the first beast had now lost his power, which had descended to the second beast, and that the second beast had assumed the reigns of government by his own strength and authority, which he managed on account of the total inability of the first beast. But this sense does not seem to correspond with the whole description, where he by no means appears to possess such original power and authority at his own disposal. His establishment is the offspring of deep policy, and he acts as agent and emissary under the patronage of the first beast, and thus manages the whole power for a time, by his consent, and in favour of his government and interest. This seems to be the import of the expression, before him, in his presence and under his influence. For if the power of the first beast had actually ceased on this occasion, how could his throne and kingdom be in existence at the pouring out of the fifth vial, at a much later period? and how could it yet be called a beast, under the bridal of the scarlet-whore.

He causeth the earth, and them which dwell therein. This manner of expression, indicates a rapid progress of a very general delusion, among all the carnal and earthly-minded inhabitants of the Roman Catholic kingdoms, caused by the artful deceptions and power of the second beast; which consists in seducing the people to pay the Pope homage and tribute, only due to the true and living God, by magnifying the power, virtue and holiness of that ecclesiastical usurper, beyond measure, conscience and truth.

To worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. The first beast lieves and reigns in his own behalf, and has no concern for the existence of the second as a beast, except so far as he confirms and maintains his sovereignty and dominion; but the second beast is totally devoted to the first, even at the expense of truth and conscience. To seduce others to deify the beast, is a crime so palpable and heinous, and the second beast is so inti

mately acquainted with the nature and interest of the Papacy, that he must be acting against his better knowledge in this wicked delusion. Therefore how great must be the punishment of the deceivers, when the deceived al· ready incur damnation! Whose deadly wound was healed. These words are not only designed, to point out which of the two beasts was worshipped, but also to inform us that the second beast would not arise, until after the deadly wound of the first was healed, of which it makes mention. This wound is considered a great evil, and its cure magnified by the second beast into a miracle, effected by divine interposition, in order to procure adherents and worshippers: namely, that the Gregorian succession of the Papacy was reduced to the last and most fatal point, by the opposition of antipopes and temporal princes, and yet preserved unbroken, and continued during so many vicissitudes.

And here I would beg the considerate reader to pause, and reflect upon what has been said. Thus far this prophecy is already accomplished, and what now follows is yet to come. May I be enabled to designate the important point to which this prophecy has been fulfilled, and to ascertain from whom we are to expect the completion of the residue of this chapter.

1. The beast out of the sea is the Roman hierarchy; the beast from the earth then is that establishment within the limits of the Roman catholic states, which has proved the main prop and pillar of the power of the Pope, and the most distinguished propagator of his corruptions in doctrine and worship. This, without doubt, is the order of the Jesuits, which was founded for that express purpose, and has realized to this day, all the features of the preceding part of this prophecy. 2. The order of the Jesuits may with propriety be styled a beast, for they are a distinct, regularly organized body of men, which were once established in a public capacity

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by Law, in all the kingdoms of Europe. They are subject to their own particular superior, who possesses sovereign power over the whole order, and all its possessions in every part of the world; the affairs of which he manages by an established code of private and public laws, and by the dictates of his own will and prudence, beyond the reach of episcopal jurisdiction. 3. This famous and powerful society arose from the earth, i. e. on the continent of the western Roman empire, A. D. 1542, after the deadly wound of the first beast was healed. The two horns are those two classes of members, which were selected by profound wisdom and po·licy from among their whole body, according to their different dispositions, talents and attainments in arts and sciences, and employed in Church and state; in order to accomplish the views and purposes of the Roman hierarchy, and extend the interest of the order. 4. They actually exercised all the power of the first beast. The learned Mosheim says, "The Dominicans and Franciscans were before the Reformation, what the Jesuits have been since that happy and glorious period; the very soul of the Roman hierarchy, the engines of the state, the secret springs of the motions of the one and of the other, and the authors and directors of every great and important event both in the religious and political world." The same author continues his account of the Jesuits in another place, "The church and court of Rome have derived more influence and support from the labours of this single order, than from all their other emissaries and ministers, and all the various exertions of their power and oppulence. They spread themselves with an astonishing rapidity. through the greatest part of the habitable world, confirmed the wavering nations in the faith of Rome, restrained the pro

*Mosheim's Eccles. Hist. vol. III. p. 195. Ibid vol. IV. p. 188.

gress of the rising sects, gained over a prodigous number of Pagans in the most remote parts of the globe to the profession of popery, attacked almost alone all other denominations in the field of controversy with reasoning and eloquence, and never lost sight of the interest of Rome, to support and extend the authority of that hierarchy. This cunning order soon supplanted all other monastic orders in the church, the palaces of the great, the courts of princes, as professors in colleges and universities, and as confessors to direct the consciences of the rich and powerful in the world; and thus engrossed to themselves an irresistible influence." Thus they exercised the power of the first beast, and represented him as a kind of deity to the ignorant multitude; from whom they demanded and obtained implicit belief and submission to his pretended power and infallibility, in which a part of the worship of the beast consists.

These are glaring and notorious facts, established by incontrovertible testimony against the Jesuits, by which we are authorized to draw the following important conclusions. First, that this artful and mysterious order is considered a beast during the time of his public establishment in the kingdoms of Europe, and in its halcyon days of power and influence; but that this time would be of short duration, since it is only once termed a beast, and that from its first establishment A. D. 1542. Secondly, that it began to cease in its bestial principles and character, from the time when it was abolished in Portugal 1759, in France 1762, in Spain 1767, in Sicily and in the isle of Malta 1768, and its power and influence limited in every other country of Europe; until the whole institution will be revived and re-established on the basis of the false prophet. They had a public festival at Rome, on the sccond of August A. D. 1814, after the restoration of the Pope. Whether any thing of this nature took place on

that occasion, time must develope. Thirdly, that this famous insinuating order will produce the false prophet, who will at first consist of that whole body of men, and at last terminate in a single individual at their head, of uncommon and extraordinary talents, splendid and miraculous achievements.

Verse 13. And he doth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.

14. And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles, which he had power to do in the sight of the beast, saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound of the sword and did live.

The residue of this chapter, is as yet, only indicated by preludes, and awaits its full completion at a future period. The two-horned beast has probably now ceased in his bestial character, and will soon commence his second career, as the false prophet of the Revelation. In this capacity it will yet serve on two different occasions; first, to the beast of the sea during his state of non-existence and the last efforts of superstition; secondly, to the beast of the bottomless pit, during the dominion of Infidelity. It is very probable that the remaining part of this prophecy, from verse 13-18, will be, accomplished by the false prophet, while yet serving under the auspices of the beast from the sea, in order to recover his last state of power and reputation; as every act of the false prophet foretold in it, leads to the support and establishment of superstition, and as yet presupposes a superstitious multitude, who are thereby deluded. And for this reason it is here annexed to the history of the beast from the sea. When once this beast arises from the bottomless pit, during the reign of Infidelity, the false prophet also will change his means and measures, to serve his new master among the apostate nations at that time. But before that period, we may with certainty expect that the beast of the