoriſh woman.
This forſooth is that continuall ſucceſſion of the Romiſh Popes: This is the venerable antiquity of the Popiſh Church: The ſucceſſion of the Romish Chur.to wit, like as in the wilderneſſe the whoriſh woman ſucceeded the chaſt woman and baniſhed matrone: ſo at Rome the whoriſh Apoſtaticall ſucceeded the true Apoſtolicall Church, and in place of Biſhops, holy Martyrs, and Confeſſours excelling in faith and godlineſſe, are come in the great high Prieſts of Rome, terming themſelves univerſall Monarchs, being indeed proud and wicked Idolaters: who (as Genebrard confeſſeth) are altogether fallen away from the vertue of their Anceſtours, and are rather. Apostaticall then Apostolicall. Rome therefore and Popery is a wilderneſſe, not properly (for the former is a policie, Lib. 4. chronol. ….553.and the latter containes many Common-wealths) but ſpiritually, the true Church being vaniſhed thence (like as a wilderneſſe is remote from mens eyes) and in which the adulterous Church hath ſucceeded the true: of this ſee Chap. 12.14. ſee alſo Hieron. ad Algaſiam. Queſt. 11.
I ſaw a wom in ſitting on a Beaſt] A monſtrons viſion. A woman being of the weaker Sex, and trembling as it were at the ſight of a mouſe, how ſhe ſhould not then be afraid of ſo cruell a Beaſt? But ſhe mounts on the beaſt, guides and ſets him forward. The holy Ghoſt hereby intimating that this woman being ſtirred up by the infernall ſpirits, did with more then humane audacity climbe upon, and bring this beaſt under the yoake. Now let us briefly conſider who this woman is, who the beaſt, and what the ſitting on the beast doth ſignifie.
That this woman is Rome is ſo clearly declared by the Angell, The woman is Rome.that the Ieſuites dare no more deny the ſame: For Ribera howſoever on this place he ſeeks to ſhift off the matter, and altogether paſſeth by verſe 18. In Apoc. c. 17. ſe. 5. & cap. 14.33 et ſeq.yet he denies not but that as before under the name of a Cay, ſo here under the name of a woman Babylon is ſpoken of. Now that Babylon denotes Popiſh Rome, wee have before clearely proved.
Bellarmine howſoever he jeſtingly contendeth that Ieruſalem ſhall be the Seat of Antichrist: yet at length he granteth that Rome, Lib. 3. de p: R: c. 13yea Popiſh Rome is the ſcarlet coloured whore to be burnt by the Kings: but he miſerably intangles himſelfe: for if Popiſh Rome be the purpled whore, and the ſame whore is that great Babylon, which certainly is the Seat and habitation of Antichrist, then Popiſh Rome muſt needs be Antichriſts ſeat, which notwithſtanding both the Ieſuites deny.
Neither doth that fiction helpe them, viz. that Popiſh Rome ſhall be burnt by the ten Kings before the comming of Antichriſt, and therefore cannot poſſible be Antichriſts Seat: for this Fiction is not onelyonly contradictory to it ſelfe, but is greatly reproachfull to the Pope alſo.
First it is inconſiſtent, Inconſiſtentbecauſe thus the whore ſhould have bin burnt before ſhe had committed fornication with the Kings and inhabiters of the earth, and before ſhe rode on the beaſt Antichriſt, that is, ſhe ſhould be puniſhed before ſhe had ſinned: whereas the cauſe of her burning and puniſhment muſt neceſſarily goe before her puniſhment. Now the only cauſe of Babylons judgement ſhalbe her Antichriſtian whoredome, and riding on Antichriſt, that is, her Antichriſtianiſme: Rome therefore ſhall commit Antichristian fornication, and bee the Seat of Antichriſt before it be burnt.
Secondly, And opprobrious to the Pope and cardinalls:Nothing can be imagined more contumelious againſt the Pope then this Fiction: for if Popiſh Rome is to bee burnt for her Antichriſtian ſornication, then of neceſſity the Jeſuites muſt confeſſe one of theſe two things: Either that the Pope doth, or ſhall give to drink the wine of Antichriſtian fornication to the Kings of the earth (for this cannot be underſtood of any other whoredome) and ſo the Pope now is, or ſhall be the Antichriſt: Or that the Pope with his Cardinalls ſhall ſome time or other be taken with ſuch a Lethargy of Prophanneſſe, and be ſo careleſſe in their office, as to ſuffer the wine of the Babyloniſh fornication to increaſe in their Citie and Church, and then to be given unto the Kings of the earth: Now could this curſed wine grow in Rome, except the Pope and Cardinalls were the Authors and furtherers thereof? And by whom, if not by themſelves ſhould it from Rome be proffered unto the kings of the earth? Let them therefore take which of theſe two they will, and it muſt neceſſarily follow, that Rome is Antichriſts ſeat, and the Pope Antichriſt. Thus much touching the woman.
The ſumme of the myſtery is this: The woman, as ſhe is a woman, is the Church, ſee Chapter. 11.1. as ſhe is whoriſh, the falſe and adulterous Church: as ſhe to ſcarlet coloured, making the Kings and inhabitants of the earth to drinke of the wine, &c. ſhe is the univerſall Church, giving the law to all: as ſhee rides on the Beaſt, The ſum of the myſtery of the Ra…ish wh…rethe Antichristian Church armed with both ſwords: as ſhe ſits on ſeven mountaines, ſhe denotes the adultorous, Catholicke, Antichriſtian Romane Church.
Touching the beaſt the adverſaries doe wonderfully contradict themſelves in their writings.
Ribera makes the beaſt to be the devil reigning, or the kingdom of the devill: but its a falſe gloſſe, and were it true, it would no way ſalve the Pope and Rome.
Firſt, This beaſt as not the devill reigning.this beaſt was not yet in Iohns time, but was to aſcend out of the pit: but the kingdome of the devill was in his time moſt cruelly exerciſed by the Romane tyrants againſt the godly. Chriſt indeed deſtroyed Satans kingdome ſo far as concerned ſpirituall violence, but not as yet in reſpect of civill tyranny. This beaſt therefore is not the kingdom of the devill, or the devill reigning.
Secondly the Dragon and the beaſt are not the ſame: for the Dragon gives his throne to the beaſt: And the beaſt receives his authority from the Dragon. In their puniſhment alſo they are diſtinguiſhed, as is manifeſt by comparing Chap. 19.20. with Chap. 20.10. Now the dragon is the devill that old ſerpent: The beaſt therefore is not the devill.
Thirdly this beaſt ſo far as he comes up out of the pit, is the ſame mentioned in Chapter 11.7. who is there ſaid to aſcend out of the bottomleſſe pit, and Chap. 13.1. out of the Sea. Therefore hee ſaith foreign which thou ſawest, to wit, before Chap. 11. & 13. but that beaſt was Antichriſt: And therefore this alſo.
The major Ribera labours to diſprove by a grammaticall reaſon: becauſe the beast in Greeke is called foreign without an article, not foreign and ſo the woman foreign not foreign with an article: that we might underſtand ſaith he, that here the woman and beast are brought in, which were not before: but this reaſon is vaine and of no validity: for by that which went before it is plaine, why the article is not put before foreign the woman, viz. becauſe in the firſt verſe he had with a double article called her foreign that great whore. Therefore it was not needfull here againe to repeat the article. And in that he cals the beaſt foreign not foreign it doth not argue him to bee a divers beaſt from the former: for though the article be ommitted, yet in ſtead thereof is the relative foreign which thou ſawest, to wit, not now onelyonly, but twice before alſo.
Beſides the rule of articles on which the adverſary grounds his deniall, is altogither ſandy and weake, as not beeing ſtrictly obſerved, neither by humane or divine Writers: eſpecially in this propheſie, as many examples might bee alledged for it both wayes: as Chap. 13.11. & 14.1. where the Lambe and Dragon which had bin before ſpoken of are in the Greek written foreign without articles, in ſtead of foreign &c. And on the contrary the whore not ſpoken of before, with a double article foreign. as before we noted ver. 1. Therefore the Ieſuites exception is childiſh.
But that this and the former is all one beaſt appeareth, See the Preface.first, by the ſame aſcending out of the bottomleſſe pit: ſecondly, the heads and hornes of both are the ſame. Thirdly, by their blaſphemies, wherewith they are both full, Fourthly, their worſhip is the ſame. Fiftly, both have all one kind of worſhippers. to wit, the reprobate, inhabiters of the earth, not written in the booke of life. Laſtly, Ribera himſelf confeſſeth, that the beaſt in C. 19.20. and 20.10. which ſhal be caſt into the lake of fire with the falſe prophet, is Antichriſt, and not the devill, becauſe there the devil is expreſly diſtinguiſhed from the beast. Now nothing can be more clear then this, viz. that that beaſt and this is one: and therefore there is no ſhew at all to imagine that this beaſt ſhould be the devill.
Notwithſtanding if Ribera will needs have it to be ſo underſtood, what will be gaine by it? namely this, that Rome and the Pope ſhall ride on the devils back, for who is this horſeman that ſits on the devill, but Antichriſt? And what alſo the womans riding on the beast is, I have ſhewed in the Preface. Now let us ſee the colour and blaſphemous names of the beaſt, the habit alſo of the woman, her forehead and belly.
Sitting upon a ſcarlet coloured beaſt] He deſcribes the forme of the beaſt that caried the woman, to the end his nature might bee the more eaſily and better knowne.
Firſt he is ſcarlet coloured, or roſe-coloured, becauſe, as Plinie ſaith, its like to the cleare and precious red coloured roſe, moſt pleaſant to the eyes. For coccum or cocc…, (the word here uſed) is a grain to die withall, growing of a red hearb, ſerving to die purple or ſcarlet: of which colour were the armour-coates of Kings. This Kingly colour therefore of the beaſt, denotes his royall magnificence, as alſo his deepe hypocriſie: for Antichriſt makes a very faire ſhew to the world, blinding the eyes of men, and deceiving their mindes with Vizards and Impoſtures: It may alſo ſignifie his bloody diſpoſition: for ſcarlet is of the colour of blood: now in verſe … Iohn ſees the woman drunk with the blood of the Saints. And it is well knowne that the Romiſh Court for ſome ages hath uſed this colour, that ſo it might ſet forth the proper Livery of the Romiſh Court: whoſe purpled fathers (in whom reſides the power to create Popes) are clothed in ſcarlet.
Secondly the beaſt is full of blaſphemous names] Which may be underſtood either becauſe in ſtead of trappings or barbes which horſes have, he weares the names of blaſphemies on his head: or becauſe he vomits them out with full mouth: Both which agree to the former deſcription Chap. 13. ver. 1. & 5. where the beaſt bad names of blaſphemies on his head: and afterward opened his mouth blaſpheming God, his tabernacle and the inhabitants of Heaven, at which thing a godly minde cannot but tremble very much. This ſhall bee the Theologie of the Beast: ſuch his kingdome; full with names of blaſphemy.
The Names are either perſons, as before Chap. 3.4. Or blaſphemous doctrines: For the beaſt as we have formerly ſhewed ſhall be wholly defiled with blaſphemies, inſomuch as not a haire ſhall appeare without it: Now what theſe blaſphemies are, it hath been opened in Chap. 13. I. He blaſphemeth God, in boaſting himſelfe with his Tripple-crowne, to be Lord of Heaven, Earth, and Hell. II. The Tabernacle of God, in tranſforming the Spouſe of Chriſt into a loathſome and filthy Strumpet, the Temple of the Lord into an impure Brothelhouſe. III. The Inhabiters of Heaven, in making them, whether willing or not willing, to be their gods and faviours, and for more ſake gives divine honour unto them.
Thirdly the Beast (like to the monſter Hydra) hath ſeven heads and ten hornes, fully reſembling the beaſt before mentioned, ſave onelyonly that the hornes here have no Diadems: the which thing was not indeed needfull to bee added, becauſe afterward in verſe 12. the hornes are ſaid to bee the kings, on whom he ſet the Crownes. Touching the forme of the reſt of his body, as his belly, mouth, and feet, it is not here expreſſed: becauſe we had it in Chap. 13. notwithſtanding if we conſider his chiefe parts wherein lies his whole power, the reſt of his body may be eaſily knowne, as a Lion by his Claw. Thus much of the beaſt.
4. And ſhee was arrayed in purple] Now followes the deſcription of the woman: firſt by her glorious, luxurious and whoriſh attire, as if ſhee were another Cleopatra or Rhodopa. Purple and Scarlet is Queenes clothing, ſuch as afterward the woman boaſteth herſelfe for to be: being according to the Proverb, like lips like lettice. The colour of the Beaſt and the woman agrees: viz. The colour of the beaſt & woman is the ſame.being royall, hypocriticall, and tyrannicall, arguing the proud, wicked, and cruell minde of both. The reſt of her attire bewrayes her whoriſh luxuriouſneſſe, viz. Gold, Pearles, and moſt precious Stones, with which her haire, head, eares, necke and fingers are made glorious and tranſplendent in the eyes of the world. This is the Perſian religion and Sybaritican luxury of Popes, The whorish luxuriouſneſſe of the Popes.and the whole Romiſh whoriſh worſhippe, which is to be ſeene in the Palaces, Steeples, Corners of ſtreets, high Arches, Images, Baths, Temples, Roofes, Croſſes, Altars, Idols, Robes, Mitres, and other Babyloniſh Monuments, all of them gliſtering with gold, purple, ſcarlet, and precious ſtones, whereby the whore bewitchingly allures the inhabitants of the earth, like as Daniel foretold that Antichriſt ſhould adore his god of Forces with gold, ſilver, pretious and deſireable ſtones.
Now howbeit the blind world is delighted with theſe fancies: lib: 2 offic. c: 28yet the worſhip of God doth not ſtand in need of theſe toyes: for as Ambroſe ſaith, The ſacraments, want not gold, neither are ſuch things which are not bought with gold, pleaſing to gold.
If thou aske, whence hath the woman all theſe great treaſures? I anſwer, by her fornication with Kings, Merchants, and Mariners, the riches of the whole world have flowed to Rome, as into an unſatiable gulfe, as wee ſhall ſee in the following Chapter.
The participle foreign is obſerveable, it properly ſignifies gilded. Now Inſtruments are commonly gilded thereby to deceive, outwardly appearing to be gold when as inwardly they are ſcarſe Copper. It notes the hypocriſie of this whore, ſhewing that with vaine and idle ſhaddows ſhe ſhall deceive the world.
Here Ribera ſends us backe unto the Ancient Romanes, Conquerours of all Nations, who brought the riches of the world into their City. Notwithſtanding he acknowledgeth that theſe things are alſo to be referred to future times: Indeed be had ſaid more rightly, if to the time ſome while paſt and preſent: for as yet the woman hath not put off her whoriſh habit.
Secondly, the Inſtrument in her hand is a golden Cup: which ſhe preſented to the Kings and Inhabitants of the earth: The whoriſh inticemants of Antichriſt are noted: much like the deſcription in Proverbs 7. for cups ſerve to ſtir up luſt. This golden cup, are the golden titles of the Pope, by which hitherto he hath perſwaded the world to drinke the wine of his fornication: namely that he is Pope, the Father of Fathers, the Paſtor of Paſtors, the moſt holy father, Holineſſe, Chriſts Vicar, Peters Succeſſour, the head of the Church, Spouſe, & Foundation: Prince of prieſts, Apoſtolicall Biſhop, lib: 2 de P R cap 13.Ʋniverſall, Ruler of the Citie and world, &c. from all which Bellarmine labouring to demonſtrate that the Pope is an Eccleſiaſticall Monarch of the whole world, what doth he but hence uncover the whores nakedneſſe? But now what was within her, Full of abominations and filthineſſe of her fornication] Outwardly ſhe is gold, inwardly poyſon: he underſtands the filthy blaſphemous doctrines, and deteſtable Romiſh abominations and wickedneſſes, with which the whore hath made drunke the Chriſtian world.
The Prophets call the worſhipping and truſting in Idols and creatures, which God abhorreth, Abomination: becauſe it is the fouleſt fornication, drawing with it all kind of impurity and wickedneſſe. And indeed the Romiſh Strumpet hath poured theſe deadly poiſons out of her bewitching cup.
Ribera doth againe ſend us backe to heatheniſh Rome, who induced the nations under them to ſerve their Idols. Euſeb, lib: 2 hiſtor cap 2 Tertull. in Apol ca: 5But the contrary is true: for the Romanes were ſo far from forcing the Nations they conquered to forſake the worſhipping of their own Gods, and embrace theirs, as that they would have all ſtrange gods erected & ſet up at Rome, leſt any of them ſhould not be there worſhipped, Chriſt onelyonly excepted, whoſe worſhip the Senate rejected at the perſwaſion of Tiberius, becauſe he had not firſt approved of the ſame. Popiſh Rome therefore it muſt needs be which to this day holdeth this Circean cup in her hand.
5 And upon her forehead a name written] The third note openly ſetting forth the filthineſſe of the woman is her name: which ſhe carries written upon her forehead, that by the very ſight thereof ſhe may allure every one ſhee meetes with, to commit folly with her. It ſheweth, that this publicke Strumpet is moſt impudent as ſhewing her name openly to the world: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT. THE MOTHER OF FORNICATION, &c.
It is a queſtion whither or no the word MYSTERY be ſpoken of the name. If it be, it bewrayes the profeſſion of the whoriſh kingdome, which chiefly is imployed about Myſteries, Sacraments, Ceremonies, Pompes: it ſhall be, I ſay, an eccleſiaſtical Monarchie, having both ſwords.
Notwithſtanding Andreas joynes Myſterie with the name written, as it were appoſitively, A name written, Myſtery, that is, having a myſtery in it, or beeing myſticall: for Rome is Babylon the great, not properly but myſtically, as before it was called Sodome, Egypt, Hieruſalem foreign, by a ſpirituall Allegory, becauſe of likeneſſe in idolatry, blaſphemies, abominable filthineſſe and tyranny againſt the Saints. Thus Anonymus 260. yeers agoe: Babylon the great the city Rome, or the Papall Court.
This woman is called a Mother in imitation of the former, but very unlike in reſpect of iſſue: for the firſt was mother of the man-child caught up unto God, or of bleſſed Confeſſours and Martyrs: This is the mother of fornication and abomination of the earth: for all the abominations that have reigned theſe thouſand yeeres in the Chriſtian world, have by this mother beene ſowed, and brought forth and propagated.
And therefore Rome doth to this day glory in the name of Mother of Churches: neither is it to be admired, that her daughters, as heires of their mothers abominations and fornications, ſhould be followers of her ſteps. But as for the reformed Churches in Germany, France, Brittane, Poland, and Hungary, who in theſe latter ages worſhip God and Chriſt the onelyonly Saviour without Idols: they are ſo farre from acknowledging this whore for their mother, as that they deteſt her abominations with all their hearts, and flee from them.
6 And I ſaw the woman drunken] We have ſeen the habit and forehead of the woman: Now he ſhewes us her belly alſo, ſwollen, not with wine, but with blood: which againe is very monſtrous: for as it was unnaturall for a woman to ride on the backe of a cruell beaſt: ſo it is no leſſe horrid to conſider the cruell mind of this woman, & her belly full of blood: by which nothing undoubtedly is ſignified but her unſatiable cruelty and bloodthirſtineſſe.
Of this drunkeneſſe, thus my Anonymus: becauſe, ſaith he, Antichriſts Church, being finally condemned for her waſting and abuſing the goods of the Church, ſhall ſuffer ſo great vengeance, as through paine ſhe ſhall be paſt feeling, like a drunken man. Therfore he thinkes that ſhe is ſaid to be drunke, becauſe of her aſtoniſhment, beeing like a drunken man without ſenſe or feeling of her puniſhment. But becauſe ſhe is expreſly ſaid to be drunken with blood, it is certainely to bee underſtood of her cruelty againſt the Saints and Profeſſours of the Goſpell: Which Anonymus adding in the following words: Of the blood, ſaith he, of them, who feare not to profeſſe the doctrine of the Goſpell in ſpite of the whole Colledge of Antichriſt.
Therefore ſhe is ſaid to be drunke, that is, full of blood, The belly of the woman filled with blood.by a metaphor uſuall to the ſcriptures taken from men drunken and enraged with ſtrong wine. But with whoſe blood?
Of the Saints and Martyrs of Ieſus] Againſt whom the Beaſt made war Chap. 13. and whom he ſlew Chap. 11.
Ribera acknowledgeth that this agrees to no City ſo well as to Rome, yet hee labours againe to ſend us to Nero, Domitian, Diocletian and other Perſecutors of Chriſtians, but abſurdly: for how ſhould the Emperours be the woman: Or how ſhould this woman drunken with blood, whoſe judgement is next joyned with the judgement of the Beaſt, and ſhall be accompliſhed at the end of the world, be Ancient Rome which hath not for thirteen hundred yeeres ſhed any blood of the Saints, but hath ceaſed to be? What Myſtery alſo ſhould be applyed to old Rome? certainely this myſticall name is as abſurdly written by the Papiſts on the foreheads of Romane Tyrants, as if they made Alexander the Great Prieſt of Cybele.
The cruelty therefore of Papall Rome horriblie exerciſed above ſix hundred yeeres, hath made the whore drunke.
But here they will demaund: which of the Saints the Popes have killed with their own hands? or with whoſe blood they have bin made drunke?
As if forſooth the woman be not therefore drunke with blood, becauſe ſhee her ſelfe hath not with her owne hands made the gallowes, ſwords, fires, and other deadly weapons, wherwith the Saints have bin taken away. Hiſtories do witneſſe by what cunning endeavours the Romiſh Antichriſt hath ſtirred up Chriſtian Kings and Princes to rage even againſt their owne bowells, and thoſe chiefly whom under the name of Waldenſes, Albigenſes, Leoniſts, Wiclevists, Huſſites, Lutheranes, and Hugonots, they condemned as Heretickes, becauſe they refuſed to take in the vemone of her whoriſh cup. Read the bookes of Martyrs of the French, Germanes, and Engliſh, and principally the Acts of the Spaniſh Inquiſition: and not to be tedious, See Abbat demonſtra. Antichri. Chap. 7. where Bellarmines ſubtilties touching the future perſecution of the Church under Antichriſt are refuted. Read, I ſay, theſe, and thou ſhalt ſufficiently underſtand the bloody ſurfet of this whore, which to this day, wherever ſhe hath any footing, doth vomit and breath out cruelties and ſtill thirſteth after more blood, and ſo will untill the heavenly Iudge put an end to her fury.
And I wondred with great admiration] Hitherto the Viſion: the interpretation followes, occaſioned by Iohns admiration. He wondred with great admiration: that is, very much. But at what was it? at the monſtrous beast? nay this he had ſeene before: At what then? Is it at the woman riding on the beaſt? yes verily, as at that, ſo alſo at all other wondrous things in the woman, viz. her attire, whoriſh luxury, the title on her forehead, and bloody drunkenneſſe.
Iohn wonders not with an admiration of worſhip, as did the inhabitants of the earth, Chap. 13.3. but it was an humane aſtoniſhment at ſo horrid a ſight, and deſire to know the myſtery: for as yet he knew not what was meant by the woman, neither by her riding on the beaſt.