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…

Now Antichrist, having gotten the world under him by his counterfeit miracles, doth lay his commandment on them, to make the image of the beast. Now what is here meant by the image of the beast, is somewhat hard to discuss: some think, that by the image of the beast, which had the wound of the sword, and did live, is meant the repairing and the restoring of the decayed estate of the Empire, by the Popes, to his full strength and virtue. We do read that the estate of the Empire under Nero, Otho, Galba, and Vitellius, was weak and feeble, in comparison of that which was before under Augustus, Tiberius, and Claudius. We do read also that the Goths and Vandals made horrible rents and dissipations in the Roman Empire. We do further read, that the Empire was divided and rent in pieces, so that there was the Emperor of the East, and the Emperor of the West: yea, at last the Empire of the West fell quite down: so that for the space of 300 years and more, there was no Emperor of the West, till the ⟨p. 250⟩Bishop of Rome, Leo the third made Charles the great, the king of France, Emperor. Then was the Empire of the West again erected, and in time grew to as great a height under the dominion of the Popes as before; yea, far greater. Now, I say, some do take this restoring of the decayed estate of the Empire, by the Popes, to his former strength and power, to be the making of the image of the beast which had the wound of a sword, and did live. But for my own part, I cannot be of that opinion; and my reason is, that the restoring of the decayed estate of the Empire to his former condition was the setting up of the beast himself; for the Empire is the beast, and not the image of the beast; for we must needs grant, that the beast and the image of the beast are two several things. But the Popes, in recovering the Empire to his pristine estate, set up the beast again: and therefore not the image of the beast. Therefore the image of the beast cannot be understood of the restoration of the decayed estate of the Empire. Besides this, it is here said, that the inhabitants of the earth had a great hand in the making this image. But the inhabitants of the earth bare small sway in the recovering and erection of the ⟨p. 251⟩Empire: (For therein the Popes were all in all, after it came into their hand.) Therefore this cannot be understood of the Empire, but of some other things:

Now Antichrist, having gotten the world under him by his counterfeit miracles, doth lay his commandement on them, to make the image of the beast. Now what is here meant by the image of the beast, is somewhat hard to discuss: some think, that by the image of the beast, which had the wound of the sword, and did live, is meant the repairing and the restoring of the decayed estate of the Empire, by the Popes, to his full strength and vertue. Wee do read that the estate of the Empire under Nero, Otho, Galba, and Vitellius, was weak and feeble, in comparison of that which was before under Augustus, Tiberius, and Claudius. We doe read also that the Gothes and Vandals made horrible rents and dissipations in the Roman Empire. We do further read, that the Empire was divided and rent in pieces, so that there was the Emperor of the East, and the Emperor of the West: yea, at last the Empire of the West fell quite down: so that for the space of 300 yeares and more, there was no Emperor of the West, till the