Now the last verse of the xviith chapter seems to decide this; for the interpreting angel informs St. John, that "The woman which thou sawest is that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth."

Now to these words the apostle obviously could attach but one meaning, — namely, that ROME was the city or power spoken of.

So indisputable is this, that even the chief commentators of the church of Rome have all admitted, that the Babylon of the Apocalypse can mean nothing else than Rome. This is explicitly conceded by Baronius, Bellarmine, Ribera, Malvenda, Lessius, Cornelius a Lapide, Alcason, and Vega.* Dr. Walmsley, also, the Romish Bishop, who wrote a few years back under the name of Pastorini, at once admits the same thing. These writers, however, strive to evade the awful conclusion, as it respects their own church, by arguing, that it is Rome Pagan, not Rome Papal, that is thus pointed out.

Bishop Walmsley (Pastorini) says, "Thus fell ancient Rome like Babylon, but with this difference; that Babylon was never to rise again; whereas Rome, when the anger of God was satisfied, was designed to emerge from her ashes. And, though not allowed to recover her former temporal dominion and splendour and riches, nor to rise in her outward appearance scarce above the condition of a village when compared with her former extent and multitude of people; yet, in her depressed state, she is privileged with a higher dignity of another kind; of being not only a Christian city, but the appointed head and centre of spiritual dominion."

Dr. Walmsley's interpretation then, is, that the apocalyptic Babylon is Rome Pagan; that the judgments denounced against *Whiston's Essay on Revelation. P. ii. p. 111, 112.

her were fulfilled by the sacking of Rome by the Goths and Vandals; and that after that infliction she was to rise from her ashes, in the new form of a Christian bishopric, and the head of spiritual dominion.

We accept the Dr.'s admission, that Rome, and nothing but Rome, can be denoted by the " Babylon" of the Revelation; but his supposed fulfilment of the prediction is altogether untenable.

Rome Pagan, the Dr. says, was a bloody persecutor of the saints. By this guilt, she incurred the judgments of God, and was delivered over to the ravages of the Goths; but afterwards, having passed through this punishment, she rose to greater honour than before, as no longer Pagan but Christian.

It

Now there never was an hypothesis which more completely disregarded the facts of the case. Rome Pagan was not sacked or ravaged by the Goths at all. was not until nearly a century after she had become Christian, that the foot of the invader traversed her streets; and her final fall only took place about an hundred and fifty years after her adhesion to Christianity!

But there is another discrepancy between the fact, and this interpretation. The woman is seen sitting on a beast with ten horns. These ten horns Dr. Walmsley himself admits to be the ten Gothic kingdoms which arose out of the Roman empire. The woman rides upon, or rules over these. How, then, can she be Rome Pagan, which ceased to exist when Constantine made the empire Christian, in A. D. 321.-when those ten kingdoms upon which she rides, under the figure of a ten-horned beast, did not even exist until more than two centuries after? Clearly, in riding upon, or ruling over the beast with ten horns, she is shewn to be a governing power, directing and animating those ten between kingdoms, which arose

the years A. D. 497, and 606, and which have continued to exist up to the present time.

Another fault which we might find with this interpretation is, that the character of a harlot is never given in scripture to simple Paganism, but always to an apostate church, to a body which having been united to God by the profession and possession of the true faith, afterwards falls away from him, and becomes an adulteress. This of itself is a fatal objection to Dr. Walmsley's interpretation; but the remaining one is still simpler and plainer, and therefore more convincing.

66

The Dr. says, that "Rome, when the anger of God was satisfied, was designed to emerge from her ashes." Now this is in direct opposition to the very words of the prophecy. The angel distinctly says, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found NO MORE AT ALL." These words prove, beyond all possibility of doubt, both that the judgments spoken of in the prophecy were not realized in the sacking of Rome by the Goths, from which infliction that city did in a measure recover; and also that their fulfilment is still future. On the whole, then, while we accept the admission of Dr. Walmsley, with all the other commentators of his Church, that the "Babylon" of the Apocalypse is unquestionably Rome; we must pronounce his endeavour to shew that Rome Pagan is intended, to have wholly failed.

We have arrived then, at these conclusions;-1. That in the figure of a harlot, we must recognize a professing church, lapsed into. idolatry. 2. That in the beast upon which she rides, we trace a mere earthly empire, divided into ten different powers, typified by horns, and all ruled and guided alike by the governing barlot. 3. That the marks given denote Rome. And

4. That in the apostate and idolatrous Church of Rome, riding upon and ruling over, the ten kingdoms, (Rome, Ravenna, France, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Naples, Bavaria, &c. the full reality of the prophetic picture is seen. But it will probably be asked,

Do you mean to decide a vast controversy like this, by your interpretation of a single dark and mysterious prophecy? We answer, certainly not.

What our conclusion might be, were this the only passage of holy writ, which seemed to threaten Rome with the judgments of God, we are not called upon to say, or even to decide for our own consciences. For it is not the only passage which bears this awful meaning, but only one out of several.

The most highly-favoured of all the Old Testament prophets, had a parallel view of God's purposes in these latter times. Daniel was warned, that when the ten Gothic kingdoms had been formed out of the Roman empire, another horn, (or power) should arise after them, which should absorb three of their portions of territory, and should speak great words against the Most High, and should wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws, (Dan. vii. 25.) but who should be slain, and his body given to the burning flame."

66

Here is a second witness, exactly corroborative of St. John, and wholly unintelligible, except on the hypothesis, that this power that should arise, is that of the Roman see.

But even this is not all. The greatest of all the Apostles, the Apostle of the Gentiles, with still increasing explicitness confirms the same view. He tells the Thessalonians, (2 Thess. ii.) that a great apostacy, a "falling away to be looked for, and the manifestation of some dreadful apostacy, which he designates by the

was

strongest terms of abhorrence and dread," the man of sin," "the son of perdition," "that wicked one." He intimates that as soon as that which then hindered, (the imperial power,) was "taken out of the way," then "that wicked (one) should be revealed or manifested." And exactly as it was thus foretold do we find the fact recorded in history, that quickly after the fall of the Western Empire, did the Romish See begin to assume its predominant power.

66

And he most explicitly describes the precise character of this apostate power. It was to be distinctly ecclesiastical. He, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." And we know that the Pope is himself bodily exalted, at least once every year, and placed on the High altar in St. Peter's at Rome, for the worship of the multitude. "His coming is after the working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders." And what imposture was ever more entirely supported than is that of Rome, by lying won

ders?"

66

The end, however, of this " son of perdition" is described in terms exactly agreeing with Daniel and St. John. "The Lord shall consume (him) with the spirit of his mouth, and destroy (him) with the brightness of his coming." (2 Thess. ii. 8.)

Daniel had said of Christ, that "a fiery stream issued forth before him: and the beast was slain, and his body given to the burning flame."

St. John describes the Lord, when coming to judge the beast and the false prophets, thus: "Out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword." "And the beast was taken, and the false prophet that wrought miracles before him. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone." (Rev. xix. 15, 20.)

Now let us endeavour to draw into our view, all the various prophetical marks or indications relative to the Antichrist, the great apostacy of the latter days, and see what is their combined force and bearing.

First, then, we observe, alike in Daniel, St. Paul, and St. John, the clear and unequivocal prediction of an Antichristian power, which should appear in the latter days." And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand.” (Dan. vii. 25.)

"there come a falling away

first, and that man of sin be revealed, the sin of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped." (2 Thess. ii. 3, 4.) "And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven." (Rev. xiii. 6.)

Secondly, as to the time of its appearance, and its geographic position, we learn that it was to be in the waning or declension of the Roman empire. "The fourth kingdom shall be divided; as the toes of the feet were part of iron and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly broken." (Dan.ii. 41, 42.) "The ten horns are ten kings that shall arise; and another shall arise after them, and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the Most High." (Dan. vii. 24, 25.) The mystery of iniquity doth already work; only he (the imperial power,) who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way; and then shall that Wicked be revealed." (2 Thess. ii. 7.)

Thirdly, as to the character of this enemy. It was not to be that of an open opposer, but of a traitor