As respects Rome's claim to be seated on seven hills, see following catechism.

the Middle Ages had sunk into equal decay with that ancient Rome which had so long lain in ruins.

"When Eugenius IV. returned to Rome in the year 1443 it was become a city of herdsmen; its inhabitants were not distinguishable from the peasants of the neighbouring country. The hills had long been abandoned, and the only part inhabited was the plain along the windings of the Tiber; there was no pavement in the narrow streets, and these were rendered yet darker by the balconies and buttresses which propped one house against another; the cattle wandered about as in a village. From San Silvestro to the Porta del Popolo all was garden and marsh, the haunt of flocks of wild ducks. The very memory of antiquity seemed almost effaced the Capitol was become the Goat's Hill, the Forum Romanum the Cow's Field; the strangest legends were associated with the few remaining monuments. The church of Saint Peter was in danger of falling down."

(E.)

CATECHISM ON THE SEVENTEENTH CHAPTER OF THE REVELATION.

INQUIRER. Do you regard the vision in this chapter respecting the Harlot sustained by the ten-horned Beast as referring to anything now existent, or as future?

TEACHER. Before I reply definitely, may I ask what you yourself think of the two symbols to which you have referred? What, for example, does the ten-horned Beast symbolise?

INQ. I have heard from some that it represents the Roman Empire.

T. That is to say, the ancient Pagan Roman Empire as it existed in the time of John?

INQ. Yes.

T. You will easily see that such an interpretation is inadmissible, because it is expressly said in verse eight that the Beast "is to ascend (μeλλei avaẞaiveiv) out of the bottomless pit." This verse shows that the rise of the Beast was, in the time of John, future, whereas the Roman Empire had already arisen. Again, this ten-horned Beast is afterwards spoken of as heading the Kings of

the earth and their armies in their last great confederacy against Christ when coming forth as King of Kings. (See Rev. xix. 19.) "And I saw the Beast, and the Kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him that sat on the horse, and against His army. And the Beast was taken, and with him the false Prophet that wrought miracles before him. . . . . These both were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. Such words as these (allowed by all to be future) are, of course, wholly inapplicable to the ancient Roman Empire, which has long since perished by far different agency. Indeed, the words just quoted are inapplicable to any Empire. "CAST ALIVE into the lake of fire" are words applicable only to living individuals.

INQ. I see plainly that the Beast cannot mean the Roman Empire; but I have heard it said that the Beast symbolises the Pope, and that the Woman represents Rome Papal or Ecclesiastical.

T. Such an interpretation is immediately set aside by the sixteenth verse of the seventeenth chapter, which, according to the corrected and acknowledged reading,* stands thus: "And the ten

* See Dr. Tregelles in locum, and authorities there quoted. Kaι [and] is sustained by A. K., i. 38, P. Q., 91, 95. Am. Fuld. Tol. Dem. Memp. Æth. Syr. Hipp. Pims. Compl. The rival reading [Em] has no MS. authority whatever, and is only adopted by four versions, one of which only is ancient. The evidence therefore in favour of "and" is overwhelming.

horns which thou sawest AND the Beast, these shall hate the Harlot, and shall make her desolate and naked," &c. This verse shows that the Beast, when he assumes his supreme despotic power, concurs with the Ten Kings (who will at that time have divided among them the whole Roman world) in destroying the Woman. Now, in the first place, the Pope never has been, and never will be, the Head of all the Kingdoms into which the Roman world, Eastern and Western, will finally be divided; secondly the Pope, by destroying Popery, would not elevate, but destroy himself.

INQ. This certainly seems conclusive as to the Beast not meaning the Pope. What, then, does this ten-horned Beast denote ?

T. Let me tell you first what it does not denote. It cannot denote any one whose power is less extensive than the whole Roman worldthat which was called by the Romans "Orbis terrarum," and by the Scripture ʼn okovμevn.* It is obvious that no power, either secular or ecclesiastical is supreme at present over half, much less over all, the Roman world. Until we see, therefore, all the nations of the Roman world, in its Eastern or Greek, as well as its Western or Latin division, alike brought under the successful control * See Luke ii. 1: 66 There went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus that the whole world ( oikovμevn) should be taxed." See also in Polybius the use of this expression to denote the whole Roman Empire.

of one dominant system, we cannot be asked to believe that this chapter is in course of being fulfilled.

INQ. Will you explain further respecting the Eastern and Western divisions of the Roman Empire ?

T. The Romans established their Empire by conquests in the East and in the West. The Eastern part of their Empire was full of civilisation when they conquered it; the Western full of barbarism. The Eastern part they conquered from the Greeks; and in it, up to the present hour, Greek habits and institutions can be traced; in the Western part Latin institutions prevail. This distinction was always recognised by the Romans. It is indicated in Scripture by the two iron legs of the Image shown to Nebuchadnezzar. See Daniel ii., in which chapter we also find that the whole extent of territory denoted by the legs of that Image is finally to be divided into ten kingdoms. These Ten Kingdoms are afterwards referred to many times in Daniel and the Revelation under the emblem of ten horns, as in this chapter.

INQ. Could you enumerate under their modern names the countries which fall within the Roman Empire ?

T. The countries which were included within the Roman Empire in its widest extent are—

In Western and North-Western Europe: England