An exposition upon the thirteenth chapter of the Revelation by that reverend and eminent…

what is the Beasts number? It is six hundred threescore and six, it falls short in the beginning, six of the first 12. There is nothing ⟨p. 253⟩Apostolical in it from the first rise: And as the rise is not the Apostolical number, and constitution, so neither is the multiplication of it, for six is not multiplied by 12. but by ten; for six unites being multiplied by ten, make 60. and ten times sixty is 600. So all the multiplications is by ten, not by 12. the Apostolic number is not here. It is true, 666. runs roundly, and hath a comely proportion in it; where ever ye look, ye have six, and it is p•etty pleasing to the fancy, and easy to remember; 144. is not so round a number, neither for apprehension, nor for memory. But yet we are not at the bottom: What should be the reason that the Holy Ghost should single out the number six, and multiply it by ten? why doth the Holy Ghost put it upon six? Seven had bin no Apostolical number, nor 10. multiplied by 20. But why doth the H. Ghost pitch upon six, and the multiplication of six by ten? Why you that are conversant in the Latin Bible look Junius his notes, and he tells you; whereas all the Catholic Church was formerly governed by five books of Decretals, Boniface he did compile a sixth book of Decretals, and called it Sextus (you that have the book of Canons may find it) which being (said the Pope) a perfect number, and therefore being added to the former books of Decretals, it maketh up a certain plot-form of direction for all matters of practice and manners in the discipline of the Church, and so it is a perfect number of all things to be done in the Church, both for doctrine, worship, and government: so the Popes Canons are summed up in his Sextus, there is the reason why he makes six the foundation; all their Administrations are founded and measured out from their Canon•Lawes, which are all wrapped up in six volumes, and the sixth is the most complete of them all.

what is the Beasts number? It is sixe hundred threescore and sixe, it falls short in the beginning, sixe of the first 12. There is nothing ⟨p. 253⟩Apostolical in it from the first rise: And as the rise is not the Apostolicall number, and constitution, so neither is the multiplication of it, for six is not multiplyed by 12. but by ten; for sixe unites being multiplyed by tenne, make 60. and ten times sixty is 600. So all the multiplications is by ten, not by 12. the Apostolick number is not here. It is true, 666. runs roundly, and hath a comely proportion in it; where ever ye look, ye have sixe, and it is petty pleasing to the fancy, and easie to remember; 144. is not so round a number, neither for apprehension, nor for memory. But yet wee are not at the bottome: What should be the reason that the Holy Ghost should fingle out the number sixe, and multiply it by ten? why doth the Holy Ghost put it upon sixe? Seven had bin no Apostolical number, nor 10. multiplyed by 20. But why doth the H. Ghost pitch upon sixe, and the multiplication of sixe by ten? Why you that are conversant in the Latine Bible look Junius his notes, and he tells you; whereas all the Catholique Church was formerly governed by five books of Decretalls, Boniface he did compile a sixth book of Decretalls, and called it Sextus (you that have the book of Canons may finde it) which being (said the Pope) a perfect number, and therefore being added to the former books of Decretalls, it maketh up a certain plat-form of direction for all matters of practice and manners in the discipline of the Church, and so it is a perfect number of all things to be done in the Church, both for doctrine, worship, and government: so the Popes Canons are summed up in his Sextus, there is the reason why he makes sixe the foundation; all their Administrations are founded and measured out from their CanonLawes, which are all wrapped up in six volumes, and the sixth is the most compleat of them all.