We do not say that the rising out of the sea was completed in a moment ; but it has a remarkable extent, and that indeed, if you please, from Gregory VII. to Alexander III. See Erkl. Offenb. p. 670. The horoscope however, so to speak, comes to be observed.
Prop. 10. Neither enemies , nor friends of the truth , ought to lead us away from the truth of this interpretation. — I bear dissent from my opinion more easily than the Epicrisis supposes, p. 382. But when the ancient testimony of the truth, as far as its chief portion is the genuine interpretation of the beast as referring to the Papacy, is en- dangered, and illustrious men, who are in fault however on this point, now at this particular point abandon the interpretation, there is just ground for grief : and the more shall join their suffrages with them, the greater will the fear become of injury about to follow. The right exposition, which sees the Papacy under the description of the beast, adds much greater strength for patience and faith (ch. xiv. 12), than that inferior one, which looks for it under the description of the whore. And altogether it is injurious to depart from the genuine meaning of the prophecy. The Divine of Halle, p. 383, denies that those witnesses of the truth regarded the Papacy as the beast. But there were many who did so regard it : as Purvseus, before the Re- formation ; and after it, Cluver : others undoubtedly regarded it as the other beast, which was most closely united with that, Ap. xiii., as Luther did.
The same (Lange) does not remember that he has ever heard or read , that the whore is plainly the city of Rome , namely , in so far as the city is to be distinguished from the Papacy , which must be regarded as the beast of the Apocalypse : and he applies to me the appearance of singularity in my opinion. Whether it is the author , says he, who prates foolishly , or I IN COMPANY with others, let the reader judge. Epicr. p. 385, and the following. Pareus is expressly on my side : Comm, on the Apoc. col. 874, 892 ; nor do I add others. For all, who recognise the Papacy as pointed out in ch. xiii. of the Apoca- lypse (and they are very many), cannot fail likewise to distinguish Babylon from it, although they do not all make the distinction with equal propriety. I often appear an innovator, when I bring forward again ancient truth, here recognised by Luther in almost all par- ticulars : Nor do I deny, that the knowledge of ancient sentiments, without any prejudging of the authority, has given me no little assistance. See Erkl. Offenb. pp. 1111, 1121. Let us return to the subject.
The Divine of Halle is right indeed in teaching, that the beast is