The ruin of Rome, or, An exposition upon the whole Revelation wherein is plainly…The ruine of Rome, or, An exposition upon the whole Revelation wherein is plainly…

¹And they worshipped the Dragon, which gave power unto the beast, and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to war with him?

1. 1Verse 4.

Now is showed how all the subjects of the Roman Empire did worship the Dragon: that is, they maintained that worship ⟨p. 235⟩which he liked and loved; that is, the worship of idols, which the Apostle calleth the worship of Devils. ¹And it is said also, they worshipped the Beast: that is, they did all with one accord submit themselves both to the religion and authority of the beast: that is, to the Popes, as they were the seventh head of the Empire: For, as I said before, so I say again, the holy Ghost here speaketh of the Empire, when it was in the greatest glory and exaltation; yea, when all the world wondered and followed the beast; yea, when all admired the great & large dominion of the Roman Empire, and said within themselves, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? Now the Empire of Rome was never so great and powerful, as when the Popes were heads thereof; I mean, when they executed the whole Civill jurisdiction of the Empire, besides their Ecclesiastical power, which now did both meet in one. For now the Papacy was aloft, and the Roman Empire joined with it: so that the eyes of the world were dazzled with the pomp and magnificence thereof, and they said, What is like unto it? Or who is comparable to the Pope, the seventh head ⟨p. 236⟩thereof? for then the blind world thought that the power of the Pope was not only above all things in this world, but also did reach even to heaven and hell. For they imagined that the Pope might carry to heaven whom he would, and whom he would he might cast down to hell: And therefore who could war with the beast? And thus we see the reason of their wonderment, and of their speech. All stories, and experience it self do show, that there was never any power in the world so wondered at, as the usurped power and majesty of the Pope, after he came to be the head of the Roman Monarchy. For then the world supposed that he had power even as God: and that he might depose and set up Kings and Emperors at his pleasure. Then it is clear, that under the dominion of the Popes, Rome hath been in her highest exaltation and glory: For the Papacy was the seventh head of the beast, whereby the Whore of Babylon was supported in her most magnifical pomp and pride.