THE APOCALYPSE OF IOHN THE APOSTLE — CHAPTER XVII
Nota Bene: Before proceeding, the reader is advised to review our post titled, PREFATORY TO THE TRANSCRIPTION OF THE APOCALYPSE OF JOHN THE APOSTLE as well as our post titled, THE ARGVMENT OF THE APOCALYPSE OF S. IOHN. The reader is also advised that the source text of THE APOCALYPSE OF IOHN THE APOSTLE — CHAPTER XVII transcribed herewith can be accessed online by referring to pp. 729–732 of the original Rheims New Testament through the following link: THE NEVV TESTAMENT OF IESVS CHRIST, TRANSLATED FAITHFVLLY INTO ENGLISH, out of the authentical Latin, according to the beſt corrected copies of the ſame, diligently conferred vvith the Greeke and other editions in diuers languages: Vvith Argvments of bookes and chapters, Annotations, and other neceſſarie helpes, for the better vnderſtanding of the text, and ſpecially for the diſcouerie of the Corrvptions of diuers late tranſlations, and for cleering the Controversies in religion, of theſe daies: In the English College of Rhemes. PRINTED AT RHEMES, by Iohn Fogny. 1582.
Chap. XVII.
The harlot Babylon clothed vvith diuers ornaments, 6 and drunken of the bloud of Martyrs, ſitteth vpon a beaſt that hath ſeuen heades and ten hornes : 7 al which things the Angel expoundeth.
1. And there came one of the ſeuen Angels vvhich had the ſeuen vials, & ſpake vvith me, ſaying, Come, I vvil ſhevv thee ⸬ the damnation of the great harlot, ⸬ The final damnation of the vvhole companie of the reprobate, called here the great vvhoore. vvhich ſitteth vpon c many vvaters, c Theſe many vvaters are many peoples. v. 15. † 2. vvith vvhom the kings of the earth haue fornicated, and they vvhich inhabite the earth haue been drunke of the vvine of her vvhoredom. † 3. And he tooke me avvay in ſpirit into the deſert. And I ſavv a womã ſitting vpon a ſcarlet coloured beaſt, ful of names of blaſphemie, hauing ſeuen heades, and ten hornes. † 4. And the vvoman vvas clothed round about vvith purple and ſcarlet, and gilted vvith gold, and pretious ſtone, and pearles, hauing a golden cup in her hand, ful of the abominations & filthines of her fornication. † 5. And in her forehead a name vvritten, ″ Myſterie:2 ″ Babylon1 the great, mother of the fornications and the abominations of the earth. † 6. And I ſavv the vvoman ″ drunken of the bloud3 of the Sainctes, and of the bloud of the martyrs of Iesvs. And I marueled vvhen I had ſeen her, vvith great admiration. † 7. And the Angel ſaid to me, Vvhy doeſt thou maruel? I vvil tel thee the myſterie of the woman, and of the beaſt that carieth her, which hath the ſeuen heades and the ten hornes.
† 8. The beaſt vvhich thou ſavveſt, ⸬ vvas, and is not, and ſhal come vp out of the bottomeles depth, and goe into deſtruction : and the inhabitants on the earth (vvhoſe names are not vvritten in the booke of life from the making of the vvorld) ſhal maruel, ſeeing the beaſt that vvas, and is not. ⸬ It ſignifieth the ſhort reigne of Antichriſt, vvho is the cheefe horne or head of the beaſt. † 9. And here is vnderſtanding, that hath vviſedom. The ſeuen heades : are ″ ſeuen hilles,4 vpon vvhich the vvoman ſitteth, and they are ſeuen kings. † 10. Fiue are fallen, one is, and an other is not yet come : & vvhen he ſhal come, he muſt tarrie a ſhort time. † 11. And the beaſt vvhich vvas, & is not : ″ the ſame alſo is the eight,5 and is of the ſeuen, & goeth into deſtruction. † 12. And the ten hornes vvhich thou ſaweſt: are ⸬ ten kings, vvhich haue not yet receiued kingdom, ⸬ Some expound it of ten ſmal kingdoms, into which the Romane Empire ſhal be diuided, vvhich ſhal al ſerue Antichriſt both in his life and a litle after. but `ſhal’ doe receiue povver as kings one houre after the beaſt. † 13. These haue one counſel and force: and their povver they ſhal deliuer to the beaſt. † 14. Theſe ſhal fight vvith the Lambe, and the Lambe ſhal ouercome them, becauſe * he is the Lord of lordes, and King of kinges, & they that are vvith him, called, and elect, and faithful. 1 Tim. 6,15. Apo. 19,16. † 15. And he ſaid to me, The vvaters vvhich thou ſavveſt vvhere the harlot ſitteth: are peoples, and nations, and tonges. † 16. And the ten hornes vvhich thou ſavveſt in the beaſt : theſe ſhal hate the harlot, and ſhal make her deſolate and naked, and ſhal eate her fleſh, and her they ſhal burne vvith fire. † 17. for ⸬ God hath giuen into their hartes, to doe that vvhich pleaſeth him : that they giue their kingdom to the beaſt, til the vvordes of God be cõſummate.⸬ Not forcing or mouing any to folow Antichriſt, but by his iuſt iudgement, & for puniſment of their ſinnes, permitting thẽ to beleeue and cõſent to him. † 18. And the vvoman vvhich thou ſavveſt : is ″ the great citie,6 vvhich hath kingdom ouer the kinges of the earth.
ANNOTATIONS
Chap. XVII.
Chap. XVII.
5. Babylon.] The Proteſtãts here vvil needs haue Babylõ to be Rome, but not in S. Peters epiſtle. In the end of S. Peters firſt Epiſtle, vvhere the Apoſtle dateth it at Babylon, vvhich the auncient vvriters (as vve there noted) affirme to be meant of Rome : the Proteſtants vvil not in any vviſe haue it ſo, becauſe they vvould not be driuen to confeſſe that Peter euer vvas at Rome. but here for that they thinke it maketh for their opinion, that the Pope is Antichriſt, and Rome the ſeate and citie of Antichriſt, they vvil needes haue Rome to be this Babylon, this great vvhore, and this purple harlot. for ſuch fellovves, in the expoſition of holy Scripture, be ledde onely by their priudicate opinions and hereſies, to vvhich they dravv al things vvithout al indifferencie and ſinceritie.
By Babylon (according to al the fathers) is ſignified, partly the whole ſocietie of the wicked, partly the citie of Rome, only in reſpect of the terrene & heatheniſh ſtate of them that perſecuteth the Church. But S. Auguſtine, Aretas, and other vvriters, moſt commonly expound it, neither of Babylon it ſelf a citie of Chaldaea or Ægypt, nor of Rome, or any one citie, vvhich may be ſo called ſpiritually, as Hieruſalem before chap. 11 is named ſpiritual Sodom and Ægypt : but of the general ſocietie of the impious, & of those that preferre the terrene kingdõ and cõmoditie of the vvorld, before God & eternal felicitie. The author of the Commentaries vpon the Apocalypse ſet forth in S. Ambroſe name, vvriteth thus : This great vvhoore ſometime ſignifieth Rome, ſpecially vvhich at that time vvhen the Apoſtle vvrote this, did perſecute the Church of God. but othervviſe it ſignifieth the vvhole citie of the Diuel, that is, the vniuerſal corps of the reprobate. Tertullian alſo taketh it for Rome, thus. Babylon (ſaith he) in S. Iohn is a figure of the citie of Rome, being ſo great, ſo proud of the Empire, and the deſtroier of the ſaincts. li. aduerſ Iudaeos. Vvhich is plainely ſpoken of that citie, vvhen it vvas heathen, the head of the terrene dominion of the vvorld, the perſecutor of the Apoſtles and their ſucceſſors, the ſeate of Nero, Domitian, and the like, Chriſts ſpecial enemies, the ſinke of idolatrie, ſinne, and falſe vvorſhip of the Pagan gods. Then vvas it Babylon, vvhen S. Iohn vvrote this, and then vvas Nero and the reſt figures of Antichriſt, and that citie the reſemblance of the principal place (vvhereſoeuer it be) that Antichriſt ſhal reigne in, about the later end of the vvorld.
Novv to apply that to the Romane Church and Apoſtolike See, either novv or then, vvhich vvas ſpoken onely of the terrene ſtate of that citie, as it vvas the ſeat of the Emperour, and not of Peter, vvhen it did ſlea aboue 30 Popes Chriſts Vicars, one after another, & endeuoured to deſtroy the vvhole Church: that is moſt blaſphemous and fooliſh.
The Church of Rome is neuer called Babylon. The Church in Rome vvas one thing, & Babylon in Rome an other thing. Peter ſate in Rome. and Nero ſate in Rome. but Peter, as in the Church of Rome : Nero, as in the Babylon of Rome. Vvhich diſtinction the Heretikes might haue learned by S. Peter him ſelf ep. 1. chap. 5. vvriting thus, The Church ſaluteth you, that is in Babylon, coëlect. So that the Church and the very choſen Church vvas in Rome, vvhen Rome vvas Babylon. vvhereby it is plaine that, vvhether Babylon or the great vvhoore do here ſignifie Rome or no, yet it can not ſignifie the Church of Rome : vvhich is novv, and euer vvas, differing from the terrene Empire of the ſame. And if, as in the beginning of the Church, Nero and the reſt of the perſecuting Emperours (vvhich vvere figures of Antichriſt) did principally ſit in Rome, ſo alſo the great Antichriſt ſhal haue his ſeate there, as it may vvel be (though others thinke that Hieruſalem rather ſhal be his principal citie:) yet euen then ſhal neither the Church of Rome, nor the Pope of Rome be Antichriſt, but ſhal be perſecuted by Antichriſt, and driuen out of Rome if it be poſſible. for, to Chriſts Vicar and the Romane Church he vvil beare as much good vvil as the Proteſtants novv doe. and he ſhal haue more povver to perſecute him and the Church, then they haue.
S. Hierom epiſt. 17. c. 7 to Marcella, to dravv her out of the citie of Rome to the holy land, vvarning her of the manifold allurements to ſinne and il life, that be in ſo great and populous a citie, alludeth at length to theſe vvordes of the Apocalypſe, and maketh it to be Babylon, and the purple vvhore, but ſtraight vvay, leſt some naughtie perſon might thinke he meant that of the Church of Rome, vvhich he ſpake of the ſocietie of the vvicked only, he addeth : There iſ there in deede the holy Chuech, there are the triumphant monuments of the Apoſtles and Martyrs, there is the true confeſsion of Chriſt, there is the faith praiſed * of the Apoſtle, and Gentilitie troden vnder foote, the name of the Chriſtian daily aduancing it ſelf on high. Ro.1. Vvhereby you ſee that vvhatſoeuer may be ſpoken or interpreted of Rome, out of this vvord Babylõ, it is not meant of the Church of Rome, but of the terrene state in ſo much that the ſaid holy Doctor (li. 2 adverſ. Iouinian. c. 19.) ſignifieth, that the holines of the Church there, hath vviped avvay the blaſphemie vvritten in the forehead of her former iniquitie. But of the difference of the old ſtate and dominion of the Heathen there, for vvhich it is reſembled to Antichriſt. and the Prieſtly ſtate vvhich novv it hath, reade a notable place in S. Leo ferm. 1 in natali Petri & Pauli.↩️5. Myſterie.] Myſterie. S. Paul calleth this ſecrete and close vvorking of abomination, the myſterie of iniquitie. 2. Theſſal. 2. and it is called a litle after in this chapter verſ. 7. the Sacrament (or myſterie) of the vvoman, and it is alſo the marke of reprobation and damnation.↩️
6. Drunken of the bloud.] This woman ſignifieth al perſecutors of ſaincts. Putting heretikes to death, is not to ſhede the bloud of ſaincts. It is plaine that this vvoman ſignifieth the vvhole corps of al the perſecutors that haue and ſhal ſhede ſo much bloud of the iuſt: of the Prophets, Apoſtles, and other Martyrs from the beginning of the vvorld to the end. The Proteſtants foliſhly expound it of Rome, for that there they put Heretikes to death, and allovv their puniſhment in other countries : but their bloud is not called the bloud of ſaincts, no more then the bloud of theeues, mankillers, and other malefactors:for the ſheding of vvhich by order of justice, no Commonwealth ſhal anſvver.↩️
9. Seuen hilles.] The Proteſtants madnes in expounding the 7 hilles, of Rome : the Angel himſelf expounding it otherwiſe. The Angel him ſelf here expoundeth theſe 7 hilles to be one vvith the 7 heads and the 7 kings: & yet the Heretikes blinded excedingly vvith malice againſt the Church of Rome, are ſo madde to take them for the ſeuen hilles literally, vpon vvhich in old time Rome did ſtand : that ſo they might make the vnlearned beleeue that Rome is the ſeate of Antichriſt. But if they had any conſideration, they might marke that the Prophets viſions here are moſt of them by Seuens, vvhether he talke of heads, hornes, candleſtickes, Churches, kings, hilles, or other thinges: and that he alluded not to the hilles, becauſe they vvere iuſt ſeuen, but that Seuen is a myſtical number, as ſometime Ten is, ſignifying vniuerſally al of that ſort whereof he ſpeaketh. as, that the ſeuen heads, hilles, or kingdoms (which are here al one) ſhould be al the kingdoms of the world that perſecute the Chriſtians : being heads and mountaines for their height in dignitie aboue others. And ſome take it, that there were ſeuen ſpecial Empires, kingdoms, or States, that vvere or ſhal be the great perſecutors of Gods people. as of Ægypt, Chanaan, Babylon, the Perſians, and Greekes, which be fiue. ſixtly of the Romane Empire which once perſecuted moſt of al other, and which (as the Apoſtle here ſaith) yet is, or ſtandeth. but the ſeuenth, then vvhen S. Iohn vvrote this, vvas not come, neither is yet come in our daies: vvhich is Antichriſts ſtate, vvhich ſhal not come ſo long as the Empire of Rome ſtandeth, as S. Paul did Prophecie. 2 Theſſal. 2.↩️
11. The ſame is the eight.] Vvhat is the eight beaſt. The beaſt it ſelf being the congregation of al theſe vvicked perſecutors, though it conſiſt of the foreſaid ſeuen, yet for that the malice of al is complete in it, may be called the eight. Or, Antichriſt him ſelf, though he be one of the ſeuen, yet for his extraordinarie vvickedness ſhal be counted the odde perſecutor, or the accompliſhment of al other, & therfore is named the eight. Some take this beaſt called the eight, to be the Diuel.↩️
18. The great citie.] The double interpretation of Babylon. If it be meant of any one citie, and not of the vniuerſal ſocietie of the reprobate (vvhich is the citie of the Diuel, as the Church & the vniuerſal fellovvſhip of the faithful is called the citie of God) it is moſt like to be old Rome, as ſome of the Greekes expound it, from the time of the firſt Emperours, til Conſtantines daies, vvho made an end of the perſecution. for by the authoritie of the old Romane Empire, Chriſt vvas put to death firſt, and aftervvard the two cheefe Apoſtles, & the Popes their ſucceſſors, and infinite Catholike men through out the vvorld, by leſſer kings vvhich then vvere ſubject to Rome. Al vvhich Antichriſtian perſecutions ceaſed, vvhen Conſtantine reigned, and yelded vp the citie to the Pope, vvho holdeth not the kingdom or Empire ouer the vvorld, as the Heathen did, but the fatherhod and ſpiritual rule of the Church. Hovvbeit the more probable ſense is the other, of the citie of the Diuel, as the author of the homilies vpon the Apocalypſe in S. Auguſtine, declareth.↩️