OR THE POPE AND THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. WITH THE NUMBER, NAME, AND MARK OF THE POPE, BEING A COMMENTARY UPON REVELATION XIII. BY FREDERIC FYSH, M. A. OF QUEEN'S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE. "If any man worship THE BEAST AND HIS IMAGE, and receive his MARK in his PUBLISHED BY R. B. SEELEY AND W. BURNSIDE: FLEET STREET, LONDON. PREFACE. It is not without much reluctance and many misgivings that the Author of the following Commentary ventures to obtrude it on the notice of the Christian public. Deeply sensible of his own incompetency to the office of Commentator on the Book of Revelation, he has at times felt disposed to shrink from the task; but has been encouraged to proceed, trusting to the assistance of Him, whose prerogative it is, by things which are not, to bring to nought things that are. The fulfilment of prophecy is an interesting subject, and at the same time furnishes one of the strongest evidences for the truth of revealed religion. And next to the prophecies respecting Jesus Christ, the prophecies relative to Popery are, perhaps, the most numerous and the most important. That there should be a great apostasy in the Christian Church, consisting chiefly in the worship of demons, angels or departed saints, and promoted through the hypocrisy of liars, forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats, is expressly foretold by St. Paul. That the Pope should oppose and exalt himself above all laws, divine and human, sitting as God in the church of God, and shewing himself that he is God that his coming should be after the working of Satan, with all power and signs, and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness, is also foretold by the same Apostle. These prophecies are more largely developed in the Thirteenth Chapter of the Revelation: and it has been the object of the Author to explain this portion of Scripture, and to make it intelligible to all. He has generally followed the interpretation laid down by Bishop Newton, though on some points he has seen reasons for differing from that excellent and learned prelate. He agrees with Bishop Newton that the famous period of 1260 years is to be dated from the year 727, so that next year (1838) the Pope will have practised 1111 years. As this work has already exceeded the intended limits, the Author will add no more in this place, than an earnest prayer to Almighty God for a blessing upon this humble attempt to interpret his blessed word. Riddings, near Alfreton, Dec. 2, 1837. |