name also the other qualities and properties of the beast must all agree. The name alone will not constitute an agreement: all other particulars must be perfectly applicable, and the name also must comprehend the precise number of 666. No name appears more proper and suitable than that famous one mentioned by Irenæus, who lived not long after St. John's time, and was the disciple of Polycarp, the disciple of John. He saith, that "the name Lateinos contains the number of 666; and it is very likely, because the last kingdom is so called, for they are Latins who now reign; but in this we will not glory;"* that is, as it becomes a modest and pious man, in a point of such difficulty, he will not be too confident of his explication. Lateinos with ei is the true orthography, as the Greeks wrote the long i of the Latins, and as the Latins themselves wrote in former times.† No objection therefore can be drawn from the spelling of the name, and the thing agrees to admiration. For, after the division of the empire, the Greeks and other orientalists called the people of the western church or church of Rome Latins: and, as Dr. Henry Moore expresseth it, they Latinize in every thing. Mass, prayers, hymns, litanies, canons, decretals, bulls, are conceived in Latin. The papal councils speak in Latin. Women themselves pray in Latin. Nor is the scripture read in any other language under popery, than Latin. Wherefore the council of Trent commanded the vulgar Latin to be the only authentic version. Nor do their doctors doubt to prefer it to the Hebrew and Greek text itself, which was written by the prophets and apostles. In short all things are Latin; the pope having communicated his language to the people under his dominion, as the mark and character of his empire. They themselves indeed choose rather to be called Ro

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* Sed et LATEINOS nomen habet sexcentorum sexaginta sex numerum: et valde verisimile est, quoniam novissimum regnum hoc habet vocabulum. Latini enim sunt qui nunc regnant: sed non in hoc nos gloriabimur. [Translated in the text.] Iren. lib. 5, cap. 30, p. 449, edit. Grabe.

+ So Ennius, lib. vi. 26.

Quorum virtutei bellei fortuna pepercit,

Horundem me leibertatei parcere certum est:

and there are infinite examples besides.

+ Moore's Mystery of Iniquity, part 2, b. 1, chap. 15, sect. 8, et Petri Molinæi Vates, p. 500, &c. Missa, preces. hymni, litaniæ, canones, decreta, bullæ, Latine conceptæ sunt. Concilia papalia Latine loquuntur. Ipsæ mulierculæ precantur Latine. Nec alio sermone scriptura legitur sub papismo quam Latino. Quapropter Concilium Tri dentinum jussit solam versionem vulgatam Latinam esse authenticam. Nec dubitant doctores eam præferre ipsi textui Hebraico et Græco ab ipsis apostolis et prohetis exarato. Denique sunt omnia Latina; nempe Papa; populis a se subactis dedit suam linguam, ut sui imperii notam et characterem [Translated in the text.]

1

mans, and more absurdly still Roman Catholics: and probably the apostle, as he hath made use in some Hebrew names in this book, as 'Abaddon,' ix. 11, and Armageddon,' xvi. 16, so might in this place likewise allude to the name of the Hebrew language. Now Romiith' is the Hebrew name for the Roman beast' or 'Roman kingdom' and this word, as well as the former word' Lateinos, contains the just and exact number of 666.* It is really surprising that there should be such a fatal coincidence in both names in both languages, Mr. Pyle asserts, and I believe he may assert very truly, that "no other word, in any language whatever, can be found to express both the same number, and the same thing."†

CHAP. XIV.

1. AND I looked, and lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads,

2. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps :

3. And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song, but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.

4. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins: these are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth: these were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits unto God, and to the Lamb.

5. And in their mouth was found no guile; for they are without fault before the throne of God,

After this melancholy account of the rise and reign of the beast, the Spirit of prophecy delineates, by way of opposition, the state of

the truc church during the same period, it struggles and contests with the beast, and the judgments of God upon its enemies. Our Saviour is seen, ver. 1, as the true Lamb of God, not only with horns like a lamb, standing on the mount Sion,' the place of God's true worship; and with him an hundred forty and four thousand,' the same select number that was mentioned before, vii. 4, the genuine offspring of the twelve apostles apostolically multiplied, and therefore the number of the church, as 666 is the number of the beast; and as the followers of the beast have the name of the beast, so these have the name of God,' and as some copies add 'of Christ, written in their foreheads,' being his professed servants, and the same as 'the witnesses,' only represented under different figures. The angels and heavenly choir, ver. 2, 3, with loud voices and instruments of music sing the same 'new song' or Christian song that they sung before: chap. v.-' and no man could learn that song, but the hundred and forty and four thousand;' they alone are the worshippers of the one true God through the one true mediator Jesus Christ; all the rest of mankind offer up their devotions to other objects, and through other mediators. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins,'-ver. 4; they are pure from all the stains and pollutions of spiritual whoredom or idolatry, with which the other parts of the world are miserably debauched and corrupted. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth;' they adhere constantly to the religion of Christ in all conditions and in all places, whether in adversity or prosperity, whether in conventicles and deserts, or in churches or cities. These were redeemed from among men,' rescued from the corruptions of the world, and are consecrated as the first fruits unto God and the Lamb,' an earnest and assurance of a more plentiful harvest in succeeding times. And in their mouth was found no guile,'-ver. 5; they handle not the word of God deceitfully,' they preach the sincere doctrine of Christ, they are as free from hypocrisy as from idolatry; for they are without fault before the throne of God,' they resemble their blessed Redeemer, 'who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth,'-1 Pet. ii. 22; and are as the apostle requires Christians to be, Philip. ii. 15,- blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation.' But possibly it may be asked, Where did such a church ever exist, especially before the Reformation; and it may be replied that it hath not existed only in idea; history demonstrates, as it hath been before evinced, that there have in every age been some true worshippers of God.

faithful servants of Jesus Christ; and as Elijah did not know the seven thousand men who had never bowed the knee to Baal, so there may have been more true Christians than were always visible.

6. And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.

7. Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

Such is the nature and character of the true Christian church in opposition to the wicked Antichristian kingdom; and three principal efforts have been made towards a reformation at three different times, represented by three angels appearing one after another. Another angel,' ver. 6, besides those who were employed in singing, ver. 3, is seen flying in the midst of heaven,' and 'having the everlasting gospel to preach unto every nation and people;' so that during this period the gospel should still be preached, which is styled the everlasting gospel,' being like its divine author, Heb. xiii. 8, the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever,' in opposition to the novel doctrines of the beast and the false prophet, which Matt. xv. 13,-shall be rooted up as plants not of the heavenly Father's planting.' This angel is farther represented, ver. 7,-' saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come.' Prophecy mentions things as come, which will certainly come: and so our Saviour said, John xii. 31,— Now is the judgment of this world;' it is denounced with cer tainty now, and in due time will be fully executed. But what this angel more particularly recommends, is, the worship of the great creator of the universe; Worship him that made heaven and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.' It is a solemn and emphatic exhortation to forsake the reigning idolatry and superstition, and such exhortations were made even in the first and earliest times of the beast. Besides several of the Greek emperors who strenuously opposed the worship of images, Charlemain himself held a council at Francfort in the year 794, consisting of about 300 French, and German, and Italian, and Spanish, and British bishops, who condemned all sorts of adoration or worship of images, and rejected the second council of Nice, which had authorized and established

it.* At the same time the Carolin books,' as they are called, four books written by Charles himself, or by his authority, proving the worship of images to be contrary to the scripture and to the doctrine and practice of antiquity, were approved by the council, and transmitted to the pope. Lewis the Pious, the son and successor of Charles, held a council at Paris in the year 824, which ratified the acts of the council of Francfort and the Carolin books, and affirmed that, according to the scripture and the fathers, adoration was due to God alone.† Several private persons also taught and asserted the same scriptural doctrines. Claude, bishop of Turin, declares that "we are not commanded to go to the creature, that we may be made happy, but to the Creator himself: and therefore we should not worship dead men; they are to be imitated, not to be adored let us together with the angels worship one God."‡ Agobard, archbishop of Lyons, wrote a whole book against images, and says that, "angels or saints may be loved and honoured, but not be served and worshipped: let us not put our trust in man, but in God, lest that prophetic denunciation should redound on us, 'Cursed is the man who trusteth in man." "§ Many other bishops and writers of Britain, Spain, Italy, Germany, and France, professed the same sentiments: and this public opposition of emperors and bishops to the worship of saints and images in the eighth and ninth centuries, appears to be meant particularly by the loud voice of this first angel flying aloft,' and calling upon the world 'to worship God.' In another respect too these emperors and bishops resemble this angel having the everlasting gospel to preach unto every nation; for in their time, and greatly by their means, the Christian religion was propagated and established among the Saxons, Danes, Swedes, and many other northern nations.

* Fred. Spanhemii. Hist. Christian. Sæc. 8, cap. 7 et 9. Dupin. Bib. Ecclesiast. Tom 6, passim. Voltaire's Annals of the Empire. Ann. 794.

+ Spanhem. ibid. Sæc. 9, cap. 12, sect. 2. et Hist. Imag. Rest. sect. 9. Dupin, ibid. Tom. 7, chap. 1.

Non jubemur ad creaturam tendere, ut efficiamur beati, sed ad ipsum creatorem, Et ideo non sit nobis religio cultus hominum mortuorum; honorandi sunt propter imitationem, non adorandi propter religionem : Unum cum angelis colamus Deum. [Translated in the text.] Apud Spanhem. ibid. Sæc. 9, cap. 9. sect. 7. Vide etiam Dupin, ibid. et Cave Hist. Litt. ad Ann. 820.

Angeli, vel homines sancti, amentur, honorentur charitate, non servitute: non ponamus spem nostram in homine, sed in Deo, ne forte redundet in nos illud propheticum, Maledictus homo qui confidit in homine. [Translated in the text.] Lib. de Imag. cap. 30, apud Spanhem. ibid. Vide etiam Dupin, ibid. Cave, ibid. ad. Ann. 813.

|| Spanhem. ibid. sect. 3. Usserius de Eccles. Christian. successione et statu, cap. 2, Allix's Remarks upon the ancient Churches of the Albigenses, chap. 8 et 9.

¶ Spanhem. ibid. cap. 2.