Apocalypse Xiii. 1.

mination of which I had particularly sought for, and that justly. I will speak with kindness and openness (for truth, which is brought into danger in this serious passage, compels me). The Epicrisis does not relate to its readers , of whom it certainly has many , on account of the celebrity of the Author , what ought especially to have been related. The whole of what he says is this : This Proposition rests upon the preceding one. But since that is entirely without foundation , namely , that the beast is the Papacy , this falls to the ground together with it: p. 377. The strong expressions, entirely, falls to the ground , and others, which the assurance of his own opinion everywhere supplies to the Venerable Author, ought not to prevent the reader from hesi- tating, and weighing in turn the arguments which each of us advances. There is need both of this admonition, and that it should be kept in mind. I had thus proved the Proposition : The beast has not yet passed : for Pome stands , and it is not until the destruction of this city that the beast perishes. It is not therefore altogether FUTURE : for the second woe has now long ago passed ; but this having passed away , the third woe was quickly coming , and at the beginning of this woe the beast quickly arose out of the sea. Therefore the beast , whatever it is, exists at the present day. I have not, as he says, built up the 4th Proposition on the preceding one, although it satisfied the Divine of Halle and myself ; much less does the 4th Proposition owe its force to this Proposition, the beast is the Papacy, which, though true of itself, he without cause makes equivalent to the preceding Proposition : for it would be an unbecoming circle, compared with the 5th Proposition : least of all does the 4th Pro- position rest on that Proposition only, for the Epicrisis mentions it only. My proof holds good. 1) The beast has not yet passed : 2) it is not altogether future : 3) therefore it exists at present. The fourth point is not given : the Divine of Halle admits the first : from the first and the second the third necessarily follows : and that altogether overthrows the opinion of Lange respecting the beast, and supports mine. I proved the second point, as I was bound, by few words, but still from the whole connection of the prophecy, which cannot escape the notice of a continuous reader of the com- mentary brought down to that point (for it requires a reader of such a character). Do you seek for a summary of the arguments drawn from an analysis of the times? See Erkl. Offenb. p. 114. Do you prefer a summary of the arguments separated from an analysis of the times? See the same, p. 92, etc. The Epicrisis ought to have related and examined these things, rather than, in the very central