The beast with John saw “rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and 10 horns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy,” (Revelation 13.11) is the next, in order, to be noticed.
This beast was evidently designed to point out popery, in its establishment and reign the beast rising out of the sea, pointed out the fact, that the state of things consequent upon the fall of the Roman Empire, in which the nations composing that empire were thrown into commotion and confusion, comparable to attend tempestuous seed, would be the occasion for the rise and establishment of popery, Revelation 17.15. The Dragons giving, or yielding, to him his power, his seat and great authority, denoted in addition to the above that the beast would not be established at Rome, the ancient seed of the empire, but would also assume temporal and jurisdiction, over that city and the nations around, that he would acquire great authority over all the kingdoms into which the roman empire would be divided. Hearing is a marked difference between the dragon and the beast; the dragon took the oversight and control of religion into connection with the government of the empire; The beast assumed temporal jurisdiction on the ground of its previously assumed spiritual powers. Hence while both occupied the same seat, power, etc, are in substance the same in relation to the Church of Christ, had the same origin, the bottomless pit; the same heads and horns marking the identity of both semicolons yet one is the successor of the other, and manifestly distinct from it. Hence the expressive language of scripture on this point, as in Revelation 17.8, “the beast that you saw was, and is not, and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit;” again, “the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.” He was, in substance, in the dragon, is not, in that form, and yet is, in popery in its full power to oppose the truth, and Church of God.
This beast’s being likened to a leopard, having the feet of a bear, and the mouth of a lion, evidently denoted his complex and savage nature.
But as it is of the heads and horns which brother Compton more particularly requests an explanation, I will pass to a consideration of them. By referring to (Revelation 17.9,) we find that the seven heads represent 7 mountains, on which the woman sits. The city of Rome was built on seven hills, or as they are termed mountains.
Hence the city and Church of Rome are clearly identified as being here intended. In verse 10, we find that seven kings we're also represented by the seven heads of the beasts, and that the beast was an eighth of the seven. Five of these had fallen when John wrote, one then was, and the seventh was yet to come, and to continue for a short time when the beast would come into power as the 8th and yet be of the seven.
That is, by the seven kings, we are to understand seven different forms of supreme government, which had, and should exist over the city of Rome before the beast as such existed, and he would be an eighth, in that the form of government under the popes would be different from the other seven, and yet be of them, as like them he would exercise temporal jurisdiction. If therefore we could know with certainty when the popes began to exercise temporal jurisdiction over the city of Rome, we should, I apprehend be able to determine the periods of the commencement and termination of the reign of the beast.
The 10 horns are described, (Revelation 17.12) as being “10 kings which have received no kingdoms as yet,” [that is when John wrote,] “but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.” The 10 horns of Daniels 4th beast, (Daniel 7.7, 8-19; 20-21) no doubt denote 10 kingdoms into which the Roman Empire should be divided, and that before the beast should commence his reign denoted by the little horn springing up after the 10, thus corresponding with the inspired exposition given up the four horns of Daniel's goat, Daniel 8.21-22. It has been usual soda consider the 10 horns of this beast as being and meaning the same; so I have header 4 considered them. But now I doubt whether the expressions “receive power as kings one hour with the beast,” does not rather intimate that corresponding with the original division of the Roman Empire into 10 kingdoms, there will be found near the conclusion of the beast's reign, 10 kings or governments which shall with “one mind give their power and strength to the beast,” that is for one hour as is said Revelation 17.13. This will give the beast full power to kill the witnesses.
In the description given of the Dragons there is mentioned made of seven crowns upon his heads; But none of them upon his horns (Revelation 13.3,) thus denoting that during the reign of the dragon, the succession of power in the seven heads, would exist; but the 10 horns would not then be in power. On the other hand, in the description of the beast there are no crowns spoken of as belonging to the head; But mention is made of 10 crowns on his horns, (Revelation 13.1,) thus showing that the power of the seven heads would have ceased over Rome when the beast came into power; and that during the reign of the beast these 10 horns shall kingdoms shall be in power.
John saw “one of the heads of this beast as if it were wounded to death and the deadly wound was healed” Revelation 13.3. This of course must have been the head or form of government existing in connection with the reign of the beast, which is the 8th head, or temporal power of the popes. I can see no consistency, in referring it to either of the other heads. Indeed several of the other heads were wounded to death by the sword; but instead of being healed, other of the heads came in the power in their place. But this 8th head was wounded as it were to death by Bonaparte, and has been by no other. Bonaparte broke the Pope's dominion over the kings of Europe. This deadly wound has since been healing popery is not only beginning its power over the continental government of Europe; but is gaining an influence or even before it's receiving the wound from Bonaparte it had none, as in England and in this country.
“And all the world wondered after the beast.” The original reads, “and all the earth's wondered after or admired at the beast.” As the term earth is repeatedly used to distinguish the romish church an interest from the gospel church which is called heaven, this passage no doubt is designed to point out the steadfast zeal for popery, and adherence to it, by all those connected with that interest; notwithstanding bonaparte’s having broken its professedly divine power of the kings of the earth; And perhaps this denotes an increase of influence and admiration. And surely this we see. Some of my readers were recollected. When the Catholic interest was quite obscure in this country, and when instead of a display of it, those who were Catholics who were in most places apparently willing not to be known as such. But how is it now? Let the splendid cathedrals, the applause extended to branches of that interest through the public papers, their celebrated and patronized schools nunneries, tell.
I will now notice the two horned beasts described in Revelation 13.11. This beast John held coming up out of the earth. The term earth as I have just had occasion to remark is used to designate the romish church. Hence this denotes this beasts coming out of that church. The reformed churches as such had that origin; They came out of the Catholic Church with Luther and Calvin as two horns at their head. The general name by which they designate themselves, reformed churches, is indicative of their reform from popery. Luther and Calvin the two eminent leaders in bringing about the Reformation, may well be considered as two horns; And the doctrine they taught, and the information they advocated, truly gave them a lamb like appearance.
But still these noted leaders have spoken like a dragon, or rather like the dragon, in connecting their churches with the civil governments, and calling in the civil magistrates to enforce their systems of religion. I am aware that this position will appear sacrilegious in the eyes of many; But still the complete correspondence between the two horned beast and the Reformation confirms me in the truth of my position. With the Christianity of Luther or Calvin or with the fact that many Christians have been connected with reformed churches, I have nothing to do. It is divisible, organized form of these churches, as distinct from the visible churches of Christ, which I understand the Holy Spirit to have pointed out by the figure of this beast. That the reformed churches have retained the beastly nature of their origin, the Church of Rome, in its two most prominent features, infant baptism, and an established religion, cannot be denied.
Infant membership or the bringing in the fleshly seed of professors into the professed spiritual body of Christ, is retained in full, by all the reformed churches, and all their branches. But all the branches into which the reformed churches have divided, have not been as successful, as have some of them, in attaining to the worldly honor of being established by law as the religion of the state; there is little doubt however of their readiness to accept such honour if they could obtain it. The religions both of Luther and Calvin were established by law, and a civil powers were employed to enforce them and punish dissenters; and some of the branches of the reformed churches have been incorporated with the state government in other countries. They have not only spoken like the dragon, in advocating national establishments, and in enforcing their religions and the support of them by law; but they have in several instances persecuted through the civil authorities, even unto death, those who dissented from them.
As we have at present more to do, in this country, with the image of the beast that had a wound with a sword, and did live, then with that beast itself Revelation 13.11. I will see if we can find the resemblance, in the image as it is manifested before us, of the heads and horns of that beast. The being an image of the seven headed beast it must correspond with it. As the beast grew out of the corruptions which had crept into what had been the visible churches of Christ, the image must be looked for as springing from the same source. And that's a dragon brought about the rise of the beast, gave to it, its heads and horns, and the one grew from a connection with the other; So the two horned beast is represented as directing the making of the image; and this will be found to have derived its representations of the heads and horns from the two horned beast, and to have been formed by a connection of professed visible gospel churches with it or its branches. This image I believe will be found in that combination of power which is forming or formed in what are called the benevolent societies.
The seven heads of the beast, as has been shown were seven mountains on which the woman sits, and also represent 7 forms of government. Mountains are repeatedly, in scripture, made to represent religious establishments, that is, whether legal or otherwise. The leading society schemes are seated on, or supported by, 7 religious denominations or distinct establishments; these having as many diversified forms of church government. Thus we find engaged in the support of the American Bible society, a tract society, and a sunday school union, the presbyterians, congregationalists, episcopalians, Dutch reformed, Methodist, Scotch presbyterians and lutherans. The Baptists we find connected with these other denominations in the above name societies, and following in their trail, and all the other, pretended benevolent schemes being thus of the seven in these things, borrowing from them, the plan of combining the church and the world together, in things religious and being an eighth head or distinct form of church government. Herein we have full correspondences to the heads of the beast, that which had been part of the visible Church of Christ, becoming an imitator of, and characterized with the reformed churches which composed A2 horned beast, as that which had been the Church of Christ at Rome, undertook to imitate the dragon, and became classed with it as a distinct form of government.
The 10 horns are divisions of the Roman Empire into distinct kingdoms, are next to be noticed, and their correspondence in the image. These will be found in the distinct branches of what they call benevolent enterprise. As the inhabitants of the vast territory, which constituted the ancient Roman Empire, have been kept more completely subjugated to oppression, by that empire’s having been divided into distinct governments, and these governments into branches, than they could have been, had the government remained concentrated in one hand; So the power or horns of this image are multiplied and branched out, so as to bring the greatest possible number to receive the mark of the beast. The 10 leading divisions are powers which with their branches, auxiliaries, make up the image are these: Bible societies, tract societies, Sunday schools, mission societies, education, in reference to the ministry, theological schools, monthly concerts, revival making, and temperance and abolition societies. Perhaps it may surprise some that I should bring in abolitionism as one of the branches of the religious benevolence of the day; but facts will be found fully to justify me in this classification, of it. For although, it more properly stands connected with political discussions, and hence has with propriety been excluded from the Signs, yet the testimony which i shall bring will, i think, prove the correctness of my position in disrespect, and therefore justify me in introducing the subject here. That it has been immediately connected with religion, is evident from the one fact, that abolitionism is made a test of fellowship or communion by very many of the churches of different denominations at the north. And the following circumstances will, I think, proved that abolitionism has been brought into connection with the self styled benevolent schemes as they are sustained by the new school Baptists.
1st Baptist churches have made it a test of fellowship, excluding from their communion and their pulpits slaveholders.
2nd the board of Baptist ministers of England sent an address to the American Baptist, a few years since urging these to undertake to procure the abolition of slavery in this country, which address was published and again reinserted in the new england's spectator, a religious paper printed in boston. At the request of a number of the baptists of that city. See the spectator of March 25th, 1835.
3rd the English, mission Baptist sent delegates to the American Baptist triennial convention which met at Richmond VA, two or three years since. The specific object of this delegation as stated in the Baptist repository, or American Baptist, previous to the arrival of those delegates, was to consult with the convention and American Baptists on the subject of the abolition of slavery. These delegates were received by the convention, were caressed, and delegates in return were appointed by the convention, to attend some of the Baptist anniversaries in England. What other countenance the convention gave to their special mission I know not.
4th most of the Baptist papers in the north and northwest, our like engaged in promoting missionism and abolitionism.
5th the Baptist state convention of Vermont published and sent to the Baptists of the South connected with the American Baptist union, and address warmly urging upon them to withdraw all fellowship from slaveholders. This convention is one of those state bodies formed for mission and education purposes, and is recognized as an auxiliary to the American Baptist missionary society. Consequently its influence as well as that of other of the northern auxiliaries will go for sending none but abolitionists out as missionaries by the society.
Temperance, and abolition societies though the last are not the least powerful horns of the image. They constitute links by which missionism it's completely connected with political transactions. Legislative enactments have passed in some states in support of the temperance cause. Notice the recent arbitrary and I should think, unconstitutional law of this legislature of Massachusetts on that subject. Abolitionism is forming a powerful political party in this country which is striving for the ascendancy in the national government. New schoolism has found in the north and northwest, is of course exerting its influence to promote the ascendancy of that party; and should the party succeed to the administration of public affairs, they may feel bound and returned to sustain new schoolism, even by legal enactments.
Again, the denomination called Quakers or friends, although having, in common with all the seven new school heads of the image, for their foundation pelagianism in whole or in part, yet have kept themselves entirely aloof from the new school systems of benevolence until the temperance and abolition schemes were brought in; but by their attachment to those this numerous sect, with all their wealth and influence, have been hitched on upon the new school religious and political party of our country.
I have thus given briefly my views of this subject in answer to brother compton's request. Those who have read the letters on the image of the beast, will probably discover that my views are somewhat changed relative to what was intended by the dragon and in some minor points; but in general they will be found to correspond the one, with the other. Such as I have, I have given. And I think it will be found to be no fiction about the image having horns and that life will yet be given to it, to persecute and put down those who will not bow to it.
Samuel Trott
Fairfax County, Virginia, April 12, 1839
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