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CHAP. XIII.
FOllowes here Satans prosecution of his en∣mity against the woman and her seed by two beasts; the one with ten hornes, to the 11. ver. the other with two, to the end of the chapter: by the first whereof is Rome papall, or the Roman estate under the Papacy to be understood; and by the second, the Pope or the succession of such persons, as head of that State or Mo∣narchy.
Ver. 1. ANd I stood upon the sand of the Sea: and saw a beast rise up out of the Sea, having seven heads and ten hornes, and upon his hornes ten crownes, and upon his heads the name of blas∣phemy.
First then, John sayes he stood upon the sand of the Sea; to wit, as he seemed to himself in vision, and as on a place fit for the sight he was to see, which was a beast rising up out of the Sea: this being customable to Gods Spirit in Scripture, to figure monarchies by beasts; specially such as abuse their po∣wer against God and his Church, by brutish cruelty. So Da∣niel, c. 7. figured the monarchy of Assyrians by a Lyon, the Medes and Persians by a Beare, the Grecians by a Leopard, and John here the Roman monarchy under the Papacy by this beast that arose out of the Sea; and this interpretation, that by beasts is