e Daniel in his Viſion of the Chaldaick, Perſian, Grecian, and R9- man Monarchies by which the World was ſucceffively ruled from his time to St, Fohn's; and many years after; had the firſt repreſent- ed to him by a Lion, for its Nobleneſfs and Fierceneſs. The ſecond, by a Bear, for his Cruelty. The third, by a Leopard, for the ſmall- neſs of its Bulk, the ſwiftneſs of its Conqueſts, its Strength, g5c. The fourth, by a Beaſt (not named) ſtrong, and exceedingly terri- ble, that had great Iron Teeth, that devoured, and brake in pieces, and ſtamped the reſidue under its Feet. This Beaſt is certainly here deſcribed, which had ſeveral forms ; Fohn 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. Then (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 Emperours till near 600. This Beaſt had f. g. the Feet of a Bear, and the Mouth of a Lim. Theſe Emperours, with the Goths and Vandals that were Arrians, were as.cruel to true Chriſtians, as the Pagan Emperours had been. Gilimer King of the Vandals, Am. 530. and the Goths under Totrila, 540. made miſerable havock amongſt
'the Chriſtians. + Theſe together inherited both the Power of the
Heathen Emperours, 7 and Rome, which was their Seat, or Throne, hþ 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 Ar- rians diſclaimed Paganiſm, and the worſhipping of Pagan Idols. All this while the Papacy was creeping up, but till 552, or there- abouts 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 taly, who about twenty years after, was beaten by Nayſetes, and driven out, after the Goths and Vandals had reigned in [taly about ſeventy feven years. Others think that this Beaſt, under the Form of a Leopard, ſtill is Antichriſt, or Rome Papal, but that he is ſet forth under the likeneſs of a Leopard to ſhew his ſwiftneſs, his cru- elty, and his ſubtilty ; of a Bear to expreſs not only his cruelty; but his ſtrength in exerciſing it; and of a Lion (fo is his mouth) to ſet forth his rapaciouſneſs as to others, and his audaciouſneſs a- gainſt God, in his wicked, bold Decrees. And fo this one Beaſt 1s deſcribed by Allufion to all three, to ſhew what a congregation of Evil Qualities there was in him, one Beaſt not being ſufficient to' ſet forth him, in whom were met the cruel Diſpoſition of all other Tyrants. See Durh. in loc.
Chap. XI.
F.
*Ch. 12:9.
3 And Law one of his heads /, as it were + wound- + Gr. ain.
ed to death mm; and his deadly wound was healed 7 -
and * all the world wondred after the beaſt o. *Ch.17.18
1 That is, the Leopard's Head. mn The ſeven Heads of this Beaſt are interpreted by the Spirit of God himſelf, to be ſeven Kings, chap, 17. 10. i.e. ſeven Forms of Sovereign Government in the Ro- man State, and theſe ſucceſſive one to another ; for it's ſaid there, Five are fallen, and one is, and the other 3s yet to come ; ſo that this Head muſt be either that then in being, or that 70 come; it cannot be that to come, becauſe that does not receive its fatal Blow and dead- ly Wound, till the final Diſſolution of the Roman (as the fourth Me- tal) Monarchy; therefore it muſt be that Mead then in being, viz. that of the Pagan Eniperours : and the wounding of his Head to death, is the conquering the Pagan Emperours, and the aboliſhing of Paganiſm and Idolatry, and putting a ſtop to Perſecution by the Chriſtian Emperours; and conſecuently n this Wound was healed when Idolatry ( for Subſtance the ſame with the Heatheniſh, though in a new dreſs) and Perſecution was reſtored (gfadually J by the Dodtrine and Praftice of the Romiſh Church. 0» The generality of the Roman Empire became Admirers and followers of theBeaſt thus cus red, in his Idolatry and Perſecution: |
4 Aud
\< —_—— - Q \ 1 : bl WIEWY EDIT)
12;
; * Dan. 7,2,
I1 SI. 36. || Or, fo
| make war. _ Chap. 11. | \ 2,
* Datt. 7. I 2. | Chap. II. q y
TEL. REVEL
+ And they worſhipped the dragon p which gave mower unto the beaſt 9: and they worſhipped the beaſt, ſaying 7, * Who 7s like unto the beaſt /* who is able to make war with him ? 1
þ By the Dragon here, is to be underſtood the Devil, q who gave power to theſe Emperours; not that they did ſo dire@ly, bnt inter- pretatively ; they worſhipped Idols, which ordinarily 1n Scriptures
are called Devils. q Poſſibly worſhipping in this latter Clauſe 1s |.
not to be underſtood of a Divine Adoration, but a Civil Subjettion ; People, upon the driving out of theſe their Enemics, generally gave themſelves up to the Obedience of their Emperours and Bt- ſhops of Rome, commanding them Idolatrons Worſhip, / And ad- mired theſe two, and thoſe by whom they had been delivered from thoſe Enemies who had plagued them fo long.
5 And there was given unto him * a mouth ſpeak- ing great things 7, and blaſphemies 2; and power was given unto him || to continue + forty ad two months w.
t 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 Ecclefiaſtical Power of the Biſhops of Rome concurred to make one Antichriſt. God permitted, and the Devil influenced this Beaſt to ſpeak great things, as Dan. 7. 11. which is interpreted by the term Blaſphenries. u Blaſphemies againſt God fignific ſtriftly any reproachful Speeches
againit him, whether attributing to him the Creature's Imperfettt- '