Revelation 13

God is now coming to show his Prophet that grand Enemy of his Church, who is emphatically called Antichrist; after the Determination of whose time of 1260 years, the Kingdom of Christ shall begin, whether in the Day of Iudgment, or in some Period of time before that, and here upon the Earth, I dare not determine?

The Rise, Power, and Prevalen y of this Adverversary, is described in this Chapter; The Opposition made to him by Christ and his Followers, chap. 14. His Fall, chap. 15, 16, 17, 18. for which, Praise is given to God, ch. 19.

This Enemy of the Church is showed to John by the Symbol, or Representation of two Beasts; the one having the Body of a Leopard, the Feet of a Bear, and the Mouth of a Lion: the other having two Horns like a Lamb, but speaking like a Dragon, v. 11.

The Reader must understand, that the Rise of these Beasts, their Rage, and Prevalency, was contemporaneous with some of the six Trumpets, mentioned chap. 8, and 9. For, chap. 9.15. upon the sounding of the seventh Trumpet Antichrist began to fall; whose gradual Fall we shall find more fully described in chap. 16. by pouring out of the Vials; only (as was before said) there is from chap. 12. a more particular Description of what should happen to, and in the Church under the six first Trumpets.

The best Interpreters, by these two Beasts, understand the Antichrist; (for in a larger Sense there are more Antichrists than one) and by the Antichrist they understand the Pope, as armed both with a Secular and Ecclesiastical Power; yet I durst not conclude from that Notion, the Civil Magistracy of the Roman Empire, who either help'd the Pope into his Chair, or h ld him there.

The greatest loss we are at, is to determine the time when the Papacy began: It could not be before the Pagan Empire was thrown down, that was, about 325, nor before the Silence in Heaven for half an hour, was over, which (if that by it the Rest be meant, which the Church enjoyed in the time of Constantine and Theodosius) was about 390 or 400. but if we fix the Rise of the Papacy there, I know no ground of it; and it would, besides, have been determined in 1660, or thereabouts. I think, therefore, we must distinguish betwixt the Rise and Reign of Antichrist. It does not seem to me reasonable to make his Reign to commence higher than 600 or 606, when he arrogated to himself the Primacy; and that was confirm'd to Boniface the third by Phocas, in requital of Boniface his Kindness to him, who had got the Empire by the ase Murder of Mauritius his Master, and of all his Children, and stood in need of the Pope's help to support him. From that time, I judge, the 1260 years should be counted; but Nemo repente fit pessimus, we must allow the Papacy some time to come to this virile Estate from his Cradle. And I see no great harm of allowing the 200 years, from 400 to 600, for this: So that I do think that in this Chapter is shortly revealed what should happen to the Church from about the year 400, or the space of 42 Months, or 1260 Years, the time of the Beast's Reign.

AND I stood upon the sand of the sea The place of Iohn's present Residence was Patmos, which was an Island, ch. 1.9. He was yet in a Vision, but thought he was upon the Sea-shore, either in Patmos, or elsewhere;, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea and saw a Beast rise up out of the Sea; that is, (as I should think) unexpectedly; for who would expect to see a Leopard rise from thence?, having seven heads, and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns This Beast is described like the Dragon, ch. 12.3. (only that is described with but seven Crowns) by which we understand the Devil in the Heathen Emperors of Rome; and we shall find it, v. 2. so answering Daniel's Vision of the four Monarchies, that I cannot but think the Roman Emperors, after the time of Theodosius, are meant, several of which were Arrians, as also were the Goths and Vandals (many of them) who from 402, invaded the Empire, and were not beaten out, till 564, little above 40 years before Boniface was confirmed in his Primacy., and upon his heads the name of blasphemy The Arrians denying the eternal Existence of Christ, as God, may well be said to have the Names of Blasphemy upon them, or upon their Heads; but whether by these ten Heads be meant the ten sorts of Governours made use of in the Empire, or the ten Governments into which the Goths and Vandals divided the Empire, is not easie to determine, nor possibly much material. There are other Notions about this Beast: some would have it to be the Devil, but he is plainly distinguished, v. 2, and 4. from the Dragon: Some would have it to be the Turk, but we read of the worshipping of this Beast, which is what we read not done to the Turkish Emperors, who also began not till above the year 1200, (tho indeed the Saracens began 00 years before) but Rome, which never was the Turks Seat, is made the Seat of this Beast. Some would have it to be Idolatry it self; this was Grotius his Notion; see the Reasons against it in Mr. Pool's Synopsis Lati a. Some would have it the Pagan Empire of Rome, but Iohn never saw the first Rise of that. This is a Beast that rose after the Dragon was cast down; which must be the Roman Empire under the Dominion of the Papacy, in which respect only it is now one Beast again; for otherwise in civil Respects it is divided into ten crowned Horns, i. e. distinct independent Kingdoms or Principalities..

And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard Daniel in his Vision of the Chaldaick, Persian, Grecian, and Roman Monarchi s by which the World was successively ruled from his time to St. Iohns; and many years after had the first represented to him by a Lion, for its Nobleness and Fierceness: The second, by a Bear, for its Cruelty: the third, by a Leopard, for the smaleness of its Bulk, the swiftness of its Conquests, its strength, &c. the fourth, by a Beast (not named) strong, and exceedingly terrible, that had great Iron Teeth, that devou ed, and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue under its Feet. This Beast is certainly here described, which had several forms; Iohn saw it at first under the Representation of a red Dragon, which signified that Empire, while Pagan, for 300 years after Christ; in which time the Old Serpent could prevail nothing against the Church. That (after a Rest to the Church of a few years, which ended with Theodosius about 380 or 400) he saw it under the form of a Leopard, ruled by Arrian Emperors till near 600. This Beast had, and his feet were as the feet of a bear the Feet of a Bear, and the Mouth of a Lion. These Emperors, with the Goths and Vandals that were Arrians, were as cruel to true Christians, as the Pagan Emperors had been. Gitimer King of the Vandals, Ann. 530, and the Goths under Totila, 540, made miserable havock amongst the Christians., and his mouth as the mouth of a lion the Feet of a Bear, and the Mouth of a Lion. These Emperors, with the Goths and Vandals that were Arrians, were as cruel to true Christians, as the Pagan Emperors had been. Gitimer King of the Vandals, Ann. 530, and the Goths under Totila, 540, made miserable havock amongst the Christians.: and the dragon gave him his power These together inherited both the Power of the Heathen Emperors,, and his seat and Rome, which was their Seat, or Throne,, and great authority and exercised their great Authority. All this was done in the form of a Leopard, not so terrible as that of a Dragon; for the Arrians disclaimed Paganism, and the Worship of Pagan-Idols. All this while the Papacy was creeping up, but till 552, or thereabouts the Goths and Vandals, and other barbarous Nations were not driven out of Italy. Totilas (who took Rome 547) was then killed, and Thejas succeeded him, who was the last King of the Goths in Italy, who about 20 years after, was beaten by Narsetes, and driven out, after the Goths and Vandals had reigned in Italy about seventy seven years..

And I saw one of his heads That is, the Leopard's Head., as it were wounded to death The seven Heads of this Beast are interpreted by the Spirit of God himself, to be seven Kings, ch. 17.10. i. e. seven Forms of Soveraign Government in the Roman State, and these successive one to another; for it's said there, Five are fallen, and one is, and the other is yet to come: so that this Head must be either that then in being, or that to come; it cannot be that to come, because that does not receive its fatal Blow and deadly Wound, till the final Dissolution of the Roman (as the fourth metal) Monarchy; therefore it must be that Head then in being, viz. that of the Pagan Emperors: and the wounding of this Head to death, is the conquering the Pagan Emperors, & the abolishing of Paganism and Idolatry, and putting a stop to Persecution by the Christian Emperors; and consequently; and his deadly wound was healed this Wound was healed when Idolatry (for Substance the same with the heathenish, tho in a new dress) and Persecution was restored (gradually) by the Doctrine and Practice of the Romish Church.: and all the world wondred after the beast o.

And they worshipped the dragon By the Dragon here, is to be understood the Devil, which gave power unto the beast who gave power to these Emperors; not that they did so directly, but interpretatively; they worshipped Idols, which ordinarily in Scriptures are called Devils.: and they worshipped the beast, saying Possibly worshipping in this la er clause is not to be understood of a Divine Adoration, but a civil Subjection; People, upon the driving out of these their Enemies, generally gave themselves up to the Obedience of their Emperors and Bishops of Rome, commanding them idolatrous Worship., Who is like unto the beast And admired these two, as those by whom they had been delivered from those Enemies who had plagued them so long.? who is able to make war with him?

And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things By him here must be meant Antichrist (as appears by the 42 Months his Period, being the same with 1260 days) both the secular Power of the Emperors of Rome at this time, and the Ecclesiastical Power of the Bishops of Rome concurred to make one Antichrist. God permitted, and the Devil influenced this Beast to speak great things, as Da. 7.11. which is interpreted by the term Blasphemies., and blasphemies Blasphemies against God signifies strictly any reproachful Speeches against him, whether attributing to him the Creature's Imperfections, or denying him the Perfection proper to him, or giving to the Creature what belongs to God only, which Blasphemy must be in all Idolatry; for Adoration is due unto God alone, and when this is given to any Creature, there is both Blasphemy in the Doctrine which teacheth the Lawfulness of it, and Idolatry in the Practice of it.; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months These 42 Months are (as has been before showed) the same term of time with 1260 days, and must be the term of Antichrist, which was given him to tread down the outward Court in, so as the Beast here spoken of, must be the Antichrist, who began in the civil Power of the Roman Empire, but was quickly metamorphosed into the Ecclesiastical Power of the Bishop of Rome; in comparison of whose Power (after he had obtained the Primacy) indeed the Emperors Power was very small..

And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name That is, Antichrist opened his Mouth to blaspheme God. Mr. Mede noteth well, that Antichrist's time must not be counted from his beginning to persecute; but from his beginning to blaspheme, either by maintaining pernicious Doctrine, or setting up idolatrous Worship; for till the year 1206, when the Inquisition was set up, (the Doctrine of Transubstantiation having been about that time decreed by Innocent the third and confirmed by the Council of Lateran) the Persecution was not great. It is also the Observation of the same learned Author, that the threefold Idolatry of the Church of Rome is here described to us; their blaspheming the Lords Name, by giving Divine Adoration to Images;, and his tabernacle their blaspheming the Human Nature of Christ (which he thinks is here to be understood by the Lord's Tabernacle) by their Doctrine of Transubstantiation, giving every Mass-priest power to make it of a piece of Bread;, and them that dwell in heaven and their putting the glorified Saints in the place of the Pagan Daemons, by their Invocation of Saints. The Observation's very ingenious, but whether the Sense of this Text, I doubt; for we are now about the Period when Antichrist began to reign, which we suppose to be soon after the year 600. The Blasphemies here mentioned, were his first Fruits: But the Doctrine of Transubstantiation, though it might be broached 100 years before, yet was made no Doctrine of their Church of six hundred years after the first beginning of the Papacy; and therefore cannot well be reckoned amongst Antichrist's first Blasphemies. But whoso is acquainted with the History of the Church after 606 will find enough to justifie this Text, tho we do not restrain their Blasphemy to these three things..

And it was given unto him God shows Iohn, that after Antichrist had gone on blaspheming the Name, and Tabernacle, and Saints of God, some years, the Devil should influence him also to make war with the saints, and to overcome them to make War against God's Holy Ones, and he would suffer him to overcome them;: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations and he should have a Power over all the Nations of that part of the World, where God had his Church. This was eminently fulfilled after the year 1200, when the Doctrine of Transubstantiation was established; the Inquisition was set up in Spain 1206; the number of those murdered by it, was exceeding great. But yet this was too slow a Work, the Pope quickly raised vast Armies against the Albigenses, first under the Conduct of his Legate, then of Simon de Montf d. Perionius (one of their own) says, That more than a Million were slain in these Wars of these poor People, merely for not complying with the Church of Rome in their Apostacy. But what were these to those slain in the Valleys of Piedmont, Provence, Calabria, Alsatia, Bohemia, before the year 1517, when the Reformation began in Germany? What Slaughters have been since made in Germany, Hungary, Flanders, Ireland, &c. every one knows. The latter clause was eminently verified until the year 1517, there being no Nation in Europe but was subject to the Pope of Rome, so as he had a Power over all Kindreds, and Tongues, and Nations. The poor Albigenses thought themselves concerned in this Prophecy; for when the Popish General, Simon de Montford had made a vast Slaughter of them, and the Archbishop of Tholo s interceded for those that survived, upon Condition that they would imbrace the Romish Faith: they boldly refused, sending the Archbishop word, That they were the Overcome Servants of Iesus Christs; and all died comforting themselves with the Prophecy of this Text..

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 God here showed his Prophet the general Subjection that would be of all People to the Papacy, except some few, whom he had chosen to eternal Life and Salvation, whom Christ had redeemed with his Blood, and would preserve from this Pollution..

If any man has an ear to hear, let him hear Either let him hear what has been already said, and take heed that he be not one of those that worship the Beast; or let him hear what followeth concerning the Ruine of Antichrist and his Adherents: But from the usage of this Phrase in other Scriptures, where it is oft made use of to stir up Attention to some remarkable thing; it seemeth rather to be applied to what went before. The Phrase also further lets us know, that (comparatively) the number of those who should refuse to worship the Beast, would be very small, as indeed it proved..

He that leadeth into captivity, shall go into captivity: He that killeth with the sword, must be killed with the sword As it was God's manner by the Prophets of old, when he had denounced Judgments against his People, to comfort them by a Prediction of the ruine of their Enemies; so here, by this his New-Testament-Prophet he assureth his Church, that Antichrist also should have his Period, and have the same measure meeted to him, which he had meeted out to others by leading into Captivity, and killing with the Sword; and indeed there are no Sins which God does so ordinarily punish by retaliation, as Sins against Iustice and Mercy. (of which nature Persecutions are the most eminent,) Isa. 33.1, 2.. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. That is, there is a time for God's People to exercise their Faith and Patience. Patience, because they are like to wait for deliverance a long time, and to suffer many sharp things in the mean time; and Faith, because their deliverance will be a thing out of sight, of which they will have no security but from the Promise of God..

And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth There are great Disputes, about this other Beast, who is represented or signified by it: The Popish Writers say it is some eminent Impostor, who shall appear in the World before the coming of Antichrist, Others would have it to be Magick practised by Apollonius Thyantus, (the vanity of which Notion Dr. Moor has sufficiently demonstrated,) the generality of Protestant Writers agree it to be Antichrist himself, the same Beast which was before spoken of, only in another form. The design, and time, and power of both is the same; neither has this other Beast any other figure assigned to him; and in the end of this Chapter we shall find mention but of one Beast, the Mark, Name, and Number of the Beast mentioned, v. 16, 18. is but of one Beast; and we shall find the power of both to be the same; only he is called another, because appearing in another form, or under another Type. The former Beast typified the civil power of Antichrist; this his Ecclesiastical power. He is said to have come up out of the Earth; either, because he was of a meaner extraction than the other; or, because he stole upon the World insensibly. The Pope and his Clergy are judged by the best Interpreters to be here meant., and he had two horns like a lamb He pretends to the power of Christ as his Vicar, and therefore is said to have Horns as a Lamb., and he spake as a dragon But he should speak terribly; or his Doctrines should be such as the Apostle calls Doctrines of Devils. Or his words and practice should be like those of the great Red Dragon..

And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him The power of the first Beast was to speak great Words and Blasphemies, and to make War with, and overcome the Saints, v. 6, 7. This power also should be exercised by the Papacy (according to this Prophecy) and time has witnessed the truth of it., and causeth the earth, and all that dwell, therein, to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed And as before he arrived at the heighth of Power, he had persuaded the latter Emperours to establish Idolatry and Superstition; so having now the power in his own hands, and being by the first Beast made Head of the Church, he now vigorously causeth all under his power to obey the Edicts, Decrees and Commands of that Nature, which those Emperors had published; choosing rather to do this in the Name of others, than from himself; that in case of the non-compliance of any, he might charge them with Sedition or Disobedience to the Imperial Laws, or dissenting from Antiquity &c. Hence he causeth them to worship the first Beast rather than himself..

And he does great wonders Lying Wonders, 2 Thess. 2.9. such as by God's permission, false Prophets might do, Deut. 13.1, 2. Prophets were to be judged true or false not from any Signs or Wonders which they did, but from the Doctrine they taught, and would by those signs establish., so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men Wonders as great as those which Elias wrought.;

And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth, by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast The Lord shows his Prophet by what means the Papacy should cheat the World, viz. by pretences of Miracles, which it had a power to work (the Doctrines of the Church of Rome to this are sufficiently known,) all which are done in the sight of the Beast, that is, to his Honour, and to gain him a Reputation. As God gave his Prophets and Apostles a power to work true Miracles for the confirmation of their mission from him, and of the Doctrines which they brought; so he permitted others to work Lying Wonders for the Confirmation of their false Doctrine. The Apostle therefore describeth the coming of Antichrist to be with all Power and Signs, and Lying Wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness, 2 Thess. 2.9, 10., saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an Image to the beast, which had a wound by a sword, and did live These words show the design of this last mentioned Beast, viz. To make an Image to the Beast which had a wound by the Sword. Mr. Mede's notion here seemeth best to me, that by the Beast which had a wound by the Sword, is to be understood the Dragon, of whose Wound we read chap. 6. He was the Type of the Pagan Emperors, whom God rooted out, Antichrist's Design was to make an Image of that Old Beast, in which it might again live; which he did by his setting up the Veneration of Images, and the Invocation of Saints; the Pagan Idolatry lying chiefly in their adoration of Persons (who had been famous amongst them) when they were dead, making them their Mediators to their Supreme Gods; and in the veneration of their Images and Statues; The making the Image of this Beast, was the restoring of the same Idolatry, changing only the Names of Princes and great Soldiers, whom the Pagans worshipped after their Death, into the Names of Saints; in which Image the Dragon lived again; and it is sufficiently known how the Romish Clergy deceiveth people into this Idolatry by their Stories of Miracles done by such Saints..

And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast The Beast mentioned v. 11. had a power to give life unto this new formed Idolatry, conformable to that of the Pagans, in which the Old Beast again lived; he gave life to it by his Decrees and Bulls, and Canon Laws, 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 And by his Excommunications and Censures of those that would not comply with his Idolatry as Hereticks; after which the persons so adjudged, were delivered up to the secular power to be put to Death..

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 foreheads No particular Character is here to be understood, but only the general imposition of the Romish Faith upon all sorts of persons. His mark was nothing else but either the Profession of his Faith and Religion, or a vowed subjection to his commands, which we know is the practice of the Papacy where it obtaineth in any Country.:

And that no man should either buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name There have been great disputes about the Name and Number of the Beast. I must profess my self not able to distinguish betwixt the Mark Name, and Number of the Beast, they may all signify the same thing, viz. the Profession of the Romish Religion. Some think the Number is contained in the Name, and that the Name is ΛΛTEINOΣ, in which the Number 666 is contained; of which we shall speak more by and by.. This the Popish Church effects by its Excommunications; it was begun in the Councel of Lateran, anathematizing all who entertained any of the Waldenses, or traded with them; and the late learned Bishop of Armagh, in his Book de Successione Ecclesiae, has given us an account of such a Canon of a Synod in France, which in express terms forbad any Commerce with Hereticks in buying or selling. Paraeus tells us Pope Martin the Fifth has best interpreted this Prophecy, in his Bull added to the Council of Constance, where he prohibits Roman Catholicks, to suffer any Hereticks to have any Dwellings in their Countreys, or to make any Bargains, or use any Trades, or to perform to them any Civil Offices.

Here is wisdom That is, herein is the Wisdom, the unsearchable wisdom of God seen in the trial of his Church. Or (which is more probably the sense) this is a point will exercise the wisdom of Men.. Let him that has understanding count the number of the beast: For it is the number of a man: and his number is Six hundred threescore and six Let him that is spiritually wise, count the number of the Beast. It is such as may be numbred after the way Men use to Number. What this meaneth has exercised the Wits of the greatest Divines in all Ages. A late learned and valuable Writer thinks that 666 does not signify a certain definite number, but an indefinite number, and that not of years, but of pernicious errors, by the broaching and upholding of which Antichrist may be known. But the most Interpreters think a number, and that a definite certain number of years is to be understood here, but they are again divided; some thinking them determining the time of the fall of this Beast: others judging them to determine or define the year or time of his beginning to reign, the time from whence his period and term of 42 months or 1260 years, commenceth: most of those who think this number determinative of the time when he should fall, understood by it 1666, which raised the expectation of many good and some learned Men (though we see in this thing they were deceived) upon that year. A Countryman of our own, who has wrote an English Dissertation about the Name, Number, and Character of the Beast, has with much more probability judged this number definitive of the time when he began to Reign under the title of Universal Bishop, which was about the year 606; but there seemeth to be a want then of 60 years; to answer which objection, the aforesaid Author (N. Stephens) undertaketh to make out, that the year which according to our account was 606, was according to Daniel's Chronology 666; for it is the ix hundred sixty sixth year of the Roman Monarchy, which, says he, is to be counted from the time when that Empire first invaded the Church, which was when Cicero and Antonius were Consuls, about 60 years before Christ; for then the Romans first subdued the Iews (the ancient Church of God.) As to this notion, there is nothing to be proved, but that 666, must be counted from that Epocha; for admitting that the time of the Beast's Reign as to the beginning of it, fell much about 666, I shall only say of it, that I do not judge it a contemptible notion. This makes this Prophecy a prediction of the time when this Beast should begin to show his Power, and therefore it is called the Number of his Name; (Name in Holy Scripture often signifying Dominion and Power:) But there is yet another notion, which is the most Learned Dr. Potters, in his Book, called The Interpretation of the Number 666; a Book justly valuable both for the great Wit and Learning in it, and much magnified both by Dr. Moor, and Mr. Mede, whose Judgment of it is prefixed to it; in which he says, It is the happiest Tract that ever yet came into the World,—and though at first he read the Book with much prejudice, yet when he had done it, it left him possest with as much admiration. The foundation on which he goeth is, that this number is to be interpreted by the opposite number of 144, chap. 21.17. as the measure of the Wall of the new Ierusalem; which is to be understood of square measure, as he proveth chap. 6. for the Wall could not be 144 Cubits high, nor 144 Cubits broad; but in square measure so much, that is 12 Cubits high, and 12 Cubits broad, (for the length cannot be understood) it being impossible that a Wall 144 Cubits long, should encompass a City 91 Furlongs about: In like manner he thinks 666 ought to be counted by the square root of that number, which is 25. Hence he concludeth, that as 12, the square root of 144 is God's number, so 25 is the square root of Antichrist's number 666; and by this enigmatical expression we are taught that Antichrist should be a Political Body that should as much affect the number of 25, as God seemeth to have in his Church affected the number of 12: Under the Old Testament God built his Church upon 12 Patriarchs, it was made up of 12 Tribes; Hierusalem mentioned by Ezek. ch. 48.31. and in this Book, chap. 21.12. had twelve Gates, v. 21. these were 12 Pearles; at the Gates v. 12. were 12 Angels; the Wall, v. 14. had 12 Foundations, in them the names of 12 Apostles; v. 16. the measure of the City was 12000 Furlongs, chap. 22.2. the Tree of Life had 12 manners of Fruits, by all which i appears that 12 was the number God affected to use with reference to his Church, and the square root, both of the 144 Cubits, which were the measure of the Wall, chap. 21.17. and likewise of the 144 thousands, mentioned in the next Chapter as the number of Christ's retinue. On the contrary 25 is the square root of 666 (adding the Fraction) which is the Beasts Number, and that Learned Author proves, That the Pope and his Clergy as much affected the number of 25 in their first forming their Church, as God did the number of 12: They at first divided Rome into 25 Parishes (instead of the old 35 Tribes,) over which they set 25 Cardinals (which were their first number) who had 25 Churches: They made 25 Gates to the City; at last they also brought the Articles of their Creed to 25; this that learned Author abundantly proveth, chap. 17, 18, 19, 20, 22. He also chap. 24, 25, 26. shows how in a multitude of things of lesser moment, they affected this number of 25: This seemeth a very probable notion. I further refer my Reader to the Learned Author's Book, where he enlargeth upon these things with great Wit and Learning: In this variety I shall positively determine nothing, but have shortly mentioned the senses I think most probable, as to this mysterious Number 666.